Pumps – Motor driven – Magnetostrictive chamber
Patent
1989-02-28
1990-04-17
Stout, Donald E.
Pumps
Motor driven
Magnetostrictive chamber
417474, 417478, 310 26, 310366, 310267, 310269, 310328, F04B 4312
Patent
active
049175793
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a transporter of the kind which includes at least one elongated transporting element which is made of a material capable of changing its volume in response to the application of voltage or magnetic fields thereacross, wherewith a transporting element, optionally together with a further transporting element or some other part of the transporter, defines an elongated transporting channel, and which transporter further includes means for generating such fields in predetermined regions along said transporting element and in a given order of sequence such as to generate substantially peristaltic motion in said element, said means including at least three conductors which are arranged peripherally in relation to the transporting element and to which different phases of a multi-phase alternating voltage or alternating current are applied.
Known transporters of this kind (cf for instance JP 53-27103) are used normally as pumps for the controlled transportation of relatively small quantities of liquid per unit of time, e.g. for supplying ink to ink jet printers. These known transporters incorporate conductors in the form of three or more mutually adjacent, individual rings or annuli which are distributed along the length of the transporting element and extend perpendicular to the direction of transportation, and each of which is coupled to an appropriate phase of an alternating voltage or alternating current source. In order to obtain high pumping pressures, the transporting element must have a considerable length and a relatively large number of conductor rings must be provided, each of which rings needs to be connected to its respective phase in the multi-phase alternating voltage or alternating current source, which complicates the construction and manufacture of the transporter.
One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and advantageous transporter of the aforesaid kind which is simpler and easier to manufacture then known transporters of a similar kind.
Accordingly, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the aforesaid conductors comprise conductors which extend in mutually adjacent relationship substantially helically in relation to the transporting element. This enables a large number of conductor turns, corresponding to the conductor rings of known transporters, to be readily provided in an advantageous manner with the aid of only a few, e.g. only three, conductors, and requires only a single connection between each conductor, which normally forms many turns along the associated transporting element, and the alternating voltage or current source for operating the transporter.
The helical conductor arrangement gives rise to a component of force which forms an angle with the direction of transportation and therewith tends to rotate the material or medium transported by the transporter. This property can be utilized, for example, to influence ballistically or to stabilize a jet of liquid exiting from the transporting channel when using the transporter as a pump, by suitable selection of the pitch of the helically extending conductors. For the purpose of obtaining high pump pressures or large forces in the direction of transportation, it is preferred to use a small pitch with subsequently many coil turns per unit of length. An advantage is afforded when, in accordance with one feature of the invention, the essentially helical conductors have a pitch which changes abruptly or successively along the length of the transporting element, e.g. increases towards the outlet side of the transporting channel so as, primarily when used as a liquid pump, to first engender a considerable build-up in pressure and then a more pronounced rotational effect, or decreases towards said outlet end so as to engender a stepwise or successive build-up in pressure.
The transporting element, or each transporting element, may be in the form of a tube or rod made of a piezo-electric or magnetostrictive material, e.g. material which is capable of changing its volume in correspon
REFERENCES:
patent: 2317166 (1943-04-01), Abrams
patent: 2786416 (1957-03-01), Fenemore
patent: 3924974 (1975-12-01), Fischbeck et al.
patent: 4115036 (1978-09-01), Paterson
patent: 4308546 (1981-12-01), Halasz
patent: 4449893 (1984-05-01), Beckman et al.
patent: 4499479 (1985-02-01), Lee et al.
patent: 4822250 (1989-04-01), Tsubouchi et al.
KAILEG AB
Scheuermann David W.
Stout Donald E.
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