Self-Aligning Pump Mounting for Fast Rod Coupling and Low Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Axial displacement pumps in fluid dispensing systems face challenges with the time-intensive process of attaching and detaching the pump rod from the reciprocating drive, and experience wear due to non-coincident driving forces, which affect the efficiency and lifespan of the components.
Innovation Solution
A mounting system that includes an axial ring and a tightening ring, which securely clamp the displacement pump to the drive housing, ensuring proper alignment and concentricity, reducing side loads and wear by concentrating driving forces along the centerline of the pump rod.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pump rod is pinned to the reciprocating drive using traditional methods, then the connection is secure, but the attachment and detachment process becomes time-intensive and requires loose parts and multiple tools
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into modular components: a pump rod with an integrated recess and a reciprocating drive with a corresponding protrusion. This segmentation allows the components to connect through simple insertion without requiring separate pins, washers, or fasteners, thereby reducing assembly time while maintaining secure connection through the interlocking geometry of the recess and protrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for loose fastening parts (pins, washers, nuts) from the connection system. By integrating the connection features directly into the pump rod and reciprocating drive components themselves, the system removes unnecessary parts that would otherwise require manual assembly and disassembly, significantly reducing maintenance time.
2Reliability
If the pump rod is secured using traditional pinning methods, then the connection is established, but the process requires several tools and multiple steps
Solution Approach 1:
The connection features (recess in pump rod, protrusion in reciprocating drive) are merged into the structural design of the components themselves. This integration combines the functions of alignment, connection, and securing into a single geometric feature, eliminating the need for separate fastening operations and reducing device complexity while maintaining connection stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump rod and reciprocating drive are designed to self-align and self-connect through their complementary geometries. The recess and protrusion automatically guide each other into proper alignment during insertion, and the interlocking shapes provide inherent mechanical securing without requiring external tools or additional fastening steps.
3Power
If the pump rod experiences driving forces not coincident with its centerline, then the pump can be driven, but the pump rod experiences wear on various components
Solution Approach 1:
The connection geometry features intentional asymmetry with the recess and protrusion designed to enforce specific alignment. This asymmetric design ensures that the driving force is transmitted along the intended centerline by providing mechanical guidance that prevents off-center loading, thereby reducing component wear while maintaining effective power transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess and protrusion act as intermediary elements that mediate the force transmission between the reciprocating drive and pump rod. These features ensure that forces are transmitted through aligned contact surfaces, preventing direct off-center loading on the pump rod and reducing wear on connected components.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2A
AI summary
A clamp is secured to a displacement pump, and the clamp includes an axial ring and a tightening ring. The axial ring is mounted above the tightening ring, and the axial ring is configured to align the displacement pump during mounting and to limit the stoke of a pump rod within the displacement pump. The tightening ring may be tightened such that the axial ring and the tightening ring exert a clamping force on a drive housing, which secures the displacement pump to the drive housing. The tightening ring may receive a projection extending from the drive housing to provide structural support to the drive housing.