screw pump

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a screw pump, comprising: a pump housing; and a pump nozzle, the pump nozzle being pivotally attached to the pump housing and having a nozzle body, the nozzle body including at least one finger-like portion extending outwardly from the nozzle body; wherein the at least one finger-like portion allows the pump nozzle to be operated with one hand. By employing the above-described technical means, this disclosure solves the technical problem of facilitating the operation of screw pumps, achieving a more convenient operation.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent application No. 201980079169.1 (PCT / US2019 / 058800) entitled "Screw Pump", filed on October 30, 2019. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to pumps, and more particularly to screw pumps. Background Technology

[0003] Screw pumps are generally relatively large and include flexible shafts or universal joints, making them prone to failure. Attached Figure Description

[0004] Figure 1 This is a 3D view of a screw pump positioned in a conventional orientation on the bottle;

[0005] Figure 2 It is set in a horizontally oriented position on bottles of different sizes. Figure 1 A 3D view of a screw pump;

[0006] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the screw pump and the bottle;

[0007] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged and partial views of the screw pump and bottle;

[0008] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged and partial views of the screw pump and bottle;

[0009] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Exploded view and 3D diagram of a screw pump;

[0010] Figure 7A and 7B yes Figure 6 Enlarged, partial, and 3D views of the pump nozzle of a screw pump;

[0011] Figures 8A to 8D It is located at various nozzle positions. Figure 7A and 7B A view of the pump nozzle of a screw pump;

[0012] Figure 9 It shows the top part. Figure 1 A top-down 3D view of a screw pump;

[0013] Figure 10 yes Figure 1 Exploded view and 3D view of the trigger assembly of the screw pump;

[0014] Figure 11 yes Figure 1 Enlarged, partial, and top-down 3D views of the locking assembly of a screw pump;

[0015] Figure 12 It is a screw pump. Figure 11 A bottom-view perspective of the locking component;

[0016] Figure 13 It is a screw pump. Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the locking component, showing the locking ring in the locked position;

[0017] Figure 14 It is a screw pump. Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the locking assembly, showing the locking bolt in the locked position;

[0018] Figure 15 It is a screw pump. Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the locking component, showing the locking ring in the unlocked position;

[0019] Figure 16 It is a screw pump. Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the locking component, showing the locking bolt in the unlocked position;

[0020] Figure 17 yes Figure 1 Exploded view and perspective view of the screw pump assembly;

[0021] Figure 18 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the screw pump assembly;

[0022] Figure 19 yes Figure 18 Front view of the stator insert of the screw pump assembly;

[0023] Figure 20 yes Figure 19 A sectional view of the insert along AA;

[0024] Figure 21 yes Figure 19 A sectional view of the insert along AA;

[0025] Figure 22 yes Figure 18 A front view of the rotor of the screw pump assembly;

[0026] Figure 23 yes Figure 22 Side view of the rotor;

[0027] Figure 24 yes Figure 22 A bottom view of the rotor;

[0028] Figure 25 yes Figure 24 Enlarged and partial views of the gear section of the rotor;

[0029] Figure 26 yes Figure 19 A schematic cross-sectional view of the stator, showing various cross sections;

[0030] Figure 27 yes Figure 22 A schematic, partial sectional view of the rotor, showing various cross-sections;

[0031] Figure 28 yes Figure 19 and 22 A schematic cross-sectional view of the rotor and stator;

[0032] Figure 29 yes Figure 1 Enlarged, partially anatomically analyzed, and bottom-view 3D diagram of the drive mechanism of a screw pump;

[0033] Figure 30 yes Figure 29 Partial sectional, cross-sectional, and top-view perspective of the drive mechanism of the screw pump;

[0034] Figure 31 yes Figure 29 Partial sectional, cross-sectional, and top-view perspective of the drive mechanism of the screw pump;

[0035] Figure 32 yes Figure 4 A sectional and top view of the drive mechanism of the screw pump; and

[0036] Figure 33 yes Figure 4 A sectional and top view of the drive mechanism of a screw pump. Detailed Implementation

[0037] See Figure 1 and 2 A progressive cavity pump 10 is attached to a vial 10 and a larger bottle 14 for dispensing liquid product 16 from each bottle. The pump 10 extends in the longitudinal direction 20 and in the transverse direction 22, and is attached to the vial 12 in a longitudinal orientation position and to the larger bottle 14 in a corresponding transverse orientation position.

