AU2016338775B2 - Pumps - Google Patents

Abstract

Pump designs are detailed. A pump may include a fan having one or more pass-through holes allowing ambient air to be drawn through a fan near a motor shaft bearing for cooling purposes. Alternatively or additionally, a pump may include modular stages to facilitate servicing and repair.

Description

PUMPS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional

Patent Application Serial No. 62/240,983, filed October 13, 2015, and having the same

title as appears above, the entire contents of which application are hereby incorporated

herein by this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to pumps for moving fluid and particularly, but not

necessarily exclusively, to pumps having either or both of (1) fans configured to draw

ambient air near axes of the fans so as to cool associated motor shaft bearings and (2)

modular, multi-stage designs. The pumps are especially useful as booster pumps for

"pressure-side" automatic swimming pool cleaners (sometimes called "pressure-side

APCs") in liquid communication with outlets of the pumps through which pressurized

water exits for return to swimming pools or spas.

BACKGROUND

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0136363 of Stiles, Jr., et al.,

incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, discusses a multi-stage booster pump

for use with a pool or spa. Water flows through an annular space surrounding a motor of

the pump; according to the Stiles, Jr. application, this flowing water "carr[ies] away heat

generated by the motor" and "absorbs and dampens motor vibration and noise." See

Stiles, Jr., p. 2, ¶ 0018. The pump also is described as including two diffuser units, or

"stages," see id., p. 1, ¶ 0013, with the application generically mentioning that "more or

fewer" diffuser units may be used instead. See id., p. 2, ¶ 0019.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like

which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission

that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general

knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority

date of each of the appended claims.

SUMMARY

Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as

"comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated

element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of

any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a pump comprising:

a. a wet end body defining (i) a liquid inlet and (ii) a liquid outlet;

b. a rotatable motor shaft; and

c. a fan comprising:

i. a central opening configured to receive the rotatable motor

shaft;

ii. a front;

iii. a rear;

iv. an outer periphery;

v. a first plurality of blades extending from the rear;

vi. a second plurality of blades extending from the front; and vii. a plurality of pass-through holes from the rear to the front, wherein each blade of the first plurality of blades and each blade of the second plurality of blades defines a first end adjacent the central opening and a second end adjacent the outer periphery.

According to the present disclosure, there is further provided a pump

comprising:

a. a wet end body defining (i) a liquid inlet and (ii) a liquid outlet;

b. a motor shaft defining an axis; and

c. a plurality of stages positioned within the wet end body, each of

the plurality of stages comprising (i) an impeller and a diffuser, with each

impeller being configured to rotate about the axis, and (ii) defining a

module separately removable from the wet end body, each diffuser

comprising two parts configured to be connected together, and each

impeller being fitted between the two parts of each diffuser as connected

together.

The present disclosure provides alternative pump designs. Including a

particularized fan design as part of the pump may be beneficial in order to draw ambient

air near the fan axis where it can cool the motor shaft bearing. This air is then pushed out

radially between the fan plate and motor end cap and converges with the primary fan air to

then exit the fan and cool the motor. As the primary fan air and the secondary fan air

meet, they both travel in a similar direction out of the fan and over the motor. All the air

moving in a similar direction reduces turbulent air flow and therefore reduces noise.

Without a flow of secondary air behind the fan plate, primary air recirculation behind the

fan can add noise to the system.

Pump stages, with each stage including an impeller and a diffuser,

additionally may be formed as modules. Multistage pumps allow for very high water

pressure to be generated, as every stage added to a pump boosts the water pressure.

However, increasing the number of its stages also adds more parts and complexity to a

pump making service and repair more difficult. A typical pump stage has at least three

parts--including one impeller and two diffuser housings. In the case of a four-stage pump,

therefore, a typical design would have twelve (4 x 3=12) parts to manage during service.

