JP7792844B2 - Rapid exhaust valve integrated diaphragm pump - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a diaphragm pump with an integrated quick exhaust valve, which opens when the gas supply is stopped.

Conventionally, pumps that supply air to the cuff (arm band) of a blood pressure monitor include a diaphragm pump with an integrated quick-release valve that is equipped with a quick-release valve that discharges air after the air supply is stopped, as described in Patent Document 1, for example.
The diaphragm pump described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a check valve in the passage through which air is ejected, and a rapid exhaust valve that opens and closes in response to the pressure difference between the pressure upstream of the check valve (the pump chamber side) and the pressure downstream of the check valve. The rapid exhaust valve closes when the pressure upstream of the check valve exceeds a predetermined pressure and opens when the pressure upstream of the check valve falls below the predetermined pressure. When the rapid exhaust valve opens, air downstream of the check valve is discharged through the rapid exhaust valve to the outside of the pump.

When this diaphragm pump starts operating, the pressure upstream of the check valve rises and the quick exhaust valve closes, opening the check valve and discharging air, which is then supplied to the cuff of the blood pressure monitor. Meanwhile, after air has been supplied to the cuff, the diaphragm pump stops, causing the pressure upstream of the check valve to drop, opening the quick exhaust valve and discharging the air downstream of the check valve, i.e., the air on the cuff side.

Patent No. 6913365

In the diaphragm pump with integrated rapid exhaust valve described in Patent Document 1, all of the air is discharged through the check valve. As a result, this diaphragm pump with integrated rapid exhaust valve faces valve resistance caused by opening the check valve when discharging air, resulting in a large flow loss.

The object of the present invention is to provide a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid discharge valve that can achieve a large flow rate despite having a check valve in the air discharge passage.

To achieve this objective, the diaphragm pump with integrated rapid exhaust valve of the present invention comprises a pump body having diaphragms that form multiple pump chambers and a drive mechanism for expanding and contracting the pump chambers; a rapid exhaust valve structure having a first supply passage through which gas is supplied from some of the multiple pump chambers and a second supply passage through which gas is supplied from the remaining pump chambers, and a discharge passage connected to an object to be pressurized; the rapid exhaust valve structure comprises an input side space connected to the first supply passage; a discharge passage having one end connected to the input side space and the other end opening to the outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure; an output side space separated from the input side space by a partition, connected to the second supply passage and communicating with the discharge passage; a check valve that allows gas in the input side space to flow into the output side space; and a check valve having one end connected to the output side space and The rapid exhaust valve structure has an exhaust passage whose other end opens to the outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure, and a rapid exhaust valve having a valve body that opens and closes an exhaust port formed at one end of the exhaust passage, closing the exhaust port when the pressure in the input space is higher than the pressure in the output space, and opening the exhaust port when the pressure in the input space is equal to or lower than the pressure in the output space. The exhaust passage is configured to generate a predetermined flow resistance, and the predetermined flow resistance is set as a flow resistance such that when the flow rate of gas supplied to the input space through the first supply passage is equal to or lower than a predetermined flow rate, the gas supplied to the input space is discharged into the atmosphere through the exhaust passage, and when the flow rate of gas supplied to the input space through the first supply passage exceeds the predetermined flow rate, the rapid exhaust valve closes the exhaust port and the gas in the input space flows through the check valve to the output space.

The present invention may further include, in the diaphragm pump with integrated rapid exhaust valve, a first housing disposed between the diaphragm and the partition wall, which cooperates with the diaphragm to form the pump chamber and cooperates with the partition wall to form the input space; and a second housing which cooperates with the first housing to sandwich the partition wall and form the output space between itself and the partition wall, wherein the first housing has a pump outlet passage opposite the pump chamber, and the partition wall has a discharge valve that opens and closes the pump outlet passage, the first supply passage extending from the discharge valve to the input space through the gap between the first housing and the partition wall, and the second supply passage extending from the discharge valve to the output space through the gap between the partition wall and the second housing.

This invention provides a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid discharge valve that can achieve a large flow rate despite having a check valve in the air discharge passage, because some of the air is discharged without passing through the check valve.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid exhaust valve according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rapid exhaust valve structure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing the main part of the lower housing. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the diaphragm. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the first housing. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the partition wall. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the second housing. FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a part of a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid exhaust valve. FIG. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a part of a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid exhaust valve. FIG. 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a part of a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid exhaust valve. FIG. 12 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a part of a rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump. FIG. 13 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a part of a rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump. FIG. 14 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a part of a rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump.

