EP1416081A1 - Pump element - Google Patents

Abstract

The pump unit (1) has a pump element (2) for altering the volume of a pump chamber, with a sealing element (6) acting between the pump element and the wall of the pump chamber, an operating element (3) for movement of the pump element and a plastics resetting element (5) for returning the pump element to its original position. The resetting element is formed integral with the pump element, the operating element, the sealing element and/or a stop plate (8) attaching it to the pump chamber, the latter provided with suction and spray openings controlled via valves. An Independent claim for a manufacturing method for a pump unit is also included.

Description

The invention relates to a pump assembly, as typically in a Pump chamber of a steam iron can be installed, which is a housing with a Owns water storage. The pump assembly consists of a pump element, e.g. a piston, for changing the pump chamber volume, from one Sealing element for sealing the pump element from the pump chamber, from an actuating element for moving the pump element, from a Reset element to regain the starting position after actuation of the Actuator and a stop plate that the one-sided with the return element Pump chamber connects. The pump chamber has suction and ejection openings, which can be closed with valves.

The invention further relates to a method for producing a pump assembly.

State of the art

Pump assemblies for use in pump chambers are known from spray cans, Perfume bottles, medical pump, atomizer and dosing systems and also from Steam iron.

Modern steam irons are equipped with a water reservoir. For this can using a pump inside the iron either the water to a nozzle out of which it is sprayed onto the laundry to be ironed or it becomes one Evaporator fed so that a burst of steam e.g. from the bottom of the iron exit. Many irons offer both options. Therefore, these usually point two pumps, or have a pump switch. Usually water production triggered by the actuation of a substantially cylindrical push button protrudes from the casing of the iron and pressed down with the thumb becomes.

A pump assembly is actuated, which consists of a large number of individual parts composed. An example of such a structure is in the publication GB 2103663 A can be seen. The assembly is compared to an assembly as it is made from GB 2103663 A is known, simplified when the actuating part as a deformable Membrane is formed, as described in DE 198 29 675 A1.

Pump assemblies of the known type are not only used in irons, however also for removing and atomizing liquids from other containers, e.g. Perfume bottles or hair spray cans used. An example of one Use is shown in DE 696 12 587 T2.

Pump assemblies are also used in medical pump, nebulizer and Dosing systems used.

Disadvantages of the prior art

A large number of functional elements are produced in the conventional pump assemblies various materials assembled. Individual components, especially springs, are considered Bulk goods are delivered and must be separated and presented before assembly. It are therefore a variety of manufacturing and according to the number of components Assembly steps necessary, which leads to increased costs. The use of Metallic springs cause problems with the automatic assembly, because around To create a preload must be worked extremely precisely. The Functionality of the assembled module is only guaranteed if the fit of the interacting parts is high, the more difficult the more parts are to be put together.

The document DE 198 29 675 A1 shows a simplified version of a Pump assembly by making the pump and actuator into one Membrane merges, but the design options shown limit the construction of the iron. So the fluid delivery device shown for example not in a conventional manner with a cylindrical control button equipped iron can be used. The freedom of design when designing the Steam iron is too tight.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to form a pump assembly that is easy to use assemble and cheap to manufacture and also freedom in Construction of the controls leaves open. The task continues to be a To find a method for producing such a pump group.

Solution of the task

The problem is solved by a pump assembly, with a reset element, the is made of a stretchable or compressible plastic and at least one of the following elements is inseparably connected, namely pump element, actuating element, Sealing element and or stop plate and a method for producing a such a pump assembly, the manufacture of the entire pump assembly in an injection mold.

Advantages of the invention

Compared to conventional pump assemblies is in the invention Pump assembly does not have the reset element in the form of a metallic spring, but is made of plastic. This allows the manufacturing process direct connection with one or more other components of the Pump assembly, which can also be made of plastic. During installation these elements form a component, which reduces assembly effort and thus reduces the costs in this production step.

Dispensing with metallic components when constructing one with water or in particular steam coming into contact has an advantageous effect on the Durability off, since there is no susceptibility to corrosion. The elasticity of the Resetting element can be selected in analogy to metallic springs through material selection and choose material thickness as desired. You get a particularly large work area if the elasticity of the plastic is used, which is up to 40 times higher than the compressibility of the same material. In order to take advantage of the stretch, this has to be done Reset element pulled out when operating the actuating element become, i.e. be stretched. The restoring force acts by moving the restoring element contracts after active use of the control element.

