Pump device for ice cream or yogurt machine

Abstract

A pump device for a frozen product machine includes a pump casing, first and second rotor gear, and a sealing arrangement. The first and second rotor gears fit in a pumping cavity of the pump casing in a rotatably movable manner that creates a suction effect for pumping and mixing liquid mixture with air to produce a mixture product. The sealing arrangement includes a plurality of sealing elements provided between two outer side surfaces of the first and second rotor gears and inner side surfaces of the pump casing for ensuring the liquid mixture and air being sealed and mixed within the pumping cavity through the first and second rotor gears and for preventing the first and second rotor gears from being direct-surface contact of the pump casing.

1 . A pump device for a frozen product machine, comprising:
 a pump casing having two inner side surfaces, a pumping cavity between said two inner side surfaces, a liquid inlet communicating said pumping cavity with an exterior of said pump device for allowing liquid mixture to be pumped into said pumping cavity through said liquid inlet, an air inlet communicating said pumping cavity for allowing intake of air through said air inlet to mix with said liquid mixture in said pumping cavity, and a mixture outlet communicated with said frozen product machine;   first and second rotor gears being fitted in said pumping cavity in a rotatably movable manner, wherein said first and second rotor gears are driven to rotated to create a suction effect for pumping and mixing said liquid mixture with said air from said liquid inlet and said air inlet respectively to said mixture outlet so as to produce a mixture product; and   a sealing arrangement comprising a plurality of sealing elements provided between two outer side surfaces of said first and second rotor gears and said inner side surfaces of said pump casing for ensuring said liquid mixture and said air being sealed and mixed within said pumping cavity through said first and second rotor gears and for preventing said first and second rotor gears from being direct-surface contact of said pump casing.   
     
     
         2 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first rotor gear are meshed with said second rotor gear to define a first chamber within said pumping cavity to communicate with said liquid inlet and a second chamber within said pumping cavity to communicate with said mixture outlet, wherein said pumping cavity is sealed by said sealing arrangement for ensuring said liquid mixture and said air being mixed from said first chamber to said second chamber to form said mixture product. 
     
     
         3 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of said sealing elements is made of elastic material adapted to be deformed to fit between said outer side surface of each of said first and second rotor gears and said corresponding inner side surface of said pump casing so as to create a sealing effect therebetween while enabling each of said rotor gears being rotated within said pumping cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein each of said sealing elements is made of elastic material adapted to be deformed to fit between said outer side surface of each of said first and second rotor gears and said corresponding inner side surface of said pump casing so as to create a sealing effect therebetween while enabling each of said rotor gears being rotated within said pumping cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said sealing arrangement further has a plurality of sealing slots indent on said outer side surfaces of said first and second gear rotors respectively, wherein said sealing elements are retained at said sealing slots respectively to contact and seal with said inner side surfaces of said pump casing. 
     
     
         6 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said sealing arrangement further has a plurality of sealing slots indent on said outer side surfaces of said first and second gear rotors respectively, wherein said sealing elements are retained at said sealing slots respectively to contact and seal with said inner side surfaces of said pump casing. 
     
     
         7 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said sealing arrangement further has a plurality of sealing slots indent on said outer side surfaces of said first and second gear rotors respectively, wherein said sealing elements are retained at said sealing slots respectively to contact and seal with said inner side surfaces of said pump casing. 
     
     
         8 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first rotor gear, said second rotor gear, and said pump casing are made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         9 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said first rotor gear, said second rotor gear, and said pump casing are made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         10 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said first rotor gear, said second rotor gear, and said pump casing are made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         11 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first rotor gear comprises a plurality of first engaging teeth peripherally formed along an outer circumferential edge portion of said first rotor gear, while said second rotor gear comprises a plurality of second engaging teeth peripherally formed along an outer circumferential edge portion of said second rotor gear, wherein said first engaging teeth are meshed with said second engaging teeth for driving said second rotor gear to rotate. 
     
     
         12 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said first rotor gear comprises a plurality of first engaging teeth peripherally formed along an outer circumferential edge portion of said first rotor gear, while said second rotor gear comprises a plurality of second engaging teeth peripherally formed along an outer circumferential edge portion of said second rotor gear, wherein said first engaging teeth are meshed with said second engaging teeth for driving said second rotor gear to rotate. 
     
     
         13 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said pump casing comprises a first casing member and a second casing member detachably coupled with said first casing member to define said pumping cavity within said first and said second casing member and to define said inner side surfaces at said first and second casing members respectively. 
     
     
         14 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said pump casing comprises a first casing member and a second casing member detachably coupled with said first casing member to define said pumping cavity within said first and said second casing member and to define said inner side surfaces at said first and second casing members respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said sealing arrangement further comprises a casing sealing element provided between said first and second casing members to seal said pumping cavity within said first and second casing members when said first and second casing members are coupled together. 
     
