Volumetric pump comprising a driving mechanism

• US 8,353,688 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Swissinnov Product SARL
• Original Assignee: Swissinnov Product SARL
• Inventors: Navarro, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder, Zachary J
• Application Number:
  US12/303,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20090196775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 417/457, 417/460, 417/493, 417/510
• US Class Current: 417/461
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/022 reciprocating cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 7/0007 and having a rotating movement
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/047 the means being pin-and-slot mechanisms

Abstract

A volumetric pump comprises at least one piston inside a cylindrical housing and means to cause a relative to-and-fro linear movement between the cylindrical housing and the piston in order to produce a stroke of the volumetric pump. This pump further comprises a bi-directional angular rotatable disc acting as a valve which connects alternately at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port to a least one pump chamber located inside the housing, and a driving mechanism arranged to dissociate at least partially the bi-directional angular movement of the rotatable disc with the to-and-fro linear movement of the housing. This driving mechanism is arranged such that the rotatable disc reaches an angular position at which it opens and/or closes the inlet and/or outlet ports when there is no relative to-and-fro linear movement between the cylindrical housing and the piston.

Claims

1. A volumetric pump comprising:

at least one piston inside a cylindrical housing having a longitudinal axis;

a driving mechanism to cause a relative to-and-fro linear movement between the cylindrical housing and the piston along the direction of the axis in order to produce a stroke of the volumetric pump; and

a bi-directional valve oscillatory rotatable about the axis which alternately connects at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port to at least one pump chamber located inside the housing;

the driving mechanism having an eccentrically rotatable shaft which cooperates with the bi-directional valve to oscillate the valve about the axis, the shaft further pivotally cooperating with a connecting-piece that drives one of the piston and housing to provide relative to-and-fro linear movement therebetween in timed relation to the movement of the bi-directional valve so that at least one of the inlet and outlet ports in the bi-directional valve are closed when there is substantially no relative movement between the piston and the housing,

wherein the at least one piston comprises a first fixed piston inside a first hollow cylindrical part and a second fixed piston positioned opposite to the first piston inside a second hollow cylindrical part, both cylindrical parts being assembled end-to-end facing each other to form the housing, the valve being mounted midway inside the housing, said valve being angularly movable such that it connects the inlet port alternately to a first and second chamber into which a fluid can be sucked through a first channel during a pump instroke and further connects the outlet port alternately to said first and second chamber where the fluid can be expelled through a second channel during a pump outstroke, said pump instroke and outstroke being produced by the linear sliding movement of the housing along the pistons.

2. A volumetric pump comprising:

at least one piston inside a cylindrical housing having a longitudinal axis;

a driving mechanism to cause a relative to-and-fro linear movement between the cylindrical housing and the piston along the direction of the axis in order to produce a stroke of the volumetric pump; and

a bi-directional valve oscillatory rotatable about the axis which alternately connects at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port to at least one pump chamber located inside the housing;

the driving mechanism having an eccentrically rotatable shaft which cooperates with the bi-directional valve to oscillate the valve about the axis, the shaft further pivotally cooperating with a connecting-piece that drives one of the piston and housing to provide relative to-and-fro linear movement therebetween in timed relation to the movement of the bi-directional valve so that at least one of the inlet and outlet ports in the bi-directional valve are closed when there is substantially no relative movement between the piston and the housing,

wherein the driving mechanism comprises a single rotor transmitting through a transmission belt an angular movement to a pulley which is connected around the driving mechanism.

3. The volumetric pump according to claim 2, wherein the pulley of the driving mechanism has a circular shape.

4. The volumetric pump according to claim 2, wherein the pulley of the driving mechanism has an elliptical shape.

5. A volumetric pump comprising:

at least one piston inside a cylindrical housing having a longitudinal axis;

a driving mechanism to cause a relative to-and-fro linear movement between the cylindrical housing and the piston along the direction of the axis in order to produce a stroke of the volumetric pump; and

a bi-directional valve oscillatory rotatable about the axis which alternately connects at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port to at least one pump chamber located inside the housing;

the driving mechanism having an eccentrically rotatable shaft which cooperates with the bi-directional valve to oscillate the valve about the axis, the shaft further pivotally cooperating with a connecting-piece that drives one of the piston and housing to provide relative to-and-fro linear movement therebetween in timed relation to the movement of the bi-directional valve so that at least one of the inlet and outlet ports in the bi-directional valve are closed when there is substantially no relative movement between the piston and the housing,

wherein the valve defines an aperture, and the first end of the shaft includes a ball sized to fit within the aperture, such that eccentric movement of the shaft oscillatingly rotates the valve bi-directionally about the longitudinal axis of the housing.

6. The volumetric pump according to claim 5, wherein the aperture defines edges that correspond to a surface of the shaft adjacent to the ball, such that the oscillation of the valve causes the edges to contact the surface of the shaft and inhibit further oscillation of the valve.