Progressive Cavity Pump

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to pumps, and more particularly to progressive cavity pumps.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to pumps, and more particularly to progressive cavity pumps. [Background technology]

[0002] Progressive cavity pumps are generally quite large and have flexible shafts or universal joints, making them prone to failure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0003] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a progressive cavity pump placed on a bottle in a normal orientation position. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 1 placed in a horizontal position on bottles of different sizes. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the progressive cavity pump and bottle of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the progressive cavity pump and bottle of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the progressive cavity pump and bottle of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 1. [Figure 7A-7B] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a pump nozzle of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 6. [Figure 8A-8D] 7C and 7D show pump nozzles of the progressive cavity pump of FIGS. 7A and 7B in various nozzle positions. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 1 showing the upper portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a trigger assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 1. [Figure 11]FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged top perspective view of a lock assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 1; [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the locking assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the lock assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 11 showing the lock ring in a locked position. [Figure 14] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the locking assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 11 showing the locking bolt in a locked position. [Figure 15] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the locking assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 11 showing the locking ring in an unlocked position. [Figure 16] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the locking assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 11 showing the locking bolt in an unlocked position. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a progressive cavity pump assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 1; [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a progressive cavity pump assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 20 is a front view of a stator insert of the progressive cavity pump assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the insert of FIG. 19 taken along line AA. [Figure 21] FIG. 20 is a top view of the insert of FIG. 19. [Figure 22] FIG. 20 is a front view of the rotor of the progressive cavity pump assembly of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 18. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a side view of the rotor of FIG. 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is a bottom view of the rotor of FIG. 22. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a partially enlarged view of a gear portion of the rotor in FIG. 24. [Figure 26]20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the stator of FIG. 19 showing various cross sections. [Figure 27] 23 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the rotor of FIG. 22 showing various cross sections; [Figure 28] FIG. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the stator of FIG. 19 and the rotor of FIG. 22. [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partially cutaway, top perspective view of the drive mechanism of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 1; [Diagram 30] FIG. 30 is a top perspective view, partially cut away, of the drive mechanism of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 29; [Diagram 31] FIG. 30 is a top perspective view, partially cut away, of the drive mechanism of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. 29; [Diagram 32] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional top view of the drive mechanism of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. [Diagram 33] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional top view of the drive mechanism of the progressive cavity pump of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0004] 1 and 2, a progressive cavity pump 10 is attached to a small bottle 12 and a large bottle 14, respectively, for dispensing a liquid product 16 from the bottles. The pump 10 extends in a vertical direction 20 and a horizontal direction 22, and is attached to the small bottle 12 in a vertical position and to the large bottle 14 in a horizontal position.

[0005] 3-5, each bottle 12, 14 includes a bottle body 24 having a bottle width 26, a bottle depth 28, and a bottle height 30. The bottle body 24 includes a bottle shoulder 34 from which extends a bottle neck 36. The bottle neck 36 terminates in a bottle opening 38 having external threads 40 disposed on an exterior surface 42 of the neck 36 and a bead 44 disposed adjacent the threads 40. The bottle 12 defines a bottle interior 46 that contains the liquid product 16.

[0006] 4 and 6, the pump 10 includes a pump housing 50 from which a pump nozzle 52 extends. The pump housing 50 includes an inner housing surface 54 and an outer housing surface 56, forming a shoulder 60, a top 62, and a housing center 64 extending therebetween. The inner surface 54 includes a number of pump housing features 65 for securing various assemblies within the pump housing 50. The pump housing features 65 include ribs, grooves, channels, and similar features for securing various assemblies, subassemblies, and tubes therein. The pump housing 50 supports a progressive cavity pump assembly 66 that is driven by a drive mechanism 70. A trigger assembly 72, externally engaged by an operator of the pump 10, actuates the drive mechanism 70 to drive the liquid product 16 through the pump 10. A flow path 74 for pumping the liquid product 16 is defined by a lower tube 76 extending from the bottle interior 46 into the pump 10, through the pump assembly 66 and an upper tube 78, and into the nozzle 52. The lower tube 76 includes a lower tube inlet 82 open to receive the liquid product 16 and a lower tube outlet 84 for delivering the liquid product to the pump assembly 66. The upper tube 78 includes an upper tube inlet 86 connected to the pump assembly 66 and an upper tube outlet 88 disposed within the nozzle 52 for dispersing the liquid product 16 from the pump 10.

