# US 10,767,642 B2 · Positive-displacement piston pump and associated delivery control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,642 B2 - Document ID: US10767642B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/323,211 - Filed: 2015-06-30 - Published: 2017-05-11 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-30 - Assignees: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin - Applicants: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin; Michelin Recherche Et Technique, S.A. - Inventors: Aurélien Tournebize; Pierre Annet; Christophe Pierre - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767642B2 ## CPC - F04B 13/00: Pumps specially modified to deliver fixed or variable measured quantities - B29C 48/255: Flow control means, e.g. valves (flow dividers B29C48/695) - B29C 48/2552: {provided in the feeding, melting, plasticising or pumping zone, e.g. screw, barrel, gear-pump or ram} - B29C 48/92: Measuring, controlling or regulating - B29D 30/00: Producing pneumatic or solid tyres or parts thereof (producing inner tubes B29D23/24; constructional form of tyres or parts thereof B60C; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; testing of tyres G01M17/02) - F04B 7/0007: {and having a rotating movement} - F04B 49/022: {by means of pressure} - F04B 49/065: {and making use of computers} - F04B 49/08: Regulating by delivery pressure - F04B 49/22: by means of valves (F04B49/03 takes precedence) - F04B 51/00: Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations - B29C 2948/92019: Pressure - B29C 2948/92295: Errors or malfunctioning, e.g. for quality control - B29C 2948/92314: Particular value claimed - B29C 2948/926: Flow or feed rate - F04B 2205/04: Pressure in the outlet chamber - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) ## Abstract A volumetric pump comprising a product metering chamber, a metering piston mounted inside the chamber so as to slide between top dead center and bottom dead center, a sleeve at least partially delimiting an intake chamber and an exhaust chamber for the product, and a product dispenser that is mounted so as to be able to move with respect to the sleeve and is able to place the metering chamber alternately into communication with the intake chamber and the exhaust chamber is provided. The pump also comprises a pressure sensor that is able to measure the pressure of the product inside the metering chamber, and a control unit that is connected to the pressure sensor and is able to verify the presence of pressure peaks exhibiting a value greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a flow rate of a volumetric pump comprising a product metering chamber, a metering piston mounted inside said chamber so as to slide between top dead center and bottom dead center, and an intake chamber and an exhaust chamber for a product that are placed alternately in communication with said metering chamber, the volumetric pump having a pump cycle comprising the following successive phases: an intake phase in which an inlet orifice of the product metering chamber is open and an outlet orifice of the metering chamber is closed, and the metering piston moves from the top dead center until the metering piston reaches the bottom dead center, a delivery phase in which the inlet orifice remains open and the outlet orifice remains closed, and the metering piston moves from the bottom dead center toward the top dead center, a compression phase in which the inlet and outlet orifices are closed so as not to be in communication with the intake and exhaust chambers, and the metering piston continues to move toward the top dead center, and an exhaust phase in which the inlet orifice remains closed and the outlet orifice is open, and the metering piston moves until the metering piston reaches the top dead center, the method comprising the steps of: measuring a pressure of the product inside the metering chamber during at least one pump cycle using a product sensor, and the measuring step including verifying a presence of a pressure peak having a value greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure threshold during the compression phase of said pump cycle; wherein, during the compression phase, the outlet valve is held closed until after the presence of the pressure peak is verified. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of the product inside the metering chamber is measured during a plurality of successive pump cycles, and the presence of the pressure peaks is verified during the compression phase of each of said cycles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2, wherein a warning is output if a ratio between a number of pressure peaks detected and a number of pump cycles is less than a predetermined warning threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein said pressure threshold is defined in accordance with the flow rate of said pump and a type of product pumped. ### Claim 5 A volumetric pump comprising: a product metering chamber, a metering piston mounted inside said chamber so as to slide between top dead center and bottom dead center, a sleeve at least partially delimiting an intake chamber and an exhaust chamber for said product, and a product dispenser movable with respect to the sleeve, the product dispenser places the metering chamber alternately into communication with the intake chamber and the exhaust chamber during operation, and the product dispenser temporarily isolates said metering chamber from any communication with said intake and exhaust chambers, the movements of said product dispenser and the movements of said metering piston being synchronized so as to obtain a pump cycle comprising the following successive phases: an intake phase in which an inlet orifice of said product metering chamber is open and an outlet orifice of said metering chamber is closed, and said metering piston moves from the top dead center until it reaches the bottom dead center, a delivery phase in which said inlet orifice remains open and said outlet orifice remains closed, and said metering piston moves from the bottom dead center toward the top dead center, a compression phase in which said inlet and outlet orifices are closed so as not to be in communication with said intake and exhaust chambers, and said metering piston continues to move toward the top dead center, and an exhaust phase in which said inlet orifice remains closed and said outlet orifice is open, and said metering piston moves until it reaches the top dead center, and wherein the volumetric pump further comprises a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of the product inside the metering chamber, and a control unit that is connected to the pressure sensor and verifies the presence of pressure peaks exhibiting a value greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure threshold during the compression phases: wherein, during the compression phase, the outlet valve is held closed until after the presence of the pressure peak is verified. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A pump according to claim 5, wherein the pressure sensor measures the pressure of the product in a zone of the metering chamber that is situated above the top dead center of the metering piston. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A pump according to claim 5, wherein an active part of the pressure sensor is mounted in an orifice formed in the thickness of a cylinder of said pump that delimits the metering chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) A pump according to claim 5, wherein an active part of the pressure sensor is mounted inside the metering chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) A pump according to claim 5, wherein the control unit calculates a ratio between a number of pressure peaks detected and a number of pump cycles carried out, and triggers a warning when this ratio is less than a predetermined warning threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) A pump according to claim 5, wherein the product dispenser is mounted so as to be able to rotate inside the sleeve and comprises grooves that place the metering chamber alternately into communication with the intake chamber and the exhaust chamber during operation.