Liquid Pump Seal Flushing Chamber to Prevent Stagnation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid pumps, particularly in the food and medical sectors, suffer from dead areas where liquid stagnation occurs, leading to hygiene issues and bacterial proliferation due to inefficient cleaning, especially around seals, which compromises seal performance and safety.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a flushing chamber within the pump casing where the drive shaft seal is exposed to a continuous liquid flow, preventing stagnation and ensuring thorough cleaning, even during operation and maintenance cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If seals are fitted onto the drive shaft to prevent liquid leakage, then sealing performance is improved, but dead areas are created where liquid stagnation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful stagnant liquid from the sealing area by introducing a flushing liquid that continuously removes accumulated liquid from the dead zones around the seals, thereby eliminating the stagnation problem while preserving the sealing function
Solution Approach 2:
A flushing liquid is introduced as an intermediary substance that flows through the sealing area, acting as a mediator to continuously clean and flush away stagnant liquid from the dead zones around the seals, preventing bacterial proliferation while maintaining sealing integrity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pump flushing cycles are performed to clean the pump, then hygiene is improved, but flushing liquid stagnates in dead areas near seals
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements continuous flushing action through the sealing area rather than periodic flushing cycles, ensuring that the flushing liquid constantly flows through and cleans the dead zones around the seals, preventing stagnation and maintaining continuous hygiene
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing liquid is introduced in advance to prevent stagnation before it occurs, continuously flowing through the sealing area to preemptively clean and flush away any accumulated liquid, thereby maintaining hygiene proactively rather than reactively
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 solution effectively prevents liquid stagnation at the seal, ensuring high hygiene levels and reliable operation, particularly suitable for food and medical applications, while maintaining seal integrity and facilitating easy cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
the flow of liquid running inside the flushing chamber laps the portion 80 of the seal 8
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to an improved liquid pump (1) comprising at least one rotating pumping member (2, 3) and a drive shaft (4) rigidly constrained to said at least one rotating pumping member (2) and configured to drive said at least one rotating pumping member (2) into rotation, said at least one rotating pumping member (2, 3) being completely housed in a pumping chamber (6) formed within a pump casing (7), said drive shaft (4) being partially housed within said pump casing (7), between said drive shaft (4) and said pump casing (7) there being provided at least one liquid-tight seal (8) for preventing leakage of said liquid along said drive shaft (4), said pump (1) comprising a suction duct (9) in liquid communication with said pumping chamber (6) and a delivery duct (11) in liquid communication with said pumping chamber (6). According to the invention, inside said pump casing (7) a flushing chamber (13) is formed in liquid communication with said suction duct (9) or with said delivery duct (11), said drive shaft (4) passing through said flushing chamber (13), said at least one seal (8) having at least one portion (80) facing said flushing chamber (13) so that the flow of said liquid running inside said flushing chamber (13) laps said portion (80) of said seal (8).