[0007] 6-8, the nozzle assembly 52 includes a nozzle body 92 pivotally mounted to the pump housing 50 and extending from a nozzle mounting end 94. The nozzle mounting end 94 mounts the pump housing 50 to a nozzle dispensing end 96 that dispenses the liquid product 16. The nozzle body 92 defines a nozzle cavity 98 therein through which the upper tube 78 can extend. The nozzle body 92 also includes at least one finger fin 102 extending outwardly from the nozzle body 92. In the illustrated embodiment, two fins 102 extend outwardly. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B, the nozzle mounting end 94 includes a nozzle mounting mechanism 104 for pivotally mounting the nozzle 92 to the pump housing 50. The mounting mechanism 104 includes a nozzle pivot feature 106 and a corresponding pump pivot feature 108 disposed on the pump housing 50 to allow the nozzle 92 to pivot about a nozzle pivot point 110. The attachment mechanism 104 also includes a number of grooves 112 that fit over protrusions 114 formed on the pump housing 50. The grooves 112 are positioned and spaced apart to allow the nozzle 92 to pivot between several positions. For example, in one embodiment, the nozzle 92 has four nozzle positions, with a corresponding groove 112 for each position. As shown in Figures 8A, 8B, and 8C, the nozzle 92 has three full flow positions, located at approximately 45°, 90°, and 135°. As shown in Figure 8D, the nozzle 92 also has a closed position in which the nozzle faces downward at approximately 0°.

[0008] In operation, the nozzle 92 moves between nozzle positions by moving the nozzle 92 to one of the nozzle positions about the nozzle pivot point 110. Once the nozzle is moved to the desired position, the groove 112 engages the protrusion 114 and the nozzle is fixed at the desired nozzle position. To facilitate one-handed movement of the nozzle 92, the finger fins 102 can be used. In the full flow position, the upper tube 78 bends to accommodate the nozzle position so that the pump 10 is fully operational and liquid product flow is not affected. The 45° and 135° positions are advantageous for more difficult to reach locations.

[0009] 5 and 6, the pump housing 50 also supports a locking assembly 120 for mounting the pump 10 to the bottle 12, 14, and a locking opening 122 (best seen in FIG. 6) is formed within the pump housing 50 to enable a pump operator to activate and deactivate the locking assembly 120 to mount and remove the pump 10 from the bottle 12, 14. The pump housing 50 also supports a bottle seal 124 for sealing the liquid product 16 within the bottle while allowing air to pass through the bottle.

[0010] 9, the pump housing 50 also includes a top portion 126 disposed on the top of the pump 50 that is made from a transparent material to allow an operator to observe the top tube 78. The transparent sight glass formed by the top portion 126 allows the operator to monitor the progress of the liquid product 16 during the pump priming process.

[0011] 4, 6 and 10, trigger assembly 72 includes an externally accessible trigger 130 for actuation by an operator, and a trigger pivot post 132 having a spring mechanism 134. The spring mechanism 134 allows trigger assembly 72 to move longitudinally 20 relative to pump housing 50 to actuate pump 10. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, spring mechanism 134 and trigger pivot post 132 are supported by features 65 within trigger assembly 72 to ensure proper operation of trigger assembly 72.

[0012] Returning to Figures 4 and 5, the shoulder 60 of the pump housing 50 defines a shaped flange 136 that extends downwardly from the pump housing 50 and cooperates with the bottle shoulder surface 34. The shaped flange 136 extends in the longitudinal direction 20 and includes a flange extension 138 that fits and mates with the bottle shoulder surface 34. Returning to Figure 1, in the normal orientation, the pump 10 fits onto the bottle 12 such that the length of the pump 10 in the longitudinal direction 20 corresponds approximately to the width 26 of the bottle 12 and the flange extension 138 rests on the sides of the bottle shoulder surface 34. Returning to Figure 2, in the landscape orientation, the pump 10 fits onto 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 rests on the front and rear of the bottle shoulder surface 34. Thus, the same size pump 10 can fit and be used with at least two sizes of bottles.