In contrast, as with a known metallic spring, the Reset element can also be deflected from its normal position by compression. The restoring force is then the expansion to normal size. In the Compression must be taken into account that the material cross section is usually increased. The corresponding space must be given to the component. In the It is not necessary to take advantage of the extensibility, since the material becomes thinner when stretched and thus the diameter of the restoring element remains the same or becomes smaller.

In addition to the material properties of the plastic, a geometric one can also be used Spring action can be exploited if the material is, for example, in a spiral Is brought into shape.

When the spring action is achieved by stretching, the restoring element is located on the side of the stop plate facing the pump element in the event of a compression the side pointing away from the pump element.

All of them are in an advantageous development of the pump assembly according to the invention Elements made of materials that can be chemically and therefore permanently attached. The interconnected elements can then in one manufacturing step are manufactured. For example, the pump element is inserted directly into the reset element integrated and manufactured together with the sealing element in an injection molding process.

The permanent connection is particularly advantageous if the connected ones Components have different degrees of hardness. While the reset element stretchable and therefore relatively soft, the actuating element and the stop plate must be made of hard material to be made to perform their function. The actuator that for example in the form of a plunger, the actuating force can only transmitted if it has a sufficiently high rigidity. The stop plate, which at Use rests on the edge of the pump chamber, can only serve as a stop, if it does not give way under load.

An insoluble chemical connection guarantees a material connection on the entire interface. It is therefore in contrast to mechanical ones Connections such as screw, rivet and clamp connections. On the mechanical Connection points create increased material loads, which in the long run lead to Material fatigue and premature wear of the softening Lead material component.

Mechanical connections also require mechanical connecting elements, the Installation complicates the assembly and makes the resulting product more expensive.

A candidate material for the components that have a greater degree of hardness should have, like the actuator and the stop plate, is polypropylene. Thermoplastic elastomers with a are suitable for the soft components Shore hardness between 25 and 40 Shore A.

For the components that should have a higher hardness, POM or ABS can also be used be used. These also form a non-removable with elastomers Surface bond, the tensile strength of a compound made of polypropylene and an elastomer is higher than the tear strength between POM or ABS and one Elastomer.

Another advantage of a pump assembly, its actuator and Stop plate made of polypropylene and its other components made of a thermoplastic Are made of elastomer, is that the entire pump assembly easily is recycling. Assemblies manufactured in this way can be ground and heated for recycling become. The polypropylene and the thermoplastic elastomer mix. The resulting material is a softer material than polypropylene, but can again are processed.

Known pump assemblies consist of up to four different materials, such as Silicon, POM, polyamide and metal. These have to be separated laboriously to make them to be able to reuse. Plastic mixtures can usually be used after use just be burned.

The restoring element is preferably unsolvable with up to all of the elements mentioned connected. The entire pump assembly then becomes a single component that the pump chamber can be used. This considerably shortens the assembly time.

It is also advantageous if components of the pump assembly, e.g. the Actuator and the pump element, regardless of the return element in one piece are trained.

In an advantageous development of the invention there are at least two Pump assemblies arranged side by side on the same stop plate. Especially when there is a more complex requirement on the pump mechanism, e.g. B. in an iron in which water is sprayed cold on the laundry is to be supplied to the other water of an evaporation device, the Assembly complex. The pump assembly according to the invention cannot be used only easier to assemble individually than conventional pump assemblies, but lets them can also be easily coupled to identical pump assemblies. In an ideal case a combination of several pump assemblies becomes a single assembly part.

The pump assembly according to the invention can be used in a variety of ways. The plastics used today are easy to process and there is a sufficiently large one Material selection to use in contact with almost any media. Since the Manufacture is cheap and assembly is easy, use in Packaging industry with large quantities.

If a slit-shaped check valve is integrated into the pump element and that Actuator designed hollow, so the pump assembly in all Applications are used in which the material to be conveyed by the actuator flows. This application comes with pump atomizers, perfume and Hair spray bottles, soap dispensers, skin creams, mouthwashes, throat medications and many other dosing devices to carry.

The delivery rate can be determined by the geometry of the pump chamber.

However, the use of one according to the invention is particularly advantageous Pump assembly for installation in an iron. The actuator is in this Case a plunger, which has a push button integrated into the iron housing is operated.

Pump assemblies according to the invention are in a further inventive step manufactured in an injection molding process in which the injection molding production of the entire Pump assembly takes place in an injection mold.

In conventional two-component injection molding processes, a plastic part is first made made of a certain polymer material and in a directly following one Operation connected with another polymeric material. Between Operations, the cavity of the tool is changed so that the second material in the tool can penetrate.

