PUMP

• US 20190316573A1
• Filed: 02/15/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jacobsen Innovations Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jacobsen Innovations Inc.
• Inventors: McCullough, John, Scroggin, Wayco
• Granted Patent: US 11,255,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/0053 for reciprocating distribution members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/0057 Mechanical driving means therefor, e.g. cams
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/0069 for a sliding member
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/0092 for oscillating distribution members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/04 in which the valving is performed by pistons and cylinders coacting to open and close intake or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/042 the means being cams
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/045 the means being eccentrics
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/1823 for ball check valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/1825 for check valves with flexible valve members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/524 with a cam
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/52408 comprising a lift valve
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/52425 with a ball-shaped valve member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/52441 with a pivoted disc or flap

Abstract

A pump includes a pair of valves, coupled to a camshaft that selectively opens and closes the valves such that when one valve opens the other valve closes. The valves are in fluid communication with a piston chamber. A crankshaft operates a piston in a piston cylinder with the opening and closing of the valves such that as the piston is drawn from the piston chamber, the inlet valve is open and the outlet valve is closed and when the piston is forced into the chamber, the outlet valve is open and the inlet valve is closed. The camshaft and crankshaft are coupled together to cause synchronous operation of the valves and piston.

Claims

1. A pump, comprising:

a pump housing;

first and second valves housed within the pump housing, each valve comprising;

a valve body defining an inner chamber in fluid communication with a valve inlet and a valve outlet;

a valve head positioned within the inner chamber, the valve head moveable between a first position and a second position;

a valve seal defining an aperture in fluid communication with the valve inlet and having a sealing surface;

a bi-directional sealing member positioned between a the valve head and the valve seal, the bi-directional sealing member movable between a first closed position where the bi-directional sealing member engages with the sealing surface of the valve seal to seal the aperture and a second open position where the bi-directional sealing member can disengage from the sealing surface of the valve seal to allow flow through the aperture of the valve seal; and

a cam engaged with a first surface of the valve head, whereby rotation of the cam causes movement of the valve head between the first position and the second position and whereby movement of the valve head to the first position holds the bi-directional sealing member in the first closed position;

a piston and a piston chamber, the piston chamber in fluid communication with an outlet of the first valve and an inlet of the second valve above the piston;

a cam shaft comprising first and second cams, with the first cam engaging a valve head of the first valve and the second cam engaging a valve head of the second valve, the first and second cams oriented to open the first valve when the second valve is closed and to close the second valve when the first valve is open; and

a crankshaft coupled to the piston for moving the piston within the piston chamber, the crankshaft configured to move the piston in a first direction when the first valve is open and the second valve is closed to draw fluid through the first valve and into the piston chamber and to move the piston in a second direction when the second valve is open and the first valve is closed to force the fluid from the piston chamber through the second valve.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein the crankshaft and cam shaft are integrally formed with the crank shaft extending from a distal end of the cam shaft.

3. The pump of claim 1, wherein the inner chamber of each valve defines an inner cylindrical wall and the valve head is sized and shaped to slidably engage the inner cylindrical wall and the bidirectional sealing member is disc-shaped.

3-1. The pump of claim 1, wherein the valve inlet of each valve is positioned below the sealing member and the outlet comprises a port in fluid communication with the inner chamber at a position above the sealing member.

4. The pump of claim 1, wherein each valve further comprises a head seal interposed between the valve head and the inner wall to form a slidable seal therein between.

5. The pump of claim 1, wherein the valve seal of each valve comprises a flexible flap held in a fixed position along a first side relative to the inner chamber and sealed to one side of the sealing surface and having a second side that is free to move from a resting position on the sealing surface to a flexed position into the inner chamber where the second side disengages from he sealing surface with a change in fluid pressure between the inlet and the outlet to allow a flow through the inlet.

6. The pump of claim 1, wherein the sealing member of each valve is disc-shaped having an outer rim portion that is fixed to the sealing surface, defines a central aperture that is in fluid communication with the inlet, and has a flexible inner portion around the aperture that can move from a resting position to a flexed position where the flexible portion extends into the inner chamber.

