Pump control having repositionable display

Abstract

A pump unit includes a drive motor (14) and a first housing (2), in which a control electronics unit (18) is arranged for operating the drive motor (14). An operating unit (20) having at least one display or operating element (26, 28, 30) can be detachably connected to the first housing in at least two different positions.

Claims

1. A pump assembly comprising: a drive motor; control electronics for the operation of the drive motor; a housing, in which the control electronics for the operation of the drive motor are arranged, wherein the housing is polyhedral, the housing comprising a top wall and at least two side walls, wherein the housing is a motor housing, in which the drive motor is arranged; and an operating unit with at least one display element and/or operating element, the operating unit being connectable in a positioned manner on at least one of the two side walls and an another one of the two side walls, at least a portion of the operating unit being in contact with the one of the two side walls in one configuration of the operating unit, the at least the portion of the operating unit being in contact with the another one of the two side walls in another configuration of the operating unit, the operating unit being releasably connectable to the housing, the housing comprising the top wall, the operating unit comprising another operating unit portion, the another operating unit portion being in contact with the top wall in the one configuration and the another configuration, wherein the another operating unit portion and the top wall define at least a portion of a connection interface for connecting the operating unit to the housing.

2. A pump assembly comprising: a drive motor; control electronics for the operation of the drive motor; a housing, in which the control electronics for the operation of the drive motor are arranged, wherein the housing is polyhedral, the housing comprising a top wall and at least two side walls, wherein the housing is a motor housing, in which the drive motor is arranged; and an operating unit with at least one display element and/or operating element, the operating unit being connectable in a positioned manner on at least one of said two side walls and an another one of said two side walls, at least a portion of said operating unit being in contact with said one of said two side walls in one configuration of said operating unit, said at least said portion of said operating unit being in contact with said another one of said two side walls in another configuration of said operating unit, wherein the housing comprises a first wall, through which a connection is led to the operating unit, and the operating unit comprises two contact surfaces, including a first operating surface that is in bearing contact with the first wall of the housing, and including a second contact surface that is selectively in bearing contact with at least two walls of the housing which are adjacent the first wall.

3. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the operating unit is operatively connected to the control electronics, said one of said two side walls being located on one side of said top wall, said another one of said two side walls being located on another side of said top wall.

4. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the operating unit is releasably connectable to the housing, the housing comprising said top wall, the operating unit comprising another operating unit portion, said another operating unit portion being in contact with said top wall in said one configuration and said another configuration, wherein said another operating unit portion and said top wall define at least a portion of a connection interface for connecting said operating unit to said housing.

5. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the operating unit is connectable to the housing in at least two positions which are different to the extent that the at least one display element or operating element is directed in different spatial directions which are at right angles to one another, in these positions.

6. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the operating unit is connectable to the housing in a positioned manner on at least two sides of the housing which are directed in different directions.

7. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the housing is cuboid.

8. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the two contact surfaces of the operating unit extend at an angle to one another.

9. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the at least one display element or operating element is arranged on a front surface which extends angled to one of the contact surfaces.

10. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the front surface is angled at an angle α between 5° and 80°.

11. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein an opening, through which signal leads are led to the operating unit, is formed in the first wall of the housing.

12. A pump assembly according to claim 11, wherein a middle point of the opening is distanced equally far from the edges of at least two walls which are adjacent the first wall and on which the operating unit is positionable.

13. A pump assembly according to claim 2, further comprising a metering pump assembly or a centrifugal pump assembly.

14. A pump assembly according to claim 2, further comprising: a pump, wherein the housing is a motor housing, in which the drive motor is arranged and which at one side is connected to the pump, wherein the operating unit is selectively positionable on two sides of the motor housing which are at a spaced location from the pump.

15. A pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein the operating unit is arranged distanced to at least a part of a wall of the housing which is covered by the operating unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a metering pump assembly as an example for a pump assembly according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a rear view of the metering pump assembly in the direction of the arrow II in FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectioned view of the metering pump assembly in FIG. 1; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the metering pump assembly according to FIG. 1, wherein the operating unit is arranged on another side surface of the metering pump assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) Referring to the drawings in particular, the metering pump assembly shown here comprises a motor housing 2 of an essentially cuboid shape. A pump head 4 is arranged on a first end-side of the motor housing 2 and in its inside comprises a metering chamber 6 as well as a suction connection 8 and a pressure connection 10, is as known from common metering pumps.

(7) The motor housing 2 comprises a foot plate 12, by way of which the metering pump can be set up for example on a support console or can be fastened on a carrier or support in any other suitable manner. An electrical drive motor 14 is arranged in the motor housing 2 and via a gear 16 drives a membrane 15 in the pump head 4. Moreover, control electronics 18 in the form of a suitably equipped circuit board are arranged in the motor housing 2, for the control or regulation of the drive motor 14. The control electronics 18 assume the control or regulation of the drive motor 14 and the entire pump. The drive motor 14 can for example be designed as a stepper motor and be correspondingly activated by the control electronics 18, in order to set the travel speed and the travel length of the travel of the membrane 15 in the pump head 4, in accordance with defined values and, as the case may be, to regulate or control them in dependence on parameters detected via sensors in the pump assembly or also outside the pump assembly. Moreover, an operating unit 20 is provided, in order to be able to provide the control electronics 18 with certain settings and parameters and to be able to issue certain information on the signals determined by the control electronics 18. Moreover, yet electrical connections 22 are provided, via which the control electronics 18 can be connected or linked to external electronic systems for monitoring or controlling the pump assembly.

