JP7057145B2 - Self-priming pump and pump unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a self-priming pump and a pump unit.

To date, various pumps have been developed according to the application, and one of them is a self-priming pump. This self-priming pump includes an impeller, a pump chamber for accommodating the impeller, and a pump casing having a gas-liquid separation chamber arranged on the discharge port side of the pump chamber. If it is filled with liquid, it is a pump that can discharge the air in the suction pipe and pump it by its own operation. For example, at the time of installation, the self-priming pump first performs a self-priming operation in which the air in the suction pipe is discharged from the discharge port of the pump casing, and then performs a pumping operation in which the pumped liquid is discharged from the discharge port. ..

The pump casing of the self-priming pump is formed with a recirculation flow path for returning the liquid separated in the gas-liquid separation chamber to the pump chamber. By forming such a recirculation flow path, the pump chamber is filled with the liquid recirculated through the recirculation flow path, so that the operation efficiency during the self-priming operation can be improved. As a result, the time required for self-priming operation can be shortened.

In the following Patent Documents 1 and 2, the operation efficiency is improved by changing the flow rate of the liquid recirculated through the above-mentioned reflux flow path between the case of performing the self-priming operation and the case of performing the pumping operation. The technology is disclosed. Specifically, in the following Patent Documents 1 and 2, a movable valve is provided at the opening end of the recirculation flow path in the gas-liquid separation chamber, and the opening degree of the opening end of the recirculation flow path is determined by the pressure acting on the gas-liquid separation chamber. The technology to be changed is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-10397 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-274389

By the way, in the pump unit provided with the self-priming pump, the rotation speed of the impeller is controlled to be changed according to the pressure of the liquid on the discharge side and the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the discharge pipe. For example, an impeller is used when a constant discharge pressure control that maintains a constant liquid pressure on the discharge side or a small water volume state (a state in which the flow rate of water flowing through the discharge pipe drops to a predetermined flow rate) is detected. The small amount of water stop control is performed to temporarily increase the rotation speed of the water, store the pressure in the pressure tank, and then stop the impeller.

Therefore, it is conceivable that the pressure of the liquid on the discharge side may fluctuate depending on the operating condition of the self-priming pump and the usage condition of the liquid at the water supply destination. Since all of the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above change the opening degree of the opening end of the reflux flow path by utilizing the pressure acting on the gas-liquid separation chamber, the gas-liquid separation chamber can be used. When the acting pressure fluctuates, the opening of the opening end changes, and there is a problem that the operation efficiency during the self-priming operation or the pumping operation may decrease.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the reflux flow path can be surely opened in the self-priming operation and closed in the pumping operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-priming pump and a pump unit capable of improving operating efficiency in both sucking operation and pumping operation.

In order to solve the above problems, the self-priming pump (11) according to one aspect of the present invention includes an impeller (11a) that pressurizes the liquid flowing in from the suction port (16) by rotation, and a pump that houses the impeller. A chamber (21), a gas-liquid separation chamber (22) provided on the discharge side of the impeller, and a recirculation flow path (RP) for returning the liquid separated by the gas-liquid separation chamber to the pump chamber. The formed pump casing (11b), an opening / closing mechanism (26) for opening / closing the recirculation flow path in the gas / liquid separation chamber, and an opening / closing mechanism connected to the opening / closing mechanism are moved up and down according to the water level of the liquid in the gas / liquid separation chamber. It is provided with a floating body (30).
Further, the self-priming pump according to one aspect of the present invention includes a valve body in which the opening / closing mechanism is connected to the floating body and opens / closes the opening end of the reflux flow path according to the vertical movement of the floating body.
Alternatively, in the self-priming pump according to one aspect of the present invention, the gas-liquid separation chamber is provided with an auxiliary chamber (25) that communicates with the perfusion flow path and communicates with the gas-liquid separation chamber through an opening (OP). The opening / closing mechanism is housed in the auxiliary chamber and is connected to the floating body through the opening. The opening / closing mechanism is provided with a valve body that opens / closes the return flow path by opening / closing the opening according to the vertical movement of the floating body.
Further, the self-priming pump according to one aspect of the present invention is provided above the floating body, and the water level of the liquid in the gas-liquid separation chamber becomes a predetermined water level higher than the predetermined reference water level (WL1, WL2). In this case, a switch (33, 35, 36) for switching from the first state to the second state is further provided.
Further, in the self-priming pump according to one aspect of the present invention, the switch switches from the first state to the second state by moving the floating body upward.
Further, in the self-priming pump according to one aspect of the present invention, the switch is provided in a stopper (32, 32A, 32C) attached to a liquid supply port for supplying a liquid to the gas-liquid separation chamber.
The pump unit (1 to 6) according to one aspect of the present invention is a pump unit provided with the above switch, and when the switch is in the first state, the impeller is operated at a rotation speed for self-priming operation. A control device (13) for controlling the impeller to rotate at the rotation speed for pumping operation when the switch is in the second state is provided.
Further, in the pump unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the control device displays information indicating that the self-priming operation is in progress when the switch is in the first state.
Further, in the pump unit according to one aspect of the present invention, information indicating that the control device is performing self-priming operation by performing first short-range communication (C1) when the switch is in the first state. Is provided with a control unit (50) for transmitting.
Further, the pump unit according to one aspect of the present invention is attached to the unit cover (15) covering the pump casing, and the first short-range communication is performed with the control unit to acquire and acquire the information. It is provided with a communication device (60) that performs the second short-range communication (C2) and transmits the information to an external device (70) of the unit cover.
Further, the pump unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes a display unit (64) for displaying the information acquired by the communication device by performing the first short-range communication.
Further, in the pump unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the communication device is operated by at least one of the electric power supplied from the control unit in a non-contact manner and the electric power supplied from the external device in a non-contact manner.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that the reflux flow path can be surely opened in the self-priming operation and can be surely closed in the pumping operation. This has the effect that the operating efficiency can be improved in both the self-sucking operation and the pumping operation.

