Pump assembly

A pump assembly comprising:

• a housing including a main housing, an upper cover, a lower cover, a fluid outlet and an interior volume open to the surrounding environment through open ends of the housing, wherein a fluid flow is drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the open ends of the main housing;
• a motor supported by the main housing, the motor including a drive shaft rotatable about a drive shaft axis;
• a crankshaft coupled to the drive shaft for rotation by the drive shaft;
• a diaphragm assembly supported by the main housing and including a first, second, third, and fourth diaphragm, wherein the main housing and diaphragm assembly are configured such that each of the first, second, third, and fourth diaphragms is fluidly connected with the interior volume of the main housing to receive the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing;
• a first connecting rod coupled to the crankshaft and to the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm, the first connecting rod configured to reciprocate along a first connecting rod axis in response to rotation of the crankshaft to move the first diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet and to move the second diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet out of phase with the first diaphragm;
• and
• a second connecting rod coupled to the crankshaft and to the third diaphragm and the fourth diaphragm, the second connecting rod configured to reciprocate along a second connecting rod axis that is not parallel to the first connecting rod axis in response to rotation of the crankshaft to move the third diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet and to move the fourth diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet out of phase with the third diaphragm, wherein the second connecting rod axis is offset from the first connecting rod axis in a direction along the drive shaft axis,
• wherein the first diaphragm is positioned along a first plane of the main housing, the second diaphragm is positioned along a second plane of the main housing spaced apart from and parallel to the first plane, the third diaphragm is positioned along a third plane of the main housing orthogonal to the first and second planes, and the fourth diaphragm is positioned along a fourth plane of the main housing spaced apart from and parallel to the third plane,
• wherein the first, second, third, and fourth diaphragms define a diaphragm assembly positioned between an exterior surface of the main housing and an interior surface of each of the upper and lower covers, the diaphragm assembly further including a plurality of air intake valves and a plurality of air outlet valves,
• wherein each diaphragm of the diaphragm assembly is associated with an aperture provided in the main housing,
• wherein the diaphragm assembly has a main body integrally formed as a single piece of material, wherein each diaphragm of the diaphragm assembly, each air intake valve of the plurality of air intake valves, and each air outlet valve of the plurality of air outlet valves is integrally formed with the single piece of material,
• wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth diaphragms is associated with a respective aperture provided in the main housing,
• wherein each of the upper and lower covers includes a plurality of recesses each aligned with a respective aperture in the main housing and an associated diaphragm,
• wherein each pair of aligned recesses and diaphragms defines an air chamber therebetween, wherein each air chamber is in fluid communication with a respective air intake valve of the plurality of air intake valves, each air intake valve is configured to be in fluid communication with a corresponding air intake passageway formed in the main housing, and wherein each air chamber is in fluid communication with a respective air outlet valve of the plurality of air outlet valves, each air outlet valve is configured to be in fluid communication with corresponding air outlet passageway recessed into the exterior surface of the main housing beneath the diaphragm assembly such that the diaphragm assembly forms a portion of an outer lateral wall of each air outlet passageway apart from each air outlet valve in fluid communication with the respective air outlet passageway, and
• wherein each of the upper and lower covers includes a plurality of openings, wherein each opening is positioned over and in fluid communication with either a respective air intake valve of the plurality of air intake valves or a respective air outlet valve of the plurality of air outlet valves, wherein each opening is configured to direct airflow either into or out of a respective air chamber in an airflow path parallel to a direction of the reciprocation of each of the respective first, second, third, and fourth diaphragms between the intake position and the compression position.

A pump assembly comprising:

• a housing including a main housing, an upper cover, a lower cover, a fluid outlet and an interior volume open to the surrounding environment through open ends of the main housing, wherein a fluid flow is drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the open ends of the main housing;
• a motor supported by the main housing, the motor including a drive shaft rotatable about a drive shaft axis;
• a crankshaft coupled to the drive shaft for rotation by the drive shaft;
• a diaphragm assembly supported by the housing and including a first, second, third, and fourth diaphragm, wherein the main housing and diaphragm assembly are configured such that each of the first, second, third, and fourth diaphragms is fluidly connected with the interior volume of the main housing to receive the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing;
• a first connecting rod coupled to the crankshaft and to the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm, the first connecting rod configured to reciprocate along a first connecting rod axis in response to rotation of the crankshaft to move the first diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet and to move the second diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet out of phase with the first diaphragm;
• and
• a second connecting rod coupled to the crankshaft and to the third diaphragm and the fourth diaphragm, the second connecting rod configured to reciprocate along a second connecting rod axis that is not parallel to the first connecting rod axis in response to rotation of the crankshaft to move the third diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet and to move the fourth diaphragm between an intake position and a compression position to pump the fluid flow drawn into the interior volume of the main housing through the fluid outlet out of phase with the third diaphragm, wherein the second connecting rod axis is offset from the first connecting rod axis in a direction along the drive shaft axis,
• wherein the first diaphragm is positioned along a first plane of the main housing, the second diaphragm is positioned along a second plane of the main housing spaced apart from and parallel to the first plane, the third diaphragm is positioned along a third plane of the main housing orthogonal to the first and second planes, and the fourth diaphragm is positioned along a fourth plane of the main housing spaced apart from and parallel to the third plane,
• wherein the first, second, third, and fourth diaphragms define a diaphragm assembly positioned between an exterior surface of the main housing and an interior surface of each of the upper and lower covers, the diaphragm assembly further including a plurality of air intake valves and a plurality of air outlet valves,
• wherein each diaphragm of the diaphragm assembly is associated with an aperture provided in the main housing,
• wherein the diaphragm assembly has a main body integrally formed as a single piece of material, wherein each diaphragm of the diaphragm assembly, each air intake valve of the plurality of air intake valves, and each air outlet valve of the plurality of air outlet valves is integrally formed with the single piece of material,
• wherein each of the upper and lower covers includes a plurality of recesses each aligned with a respective aperture in the main housing and an associated diaphragm,
• wherein each pair of aligned recesses and diaphragms defines an air chamber therebetween, wherein each air chamber is in fluid communication with a respective air intake valve of the plurality of air intake valves, each air intake valve configured to be in fluid communication with a corresponding air intake passageway formed in the main housing, and wherein each air chamber is in fluid communication with a respective air outlet valve of the plurality of air outlet valves, each air outlet valve is configured to be in fluid communication with a corresponding air outlet passageway recessed into the exterior surface of the main housing beneath the diaphragm assembly,
• wherein the main housing, diaphragm assembly, and upper and lower covers are configured such that the diaphragm assembly forms a portion of an outer lateral wall of each air outlet passageway apart from each air outlet valve in fluid communication with the respective air outlet passageway.