U.S. patent application number 11/603169 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-24 for volume-metering pump device.
This patent application is currently assigned to SERAC GROUP. Invention is credited to Olivier Peru, Claude Robert.
Application Number | 20070116587 11/603169 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36717081 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070116587 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Peru; Olivier ; et
al. |
May 24, 2007 |
Volume-metering pump device
Abstract
The volume-metering pump device comprises a pump member
associated with a manifold member comprising a body containing a
manifold chamber having ports providing connections with the pump
member, with an admission duct connected to a feed vessel, and with
a discharge duct, and in which a manifold control element is
mounted to move along a longitudinal axis of the manifold chamber,
the ports providing connections with the admission duct and with
the discharge duct being disposed facing each other and being
coaxial about the longitudinal axis of the manifold chamber on
either side of the port providing a connection with the pump
member, and being adjacent to seats facing towards the inside of
the manifold chamber with which valve-member forming portions made
at the ends of the manifold control element co-operate to enable
one or the other of the ports to be closed.
Inventors: |
Peru; Olivier; (Chartres,
FR) ; Robert; Claude; (Chuisnes, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
SERAC GROUP
|
Family ID: |
36717081 |
Appl. No.: |
11/603169 |
Filed: |
November 22, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/518 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 7/0003 20130101;
F04B 7/0076 20130101; F04B 7/0015 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/518 |
International
Class: |
F04B 7/00 20060101
F04B007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 24, 2005 |
FR |
05 11893 |
Claims
1. A volume-metering pump device comprising a pump member
associated with a manifold member comprising a body containing a
manifold chamber having ports providing connections with the pump
member, with an admission duct connected to a feed vessel, and with
a discharge duct, a manifold control element being mounted to move
along a longitudinal axis of the manifold chamber and being
actuated by a control member, the port providing a connection with
the admission duct and the port providing a connection with the
discharge duct being disposed facing each other and coaxially about
the longitudinal axis of the manifold chamber on opposite sides of
the port providing a connection with the pump member and being
adjacent to respective seats, wherein the seats face towards the
inside of the manifold chamber, and the manifold control element
has ends shaped to form valve members adapted to come to bear in
leaktight manner against one or the other of the seats under drive
from the control member of the manifold control element.
2. A pump device according to claim 1, wherein the control member
is a magnetic member adapted to control displacement of the
manifold control element through a wall, without piercing the
wall.
3. A pump device according to claim 1, wherein the pump member has
a cylindrical pump chamber in which there is mounted a piston
without gaskets that is connected to an actuator member for moving
the piston along an axial direction of the pump chamber, and
wherein, at an end remote from the port providing a connection
between the manifold chamber and the pump chamber, the pump chamber
is connected to a feed vessel, the piston being mounted in the pump
chamber with clearance that is small enough to ensure that a fluid
contained in the feed vessel does not flow around the piston.
4. A pump device according to claim 3, wherein, between the pump
chamber and the feed vessel, the pump member includes an auxiliary
chamber of transverse dimension greater than a transverse dimension
of the pump chamber.
5. A pump device according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary
chamber is on the same axis as the pump chamber and opens out into
the feed vessel.
6. A pump device according to claim 5, wherein the actuator member
presents a stroke that is long enough to be able to bring the
piston into a position in which the piston is withdrawn into the
auxiliary chamber sufficiently to allow fluid to flow around the
piston into the pump chamber.
7. A pump device according to claim 6, wherein the admission duct
opens out into the auxiliary chamber.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a volume-metering pump
device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Volume-metering pump devices are known that comprise a pump
member associated with a manifold member comprising a body
containing a manifold chamber having ports providing connections
with the pump member, with an admission duct connected to a feed
vessel, and with a discharge duct, and in which a manifold control
element is mounted to move along a longitudinal direction of the
manifold chamber and is actuated by a control member so as to put
the pump member into communication in alternation with the
admission duct or with the discharge duct.
[0003] In existing-devices, and in particular the device described
in British patent document GB-A-968 452, the manifold control
element is mounted to slide with reciprocating motion in the
manifold chamber and has toroidal rubber valve members mounted on
the manifold member outside the manifold chamber. When the pump
device is in operation, the pump chamber is in communication with
the admission duct or with the discharge duct as a function of the
position of the manifold control element. During the displacements
of the manifold control element, some of the fluid being pumped
accumulates between the toroidal valve members and the manifold
control element. This fluid is difficult to extract during washing
so that in practice it is not possible to perform pumping under
sterile conditions when using existing devices.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An object of the present invention is to propose a
volume-metering pump device that can operate easily under sterile
conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In order to achieve this object, the invention provides a
volume-metering pump device comprising a pump member associated
with a manifold member comprising a body containing a manifold
chamber having ports providing connections with the pump member,
with an admission duct connected to a feed vessel, and with a
discharge duct, a manifold control element being mounted to move
along a longitudinal axis of the manifold chamber and being
actuated by a control member, the port providing a connection with
the admission duct and the port providing a connection with the
discharge duct being disposed facing each other and coaxially about
the longitudinal axis of the manifold chamber on opposite sides of
the port providing a connection with the pump member and being
adjacent to respective seats facing towards the inside of the
manifold chamber, and the manifold control element has ends shaped
to form valve members adapted to come to bear in leaktight manner
against one or the other of the seats under drive from the control
member of the manifold control element.