[0038] See Figures 3 to 5Each bottle 12, 14 includes a bottle body 24 having a width 26, a depth 28, and a height 30. The bottle body 24 includes a shoulder surface 34 from which a neck portion 36 extends. The neck portion 36 terminates in a bottle opening 38, and an external thread 40 is provided on the outer surface 42 of the neck portion 36, with a bead 44 located near the thread 40. Bottle 12 forms an interior 46 to contain a liquid product 16.

[0039] See Figure 4 and 6 Pump 10 includes a pump housing 50 having a pump nozzle 52 extending therefrom. Pump housing 50 includes an inner housing surface 54 and an outer housing surface 56, and forms a shoulder portion 60 and an upper portion 62, with a middle housing portion 64 extending between them. The inner surface 54 includes a plurality of pump housing structures / features 65 for securing various components within pump housing 50. Pump housing structures / features 65 include ribs, grooves, channels, and similar structures / features for securing various components, sub-assemblies, and tubes therein. Pump housing 50 supports a screw pump assembly 66 driven by a drive mechanism 70. A trigger assembly 72 (which will be engaged / operated externally by the operator of pump 10) actuates drive mechanism 70 to advance liquid article 16 via pump 10. A flow path 74 for conveying liquid article 16 is formed by a lower tube 76 extending from inside bottle 46 into pump 10, passing through pump assembly 66, and through upper tube 78 into nozzle 52. The lower pipe 76 includes a lower pipe inlet 82 for drawing liquid product 16 and a lower pipe outlet 84 for conveying the liquid product to the pump assembly 66. The upper pipe 78 includes an upper pipe drawing section (inlet) 86 connected to the pump assembly 66 and an upper pipe outlet 88 disposed within the nozzle 52 for dispensing liquid product 16 from the pump 10.

[0040] See Figure 6 Up to 8, the nozzle assembly 52 is pivotally attachable to the pump housing 50 and includes a nozzle body 92 extending from a nozzle attachment end 94 attached to the pump housing 50 to a nozzle dispensing end 96, from which fluid articles are dispensed. The nozzle body 92 forms a nozzle cavity 98 therein to allow an upper tube 78 to extend through it. The nozzle body 92 also includes at least one fin 102 extending outward from the nozzle body 92. In the illustrated embodiment, two fins 102 are shown extending outward. The nozzle attachment end 94 includes a nozzle attachment mechanism 104 for pivotally attaching the nozzle 92 to the pump housing 50, such as... Figure 6 , 7AAs shown in Figure 7B, the attachment mechanism 104 includes a nozzle pivot structure / nozzle pivot feature 106 and a corresponding pump pivot structure / pump pivot feature 108 disposed on the pump housing 50, thereby allowing the nozzle 92 to pivot about a nozzle pivot point 110. The attachment mechanism 104 also includes a plurality of recesses 112 to mate with protrusions 114 formed on the pump housing 50. The recesses 112 are positioned and spaced to allow the nozzle 92 to pivot between a plurality of positions. For example, in one embodiment, the nozzle 94 has four (4) nozzle positions, and each recess 12 corresponds to a corresponding position. The nozzle 94 has three (3) full-flow positions, and the nozzle 92 is generally positioned at 45°, 90°, and 135°, as shown in Figure 7B. Figure 8A , 8B As shown in 8C. Nozzle 92 also has a closed position, with the nozzle pointing downwards at approximately 0°, as... Figure 8D As shown.

