Flexible Packing Holder for Coaxial Pump Seal Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packings used in piston pumps, particularly those for abrasive and viscous fluids like paint, are difficult to handle and install due to their stacked arrangement, which can easily fall out of coaxial alignment if not properly secured, leading to improper sealing and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A packing holder with a body, handle, and axially extending fingers that flex to accommodate the packing stack, allowing for easy alignment and insertion into a pump cylinder, along with a retainer to maintain the stack's position during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If packings are arranged in a stacked configuration to achieve proper sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but handling and installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
A packing holder serves as an intermediary tool that temporarily supports the stacked packings during installation. The holder includes fingers that engage with the packings and a handle for manipulation, allowing the installer to precisely position the entire stack without the packings falling out of alignment. After installation, the holder is removed, leaving the packings properly seated in the gland.
2Reliability
If packings are stacked coaxially to ensure proper alignment and sealing, then sealing performance is improved, but the stack becomes unstable and prone to misalignment when not secured
Solution Approach 1:
The packing holder acts as a temporary intermediary structure that maintains the coaxial alignment of the packing stack during handling and installation. The fingers of the holder engage with the packings to keep them stacked and aligned, preventing misalignment until the packings are securely installed in the gland.
Solution Approach 2:
The packing holder performs preliminary alignment of the packing stack before installation. By pre-assembling the packings in the correct coaxial arrangement on the holder, the alignment work is completed beforehand, ensuring proper sealing performance when the packings are installed, and eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures during installation.
3Reliability
If multiple packings are stacked to handle abrasive and viscous fluids, then sealing reliability is improved, but the complexity of installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packing holder simplifies the installation process by serving as a pre-assembled unit that contains multiple packings in the correct configuration. Instead of installing each packing individually or dealing with loose stacked packings, the installer simply inserts the entire holder with pre-aligned packings into the gland, significantly reducing installation complexity while maintaining the multi-packing seal structure needed for abrasive and viscous fluids.
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
Facilitates the precise alignment and secure installation of packing stacks within pump cylinders, preventing leakage and ensuring proper sealing, even for challenging fluid applications, by maintaining coaxial alignment and retaining the stack in place.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of fingers are configured to flex to reduce a cross-sectional area defined by distal ends of the plurality of fingers in response to the packing stack passing over the distal ends of the plurality of fingers
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 2B
AI summary
A packing insertion tool for inserting a packing stack into a cylinder of a piston pump includes a packing holder on which the packing stack is mounted. The packing holder includes a body, a handle disposed at a first end of the body, and a plurality of fingers disposed at a second end of the body. The fingers extend axially from the body and the packing stack is mounted on the fingers, between the body and a retaining feature disposed at a distal end of the fingers. The fingers can flex to allow the diameter of the distal end of the fingers to change as the packing stack slides on to and off of the fingers.