HELICAL BELLOWS, PUMP INCLUDING SAME AND METHOD OF BELLOWS FABRICATION

• US 20100178182A1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Simmons Development, LLC
• Original Assignee: Simmons Development, LLC
• Inventors: Simmons, John M., Simmons, David M., Simmons, Tom M.
• Application Number:
  US12/351,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178182A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/472
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/446 and using a rotating movement to unscrew articles in particular in injection moulds B29C45/262
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/703 Bellows
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0054 particularities of the flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0736 with two or more pumping chambers in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1136 with two or more pumping chambers in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/135 reciprocating movement of the pumping members being obtained by two single-acting elastic-fluid motors, each acting in one direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49236 Fluid pump or compressor making

Abstract

A helical pump system includes at least one pressure chamber at least partially defined by a helical bellows plunger comprised of a tubular body, a closed front portion, an open rear portion, and at least one contour extending continuously as a helix, longitudinally from proximate the front portion to proximate the rear portion. Methods for forming a helical bellows plunger include molding the helical bellows plunger using a mold core comprising a helically extending exterior contour and a cooperatively associated mold cavity comprising a helically extending interior contour of substantially a same pitch and configured to align with the helically extending exterior contour of the mold core, introducing a molding material therebetween, curing the molding material, and unscrewing the cured molding material from the mold core.

Claims

1. A bellows plunger, comprising:

a tubular body;

an end plate coupled to the tubular body at one longitudinal end thereof;

an opening at an opposing longitudinal end; and

a substantially continuous, helical contour comprising at least one helical groove extending from proximate the end plate to proximate the opposing longitudinal end.

2. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the tubular body further comprises a substantially constant transverse cross-sectional dimension along a length thereof.

3. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the end plate is one of attached to the tubular body and formed integral to the tubular body.

4. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the end plate comprises an annular flange into which a portion of the helical contour of the tubular body extends.

5. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the end plate comprises a structural insert disposed at least partially therein.

6. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the end plate comprises a shaped exterior surface which is one of frustoconical, flat, convex and concave.

7. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the end plate comprises an opening extending at least partially into at least a portion thereof.

8. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the opposing longitudinal end comprises an annular flange defining a central opening to an interior of the tubular body.

9. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the tubular body is comprised of a material comprising one of a rubber compound, a thermoplastic, and a fluoropolymeric compound.

10. The bellows plunger of claim 9, wherein the material comprises a material selected from the list consisting of buna-N, ethylene diene M-class (EPDM), VITON®

, polyurethane, HYTREL®

, SANTOPRENE®

, fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy fluorocarbon resin (PFA), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), nylon, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), NORDEL™ and

nitrile.

11. A bellows pump, comprising:

at least one fluid chamber;

at least one fluid inlet port in communication with the at least one fluid chamber;

at least one fluid outlet port in communication with the at least one fluid chamber; and

at least one pressure chamber at least partially defined by a bellows plunger, the bellows plunger comprising a tubular body including a closed end at least partially in communication with the at least one fluid chamber, an open end, and a plurality of contours extending as a helix from proximate the closed end to proximate the open end.

12. The bellows pump of claim 11, wherein the at least one fluid chamber comprises a plurality of fluid chambers and the at least one pressure chamber comprises a plurality of pressure chambers.

13. The bellows pump of claim 11, wherein the at least one fluid inlet port and the at least one fluid outlet port each comprise at least one one-way valve.

14. The bellows pump of claim 11, wherein the bellows plunger is comprised of a material comprising one of a rubber compound, a thermoplastic, and a fluoropolymeric compound.

15. The bellows pump of claim 14, wherein the material comprises a material selected from the list consisting of buna-N, ethylene diene M-class (EPDM), VITON®

, polyurethane, HYTREL®

, SANTOPRENE®

, fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy fluorocarbon resin (PFA), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), nylon, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), NORDEL™ and

nitrile.

16. The bellows pump of claim 11, wherein the plurality of contours comprise at least one helical groove extending from proximate the closed end to proximate the open end.

17. The bellows pump of claim 11, wherein the closed end of the bellows plunger comprises an end plate coupled to the tubular body.

18. The bellows pump of claim 17, wherein the end plate is one of attached to the tubular body and formed integral to the tubular body.

19. The bellows pump of claim 17, wherein the end plate comprises a structural insert disposed at least partially therein.

20. The bellows pump of claim 17, wherein the end plate comprises an opening extending at least partially into at least a portion thereof.

21. A method of forming a helical bellows plunger, comprising:

filling a space between an outer surface of a mold core and an inner surface of a mold with a molding material, the mold core comprising a helically extending contour surface and the mold comprising a helically extending contour surface of substantially a same pitch and aligned with the helically extending contour of the mold to form a portion of a mold cavity therebetween;

curing the molding material to form a helical bellows plunger; and

separating the helical bellows plunger from the mold and the mold core.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein filling the space between an outer surface of the mold core and an inner surface of the mold with a molding material comprises filling the space between an outer surface of the mold core and an inner surface of the mold cavity with a mold material comprising one of a rubber compound, a thermoplastic, and a fluoropolymeric compound.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein filling the space between an outer surface of the mold core and an inner surface of the mold with a molding material comprises filling the space between an outer surface of the mold core and an inner surface of the mold cavity with a mold material selected from the list consisting of buna-N, ethylene diene M-class (EPDM), VITON®

, polyurethane, HYTREL®

, SANTOPRENE®

, fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy fluorocarbon resin (PFA), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), nylon, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), NORDEL™ and

nitrile.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein filling the space between an outer surface of the mold core and an inner surface of the mold comprises injection molding.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein separating the helical bellows plunger from the mold core comprises unscrewing the helical bellows plunger from the mold core.