It is a front view which shows the inside of the unit cover of the pump unit by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a back perspective perspective view which shows the pump unit by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the internal structure of the pump in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the valve body and the support member accommodated in the auxiliary chamber of the steam separation chamber in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which the inside of a pump is filled with water in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the pump unit by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view which shows typically the main part structure of the pump unit by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the pump in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the 1st modification of the pump unit by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the 2nd modification of the pump unit by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the pump unit by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the composition of the main part of the control part, the display | display, and the external display provided in the pump unit according to the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the information displayed on the display screen of an external display in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the internal structure of the pump in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the internal structure of the pump which concerns on the modification of 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the internal structure of the pump in 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the movable switch used in 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the main part structure of the pump unit by 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the internal structure of the pump which concerns on the modification of 6th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the self-priming pump and the pump unit according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of the unit cover of the pump unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective perspective view showing a pump unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The pump unit 1 of the present embodiment is used for pumping water from a water source such as a well or a water tank to supply water. The pump unit 1 is installed outdoors and supplies medium water used for agricultural water, car washing, watering of garden trees, etc., or the pressure on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the building is insufficient due to the water main pressure. It is also used for pressurized water supply when it ends up.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pump unit 1 controls a pump 11 (self-priming pump) for pumping water (liquid), an electric motor 12 provided on the back side of the pump 11 to drive the pump 11, and an electric motor 12. The control device 13 is provided. The electric motor 12 is fixed to the pump 11, and the pump 11 and the control device 13 are fixed to the unit base 14. The unit cover 15 covers the pump 11, the electric motor 12, and the control device 13 on the unit base 14. The unit base 14 and the unit cover 15 are made of, for example, synthetic resin.

The pump 11 is a self-priming pump having a structure in which the impeller 11a for pumping can also perform a priming action, and is a pump chamber 21 for accommodating the impeller 11a and the impeller 11a (see FIG. 3). And a pump casing 11b that forms a flow path for pumping water. Further, the pump 11 is a cascade pump also called a friction pump, and the impeller 11a is formed in a disk shape having a large number of grooves G (see FIG. 3) cut in the peripheral portion thereof. The unit boosts the water existing in the pump chamber 21 while rotating it substantially once. Although the pump 11 is small, a single impeller 11a can obtain a lift comparable to that of a centrifugal pump with several stages, and is suitable for the purpose of small capacity and high lift. Further, since the pump 11 has self-priming property, it is suitable for pumping water or well water stored in a water receiving tank installed at a position lower than the pump 11. The details of the pump 11 will be described later.

The electric motor 12 drives the pump 11 by rotating the impeller 11a. In the present embodiment, the drive of the electric motor 12 is controlled by the control device 13, and the variable speed operation of the rotation speed of the pump 11 is possible. Here, when it is not necessary for the control device 13 to operate at a variable speed, the control device 13 may not have the variable speed means.

The control device 13 includes an inverter device (not shown) as a variable speed means of the pump 11, and the electric motor 12 corresponds to the detection result of the discharge pressure by the pressure sensor 34 (see FIG. 3) provided in the pump casing 11b. The rotation speed of the pump 11 is controlled by controlling. For example, the control device 13 controls the discharge pressure of the pump 11 based on the target pressure such as the known constant discharge pressure control or the estimated terminal pressure constant control and the detection result. Further, the control device 13 controls whether to perform the self-priming operation or the pumping operation according to the state of the detection switch 33 (see FIG. 3) provided in the pump casing 11b.