7. The pump of claim 1, wherein the valve head of each valve comprises a body portion having a distal end for engagement with the sealing member and a proximal end defining a cam engagement surface in contact with the cam, whereby rotation of the cam causes movement of the valve head between the first position and the second position.

8. The pump of claim 7, wherein the cam shaft comprises first and second cams, one for each of the first and second valves, each cam having a generally cylindrical body having a semicircular side and a flat side that forms a chordally extending surface, the flat side of the first cam oriented 180 degrees from the flat side of the second cam.

9. The pump of claim 8, wherein the first and second cams of each of the first and second valves, for a respective valve, each force the valve head toward the sealing member when the semicircular side engages the valve head and allows the valve head to move in a direction away from the sealing member when the flat side engages the valve head.

9-1. The pump of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second valves comprise a biasing member interposed between the valve head and the inner chamber to apply a biasing force the valve head away from the sealing member, the cam providing sufficient force against the valve head when the semicircular side of the cylindrical body forces the valve head toward the sealing member to overcome the biasing force of the biasing member.

10. The pump of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second valves comprise a spherical member interposed between a distal end of the valve head and the sealing member, the spherical member having a diameter greater than a diameter of the aperture of the sealing member.

11. The pump of claim 10, wherein when the valve head is in the first position, the distal end of the valve head forces the spherical member into engagement with the sealing member to seal the inlet and when the valve head is in the second position, the valve head moves in a direction away from the spherical member to open the inlet.

12. The pump of claim 10, wherein when the valve head is in transition between the first position and the second position, a pressure differential between the inlet and the outlet causes the inner portion to flex and seal against the spherical member until the valve head moves to the second position.

13. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a motor coupled to the cam shaft to control rotation of the cams and thereby control opening and closing of the first and second valves.

14. The pump of claim 1, wherein the cam of the first valve and the cam of the second valve are synchronized in their respective rotations such that when the first valve is open, the second valve is closed and when the second valve is open, the first valve is closed.

15. The pump of claim 1, wherein the cam of the first valve and the cam of the second valve are synchronized in their respective rotations such that when the first valve is open, the second valve is closed and when the second valve is open, the first valve is closed.

16. The pump of claim 2, wherein the crankshaft further comprises a crank arm coupled thereto with the crank arm coupled to a crank member at a distal end of the crankshaft, the crank member extending from the crankshaft at a position offset from a center axis of the crankshaft so that as the crankshaft rotates, the crank arm moves in a circular motion, which motion is determined by a radial distance the crank member is from a center of rotation of the crankshaft.

17. The pump of claim 16, wherein a distal end of the crank arm is coupled to the piston to drive the piston vertically back and forth within the pump chamber as the crank arm pushes or pulls the piston as the crank member rotates.

18. The pump of claim 17, further comprising a pump body defining a vertical slot in a side of the pump body to provide an opening for the distal end of the crank arm to be coupled to the piston, the slot being sufficiently long enough to allow full range of motion of the crank arm with the piston 1646 sealed to the pump body above the slot.

19. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a priming pump coupled to an inlet of the first valve.

20. The pump of claim 19, further comprising a check valve in fluid communication with an inlet of the pump housing to prevent back flow from the priming pump.

21. The pump of claim 20, further comprising a lever member pivotally attached to the pump housing, a first side of the lever coupled to the distal end of the crank arm, and further comprising a perpendicularly extending rod extending from the distal end of the crank arm, the rod engaging with a lever bar attached to and perpendicularly extending from a proximal end of the lever, the distal end of the lever being coupled to a body of a piston of the priming pump so that actuation of the priming pump is synchronized with the movement of the cam shaft.

22. The pump of claim 21, wherein, at a beginning of a pump cycle, fluid is drawn into the inlet 1 the pump housing by the priming pump and as the first valve opens, the direction of the priming pump is reversed so as to force fluid into the inlet of the first valve to provide an initial priming of fluid into the first valve and help offset a volume of empty space of the pump at the start up of the pump.