Chamber pump and method for operating a chamber pump

Abstract

A chamber pump (10) and a method for operating same are provided. The chamber pump (10) includes a pump chamber (12), a chamber diaphragm (14) or a piston (34) as well as an axially movable driving rod (24) acting on the chamber diaphragm (14) or on the piston (34) for changing the volume of the pump chamber (12). The chamber pump (10) includes an electroactive diaphragm (40, 40′), which acts as an actuator for influencing an axial position of the driving rod (24) and acts on the driving rod (24), on the one hand, and on a housing of the pump (10), on the other hand. An electric potential is applied to the electroactive diaphragm (40, 40′) during the operation of the chamber pump (10) to influence an axial position of the driving rod (24) and to achieve a return stroke or a forward stroke of the chamber pump (10).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of German Application 10 2016 014 832.2, filed Dec. 14, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention pertains to a gas or liquid chamber pump hereinafter called pump for short. A reciprocating or diaphragm pump, in which a volume of a pump chamber, which volume is defined at least partly by means of the piston or the diaphragm and changes periodically during the operation based on a motion of a piston or of a diaphragm in the known manner and delivery of a respective medium and / or a pressure change upstream or downstream of the pump results from the periodical change in the volume of the pump chamber, is called a chamber pump. The present invention pertains to such a chamber pump intended for use in a medical device or in a safety system.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Such a pump is used in a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an electroactive diaphragm that can be manufactured cost-effectively and processed automatically. This diaphragm is very small in mass compared to conventional drives, which makes it ideal for applications with high stroke frequencies. The invention also provides a method for replacing the diaphragm with a single individual electroactive diaphragm or multiple electroactive diaphragms acting in the same direction as the driving rod. The invention also includes a resetting element that can trigger the driving rod in both directions, allowing for a pumping action. Overall, the invention simplifies the design and operation of chamber pumps and provides a more efficient and reliable solution for applications requiring high-speed movements and low-noise operation.

Problems solved by technology

This is linked with the following disadvantages: On the one hand, conventional actions to suppress the pulsation, for example, a low-pass filter, lose their effectiveness.

On the other hand, the avoidance of certain sensor-critical frequencies cannot be ensured.

Finally, it is, on the whole, more difficult to coordinate a pneumatic system with the pump.

Especially high stroke frequencies (>100 Hz) mean extreme loads for the components of the pump.

The losses due to valves, which no longer have low inertia, increase enormously.

Finally, a markedly increased noise generation of the pump in question is also associated with a high stroke frequency.

In addition, the speed is often too low for the build-up of a lubricating film in the bearings.

Finally, the moment of inertia of the rotor is insufficient to guarantee buffering of the load torque.

Even though linear pumps, which can be used as an alternative to pumps driven by electric motors, can be well regulated, they are markedly more inefficient due to their greater air gaps and require a higher output.

Such linear pumps are also markedly more expensive and require a greater manufacturing and maintenance effort, since an additional and above all fast sensor system is needed for detecting the position and / or the velocity of the drive for regulating the linear motion.

Moreover, the compensation of the linearly moved masses necessary for a low-vibration run requires complicated constructions.

Piezoelectrically driven pumps are only suitable for miniature applications from the viewpoint of energy.

Images