PUMP DEVICE FOR CASTING PROCESSES

Abstract

A pump device includes a drive unit, a pump unit and a transport unit. The drive unit includes a base frame, and a variable-speed drive device disposed on the base frame. The pump unit includes a rotating shaft driven by the drive device, a fan blade co-rotatably mounted to the rotating shaft, a drain housing receiving the fan blade, and a suction housing in fluid communication with the drain housing. The transport unit includes a plurality of transport tubes in fluid communication with the drain housing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 106120518, filed on Jun. 20, 2017.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a pump device, and more particularly to a variable-speed pump device for casting processes.

BACKGROUND

A conventional pump device is used in a casting process for transporting a melted material from a crucible to a mold cavity. The conventional pump device includes a driving motor and a screw pump. The driving motor is a two-pole motor, and the rotational speed of the driving motor is not variable. The screw pump includes a rotating screw that is driven by the driving motor. The rotating screw has a lower end immersed in the melted material, and an upper end in contact with air so as to transport the melted material upwardly to a fluid guide seat. However, since the upper end of the rotating screw is in contact with air, solidified metal residual may be formed on the rotating screw after long-term use of the conventional pump device. Moreover, since the two-pole driving motor has a relatively small torque, and since the rotational speed of the driving motor is not variable, the conventional pump device is not suitable for different melted materials that have different specific weights.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a pump device that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, the pump device includes a drive unit, a pump unit and a transport unit. The drive unit includes a base frame, and a variable-speed drive device that is disposed on the base frame. The pump unit includes a rotating shaft that is driven by an output shaft of the drive device and that extends downwardly from the drive device, a fan blade that is co-rotatably mounted to a bottom portion of the rotating shaft, a drain housing that receives the fan blade therein and that has a drain opening and an inlet opening, and a suction housing that defines a suction space in fluid communication with the inlet opening of the drain housing, and a plurality of suction holes in fluid communication with the suction space. The transport unit includes a plurality of transport tubes that are connected in series and that are in fluid communication with the drain opening of the drain housing. When the drain housing and the suction housing of the pump unit are immersed in a melted material, the drive device is operable to rotate the rotating shaft and the fan blade, so that the melted material in the drain housing is impelled by the fan blade to flow into the transport tubes via the drain opening, and that the melted material surrounds the suction housing flows into the drain housing via the suction holes, the suction space and the inlet opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the pump device according to the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view illustrating a pump unit of the embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a transport unit of the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the embodiment of the pump device according to the disclosure is cooperatively used with a casting machine 1. The pump device includes a drive unit 2, a pump unit 3 and a transport unit 4.

The drive unit 2 includes a base frame 21, a drive device 22 that is disposed on the base frame 21, and a connecting frame 23 that fixedly interconnects the base frame 21 and the casing machine 1. In one embodiment, the drive device 22 is configured as a six-pole variable-speed motor, and has a rated power of 2 horsepowers and a maximum rotational speed of 1500 rpm.

The base frame 21 includes a plurality of support rods 211, a heat-insulation plate 212 that is fixedly mounted to top ends of the support rods 211, and a carrier plate 213 that is fixedly mounted to a top surface of the heat-insulation plate 212 and that permits the drive device 22 to be fixedly mounted thereon. In one embodiment, each of the support rods 211 is configured as a stainless steel rod. The heat-insulation plate 212 is configured as a Bakelite plate that protects the drive device 22 from high-temperature.

The connecting frame 23 is fixedly mounted to the carrier plate 213, and surrounds the drive device 22 for fixedly interconnecting the base frame 21, the drive device 22 and the casting machine 1.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, the pump unit 3 includes a rotating shaft 31 that is driven by an output shaft of the drive device 22 and that extends downwardly through the carrier plate 213 and the heat-insulation plate 212, a fan blade 32 that is co-rotatably mounted to a bottom portion of the rotating shaft 31, a drain housing 33 that receives the fan blade 32 therein, and a suction housing 34 that is fixedly mounted to a bottom end of the drain housing 33. The drain housing 33 and the suction housing 34 are immersed in a melted material during operation of the pump device.

The drain housing 33 includes an upper housing part 331 that permits the rotating shaft 31 to extend therethrough and that defines a drain opening 330 opening in a horizontal direction, and a lower housing part 333 that defines an inlet opening 332 opening in a vertical direction. The upper and lower housing parts 331, 333 are interconnected and cooperatively define a drain space 334 that receives the fan blade 32 therein and that is in fluid communication with the drain opening 330 and the inlet opening 332.

The suction housing 34 is tubular-shaped, is fixedly mounted to a bottom surface of the lower housing part 333, and defines a suction space 342 therein. A top portion of the suction housing 34 is formed with a communication hole 341 that fluidly communicates the suction space 342 with the inlet opening 332 and the drain space 334. A bottom portion of the suction housing 34 is closed. A tubular side wall portion of the suction housing 34 is formed with a plurality of suction holes 343 that are in fluid communication with the suction space 342. It should be noted that the sum of the areas of the suction holes 343 is equal to or greater than the area of the drain opening 330, and is no more than 10 percent greater than the area of the drain opening 330.

