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  Fluid transfer pumpUSPTO Application #: 20060171828Title: Fluid transfer pump Abstract: A fluid transfer pump comprises a cylinder having a suction opening and a discharge opening, a plunger provided within the cylinder movable to and fro in a direction of an axis line of the cylinder, and a membrane-like sealing member for sealing a gap between the cylinder and the plunger, wherein the plunger is driven to and fro for carrying out suction operation and discharge operation alternately, so that fluid is sucked through the suction opening, then the sucked fluid is discharged through the discharge opening, wherein the suction opening is provided on a side portion of the cylinder so that a fluid transfer pump is provided which has an extremely small accumulation rate of fluid, and has good fluid displacement characteristic. (end of abstract)
Agent: GlobalIPCounselors, LLP - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Junichi Uehara, Takashi Iwade USPTO Applicaton #: 20060171828 - Class: 417571000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Pumps, Expansible Chamber Type, Having Pumping Chamber Pressure Responsive Distributor, Distributor Positioned Opposite Pumping Member End Face, Inlet And Discharge Distributors The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060171828. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a fluid transfer pump comprises a cylinder having a suction opening and a discharge opening, a plunger provided within the cylinder movable to and fro in a direction of an axis line of the cylinder, and a membrane-like sealing member for sealing a gap between the cylinder and the plunger, wherein the plunger is driven to and fro for carrying out suction operation and discharge operation alternately, so that fluid is sucked through the suction opening, then the sucked fluid is discharged through the discharge opening. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pump suitable for transferring fluid containing precipitation material, for example resist fluid used for manufacturing liquid crystal substrate, and the like. BACKGROUND ART [0002] In the past, a fluid transfer pump is employed as means for supplying resist fluid used for manufacturing a liquid crystal substrate to a liquid crystal substrate manufacturing apparatus, the fluid transfer pump comprising a cylinder having a suction opening and a discharge opening, a plunger provided within the cylinder movable to and fro in a direction of an axis line of the cylinder, and a sealing member for sealing a gap between the cylinder and the plunger. The fluid transfer pump has employed an O-ring for the sealing member. The O-ring has outstanding disadvantages such as generation of particles and fluid leakage due to ablation of the O-ring, or a short lifetime. Therefore, the inventors has manufactured a fluid transfer pump employing a membrane-like sealing member instead the O-ring, the membrane-like sealing member being recited in the product catalogue CAT. NO. BFS1-061 of Fujikura Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, referred to as a non-patent document 1). [0003] FIGS. 7 are partially cross-sectional front view illustrating a conventional fluid transfer pump 10 employing a membrane-like sealing member recited in the non-patent document 1, wherein FIG. 7(A) illustrates a condition where a plunger 5 is at the bottom dead point, while FIG. 7(B) illustrates a condition where a plunger 5 is at the upper dead point. [0004] As is illustrated in FIGS. 7, a conventional fluid transfer pump 10 comprises a cylinder 20, a plunger 5 and a membrane-like sealing member 6. At the top of the cylinder 20, a suction opening 320 and a discharge opening 330 are formed, the suction opening 320 and discharge opening 330 are in parallel with an axial line J1 of the cylinder 20, respectively. The fluid transfer pump 10 is used in a standing condition. The plunger 5 is driven to and fro so as to perform suction operation and discharge operation one after the other, so that resist fluid is sucked into the cylinder 20 through the suction opening 320, and the sucked resist fluid is discharged from the cylinder 20 through the discharge opening 330. [0005] The membrane-like sealing member 6 consists of a cap-like member made of flexible material (refer to FIG. 2), the upper section of the plunger 5 is covered by the body section 63 of the cap-like member under a condition that the open edge section 62 of the cap-like member is secured to the inner face of the cylinder 20. A U-shaped fold back section 61 having a U-shape in cross-section is formed by folding back the cap-like member downward within a gap G between the cylinder 20 and the plunger 5, and the gap G is sealed by the U-shaped fold back section 61. The U-shaped fold back section 61 moves within the gap G together with the to and fro driving of the plunger 5 in a direction which is the same with the driving direction. During the movement, the U-shaped fold back section 61 moves within the gap G in a trundling manner, so that ablation and loss are small and fluid and gas are not leaked at all. