Hand-held Vacuum Pump with Liquid Separation Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand-held vacuum devices for evacuating fluid from plastic storage pouches often suffer from inefficiencies in maintaining a continuous vacuum and can foul due to the presence of liquids, which reduces their effectiveness and lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held vacuum device with a piston pump and expansion chamber that separates air and liquid, allowing for a continuous vacuum and preventing fouling by collecting liquids within the expansion chamber, which is designed to be used in both hand-held and hands-free modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hand-held vacuum device is used to evacuate fluid from storage pouches, then vacuum evacuation is achieved, but the device fouls due to liquid presence reducing effectiveness and lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing is divided into separate functional zones: a dry pump chamber for vacuum generation and a liquid collection chamber for fluid accumulation. This segmentation prevents liquid from contaminating the pump mechanism while maintaining vacuum evacuation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A baffle structure acts as an intermediary element between the pump chamber and liquid collection chamber. The baffle redirects liquid flow away from the pump mechanism, allowing liquid to be collected separately without causing fouling or damage to the vacuum system.
2Productivity
If a piston pump is used to draw vacuum, then evacuation is achieved, but continuous vacuum is difficult to maintain due to intermittent operation cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is designed to maintain continuous vacuum action by preventing liquid interference that would normally force interruption of the pumping cycle. The liquid collection mechanism allows the pump to operate continuously without stopping to address liquid accumulation.
3Ease of operation
If the device is designed for hand-held use, then portability is achieved, but the device must also function in hands-free modes adding complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum device is designed with universal functionality to operate effectively in multiple modes: hand-held portable use and hands-free stationary use. The internal liquid collection and separation mechanisms function independently of the operational mode, allowing the same device structure to serve multiple purposes without adding significant complexity.
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 device achieves a substantially continuous vacuum, efficiently evacuating containers while preventing liquid from entering the pump, thus extending its operational life and maintaining cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
The expansion chamber separates air and liquid from the fluid drawn into the interior volume of the expansion chamber and collects the liquid therein
Implementation Method 2
The piston pump and the piston valve are configured to draw a substantially continuous vacuum during each complete cycle of the piston pump
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held vacuum device includes a housing to hold an electrical motor operable to drive a piston pump that is configured to draw a substantially continuous vacuum for each complete cycle of the piston pump. The hand-held vacuum device also includes an expansion chamber releasably connected to and in fluid communication with the housing and a vacuum interface that has a vacuum connector in fluid communication with the expansion chamber and is configured to releasably couple to a valve disposed on a container. The expansion chamber separates air and liquid from a fluid drawn into the expansion chamber.