In the method presented according to the invention, in a first Process step a first plastic in two separate cavities Injection mold, which is in the form of a stop plate and one Have actuator. In this way, two separate plastic parts are made made of a hard, polymeric material.

The stop plate is preferably made in the form of a ring, which is later on a can rest in approximately cylindrical pump chamber. The actuator has in an advantageous embodiment, the shape of a plunger.

In a second step, the stop plate and the Actuating element repositioned within the tool, moving simultaneously a cavity in the form of a reset element, a pump element and one Sealing element opens. The arrangement of the stop plate, actuating element, Reset element, pump element and sealing element corresponds to the given construction drawing.

In a further process step, a second is created in the cavity created in this way injected elastomeric material. By choosing suitable process parameters, such as Temperature and flow rate, this creates a cohesive connection between the return element and the stop plate, and between the Reset element, the pump element and the actuating element.

The restoring element preferably has an approximately cylindrical design. learns there is a force through the actuator, it comes between the stop plate and Point of application of the actuating element to an expansion of the restoring element and at when the force decreases, the restoring element pulls back on its original form back.

The pump assembly manufactured in this way has a relatively thick-walled seal, which is molded onto the actuating element and a thin-walled compared to it Membrane that connects the two hard parts as a reset element.

In another embodiment, the reset element can be made from a compressible Plastic are manufactured that can be pushed together under pressure and expands to its original shape as the strength decreases.

Tool sequence and process parameters are preferably selected so that the polymeric hard material and the elastomeric material to the desired Connection points a chemical cohesive connection and that the Finished assembly without deformation or damage to the part is also fully automatic can be demolded.

The injection of an approximately cylindrical restoring element can on the Pump element facing side of the stop plate. When the In this case, the restoring element becomes a direct load on the Join surface, which could affect the durability of the connection.

It is therefore technically advantageous if the restoring element with a bead on the Pump element facing away from the stop plate is molded onto this and there a firm connection is established. When positioning and forming the cavity in the second step, it is necessary to leave space for this bead.

The injection molding tool is advantageously arranged such that the injection is off Direction of the pump element takes place and the ejection to that of the pump element opposite side is done.

The process can be supplemented by a further process step if the Pump assembly used for pump atomizers and comparable applications shall be. In this case, the actuator is made in a tubular shape, so it has an internal channel and the pump element receives a curved one Shape. The next step is to make a die cut in the Execute pump element so that this when used in a pump chamber not only serves to reduce the pump chamber volume, but also as Check valve to open and close the channel in the Actuator acts.

The method according to the invention enables a fully automatic production of the entire pump assembly. It is not necessary to make part orders, Store or transport intermediate products and machines or tools switch. There is also no manual intervention during the manufacturing process necessary. This shortens the manufacturing time and saves costs for storage space, storage time and Staff.

Further advantageous embodiments are given in the description below and the claims.

drawings

Figur 1

ein Schnittbild durch eine erfindungsgemäße Pumpenbaugruppe

Figur 2

ein Schnittbild durch eine erfindungsgemäße Pumpenbaugruppe gemäß Figur 1, die in einer Pumpenkammer angeordnet ist;

Figur 3a, b

jeweils ein Schnitt durch die erfindungsgemäße Pumpenbaugruppe gemäß Figur 1, sie zeigen erfindungsgemäße Pumpenbaugruppe angeordnet in einer Pumpenkammer mit Einsaug - und Ausspritzöffnung in zwei unterschiedlichen Positionen;

Figur 4

Schnittbilddarstellung eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Pumpenbaugruppe, die einen Durchfluss des Fördermediums durch das Betätigungselement erlaubt.

Show it:

Figure 1

a sectional view through a pump assembly according to the invention

Figure 2

a sectional view of a pump assembly according to the invention according to Figure 1, which is arranged in a pump chamber;

Figure 3a, b

1 shows a section through the pump assembly according to the invention according to FIG. 1, they show the pump assembly according to the invention arranged in a pump chamber with suction and ejection openings in two different positions;

Figure 4

Sectional view of a second embodiment of a pump assembly according to the invention, which allows a flow of the medium through the actuating element.

Description of the embodiments

FIG. 1 shows the sectional view through a pump assembly 1 according to the invention In this exemplary embodiment, pump element 2 forms part with one Actuating element 3, which is designed in the form of a plunger 4. A reset element 5, which is formed in one piece with a sealing element 6, rests with a bead 7 a stop plate 8. Is on the opposite side of the stop plate 8 9 the essentially rotationally symmetrical reset element 4 tapers, so that the Ram 4 provides a support surface 10.