(First embodiment)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid exhaust valve according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
The diaphragm pump 1 with an integrated quick exhaust valve shown in Figure 1 is attached to a motor 2 located at the bottom in Figure 1 and is driven by this motor 2. The diaphragm pump 1 with an integrated quick exhaust valve according to this embodiment is a pump that sucks in and discharges air. In this embodiment, air corresponds to the "gas" defined in the present invention.
This diaphragm pump 1 with an integrated rapid exhaust valve includes a pump body 3 fixed to a motor 2 and a rapid exhaust valve structure 4 attached to the pump body 3 .

<Explanation of the pump body>
The pump main body 3 is composed of a housing 5 fixed to the motor 2 and a plurality of functional parts held in the housing 5 .
The housing 5 is formed into a cylindrical shape by combining a plurality of members in the axial direction of the motor 2 (the vertical direction in FIG. 1 ), and is positioned coaxially with the rotary shaft 6 of the motor 2 .

The multiple components that make up the housing 5 include a bottomed, rectangular cylindrical base body 11 secured to the motor 2 with fixing bolts 7, a diaphragm holder 12 attached to the opening of the bottom body 11, and a disc-shaped valve holder 14 attached to the diaphragm holder 12 with a diaphragm 13 (described below) sandwiched between the diaphragm holder 12 and the diaphragm holder 12.

The diaphragm 13 is held between the diaphragm holder 12 and the valve holder 14. The diaphragm 13 has a plurality of cup-shaped deformation portions 15 that open toward the valve holder 14. These deformation portions 15 are provided at positions in the circumferential direction of the housing 5 that divide the diaphragm 13 into a plurality of portions. These deformation portions 15 are inserted into holes 12a formed in the diaphragm holder 12.
The opening of the deformation portion 15 is closed by the valve holder 14. Furthermore, a plate-shaped suction valve body 16 is integrally formed at the opening of each deformation portion 15, protruding along the valve holder 14 toward the inside of the deformation portion 15.

A pump chamber 17 is formed between the deformation portion 15 and the valve holder 14. Therefore, the diaphragm 13 cooperates with the valve holder 14 to form the pump chamber 17.
A piston 18 is provided at the bottom of the cup-shaped deformation portion 15, and a connecting piece 19 is provided that protrudes in the opposite direction from the pump chamber 17. This connecting piece 19 is connected to a driver 22 of a drive mechanism 21, which will be described later.

An intake passage 23 and an output passage 24 are formed in the portion of the valve holder 14 that forms the wall of the pump chamber 17. The intake passage 23 is provided on the outer edge side of the valve holder 14, in a position that overlaps with the intake valve element 16. The opening of this intake passage 23 on the pump chamber 17 side is opened and closed by the intake valve element 16.
The output passage 24 is provided on the center side of the valve holder 14 .

A discharge valve element 25, which constitutes the "discharge valve" of the present invention, is attached to the end face of the valve holder 14 opposite the pump chamber 17. The discharge valve element 25 has a base 25a attached to a protrusion 14a protruding from the center of the valve holder 14, and a valve element portion 25b for each pump chamber 17 that protrudes from this base 25a along the valve holder 14. The valve element portion 25b faces the opening of the output passage 24 on the side opposite the pump chamber 17. The opening of this output passage 24 is opened and closed by the valve element portion 25b.

This discharge valve element 25 and the aforementioned suction valve element 16 each open and close in response to increases and decreases in the volume of the pump chamber 17. The discharge valve element 25 opens during the contraction stroke, when the volume of the pump chamber 17 decreases, and is closed at other times. The suction valve element 16 opens during the expansion stroke, when the volume of the pump chamber 17 increases, and is closed at other times. The volume of the pump chamber 17 changes when the piston 18 of the diaphragm 13 is pushed and pulled by the drive mechanism 21, which will be described later.

The drive mechanism 21 includes a crank body 31 attached to the rotary shaft 6 of the motor 2, and a driver 22 connected to the crank body 31 via a drive shaft 32. The crank body 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape and fixed to the rotary shaft 6. Therefore, the crank body 31 rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 6.
The drive shaft 32 is supported by the crank body 31 with one end thereof on the crank body 31 side fixed to a portion of the crank body 31 that is eccentric from the rotary shaft 6 , and is inclined in a predetermined direction relative to the rotary shaft 6 .

