Cartridge System for Eccentric Screw Pump Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Eccentric screw pumps used in 3D printing require labor-intensive and time-consuming disassembly and cleaning when switching between different formulations of printing media, as the entire pump needs to be disassembled to prevent contamination.
Innovation Solution
A cartridge system for eccentric screw pumps that includes a stator and a rotor unit, with a movable plug for fluid-tight closure, allowing for easy replacement and preventing medium contamination, thereby simplifying the cleaning process by isolating the drive device from the medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire eccentric screw pump is disassembled for cleaning when switching formulations, then contamination is prevented, but cleaning becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is divided into two segments: a permanent drive device and a replaceable cartridge containing the stator and rotor. This segmentation allows only the cartridge to be removed and replaced when switching formulations, preventing contamination of the drive device while eliminating the need to disassemble the entire pump for cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The stator and rotor components that contact the medium are extracted from the drive device and placed into a separate removable cartridge. This extraction allows the medium-contacting components to be easily removed and replaced without affecting the drive device, thus preventing contamination while minimizing cleaning time.
2Reliability
If the entire eccentric screw pump is disassembled for cleaning, then all components are cleaned, but the process becomes complex and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a permanent drive device and a removable cartridge. Only the cartridge needs to be removed for cleaning, simplifying the operation from disassembling the entire pump to simply detaching one component. This maintains cleaning completeness for all medium-contacting surfaces while dramatically improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is designed as a disposable or easily replaceable component that can be quickly removed and discarded or replaced when switching formulations. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning procedures while ensuring complete removal of medium residues, as the entire cartridge is replaced rather than cleaned.
3Reliability
If the cartridge system with movable plug is used, then contamination is prevented and cleaning is simplified, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The stator, rotor, and plug are merged into a single integrated cartridge assembly. This combining of components into one removable unit simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining contamination prevention, as the entire assembly can be removed as a single piece without exposing the drive device to medium contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge acts as an intermediary component between the drive device and the medium. This mediator prevents direct contact between the drive device and the medium, thus preventing contamination while adding only a single removable component layer to the system structure.
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
The cartridge system enables quick and easy cleaning of the eccentric screw pump by allowing all components in contact with the medium to be replaced, reducing contamination risks and simplifying the process, while maintaining high precision dosing capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
When the rotor rotates, a medium to be dosed is conveyed by the interaction of the rotor with the stator in a longitudinal direction of the eccentric screw pump away from a drive device of the eccentric screw pump according to the endless piston principle
Implementation Method 2
a plug being movably supported in the cartridge for fluid-tight closure of the cartridge
Data Source
AI summary
A cartridge system for an eccentric screw pump, comprising a cartridge for receiving a medium to be dosed, a stator being provided on the cartridge, which cooperates with a rotor unit of the eccentric screw pump for dosing the medium, and a plug being movably supported in the cartridge for a fluid-tight closure of the cartridge, wherein the plug comprises a rotor breakthrough through which the rotor unit can be passed.