If the pump assembly 1 is now to be used, it will be as shown in FIG. 2 shown, installed in a pump chamber 11. This has one in this cross section not visible ejection opening and an intake 12, which with a Ball check valve 13 is closable. At the intake manifold 12 opposite side is the stop plate 8 of the pump assembly 1 on the Pump opening 14 of the pump chamber 11.

To reduce the volume 15 of the pump chamber 11, the plunger 4 is in the direction of the intake manifold 12 moves. The reset element 5 is stretched, whereby it is prevented by the stop plate 8 in its original size remain or slip into the pump chamber 15. If the actuator 3 no longer operated, the reset element 5 pulls back to its original Size together and the pump chamber volume 15 extends to the Output size.

In the example shown here, one is in the immediate vicinity of the pump chamber 11 Pump assembly 1 is mounted, a further pump chamber 16 is provided in the a pump assembly according to the invention can also be installed.

Figures 3a, b each show a section through the invention Pump assembly in two different positions. In the first picture that is Pump chamber volume 15 'minimal, the restoring element 5 maximally stretched. In the In the second figure, however, the reset element 5 is relaxed and that Pump chamber volume 15 "maximum. In the first case, the ball check valve is 13" closed, in the second case open.

Figure 4 shows a sectional view through a second embodiment of a Pump assembly 101 according to the invention, the flow of the medium allowed by the actuator 103. The reset element 105, its connection with the stop plate 108 and the execution of the sealing element 106 correspond the previous examples. The actuating element 103 has in this Embodiment, however, an inner opening 117 with a diameter 118. Das In contrast to the examples shown previously, pump element 102 has one in FIG Dome 119 of opening 117 of the actuating element 103 and in the center 120 of the sealing element 102 is one through a punch cut made slot-shaped opening 121.

Such a pump assembly 102 is shown in one not shown in the figure Pump chamber used, which has only one intake port. The removal of the Delivery medium takes place through the pump element 102 and the channel 117 in the Actuator 103, wherein the curved and slotted pump element 102 die Functions as a check valve.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 101

pump assembly

2, 102

pumping element

3, 103

actuator

4

tappet

5, 105

Return element

6, 106

sealing element

7

bead

8, 108

108 stop plate

9

opposite side

10

pan supports

11

pump chamber

12

induction nozzle

13, 13 '

check valve

14

pumping port

15, 15 ', 15 "

Pump displacement

16

another pump chamber

117

channel opening

118

diameter

119

bulge

120

Center of the pump element

121

slit-shaped opening

Claims (10)

Pump assembly for installation in a pump chamber with suction and ejection opening consisting of a pump element, an actuator, a reset element, a sealing element and a stop plate,
characterized in that
the restoring element (5) is made of a stretchable plastic and is permanently connected to at least one of the following elements, namely pump element (2), actuating element (3), sealing element (6) and / or stop plate (8). Pump assembly for installation in a pump chamber with suction and ejection opening consisting of a pump element, an actuator, a reset element, a sealing element and a stop plate,
characterized in that
the restoring element (5) is made of a compressible plastic and is permanently connected to at least one of the following elements, namely pump element (2), actuating element (3), sealing element (6) and or stop plate (8). Pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the material of the restoring element (5) and the material of the element connected to the restoring element, namely pump element (2), actuating element (3), sealing element (6) and / or stop plate (8), can be chemically connected. Pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the restoring element (5) is permanently connected to all of the following elements, namely pump element (2), actuating element (3), sealing element (6) and / or stop plate (8). Pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
all interconnected components, the same restoring element (5), pump element (2), actuating element (3), sealing element (6) and or stop plate (8) are made of the same material. Pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the material from which the actuating element (3) and the stop plate (8) are made has a greater Shore hardness than the material from which the reset element (5) is made. Pump assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
at least two pump assemblies (1) side by side, which are arranged on the same stop plate (8). Use of a pump assembly according to one of the preceding Claims for installation in an iron. Use of a pump assembly according to one of the preceding Requirements for the conveyance of liquids, aerosols, pasty media and Gases. Process for manufacturing a pump assembly using two-component injection molding processes, characterized by the following process steps : Injecting a first plastic into two separate cavities of a tool in the form of a stop plate (8) and an actuating element (3), Positioning the stop plate (8) and the actuating element (3) within the tool with simultaneous opening of a cavity in the form of a reset element (5), a pump element (2) and a sealing element (6), Injection of a second elastomeric material with formation of a cohesive connection between the return element (5) and the stop plate (8), and between the pump element (2) and the actuating element (3).

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