The driver 22 is composed of a cylindrical shaft portion 33 rotatably supported on a drive shaft 32 and a plurality of arms 34 projecting radially outward from the shaft portion 33 .
The arm portions 34 are provided for each deformation portion 15 of the diaphragm 13 and extend radially outward from the shaft portion 33. Through holes 34a are formed in the arm portions 34. The connecting pieces 19 of the diaphragm 13 are fitted into the through holes 34a. The connecting pieces 19 are fixed to the arm portions 34 while passing through the arm portions 34.
According to this drive mechanism 21, the crank body 31 and the drive shaft 32 rotate together with the rotary shaft 6 of the motor 2, causing the drive body 22 to swing, thereby expanding and contracting the pump chamber 17.

<Explanation of rapid exhaust valve structure>
The rapid exhaust valve structure 4 is composed of a lower housing 41 attached to the valve holder 14, an upper housing 42 attached on top of the lower housing 41, and a partition wall 43 sandwiched and held between the lower housing 41 and the upper housing 42.

The lower housing 41 has an outer cylindrical body 44, an inner cylindrical body 45, and a partition wall 46 that protrude toward the valve holder 14, and a cylinder 47 that protrudes away from the valve holder 14. The lower housing 41 is molded into a predetermined shape using a plastic material in a mold (not shown).
The outer cylindrical body 44 is provided on the outer edge of the lower housing 41. The inner cylindrical body 45 and the partition wall 46 are provided inside the outer cylindrical body 44. The protruding ends of the outer cylindrical body 44, the inner cylindrical body 45, and the partition wall 46 are fixed to the valve holder 14 in an airtight manner.

An intake space 48 is formed between the outer cylindrical body 44 and the inner cylindrical body 45. This intake space 48 is surrounded by the outer edge of the lower housing 41, which includes the outer cylindrical body 44 and the inner cylindrical body 45, and the outer edge of the valve holder 14. The above-mentioned intake passage 23 connects this intake space 48 to the pump chamber 17. Furthermore, the intake space 48 is connected to the atmosphere by an inflow passage 49 that passes through the outer cylindrical body 44.
The partition wall 46 separates the space surrounded by the inner cylindrical body 45 into individual pump chambers. In this embodiment, a first supply space 50 corresponding to the pump chamber 17 depicted on the right side in Fig. 1 and a second supply space 51 corresponding to the pump chamber 17 depicted on the left side in Fig. 1 are formed in the inner cylindrical body 45 by the partition wall 46.

The first supply space 50 and the second supply space 51 are formed by being surrounded by the central portion of the lower housing 41, including the inner cylindrical body 45, and the central portion of the valve holder 14. The output passage 24 described above connects the first and second supply spaces 50, 51 with the pump chamber 17. Furthermore, a discharge valve element 25 is provided in each of the first supply space 50 and the second supply space 51.

A first supply passage 52 is formed in the center of the lower housing 41, in a portion that constitutes the wall of the first supply space 50. One end of this first supply passage 52 opens to the first supply space 50, and the other end opens to an input space 53 formed between the lower housing 41 and a partition wall 43 (described later). Gas is supplied to this first supply passage 52 from the pump chamber 17 through the output passage 24 and the first supply space 50.
A second supply passage 54 is formed in a portion of the lower housing 41 that forms the wall of the second supply space 51. One end of the second supply passage 54 opens to the second supply space 51, and the other end opens to the interior of the cylinder 47. The interior of the cylinder 47 is in communication with an output space 61 formed between the upper housing 42 and a partition wall 43, which will be described later.

The cylinder 47 is provided on one side of the lower housing 41 (the left side in FIG. 1).
A discharge passage 55 is formed on the other side of the lower housing 41, on the end face opposite the valve holder 14. As shown in FIG. 3 , this discharge passage 55 is formed by a recessed groove that opens into the mating surface 41 a of the lower housing 41 where it meets the upper housing 42. The cross-sectional area of the discharge passage 55 is equal to or greater than the cross-sectional area of the first supply passage 52. The length of the discharge passage 55 is longer than the length of the first supply passage 52 and is a length that generates a predetermined flow resistance. This flow resistance will be described later.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper housing 42 has a discharge cylindrical portion 56 and an exhaust cylindrical portion 57 that protrude toward the opposite side from the lower housing 41, and is attached to the lower housing 41 so as to be airtight, with the partition wall 43, which will be described later, sandwiched between the upper housing 42 and the lower housing 41.
The discharge cylinder 56 is provided at a position opposite to the cylinder 47 of the lower housing 41 .

