U.S. patent application number 14/187526 was filed with the patent office on 2014-08-28 for piston-driven positive displacement pump.
This patent application is currently assigned to ANNOVI REVERBERI S.P.A.. The applicant listed for this patent is ANNOVI REVERBERI S.P.A.. Invention is credited to Maurizio MAGRI.
Application Number | 20140241908 14/187526 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48145595 |
Filed Date | 2014-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140241908 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MAGRI; Maurizio |
August 28, 2014 |
PISTON-DRIVEN POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP
Abstract
In an embodiment of the present invention a pump (100) is
disclosed which comprises a head (110), in which at least a
cylinder is fashioned in which a piston (105) is slidably housed,
and a casing (145) fixed to the head (110), which defines an
internal volume in which a crankshaft (150) and at least a conrod
(155) are housed, which at least a conrod (155) connects the
crankshaft (150) with the piston (105), such as to be able to
transform a rotary motion of the crankshaft (150) into an
alternating motion of the piston (105), signaling means (210) of
the temperature of lubricating oil contained in the internal volume
of the casing (145) being applied to the casing (145).
Inventors: |
MAGRI; Maurizio; (Modena,
IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ANNOVI REVERBERI S.P.A. |
Modena (MO) |
|
IT |
|
|
Assignee: |
ANNOVI REVERBERI S.P.A.
Modena (MO)
IT
|
Family ID: |
48145595 |
Appl. No.: |
14/187526 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/63 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 39/0207 20130101;
F04B 51/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/63 |
International
Class: |
F04B 51/00 20060101
F04B051/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 28, 2013 |
IT |
RE2013A000011 |
Claims
1. A pump (100) comprising a head (110), in which at least a
cylinder is fashioned in which a piston (105) is slidably housed,
and a casing (145) fixed to the head (110), which defines an
internal volume in which a crankshaft (150) and at least a conrod
(155) are housed, said at least a conrod (155) connects the
crankshaft (150) with the piston (105), such as to be able to
transform a rotary motion of the crankshaft (150) into an
alternating motion of the piston (105), wherein signaling means
(210) of the temperature of lubricating oil contained in the
internal volume of the casing (145) are applied to the casing
(145).
2. The pump (100) of claim 1, wherein the signaling means (210)
further include measuring means of the temperature.
3. The pump (100) of claim 2, wherein the measuring and signaling
means (210) comprise a thermochromic substance.
4. The pump (100) of claim 3, wherein measuring and signaling means
(210) are a liquid crystal thermometer.
5. The pump (100) of claim 4, wherein the liquid crystal
thermometer is applied to the casing (145) by means of an
adhesive.
6. The pump (100) of claim 1, further comprising signaling means
(205) of the level of the lubricating oil contained in the internal
volume of the casing (145).
7. The pump (100) of claim 6, wherein the level signaling means
(205) comprise a transparent body (245) which enable a direct
viewing of the level of the oil contained in the internal volume of
the casing (145).
8. The pump (100) of claim 7, wherein the transparent body (245)
faces an opaque contrast body (255), with which it defines a gap
(260) which is in hydraulic communication with the internal volume
of the casing (145).
9. The pump (100) of claim 6, wherein the signaling means (210) of
the temperature of the lubricant oil and/or the level signaling
means (205) are applied to a removable cover (170) of the casing
(145).
10. The pump (100) of claim 9, wherein the cover (170) is aligned
with the rotation axis of the crankshaft (150).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a piston-driven positive
displacement pump, having a single piston or a plurality
thereof.
[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to
high-pressure pumps such as those which are commonly used in the
industrial cleaning sector or other sectors of industry and
agriculture.
BACKGROUND
[0003] As is known, a high-pressure pump generally comprises a
plurality of pistons, each of which is slidably housed internally
of a respective cylinder such as to define therewith a
variable-volume pumping chamber, which communicates with an
aspirating conduit and a delivery conduit via respective
valves.
[0004] The cylinders and aspirating and delivery conduits are
normally realized in a single monolithic body made of a metal
material, for example brass, which is commonly known as the
head.
[0005] The head is fixed to a casing in which a crank shaft and a
plurality of conrods are housed, each of which is destined to
connect the crank shaft with a respective piston, such as to
transform the rotary motion of the former into an alternating
motion of the latter.
[0006] To prevent malfunctioning, conserving the integrity of the
mechanical components and reduce the energetic consumption
associated to the functioning of the high-pressure pumps, it is
essential that the above-delineated mechanism is constantly
lubricated.