[0006] Thus, even though it ensures that one or other of the ports
is closed in leaktight manner during operation of the pump device,
the manifold control element can easily be cleaned by moving the
valve member away from its seat and causing the cleaning fluid to
flow around the valve member.
[0007] In an advantageous version of the invention, the pump member
has a cylindrical pump chamber in which there is mounted a piston
without gaskets that is connected to an actuator member for moving
the piston along an axial direction of the pump chamber, and at an
end remote from the port providing a connection between the
manifold chamber and the pump chamber, the pump chamber is
connected to a feed vessel, the piston being mounted in the pump
chamber with clearance that is small enough to ensure that a fluid
contained in the feed vessel does not flow around the piston.
[0008] Thus, while pumping a fluid, a thin film of fluid forms
between the piston and the pump chamber, such that sealing is
provided between the piston and the pump chamber, with this film of
fluid being easily eliminated during cleaning.
[0009] According to other aspects of the invention that are
advantageous, the pump member includes an auxiliary chamber lying
on the same axis as the pump chamber and opening out into the feed
vessel, and the stroke of the piston actuator member is preferably
sufficiently long to enable the piston to be brought fully into the
auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber having a diameter that is
large enough to allow fluid to flow around the piston. The
auxiliary chamber then performs three functions, i.e. for a
position of the piston inside the pump chamber, it serves to seal
the piston, and when the piston is brought into the auxiliary
chamber during washing, the piston is thoroughly subjected to the
effects of the cleaning fluid so that the auxiliary chamber acts as
a piston-washing chamber. In addition, with the piston in this
position, the pump chamber is disengaged and it is therefore itself
cleaned thoroughly by the washing fluid. Finally, during initial
filling of the installation with the fluid product for packaging,
the piston is brought into the auxiliary chamber so that the fluid
product flows around the piston in order to fill the pump chamber
and the manifold chamber, and bubbles of air can rise into the feed
vessel so that the auxiliary chamber also acts as a gravity feed
chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear
on reading the following description of a preferred and
non-limiting embodiment of the invention described with reference
to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an axial section view on a vertical plane through
a device of the invention and the feed vessel associated therewith,
for an admission position of the manifold control element; and
[0012] FIG. 2 is a section view analogous to that of FIG. 1, for a
washing position of the pump device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] With reference to FIG. 1, the pump device comprises a pump
member 1 connected to a feed vessel 2 and associated with a
manifold member 3. The pump member comprises a pump body 4 having a
pump chamber 5 in which a piston 6 without gaskets or piston rings
is mounted to slide with very little clearance, for example
clearance of a few tenths of a millimeter. The piston 6 is actuated
by a rod 7 connected to an actuator member 8.
[0014] Between the pump chamber 5 and the feed vessel 2, the pump
member 1 has an auxiliary chamber 9 on the same axis as the pump
chamber 5, and of transverse dimension D considerably greater than
a transverse dimension d of the pump chamber 5, and opening out
into the feed vessel 2.
[0015] The manifold member 3 comprises a body 10 containing an
elongate cylindrical manifold chamber 11 having a longitudinal axis
36. The manifold chamber 11 includes a port 12 leading to the pump
member 1. The port 12 opens out into the side of the manifold
chamber 11. At each of its ends, the manifold chamber 11 has
respective ports 13 and 14 coaxial about the longitudinal axis 36
and facing each other on either side of the port 12. Adjacent to
the ports 13 and 14, the manifold chamber includes zones configured
to provide respective seats 33 and 34 that are coaxial about the
longitudinal axis 36 and that face towards the inside of the
manifold chamber. The seats 33 and 34 are disposed so that each of
them receives a respective end 15 or 16 shaped to form a valve
member and belonging to a cylindrical manifold control element 17
mounted to slide in a longitudinal direction in the manifold
chamber. The valve members 15 and 16 are thus located between the
seats 33, 34.