In this embodiment, the discharge cylinder 56 is formed by a large-diameter portion 56a that covers the cylinder 47 of the lower housing 41, and a small-diameter portion 56b that protrudes from this large-diameter portion 56a. In this embodiment, a discharge passage 58 is formed inside the discharge cylinder 56. One end of an air supply hose (not shown) is connected to the small-diameter portion 56b. The other end of the air supply hose is connected to an object to be pressurized (not shown).

The exhaust cylindrical portion 57 is formed as a double cylinder having an inner cylinder 57a and an outer cylinder 57b. An exhaust passage 59 is formed in the center of the inner cylinder 57a. One end of the exhaust passage 59 opens as an exhaust port 62 into an output space 61 formed between the upper housing 42 and a partition wall 43 (described below). The other end of the exhaust passage 59 opens to the top surface of the upper housing 42 (the outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure 4).

The partition wall 43 is formed in a plate shape from an elastic material such as rubber and separates the lower housing 41 from the upper housing 42. The input space 53 formed between the partition wall 43 and the lower housing 41 is connected to the first supply passage 52 of the lower housing 41. The upstream end (left end in Figure 1) of the above-mentioned discharge passage 55 is connected to the input space 53 via a gap 64 (see Figure 3) formed between the partition wall 43 and the rapid exhaust valve support seat 63 of the lower housing 41. The downstream end of this discharge passage 55 opens to the outer surface of the lower housing 41 (the outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure 4).

An output-side space 61 formed between the partition wall 43 and the upper housing 42 is separated from the input-side space 53 by the partition wall 43. The output-side space 61 is connected to a discharge passage 58 and an exhaust passage 59 provided in the upper housing 42, respectively.
A cylindrical valve element 65 that protrudes toward the upper housing 42 is provided on one side (the left side in FIG. 1 ) of the partition wall 43. This cylindrical valve element 65 cooperates with the cylinder 47 of the lower housing 41 to form a check valve 66.

This check valve 66 allows air from the input space 53 to flow into the output space 61. The cylinder 47 forms the valve seat of the check valve 66. The cylindrical valve element 65 is formed in a cylindrical shape that covers the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 47. The protruding end of the cylindrical valve element 65 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 47 over the entire circumferential direction. The base end of the cylindrical valve element 65 is formed so that its diameter is larger than that of the cylinder 47. The space between this cylindrical valve element 65 and the cylinder 47 is part of the input space 53.

2, the partition wall 43 is provided with a valve body 72 of a rapid exhaust valve 71. The rapid exhaust valve 71 is composed of the valve body 72 and a valve seat 73 formed on the inner cylinder 57a of the exhaust cylindrical portion 57 described above.
The valve element 72 is composed of a relatively thin, annular support portion 72a and a plate-like portion 72b located in the center of the support portion 72a. The plate-like portion 72b of the valve element 72 moves toward and away from the valve seat 73 in response to the pressure in the input-side space 53 and the pressure in the output-side space 61.

When the pressure in the input space 53 is higher than the pressure in the output space 61, the valve element 72 seats on the valve seat 73 and closes the exhaust port 62, as shown in Figure 2. When the pressure in the input space 53 is equal to or lower than the pressure in the output space 61, the valve element 72 moves away from the valve seat 73, opening the exhaust port 62, and the plate-shaped portion 72b comes into contact with the rapid exhaust valve support seat 63 on the lower housing 41, as shown in Figure 1.

<Description of Operation of the Rapid Discharge Valve-Integrated Diaphragm Pump According to the First Embodiment>
Next, the operation of the rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump 1 configured as described above will be described.
When the rotating shaft 6 of the motor 2 rotates, the crank body 31 and the drive shaft 32 rotate about the rotating shaft 6, and the arm 34 of the driver 22 pushes and pulls the piston 18 of the diaphragm 13. As the piston 18 is pulled by the arm 34, the pump chamber 17 expands and the suction valve element 16 opens, allowing air to be drawn into the pump chamber 17 from the inlet passage 49 through the suction space 48 and the suction passage 23. Meanwhile, as the piston 18 is pushed by the arm 34, the pump chamber 17 contracts and the discharge valve element 25 opens, allowing air within the pump chamber 17 to flow into the output passage 24, the first and second supply spaces 50 and 51, and the first and second supply passages 52 and 54. Air flowing into the first supply passage 52 flows into the input space 53. Air flowing into the second supply passage 54 flows into the output space 61.

