U.S. patent application number 12/667113 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-19 for alternative piston pump for machines dispensing dyes, paints or similar products.
This patent application is currently assigned to CPS COLOR EQUIPMENT SPA CON UNICO SOCIO. Invention is credited to Giuliano Solera.
Application Number | 20100209269 12/667113 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38442041 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100209269 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Solera; Giuliano |
August 19, 2010 |
ALTERNATIVE PISTON PUMP FOR MACHINES DISPENSING DYES, PAINTS OR
SIMILAR PRODUCTS
Abstract
An alternative piston pump, able to take in and dispense a
determinate quantity of a dye, paint or similar product, comprising
a container having a cylindrical cavity inside which a piston is
able to slide axially, and a sleeve extendible axially and rigid
radially, inserted into said cylindrical cavity and having a first
end connected to said piston. The sleeve extendible axially and
rigid radially has a second end connected through a flange to a
closing plate, able to close one end of the cylindrical cavity, and
the piston and the sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially are
made in a single piece.
Inventors: |
Solera; Giuliano;
(Mirandola, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HAMRE, SCHUMANN, MUELLER & LARSON, P.C.
P.O. BOX 2902
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0902
US
|
Assignee: |
CPS COLOR EQUIPMENT SPA CON UNICO
SOCIO
San Felice Sul Panaro (MO)
IT
|
Family ID: |
38442041 |
Appl. No.: |
12/667113 |
Filed: |
June 26, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
June 26, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP08/58192 |
371 Date: |
December 29, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/415 ;
417/437 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 53/143 20130101;
F04B 43/0072 20130101; F04B 43/084 20130101; F05C 2225/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/415 ;
417/437 |
International
Class: |
F04B 17/03 20060101
F04B017/03; F04B 9/02 20060101 F04B009/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 29, 2007 |
IT |
UD2007A000120 |
Claims
1. An alternative piston pump, able to take in and dispense a
determinate quantity of a dye, paint or similar product, comprising
a container having a cylindrical cavity inside which a piston is
able to slide axially, and a sleeve extendible axially and rigid
radially, inserted into said cylindrical cavity and having a first
end connected to said piston, wherein said sleeve extendible
axially and rigid radially has a second end connected through a
flange to a closing plate, able to close one end of said
cylindrical cavity, and in that wherein at least said piston and
said sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially are made in a
single piece.
2. The alternative piston pump as in claim 1, wherein said closing
plate is also made in a single piece with said sleeve extendible
axially and rigid radially and said piston.
3. The alternative piston pump as in claim 1, wherein said
container, said sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially, said
piston and said closing plate are made of plastics of the technical
type.
4. The alternative piston pump as in claim 3 wherein said plastics
of the technical type are techno-polymers.
5. The alternative piston pump as in claim 1, wherein said sleeve
extendible axially and rigid radially is coaxial with said
cylindrical cavity and forms, with the wall of said cylindrical
cavity, an annular chamber.
6. The alternative piston pump as in claim 1, wherein external
linear actuation means is able to compress and expand said sleeve
extendible axially and rigid radially.
7. The alternative piston pump as in claim 1, further comprising a
tube disposed inside said sleeve extendible axially and rigid
radially and fixed to said piston.
8. The alternative piston pump as in claim 6, wherein a tube is
connected to said linear actuation means by means of connection
means.
9. The alternative piston pump as in claim 8, wherein said
communication means comprises a shaft.
10. The alternative piston pump as in claim 9, wherein said shaft
is fixed in an axial cavity of said tube.
11. The alternative piston pump as in claim 6, wherein said
external linear actuation means comprises a motor of the
step-by-step type.
12. The alternative piston pump as in claim 7, wherein said tube is
made in a single piece with a plate provided with at least two
guide hollows, slidingly cooperating with corresponding fixed guide
rods.
13. The alternative piston pump as in claim 1, wherein said
container also comprises first conveyor means able to convey said
quantity of dye inside said cylindrical cavity, when said sleeve
extendible axially and rigid radially is compressed.
14. The alternative piston pump as in claim 13, further comprising
second conveyor means able to convey said quantity of dye outside
said cylindrical cavity, when said sleeve extendible axially and
rigid radially expands.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention concerns an alternative piston pump,
able to be used in machines dispensing fluids such as dyes, paints
or similar products. In particular, the pump is able to take in and
dispense, with every cycle, a defined quantity of said fluids from
a storage container to a delivery unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] An alternative piston pump is known, able to pump fluids
such as dyes, paints or similar products.
[0003] The known pump comprises a cylinder, internally hollow,
inside which a piston is able to slide, provided with sealing
gaskets scraping the walls of the cylinder.
