Patent Publication Number: US-2015078929-A1

Title: Draining device

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to draining devices, and particularly to a draining device used in a vacuum working environment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Draining devices, such as draining pumps, can be used to remove water/oil or other liquid from a container. A draining device can include a motor and a pumping body coupled to and driven by the motor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an embodiment of a draining device. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the draining device of  FIG. 1 , taken along line II-II of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “outside” refers to a region that is beyond the outermost confines of a physical object. The term “inside” indicates that at least a portion of a region is partially contained within a boundary formed by the object. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape or other word that substantially modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, substantially cylindrical means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
     The present disclosure is described in relation to draining devices, and particularly to a draining device applied in a vacuum. 
     A draining device for draining fluid, can include a draining mechanism, two conduits coupled to the draining mechanism, and a driving mechanism mounted on the draining mechanism. The draining mechanism can include a first cylinder having opposite ends and defining a cavity, a first cover defining a first draining hole, a connecting member defining a second draining hole, a piston rod extending through the connecting member and partially received in the cavity, and a first piston assembly mounted on an end of the piston rod and received in the cavity. The first cover and the connecting member can be respectively mounted on the opposite ends of the first cylinder. The two conduits can be coupled to the first cylinder and communicating with the cavity through the first and second draining holes, respectively. Each of the two conduits can include a first conduit communicating with the first and second draining holes, a first check valve positioned in the first conduit, a second conduit spaced from the first conduit and communicating with the first and second draining holes, and a second check valve positioned in the second conduit. The first check valve can be configured to enable fluid to flow from the cavity towards the first conduit, and the second check valve can be configured to enable fluid to flow from the second conduit towards the cavity. The driving mechanism can be mounted on the connecting member and configured to drive the piston rod to slide in the first cylinder. 
       FIGS. 1-2  illustrate an embodiment of a draining device  100 . The draining device  100  can be used to remove liquid, such as water and oil from a container (not shown), particularly can be applied in a vacuum. The draining device  100  can include a draining mechanism  10 , a conduit  30  coupled to the draining mechanism  10 , and a driving mechanism  50  coupled to the draining mechanism  10 . The driving mechanism  50  can drive the draining mechanism  10  to drain the liquid from the container towards the conduit  30 . 
     The draining mechanism  10  can be substantially a cylinder-shape and include a first cylinder  11 , a first cover  13 , a connecting member  15 , a sealing member  16 , a piston rod  17 , and a first piston assembly  19 . The first cover  13  and the connecting member  15  can be positioned on opposite ends of the first cylinder  11 , respectively. The piston rod  17  can be inserted through the connecting member  15  and can be partially received in the first cylinder  11 . The sealing member  16  can be positioned between the piston rod  17  and the connecting member  15 . The first piston assembly  19  can be sleeved on the piston rod  17  and received in the first cylinder  11 . 
     The first cylinder  11  can be substantially a hollow cylinder and define a cavity  111  along an axis. 
     The first cover  13  can be arranged and mounted on an end of the first cylinder  11 , and define a first draining hole  131  at a side. The first draining hole  131  can communicate with the cavity  111  and can be used to couple to the conduit  30 . 