[0041] During operation, the nozzle 92 moves between nozzle positions by moving the nozzle about the nozzle pivot point 110 to one of the nozzle positions. After the nozzle moves to the desired position, the groove 112 engages with the protrusion 114 and the nozzle is fixed in the desired nozzle position. The finger fins 102 can be used to easily move the nozzle 92 with one hand. In the full-flow position, the pump 10 is fully operational, and the liquid product flow is not impacted by the bend in the upper pipe 78 to accommodate the nozzle position. The 45° and 135° positions are advantageous for more difficult-to-reach areas.

[0042] Reference Figure 5 and 6 The pump housing 50 also supports a locking assembly 120 for attaching the pump 10 to bottles 12, 14, such that the pump housing 50 includes a locking opening 122 formed therein, as... Figure 6 As best shown, this allows the pump operator to activate and deactivate the locking assembly 120 to attach the pump 10 and remove it from the bottles 12, 14. The pump housing 50 also supports the bottle seal 124 for sealing the liquid article 16 within the bottle while allowing air to pass through it.

[0043] Reference Figure 9 The pump housing 50 also includes a top portion 126, which is disposed on the top portion of the pump 50 and is made of a transparent material to allow the operator to observe the upper pipe 78 through it. The transparent window formed by the top portion 126 allows the operator to monitor the advance of the liquid product 16 during pump-priming.

[0044] See Figure 4 , 610. The trigger assembly 72 includes a trigger 130 that is externally accessible to and actuated by an operator, a trigger pivot 132, and a spring mechanism 134. The spring mechanism 134 allows the trigger assembly 72 to move relative to the pump housing 50 in the longitudinal direction 20 to actuate the pump 10. The spring mechanism 134 and the trigger pivot 132 are supported by a structure / feature 65 within the trigger assembly 72 to ensure its proper operation, as understood by those skilled in the art.

[0045] Looking back Figure 4 and 5 The shoulder portion 60 of the pump housing 50 forms a shaped flange 136, which

[0046] Extending downward from the pump housing 50 to cooperate with the bottle shoulder surface 34, a shaped flange 136 extends in the longitudinal direction 20 and includes a flange extension 138 to fit and mate with the bottle shoulder surface 34. (See also...) Figure 1 In the conventional orientation position, the pump 10 is attached to the bottle 12 such that the length of the pump 10 in the longitudinal direction 20 approximately corresponds to the width 26 of the bottle 12, and the flange extension 138 sits on the side of the bottle shoulder surface 34. (See also...) Figure 2 In the lateral orientation position, the pump 10 is attached to the bottle 14 such that the length of the pump 10 in the longitudinal direction 20 corresponds to the depth 28 of the bottle 14, and the flange extension 138 sits on the front and rear of the bottle shoulder surface 34. Thus, a pump 10 of the same size can be adapted and used with bottles of at least two sizes.

[0047] See Figure 5 , 6Components 11 to 16, the locking assembly 120 allows the pump 10 to be attached to and detached from bottles 12 and 14, and includes a locking ring 140 and at least one locking bolt 142 cooperating with the locking ring 140. Each locking bolt 142 includes a locking bolt body 144 and a locking lug 148 extending from the locking bolt body, in which a shaped cam opening 146 is formed. Each shaped cam opening 146 has a far end 150 and a close end 152. Each locking bolt 142 is movably supported by the pump housing 50, such that each locking bolt 142 is movable in the longitudinal direction 20 within the pump 10. The locking ring 140 includes a ring body 156 that is rotatably movable within the pump housing 50. The locking ring body 156 includes a switching portion 160 extending through a locking opening 122 formed within the pump housing 50 to allow an operator to attach and remove the pump 10 from bottles 12, 14, by moving the switching portion 160 to one side or the other. The locking ring 140 also includes at least one locking pin 166 that engages with and cooperates with a cam opening 146 in the shaped cam opening 146 of the locking pin 142. The locking pin 166 is movable from its distal end 150 to its proximal end 152 within the shaped cam opening 146. The locking assembly 120 has a locked position and an unlocked position, such as... Figures 13 to 16 As best shown. In the unlocked position, the locking pin 166 of the locking ring 140 is disposed in the distal end 150 of the cam opening 146 of the locking bolt 142. In the unlocked position, the locking bolts 142 are spaced apart and allow the pump 10 to engage with the neck 36 of the bottles 12, 14. In the locked position, the locking pin 166 of the locking ring 140 is disposed in the proximal end 152 of the cam opening 146 of the locking bolt 142, and the locking bolts 142 are pressed together to engage the neck 36 of the bottles, thereby securing the pump 10 to the bottles 12, 14.