[0007] The lubrication is generally obtained with an agitated
oil-bath system, i.e. by predisposing, in the internal volume of
the casing, a predetermined quantity of lubricating oil which
strikes the support bearings of the crank shaft and which is
agitated by the movement of the crank shaft and the conrods, in
such a way as also to reach the connecting joints between the crank
shaft and the conrods and the connecting joints between the conrods
and the pistons.
[0008] A drawback of this solution derives however from the fact
that the effectiveness of the lubrication depends on some
chemical-physical characteristics of the lubricating oil, such as
the viscosity, which can strongly depend on the temperature which
the lubricating oil reaches during the functioning of the
high-pressure pump.
[0009] For this reason, if the temperature of the lubricating oil
is too high or too low with respect to an optimal design value, it
can happen that the lubrication of a high-pressure pump is
defective, causing an increase in wear and energy consumption.
[0010] A further drawback consists in the fact that if the
temperature of the lubricating oil reaches extremely high values,
safety problems can arise, or in any case a permanent deterioration
of the chemical-physical characteristics of the lubricating oil can
ensue.
[0011] At present the temperature of the lubricating oil is not
controlled by the users during functioning of the pump, so that the
risk of reaching critical conditions or in any case causing
malfunctioning is effectively rather high.
SUMMARY
[0012] An aim of the present invention is to obviate the mentioned
drawbacks, by providing a solution that enables users to intervene
in good time in a case in which the temperature of the lubricating
oil exhibits anomalous values.
[0013] A further aim of the present invention is to attain the
above-mentioned objective with a solution that is simple, rational
and relatively inexpensive.
[0014] These and other aims are attained by the characteristics of
the invention as recited in independent claim 1. The dependent
claims delineate preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects
of the invention.
[0015] In particular, in an embodiment of the present invention a
pump is provided comprising a head, in which at least a cylinder is
afforded in which a piston is slidably housed, and a casing fixed
to the head, which defines an internal volume in which are housed a
crankshaft and at least a conrod able to connect the crankshaft
with the piston, such as to be able to transform a rotary motion of
the crankshaft into an alternating motion of the piston, signaling
means of the temperature of the lubricating oil contained in the
internal volume of the casing being applied to the casing.
[0016] Thanks to this solution, the signaling means enable the
users to keep the temperature of the lubricating oil under control
during the functioning of the high-pressure pump, placing the users
in a condition to intervene in good time should anomalous values be
encountered.
[0017] By "signaling means" is generally intended any device able
to signal, i.e. transmit to the users, a direct or indirect
measurement of the temperature of the lubricating oil.
[0018] In a general sense, the signaling means could therefore be
connected to a separate sensor able to perform the measurement of
the temperature of the lubricating oil.
[0019] However, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention
the signaling means include, as a thermometer, also the measuring
means of the temperature.
[0020] By applying a thermometer to the casing an indirect
measurement of the temperature of the lubricating oil is obtained,
with a technically very simple and easily-applicable solution.
[0021] In a preferred aspect of the invention this thermometer can
contain a thermochromic substance, which is able to change color on
the basis of the temperature to which it is heated.
[0022] The thermometer can be for example a liquid crystal
thermometer (LCT) which can be applied to the casing with an
adhesive.
[0023] In a further aspect of the present invention, the pump can
also comprise signaling means of the level of the lubricating oil
contained in the internal volume of the casing.
[0024] This aspect of the invention is advantageous as the
effectiveness of the lubrication system also depends on the fact
that the level of the lubricating oil is comprised between a
minimum design value and a maximum design value.
[0025] At present the level of the lubricating oil is controlled
during periodical maintenance interventions of the high-pressure
pump, for example by means of a graduated rod which is inserted
into the casing through the filler mouth of the lubricating
oil.
[0026] This control procedure is however rather awkward and
laborious, and the users tend to leave too much time between checks
of the level of the lubricating oil, with the consequence that the
high-pressure pump can sometimes be functioning in non-optimal
lubricating conditions, increasing wear and energy consumption.
[0027] Thanks to the above-mentioned signaling means applied to the
casing, the users can keep the lubricating oil level under control
in a very much simpler and more immediate way.
[0028] In this case too, by "signaling means" in generally meant
any device able to signal, i.e. transmit to the users a direct or
indirect measurement of the level of the lubricating oil internally
of the pump casing.
[0029] An embodiment of the present invention includes for example
the signaling means of the level simply comprising a transparent
body which can enable a direct vision of the level of the oil
contained in the internal volume of the casing.