[0004] One disadvantage of the known pump is that the sealing
gaskets with which the piston is provided wear as the pumping
cycles follow each other. The loss of seal between the piston and
the cylinder entails a serious deterioration of the dosing accuracy
and repeatability of the pump, which causes the wrong colors to be
made.
[0005] Solid particles which are normally present in the dyes
penetrate between the worn gaskets of the piston and the internal
wall of the cylinder and cause scores to be made on the internal
surface of the cylinder. Moreover, the worn gaskets of the piston
allow the air to enter into the pump, causing the dyes to dry and
deteriorate. This entails the mechanical blockage of and consequent
damage to the actuation systems of the pump.
[0006] All this entails high maintenance costs for the replacement
of the damaged parts.
[0007] An alternative pump of the bellows type is also known,
suitable to operate on corrosive, caustic, acid or toxic fluids.
This known pump comprises a cylinder, internally hollow, inside
which a piston is able to slide with ample play.
[0008] The cylinder is closed at the ends by two closing plates. A
first of the two closing plates is provided with a hole, into which
the rod of the piston is inserted, which is connected to an
actuation device.
[0009] A metal bellows is disposed inside the cylinder and is fixed
on one side to the piston and on the other side to said first
closing plate.
[0010] One disadvantage of this known pump is that the bellows and
the piston are two separate elements and this entails problems in
the making and the functioning of the pump.
[0011] Another disadvantage of this known pump is that its
constituent parts are made of very expensive materials, such as
stainless steel or special alloys, which must be subjected to
complex and costly working steps.
[0012] A further disadvantage of this known pump is that its
actuation device works on compressed air, or pressurized fluids, so
that it does not have high pumping accuracy and therefore it is not
suitable for use in machines dispensing dyes or similar, where it
is indispensable that the quantities delivered are always in very
precise doses.
[0013] Purpose of the present invention is to achieve an
alternative piston pump which is economical, simple to make, which
does not need frequent maintenance operations, and which also
guarantees high pumping accuracy.
[0014] The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present
invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and
to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention is set forth and characterized in the
independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other
characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive
idea.
[0016] In accordance with the above purpose, an alternative piston
pump able to take in and dispense a determinate quantity of a fluid
product such as a dye, a paint or a similar product, comprises a
container having a cylindrical cavity, inside which a piston is
able to slide axially, and a sleeve, extendible axially and rigid
radially, inserted into the cylindrical cavity and having a first
end connected to the piston.
[0017] According to a first characteristic of the present
invention, the sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially has a
second end connected to a closing plate, able to close one end of
the cylindrical cavity. Moreover, at least the piston and the
sleeve are made in a single piece, using a techno-polymer as
constructive material.
[0018] According to a further characteristic, the closing plate is
also made in a single piece with the sleeve and the piston.
[0019] According to another variant, not only the sleeve extendible
axially and rigid radially and the piston, but also the container
and the closing plate are made using techno-polymers.
[0020] The use of this type of material allows to have a pump that
is economical, due to the limited cost of this material, and also
easy to make. According to a variant, the sleeve extendible axially
and rigid radially is coaxial with the cylindrical cavity and
forms, with the wall of the latter, an annular chamber.
[0021] In this way, during the sliding of the piston, no friction
is created between the sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially
and the internal wall of the cylindrical cavity. Thus the phenomena
of wear of the constituent parts of the pump are cancelled, and
consequently the operations of maintenance, the possibility of
errors and the consequent damage.
[0022] According to a preferential form of the present invention,
an external linear actuation means, for example comprising a motor
of the step-by-step type, is able to compress and expand the sleeve
extendible axially and rigid radially.
[0023] The pump according to the present invention also comprises a
tube able both to be inserted with ample play inside the sleeve
extendible axially and rigid radially, and also to be fixed to the
piston. The tube is connected to the linear actuation means by
means of connection means, advantageously removable.
[0024] According to another variant of the present invention, the
connection means comprises a shaft, able to be inserted and fixed
in an axial cavity of the tube.
[0025] The tube functions as a guide for the sleeve extendible
axially and rigid radially, so that the latter does not bend
laterally during the compression and expansion steps.
[0026] According to another variant, the tube is made in a single
piece with a plate provided with at least two guide hollows, into
which at least two fixed guide rods are able to be inserted, along
which the tube is able to slide.
[0027] Therefore, the use of the linear actuation means and the
tube allows the pump to have great pumping accuracy so as to
deliver very precise doses of dye, for example in the range of some
cm.sup.3 per cycle (for example between about 2.5 cm.sup.3 and
about 30 cm.sup.3).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] These and other characteristics of the present invention
will become apparent from the following description of a
preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example
with reference to the attached drawings wherein:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a pump according to
the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 2 is a lateral view of FIG. 1;
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a section from III to III of FIG. 2;
[0032] FIG. 4 is a detail of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT
[0033] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, an alternative piston pump
10, able to take in and dispense a determinate quantity of a dye, a
paint or a similar product, comprises a container 11, substantially
cylindrical in shape, preferably made of techno-polymer material,
provided with a cylindrical cavity 17.