The input space 53 is open to the atmosphere via the exhaust passage 55. Therefore, air flowing into the input space 53 is released into the atmosphere through the exhaust passage 59 while encountering the flow resistance of the exhaust passage 55. The maximum flow rate of air discharged through the exhaust passage 55 is limited by the flow resistance of the exhaust passage 55. This flow resistance is set so that when the flow rate of air flowing into the input space 53 through the first supply passage 52 is below a predetermined flow rate, all of the air is discharged through the exhaust passage 55. This "predetermined flow rate" is set appropriately depending on the discharge rates of all pump chambers 17. When the flow rate of air flowing into the input space 53 through the first supply passage 52 is below a predetermined flow rate, the rapid exhaust valve 71 is open, as shown in FIG. 1. In this state, most of the air flowing into the output space 61 from the second supply passage 54 is discharged to the outside of the pump through the exhaust passage 59.

If the flow rate of air passing through the first supply passage 52 exceeds the predetermined flow rate described above, the air cannot be discharged through the exhaust passage 55 alone, and the pressure in the input space 53 rises. In this case, the rapid exhaust valve 71 closes the exhaust port 62 as the pressure in the input space 53 rises. The cylindrical valve body 65 of the check valve 66 then opens as shown in Figure 2, allowing the air in the input space 53 to flow through the check valve 66 and into the output space 61.

In other words, the flow resistance of the exhaust passage 55 is such that when the flow rate of air passing through the first supply passage 52 is below a predetermined flow rate, all of the air is exhausted from the exhaust passage 55, and when the flow rate of air passing through the first supply passage 52 exceeds the predetermined flow rate, the rapid exhaust valve 71 closes the exhaust port 62 and the air in the input space 53 flows out into the output space 61 through the check valve 66.

The air that flows out through the check valve 66 to the output space 61 and the air that flows out through the second supply passage 54 to the output space 61 are supplied to the object to be pressurized from the discharge cylindrical portion 56 of the upper housing 42 through a hose (not shown). Therefore, with this diaphragm pump 1 with integrated rapid discharge valve, air discharged from some of the pump chambers (the left pump chamber 17 in Figure 1) to the second supply passage 54 is supplied to the output space 61 without passing through the check valve 66, thereby reducing flow loss compared to when all of the air passes through the check valve 66.

When the motor 2 stops and the pump stops, air is no longer supplied to the input space 53 from the first supply passage 52. As a result, the compressed air in the input space 53 is immediately discharged into the atmosphere through the discharge passage 55. As a result, the pressure in the input space 53 quickly falls below the pressure in the output space 61, causing the rapid discharge valve 71 to open quickly and allowing air to be quickly discharged from the object to be pressurized through the output space 61.

Second Embodiment
The rapid exhaust valve structure of the rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump according to the present invention can be configured as shown in Figures 4 to 14. In Figures 4 to 14, members that are the same as or equivalent to those described in Figures 1 to 3 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.
The rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump 81 shown in Figure 4 has three pump chambers 82 to 84. In the following description, these pump chambers 82 to 84 will be referred to as a first pump chamber 82, a second pump chamber 83, and a third pump chamber 84. In this embodiment, the first and second pump chambers 82 and 83 correspond to "some of the multiple pump chambers" as defined in the present invention, and the third pump chamber 84 corresponds to "the remaining pump chamber" as defined in the present invention.

<Explanation of rapid exhaust valve structure>
The rapid exhaust valve structure 4 according to this embodiment is composed of a first housing 85 that is placed on the diaphragm 13, a partition wall 86 that is placed on the first housing 85, and a second housing 87 that is placed on the partition wall 86. The first housing 85 and the second housing 87 are molded into a predetermined shape from a plastic material. The partition wall 86 is formed into a plate shape from an elastic material such as rubber. Sealing protrusions 86a (see FIG. 7) are formed on both the front and back sides of the partition wall 86 so as to surround various functional parts, which will be described later.
The diaphragm 13 according to this embodiment has the same structure as that shown in the first embodiment except for the number of pump chambers.