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0006] The U-shaped fold back section 61 is extremely narrow so that resist fluid is likely accumulated within the U-shaped fold back section 61. The accumulated resist fluid is gelated or accumulated over time. Therefore, the gelation or accumulation becomes a cause for containing impurity within resist fluid for supplying to a liquid crystal substrate manufacturing apparatus. A liquid crystal substrate manufacturing apparatus is always required to be supplied resist fluid with high purity. Therefore, a fluid transfer pump with good fluid displacement characteristic, that is a fluid transfer pump with very small accumulation rate of fluid, is required. [0007] The present invention was made to solve such problems. The present invention provides a fluid transfer pump having an extremely small accumulation rate of fluid, and having good fluid displacement characteristic. [0008] To solve the above problems, the invention of the first embodiment comprises a cylinder having a suction opening and a discharge opening, a plunger provided within the cylinder movable to and fro in a direction of an axis line of the cylinder, and a membrane-like sealing member for sealing a gap between the cylinder and the plunger, wherein the plunger is driven to and fro for carrying out suction operation and discharge operation alternately, so that fluid is sucked through the suction opening, then the sucked fluid is discharged through the discharge opening, and wherein the suction opening is provided on a side portion of the cylinder. [0009] In the invention of the second embodiment, the suction opening is provided within an extent which allows forming of the gap when the plunger reaches an upper dead point. [0010] In the invention of the third embodiment, the suction opening is provided so that an axis line of the suction opening is inclined at an angle which is equal to or less than 90 degrees, with respect to the axis line of the cylinder. [0011] In the invention of the fourth embodiment, the suction opening is provided so that an axis line of the suction opening is inclined at an angle which is less than 90 degrees, with respect to a line which is orthogonal to the axis line of the cylinder. [0012] In the invention of the fifth embodiment, the membrane-like sealing member consists of a cap-like member made of flexible material, and a body section of the cap-like member covers the plunger under a condition that an opening edge section of the cap-like member is secured on an inner face of the cylinder, and the gap is sealed by a U-shaped turn back which is formed by turning back downwardly within the gap between the cylinder and the plunger. [0013] In the invention of the sixth embodiment, the cylinder is disposed so that the axis line is vertical. [0014] When the present invention is employed, resist fluid is sucked and blown through the suction opening when the plunger is driven downward. Because the suction opening is provided at the side section of the cylinder, the blowing flow forms circling flow along the inner face of the cylinder and flows downward simultaneously. And, the flow becomes circulating flow which agitates and washes in the interior of the U-shaped turn back section. This results a fluid transfer pump having no accumulation of resist fluid within the U-shaped turn back section, and having good fluid displacement characteristic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIGS. 1 are partially cross-sectional front views illustrating a fluid transfer pump of an embodiment according to the present invention; [0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an exterior appearance of a membrane-like sealing member; [0017] FIGS. 3 are schematic views illustrating a fluid transfer pump of an embodiment according to the present invention; [0018] FIGS. 4 are partially cross-sectional plan views illustrating a fluid transfer pump of another embodiment according to the present invention; [0019] FIGS. 5 are partially cross-sectional views illustrating a fluid transfer pump of a further embodiment according to the present invention; [0020] FIGS. 6 are schematic views illustrating a fluid transfer pump of a further embodiment according to the present invention; and Continue reading... Full patent description for Fluid transfer pump Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Fluid transfer pump patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Fluid transfer pump or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Crossover switching and pump system Next Patent Application: Chamber for compressor and compressor using the same Industry Class: Pumps ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Fluid transfer pump patent info. 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