Valve and Diaphragm for Pump Sealing Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Diaphragm pumps face issues with sealingly connecting manifolds to the pump body and diaphragms prone to failure due to substantial elastic deformation during pumping actions.
Innovation Solution
The development of a valve and diaphragm system where the valve is integrally formed from plastics material with a loop configuration base and a flexible bridge for resilient deformation, and a diaphragm with flexible segments and hinge portions for relative movement, both made from resilient plastics material to enhance sealing and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the valve is integrally formed from plastics material with flexible bridge portions, then the reliability of the valve is improved through resilient deformation capability, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase due to the complex integrated structure
Solution Approach 1:
The valve member, base, and bridge portions are integrally formed as a single piece from plastics material, eliminating separate components and assembly steps. This merging improves reliability by ensuring consistent material properties throughout the structure while the integral design allows the bridge portions to flex without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge portions are designed as flexible elements that can resiliently deform during valve operation. These thin, flexible sections allow the valve to adapt to pressure changes and maintain sealing without requiring precise mechanical tolerances on rigid components, thereby improving reliability while reducing manufacturing precision demands.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the diaphragm is made with flexible segments and hinge portions for relative movement, then the durability is improved by accommodating elastic deformation, but the device complexity increases due to the segmented structure
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm is divided into multiple segments connected by hinge portions, allowing each segment to move independently during elastic deformation. This segmentation enables the diaphragm to accommodate substantial shape changes without failure, improving durability while the hinges provide controlled movement paths that simplify the overall design compared to a completely rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic segmented structure with movable hinge portions. This allows the diaphragm to adapt its shape in real-time during pump operation, accommodating elastic deformation and improving durability. The dynamic segments follow natural deformation patterns, reducing stress concentrations.
3Ease of operation
If separate manifolds are sealingly connected to the pump body, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the reliability of sealing connections deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The valve base portions are integrally formed with the valve members and are designed to be mounted directly on the pump body as unified components. This merging eliminates separate manifold connections and multiple sealing interfaces, thereby improving sealing reliability by reducing the number of potential leak paths while maintaining ease of assembly through the simplified integrated 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 solution provides improved sealing and reduced failure rates of diaphragm pumps by allowing for resilient deformation and movement, ensuring efficient fluid flow and pump operation while minimizing diaphragm failure.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible bridge pivotally coupling the movable valve member with said one end portion providing for movement of the valve member by resilient deformation of the bridge
Implementation Method 2
The above-mentioned diaphragm when performing at pumping action is caused to undergo substantial elastic deformation
Implementation Method 3
the hinge portions having a thickness less than thicknesses of the first and second portions to provide for relative movement between the first and second segments by resilient deformation of the hinge portions
Data Source
AI summary
A diaphragm pump (10) having a pump body (11) providing opposing pump chambers (12, 13). Mounted in the body is a piston assembly (14) having pistons (15) joined by a piston rod (16). Each piston (15) is sealingly connected to the body (11) by a diaphragm (22) so that each of the chambers (12, 13) is divided into a first and a second sub-chamber, with the flow of fluid being pumped is governed by a pair of valves (30). Each valve (30) includes a base (31) to which there is movably attached a movable valve member (35).