[0048] In operation, the pump 10, with the locking assembly 120 in the unlocked position, is attached to the neck 36 portion of the bottles 12, 14. After the pump 10 (either in the longitudinal or lateral position) is attached to the neck of the bottle, the operator moves the switch portion 160 of the locking assembly 120, accessible from the outside of the pump housing 50, from the unlocked position to the locked position. As the switch portion 160 is moved, the locking ring 140 rotates and the locking pin 166 slides from the distal end 150 to the proximal end 152 within the cam opening 146 of the locking bolt 142, thereby moving the locking bolt 142 from the unlocked position to the locked position, such that at least one locking lug 148 of the locking bolt 142 engages below and with the seam 44 of the neck 36, thus securing the pump 10 to the bottles 12, 14.

[0049] See Figure 4 , 6 17 and 18, the screw pump assembly 66 is supported by a pump housing 50 and includes a stator 168 having a stator housing 170, which may have a first stator housing side 172 and a second stator housing side 174. The stator housing 170 forms a lower stator housing portion 178 and an upper stator housing 182, the lower stator housing portion therein receiving a stator insert 180, and the upper stator housing forming a stator chamber 184 and for receiving a flexible conical seal 186 therein. The lower stator housing 172 has an inner flap shape that corresponds to and supports the stator insert 180, in which the stator insert forms a shaped stator cavity 190 having a centerline 191. The upper stator housing 182 also has a stator opening 192 from which a stator outlet pipe 194 extends. The screw pump assembly 66 also includes a stator housing inlet 196 for sealing the lower stator housing 172 and a stator housing cap 198 for sealing the upper stator housing 182. The stator housing 170 and stator insert 180 each include insert structures / features 202 and 204, respectively, which allow the stator insert 180 to engage within and be secured within the stator housing 170. The stator housing 170 also includes an external structure / feature 206 corresponding to an internal structure / feature 65 of the pump housing 50 for positioning the stator housing within the pump housing. The upper stator housing 182 also includes a cap protrusion 210.

[0050] See Figures 19 to 21 The internal cavity 190 also defines the internal shape 211.

[0051] See Figure 17 and 22Up to 25, the screw pump assembly 66 also includes a rotor 212 that cooperates with the stator insert 180 to dispense fluid articles 16 from bottles 12, 14 via the pump 10. The rotor 212 includes a gear portion 214 and a shaft 216 extending from the gear portion 214. The shaft 216 includes a straight shaft portion 218 extending from the gear portion 214 and a petal-shaped shaft portion 220 extending from the straight shaft portion 218. The gear portion and the straight shaft portion are generally concentric and centered about a gear central axis 224, while the petal-shaped shaft portion 220 is centered about a petal-shaped central axis 226, which is the axis of rotation of the rotor and is offset from the gear central axis 224 by a distance e. The gear portion 214 includes a plurality of teeth 228 extending radially outward therefrom, each tooth 228 having a tooth geometry and having an inner tooth surface 230 and an outer tooth surface 232. The straight shaft portion 218 includes a shaft diameter, and the lobe-shaped shaft portion includes a plurality of lobes that are formed to cooperate with the stator insert 180 and have a cross-sectional diameter d.

[0052] See Figures 26 to 28 The internal shape 211 of the stator cavity 190 is sized to have a width approximately equal to the diameter d, which is the cross-section of the lobe-shaped shaft portion 220. The length of the internal shape 211 of the stator cavity 190 is equal to 4e between the center points 234, where e is defined as the deviation between the rotor center 22 and the rotor axis 226.

