Compact vacuum pump
OwnerCarmeli Adahaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum pump capable of pumping solid, liquid and gas, or any combination thereof, including a drive (40) and a manually disengageable pumping system connected thereto. The pumping system is composed of a two- or three-chambered canister (1, 18, 21) within which solids, liquids, and gases can be separated from one another. A highly flexible diaphragm (24) attached to the canister and sealed against it circumferentially, facilitates this separation, when reciprocating and pumping. The components of the pumping system are designed to be disposable, and the two- or three-chambered canister provides for a highly efficient pumping system that is significantly smaller in size than those previously known. The pump is particularly useful for medical applications.
Claims18
A pumping apparatus for pumping a fluid, comprising:
- (A) a pump drive unit, comprising a motor accommodated in a drive unit housing;
- (B) a disposable pump unit including a pump base, a pumping chamber and a pump member, said pumping chamber being adapted to expand and contract for pumping by two-way forced reciprocation of said pump member, and further comprising one-way inlet and one-way outlet valves to said pumping chamber, said inlet and outlet valves being operable to alternately open and close by action of said fluid pumped through said chamber responsive to said reciprocation, wherein said pump member is fixedly attached to said pump base to define therebetween said pumping chamber, wherein said attachment is independent of said pump drive unit;
- and
- (C) mechanical coupling for reversibly mechanically coupling said pump base with said drive unit housing, wherein said motor and said pump member are configured so that attaching said pump base to said drive unit housing via said mechanical coupling brings said pump member and said motor to a position wherein operation of said drive unit results in engagement between said motor and said pump member, and providing for said reciprocation of said pump member by means of said drive unit;
- wherein said pump drive unit is configured for operation as a non-disposable unit, wherein said disposable pump unit is removed from said pump drive unit after use and allowing for further operation of said pump drive unit with a replacement disposable pump unit.
An attachable and detachable disposable pump unit for use with a non-disposable pump drive unit, wherein the pump drive unit comprises a motor accommodated in a drive unit housing, the pump unit comprising:
- a pump base, a pumping chamber and a pump member, said pumping chamber being adapted to expand and contract for pumping by two-way forced reciprocation of said pump member, and further comprising one-way inlet and one-way outlet valves to said pumping chamber, said inlet and outlet valves being operable to alternately open and close by action of a fluid pumped through said chamber responsive to said reciprocation, wherein said pump member is fixedly attached to said pump base to define therebetween said pumping chamber, wherein said attachment is independent of the pump drive unit;
- and
- wherein said pump unit includes at least a portion of a mechanical coupling for reversibly mechanically coupling said pump base with the drive unit housing, wherein said motor and said pump member are configured so that attaching said pump base to said drive unit housing via said mechanical coupling brings said pump member and said motor to a position wherein operation of said drive unit results in engagement between said motor and said pump member, and providing for said reciprocation of said pump member by means of the drive unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.