Annular Diaphragm Pump Design for Miniaturization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniaturization of diaphragm pumps for small and very small capacities faces challenges in manufacturing and adjustment due to extreme miniaturization requirements, particularly for the diaphragm and its components, leading to difficulties in producing and handling the small steel parts and hydraulic or pneumatic connections, resulting in complex and costly production processes.
Innovation Solution
A diaphragm pump with an annular working chamber and an annular diaphragm, where the drive element is sleeve-shaped and connects directly to the diaphragm, allowing for a stable and secure force transmission, enabling simpler and more economical manufacturing and adjustment, with the annular geometry allowing for a larger diameter and reduced complexity in micro-pump designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the diameter of the diaphragm is reduced to achieve small pump capacities, then the pump capacity is reduced, but the manufacturing difficulty and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm is designed as an annular (ring-shaped) structure rather than a solid circular diaphragm. This segmentation allows the pump to achieve small pump capacities through the annular geometry itself rather than extreme miniaturization, maintaining manufacturability while reducing the feed volume per stroke.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a solid circular diaphragm to an annular diaphragm, effectively utilizing the radial dimension to create a donut-shaped structure. This dimensional change allows the pump to maintain larger overall dimensions for ease of manufacture while achieving small pump capacities through the annular cross-section geometry.
2Quantity of substance
If the diameter of the diaphragm is reduced to achieve small pump capacities, then the pump capacity is reduced, but the structural size of the pump becomes difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The annular diaphragm design segments the pumping chamber into a ring-shaped working volume, allowing the pump to achieve small capacities through geometry rather than miniaturization. The larger outer diameter maintains ease of handling while the annular cross-section provides the required small pump output.
Solution Approach 2:
By utilizing the annular geometry with a larger outer diameter, the pump maintains a larger overall structural size that is easier to handle, while the donut-shaped cross-section ensures small pump capacity. This dimensional approach allows simultaneous achievement of both small capacity and ease of handling.
3Quantity of substance
If a steel connecting rod is molded-on to the center of a small diaphragm, then the pump capacity is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The annular diaphragm design eliminates the need for a central steel connecting rod by creating a ring-shaped structure where the drive element connects to the annular geometry. This segmentation approach removes the complex miniaturized connecting rod requirement while maintaining small pump capacity through the annular cross-section.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the steel connecting rod component from the design. By using an annular diaphragm, the patent eliminates the need for this complex miniaturized part, simplifying manufacturing while achieving small pump capacities through the annular geometry itself.
4Quantity of substance
If the diameter of the diaphragm is reduced to achieve small pump capacities, then the pump capacity is reduced, but the valve tolerances and hydraulic connections become more difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The annular diaphragm design with larger outer diameter provides more space for valve installation and connection points. The segmentation into annular geometry allows standard valve components and hydraulic connections to be integrated more easily, reducing the need for extreme precision tolerances while maintaining small pump capacity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the manufacturing and adjustment of diaphragm pumps, enabling reliable operation in tight spaces and handling of aggressive media, while maintaining high stroke counts and low pump capacities, such as 25 ml per minute, with improved load capacity and service life.
Implementation Method 1
an annular diaphragm (3), which is fixed on its outer peripheral edge region and on its inner edge region... a pump drive (10) for deflection of the annular diaphragm (3)
Data Source
AI summary
A diaphragm pump (1) is provided with an annular working chamber (6) and an annular diaphragm (3), which is fixed on its outer peripheral region (12) and on its inner edge region (13). The inner and the outer diaphragm fixing points are stationary relative to each other, and a drive element (8) connected to a pump drive for deflection of the annular diaphragm (3) contacts between the outer and inner fixing points. The drive element (8) is formed facing the diaphragm with a sleeve or ring shape with a diameter corresponding approximately to the annular working chamber (6) and contacts with one of its annular ends perpendicular to the diaphragm plane on the side of the annular diaphragm (3) facing the pump drive for deflection and for transmission of a back-and-forth movement to the annular diaphragm (3). A quick-running diaphragm fluid pump is created, for which a combination of high stroke count for simultaneously low pump capacities is provided and which nevertheless is structurally simple and stable in design.