Micropump, Inc., a Unit of Idex Corporation

Micropump, Inc.

David J Grimes

Charles F Carr

Stephen Michael Burns

Keith J Wardle

A pump includes a pump-head portion including a pump body and a magnet cup. The pump body defines an inlet and an outlet, and the pump body and the magnet cup together define a pump cavity. The pump includes a suction shoe situated on the pump body. The suction shoe includes an engaging portion. The pump includes a movable pumping member situated in the pump cavity and at least partially received within the suction shoe. The pump includes a permanent magnet coupled to the pumping member. The pump includes a pump-driver portion including a magnet driver located outside the magnet cup. The pump includes a pressure-absorbing member situated in the pump cavity. The pressure-absorbing member is configured to engage the engaging portion of the suction shoe such that the suction shoe is urged radially inwardly with respect to an outer edge portion of the surface of the pump body.

Systems and methods of securing a compliant member in a pump

A hydraulic circuit includes a pump in fluid communication with a reservoir containing a liquid to be pumped. The pump includes an inlet and an outlet. The hydraulic circuit also includes a venturi pump in fluid communication with the reservoir and with the outlet of the pump, and an injection valve including a cooling feature. The injection valve is in fluid communication with the outlet of the pump, and is configured to dispense liquid supplied to the injection valve by the pump. The cooling feature is in fluid communication with the venturi pump. The pump is configured to produce a first flow of liquid, and the hydraulic circuit is configured to supply a first portion of the first flow of liquid to the injection valve for dispensing by the injection valve and a second portion of the first flow of liquid to the venturi pump.

Pumps and hydraulic circuits including venturi assembly

An exemplary pump-head includes a pump housing having first and second housing portions forming a pump-cavity and a magnet-cavity. The pump-cavity contains a movable pumping element, and the magnet-cavity contains a driven magnet coupled to the movable pumping element. The magnet is driven by a moving external magnetic field, which correspondingly moves the pumping element in the pump-cavity in a pumping manner. The second housing portion has inlet and outlet ports and defines at least respective portions of the magnet-cavity and pump-cavity. The first housing portion is detachable from the second housing portion to allow the pumping element to be accessed and carried away with the first housing portion, without disturbing the second housing portion.

Pumps and pump-heads with separately removable field-serviceable portion

A fluid pump having a pump housing that includes at least one expansion joint, provides volume compensation, as needed, to adjust for changes in pressure in the pump housing. Various embodiments automatically and passively reduce static pressure in the pump housing associated with a freezing event, thereby preventing damage to the pump head. Volume compensation is achieved by employing, in each expansion joint, a dynamic seal that allows relative movement of two portions of the pump housing, and a bias that provides a selected counter-force to the movement of the housing portions. The subject pumps are particularly suited for use in automotive and other rugged applications, in which fluid pumps may experience recurring freezing events.

Pumps and pump heads comprising volume-compensation feature

An exemplary pump includes a pump housing defining a pump cavity, a movable pumping member situated in the pump cavity, and at least one pressure-absorbing member located inside the pump housing. The housing also has an inlet and an outlet, and includes at least one interior non-wearing location that contacts liquid in the pump housing when the pump housing is primed with the liquid. The movable pumping member, when driven to move, urges flow of the liquid from the inlet through the pump cavity to the outlet. The at least one pressure-absorbing member is located inside the pump housing at the non-wearing location and contacts the liquid. The pressure-absorbing member has a compliant property to exhibit a volumetric compression when subjected to a pressure increase in the liquid contacting the pressure-absorbing member, the volumetric compression being sufficient to alleviate at least a portion of the pressure increase.

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Beaverton, OR, United States of America

David J Grimes