Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Pump assemblies are disclosed that have a magnetically driven pump-head subassembly and a pump-driver subassembly coupled thereto, wherein the pump-driver subassembly includes a pump-driver enclosure. The pump-head subassembly comprises a rotatable magnet contained in a magnet cup extending into the pump-driver enclosure. The pump-driver subassembly has a printed circuit board (PCB) in the pump-driver enclosure and a stator mounted to the PCB. The stator coaxially surrounds the magnet cup. The magnet cup has a distal-end wall. The printed circuit board includes a stator-driving circuit and at least one signal-processing circuit. The PCB defines a void relative to the distal-end wall that exposes at least half the distal-end wall. The pump-driver enclosure has an aspect ratio of no greater than one (unity).

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Various methods are disclosed for manufacturing pump-heads having a housing enclosing at least one rotary member. In an exemplary method first and second housing portions are provided that collectively, when assembled, define a pump-cavity that accommodates the rotary member(s). The rotary member(s) is assembled into the pump-cavity, along with at least one soluble spacer of a defined thickness that corresponds to a desired clearance of the rotary member relative to the pump-cavity. The spacer contacts a surface of the rotary member facing a corresponding surface of the housing portion. The first and second housing portions are attached together to form the pump-cavity containing the rotary member(s). The soluble spacer is dissolved to provide the desired clearance of the rotary member in the pump-cavity. As the housing portions are attached together, e.g., by adhesive bonding, the spacer establishes the desired clearance of the rotary member(s) in the pump-cavity.

Abstract: Valveless piston pumps are disclosed that are magnetically driven, thereby eliminating a troublesome dynamic seal used on conventional valveless piston pumps. An exemplary embodiment includes a housing defining a bore having a bore axis. A piston is situated in the bore so as to be movable in the bore in a reciprocating manner along the bore axis and in a rotational manner about the bore axis. A magnet is situated in the bore and is coupled to the piston. The magnet is engageable magnetically with a magnet-driving device configured to cause the magnet, and thus the piston, to move in the reciprocating manner and in the rotational manner. An exemplary magnet-driving device is a stator assembly.

Abstract: Magnetically driven gear-pump heads and pumps are disclosed. An exemplary gear-pump head includes a housing, a magnet cup, a pump driving gear, and a pump driven gear. The housing has a pump axis and defines a pump cavity. The magnet cup extends along the pump axis and contains a driven magnet that is rotatable inside the magnet cup about the pump axis. The driven magnet comprises a first driving gear. The pump driving gear has a first gear axis, and the pump driven gear has a second gear axis. The first gear axis is parallel to but laterally offset from the pump axis on a first side of the pump axis. The second gear axis is parallel to but laterally offset from the pump axis on a second side of the pump axis. The pump gears are situated in the pump cavity and interdigitate with each other such that rotation of the pump driving gear causes a corresponding contrarotation of the pump driven gear.

Abstract: Gear pumps are disclosed having a gear-assembly section, a drive-assembly section, and at least one passage fluidly connecting the gear-assembly and drive-assembly sections, wherein the passage includes substantially non-movable walls defining a non-linear fluid-flow path. A particular example is a magnetic gear pump having a gear-assembly section; a section that includes a magnet assembly received in a cup cavity; and a third section located between the gear-assembly and magnet-assembly sections, wherein the third section includes a fluid-input port, a fluid-output port, and at least one conduit for fluidly interconnecting the gear-assembly and magnet-assembly sections; and a member defining at least one non-linear passage in fluid connection with the third section conduit and the cup cavity.

Abstract: A fluid dispense system having a computer control system that operatively controls a stepper motor driving a nutating pump. The stepper motor actuates the nutating pump piston through partial revolutions. The computer control system determines the number of stepper motor steps required to pump a desired amount of fluid by the nutating pump by rotating the piston through segments which are less than a full revolution.

Abstract: Gear pumps are disclosed having a gear-assembly section, a drive-assembly section, and at least one passage fluidly connecting the gear-assembly and drive-assembly sections, wherein the passage includes substantially non-movable walls defining a non-linear fluid-flow path. A particular example is a magnetic gear pump having a gear-assembly section; a section that includes a magnet assembly received in a cup cavity; and a third section located between the gear-assembly and magnet-assembly sections, wherein the third section includes a fluid-input port, a fluid-output port, and at least one conduit for fluidly interconnecting the gear-assembly and magnet-assembly sections; and a member defining at least one non-linear passage in fluid connection with the third section conduit and the cup cavity.

Abstract: A fluid dispense system having a computer control system that operatively controls a stepper motor driving a nutating pump. The stepper motor actuates the nutating pump piston through partial revolutions. The computer control system determines the number of stepper motor steps required to pump a desired amount of fluid by the nutating pump by rotating the piston through segments which are less than a full revolution.

Abstract: A system and a method are provided for velocity modulation to create pulseless delivery of a fluid by a pump, particularly a piston pump. The system and method require input of data, such as a user-entered dispense rate or analog current or voltage input proportional to a desired output rate. A timer or counter is pre-loaded from a lookup table stored in a processor. The time or counter is started and, upon detection of an overflow condition, the motor and table pointer are incremented one step. As a result, pulseless operation of a pump is achieved.

Abstract: An encapsulated magnet assembly has a magnet encapsulated during a two-step molding process. The first step includes molding a first molded section over a magnet assembly. The second step of the process includes molding a second molded section over the magnet and the first molded section in such a manner that the entire magnet is covered by the two molded sections completely. A first parting line is defined between the first and second molded sections along an elongate tapered section of the first molded section at the one end of the assembly. A second parting line is defined between the first and second molded sections at a dovetail on the first molded section. An outwardly tapered surface is provided on the dovetail. The two parting lines define leak-free seams between the two molded sections thereby sealingly encapsulating the magnet within the two molded sections.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing herringbone gears with an injection molding process is provided. The apparatus involves the use of two separable mold halves each of which include a mold cavity for molding one half of the gear. Moldable material is injected into the mold halves when they are in a sealing abutting engagement. After the material solidifies, the mold halves are separated and the gear is simultaneously unscrewed from each mold cavity.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing herringbone gears using an injection molding process is provided. The process involves the use of two separable mold halves each of which include a mold cavity for molding one half of the gear. Moldable material is injected into the mold halves when they are in a sealing abutting engagement. After the material solidifies, the mold halves are separated and the gear is simultaneously unscrewed from each mold cavity.

Abstract: A reciprocating piston pump provides pulseless delivery of liquid. It is suitable for use in compact environments or for the delivery of small amounts of liquid, as in chromatographic analysis devices. The pump includes two pistons with pumping chambers that are alternately connected to inflow and outflow lines through a control valve. The control valve moves between a first position in which inflow is directed to the first piston chamber and outflow to the second piston chamber, and a second position in which outflow is directed to the first piston chamber and inflow is directed to the second piston chamber. Each outflow pulse from the piston is sustained longer than each inflow pulse, and the outflow pulses are staggered and partially superimposed to provide substantially pulseless delivery of liquid from the pump. A rotating cam moves the pistons of the pumps and the control valve between their operating positions described above.