Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to vibratory pumps, and more specifically to a universal vibratory pump including a pumping mechanism that does not need to be submerged in the fluid to be dispensed from the pump. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to mechanically transfer a fluid from the first location to a second location, a wide variety of pumping mechanisms can be utilized. With specific regard to vibratory pumps, highly effective vibratory pump mechanisms are disclosed in each of commonly-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,315,533; 6,364,622; 6,428,289; and 6,604,920; which are each incorporated herein by reference. In each of these patents, the vibratory pump mechanisms each include a casing or housing that is spaced from the vibration mechanism or generator and submerged within the fluid to be transferred. The operation of the vibration generator in the pump mechanism then operates the pump components located in the casing to drive the fluid into the casing in order to direct the fluid through an outlet hose connected to the casing which terminates at the location where it is desired to transfer the fluid. 
     However, in certain situations the fluid to be transferred is located within a container in which the casings for the previously-known vibratory pumps cannot be inserted. As a result, in these situations it is very difficult, if not impossible, to transfer the fluid from within the container to the desired location in a fast and easy manner using a previously-known vibratory pump. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to develop a universal vibratory pump design which enables the fluid held within virtually any container, including those having a relatively small size opening, to be transferred from the container to a desired location. It is further desirable that the various parts of the pump mechanism including the vibration generator and pumping components can be contained within a relatively small volume or housing to enable the vibratory pump to be utilized in a wide variety of applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a primary aspect of the present invention, the universal vibratory pump includes a pumping chamber having an outlet end and an inlet end. The outlet end includes an outlet chamber that extends out of the pumping chamber to direct outgoing fluid from the chamber. The inlet end comprises an elongate tube extending outwardly from the chamber that is insertable into a container holding the fluid to be transferred. The inlet tube extending from the outlet chamber can be any length or diameter needed, enabling the pump to be utilized with containers having virtually any size or shape. 
     A vibration generating mechanism is located adjacent the pumping chamber and is connected to a plunger which extends into the chamber in alignment with the outlet end. Due to the operation of the vibration mechanism, the plunger is oscillated and repeatedly contacts the outlet end of the pumping chamber to close and create a temporary vacuum within the chamber, thereby drawing the fluid from the container upwardly through the inlet tube and into the pumping chamber for dispensing through the outlet end. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the pumping chamber can be formed separately for use as an attachment for an existing vibratory pump in order to convert a pump previously adapted for use by submerging the pump within the fluid to be transferred to a pump which uses the inlet tube to withdraw the fluid from the container. 
     According to still another aspect of the present invention, the inlet tube can be attached to a fluid supply, and the outlet end can be inserted into a container holding another fluid such that when the pump is operated, the first fluid moves through the pumping chamber and is injected into the fluid in the container in order to quickly and effectively introduce and mix the fluids as desired. 
     Numerous other features, advantages and objects of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings illustrate the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the present invention. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a side cross-sectional view of a vibratory pump including the pumping chamber constructed according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view of a first alternate embodiment of the plunger and outlet chamber of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view of a second alternate embodiment of the plunger and outlet chamber of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially broken away isometric view of the pumping chamber of  FIG. 1  used to inject a gas into a liquid; and 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a second alternate embodiment of the plunger of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the disclosure, a vibratory pump is indicated generally at  1  in  FIG. 1 . The pump  1  includes an electromotor  2  operably connected to a reducer  3 . The reducer  3  is in turn connected to a mechanism  4  as is known in the art capable of transforming the rotation of the reducer  3  into oscillating motion for a rod  6  utilizing a hinge  5 . Opposite the hinge  5 , the rod  6  includes a plate  7 . The hinge  5  can also be omitted in those embodiments of the present invention where the components of the pump  1  are all disposed linearly with respect to one another. 
     The electromotor  2 , reducer  3 , mechanism  4  and hinge  5  are each contained within a handle portion  50  of a housing  51  of the vibrating pump  1 , with the rod  6  extending through an opening  52  into a pumping chamber  12  disposed within a nozzle portion  53  of the housing  51 . The opening  52  also preferably includes a sealing member (not shown) that prevents any liquid from passing from the pumping chamber  12  into the handle portion  50 , while allowing the rod  6  to slide easily with respect to the sealing member. In order to operate the electromotor  2 , the motor  2  is operably connected to a voltage controller  20  which in turn is connected to a battery  21  releasably connected to the voltage controller  20  and to the handle portion  30  of the housing  51  in a known manner. A switch or trigger  19  is disposed on the exterior of the handle portion  50  and can be depressed in order to enable the battery  21  to supply a voltage through the voltage controller  20  to the motor  2 . When the switch  19  is depressed, the frequency at which the electromotor  2  operates to oscillate the rod  6  can be adjusted utilizing a controller  22  on the handle portion  20  that is connected to the voltage controller  20  and has a rotatable knob  56  disposed on the exterior of the housing  51 . By rotating the knob  56 , the frequency of the voltage supplied by the voltage controller  20  to the electromotor  2  can be increased or decreased to adjust the frequency of the oscillation of the rod  6  as desired. 
     The pumping chamber  12  is disposed adjacent an outlet  58  of the nozzle portion  53  of the housing  51  and is formed of a material that is impervious to liquid. The rod  6  extends through the opening  52  in the chamber  12  such that the plate  7  is positioned adjacent an outlet chamber  8  also disposed partially within the chamber  12 . The outlet chamber  8  includes a wide inner end  57  over which is positioned a diaphragm  9  formed of a liquid-impervious, flexible material, such as a rubber, and having an aperture  10  disposed in the center of the diaphragm  9 . The positioning of the diaphragm  9  is such that when the rod  6  is moved by the hinge  5  into the chamber  12  to its furthermost extent, the plate  7  contacts and compresses the diaphragm  9 , forming a fluid tight seal around the aperture  10  between the plate  7  and diaphragm  9  and pushing the diaphragm  9  into the inner end  57 . 
