Bidirectional Elastic Member for Vibration Pump Piston Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vibration pumps face issues with excessive elastic force requirements due to the need for oversized coil springs to counteract smaller elastic forces, leading to inefficient operation and potential malfunctions.

Innovation Solution

A vibration pump design featuring a bidirectionally acting elastic member connected to the piston, which controls elastic force effectively and prevents resonance and separation, ensuring reliable operation by managing elastic force bidirectionally during piston displacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a first coil spring exerts a greater elastic force to withdraw the piston against the generator device, then the piston can return to its initial position, but excessive elastic force is required leading to oversized spring design

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiston return functionVSAvoidelastic force
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic assembly is segmented into two separate elastic members (first and second elastic members) that act on opposite sides of the piston. Each member provides elastic force in one direction, eliminating the need for one member to overcome the other. This segmentation allows both members to be smaller and more efficient, as each only needs to provide force for its specific directional function rather than overcoming an opposing elastic force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a single elastic member that must overcome another elastic member's force, the invention inverts the approach by placing elastic members on both sides of the piston, each contributing constructively to the piston's bidirectional movement. The first elastic member pushes the piston in one direction while the second elastic member pushes in the opposite direction, both forces working together rather than against each other.

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

2Ease of operation

If two coil springs are used with different elastic forces, then the piston can be moved bidirectionally, but the system requires excessive elastic force and oversized components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiston bidirectional movementVSAvoidelastic assembly design
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic assembly is divided into two separate elastic members positioned on opposite sides of the piston. Each member is responsible for providing elastic force in one specific direction, which simplifies the design of each individual member and allows for more efficient space utilization within the pump housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each elastic member is designed with specific local properties optimized for its directional function. The first elastic member is configured to provide appropriate force characteristics for pushing the piston in one direction, while the second elastic member is configured for the opposite direction, allowing each component to be optimized independently for its specific role.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If an oversized first coil spring is used to overcome the second coil spring's force, then the piston return function is ensured, but the use of excessive elastic force leads to inefficient operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiston return reliabilityVSAvoidelastic force efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the elastic function into two separate members acting in opposite directions, each member operates more efficiently at lower force levels. The first elastic member only needs to provide force for piston withdrawal while the second member provides force for piston return, eliminating the energy waste associated with one oversized member overcoming another member's force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the potentially harmful effect of excessive elastic force into a benefit by distributing the elastic force requirements across two smaller members. What would have been waste energy in a single-oversized-spring system becomes useful, optimized elastic force in each direction with the two-member configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 enables reliable and efficient operation of the vibration pump by effectively controlling elastic forces, reducing the risk of malfunctions and noise, and optimizing the use of elastic components.

Implementation Method 1

a generator device configured for generating a magnetic field capable of commanding the displacement of the piston within the work chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetic field: Magnetic Field

Implementation Method 2

an elastic member connected to the piston and configured for acting bidirectionally upon the piston during the displacement of the piston in the work chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3759349B1Vibration pump with improved actuation
Publication Date: 2022.11.02 ELBI INT
  • EP3759349B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3759349B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3759349B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The pump comprises a hollow body (6) having an inlet ( 8 ) and an outlet (10), between which a fluid can flow. The hollow body (6) further comprises a work chamber (7) located between the inlet ( 8 ) and the outlet ( 9 ). There is a piston (2) at least partly made of ferromagnetic material and configured for sliding in the hollow body (6) within the work chamber (7), so as to push the fluid from the inlet ( 8 ) to the outlet (10). A generator device (4) is configured for generating a magnetic field capable of commanding the displacement of the piston (2) within the work chamber (7). There is an elastic member (11) co-operating with the piston (2). The elastic member (11) is connected to the piston (2) and is configured for acting bidirectionally upon the piston (2) during the displacement thereof in the work chamber (7).