Venturi Powder Pump Alignment for Stable Suction Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional Venturi powder pumps face issues with misalignment and inefficiencies due to the positioning of the injector and ejector, leading to turbulent flow and clogging, which affect suction performance and require frequent cleaning.

Innovation Solution

The injector and ejector are positioned precisely in relation to each other and the pump body, with parallel and coincident axes, and include indexing means for alignment, ensuring stable gas flow and minimizing pressure losses and clogging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the injector and ejector are mounted within the pump body using conventional methods, then the pump structure is compact, but the coaxiality and distance between injector and ejector vary due to machining and mounting inaccuracies, leading to performance variation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepump structureVSAvoidcoaxiality and distance between injector and ejector
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The ejector is integrated directly into the injector body, forming a unified component where the ejector is mounted directly on top of the injector. This merging eliminates the need for separate mounting operations and receiving recesses, ensuring precise coaxial alignment between the injector axis and ejector axis while maintaining a compact pump structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Device complexity

If the suction chamber is located directly within the pump body, then the pump structure is compact, but the risk of clogging increases and frequent cleaning is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepump structureVSAvoidclogging risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The suction chamber inlet is positioned to extend into the mixture circulation channel within the pump body, creating a localized suction zone that draws mixture through a defined path. This extraction of the suction function into a dedicated channel reduces the risk of clogging by ensuring smooth flow transitions and minimizing areas where powder can accumulate, while maintaining the compact pump structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the drive air is supplied laterally to the injector and must rotate 90° before injection, then the injector can be mounted laterally, but turbulent flow is created and suction efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjector mountingVSAvoidsuction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of supplying drive air laterally and requiring a 90° rotation, the injector is designed with axial air supply where drive air enters the injector along its axis and is injected directly into the suction chamber without lateral rotation. This inversion of the air supply direction eliminates turbulent flow caused by sharp directional changes, maintaining smooth flow and high suction efficiency while simplifying the mounting configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the injector and ejector are mounted with separate receiving recesses in the pump body, then the pump body can accommodate both components, but the mounting accuracy varies and performance consistency is affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent accommodationVSAvoidmounting accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The ejector is mounted directly on top of the injector in an integrated configuration, eliminating the need for separate receiving recesses in the pump body for both components. This merging reduces the number of mounting operations and receiving features required, while ensuring consistent coaxial alignment between the injector and ejector axes, thereby improving mounting accuracy and performance consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This configuration stabilizes the gas flow, reduces turbulence, and minimizes clogging, enhancing the Venturi effect and maintaining consistent suction performance.

Implementation Method 1

The Venturi pump propels the mixture of gas and coating material to the spray gun... The injector is designed to inject drive gas at high speed into a suction chamber of the pump body, where it expands. The expansion of the drive gas generates a vacuum in the suction chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVenturi effect: Venturi Effect

Implementation Method 2

This material is preferably fluidized by the addition of a fluidizing gas through a porous plate located at the bottom of the reservoir

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluidization: Fluidisation

Data Source

PatentEP4703044A1Venturi effect powder pump and coating installation comprising such a powder pump
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 EXEL INDUSTRIES
  • EP4703044A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4703044A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4703044A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a Venturi-effect powder pump (10) comprising a body (102), a drive gas injector (110), and an ejector (112) for a mixture comprising the powdered product, mounted within the body (102). The body defines a conduit (1022) for circulating the mixture, upstream of the ejector (112). The injector (110) and the ejector (112) are straight and extend respectively along an injector axis (A110) and an ejector axis (A112) which coincide in the assembled configuration of the powder pump (10). Indexing means (1124, 1028A) for the position of the ejector (112) within the pump body (102), rotating around the ejector axis (A112), allow an inlet of a suction chamber to be aligned with the mixing circulation conduit (1022) defined by the pump body.