[0030] In this way the users are able to control the level of the
lubricating oil visually and rapidly, with a solution that is
extremely simple and economical.
[0031] A further advantage of this solution consists in the fact
that the users can directly view and therefore control also the
color and/or opacity of the lubricating oil, for example in order
to see whether the oil is excessively dirty or worn or whether it
has been contaminated with infiltrations of water during the
functioning of the pump.
[0032] In an aspect of this embodiment, the transparent body can be
faced to the opaque contrast body (i.e. a non-transparent body),
with which it defines a gap that is in hydraulic communication with
the internal volume of the casing.
[0033] This solution has the advantage of improving the vision of
the level and qualitative characteristics of the lubricating oil,
as the contrast body can reflect a part of the external light,
enabling a better illumination of the slim layer of lubricating oil
which is in the gap between the contrast body and the transparent
body.
[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
signaling means of the temperature and/or the signaling means of
the level can both be applied to a removable cover of the
casing.
[0035] Thanks to this solution, the cover can be realized and
assembled separately with respect to the casing, simply and
economically, and be fixed to the casing later, during the step of
assembling the high-pressure pump.
[0036] In an aspect of this embodiment, the cover can be aligned
with the rotation axis of the crankshaft, for example it can be the
cover which supports one of the support bearings for the
crankshaft.
[0037] Thanks to this solution, the signaling means are in an
optimum position for enabling the users to control the level and
the temperature of the lubricating oil.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0038] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will
emerge from a reading of the following description, provided by way
of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures illustrated in
the accompanying tables of drawings.
[0039] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a high-pressure piston pump
in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0040] FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the pump of FIG. 1.
[0041] FIG. 3 is section III-III of FIG. 2.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a larger-scale detail of FIG. 1.
[0043] FIG. 5 is a larger-scale detail of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the high-pressure pump 100 can
comprise a plurality of pistons 105 arranged in line and with
parallel axes, each of which is slidably inserted internally of a
respective cylinder (not visible) with which they define a pumping
chamber.
[0045] The high-pressure pump cylinders 100 are realized internally
of a head 110, which can be manufactured as a monolithic body made
of a metal material, typically brass.
[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 2, also realized in the head 100 are
an aspirating manifold 115 for the fluid to be pumped (for example
water) and a delivery manifold 120 for the pressurized fluid, which
are in communication with each of the pumping chambers respective
through an aspirating valve and a delivery valve (not visible). The
aspirating and delivery valves are singly housed internally of
respective seating 125 and 130 (FIG. 1), which are fashioned in the
head 110 and are sealedly closed by appropriate threaded caps 135
and 140.
[0047] The head 110 is fixed to a metal casing 145, for example
steel or cast iron, internally of which a crankshaft 150 is
rotatably housed, having a rotation axis perpendicular to the
piston axes 105 (FIG. 3). This crankshaft 150 is profiled in such a
way as to define a number of lengths of crankshaft that is equal to
the number of pistons 105, and each of these lengths of crankshaft
is connected to a respective piston 105 by means of a conrod 155
which is also contained internally of the casing 145. In this way,
the rotation of the crankshaft 150 is transformed by each conrod
155 into an alternating motion of the respective piston 105, thus
causing pumping of the fluid from the aspirating manifold 115 to
the delivery manifold 120.
[0048] The crankshaft 150 is supported internally of the casing 145
by a pair of bearings 160 and 165, each of which is axially housed
and blocked in a seating afforded in a respective metal cover 170
and 175. The covers 170 and 175 are fixed on opposite flanks of the
casing 145, substantially aligned to one another and to the
crankshaft 150. In particular, each cover 170 and 175 is fixed to
the casing 145 by means of demountable fixing means, in the example
by a series of screws 180, such as to be removable and separated
from the casing 145 in case of need. The end of the crankshaft 150
located at the cover 170 terminates and is contained internally of
the casing 145, while the opposite end projects externally of the
cover 175, such as to define a connecting spur by means of which
the crankshaft 150 can be connected with an activating motor,
possibly through a suitable transmission and reduction system.
[0049] The internal volume of the casing 145 further contains a
predetermined quantity of lubricating oil (not visible) which is
destined to lubricate, by shaking circulation, the entire mechanism
of the high-pressure pump 100 and in particular the bearings 160
and 165, the joints between the crankshaft 150 and the conrods 155,
and the joints between the conrods 155 and the respective pistons
105. This lubricating oil can be poured internally of the casing
145 by means of an inlet mouth 185 (see FIG. 1) and can possibly be
discharged via an outlet mouth 190 (FIG. 2), both of which are
normally closed by a respective removable closing cap.
