Diaphragm pump
First Claim
1. A fluid pump comprising a housing having an inlet for fluid, an outlet for fluid and a pumping chamber in communication with said inlet and outlet, inlet valve means, outlet valve means, a flexible diaphragm having an arcuate ridge formed therein, which diaphragm is clamped about its periphery between two separable sections of said housing and has one surface defining part of the boundary of said pumping chamber, said arcuate ridge being convex with respect to said pumping chamber, a connector extending from the central portion of the opposite surface of said diaphragm, means for attaching said housing to a rotary motor, and drive means for reciprocating said diaphragm to alternately draw fluid into the pumping chamber through said inlet valve means and then discharge the fluid through said outlet valve means, said drive means including an eccentric coupling for connection to the output shaft of the rotary motor plus linkage means joining said eccentric in driving relationship to said connector so that rotation of the motor shaft causes said diaphragm to be driven in a rocking, reciprocating movement, and one said housing section being formed with a curved surface portion which is a section of an annulus located on the pumping chamber side of said diaphragm and which has a radius of curvature such as to support said diaphragm during the period it is distended into the pumping chamber region and said other housing section being formed with a second curved surface portion which is a section of an annulus having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said first-mentioned annulus so that the regions of wear resulting from contact between each surface of said diaphragm and the respective supporting curved surface portions of said housing are radially spaced from each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible diaphragm having an arcuate ridge defines the pumping chamber of a fluid pump and is reciprocated by connection to the output shaft of an electric motor. The rigid plate portion of a connector is joined to the central portion of the diaphragm while the remainder thereof extends in an opposite direction where it is linked with an eccentric coupling carried by the output shaft of the motor. Although the diaphragm is driven in a rocking, reciprocating movement, the housing is formed with surface support portions which have radii of curvature such as to support the diaphragm during its distended periods, thereby assuring a long lifetime of diaphragm operation. The overall arrangement results in improved efficiency in pumping gases as well as liquids.
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Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A fluid pump comprising a housing having an inlet for fluid, an outlet for fluid and a pumping chamber in communication with said inlet and outlet, inlet valve means, outlet valve means, a flexible diaphragm having an arcuate ridge formed therein, which diaphragm is clamped about its periphery between two separable sections of said housing and has one surface defining part of the boundary of said pumping chamber, said arcuate ridge being convex with respect to said pumping chamber, a connector extending from the central portion of the opposite surface of said diaphragm, means for attaching said housing to a rotary motor, and drive means for reciprocating said diaphragm to alternately draw fluid into the pumping chamber through said inlet valve means and then discharge the fluid through said outlet valve means, said drive means including an eccentric coupling for connection to the output shaft of the rotary motor plus linkage means joining said eccentric in driving relationship to said connector so that rotation of the motor shaft causes said diaphragm to be driven in a rocking, reciprocating movement, and one said housing section being formed with a curved surface portion which is a section of an annulus located on the pumping chamber side of said diaphragm and which has a radius of curvature such as to support said diaphragm during the period it is distended into the pumping chamber region and said other housing section being formed with a second curved surface portion which is a section of an annulus having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said first-mentioned annulus so that the regions of wear resulting from contact between each surface of said diaphragm and the respective supporting curved surface portions of said housing are radially spaced from each other.
- 12. A fluid pump comprising a housing having an inlet for fluid, an outlet for fluid and a pumping chamber in communication with said inlet and outlet, inlet valve means, outlet valve means, a flexible diaphragm having an arcuate ridge formed therein which is convex with respect to said pumping chamber, the periphery of said diaphragm being clamped between separable sections of said housing so that one surface of said diaphragm defines part of the boundary of said pumping chamber, a connector extending from the central portion of the opposite surface of said diaphragm, means for attaching said housing to a rotary motor, and drive means for reciprocating said diaphragm to alternately draw fluid into the pumping chamber through said inlet valve means and then discharge the fluid through said outlet valve means, said drive means including an eccentric coupling for connection to the output shaft of the rotary motor plus linkage means joining said eccentric in driving relationship to said connector so that rotation of the motor shaft causes said diaphragm to be driven in a rocking, reciprocating movement, wherein the improvement comprises said diaphragm being clamped at a location within said housing so that it is displaced a substantially greater distance from its unstressed configuration at the completion of the suction stroke than it is at the completion of the discharge stroke.
Specification