Pump having interchangeable heads

Abstract

A pump comprising a housing having a head carrying area, a motor disposed within the housing, a rotor rotated by the motor; and a pump head assembly mounted to the head mount of the housing, the pump head assembly being one of a piston head assembly or a diaphragm head assembly. The head carrying area is configured such that the piston head assembly and the diaphragm head assembly may be interchangeably mountable thereon. The head carrying area comprises a cylinder seat surrounding an aperture and a radially outward of the aperture. The sidewall may also have a step. The cylinder seat may be sized to receive a cylinder of the piston head assembly and the annular step of the annular sidewall may be configured to receive a diaphragm support ring of the diaphragm head assembly.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pump comprising:
 a housing having a head carrying area;   a motor;   a shaft rotated by said motor; and   an assembly coupled to said head carrying area and said shaft; said assembly being selected from a first assembly and a second assembly wherein said first assembly comprises a piston pump head, a cylinder, a piston and piston eccentric, said cylinder disposed between said head and a portion of said head carrying area, said piston pump head coupled to said head carrying area, said piston at least partially disposed in said cylinder and said piston eccentric coupled to said piston; and wherein said second assembly comprises a diaphragm pump head, a diaphragm support, a diaphragm, and an eccentric, said diaphragm head coupled to said head carrying area, said diaphragm coupled to said diaphragm support, said eccentric coupled to said diaphragm support; and wherein   said first assembly is interchangeable with said second assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein the said piston pump head and said diaphragm pump head are interchangeably mountable on said head carrying area. 
     
     
         3 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein said head carrying area comprises a cylinder seat, and sidewall, said cylinder seat carries said cylinder when said first assembly is selected, said sidewall carries a diaphragm support ring when said second assembly is selected and said diaphragm support ring and diaphragm pump head exert opposing forces on said diaphragm. 
     
     
         4 . The pump of  claim 3  wherein said head carrying area includes a plurality of piston head mounting bosses disposed radially inward of said sidewall and a plurality of diaphragm head mounting bosses disposed radially outward of said sidewall and wherein when said first assembly is selected, said piston pump head of said first assembly is coupled to said piston head mounting bosses and wherein when said second assembly is selected, said diaphragm pump head is coupled to said diaphragm head mounting bosses. 
     
     
         5 . The pump of  claim 4  wherein a top surface of said piston head mounting bosses is at or below a top surface of said annular step of said annular sidewall. 
     
     
         6 . A pump comprising:
 a housing having a head carrying area;   a motor coupled to a shaft; and   one of a plurality of interchangeable assemblies coupled to said carrying area of said housing and said shaft , said plurality of interchangeable assemblies being selected from a group of assemblies consisting of a first assembly and a second assembly, said first assembly comprising a piston pump head, said second assembly comprising a diaphragm pump head.   
     
     
         7 . A pump housing comprising:
 a head carrying area, said head carrying area adapted to couple to a head selectable from a group of heads consisting of a piston pump head and a diaphragm pump head.   
     
     
         8 . The pump housing of  claim 7  wherein said head carrying area comprises a cylinder seat adapted to carry a cylinder, wherein when said piston pump head is coupled to said carrying area and said cylinder is carried by said seat, said cylinder seat and piston pump head exert opposing forces on said cylinder; and wherein said cylinder seat does not carry said cylinder when said diaphragm head is coupled to said housing. 
     
     
         9 . The pump housing of  claim 8  wherein said head carrying area further comprises a plurality of piston head mounting bosses extending in a direction radially inward and away from a first inner side surface of a sidewall of said carrying area, said first inner surface at least partially delimiting an aperture, and a plurality of diaphragm head mounting bosses extending in a direction radially outward of an outer surface of said sidewall, wherein when said piston pump head is coupled to said head carrying area, it is coupled to said piston head mounting bosses and wherein when said diaphragm pump head is coupled to said head carrying area it is coupled to said diaphragm head mounting bosses. 
     
     
         10 . The pump housing of  claim 9  wherein said carrying area further comprises a second side surface, said second side surface also delimits said aperture, and said aperture receives a reciprocating diaphragm support when said diaphragm head is coupled to said diaphragm head mounting bosses. 
     
     
         11 . The pump housing of  claim 10  wherein said carrying area has a floor, said piston head mounting bosses extend in an axial direction away from said floor, said floor extends radially between said cylinder seat and said first side surface. 
     
     
         12 . The pump housing of  claim 11  wherein said cylinder seat is about said aperture. 
     
     
         13 . The pump of  claim 1  wherein said piston has a head and said diaphragm support has a head. 
     
     
         14 . A first assembly and a second assembly comprising:
 a piston pump head, a piston and a cylinder forming part of said first assembly;   a diaphragm pump head, and a diaphragm support forming part of said second assembly;   said first assembly and said second assembly interchangeable with a pump housing having a head carrying area, said piston pump head couples to said head carrying area when said piston of said first assembly is coupled to an end of a shaft in said pump housing, said diaphragm pump head couples to said head carrying area when said diaphragm support arm of said second assembly is coupled to said end of said shaft.