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US 2019/0301448 A1Published application
Self-lubricating pump throat seal
AssigneeGraco Minnesota Inc.
InventorsJesse L. Lanie, Dustin A. Tichy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump housing includes an integral vent flow path extending between a low-pressure region and the reservoir. The vent path provides fluid communication between the downstream side of a throat seal dividing the low-pressure region from a high-pressure region and the reservoir. Lubricant flows through the vent path from the reservoir to the low-pressure region to provide lubrication to the throat seal.
Claims20
A lubricant pump comprising:
- a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
- a reservoir mounted on the housing and configured to store a lubricant;
- a piston having a first end and a second end, the piston extending through the housing and configured to draw lubricant through the fluid inlet and drive the lubricant through the fluid outlet;
- a throat seal disposed about the second end of the piston, the throat seal having an upstream face and a downstream face;
- and
- a vent path extending through the housing and configured to provide a flow path for the lubricant between the reservoir and the downstream face of the throat seal.
3 more elements
A lubrication system comprising:
- a pump comprising:
- a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
- a reservoir mounted on the housing and configured to store a lubricant;
- a piston having a first end and a second end, the piston extending through the housing and configured to draw lubricant through the fluid inlet and drive the lubricant through the fluid outlet;
- a motor attached to and configured to drive the piston;
- a throat seal disposed about the second end of the piston, the throat seal having an upstream face and a downstream face;
- and
- a vent path extending through the housing and configured to provide a flow path for the lubricant between the reservoir and the downstream face of the throat seal;
- a lubrication line extending from the fluid outlet;
- a lubricant injector disposed on the lubrication line and configured to receive the lubricant from the lubrication line;
- and
- a controller configured to alternatingly activate the motor to initiate a pressure cycle and to deactivate the motor to initiate a vent cycle.
9 more elements
A housing for a pump, the housing comprising:
- an upstream cylinder bore configured to receive an upstream end of a cylinder;
- a downstream cylinder bore configured to receive a downstream end of a cylinder, the downstream cylinder bore including a high-pressure region and a low-pressure region;
- a fluid inlet extending between a reservoir receiving portion configured to receive a lubricant reservoir and the upstream cylinder bore;
- a vent path extending through the housing between the reservoir receiving portion and the low-pressure region;
- a fluid outlet extending through the housing into the high-pressure region;
- a pressure path extending through the housing from the high-pressure region;
- a vent opening extending between the pressure path and the vent path;
- and
- a pressure relief opening extending through the housing between the pressure path and the vent path;
- wherein the vent path is configured to provide unobstructed fluid communication between the reservoir receiving portion and the low-pressure region.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.