Pivotable Pump Head With Contact Sensing for Safe Reorientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users attempting to manually rotate a pump head risk damaging pump parts such as sensors and wires, compromising safety and performance.
Innovation Solution
A pivotable pump head design with interface portions and a sensor that allows safe orientation change by pivoting relative to the motor shaft, ensuring electrical connectivity through interface portions, and operating the motor in maintenance or higher speed modes based on contact detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users manually rotate the pump head to change orientation, then the orientation can be changed, but pump parts (sensor and wires) may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The pump head is designed to be pivotable relative to the motor shaft when removed from the body housing, allowing dynamic orientation adjustment. The sensor detects whether the pump head is removed to enable this dynamic state, permitting safe rotation without risking damage to internal components during the pivoting operation.
2Ease of operation
If the pump head is removed from the body housing, then orientation can be changed safely, but electrical connectivity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor detects the removed state of the pump head in advance, allowing the system to prepare for the orientation change operation. This preliminary detection ensures that users are aware of the connectivity loss before it occurs, enabling them to perform the orientation adjustment safely without unexpected electrical disruptions.
Data Source
AI summary
A pump can include a pump head, a body housing, a motor disposed within the body housing, and a motor shaft extending from the motor. The pump head can include a sensor, at least a first interface portion, and at least a first elongate conductor electrically connecting the sensor to the at least a first interface portion. The body housing can include at least a second interface portion and at least a second elongate conductor electrically connecting the at least a second interface portion to pump electronics. The sensor can be configured to sense when the at least a first interface portion does not contact the at least a second interface portion. When the at least a first interface portion does not contact the at least a second interface portion and the pump head is removed from the body housing, the pump head can be pivotable relative the motor shaft such that an orientation of the pump head can be changed with respect to the body housing.