Diaphragm pump with muffler-mounted sensor

• US 9,284,956 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Industrial U.S., Inc. (Ingersoll Rand, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Treml, Dale, Conrad, John
• Primary Examiner(s): KRAMER, DEVON C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffmann, Jon
• Application Number:
  US13/741,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20140199188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 417/312, 417/395, 417/63, 417/53, 417/521, 417/539, 417/540, 738/665, 731/68
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2201/0201 Position of the piston
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 39/0061 using muffler volumes
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/026 each plate-like pumping flexible member working in its own pumping chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0736 with two or more pumping chambers in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/16 Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/22 Arrangements for enabling ready assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Illustrative embodiments of diaphragm pumps including a muffler-mounted sensor are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, a diaphragm pump includes a shaft coupled to at least one diaphragm, an exhaust chamber configured to receive a motive fluid that has driven reciprocation of the at least one diaphragm and the shaft, a muffler disposed at least partially within the exhaust chamber, the muffler having a sensor mounting chamber defined therein, and a proximity sensor disposed in the sensor mounting chamber, a sensing end of the proximity sensor being flush with an end of the sensor mounting chamber nearest the shaft.

Claims

1. A diaphragm pump comprising:

a shaft coupled to at least one diaphragm;

an exhaust chamber configured to receive a motive fluid that has driven reciprocation of the at least one diaphragm and the shaft;

a muffler disposed at least partially within the exhaust chamber, the muffler having a sensor mounting chamber defined therein by a sensor mounting wall; and

a proximity sensor disposed in the sensor mounting chamber, the sensor mounting wall securing the proximity sensor within the sensor mounting chamber such that a sensing end of the proximity sensor is flush with an end of the sensor mounting wall nearest the shaft.

2. The diaphragm pump of claim 1, wherein the muffler comprises a plurality of fins extending radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the muffler.

3. The diaphragm pump of claim 2, wherein the sensor mounting chamber extends through each of the plurality of fins.

4. The diaphragm pump of claim 3, wherein a longitudinal axis of the sensor mounting chamber is parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the muffler.

5. The diaphragm pump of claim 4, wherein the sensor mounting chamber has a cylindrical shape.

6. The diaphragm pump of claim 1, wherein the sensor mounting wall of the muffler comprises a plurality of protrusions extending into the sensor mounting chamber, the protrusions securing the proximity sensor within the sensor mounting chamber.

7. The diaphragm pump of claim 6, wherein the plurality of protrusions extending into the sensor mounting chamber form an interference fit with at least a portion of an exterior surface of the proximity sensor.

8. The diaphragm pump of claim 1, wherein the exhaust chamber comprises a longitudinal key slot configured to receive a longitudinal key of the muffler.

9. The diaphragm pump of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is centered along a stroke of the shaft.

10. The diaphragm pump of claim 1, wherein the shaft comprises a metallic material and the proximity sensor is an inductance proximity sensor.

11. A method of mounting a proximity sensor in a diaphragm pump, the method comprising:

aligning the proximity sensor with a sensor mounting chamber defined in a muffler of the diaphragm pump by a sensor mounting wall, the sensor mounting wall being configured to secure the proximity sensor with the sensor mounting chamber;

pressing the proximity sensor into the sensor mounting chamber until a sensing end of the proximity sensor is flush with an end of the sensor mounting chamber wall configured to be positioned nearest a shaft of the diaphragm pump when the muffler is installed in the diaphragm pump; and

installing the muffler in an exhaust chamber of the diaphragm pump configured to receive a motive fluid that has driven the diaphragm pump, such that the sensing end of the proximity sensor is positioned a predetermined distance from the shaft of the diaphragm pump.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein aligning the proximity sensor with the sensor mounting chamber comprises aligning a cylindrically shaped proximity sensor with a circular cross-section of the sensor mounting wall of the muffler.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein pressing the proximity sensor into the sensor mounting chamber causes a plurality of protrusions extending into the sensor mounting chamber to form an interference fit with at least a portion of an exterior surface of the proximity sensor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein installing the muffler into the exhaust chamber comprises installing the muffler into the exhaust chamber such that the proximity sensor is centered along a stroke of the shaft.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein installing the muffler into the exhaust chamber comprises:

aligning a longitudinal key of the muffler with a longitudinal key slot defined in the exhaust chamber; and

inserting the muffler into the exhaust chamber such that the longitudinal key slot receives the longitudinal key.

16. A diaphragm pump comprising:

a shaft coupled between two diaphragms;

a muffler configured to reduce the pressure of a motive fluid that has driven reciprocation of the two diaphragms and the shaft, the muffler having a sensor mounting chamber defined therein by a sensor mounting wall; and

a proximity sensor disposed in the sensor mounting chamber, the sensor mounting wall securing the proximity sensor within the sensor mounting chamber such that a sensing end of the proximity sensor is flush with an end of the sensor mounting wall nearest the shaft.

17. The diaphragm pump of claim 16, wherein the proximity sensor is centered between the two diaphragms.

18. The diaphragm pump of claim 16, wherein the muffler comprises a plurality of fins extending radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the muffler and the sensor mounting chamber extends through each of the plurality of fins.

19. The diaphragm pump of claim 18, wherein a longitudinal axis of the sensor mounting chamber is parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the muffler.

20. The diaphragm pump of claim 16, wherein the shaft comprises a metallic material and the proximity sensor is an inductance proximity sensor.