[0053] Looking back Figure 17 The stator housing inlet 196 includes a housing inlet body 234 with a disc shape, having an upwardly extending body flange 240 and a downwardly extending inlet connector 238. The inlet body flange 240 mates with the lower stator housing 172 to provide a seal, and the inlet connector 242 connects to the lower pipe 76 to form a flow path and allow the fluid article 16 to flow from the bottle to the pump.

[0054] The stator housing cap 198 includes a disc body 246 (from which a cap flange 248 extends downward) and a cap groove 250 formed in the disc body 246. The cap groove 250 has a width and a length, with the width being approximately equal to the rotor shaft diameter d and the length of the cap groove being greater than the rotor shaft diameter. For example, for a double-pitched rotor, as shown in one embodiment, the length of the cap groove is equal to four times the distance e between the rotor center and the rotor axis, or 4e plus d. The width of the groove is sized to the rotor diameter d, thereby creating a running fit or a sliding fit. Thus, the cap 198 allows the rotor 212 to move in one direction within the cap groove 246 and restricts movement of the rotor shaft in another direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap groove 246 allows movement of the rotor shaft in the lateral direction 22. The disc flange 248 includes a notch 254 that cooperates with a cap protrusion 210 formed on the upper stator housing 182 to properly orient the cap 198 relative to the stator 168.

[0055] A flexible conical seal 186 is disposed in the stator chamber 184 of the upper stator housing 182 and has a generally conical shape to provide a sealing mechanism, thereby allowing the rotor shaft 216 to move laterally therein.

[0056] See Figure 4 and 29 Up to 33, the drive mechanism 70 includes a front drive yoke 260 having a pivot end 262 movably attached to the trigger assembly 72, and front drive arms 264 engaging tooth portions 214 of gear portions 212. Each front drive arm 264 includes a drive pawl 266 to engage teeth 228 of the gear portions 214. The drive pawl 266 includes a drive pawl geometry to engage and mesh with the teeth 228 of the gear portions, thereby driving the rotor 212 in the drive direction 268 about the drive axis 270, as... Figure 30 As best shown. The pivot end 262 is coupled to the trigger pivot post 132 of the trigger assembly 72, which is activated when the trigger 130 is pulled.

[0057] The drive mechanism 70 also includes a rear yoke 274, which is disposed on the other side of the gear portion 214 and is interposed with the front drive yoke 260. The rear yoke 274 includes a rear yoke pivot end 276 attached to the pump housing 50 and rear yoke arms 278 extending outward and engaging with the gear portion 214 of the rotor 212. Each rear yoke arm 278 includes a rear pawl 280 having a geometry that engages and meshes with the teeth 228 of the gear portion 214, thereby preventing reverse rotation of the gear portion 214 of the rotor 212.

[0058] The front drive yoke 260 and the rear yoke 274 are arranged in an alternating configuration and are sized such that the front drive yoke arm 264 and the rear yoke arm 278 engage the gear portion 214 of the rotor 212.

[0059] In operation, as the trigger 130 is pulled externally by the pump operator, the trigger moves in the longitudinal direction 20 via the spring mechanism 134 and is actuated by the pivot end 262 of the front drive yoke 260 coupled to the trigger pivot 132 of the trigger assembly 72. When the front drive yoke 260 is actuated, it causes the gear portion 214 of the rotor 212 to rotate in the drive direction 268. In one embodiment, the gear portion 214 rotates approximately 90° about the axis of rotation in the drive direction 268. The rear yoke 274 engages the gear portion 214 to impede reverse rotation of the rotor by engaging the gear portion of the rotor. As the gear portion 214 rotates about the axis of rotation, the rotor shaft also rotates about the axis of rotation. As the flap shaft portion rotates, air (during pumping) and then the liquid product is drawn into the stator chamber. As the gear portion rotates and the flap shaft portion rotatably moves within the stator chamber, the gear portion and the straight shaft also translate in the lateral direction. The straight shaft portion moves in the transverse direction 22 within the cap groove of the stator housing cap. Initially, air and liquid products are moved into the lower pipe and then into the stator cavity 184 through the stator housing inlet 196 and into the screw pump assembly 66, where air and / or liquid products are moved through the segments as the gear portion of the rotor is driven by the drive mechanism.