     Opposite the diaphragm  9 , the outlet chamber  8  also includes a narrow outer end  11  that extends through the outlet  58  of the nozzle portion  53  of the housing  31  and is utilized as an outlet nozzle for the fluid dispensed from the pumping chamber  12 . 
     The chamber  12  is also formed with an inlet opening  15  spaced from the outlet chamber  8  and the rod opening  52  in alignment with a channel  16  formed within an inlet tube  13  extending outwardly from the nozzle portion  53 . The tube  13  is shown integrally formed with the nozzle portion  53  of the housing  51  and extends outwardly from the pump  1  in a direction generally perpendicular to the rod  6 . Alternatively, the tube  13  can be removably secured to the housing  51  to enable tubes  13  of various sizes to be used with the pump  1 , or the tube  13  can extend outwardly at an angle with respect to the pump  1 , in order to enable the pump  1  to be utilized in a horizontal configuration with containers having angled openings. The tube  13  can also be formed of a flexible material different than that used to form the housing  51 , so that the tube  13  can flex both while the tube  13  is inserted into a container and while the pump  1  is in operation. 
     Around the tube  13 , an internally threaded sleeve  23  is integrally formed on the nozzle portion  53 . The sleeve  23  is matable with an externally threaded neck  39  of a container  18  such that the tube  13  can be inserted into the container  18  which is then fixed to the pump housing  31 . The liquid  17  held within the container  18  can then be dispensed by the pump  1  by activating the electromotor  2  using the switch  19  to oscillate the rod  6  into and out of engagement with the outlet chamber  8 , thereby creating the vacuum in the member  8  to draw the liquid  17  upwardly through the tube  13  into the pumping chamber  12  and pressing the liquid  17  out of the chamber  8  using the diaphragm  9  for disbursement through the outlet  58 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , in an alternative embodiment of the plate  7  and chamber  8 , the plate  7  on the rod  6  is replaced by a plate  31  including a generally circular center portion  33  and a rubber O-ring  32  positioned around the center portion  33 . Also in this embodiment, the diaphragm  9  is omitted from the outlet chamber  8  such that the outlet chamber  8  includes only an aperture  70  having a diameter D slightly greater than the diameter d of the center portion  33  of the plate  31 . In operation, the O-ring  32  engages the periphery of the aperture  70  when the plate  31  contacts the outlet chamber  8 , thereby effectively sealing the plate  31  against the outlet chamber  8 . Also, in this embodiment the pump chamber  12  is formed as a separate unit from the housing  51 , such that the chamber  12  can be used as an attachment for existing vibratory pumps having oscillating plungers or plates  7 . 
     In still another embodiment of the present invention, as best shown in  FIG. 3 , the outlet chamber  8  can include a tapered or conical wall  40  surrounding the aperture  70  that is engageable with a correspondingly tapered or conical plate  41  having a conical surface  42  matable with the tapered wall  40 . The plate  41  is preferably formed of a resilient material to enable the plate  41  to form a watertight seal with the wall  40  and also to compress the liquid held in the chamber  8 . 
     Pursuant to still another embodiment of the present invention, as best shown in  FIG. 4 , the tube  13  can be formed to extend in a non-linear, and preferably a generally L-shaped manner from the pumping chamber  12  such that a supply of a gas (not shown) can be attached opposite the pumping chamber  12  of the tube  13 . The outlet chamber  8  may then be positioned partially within an amount of liquid  17  in a container  18  such that, by the operation of the electromotor  2  to oscillate the rod  6 , the gas can be pumped into and through the pumping chamber  12  and out of the outlet  116  into the liquid  17  in the container  18 . The gas supply can also be switched to a fluid supply or supplies as desired, with each supply connected to the pumping chamber  12  to mix all of the fluids with one another in the container  18 . 
     Further, as best shown in  FIG. 5 , the chamber  12  can be constructed of an inlet portion  71  and an outlet portion  72  that are secured to one another and sandwich the diaphragm  9  therebetween to make the chamber  12  fluid-tight. The inlet portion  71  includes the inlet tube  13 , while the outlet portion  72  includes the outlet  38  and a rod opening  52  through which extends the rod  6 . The rod  6  engages a sealing member  80  disposed in the opening  52  to ensure that no fluid from the inlet tube  13  flows out of the chamber  12  except through the outlet  38 . However, in this embodiment the plate  7  is positioned on the side of the diaphragm  9  adjacent the outlet  38 , such that the rod  6  extends through the aperture  10 . In operation, the rod  6  and plate  7  alternately pull the diaphragm  9  towards the outlet  38  and release the diaphragm  9  to produce the vibratory pumping action within the chamber  12 . 
     Having described the preferred embodiments of the pumping mechanism and vibratory pump of the present invention, a number of additional embodiments will now also be discussed. With regard to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the various operating components of the pump  1  may also be positioned within a housing  51  having other than the illustrated shape. For example, the housing  51  can be shaped for insertion into and securing within a filling opening (not shown) of a large tank (not shown). The shape of this embodiment of the housing  51  allows the inlet tube  13  to be positioned within a fluid held within the tank, while the outlet  58  can be positioned outside of the tank or connected to a hose (not shown) or other member capable of directing the fluid from the tank to a desired location. 
     Also, due to the ability of the pump  1  to transfer fluid, the pump  1  can be utilized as a fluid-jet engine in which a fluid is introduced through the inlet tube  13  to the pump  1  and directed out of the outlet  58  into another fluid, thereby propelling a vehicle to which the pump  1  is secured. 
     Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.

Technology Category: 7