[0013] 5, 6 and 11-16, a locking assembly 120 allows the pump 10 to be attached to and removed from the bottles 12, 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 having a shaped cam opening 146 formed therein and a locking tab 148 extending from the locking bolt body 144. Each shaped cam opening 146 has a distal end 150 and a proximal end 152. Each locking bolt 142 is movably supported by the pump housing 50 such that each locking bolt 142 can move in the longitudinal direction 20 within the pump 10. The locking ring 140 includes a ring body 156 that is rotatably moveable within the pump housing 50. The locking ring body 156 includes a switch portion 160 that extends through a locking opening 122 formed in the pump housing 50 such that an operator can move the switch portion 160 to one side or the other to install and remove the pump 10 from the bottle 12, 14. The locking ring 140 also includes at least one locking pin 166 that fits into and cooperates with a shaped cam opening 146 of the locking bolt 142. The locking pin 166 is movable within the shaped cam opening 146 from a distal end 150 to a proximal end 152. As best seen in Figures 13-16, the locking assembly 120 has a locked position and an unlocked position. In the unlocked position, the locking pin 166 of the locking ring 140 is disposed at the distal end 150 of the shaped cam opening 146 of the locking bolt 142. In the unlocked position, the locking bolts 142 are separated from each other to allow the pump 10 to fit within the neck 36 of the bottle 12, 14. In the locked position, the locking pins 166 of the locking ring 140 are disposed in the proximal ends 152 of the contoured cam openings 146 of the locking bolts 142, forcing the locking bolts 142 together to engage the necks 36 of the bottles and secure the pump 10 to the bottles 12, 14.

[0014] In operation, the pump 10 with the locking assembly 120 in the unlocked position is placed on the neck 36 of the bottle 12, 14. Once the pump 10 is placed on the neck of the bottle in either a vertical or horizontal position, an operator can move a switch portion 160 of the locking assembly 120, which is accessible from the exterior of the pump housing 50, from the unlocked position to the locked position. As the switch portion 160 moves, the locking ring 140 rotates and the locking pin 166 slides within the contoured cam openings 146 of the locking bolts 142 from the distal end 150 to the proximal end 152, thereby moving the locking bolts 142 from the unlocked position to the locked position. Thus, the locking tabs 148 of at least one of the locking bolts 142 fit under and engage the bead 44 of the bottle neck 36, thereby securing the pump 10 on the bottle 12, 14.

[0015] 4, 6, 17, and 18, the progressive cavity pump assembly 66 includes a stator 168 supported by the pump housing 50 and having a stator housing 170. The stator housing 170 may have a first stator housing side 172 and a second stator housing side 174. The stator housing 170 defines a lower stator housing portion 178 for receiving a stator insert 180 therein and an upper stator housing portion 182 for forming a stator chamber 184 and for receiving a flexible cone seal 186 therein. The lower stator housing 172 has an inner lobe shape that corresponds to and supports the stator insert 180, which defines a molded stator cavity 190 therein having a stator centerline 191. The upper stator housing 182 also has a stator opening 192 from which a stator outlet tube 194 extends. The progressive cavity pump assembly 66 also includes a stator housing inlet 196 that seals the lower stator housing 172 and a stator housing cap 198 that seals the upper stator housing 182. The stator housing 170 and stator insert 180 include insert features 202, 204, respectively, that fit within the stator housing 170 and secure the stator insert 180. The stator housing 170 also includes exterior features 206 that correspond to the interior features 65 of the pump housing 50 for positioning the stator housing within the pump housing. The upper stator housing 182 further includes a cap projection 210.

[0016] 19-21, the interior cavity 190 also defines an interior shape 211.

[0017] 17 and 22-25, the progressive cavity pump assembly 66 further includes a rotor 212 that cooperates with the stator insert 180 to dispense the fluid product 16 from the bottle 12, 14 through 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 lobed shaft portion 220 extending from the straight shaft portion 218. The gear portion and the straight shaft portion are generally concentric and are centered about a gear central axis 224, and the lobed shaft portion 220 is centered about a lobe central axis 226. The lobe central axis 226 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 radially outwardly extending teeth 228, each tooth 228 having a tooth form and an internal tooth surface 230 and an external tooth surface 232. The straight shaft portion 218 has a shaft diameter, and the lobed shaft portion includes a plurality of lobes configured to cooperate with the stator insert 180 and has a cross-sectional diameter d.

