Coaxial Metering Pump Segments for Flexible Fluid Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing metering pump systems for fluid delivery, such as hot melt adhesive systems, require complex gearing and non-coaxial alignment of drive shafts and fluid inlets, limiting flexibility in achieving different metered fluid output volumes and preventing the combination of outputs from multiple pumps for additional volumes.
Innovation Solution
A metering pump system with a coaxially aligned drive shaft and fluid inlet, utilizing a common fluid passageway and three gears per segment, allowing for interchangeable segments with different ratings to achieve various output volumes and combine flows at specific positions, enabling flexible output configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a non-coaxial drive shaft assembly and fluid inlet arrangement is used (as in prior art), then the pump structure can be simpler, but the system loses flexibility in achieving different metered fluid output volumes and cannot combine outputs from multiple pumps
Solution Approach 1:
The pump assembly is divided into multiple interchangeable pump segments, each with identical coaxial drive shaft and fluid inlet arrangement. This segmentation allows flexible combination of segments to achieve different output volumes while maintaining simple coaxial structure in each segment. The segments can be independently selected and combined based on required flow rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The coaxial drive shaft assembly and fluid inlet arrangement serves multiple functions: it provides a standardized interface for all pump segments, enables flexible reconfiguration for different output volumes, and allows combination of multiple pump outputs. This universal design makes the same structural arrangement adaptable to various operational requirements.
2Productivity
If multiple pump segments are combined to achieve additional fluid output volumes, then the system gains versatility, but the alignment and integration of multiple drive shaft assemblies becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pump segments with identical coaxial drive shaft assemblies are merged into a single integrated unit sharing a common drive shaft. This allows the segments to be driven simultaneously by one motor, simplifying the overall drive system while achieving combined fluid output volumes greater than any single segment could provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump segments are arranged in a spatial configuration where their individual fluid outputs are directed to combine at a common outlet. This spatial arrangement in another dimension (fluid flow path convergence) enables volume addition without requiring complex integration of multiple drive shafts in the rotational dimension.
3Adaptability or versatility
If interchangeable pump segments with different ratings are used, then the system achieves greater adaptability, but the precision of metering across different segments becomes more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
Different pump segments are designed with varying geometric parameters (such as gear dimensions, chamber volumes) while maintaining the same coaxial drive shaft and fluid inlet arrangement. This allows different output ratings to be achieved through parameter variation rather than structural redesign, ensuring consistent metering precision across segments with different capacities.
Data Source
AI summary
A metering pump or segment, and a metering pump assembly comprising a plurality of the metering pumps or segments, are disclosed. The drive shaft assembly for driving the pump gears of each metering pump or segment is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the pump or segment, as is the fluid inlet supply path, whereby only three gears are required to comprise each metering pump or segment. The single drive shaft assembly is utilized to drive all of the metering pumps or segments comprising the metering pump assembly, and the different metering pumps or segments are fluidically connected together by means of a common fluid passageway. In addition, the different metering pumps or segments can be interchanged or exchanged so as to permit different metered fluid output volumes to be outputted at different predetermined locations. Also, different metering pumps or segments can be disposed or arranged such that their metered flow output volumes can effectively be added together so as to achieve additionally desired metered fluid output volumes which are different from that achieved from any single one metering pump or segment.