Pulse dampener with automatic pressure-compensation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829140-B2
Application number	US-201514592722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 8, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A fluid pulse dampener with automatic pressure-compensation is provided. A system of chambers and channels in the dampener creates an internal feedback mechanism that increases or decreases a compensating pressure on the membrane in response to increases or decreases in the pressure of a fluid moving past the other side of the membrane. Variations of the pulse dampener allow for the input and/or output of gas flow to be restricted or increased as may be desired.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fluid pulse dampener with an auto-compensation mechanism comprising:
a main body comprising at least a first side and a second side, and an elongated fluid channel having a fluid input port at a first end of the fluid channel and a fluid output port at a second end of the fluid channel, wherein the fluid input port and the fluid output port are adapted for connecting to a pressurized fluid conduit, and wherein the fluid channel has a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first opening is closer to the fluid input port than the second opening and the second opening is closer to the fluid output port than the first opening;
a membrane adjacent to a portion of the fluid channel, wherein a first portion of said membrane covers the first opening and a second portion of said membrane covets the second opening;
a pneumatic cover having at least a first side and a second side, wherein at least a portion of the first side of said pneumatic cover is attached to at least a portion of said main body, and comprising:
a dampening chamber adjacent to at least a portion of the first opening in the fluid channel, wherein said pneumatic cover defines a portion of the dampening chamber and said first portion of said membrane encloses a remaining portion;
a variable-restrictive element (“VRE”) chamber adjacent to at least a portion of the second opening in the fluid channel, wherein said pneumatic cover defines a portion of the VRE chamber and said second portion of said membrane encloses a remaining portion;
an air pressure buffer chamber, wherein said air pressure buffer chamber is connected to said dampening chamber by a first channel, and wherein said air pressure buffer chamber is connected by a second channel to said VRE chamber, wherein said air pressure buffer chamber has an air input port that connects said air pressure buffer chamber to an external gas source, and wherein the air input port is adapted for connecting to a pressurized air source as the external gas source; and
an air output port connected by a channel to said VRE chamber and open to an external gas; and
wherein said first portion of said membrane is adapted to initially expand into said dampening chamber and said second portion of said membrane is adapted to expand into said VRE chamber when a fluid under pressure flows through the elongated channel, with said membrane partially or wholly obstructing at least one of said first channel and said second channel, thereby increasing pressure in the air pressure buffer chamber when a pressurized air source is connected to the air input port and pushing said first portion of said membrane back to an equilibrium position in said dampening chamber, and pushing said second portion of said membrane back to an equilibrium position in said VRE chamber.

2. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 , further comprising a membrane stop within said dampening chamber.

3. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 , further comprising a restrictive element having a first end and a second end, wherein said restrictive element limits the flow of air and is connected to a pressurized air source at the first end and to the air input port at the second end.

4. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 3 , further comprising an air output restrictive element, wherein said air output restrictive element is adapted to limit the flow of air therethrough and is adapted for connection to the air output port.

5. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 , further comprising an air output restrictive element, wherein said air output restrictive element is adapted to limit the flow of air therethrough and is adapted for connection to the air output port.

6. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 further comprising:
a protruding inner ring on a surface of the pneumatic cover located adjacent to a portion of the membrane, wherein said protruding inner ring has a diameter which extends from a point on said dampening chamber that is nearest to the fluid input port to a point on said VRE chamber that is nearest to the fluid output port, and wherein said protruding inner ring surrounds said dampening chamber and said VRE chamber;
a protruding middle ring on a surface of said main body located adjacent to said membrane wherein said middle ring is larger in diameter than the inner ring and wherein said middle ring is concentric with said inner ring;
an outer ring larger in diameter than said middle ring and concentric with said middle ring; and
wherein the diameter of said membrane is larger than the diameter of said outer ring and said outer ring and said inner ring push the membrane around said middle ring and said membrane forms a seal across said dampening chamber and said VRE chamber.

7. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said main body and said pneumatic cover comprise a material selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel, aluminum, polyetheretherketone, acrylic, ceramic, a cyclic-olefin polymer or co-polymer, polysulfone, polyphenylsulfone, or polyetherimide (Ultem).

8. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said membrane comprises a flexible material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: natural rubber, silicone, thermoplastic elastomers, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), fluoroelastomers (FKM, such as Viton), perfluoroelastomer (FFKM, such as Kalrez), fluoropolymers like Teflon, and PharMed.

9. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 8 wherein said membrane has a durometer measurement of between Shore A10 and Shore A95.

10. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said main body, said pneumatic cover, and said membrane are each adapted to withstand fluid pressure of up to at least 100 pounds per square inch.

11. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said dampener chamber comprises a hemispherical shape.

12. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said dampener chamber comprises an eye shape.

13. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said fluid input port is adapted to be connected, directly or indirectly, to a peristaltic pump.

14. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said fluid input port is adapted to be connected, directly or indirectly, to a piston pump.

15. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said main body is adapted to receive a fluid having a flow rate of between 0 to 1000 microliters per minute.

16. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 15 wherein said fluid pulse dampener is adapted to compensate for pulse sizes of between 0 and 50 microliters.

17. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said air input port and said air output port are open to an ambient fluid.

18. The fluid pulse dampener of claim 1 wherein said air input port is adapted for connection to a source of pressurized gas in excess of atmospheric pressure.

19. A pulse dampener comprising:
a body having an elongated channel extending therethrough and having a first input port at a first end of the channel and a second output port at a second end of the channel, wherein the first input port is adapted for connecting to a source of fluid, and wherein the channel has a first opening to a dampening chamber and wherein the channel has a second opening to a second chamber, and wherein said body has a buffer chamber, wherein said buffer chamber is in fluid communication with the dampening chamber and the second chamber, and wherein said buffer chamber is in fluid communication with a second input port adapted for connection to a fluid source, and having a second output port in fluid communication with the seco

Assignees

• Idex Health & Science Llc

Inventors

• Hartmann Daniel M
• Tsirlis Efthimios

Classifications

• F16L55/043

  specially adapted for protecting instruments from water hammer or vibrations · CPC title

• F16L55/041 Primary

  specially adapted for preventing vibrations (flexible pipe connections F16L27/10) · CPC title