Metering Pump Non-Return Valve Sealing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metering pumps face impermeability issues due to inaccuracies in injection molding and assembly, leading to stiffness, jamming, and unintended fluidic flows, which are exacerbated by the use of strong springs for sealing.
Innovation Solution
A metering pump design featuring a non-return valve with sealing elements that form a fluidic seal with the plunger, allowing for efficient sealing even with non-ideal geometric configurations, using a concentric arrangement of components and a plunger with a continuous channel, and an actuation body with a liner and recess to manage fluid flow, reducing the need for strong springs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If valve structures are assembled tightly with little clearance to ensure sufficient impermeability, then fluidic sealing is improved, but pump stiffness increases and mechanical operability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible sealing elements including a sealing ring (125) made of elastomeric material and a membrane (108) that can deform elastically. These flexible components compensate for manufacturing tolerances and assembly variations, maintaining fluidic sealing without requiring tight clearances that would restrict pump movement and cause stiffness.
2Reliability
If strong springs are used for valve closure to effect internal sealing by frictional fitting, then sealing reliability is improved, but operating forces increase and mechanical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional strong mechanical springs with a diaphragm spring (107) that utilizes elastic deformation of a thin-walled structure. This diaphragm spring provides the necessary closing force for the non-return valve (104) through its elastic properties, significantly reducing the operating force required compared to conventional coil springs while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the spring mechanism by using a diaphragm spring with specific geometric parameters (thickness, radius, curvature) that optimize the force characteristics. The diaphragm spring's elastic modulus and geometry are selected to provide adequate closing force without requiring high operating forces, thus resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and operating force.
3Ease of manufacture
If components are produced by injection molding to reduce cost, then manufacturing ease is improved, but fitting precision deteriorates causing unintended fluidic flows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible sealing elements (sealing ring 125, membrane 108) that can deform to compensate for dimensional variations from injection molding. These elastomeric components conform to the mating surfaces even when there are tolerances from mass production, ensuring fluidic sealing without requiring expensive precision machining or tight tolerances on molded parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the sealing function into separate dedicated sealing elements (sealing ring, membrane, non-return valve with sealing surface) rather than relying on the fit between structural components. This segmentation allows each sealing element to be optimized for its sealing function independently, compensating for manufacturing variations in the structural injection-molded parts.
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
Ensures high fluidic impermeability while maintaining simple mechanical operability, minimizing jamming and operational forces, and compensating for manufacturing faults through effective sealing by the non-return valve's sealing elements.
Implementation Method 1
internal sealing of the metering pump... sealing elements on the base-side, which sealing elements enable internal sealing of the metering pump... fluidic seal with the plunger
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a metering pump for a metering device, the metering pump being connectable to a storage container. The metering pump thereby comprises a non-return valve which has sealing elements on the base-side, which sealing elements enable internal sealing of the metering pump. In addition, the present invention relates to a metering device in which the metering pump according to the invention is connected to a storage container.