[0060] With each pull of the trigger, the front drive yoke drives the gear section by causing it to rotate a predetermined amount of rotation. As described above, in one embodiment, each trigger pull causes the gear section to rotate 90°. As the front drive yoke 260 drives the rotor, the rear yoke 274 impedes reverse movement. Thus, the predetermined amount of rotation and geometry of the stator / rotor lobe section determine the metering amount and drop size of each trigger pull. As the gear section 214 is rotated by the drive mechanism 70, the gear section and the straight shaft section also translate in the lateral direction 22 due to the lobe shaft section moving together with the stator chamber. The air / liquid product then enters the stator chamber and exits the stator chamber in such a way that it enters the stator outlet pipe through the stator opening and into the upper pipe. The stator housing inlet, the flexible conical seal, and the stator housing cap provide a seal and prevent the liquid product from escaping from the flow path. As the liquid product enters the upper pipe, it follows its flow path and exits through the nozzle.

[0061] The screw pump 10 is capable of operating with various types of liquid products, including products such as adhesives and glues. For example, the screw pump 10 can operate with products having a viscosity of 1-3500 cP. The internal components of the screw pump 10 are made of materials compatible with and designed for processing a wide variety of different products 16, including adhesives and glues.

[0062] Furthermore, the lower tube is rigid, while the upper tube is flexible, allowing the nozzle 52 to move between nozzle positions. Similarly, the flexible conical seal can be made of a flexible elastomer such as silicone, while the cap with the elongated groove is made of rigid plastic.

[0063] The main advantages of pump 10 are its simplified design and compact size. Because the pump includes a rigid shaft, it eliminates the need for easily failed universal joints or flexible shafts, thus reducing the likelihood of failure. The pump structure also allows the pump stator to be partially housed within the bottle, further enabling a smaller pump size.

[0064] Another advantage of pump 10 is that it can be used with at least two different sizes of bottles. The pump can be fixed in a longitudinally oriented position on the smaller bottle, such as... Figure 1 As shown, and fixed in a lateral orientation position on larger bottles, such as Figure 2 As shown.

[0065] Furthermore, the nozzle positions allow liquid products to be applied to harder-to-reach areas. Additionally, the nozzles can be moved with one hand, eliminating the need for two hands. The upper tube 78 is made of a material that allows it to flex as the nozzle 92 moves to different nozzle positions, allowing the liquid product to flow through it in its entirety.

[0066] Additionally, the transparent top allows the pump operator to monitor the progress of the liquid product 16 during the pumping process.

[0067] Furthermore, the pump can be mounted on the bottle without being screwed onto it.

[0068] Additionally, the pump allows for the metering of a specified amount of liquid product pulled with each trigger, which is advantageous for a variety of applications compared to continuously operating pumps.

[0069] Additionally, although the principles of this disclosure have been described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that they are merely illustrative and this specification is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other embodiments, besides the illustrative examples shown and described herein, are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure. Modifications and substitutions made by those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A screw pump (10), comprising: Pump housing (50); as well as A pump nozzle (52) is pivotally attachable to the pump housing (50) and has a nozzle body (92) including at least one finger wing (102) extending outward from the nozzle body (92). The at least one finger wing (102) allows the pump nozzle (52) to be operated with one hand, characterized in that the pump nozzle (52) has a plurality of full-flow positions and a closed position, and the pump nozzle (52) is allowed to pivot between the positions about a nozzle pivot point (110).

2. The screw pump according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of full-flow positions include the pump nozzle (52) being set at approximately 45°, 90°, and 135°, and wherein, in the closed position, the pump nozzle (52) is pointing downward at approximately 0°.

3. The screw pump according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper pipe that allows liquid flow is flexible to allow the pump nozzle (52) to move between nozzle positions.

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