The first housing 85 is provided between the diaphragm 13 and the partition wall 86, and as shown in Fig. 9, it cooperates with the diaphragm 13 to form first to third pump chambers 82 to 84. Note that Fig. 9 only shows the first pump chamber 82 and the third pump chamber 84. The cut position in Fig. 9 is the position indicated by line IX-IX in Fig. 7.
The first housing 85 also functions as the lower housing 41 and valve holder 14 in the first embodiment, and as shown in Figure 10, it cooperates with a partition wall 86 to form an input space 53. The cut position in Figure 10 is the position indicated by line X-X in Figure 6. The input space 53 is formed by the partition wall 86 closing the opening of a recess 88 formed in the first housing 85.

The second housing 87 functions as the upper housing 42 in the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 9, it cooperates with the first housing 85 to sandwich the partition wall 86, forming an output-side space 61 between the partition wall 86 and the second housing 87. The output-side space 61 is formed by the partition wall 86 closing the opening of a recess 89 formed in the second housing 87.

<Explanation of the air intake system>
The air intake system of the rapid exhaust valve-integrated diaphragm pump 81 according to this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment described above in that it is configured using a first housing 85 that contacts a partition wall 86. An air intake system is provided for each of the first to third pump chambers 82 to 84. For convenience, only the air intake system for the first pump chamber 82 will be described here with reference to Figure 11. The cut position in Figure 11 is the position indicated by line XI-XI in Figure 5.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the suction valve element 16 formed integrally with the diaphragm 13 is configured to open and close the suction passage 23 formed in the diaphragm holder 12. The suction passage 23 penetrates the diaphragm holder 12, connecting the inside of the pump main body 3 with the suction space 91 of the diaphragm 13, which houses the suction valve element 16. When the diaphragm 13 is placed on the diaphragm holder 12, the suction valve element 16 seats on the diaphragm holder 12, blocking the downstream end of the suction passage 23. The suction space 91 of the diaphragm 13 communicates with a pump chamber (third pump chamber 84 in FIG. 11 ) via a groove 92 formed in the first casing 85. The inside of the pump main body 3 communicates with the outside of the pump via an air vent (not shown) formed in the housing 5. Therefore, this diaphragm pump 81 with an integrated quick exhaust valve draws in atmospheric air through the inside of the pump main body 3.

<Explanation of the air discharge system>
An exhaust passage 55 is connected to one end (the right end in FIG. 10 ) of the input-side space 53 shown in FIG. 10 . The exhaust passage 55 in this embodiment is composed of an air vent 93 formed in the partition wall 86, a cylinder 94 of the first housing 85 inserted into the air vent 93, a through-hole 95 of the second housing 87 into which the cylinder 94 fits, and a groove 96 formed in the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 95. The groove 96 is formed in the wall surface of the through-hole 95 so as to extend from one end to the other end of the through-hole 95.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first housing 85 has pump outlet passages 101 at positions facing the first to third pump chambers 82 to 84. The pump outlet passages 101 penetrate the first housing 85. As shown in FIG. 6, first to third valve seats 102 to 104, each consisting of a flat surface, are formed around the pump outlet passage 101 on the surface of the first housing 85 facing the partition wall 86. As shown in FIG. 7, first to third discharge valve bodies 105 to 107 provided on the partition wall 86 are seated on these first to third valve seats 102 to 104.

The first to third discharge valve bodies 105-107 are integrally formed on the partition wall 86 together with the valve body 72 of the rapid exhaust valve 71 and the cylindrical valve body 65 of the check valve 66. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the first to third discharge valve bodies 105-107 are formed as approximately semicircular plates that protrude radially from the outer periphery of the disc-shaped partition wall 86 toward the center. By overlapping the partition wall 86 with the first housing 85, the first to third discharge valve bodies 105-107 seat on the first to third valve seats 102-104 of the first housing 85. By seating the first to third discharge valve bodies 105-107 on the first to third valve seats 102-104, the downstream end of the pump outlet passage 101 for each pump chamber is blocked. When the pressure in the first to third pump chambers 82 to 84 increases, the first to third discharge valve bodies 105 to 107 are pushed open by the pressure within the first to third pump chambers 82 to 84. In this embodiment, the first to third discharge valve bodies 105 to 107 correspond to the "discharge valves that open and close the pump outlet passage" as defined in the present invention.