[0018] 26-28, the interior shape 211 of the formed stator cavity 190 is sized to have a width approximately equal to the diameter d, which is the cross-section of the lobe shaft portion 220. The length of the interior shape 211 of the formed stator cavity 190 is equal to 4e between the center points 234, where e is defined as the offset between the rotor center 224 and the rotor axis 226.

[0019] 17, the stator housing inlet 196 comprises a housing inlet body 238 which has a disk shape and includes an upwardly extending inlet body flange 240 and a downwardly extending inlet connector 242. 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 tube 76 to form a flow path for allowing the fluid product 16 to flow from the bottle to the pump.

[0020] The stator housing cap 198 includes a disk body 246 that includes a downwardly extending cap flange 248 and a cap slot 250 formed therein. The cap slot 250 has a width and a length, with the width approximately equal to the rotor shaft diameter d and the cap slot length greater than the rotor shaft diameter. For example, for a double pitch rotor as shown in one embodiment, the cap slot length is equal to four times the distance e between the rotor center and the rotor axis, or 4e+d. The slot width is scaled to the rotor diameter d to form a clearance or slip fit. Thus, the cap 198 allows movement of the rotor 212 in the cap slot 246 in one direction and restricts movement of the rotor shaft in the other direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap slot 246 allows movement of the rotor shaft in the lateral direction 22. The disk flange 248 includes notches 254 that cooperate with the cap projections 210 formed on the upper stator housing 182 to properly orient the cap 198 relative to the stator 168 .

[0021] A flexible cone seal 186 disposed within the stator chamber 184 of the upper stator housing 182 has a generally conical shape and provides a sealing mechanism therein that allows lateral movement of the rotor shaft 216 .

[0022] 4 and 29-33, the drive mechanism 70 includes a forward drive yoke 260 having a pivot end 262 movably mounted to the trigger assembly 72 and a forward drive arm 264 that engages the gear portion 214 of the rotor 212. Each forward drive arm 264 includes a drive pawl 266 that engages with the teeth 228 of the gear portion 214. As best seen in FIG. 30, the drive pawl 266 includes a drive pawl configuration that engages and mates with the gear portion teeth 228 to drive the rotor 212 in a drive direction 268 about a drive shaft 270. The pivot end 262 is coupled to a trigger pivot post 132 of the trigger assembly 72 that is actuated when the trigger 130 is pulled.

[0023] Drive mechanism 70 also includes a rear yoke 274 disposed on the other side of gear portion 214 and in staggered relationship with front drive yoke 260. Rear yoke 274 includes a rear yoke pivot end 276 attached to pump housing 50 and rear yoke arms 278 extending outwardly to engage gear portion 214 of rotor 212. Each rear yoke arm 278 includes a rear pawl 280 configured to engage and mate with teeth 228 of gear portion 214 to prevent reverse rotation of gear portion 214 of rotor 212.

[0024] The forward drive yoke 260 and the aft drive yoke 274 are arranged in a staggered configuration and are sized such that the forward drive yoke arms 264 and the aft yoke arms 278 engage the gear portion 214 of the rotor 212 .

[0025] In operation, when the trigger 130 is pulled externally by the pump operator, the trigger moves in the longitudinal direction 20 via the spring mechanism 134 and actuates the forward drive yoke 260 as its pivot end 262 is connected to the trigger pivot post 132 of the trigger assembly 72. When actuated, the forward drive yoke 260 rotates the gear portion 214 of the rotor 212 in a drive direction 268. In one embodiment, the gear portion 214 rotates approximately 90° in the drive direction 268 about the axis of rotation. The rear yoke 274 engages the gear portion 214 and prevents 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 lobe shaft portions rotate, air (during priming) and then liquid product are drawn into the stator chamber. As the gear section rotates and the lobed shaft section rotatably moves within the stator chamber, the gear section and linear shaft also translate laterally. The linear shaft section moves laterally 22 within the cap slot of the stator housing cap. First, air and liquid product enter the lower tube, then into the progressive cavity pump assembly, through the stator housing inlet, and into the stator cavity. As the gear section of the rotor is driven by the drive mechanism, the air and / or liquid product advances through the lobes.