[0016] The manifold control element has a control rod 18 extending
in a bore 27 and connected to a control member 19. The control
member 19 comprises an actuator member 35 and a member 20 for
coupling through a wall without piercing it. For example, the
coupling member comprises in conventional manner a magnet 21
carried by a rod 22 associated with the actuator member 35 and
mounted to move in a glove finger 23 of non-magnetic material,
together with a magnetic ring 24 surrounding the glove finger 23
and connected to the control rod 18 by a U-shaped bracket 25. The
manifold control element 17 is held coaxially in the manifold
chamber 11 by guide fins 26 that slide in the bore 27 on the same
axis as the manifold chamber 11, and guide fins 28 sliding in a
bore 29 that likewise lies on the same axis as the manifold chamber
11. The port 14 is connected to an admission duct 30 via the bore
27 and an admission chamber 31 surrounding the coupling member 20.
At its top end, the admission duct 30 opens out into the bottom end
of the auxiliary chamber 9.
[0017] The port 13 is connected to a discharge duct 32 by the bore
29. The discharge duct 32 is connected to a metering spout that is
not shown.
[0018] The actuator member 8 presents a stroke that is sufficient
not only to drive the piston 6 back and forth in the pump chamber
5, but also to pull the piston 6 out of the pump chamber 5 into the
auxiliary chamber 9, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0019] The valve member 15 of the manifold control element 17 is
shaped to close the port 13 in leaktight manner when the valve
member 15 is pressed against the seat 33 adjacent to the port 13.
Similarly, the valve member 16 is shaped to close the port 14 in
leaktight manner when the valve member 16 is pressed against the
seat 34 adjacent to said port. The distance between the valve
members 15 and 16 is shorter than the distance between the seats 33
and 34 so that when one of the ports is closed, the other is wide
open. Furthermore, the transverse size of the manifold control
element 17 is considerably smaller than the transverse size of the
manifold chamber 11 so that the product for dispensing flows easily
around the manifold control element 17 when either one of the ports
13 or 14 is open.
[0020] When the installation including the pump device of the
invention is initially started up, the valve member 16 is caused to
press against its seat 34 so that the port 13 is wide open. The
piston 6 is raised into the auxiliary chamber 9 as shown in FIG. 2.
In this position, the product for packaging flows under gravity
into the auxiliary chamber 9 and flows around the piston 6, thereby
firstly filling the admission duct 30 and secondly filling the pump
chamber 5 and filling the manifold chamber 11 and the discharge
duct 32. The auxiliary chamber 9 thus acts as a gravity feed
chamber.
[0021] The piston 6 is then lowered to the end of its stroke in the
pump chamber 5 and is then driven with reciprocating motion over a
stroke that keeps the piston 6 in the pump chamber 5. On each
upward stroke of the piston, the valve member 15 is brought to bear
against the seat 33 adjacent to the connection opening 13 so as to
close it. The connection opening 14 is then wide open and the
product for packaging is sucked into the pump chamber 5, passing
via the auxiliary chamber 9 and the admission duct 30, the
admission chamber 31, and the manifold chamber 11. On each downward
stroke of the piston 6, the manifold control element 17 is moved to
close the port 14 and to open the port 13 so that a volume of
product corresponding to the stroke of the piston 6 is propelled by
the piston 6 into the discharge duct 32. The auxiliary chamber 9
then acts as a sealing chamber relative to the piston.
[0022] When the feed vessel 2 is empty, a washing liquid is
introduced into the feed vessel 2 and the pump device is put into
the position shown in FIG. 2, i.e. the piston 6 is raised so as to
extend within the sealing chamber 9, and the manifold control
element 17 is put into an intermediate position in which both ports
13 and 14 are open. The washing liquid flows in the discharge duct
32, passing simultaneously through the admission duct 30 and the
pump chamber 5. The auxiliary chamber 9 then performs a washing
function. In addition, this system enables all of the air to be
purged while washing the spout, by allowing the air to rise into
the vessel.
[0023] Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiment
described above and variants thereof will appear to the person
skilled in the art without going beyond the ambit of the invention
as defined by the claims.
[0024] In particular, although the device described combines a
manifold member without any gasket and a pump member without any
gasket, the manifold member without gaskets could be used together
with a pump member of traditional structure, the admission duct
then being connected directly to the feed vessel.
[0025] Although in the embodiment shown an auxiliary chamber is
interposed between the pump chamber and the feed vessel, the
invention can be implemented with a pump chamber that opens out
directly into the feed vessel, which then acts as an auxiliary
chamber both for gravity feed purposes and for pumping and
washing.
[0026] Conversely, the auxiliary chamber could be separate from the
feed vessel and be connected thereto by a duct.
* * * * *