Pneumatic pump construction and method for making the same or the like

Claim 1

A pneumatic pump construction comprising an inlet housing, an outlet housing, a flexible diaphragm having an outer peripheral means thereof interconnected to one of said housings and an inner peripheral means thereof interconnected to the other of said housings whereby said diaphragm interconnects said housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and to permit relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of said construction, said other housing comprising two parts having said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm stacked and compressed therebetween and being ultrasonically welded together to provide the sole meanS for securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said other housing, said diaphragm having an opening therethrough which defines said inner peripheral means thereof, one of said parts of said other housing having an aperture therein aligned with said opening of said diaphragm, the other part of said other housing having an extension projecting through said opening of said diaphragm in press-fit relation therewith and being received in said aperture of said one part of said other housing, said extension of said other part of said other housing having a flat end surface, said one part of said other housing having a flat end surface closing said aperture thereof inboard of said one part, said flat end surfaces being in abutting relation to compress said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm between said two parts and being ultrasonically welded together to provide said sole means for securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts, and a drive member snap-fitted to one of said housings to move said one housing relative to the other housing for a pumping action of said construction.

Claim 7

A method for making a pneumatic pump construction comprising the steps of securing an inner peripheral means of a flexible diaphragm to one of an inlet housing and an outlet housing, securing the outer peripheral means of said flexible diaphragm to the other of said housings whereby said diaphragm interconnects said housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and permits relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of said construction, said step of interconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing comprising the steps of forming said one housing of two parts, disposing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, and ultrasonically welding said two parts together while said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm is compressed therebetween to provide the sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, said step of interconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing further comprising the steps of providing an opening through said diaphragm that defines said inner peripheral means thereof, forming an aperture in one of said parts of said one housing that is adapted to be aligned with said opening of said diaphragm, forming an extension on the other part of said one housing, and projecting said extension through said opening of said diaphragm in a press-fit relation with said opening of said diaphragm and into said aperture of said one part of said one housing, said step of projecting said extension of said other part of said one housing through said opening of said diaphragm into said aperture of said one part of said one housing further comprising the step of abutting a flat end surface of said extension against a flat end surface of said one part of Said one housing that closes said aperture thereof inboard of said one part to compress said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm between said two parts, said step of ultrasonically welding together said two parts of said one housing further comprising the step of ultrasonically welding together said flat end surfaces that are disposed in abutting relation to provide said sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts, and snap-fitting a drive member to one of said housings to move said one housing relative to the other housing for a pumping action of said construction.

Claim 8

A method for making a pneumatic pump construction comprising the steps of securing an inner peripheral means of a flexible diaphragm to one of an inlet housing and an outlet housing, securing the outer peripheral means of said flexible diaphragm to the other of said housings whereby said diaphragm interconnects said housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and permits relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of said construction, said step of interconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing comprising the steps of forming said one housing of two parts, disposing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, and ultrasonically welding said two parts together while said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm is compressed therebetween to provide the sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, said step of interconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing further comprising the steps of providing an opening through said diaphragm that defines said inner peripheral means thereof, forming an aperture in one of said parts of said one housing that is adapted to be aligned with said opening of said diaphragm, forming an extension on the other part of said one housing, and projecting said extension through said opening of said diaphragm in a press-fit relation with said opening of said diaphragm and into said aperture of said one part of said one housing, said step of projecting said extension of said other part of said one housing through said opening of said diaphragm into said aperture of said one part of said one housing further comprising the step of abutting a flat end surface of said extension against a flat end surface of said one part of Said one housing that closes said aperture thereof inboard of said one part to compress said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm between said two parts, said step of ultrasonically welding together said two parts of said one housing further comprising the step of ultrasonically welding together said flat end surfaces that are disposed in abutting relation to provide said sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts, and snap-fitting a drive member to one of said housings to move said one housing relative to the other housing for a pumping action of said construction.