<Explanation of the First Supply Passage>
As shown in FIG. 6 , first and second arc-shaped grooves 111 and 112 that conform to the shapes of the first and second discharge valve elements 105 and 106 are formed near the first and second valve seats 102 and 103 in the first housing 85. As shown in FIG. 9 , these first and second arc-shaped grooves 111 and 112 cooperate with a recess 113 formed in the second housing 87 and a hole 114 formed in the partition wall 86 to form a first supply space 50. The first supply space 50 shown in FIG. 9 is a space that accommodates the first discharge valve element 105. Although not shown, the second discharge valve element 106 is also accommodated in the first supply space 50, which includes the second arc-shaped groove 112.

The first supply space 50 is a space that receives air that flows out when the first and second discharge valve bodies 105, 106 are open. As shown in FIG. 6, the first and second arc-shaped grooves 111, 112 are connected to the recess 88, which forms the wall of the input space 53, via communicating grooves 115, 116 formed in the first housing 85. By placing the partition wall 86 on the first housing 85, which has these first and second arc-shaped grooves 111, 112 and communicating grooves 115, 116, a first supply passage 52 (see FIG. 9) is formed that runs from the first and second discharge valve bodies 105, 106 through the gap between the first housing 85 and the partition wall 86 to the input space 53.

<Explanation of the second supply passage>
As shown in FIG. 6 , a third arc-shaped groove 117 is formed near the third valve seat 104. This third arc-shaped groove 117 is also formed to have a shape that follows the shape of the third discharge valve element 107. As shown in FIG. 9 , the third arc-shaped groove 117 cooperates with a recess 118 formed in the second housing 87 and a hole 119 formed in the partition wall 86 to form a second supply space 51. The second supply space 51 is a space that receives air that flows out when the third discharge valve element 107 is opened, and is connected to the output-side space 61 via a groove 121 formed in the second housing 87. By overlapping the second housing 87 having this groove 121 with the partition wall 86, a second supply passage 54 (see FIG. 9 ) is formed that runs from the third discharge valve element 107 through between the partition wall 86 and the second housing 87 to the output-side space 61.

<Explanation of the section from the input space through the check valve to the output space>
As shown in FIG. 12, the input space 53 is connected to the upstream end (the lower end in FIG. 12) of the check valve 66. The cutaway position in FIG. 12 is the position indicated by line XII-XII in FIG. 6. The downstream end of the check valve 66 is connected to the output space 61 via a groove 122 formed in the second housing 87, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The cutaway position in FIG. 13 is the position indicated by line XIII-XIII in FIG. 8. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the second housing 87 cut in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotary shaft 6 of the motor 2.

<Description of Operation of the Rapid Discharge Valve-Integrated Diaphragm Pump According to the Second Embodiment>
In the diaphragm pump 81 with integrated quick exhaust valve according to this embodiment, air discharged from the first pump chamber 82 and the second pump chamber 83 flows through the first supply passage 52 into the input space 53, and air discharged from the third pump chamber 84 flows through the second supply passage 54 into the output space 61. Therefore, according to this diaphragm pump 81 with integrated quick exhaust valve, air discharged from some of the pump chambers (the third pump chamber 84) into the second supply passage 54 is supplied to the output space 61 without passing through the check valve 66. Therefore, even when this embodiment is adopted, flow loss can be reduced compared to when all of the air passes through the check valve 66.

In this embodiment, the first supply passage 52 is formed to extend from the first and second discharge valve bodies 105, 106 through the gap between the first housing 85 and the partition wall 86 to the input space 53. The second supply passage 54 is formed to extend from the third discharge valve body 107 through the gap between the partition wall 86 and the second housing 87 to the output space 61. Therefore, in the direction in which the first housing 85, the partition wall 86, and the second housing 87 are stacked, the first supply passage 52 and the input space 53 can be formed in approximately the same position, and the second supply passage 54 can be formed in approximately the same position as the output space 61. This makes it possible to provide a diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid exhaust valve that is compact in the direction in which the first housing 85, the partition wall 86, and the second housing 87 are stacked.

