Personal air sampling pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10774825-B2
Application number	US-201615136377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A personal air sampling pump assembly includes a motor having a reciprocating piston for operating a diaphragm assembly. The diaphragm includes a valve head including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a fluid chamber defining a fluid path between the inlet and outlet. A first and second diaphragm sealing engaging the valve head and enclosing the fluid chamber. The first diaphragm includes a piston diaphragm membrane portion coupled to the piston for reciprocating with the piston and wherein reciprocation of the piston causes a change in air pressure within the fluid chamber to cause air to move from the fluid inlet toward the fluid outlet. Both the first and second diaphragms include a damper membrane portion, which cooperate to reduce an amplitude of pulsation in the airflow at the fluid inlet and fluid outlet.

First claim

We claim:

1. A personal air sampling pump assembly comprising:
a motor;
a piston mounted to the motor, the piston being driven by the motor to reciprocate along a first line;
a diaphragm assembly, extending in a first direction that is transverse to the first line, operably coupled to the piston, the diaphragm assembly comprising:
a valve head including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and defining a fluid chamber fluidly coupling the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and forming a fluid path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
a first diaphragm, located on a first side of the valve head and sealing engaging the valve head, the first diaphragm comprising a piston diaphragm membrane portion, coupled to the piston for reciprocating with the piston and enclosing, at all times, a first portion of the fluid chamber, and a first damper membrane portion, spaced from the piston diaphragm membrane portion in the first direction and enclosing, at all times, a second portion of the fluid chamber;
a second diaphragm, located on a second side of the valve head opposite the first side in a second direction that is parallel to the first line, sealing engaging the valve head, the second diaphragm comprising a second damper membrane portion enclosing, at all times, a third portion of the fluid chamber; and
a check valve disposed within the fluid path;
wherein each reciprocation of the piston causes a change in air pressure within the fluid chamber to cause air to move from the fluid inlet toward the fluid outlet, the change in air pressure causes a corresponding movement of both the first damper membrane portion of the first diaphragm and the second damper member of the second diaphragm, and the corresponding movements of the first damper membrane portion of the first diaphragm and the second damper membrane of the second diaphragm cooperate to reduce an amplitude of pulsation in airflow at the fluid inlet and fluid outlet as the air is caused to move from the fluid inlet toward to fluid outlet in response to each reciprocation of the piston.

2. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a second piston mounted to the motor for reciprocal motion.

3. The personal sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a second diaphragm assembly operably coupled to the second piston, the second diaphragm assembly comprising:
a second head including a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet and defining a second fluid chamber fluidly coupling the second fluid inlet and the second fluid outlet and forming a second fluid path from the second fluid inlet to the second fluid outlet;
a third diaphragm sealing engaging the second head comprising a piston diaphragm membrane portion, coupled to the second piston for reciprocating with the second piston and enclosing, at all times, a first portion of the second fluid chamber, and a third damper membrane portion enclosing, at all times, a second portion of the second fluid chamber;
a fourth diaphragm sealing engaging the second head comprising a fourth damper membrane portion enclosing, at all times, a third portion of the second fluid chamber; and
a check valve disposed within the second fluid path, wherein reciprocation of the second piston causes a change in air pressure within the second fluid chamber to cause air to move from the second fluid inlet toward the second fluid outlet.

4. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 3 , wherein the air chamber of the valve head includes a conduit fluid outlet and a separate conduit fluid inlet and further comprising:
a first conduit fluidly coupling the conduit fluid outlet to the second fluid inlet of the second head; and
a second conduit fluidly coupling the second fluid outlet of the second head to the conduit fluid inlet.

5. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a motor housing for supporting the motor.

6. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein the diaphragm assembly and the second diaphragm assembly are each mounted to the motor housing.

7. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit are integrally formed within the motor housing.

8. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first or second head includes a pressure sensor.

9. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the damper membrane portion of the first diaphragm is resiliently coupled to the damper membrane portion of the second diaphragm.

10. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 9 , wherein the damper membrane portion of the first diaphragm is resiliently coupled to the damper membrane portion of the second diaphragm via a coil spring.

11. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fluid chamber comprises:
a first fluid sub-chamber fluidly coupled to the fluid inlet;
a second fluid sub-chamber fluidly coupled to the first fluid sub-chamber via a first aperture; and
a third fluid sub-chamber fluidly coupled to the second fluid sub-chamber via a second aperture and fluidly coupled to the fluid outlet.

12. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 11 , wherein the check valve is sealingly mated to the first aperture to substantially prevent fluid from traversing from the second fluid sub-chamber to the first fluid sub-chamber.

13. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 12 , further comprising a second check valve sealingly mated to the second aperture to substantially prevent fluid from traversing from the third fluid sub-chamber to the second fluid sub-chamber.

14. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 11 , wherein the piston diaphragm membrane portion is operably coupled to the second fluid sub-chamber.

15. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 11 , wherein the damper membrane portion of the first and second diaphragms are operably coupled to the third fluid sub-chamber.

16. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the valve head are disposed intermediate the first side and the second side of the valve head.

17. The personal air sampling pump assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the valve head provide the only connection between the fluid chamber defined in the valve head and air external to the personal air sampling pump assembly.

Assignees

• Ideal Ind

Inventors

• Trainer Brandon
• Tearle Steve
• Qureshi Aamir

Classifications

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• F04B39/16

  Filtration; Moisture separation · CPC title

• F04B39/10

  Adaptations or arrangements of distribution members · CPC title

• F04B35/04

  the means being electric · CPC title

• F05B2210/12

  gaseous, i.e. compressible · CPC title