[0050] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cover 170 exhibits a
projecting portion 195 having a generally cylindrical shape, which
is aligned and substantially coaxial with the crankshaft 150. This
projecting portion 195 terminates with an end wall 200 that is
substantially flat, to which are associated both a device 205 for
signaling the level of the lubricating oil internal of the casing
145 and a thermometer 210 able to measure and signal the
temperature of the lubricating oil.
[0051] The thermometer 210 can be one containing a thermochromic
substance, which changes color on the basis of the temperatures to
which it is heated. For example, the thermometer 210 illustrated in
the figures is a liquid crystal adhesive thermometer, which is
fixed on the bottom of a lowering 215 having a substantially
semicircular shape which occupies about a half of the external
surface of the end wall 200. In this way, the thermometer 210
measures the temperature of the cover 170, which however represents
an indirect measurement of the temperature of the lubricating
oil.
[0052] A liquid crystal thermometer can generally comprise two
layers of flexible and impermeable material, of which a lower layer
applicable on the surfaces the temperatures of which are to be
measured, and an upper layer that is at least partially
transparent. These two layers are reciprocally superposed and fixed
such that between them a plurality of separate and sealed
compartments is defined, each of which contains a mixture of liquid
crystals. This mixture of liquid crystals has the property of
having a substantially black coloring, apart from when the
temperature is comprised within a predetermined interval of values,
in which case the liquid crystals are arranged such as to
reflect/refract the light and illuminate the relative compartment.
By using mixtures of liquid crystals that are different for each
compartment is it therefore possible to make it so that they
illuminate alternatively, each for a different temperature
interval, enabling the thermometer to signal the temperature at
present reached.
[0053] In the illustrated embodiment, the thermometer 210 comprises
for example a lower compartment 220 which is configured such as to
illuminate, with a blue color, up to a temperature of about
45.degree. C., an intermediate compartment 225 able to illuminate
with a green color for a temperature comprised between about
45.degree. C. and 85.degree. C., and an upper compartment 230 able
to illuminate with a red color for a temperature of above
85.degree. C. In this way, the illumination of the lower
compartment 20 can signify that the lubricating oil is too cold to
guarantee an optimal lubrication; the illumination of the
intermediate compartment 225 can signify that the lubricating oil
has reached an optimum value; while the illumination of the upper
compartment 230 can signify that the lubricating oil is too hot and
a dangerous condition has been reached.
[0054] Returning to the cover 170, the device 205 for signaling the
level of the lubricating the oil comprises a substantially
semi-circular opening 235, which occupies about the remaining half
of the external surface of the end wall 200. This opening 235 opens
internally of a rear-lying cylindrical cavity 240 of the cover 170,
which is arranged coaxially with the crankshaft 150 and is in
communication with the internal volume 145 of the casing 145 (see
FIG. 5). A disc 245 made of a transparent material, for example
plastic or glass, is snugly housed internally of the cylindrical
cavity 240, and defines therewith a window through which the inside
of the casing 145 can be viewed. To prevent undesired leakage of
lubricating oil from the opening 235, a suitable annular seal 250
is interposed between the transparent disc 245 and the cylindrical
cavity 240. An opaque (i.e. not transparent) contrast disc 255 is
also housed internally of the cylindrical cavity 240, which disc
255 is interposed between the bearing 160 and the transparent disc
245 in such a way as to define therewith a narrow gap 260. The
contrast disc 255 exhibits through-holes 265, by means of which the
gap 260 is in hydraulic communication with the internal volume of
the casing 145.
[0055] In this way, the lubricating oil is arranged internally of
the gap 260 at the same level as internally of the casing 145,
enabling a user to see the level directly through the portion of
the transparent disc 245 that closes the opening 235. The viewing
of the level of the lubricating oil is facilitated by the contrast
disc 255 which, reflecting at least in part the external light, is
able to illuminate the slim layer of oil which occupies the gap
260. At the opening 235 a graduated scale (or the equivalent) might
be present such as to indicate the predetermined levels for
comparison with the actual level of the lubricating oil.
[0056] Thanks to this viewing system, a user is also advantageously
able to see and therefore directly control also the color and/or
opacity of the lubricating oil, for example in order to evaluate
whether it is excessively dirty or exhausted or whether it has been
contaminated with water infiltrations during the functioning of the
pump.
[0057] Obviously a technical expert in the sector might make
numerous modifications of a technical nature to the high-pressure
pump described in the foregoing without forsaking the scope of the
invention as claimed in the following.
* * * * *