     
         16 . The pump device, as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said sealing arrangement further comprises a casing sealing element provided between said first and second casing members to seal said pumping cavity within said first and second casing members when said first and second casing members are coupled together. 
     
     
         17 . A method of making frozen product, comprising the steps of:
 (a) feeding a liquid mixture and air into a pumping cavity of a pump casing through a liquid inlet and an air inlet thereof respectively;   (b) driving two gear rotors to rotate within said pump casing for generating a suction effect to pump and mix said liquid mixture with said air to form a mixture product;   (c) providing a sealing effect between two outer side surfaces of said first and second rotor gears and two inner side surfaces of said pump casing by a sealing arrangement for ensuring said liquid mixture and said air being sealed and mixed within said pumping cavity through said first and second rotor gears and for preventing said first and second rotor gears from being direct-surface contact of said pump casing; and   (d) pumping out said mixture product out of said pumping cavity through a mixture outlet of said pump casing.   
     
     
         18 . The method, as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the step (b) further comprises the steps of:
 (b.1) defining a first chamber within said pumping cavity to communicate with said liquid inlet by meshing said first rotor gear with said second rotor gear, and   (b.2) defining a second chamber within said pumping cavity to communicate with said mixture outlet, wherein said first and second chambers of said pumping cavity are sealed by said sealing arrangement for ensuring said liquid mixture and said air being mixed from said first chamber to said second chamber to form said mixture product.   
     
     
         19 . The method, as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of providing a plurality of sealing elements at said outer side surfaces of said first and second rotor gears respectively to bias against said inner side surfaces of said pump casing so as to seal a clearance between said outer side surfaces of said first and second rotor gears and said inner side surfaces of said pump casing. 
     
     
         20 . The method, as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the step (c) further comprises a step of providing a plurality of sealing elements at said outer side surfaces of said first and second rotor gears respectively to bias against said inner side surfaces of said pump casing so as to seal a clearance between said outer side surfaces of said first and second rotor gears and said inner side surfaces of said pump casing. 
     
     
         21 . The method, as recited in  claim 19 , wherein each of said sealing elements is made of elastic material adapted to be deformed to fit between said outer side surface of each of said first and second rotor gears and said corresponding inner side surface of said pump casing so as to create a sealing effect therebetween while enabling each of said rotor gears being rotated within said pumping cavity. 
     
     
         22 . The method, as recited in  claim 20 , wherein each of said sealing elements is made of elastic material adapted to be deformed to fit between said outer side surface of each of said first and second rotor gears and said corresponding inner side surface of said pump casing so as to create a sealing effect therebetween while enabling each of said rotor gears being rotated within said pumping cavity. 
     
     
         23 . The method, as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the step (c.1) further comprises a step of configuring a plurality of sealing slots indent on said outer side surfaces of said first and second gear rotors respectively, wherein said sealing elements are retained at said sealing slots respectively to contact and seal with said inner side surfaces of said pump casing. 
     
     
         24 . The method, as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the step (c.1) further comprises a step of configuring a plurality of sealing slots indent on said outer side surfaces of said first and second gear rotors respectively, wherein said sealing elements are retained at said sealing slots respectively to contact and seal with said inner side surfaces of said pump casing. 
     
     
         25 . The method, as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said first rotor gear, said second rotor gear, and said pump casing are made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         26 . The method, as recited in  claim 24 , wherein said first rotor gear, said second rotor gear, and said pump casing are made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         27 . The method, as recited in  claim 17 , wherein, in the step (b), said second gear rotor is driven to rotate by a rotational movement of said first gear rotor that first engaging teeth of said first gear rotor are meshed with second engaging teeth of said second gear rotor. 
     
     
         28 . The method, as recited in  claim 26 , wherein, in the step (b), said second gear rotor is driven to rotate by a rotational movement of said first gear rotor that first engaging teeth of said first gear rotor are meshed with second engaging teeth of said second gear rotor. 
     
     
         29 . The method, as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising a step of configuring said pump casing to have a first casing member and a second casing member detachably coupled with said first casing member, wherein said pumping cavity is defined within said first and said second casing member and said inner side surfaces are defined at said first and second casing members respectively. 
     
     
         30 . The method, as recited in  claim 28 , further comprising a step of configuring said pump casing to have a first casing member and a second casing member detachably coupled with said first casing member, wherein said pumping cavity is defined within said first and said second casing member and said inner side surfaces are defined at said first and second casing members respectively. 
     
     
         31 . The method, as recited in  claim 29 , further comprising a step of providing a casing sealing element provided between said first and second casing members to seal said pumping cavity within said first and second casing members when said first and second casing members are coupled together. 
     
     
         32 . The method, as recited in  claim 30 , further comprising a step of providing a casing sealing element provided between said first and second casing members to seal said pumping cavity within said first and second casing members when said first and second casing members are coupled together.