BELLOWS PLUNGERS HAVING ONE OR MORE HELICALLY EXTENDING FEATURES, PUMPS INCLUDING SUCH BELLOWS PLUNGERS, AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20100178184A1
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: White Knight Fluid Handling, Inc. (Graco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: David M. Simmons, John M. Simmons, Tom M. Simmons
• Inventors: Simmons, John M., Simmons, David M., Simmons, Tom M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,636,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/472
• 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

Abstract

A 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. Various configurations of helical bellows plungers are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A bellows plunger, comprising a tubular body having a first closed end and an opposite, second open end, the tubular body comprising a side wall having a shape defining at least one ridge extending continuously and helically about a longitudinal axis of the tubular body from a location proximate the first closed end to a location proximate the second open end.

2. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the tubular body is generally cylindrical.

3. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the tubular body is generally conical.

4. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the first closed end of the tubular body comprises an end plate separately formed from the side wall and attached thereto.

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

6. The bellows plunger of claim 1, further comprising:

a cavity disposed within the first closed end of the tubular body; and

an opening extending through a portion of the first closed end of the tubular body and providing fluid communication between an interior region of the tubular body and the cavity within the first closed end of the tubular body.

7. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the tubular body has a shape defining a plurality of ridges extending continuously and helically about the longitudinal axis of the tubular body from a location proximate the first closed end to a location proximate the second open end.

8. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the tubular body has an at least substantially uniform wall thickness.

9. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the side wall has a shape defining at least one recess extending continuously and helically about a longitudinal axis of the tubular body from a location proximate the first closed end to a location proximate the second open end.

10. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the tubular body comprises at least one of an elastomer material and a plastic material.

11. The bellows plunger of claim 10, wherein the tubular body comprises a fluoropolymer.

12. The bellows plunger of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the tubular body has an inner surface defining a valley extending continuously and helically about the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, at least one of a width and a depth of the valley increasing in a direction extending from the location proximate the first closed end to the location proximate the second open end.

13. A reciprocating fluid pump for pumping a subject fluid, comprising:

a pump body;

at least one subject fluid chamber within the pump body; and

at least one bellows plunger located at least partially within the pump body and having a surface defining a surface of the at least one subject fluid chamber, the at least one bellows plunger comprising a tubular body having a first closed end and an opposite, second open end, the tubular body comprising a side wall having a shape defining at least one ridge extending continuously and helically about a longitudinal axis of the tubular body from a location proximate the first closed end to a location proximate the second open end.

14. The reciprocating fluid pump of claim 13, further comprising at least one drive fluid chamber within the pump body, the at least one bellows plunger separating the at least one drive fluid chamber from the at least one subject fluid chamber within the pump body.

15. The reciprocating fluid pump of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one bellows plunger comprises a first bellows plunger and a second bellows plunger, the first bellows plunger separating a first subject fluid chamber from a first drive fluid chamber and the second bellows plunger separating a second subject fluid chamber from a second drive fluid chamber; and

a shaft extending between the first bellows plunger and the second bellows plunger;

wherein each of the first bellows plunger and the second bellows plunger comprises a tubular body having a first closed end and an opposite, second open end, the tubular body comprising a side wall having a shape defining at least one ridge extending continuously and helically about a longitudinal axis of the tubular body from a location proximate the first closed end to a location proximate the second open end.

16. A method of forming a 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 outer surface of the mold core comprising at least one helically extending ridge, the inner surface of the mold comprising a helically extending recess complementary to and aligned with the helically extending ridge of the outer surface of the mold core;

solidifying the molding material within the space to form a bellows plunger having a tubular body having a side wall extending between a first end and an opposite, second end of the tubular body, the side wall having a shape defining at least one ridge extending continuously and helically about a longitudinal axis of the tubular body from a location proximate the first end to a location proximate the second end; and

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

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting the molding material to comprise at least one of an elastomer material and a plastic material.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein filling the space between the outer surface of the mold core and the inner surface of the mold with the molding material comprises injecting the molding material into the space with an injection molding machine.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein separating the bellows plunger from the mold and the mold core comprises providing relative rotation between the mold core and the bellows plunger about a longitudinal axis of the bellows plunger and unscrewing the bellows plunger from the mold core.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising forming the mold and the mold core to cause the side wall of the tubular body of the bellows plunger to have a generally conical shape.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising forming the mold and the mold core to cause the side wall of the tubular body of the bellows plunger to have an at least substantially uniform wall thickness.