Pump comprising a moving wall and use of a pump of this type

Abstract

The invention relates to a pump comprising a wall ( 3; 21, 22; 31, 32, 33 ), which forms an enclosed fluid volumetric space ( 1 ) and which can be moved by a first force (F) in a direction resulting in a decrease in volume and, after a preceding decrease in volumetric space, can be moved by a second force in a direction resulting in an increase in volume. The pump also comprises an inlet valve ( 8 ), which communicates with an inlet valve ( 6 ), and comprises an outlet valve ( 9 ) in an outlet line ( 7 ) of the fluid volumetric space ( 1 ). The inventive pump has a compact design due to the fact that it is provided in the form of a vacuum pump whose volumetric space can be decreased by the external first force acting against an elastically deformable material ( 2; 21, 22; 33 ) whose restoring force, after the external force ceases, generates the second force acting counter to the generated vacuum.

1 - 21 . (canceled)  
     
     
         22 . A vacuum pump comprising: 
 a wall configured to form a closed-off fluid volume, the wall movable by means of a first force which produces a volume reduction of the fluid volume and, after a preceding volume reduction, by means of a second force which produces a volume increase in the fluid volume; and    an elastically deformable material that is compressed by the first force and whose expansion, after termination of the first force, produces the second force that acts against the vacuum generated by the pump.    
     
     
         23 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the wall comprises two rigid walls spaced apart and lying opposite one another, and wherein the elastically deformable material is arranged in the interspace between the two walls.  
     
     
         24 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein each rigid wall comprises an inner edge on a side toward the interspace, and wherein the elastically deformable material comprises a sealing insert positioned at the inner edges and delimiting the fluid volume.  
     
     
         25 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the interspace between the walls is reducible to zero when the elastically deformable material is compressed.  
     
     
         26 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the elastically deformable material comprises a material which is capable of throughflow of a fluid and is arranged within the fluid volume.  
     
     
         27 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the material capable of throughflow comprises an open-pored foam.  
     
     
         28 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the material capable of throughflow fills the fluid volume.  
     
     
         29 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the wall is flexible, and wherein the elastically deformable material bears against the flexible wall.  
     
     
         30 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the flexible wall surrounds the elastically deformable material on all sides.  
     
     
         31 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 29 , further comprising at least one pressure element bearing against the flexible wall over a large area.  
     
     
         32 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the elastically deformable material is configured to extend over an area, and wherein the thickness of the elastically deformable material is small as compared with this area.  
     
     
         33 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the elastically deformable material comprises two layers that bear against one another, each layer including a surface profile that is complementary of the profile of the other layer, with each layer positioned so that each profile points toward the other and forms interspaces therebetween, and wherein the interspaces are reducible by means of the first force.  
     
     
         34 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the interspaces between the two layers are reducible to zero by means of the first force.  
     
     
         35 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the elastically deformable material is formed by the wall itself.  
     
     
         36 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , further comprising at least one pressure element bearing against the wall over a large area.  
     
     
         37 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 an inlet port in fluid communication with the fluid volume;    an inlet valve in fluid communication with the inlet port;    an outlet port in fluid communication with the fluid volume; and    an outlet valve in fluid communication with the outlet port.    
     
     
         38 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the inlet and outlet valves are each positioned on a side of the wall which corresponds to the thickness of the pump.  
     
     
         39 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the inlet and outlet valves are each arranged on narrow sides of the wall which lie opposite one another.  
     
     
         40 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 37 , further comprising at least one pressure element bearing against the wall over a large area, and wherein the inlet and outlet valves are each arranged in a recess of one of the pressure elements.  
     
     
         41 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the inlet and outlet valves are each arranged in a recess of the same pressure element.  
     
     
         42 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22  in combination with and as part of a prosthesis for a lower extremity.  
     
     
         43 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein a force occurs due to body weight when a patient wearing the prosthesis for a lower extremity treads on a surface, and wherein this body weight force provides the first force for the pump.  
     
     
         44 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the vacuum pump provides vacuum to a prosthesis socket in which a residual limb is received.  
     
     
         45 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 22 , further comprising a pressure element bearing against the wall, the pressure element configured to be positioned within a prosthetic foot with the wall interposed between the pressure element and a portion of the prosthetic foot.  
     
     
         46 . The vacuum pump as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the first force compressing the elastically deformable material is generated by action of the prosthetic foot during movement by a patient wearing a prosthetic device coupled to or including the prosthetic foot.  
     
     
         47 . A system configured to be coupled to a user having a body weight, the system including forces that arise due to the body weight of the user, the system comprising: 
 a vacuum pump having 
 a wall configured to form a closed-off fluid volume, the wall movable by means of a first force arising within the system which produces a volume reduction of the fluid volume and, after a preceding volume reduction, the wall movable by means of a second force which produces a volume increase in the fluid volume, and  
 an elastically deformable material that is compressed by the first force and whose expansion, after termination of the first force, produces the second force that acts against the vacuum generated by the pump.  
   
     
     
         48 . The system as claimed in  claim 47  further comprising a prosthesis for a lower extremity, the prosthesis being couplable to the user and including the vacuum pump, wherein the first force arises when the user coupled to the prosthesis treads on a surface exerting body weight onto the prosthesis.  
     
     
         49 . The system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the prosthesis comprises a socket into which a residual limb of the user is received, and wherein the vacuum pump provides vacuum to the socket.  
     
     
         50 . The system as claimed in  claim 48  further comprising a pressure element bearing against the wall of the vacuum pump and the prosthesis further comprising a prosthetic foot, wherein the pressure element is positioned within the prosthetic foot with the wall interposed between the pressure element and a portion of the prosthetic foot, such that the first force arises by action of the prosthetic foot when the user treads on a surface.  
     
     
         51 . A method of manufacturing a prosthesis for a lower extremity that generates vacuum by the application of a user's body weight to the prosthesis, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a vacuum pump having 
 a wall configured to form a closed-off fluid volume, the wall movable by means of a first force arising within the system which produces a volume reduction of the fluid volume and, after a preceding volume reduction, the wall movable by means of a second force which produces a volume increase in the fluid volume, and  
 an elastically deformable material that is compressed by the first force and whose expansion, after termination of the first force, produces the second force that acts against the vacuum generated by the pump; and  
   providing a prosthesis for a lower extremity which is couplable to a user of the prosthesis, the prosthesis including the vacuum pump,    such that the first force of the vacuum pump arises when the user coupled to the prosthesis treads on a surface exerting body weight onto the prosthesis, thereby resulting in vacuum generated by the vacuum pump as part of the prosthesis.    
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the step of providing the prosthesis comprises providing a socket included in the prosthesis into which a residual limb of the user is received, and wherein the vacuum generated by vacuum pump provides vacuum to the socket.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the step of providing the prosthesis comprises providing a pressure element and a prosthetic foot included as part of the prosthesis, the pressure element bearing against the wall of the vacuum pump, wherein the pressure element is positioned within the prosthetic foot with the wall interposed between the pressure element and a portion of the prosthetic foot, such that the first force of the vacuum pump arises by action of the prosthetic foot when the user treads on a surface.