PERISTALTIC PUMP

• US 20100301071A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Inventors: Alstad, Knute, Lieving, Jason Ray, Bakken, Todd James, Kadyk, Jeffery W., Darley, Jesse Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/214
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/108 of the peristaltic type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1261 the rollers being placed at the outside of the tubular flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1269 the rotary axes of the rollers lying in a plane perpendicular to the rotary axis of the driving motor
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1284 Means for pushing the backing-plate against the tubular flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1292 Pumps specially adapted for several tubular flexible members

Abstract

A peristaltic pump assembly and system that facilitates reliable and efficient engagement and removal of a flexible tube. A stator is pivotally retained on a structure and cooperatively operated by a lever arm and cam to engage and disengage the stator from the tube and a corresponding rotor. The stator pivots at a point distal from a point of rotation of the rotor and the lever arm moves about a fixed rotation axis to engage and disengage the stator with the tube relative to the rotor.

Claims

1. A pump assembly for use in pumping a viscous material through a pumping tube which can be engage by the pump assembly, the pump assembly comprising;

a pump body;

a rotor rotatably retained on the pump body;

a stator pivotably retained on the pump body;

a lever arm operatively retained on the pump body;

a cam assembly associated with the lever arm and the stator for use in engaging and disengaging the stator relative to a pumping tube positionable between the rotor and the stator; and

the stator being pivotably retained on the pump body at a single pivot point and pivoting at that pivot point spaced from a rotation point of the rotor, the lever arm being movable relative to a fixed rotation axis on the pump body and spaced from the pivot point and the rotation point for engaging and disengaging the stator.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising the stator being pivotably retained on an upper portion of the pump body.

3. The pump assembly of claim 2, further comprising the cam assembly being movable relative to the fixed rotation axis and generally between the pivot point and the fixed rotation axis.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein in a first plane defined relative to the pump body the lever arm fixed rotation axis is located distal from pivot point of stator and the rotation point of rotor is positioned between the pivot point and the fixed rotation axis.

5. The pump assembly of claim 4, further comprising the cam assembly being movable relative to the fixed rotation axis and generally in an area between the fixed rotation axis and both of the pivot point and the rotation point.

6. The pump assembly of claim 4, further comprising the cam assembly movable relative to the to the fixed rotation axis and spaced distal from the pivot point and positioned generally closer to the fixed rotation axis than the pivot point.

7. The pump assembly of claim 2, wherein in a second plane defined relative to the pump body the lever arm fixed rotation axis is located distal from the pivot point of the stator and the pivot point of the stator is positioned between the rotation point and the fixed rotation axis.

8. The pump assembly of claim 7, further comprising the cam assembly being movable relative to the fixed rotation axis and generally in an area between the fixed rotation axis and both the pivot point and the rotation point.

9. The pump assembly of claim 7, further comprising the cam assembly movable relative to the to the fixed rotation axis and spaced distal from the pivot point and positioned generally closer to the fixed rotation axis than the pivot point.

10. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising the stator being pivotably retained on an upper portion of the pump body;

in a first plane defined relative to the pump body the lever arm fixed rotation axis is located distal from pivot point of stator and the rotation point of rotor is positioned between the pivot point and the fixed rotation axis, and

in a second plane defined relative to the pump body the lever arm fixed rotation axis is located distal from the pivot point of the stator and the pivot point of the stator is positioned between the rotation point and the fixed rotation axis.

11. The pump assembly of claim 10, further comprising the cam assembly being movable relative to the fixed rotation axis and generally in an area between the fixed rotation axis and both of the pivot point and the rotation point.

12. The pump assembly of claim 10, further comprising the cam assembly movable relative to the to the fixed rotation axis and spaced distal from the pivot point and positioned generally closer to the fixed rotation axis than the pivot point.

13. The pump assembly of claim 10, further comprising the cam assembly movable relative to the to the fixed rotation axis and generally between the pivot point and the fixed rotation axis.

14. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising the stator being pivotably retained on a lower portion of the pump body;

in a first plane defined relative to the pump body the lever arm fixed rotation axis is located distal from pivot point of stator and the rotation point of rotor is positioned between the pivot point and the fixed rotation axis, and

in a second plane defined relative to the pump body the lever arm fixed rotation axis is located distal from the pivot point of the stator and the pivot point of the stator is positioned generally between the rotation point and the fixed rotation axis.

15. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising a detent on the assembly for receiving and retaining the lever arm in a closed position when the lever arm is rotated to engage the stator towards the rotor.

16. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising the rotor having a pair of plates for operatively retaining a plurality of rollers therebetween, the plates extending sufficiently to generally cover ends of the corresponding rollers retained between the plates and to support the roller assembly.

17. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising the rotor having a pair of plates for operatively retaining a plurality of rollers therebetween, the plates having a non-circular shape and extending sufficiently to generally cover ends of the corresponding rollers retained between the plates and to support the roller assembly.

18. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising the rotor having a pair of plates for operatively retaining a plurality of rollers therebetween, the plates having generally rectangular shape and having rounded corners extending sufficiently to generally cover ends of the corresponding rollers retained between the plates and to support the roller assembly.

19. The pump assembly of claim 1, further comprising captive retaining fasteners carried on pump body for engagement with a housing to which the pump assembly is attached for use.

20. A beverage dispenser including at least one modular pump assembly for use in pumping a viscous material through a pumping tube which can be engage by the pump assembly, the modular pump assembly comprising;

a pump body retained in the beverage dispenser;

a rotor rotatably retained on the pump body;

a stator pivotably retained on the pump body;

a lever arm operatively retained on the pump body;

the pumping tube extending from a beverage material source, the pumping tube extending in a compressible condition between opposing portions of the stator and rotor;

a cam assembly associated with the lever arm and the stator for use in engaging and disengaging the stator relative to the pumping tube positionable between the rotor and the stator; and

the stator being operatively retained on the pump body at a single pivot point and pivoting at that pivot point spaced from a rotation point of the rotor, the lever arm being movable relative to a fixed rotation axis and spaced from the pivot point and the rotation point for engaging and disengaging the stator.

21. A pump assembly for use in pumping a viscous material through a pumping tube which can be engage by the pump assembly, the pump assembly comprising;

a pump body;

a rotor rotatably retained on the pump body;

a stator pivotably retained on the pump body;

a lever aim operatively retained on the pump body;

a cam assembly associated with the lever arm and the stator for use in engaging and disengaging the stator relative to the pumping tube positionable between the rotor and the stator;

the stator being operatively retained on an upper portion of the pump body at a single pivot point and pivoting generally downwardly at that pivot point spaced from a rotation point of the rotor, the lever arm being movable relative to a fixed rotation axis and spaced from the pivot point and the rotation point for engaging and disengaging the stator;

in a first plane the lever arm fixed rotation axis located distal from pivot point of stator and the rotation point of rotor positioned between the pivot point and the fixed rotation axis, and in a second plane the lever arm fixed rotation axis located distal from rotation point of the stator and the pivot point of the stator is positioned between the rotation point and the fixed rotation axis;

a cam assembly movable relative to the fixed rotation axis and generally in an area between the fixed rotation axis and both of the pivot point and the rotation point, and the cam assembly movable relative to the to the fixed rotation axis and spaced distal from the pivot point and generally closer to the fixed rotation axis than the pivot point.