1, 81...diaphragm pump with integrated rapid exhaust valve, 3...pump main body, 4...rapid exhaust valve structure, 13...diaphragm, 17...pump chamber, 21...drive mechanism, 43, 86...partition wall, 52...first supply passage, 53...input side space, 54...second supply passage, 55...discharge passage, 58...discharge passage, 59...exhaust passage, 61...output side space, 62...exhaust port, 66...check valve, 71...rapid exhaust valve, 72...valve body, 82...first pump chamber, 83...second pump chamber, 84...third pump chamber, 85...first housing, 87...second housing, 101...pump outlet passage, 105...first discharge valve body (discharge valve), 106...second discharge valve body (discharge valve), 107...third discharge valve body (discharge valve).

Claims (2)

a pump body including a diaphragm that forms a plurality of pump chambers and a drive mechanism that expands and contracts the pump chambers;
a rapid exhaust valve structure having a first supply passage to which gas is supplied from some of the plurality of pump chambers and a second supply passage to which gas is supplied from the remaining pump chambers, and having a discharge passage connected to an object to be pressurized,
The rapid exhaust valve structure is
an input side space connected to the first supply passage;
a discharge passage having one end connected to the input space and the other end opening to an outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure;
an output-side space separated from the input-side space by a partition wall, connected to the second supply passage and in communication with the discharge passage;
a check valve that allows gas in the input side space to flow into the output side space;
an exhaust passage having one end connected to the output side space and the other end opening to an outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure;
a rapid exhaust valve having a valve body that opens and closes an exhaust port formed at the one end of the exhaust passage, the rapid exhaust valve closing the exhaust port when the pressure in the input side space is higher than the pressure in the output side space, and opening the exhaust port when the pressure in the input side space is equal to or lower than the pressure in the output side space,
The discharge passage is configured to generate a predetermined flow resistance,
The predetermined flow path resistance is
When a flow rate of the gas supplied to the input-side space through the first supply passage is equal to or less than a predetermined flow rate, the gas supplied to the input-side space is discharged to the atmosphere through the discharge passage,
a flow path resistance that causes the rapid exhaust valve to close the exhaust port and the gas in the input side space to flow out to the output side space through the check valve when the flow rate of the gas supplied to the input side space through the first supply passage exceeds the predetermined flow rate ,
10. A diaphragm pump with an integrated rapid exhaust valve , wherein at least a portion of the gas supplied from the pump chamber is supplied from the second supply passage to the output space without passing through the check valve . a pump body including a diaphragm that forms a plurality of pump chambers and a drive mechanism that expands and contracts the pump chambers;
a rapid exhaust valve structure having a first supply passage to which gas is supplied from some of the plurality of pump chambers and a second supply passage to which gas is supplied from the remaining pump chambers, and having a discharge passage connected to an object to be pressurized,
The rapid exhaust valve structure is
an input side space connected to the first supply passage;
a discharge passage having one end connected to the input space and the other end opening to an outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure;
an output-side space separated from the input-side space by a partition wall, connected to the second supply passage and in communication with the discharge passage;
a check valve that allows gas in the input side space to flow into the output side space;
an exhaust passage having one end connected to the output side space and the other end opening to an outer surface of the rapid exhaust valve structure;
a rapid exhaust valve having a valve body that opens and closes an exhaust port formed at the one end of the exhaust passage, the rapid exhaust valve closing the exhaust port when the pressure in the input side space is higher than the pressure in the output side space, and opening the exhaust port when the pressure in the input side space is equal to or lower than the pressure in the output side space,
The discharge passage is configured to generate a predetermined flow resistance,
The predetermined flow path resistance is
When a flow rate of the gas supplied to the input-side space through the first supply passage is equal to or less than a predetermined flow rate, the gas supplied to the input-side space is discharged to the atmosphere through the discharge passage,
a flow path resistance that causes the rapid exhaust valve to close the exhaust port and the gas in the input side space to flow out to the output side space through the check valve when the flow rate of the gas supplied to the input side space through the first supply passage exceeds the predetermined flow rate ,
moreover,
a first housing provided between the diaphragm and the partition wall, the first housing forming the pump chamber in cooperation with the diaphragm and the input space in cooperation with the partition wall;
a second housing that sandwiches the partition wall with the first housing and forms the output-side space between itself and the partition wall,
the first housing has a pump outlet passage at a position opposite to the pump chamber,
the partition wall has a discharge valve that opens and closes the pump outlet passage,
the first supply passage is formed to extend from the discharge valve through a gap between the first housing and the partition wall to the input-side space,
a second supply passage formed between the discharge valve and the second housing and reaching the output space;