The transport unit 4 includes a bracket 41 that is connected to the base frame 21, a plurality of transport tubes 42 that are connected in series and that are in fluid communication with the drain opening 330 of the drain housing 33, a plurality of heat-insulation sleeves 43 (only a part of the heat-insulation sleeves 43 are shown in the figures) that are respectively sleeved on the transport tubes 42, a plurality of electroplated layers 44 each of which is formed on an inner surface of a respective one of the transport tubes 42, a plurality of heat-insulation cotton layers 45 each of which is disposed between a respective one of the transport tubes 42 and a corresponding one of the heat-insulation sleeves 43, and a handle 46 that is fixedly mounted on a distal one of the transport tubes 42 distal from the drain opening 330.

In one embodiment, each of the heat-insulation sleeves 43 includes two interconnected sleeve halves. In one embodiment, any two adjacent ones of the transport tubes 42 are interconnected by a flexible joint (not shown), so an assembly of the transport tubes 42 is flexible. A proximal one of the transport tubes 42 that is proximal to the drain opening 330 is directly connected to the drain housing 33, and is in fluid communication with the drain opening 330. The bracket 41 is fixedly connected to the proximal one of the transport tubes 42 so that a major portion of the transport unit 4 is located above the surface of the melted material. Each of the heat-insulation sleeves 43 is made of stainless steel. Each of the electroplated layers 44 is made of Teflon or a mixture of nickel and phosphorus that is highly hydrophobic, so as to prevent the melted material from adhering to the inner surfaces of the transport tubes 42.

When the drain housing 33 and the suction housing 34 are immersed in the melted material for operation of the pump device, the melted material flows into the drain space 334 via the suction holes 343, the suction space 342, the communication hole 341 and the inlet opening 332. In operation, the drive device 22 rotates the rotating shaft 31 about an upright axis so as to rotate the fan blade 32 within the drain space 334, so the melted material in the drain space 334 is impelled by the fan blade 32 to flow into the transport tubes 42 via the drain opening 330. It should be noted that since the sum of the areas of the suction holes 343 is no less than the area of the drain opening 330, the melted material that surrounds the suction housing 34 is permitted to smoothly and continuously flow into the drain space 334 when the melted material in the drain space 334 is impelled into the transport tubes 42. Moreover, since the drive device 22 (i.e., a six-pole motor) has a relatively low rotational speed and a relatively high torque, the melted material can be impelled steadily. The handle 46 is configured for a user to hold for moving the transport tubes 42, and has a recess 461 (see FIG. 3) that is engaged with the distal one of the transport tubes 42. Since the drive device 22 is configured as a variable-speed motor, the pump device of this disclosure is suitable for different melted materials having different specific weights, such as copper alloy, zinc alloy and copper-zinc alloy.

It should be noted that the flow rate of a melted material created by the fan blade 32 is sufficient to fill the drain opening 330 during the operation of the pump device, so air can be prevented from entering the transport tubes 42.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A pump device comprising: a drive unit including a base frame, and a variable-speed drive device that is disposed on said base frame;a pump unit including a rotating shaft that is driven by an output shaft of said drive device and that extends downwardly from said drive device, a fan blade that is co-rotatably mounted to a bottom portion of said rotating shaft, a drain housing that receives said fan blade therein and that has a drain opening and an inlet opening, and a suction housing that defines a suction space in fluid communication with said inlet opening of said drain housing, and a plurality of suction holes in fluid communication with said suction space; anda transport unit including a plurality of transport tubes that are connected in series and that are in fluid communication with said drain opening of said drain housing;wherein, when said drain housing and said suction housing of said pump unit are immersed in a melted material, said drive device is operable to rotate said rotating shaft and said fan blade, so that the melted material in said drain housing is impelled by said fan blade to flow into said transport tubes via said drain opening, and that the melted material surrounds said suction housing flows into said drain housing via said suction holes, said suction space and said inlet opening.

2. The pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sum of the areas of said suction holes is equal to or greater than the area of said drain opening.

3. The pump device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sum of the areas of said suction holes is no more than 10 percent greater than the area of said drain opening.

4. The pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive device is configured as a six-pole motor.

5. The pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive device has a rated power of 2 horsepower and a maximum rotational speed of 1500 rpm.

6. The pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transport unit further includes a plurality of electroplated layers each of which is formed on an inner surface of a respective one of said transport tubes, and is made of one of Teflon and a mixture of nickel and phosphorus.

7. The pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transport unit further includes a plurality of heat-insulation sleeves that are respectively sleeved on said transport tubes.

8. The pump device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said transport unit further includes a plurality of heat-insulation cotton layers each of which is disposed between a respective one of said transport tubes and a corresponding one of said heat-insulation sleeves.

9. The pump device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said transport unit further includes a handle that is fixedly mounted on a distal one of said transport tubes distal from said drain opening.

10. The pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base frame of said drive unit includes a plurality of support rods, a heat-insulation plate that is fixedly mounted to top ends of said support rods, and a carrier plate that is fixedly mounted to a top surface of said heat-insulation plate and that permits said drive device to be fixedly mounted thereon, said rotating shaft extending downwardly through said carrier plate and said heat-insulation plate.

11. The pump device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said drive unit further includes a connecting frame that is fixedly mounted to said carrier plate, said connecting frame being adapted to be connected to a casting machine.