However, because the present disclosure designs stages as modules, servicing of the

inventive pump requires managing only the four assemblies rather than twelve individual

parts.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide designs for

pumps.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide multi-stage

pumps with modular stages.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide pumps having

fans configured to draw ambient air near axes of the fans so as to cool associated motor

shaft bearings.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide pumps

especially useful in connection with water-circulation systems of swimming pools and

spas.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to provide pumps

especially useful as booster pumps for pressure-side APCs.

Other objects, features, and advantages of embodiments of the present

disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the

remaining text and the drawings of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-2 are perspective views of an exemplary pump of an embodiment

according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational, partially cut-away view of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the cut-away portion of the pump of FIG. 1

shown in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6-7 are perspective views of a fan useful as part of the pump of FIG.

1.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is another perspective, partially cut-away view of the pump of FIG.

1.

FIGS. 10-11 are perspective, partially exploded and cut-away views of

stages useful as part of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a stage useful as part of the pump of FIG.

1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 is an exemplary pump 10 consistent with the

present disclosure. Pump 10 is denoted in FIG. 1 as having four stages, with such stages

14 further depicted in, e.g., FIGS. 9-10. Pump 10 may include (liquid) inlet 18, (liquid)

outlet 22 and, if desired, base 26. Other conventional features of such a pump 10, such as

a motor or drain plug 28, will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant fields.

Depicted especially in FIG. 1 is handle 29. Handle 29 is configured to be

grasped manually to facilitate movement of pump 10 as needed or desired. In at least

some versions of pump 10, handle 29 may be integrated into body 31 of the wet end of

the pump 10.

Also shown in FIGS. 1-2 is exterior 30 of fan assembly 34. Fan assembly

34 may comprise cover 38, whose face 42 is not solid so as to permit ambient air to enter

interior 46 of the assembly 34 (see FIG. 4). As illustrated especially in FIGS. 3-5,

positioned within interior 46 may be fan 50. Fan 50 is configured to rotate about motor

shaft 54 (see FIG. 10) or, conceivably, about an axis aligned with such a motor shaft and

coupled thereto.

Cover 38 preferably is removable without needing access from the bottom

side of the motor to any fasteners. For example, FIGS. 1-2 show a screw 47 present in a

side 48 of cover 38. That screw 47, plus another screw on the opposed side of cover, and

optionally plus clips, may function to removably connect cover 38 to other components of

fan assembly 34. Screw 47 additionally may form part of ground bonding lug 49.

Fan 50 may, if desired, have a generally circular cross-section and define

front 58 (oriented toward inlet 18), rear 62 (oriented toward cover 38), and periphery 64.

Fan 50 additionally includes a central opening 66 for receiving motor shaft 54 or similar.

These features are depicted at least in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7.

Further detailed in these drawings are blades 70 and pass-through holes 74

of fan 50. FIG. 6 illustrates seven blades 70 extending from rear 62, each having a first

end 78 adjacent central opening 66 and a second end 82 adjacent (outer) periphery 64.

More or fewer than seven blades 70 may be present, however, if appropriate or desired.

Also illustrated are seven pass-through holes 74 from rear 62 to front 58, each disposed

between adjacent blades 70 and generally near central opening 66. Again, however, more

or fewer holes 74 may be present, although in some versions the numbers of blades 70

and holes 74 preferably are equal.

Depicted in FIG. 7 as present on front 58 are blades 83. Like blades 70,

blades 83 each may have a first end 84 adjacent central opening 66 and a second end 85

adjacent periphery 64. Advantageously, blades 83 may have less depth than blades 70.

Operation of a motor of pump 10 rotates motor shaft 54, in turn rotating fan

50. As fan 50 rotates, it draws ambient air through cover 38 into interior 46 of fan

assembly 34. Arrows A of FIG. 5 detail the flow direction of this air as it approaches face

42. Further shown in FIG. 5 is that blades 70, together with holes 74, create two air-flow

streams within assembly 34, a nominally "primary" stream 79 that does not pass through

holes 74 and a "secondary" stream 83 that does pass through holes 74. Drawing ambient

air through fan 50 via holes 74 better cools the bearing for motor shaft 54 and helps

reduce noisy air-recirculation areas that would otherwise exist between fan 50 and face

42. This latter advantage is particularly true when the drawn air is then forced out past

the motor of pump 10 (see arrows B of FIG. 5).