     The connecting member  15  can be substantially cylinder-shape and positioned on the other end of the first cylinder  11  opposite to the first cover  13 . The connecting member  15  can define a through hole  151 , a second draining hole  153 , and a first air inlet  154 . The through hole  151  can be oriented along an axis of the connecting member  15  and can communicate with the cavity  111 . The second draining hole  153  can be defined at a periphery of the connecting member  15  and adjacent to the first cylinder  11 , and the second draining hole  153  can communicate with the through hole  151  and can be oriented along a radial direction of the connecting member  15 . The first air inlet  154  can be defined at a periphery of the connecting member  15  away from the first cylinder  11 , and configured to couple to an external air source (not shown). The connecting member  15  can be further equipped with a mounting portion  155 . The mounting portion  155  can protrude from a middle part of the periphery of the connecting member  15 , and can be substantially an annular flange. The draining device  100  can be mounted in a working environment through the mounting portion  155 . The mounting portion  155  can define a mounting slot  1551  configured to provide a room for a sealing member, such as, but not necessary limited to, an o-ring, such that the draining device  100  can be hermetically sealed when mounted in the vacuum working environment. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing member  16  can be an o-ring. The sealing member  16  can be arranged in the connecting member  15  and sleeved on the piston rod  17   
     The piston rod  17  can be substantially a stepped shaft, and can slidably insert through the through hole  151  and the sealing member  16 . The piston rod  17  can include a main body  171 , a first fixing portion  173  and a second fixing portion  175 . The first fixing portion  173  and the second fixing portion  175  can be formed on opposite ends of the main body  171  of the piston rod  17 , and the first fixing portion  173  can be received in the cavity  111 . The main body  171  can be slidably inserted through the through hole  151  and define a first receiving hole  1711  on an end adjacent to the first fixing portion  173 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first receiving hole  1711  can be a blind hole and can be defined at a periphery of the main body  171 , extending outwardly along a radially direction of the main body  171 . An inner diameter of the first receiving hole  1711  can be 0.5 millimeter or less than 0.5 millimeter. An outer diameter of the first fixing portion  173  can be less than an outer diameter of the main body  171 . The first fixing portion  173  can be equipped with a connecting portion  1731  on an end away from the main body  171 , and an external thread (not labeled) on an outer surface of the connecting portion  1731 . The first fixing portion member  173  can further define a second receiving hole  1733  oriented along an axis on an end away from the main body  171 . The second receiving hole  1733  can extend to connect with the first receiving hole  1711 . An inner diameter of the second receiving hole  1733  can be 1 millimeter or less than 1 millimeter. The first receiving hole  1711  and the second receiving hole  1733  can be used to receive gas dissolved in the liquid, such that the draining mechanism  10  can operate fluently. A structure of the second fixing portion  175  can be substantially the same as a structure of the first fixing portion  173 . The second fixing portion  175  can include a connecting portion  1751 . 
     The first piston assembly  19  can be positioned on the first fixing portion  173  and can slide in the cavity  111  along with the piston rod  17 , to enable the draining mechanism  10  to work. The first piston assembly  19  can divide the cavity  111  into a first cavity  1111  adjacent to the first cover  13  and a second cavity  1113  away from the first cover  13 . The first piston assembly  19  can include a mounting base  191 , a magnetic member  193 , a piston body  195 , a sealing ring  197 , and a securing member  199 . 
     The mounting base  191  can be sleeved on the first fixing portion  173  and can resist against the main body  171 . A cushion  1911  can be located on a surface of the mounting base  191  facing the connecting member  15 . When the first piston assembly  19  slides towards the connecting member  15 , the cushion  1911  can buffer the first piston assembly  19 , and protect the mounting base  191  and the connecting member  15  from damage. The magnetic member  193  can be sleeved on an end of the mounting base  191  away from the main body  171 , and can be used to couple to an outer magnetic sensor and a controller, such that the outer magnetic sensor can sense a location of the first piston assembly  191  and the controller can control the draining device  100  to work according to the location. The piston body  195  can be sleeved on the first fixing portion  171  adjacent to the first cover  13 . A cushion  1951  can be located on a surface of the piston body  195  facing the first cover  13 . When the first piston assembly  19  slides towards the first cover  13 , the cushion  1911  can buffer and protect the piston body  195  and the first cover  13  from damage. The sealing ring  197  can be sleeved on the piston body  195  and can resist against an inner surface of the cavity  111 . In the illustrated embodiment, the securing member  199  can be a nut. The securing member  199  can be sleeved on the first fixing portion  173  adjacent to the piston body  195 , and thread to the connecting portion  1731 , such that the mounting member  191 , the magnetic member  193 , and the piston body  195  can be arranged side by side and resist on the main body  171 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, there can be two conduits  30 . The two conduits  30  can be coupled to the first draining hole  131  and the second draining hole  153 , respectively. Each of the two conduits  30  can include a main conduit  32 , a first conduit  34 , and a second conduit  36 . An end of the main conduit  32  can communicate with the first draining hole  131 . The first conduit  34  and the second conduit  36  can be spaced from each other, and communicate with each other on an end to couple with the main conduit  32 . Such that, the conduit  30  can be formed substantially as a Y-shape. A first check valve  341  can be positioned in the first conduit  34 , and enable the pre-drained liquid to flow from the container (not shown) into the main conduit  32  and the first conduit  34 , towards the first cavity  111 . A second check valve  361  can be positioned in the second conduit  36 , and enable the pre-drained liquid to flow from the first cavity  111  into the main conduit  32  and the second conduit  36 , towards an outer space. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the driving mechanism  50  can be substantially a pneumatic device and can be configured to reciprocate the piston rod  17  in the cavity  111 . A structure of the driving mechanism  50  can be similar to a structure of the draining mechanism  10 . The driving mechanism  50  can include a second cylinder  51 , a second cover  53 , and a second piston assembly  55 . The second cylinder  51  can be positioned on the connecting member  15  away from the first cylinder  11 . The second cylinder  51  can define a cavity  511  configured to receive an end of the piston rod  17 . The cavity  511  can communicate with the first air inlet  154 . The second cover  53  can be positioned on an end of the second cylinder  51  away from the connecting member  15 . The second cover  53  can define a second air inlet  531  communicating with the cavity  511 , and configured to couple to the outer air source. The second piston assembly  55  can be mounted on the second fixing portion  175  of the piston rod  17 , and can slide in the cavity  511 . A structure of the second piston assembly  55  can be substantially identical to the first piston assembly  19 . 