As shown in FIG. 1, a suction port 16 and a discharge port 17 exposed from the unit cover 15 are provided on the front surface of the pump unit 1. The suction port 16 communicates with one end E1 of the internal flow path FP (see FIG. 3) formed inside the pump casing 11b, and the discharge port 17 communicates with the other end E2 of the internal flow path FP. are doing. In the discharge flow path FP3 (see FIG. 3) from which the water pressurized by the impeller 11a is discharged, a pressure tank 18 (see FIG. 2) for alleviating momentary fluctuations in the discharge amount and the discharge pressure is provided. It is provided. The pressure tank 18 may be integrally formed with the unit base 14 under the pump 11.

Next, the pump 11 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of the pump according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a pump chamber 21 and a steam-water separation chamber 22 (gas-liquid separation chamber) are formed in the internal flow path FP of the pump casing 11b. Of the internal flow path FP, the suction flow path FP1 from one end E1 to the pump chamber 21 is provided with a flow check valve 23. The flow check valve 23 is provided at a position higher than the pump chamber 21, and prior to driving the pump 11, fills the inside of the pump chamber 21 with water to secure the water level required for self-priming, and when the pump 11 is stopped. It has a role of preventing backflow of water and always filling the pump chamber 21 with water. That is, the flow check valve 23 closes the suction flow path FP1 by its own weight when the pump 11 is stopped, and is pushed up by water (including air at the time of starting) that comes up the suction flow path FP1 when the pump 11 is driven. And open the suction flow path FP1.

A steam separation chamber 22 is arranged on the downstream side of the pump chamber 21. Among the internal flow paths FP, the baffle 24 on which the water discharged from the pump room 21 collides is arranged in the connection flow path FP2 between the pump chamber 21 and the steam separation chamber 22. At the bottom of the air-water separation chamber 22, a reflux flow path RP that communicates with the pump chamber 21 is formed. The return flow path RP returns (refluxes) the water separated from the air in the air-water separation chamber 22 to the pump chamber 21 during the self-priming operation at the start of the pump 11. After remixing the water (water separated from the air) recirculated by the recirculation flow path RP and the air and discharging the air in the suction flow path FP1, the pump 11 can suck up the water from the water source.

Further, at the bottom of the air-water separation chamber 22, an auxiliary chamber 25 is provided which communicates with the reflux channel RP and also communicates with the air-water separation chamber 22 through the opening OP formed at the upper part. The auxiliary chamber 25 houses a valve body 26 (opening / closing mechanism) that opens and closes the opening OP, a spring member 27 that urges the valve body 26 downward, and a support member 28 that supports the valve body 26 from below. Has been done. The valve body 26 includes, for example, a rubber or resin truncated cone-shaped valve member 26a and a disk-shaped plate member 26b attached to the bottom surface of the valve member 26a. It is desirable that the opening OP has, for example, a circular shape and has a diameter that expands downward in accordance with the shape of the valve member 26a of the valve body 26.

The spring member 27 is, for example, a compression spring, and is housed in the auxiliary chamber 25 in a state of being shrunk to some extent in a state where the bottom surface of the valve body 26 is supported by the support member 28. The diameter of the spring member 27 is set to a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the valve member 26a of the valve body 26 and smaller than the outer diameter of the plate member 26b. The support member 28 has, for example, a diameter similar to that of the spring member 27, and is an annular member erected upward from the bottom of the auxiliary chamber 25.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a valve body and a support member housed in an auxiliary chamber of a steam separation chamber in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the support member 28 is an annular member having a plurality of holes 28c formed on its side surface, and the lower end portion 28b is an auxiliary chamber with the upper end portion 28a facing the valve body 26 side. It is fixed to the bottom of 25. The hole 28c formed on the side surface of the support member 28 is for allowing the return flow path RP to communicate with the air-water separation chamber 22 even if the upper end portion 28a of the support member 28 is blocked by the valve body 26. It is a thing. That is, even if the upper end portion 28a of the support member 28 is closed by the valve body 26, the water flowing from the air-water separation chamber 22 into the auxiliary chamber 25 through the opening OP passes through the hole portion 28c. It is intended to flow into the return flow path RP. The shape and number of the holes 28c formed on the side surface of the support member 28 are arbitrary.

One end 29a (see FIG. 4) of a rod-shaped connecting member 29 that is inserted through the opening OP and extends in the vertical direction is attached to the upper portion of the valve body 26. A floating body 30 is attached to the other end 29b side of the connecting member 29. That is, the valve body 26 and the floating body 30 are connected by a connecting member 29. The connecting member 29 may be a rod-shaped member illustrated in FIG. 3 or a string-shaped member such as a chain.