Detailed in FIGS. 9-10 and 12 are modular stages 14 of pump 10. The cut

away drawing of FIG. 9 illustrates four such stages 14 positioned adjacent each other (or

"stacked," using terminology of the Stiles, Jr. application). Each stage 14 may include at

least an impeller 86 and a diffuser 90; like fan 50, stages 14 may be positioned so as to

rotate about motor shaft 54 (or an axis aligned with and coupled thereto). As shown in

FIG. 11, a stage 14 may comprise three parts--two (90A and 90B) clipping or otherwise

connecting together to form diffuser 90 and the third being impeller 86 fitted between

parts 90A and 90B. Optionally, the stage 14 closest to inlet 18 further may include an 0

ring to enhance mechanical sealing there.

Comparison of FIGS. 10 and 11 allows ready identification of this feature

of the present disclosure. If a stage 14 were not modular, it could be depicted as in FIG.

11--i.e. comprising, for example, three separate components. Thus, the stages of a four

stage pump would include twelve (= 4 x 3) parts, and repair or servicing of the stages

could require disassembly and management of numerous pieces. By contrast, because

each stage 14 of FIG. 10 is formed as a module, repair of servicing of such a stage 14

requires management of only one module (part), and servicing of all four stages 14

requires only four modules (parts) to be managed.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and

describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these

embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without

departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A pump comprising:

a. a wet end body defining (i) a liquid inlet and (ii) a liquid outlet;

b. a rotatable motor shaft; and

c. a fan comprising:

i. a central opening configured to receive the rotatable motor

shaft;

ii. a front;

iii. a rear;

iv. an outer periphery;

v. a first plurality of blades extending from the rear;

vi. a second plurality of blades extending from the front; and

vii. a plurality of pass-through holes from the rear to the

front, wherein each blade of the first plurality of blades and each blade of

the second plurality of blades defines a first end adjacent the central

opening and a second end adjacent the outer periphery.

2. A pump according to claim 1, wherein each blade of the first plurality of

blades has a first depth and each blade of the second plurality of blades has

a depth less than the first depth.

3. A pump according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a fan

assembly comprising:

a. a cover having a non-solid face; and

b. an interior in which the fan is positioned.

4. A pump according to claim 3, wherein the interior is configured such

that air entering it through the cover exits both (a) through the plurality of

pass-through holes of the fan and (b) around the outer periphery of the fan.

5. A pump according to claim 3 or claim 4, further comprising a base and

wherein the cover is removable so as to expose the interior without needing

access, from a bottom side of a motor of which the rotatable motor shaft is

a part, to any fasteners.

6. A pump according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a

screw (a) received by the cover and (b) forming part of a ground bonding

lug.

7. A pump according to any one of the preceding claims, further

comprising a plurality of stages positioned within the wet end body, each

of the plurality of stages including a diffuser and an impeller.

8. A pump according to any one of the preceding claims, further

comprising a handle integrated into the wet end body.

9. A pump according to claim 1 configured to function as a booster pump

for a pressure-side automatic swimming pool cleaner comprising:

a. a fan assembly comprising:

i. a cover having a non-solid face; and

ii. an interior (A) in which the fan is positioned and (B)

configured such that air entering it through the cover exits both (1)

through the plurality of pass-through holes of the fan and (2) around

the outer periphery of the fan; and

b. a plurality of stages positioned within the wet end body, each of

the plurality of stages:

i. defining a module being separately removable from the

wet end body; and

ii. comprising (A) an impeller and (B) a two-part diffuser,

with the two parts of each two-part diffuser configured to connect

together and with each impeller (1) configured to rotate about an

axis and (2) fitted between parts of each two-part diffuser as

connected together; and

wherein (a) the liquid outlet is configured to supply pressurized water to the

automatic swimming pool cleaner and (b) the rotatable motor shaft defines

the axis.