     In assembly, the piston rod  17  can be inserted through the connecting member  15  and the sealing member  16 , the first piston assembly  19  can be mounted on the first fixing portion  173  of the piston rod  17 , and the second piston assembly  55  can be mounted on the second fixing portion  175 . The first cylinder  11  can be arranged on the connecting member  15  corresponding to the first piston assembly  19 , the second cylinder  51  can be arranged on the connecting member  15  corresponding to the second piston assembly  55 . The first cover  13  can be positioned on the first cylinder  11  and the second cover  53  can be positioned on the second cylinder  51 . The two conduits  30  can be coupled to the first draining hole  131  and the second draining hole  153 , respectively. 
     In operation, the cavity  111  of the first cylinder  11  can be filled with liquid, two free ends of the two conduits  30  can be insert into the pre-drained liquid in the container, and the draining device  100  can be started. The driving mechanism  50  can drive the piston rod  17  and the first piston assembly  19  to slide back and forth in the first cylinder  11 . When the first piston assembly  19  moves close to the first cover  13 , a volume of the first cavity  1111  can be reduced, and the liquid contained in the first cavity  11  can be forced to flow through the first draining hole  131 , the main conduit  32  and the second conduit  36  of one of the two conduits  30  corresponding to the first draining hole  131 . At the same time, a volume of the second cavity  1113  can be enlarged, and a pressure therein can be lowered, such that the pre-drained liquid can be drawn from the container through the main conduit  32  and the first conduit  34  or the other one of the two conduits  30  corresponding to the second draining hole  153 , and through the second draining hole  153 , towards the second cavity  1113 . When the first piston assembly  19  moves away from the first cover  13 , the volume of the first cavity  1111  can be enlarged, and the pressure therein can be lowered, such that the pre-drained liquid can be drawn from the container through the main conduit  32  and the first conduit  34  corresponding to the first draining hole  131 , and through the first draining hole  131 , towards the first cavity  1111 . At the same time, the volume of the second cavity  1113  can be reduced, and the liquid therein can be forced to flow through the second draining hole  153 , the main conduit  32  and the second conduit  36  corresponding to the second draining hole  153 . The piston rod  17  can reciprocate the first piston assembly  19 , such that the draining mechanism  10  can keep the pre-drained liquid flowing in the container. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the driving mechanism  50  can be other driving devices, such as, but not limited to, a four-bar mechanism driven by a motor, a feed screw-nut mechanism, or other linear driving mechanism, such that the driving mechanism  50  can drive the piston rod  17  and the first piston assembly  19  to reciprocate in the first cavity  11 . The first receiving hole  1733  and the second receiving hole  1711  can be omitted. The first cover  13  can be omitted, such that the first cylinder  11  can be formed as a hollow structure with a bottom ( 13 ) on a end, and the first draining  131  coupled to the conduit  30  can be defined on the bottom ( 13 ). Similarly, the second cover  53  can be omitted. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the conduit  30  can be other geometric shapes, for example, the main conduit  32  can be omitted, and the first conduit  32  and the second conduit  34  can be coupled to and communicating with the cavity  11  respectively, but spaced from each other. Such that the liquid in the first conduit  32  and the second conduit  34  can flow in two opposite directions. 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of an external air source. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.