[0034] The pump 10 is connected to a valve unit 12 and to a linear
actuation unit 13. The latter in this case comprises a motor 14, of
the step-by-step type, and an electronic card 15 to control the
latter. The valve unit 12 and the linear actuation unit 13 are of a
known type and therefore are not described here in detail.
[0035] The container 11 is provided at one end (below in FIG. 3)
with an annular flange 16, with a diameter greater than the
external diameter of the remaining part of the container 11.
[0036] The pump 10 also comprises a closing plate 18, annular in
shape and with a diameter equal to that of the annular flange 16.
The container 11, on the opposite side to the annular flange 16, is
provided with two mouths 19, of which one is able to convey inside
the cylindrical cavity 17 the dye arriving from outside, through an
intake pipe 20, whereas the other is able to convey the dye from
the cylindrical cavity 17 towards the outside, through a delivery
pipe 21. Said pipes 20 and 21 are made inside the container 11 and
their opening and closing is regulated by the valve unit 12.
[0037] The pump 10 also comprises a sleeve extendible axially and
rigid radially 22 (FIG. 3), hollow internally and having the
external part shaped as a coil (FIG. 4). The sleeve 22 is shaped so
that a first end 22a defines, in a single piece therewith, a piston
23, having the shape of a disk. The sleeve 22 and the piston 23 are
disposed coaxially inside the cylindrical cavity 17.
[0038] The sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially 22 is also
provided, at a second end 22b, opposite the first end 22a, with a
flange 24 having a diameter greater than the diameter of the
remaining part of the sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially
22. The flange 24 is interposed and fixed between the annular
flange 16 and the closing plate 18, by means of screws or bolts
25.
[0039] According to an advantageous form of embodiment, the sleeve
22 is in a single piece with the closing plate 18, whereby the
closing plate 18 also performs the function of the flange 24 that
is thus not provided.
[0040] The sleeve 22, the piston 23, the container 11, the closing
plate 18 and the flange 24, if provided, are advantageously all
made using techno-polymers.
[0041] The external lateral surface of the sleeve extendible
axially and rigid radially 22 forms an annular chamber 26 (FIG. 4)
with the wall of the cylindrical cavity 17. The presence of the
annular chamber 26 guarantees that there is no friction between the
inside of the container 11 and the sleeve extendible axially and
rigid radially 22.
[0042] Inside the sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially 22 a
tube 27 is inserted slidingly and with ample play; this functions
as a guide for the sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially 22
and allows the latter not to bend laterally. The tube 27 is also
provided with a cylindrical cavity 28, coaxial, inside which a
shaft 29, fixed to the motor 14, is able to be inserted with
precision. The shaft 29 is provided with a threaded end, screwed
into the cylindrical cavity 28 of the tube 27.
[0043] The piston 23, in turn, is fixed to the tube 27 by means of
a clamping screw 30. In this way the motor 14 is able to command
the axial movement of the tube 27, and hence of the piston 23. The
sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially 22, made in a single
piece with the latter, is able to expand and compress.
[0044] The tube 27 comprises, at an external end, a plate 32
substantially rectangular in shape, on the two shorter sides of
which corresponding semi-circular hollows 33 are made, into each of
which a fixed guide rod 34 is inserted.
[0045] The two rods 34 are fixed at one end in the closing plate 18
and, at the other end, to the linear actuation unit 13.
[0046] The pump 10 as described heretofore functions as
follows.
[0047] In order to effect a cycle to pump the dye, the linear
actuation unit 13 is actuated, so as to move downwards (FIG. 3) the
shaft 29, the tube 27 and the piston 23, connected with each other.
The sleeve extendible axially and rigid radially 22 is consequently
compressed, thus expanding the free volume of the cylindrical
cavity 17, which causes the dye to be taken in, which flows through
the intake pipe 30 into the cylindrical cavity 17. Then, the linear
actuation unit 13 is actuated, so that the shaft 29, the tube 27
and the piston 23 invert their motion and go upwards. The sleeve
extendible axially and rigid radially 22 expands and reduces the
volume of the cylindrical cavity 17. In this way the quantity of
dye previously taken in, compressed by the piston 23, is expelled
through the delivery pipe 21.
[0048] It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may
be made to the alternative piston pump as described heretofore,
without departing from the field and scope of the present
invention.
[0049] It is also clear that, although the present invention has
been described with reference to some specific examples, a person
of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other
equivalent forms of alternative piston pump, having the
characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming
within the field of protection defined thereby.
* * * * *