[0026] Each time the trigger is pulled, the forward drive yoke drives the gear section by rotating it a predetermined amount of rotation. As previously mentioned, in one embodiment, each time the trigger is pulled, the gear section rotates 90°. As the forward drive yoke 260 drives the rotor, the rear yoke 274 prevents reverse motion. Thus, the predetermined amount of rotation and the shape of the stator / rotor lobes determine the amount of dispensed and the drop size per 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 as the lobe shaft section moves along within the stator chamber. The air / liquid product then enters the stator chamber and exits the stator chamber through the stator openings into the stator outlet tube and upper tube. The stator housing inlet, flexible cone seal, and stator housing cap provide a seal and prevent the liquid product from leaking out of the flow path. Once in the upper tube, the liquid product follows its flow path and exits through the nozzle.

[0027] The progressive cavity pump 10 can work with a wide variety of liquid products, including products such as adhesives and glues. For example, the progressive cavity pump 10 can work with products having a viscosity between 1 and 3500 cP. The interior of the progressive cavity pump 10 is made from materials that are compatible with and can accommodate a wide variety of products 16, including adhesives and glues.

[0028] Additionally, the lower tube is a rigid tube while the upper tube is flexible to allow the nozzle 52 to move between nozzle positions. Also, the flexible cone seal can be made from a flexible elastomer such as silicone, and the cap with the elongated slot can be made from a rigid plastic material.

[0029] The primary advantages of the pump 10 are its simplified design and small size. Because the pump has a rigid shaft, it does not require universal joints or flexible shafts which are prone to malfunction, and therefore is not susceptible to malfunction. The pump configuration also allows the pump stator to be partially within the bottle, allowing the pump to be of even smaller dimensions.

[0030] Another advantage of the pump 10 is that it can be used with at least two different sized bottles: the pump can be secured in a vertical position for smaller bottles, as seen in FIG. 1, and in a horizontal position for larger bottles, as seen in FIG.

[0031] Additionally, the nozzle position allows for application of liquid product to harder to reach locations. Additionally, the nozzle can be moved with one hand, eliminating the need for two-handed operation. The upper tube 78 is made from a material that can flex as the nozzle 92 is moved to different nozzle positions, thereby allowing the full flow of liquid product to pass through.

[0032] Additionally, the clear top allows the pump operator to monitor the progress of the liquid product 16 during the pump priming process.

[0033] Additionally, the pump can be attached to the bottle without having to be screwed onto the bottle with threads.

[0034] Additionally, the pump allows for the metering of a specific amount of liquid product with each pull of the trigger, which is advantageous in many applications compared to continuously operating pumps.

[0035] In addition, while the principles of the present disclosure have been described herein, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made by way of example only and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein, other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. Modifications and substitutions made by those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A progressive cavity pump (10), comprising: a pump housing (50) extending in a longitudinal direction (20) and a lateral direction (22) and defining a shoulder (60); the progressive cavity pump (10) has a vertical position and a horizontal position, the progressive cavity pump (10) is configured to be attached to a first size bottle (12) in the vertical position and to be attached to a second size bottle (14) larger than the first size bottle (12) in the horizontal position; In the vertical position, the progressive cavity pump (10) fits into the bottle (12) such that a length in the vertical direction (20) of the progressive cavity pump (10) corresponds to a width (26) of the first size bottle (12), and in the horizontal position, the progressive cavity pump (10) fits into the bottle (14) of the second size such that a length in the vertical direction (20) of the progressive cavity pump (10) corresponds to a depth (28) of the second size bottle (14). and wherein the shoulder portion (60) of the pump housing (50) is formed with a shaped flange (136) extending downwardly from the pump housing (50) and cooperating with bottle shoulder surfaces (34) of the first size bottle (12) and the second size bottle (14) such that the progressive cavity pump (10) of the same size can fit into and be used with at least two sizes of bottles.

2. 2. The progressive cavity pump of claim 1, wherein the progressive cavity pump (10) further comprises a locking assembly (120) that allows the progressive cavity pump (10) to be attached to and removed from the bottle (12, 14) without the need for threads on the bottle (12, 14).

3. 3. The progressive cavity pump of claim 2, wherein the locking assembly (120) has a locked position and an unlocked position, and in the unlocked position, the progressive cavity pump (10) fits onto the neck (36) of the bottle (12, 14), and in the locked position, the locking assembly (120) engages the neck (36) of the bottle to secure the progressive cavity pump (10) to the bottle (12, 14).

4. 2. The progressive cavity pump of claim 1, wherein the pump housing includes a transparent top that allows an operator to monitor the progress of the liquid product (16) during the pump priming process.

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