(8) What is essential to the invention is the arrangement of the operating unit 20 on the motor housing 2. The motor housing 2 forms a first cuboid housing whilst the operating unit 20 is designed as a second housing which is cuboid in its basic shape. The operating unit 20 thereby has a front surface 24, onto which here as a display element, a display 26 as well as operating elements in the form of two push buttons 28 and a rotary button 30 are arranged, of which only the axis is shown in FIG. 1.

(9) The operating unit 20 together with the motor hosing 2 is designed such that the operating unit 20 in the example shown here can be connected to the motor housing 2 in three different positions. Thus the operating unit 20 can either be arranged such that it is situated on rear end-side 32 which is away from the pump head 4, as is shown in the FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Alternatively, the operating unit 20 can be arranged on one of the two side walls 34 or 36 which are adjacent the end-side 32, wherein the arrangement on the side wall 36 is shown in FIG. 4. Thus the front surface 24 of the operating unit 20 can be arranged selectively in three different spatial directions which are normal to one another, depending on the arrangement, specifically in three positions 0°, 90° and 180° with respect to a vertical axis.

(10) With all three possible poisonings, the operating unit 20 however remains in contact with the upper side 38 of the motor housing 2. A circular opening 40 is formed in the upper side 38 of the motor housing 2, and the wall of the motor housing 2 which forms the upper side 38 projects in a collar-like manner on the periphery of this opening. This collar 41 of the opening 40 engages into a corresponding circular opening 42 on the lower side or on a first contact surface 44 of the operating unit 20. An O-ring seal 46 is arranged in the periphery of the collar 41 of the opening 40 and seals the housing of the operating unit 20 with respect to the motor housing 2 in this region, so that a sealed connection between the housing forming the operating unit 20 and the motor housing 2 is created in the transition between the openings 40 and 22.

(11) Signal leads or cables 45 can be led from the control electronics 18 through the openings 40 and 42 into the inside of the operating unit 20 and to their operating elements and display elements, i.e. to the push buttons 28, the rotary button or dial 30 as well as to the display 26. The middle axis A of the opening 40 in each case is distanced equally to the edge between the upper side 38 and the rear end-side 32 as well as to the edge between the side wall 34 and the upper side 38 and to the edge between the side wall 36 and the upper side 38. This permits the operating unit 20 to be able to be stuck onto the upper side 38 of the motor housing 2 at three different angular positions, specific lay 0°, 90° and 180°, with respect to the middle axis A of the openings 40, wherein in each case the collar 41 of the opening 40 engages into the opening 42 on the first contact surface 44 of the operating unit 20. Thereby, a second contact surface 48 then selectively comes to bear on the rear end-side 32 or one of the side walls 34 and 36. The first and the second contact surface 44 and 48 are designed at an angle of 90° to one another in the example shown here, and in each case form a part of the housing wall of the operating unit 20. The operating unit 20 and the cuboid motor housing 2 with regard to their geometric basic shape form two cuboids which engage into one another, wherein the motor housing 2 with its side edge engages in each case into the right-angled receiver of the operating unit 20 which is formed by the contact surfaces 44 and 48.

(12) Despite the selective arrangement ability of the operating unit 20 on the three lateral walls 32, 34, 36 of the motor housing 2, a cable connection or lead connection 45 between the control electronics 18 and the electrical and electronic components of the operating unit 20 is very simply possible. Such a cable connection or lead connection 45 only permits a certain flexibility or a certain play which allows the operating unit 20 to be lifted upwards from the upper side 38 by a limited amount. Thereby, the operating unit 20 needs only to be lifted and tilted as the case may be, to the extent such that its second contact surface 48 can be moved around the corner between the rear end-wall side 32 and the side wall 34 and/or the corner between the rear end-side 32 and the side wall 36, in order to reapply the operating unit 20 by 90° with respect to the axis A. Subsequently, the operating unit 20 is moved further downwards again and stuck onto the upper side 38, so that the opening 40 comes to bear congruently with the opening 42, or the collar 41 of the opening 40 enters into the opening 42. By way of the bearing contact of the first contact surface 44 on the upper side 38 which forms a first wall of the motor housing 2 and the bearing contact of the second contact surface 48 on the rear end-side 32 or one of the side walls 34, 36 which form a second wall of the motor housing 2, thereby the operating unit 20 is placed on an edge of the motor housing 2 with a positive fit. A displacement of the operating unit 20 along this edge is thus prevented by way of the engagement of the collar 41 into the opening 42. Additionally, the operating unit 20 can be fixed on the upper side 38 by way of screws, wherein the screws which are not shown here can be led through the holes 50 of the operating unit 20.

(13) The front surface 24 in the example shown here is inclined to the vertical X at an angle α of 15°. By way of this, the readability of the display 26 is improved if the pump is viewed obliquely from above. The front surface 24 could however also be inclined at a different angle α, in particular between 10° and 70°. The upper side 52 as well as the lower side 54 of the operating unit 20 which extends parallel to this, extend at an angle of 90° to the front surface 24. Inasmuch as this is concerned, the upper side 52 of the operating unit 20 in the assembled condition of the operating unit 20 is likewise inclined by the angle α, here 15° to the upper side 38 of the motor housing 2. With regard to the basic shapes, the operating unit 20 forms a cube which engages into the cuboid basic shape of the motor housing 2 or intersects with this.

(14) The arrangement ability of the operating unit 20 in three different positions has the advantage that the front surface 24 of the operating unit 20 can be set up such that it is well accessible and visible, depending on the installation position of the pump. If for example the pump head 4 is aligned to a wall, it is advantageous to arrange the operating unit 20 on the rear end-side 32 as is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. If the metering pump with the side wall 34 is aligned parallel to a wall, it is however advantageous to arrange the operating unit 20 on the opposite side wall 36, as is shown in FIG. 4.

(15) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.