The floating body 30 is, for example, a member made of a resin having a lighter specific gravity than water, or a member having a hollow inside, and is arranged in the air-water separation chamber 22. The floating body 30 receives buoyancy by the water in the air-water separation chamber 22, and moves up and down according to the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22. Since the floating body 30 and the valve body 26 are connected by the connecting member 29, the valve body 26 moves up and down according to the top and bottom of the floating body 30.

The buoyancy received by the floating body 30 is set to be smaller than the urging force of the spring member 27 when the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 is equal to or lower than the priming water level WL1 (reference water level), and the air-water separation is performed. When the water level in the chamber 22 is higher than the priming water level WL1, it is set to be larger than the urging force of the spring member 27. Here, the priming water level WL1 is the same height position as the height position of the upper end of the wall surface 22a forming the air-water separation chamber 22. Assuming that the difference between the height position of the inner wall surface of the upper portion 11U of the pump casing 11b and the height position of the upper end of the wall surface 22a forming the air-water separation chamber 22 is H1, the priming water level WL1 is the pump casing 11b. It can also be said that the position is lowered by H1 from the height position of the inner wall surface of the upper portion 11U. When the water level in the steam separation chamber 22 is higher than the water level WL1 at the time of priming, for example, the inside of the steam separation chamber 22 and the pump casing 11b on the downstream side of the steam separation chamber 22 is filled with water. This is the case (see FIG. 5).

Therefore, when the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 is equal to or lower than the priming water level WL1, the valve body 26 is pressed against the upper part of the support member 28 by the spring member 27, and is therefore shown in FIG. As you can see, the opening OP is opened. On the other hand, when the water level in the steam separation chamber 22 is higher than the priming water level WL1 (for example, when the steam separation chamber 22 and the downstream side of the steam separation chamber 22 are filled with water), The valve body 26 moves upward together with the floating body 30, and as shown in FIG. 5, the opening OP is closed by the valve body 26, whereby the return flow path RP is closed. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the inside of the pump is filled with water in the first embodiment of the present invention.

A priming port 31 (liquid supply port) is formed in the upper portion 11U of the pump casing 11b (above the air / water separation chamber 22 (above the floating body 30)). The priming port 31 is closed by the priming faucet 32 (plug). The priming faucet 32 is opened before the pump 11 is started and the pump casing 11b is not filled with water when the pump 11 is installed, and the priming water is injected from the priming port 31. In this state, the self-priming operation is performed by driving the pump 11 described above, the air in the suction flow path FP1 disappears, and when the water of the water source rises, the self-priming operation ends and the air-water separation chamber 22 and the air-water separation chamber 22 and After the downstream side of the air-water separation chamber 22 is filled with water, the pump 11 is driven to perform the pumping operation.

The priming faucet 32 is provided with a detection switch 33 (switch) for detecting the completion of self-priming. The detection switch 33 is in an off state (the first) when the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 becomes higher than the water level WL1 at the time of priming, the floating body 30 moves upward, and the other end 29b of the connecting member 29 comes into contact with the water level. It switches from the 1st state) to the on state (2nd state). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the water level of the water in the steam separation chamber 22 rises by H1 above the priming water level WL1, the detection switch 33 switches from the off state to the on state. Further, the detection switch 33 in the on state may be switched to the off state when the water level in the air / water separation chamber 22 drops and the floating body 30 moves downward. For example, if the water level in the steam separation chamber 22 rises by H1 above the priming water level WL1 and is turned on, and then the water level in the steam separation chamber 22 becomes priming water level WL1 or less. , The detection switch 33 switches from the on state to the off state. The detection result of the detection switch 33 is output to the control device 13.

In the present embodiment, since the detection switch 33 is provided in the priming faucet 32, the detection switch 33 can be easily replaced. If the detection switch 33 is switched from the off state to the on state when the floating body 30 is moved upward, the detection switch 33 may be provided at a place other than the priming faucet 32. Further, in the present embodiment, the detection switch 33 switches from the off state to the on state when the other end 29b of the connecting member 29 comes into contact with the detection switch 33. However, the detection switch 33 is provided with a floating body 30 on the other end 29b of the connecting member 29. The detection switch 33 may be switched from the off state to the on state by abutting the floating body 30 on the surface. Further, the detection switch 33 only needs to be able to confirm the vertical position of the floating body 30, and is, for example, a non-contact type such as a magnetic sensor or an infrared sensor that can detect the on state by detecting the other end 29b at a position higher than the detection switch 33. A switch or the like may be used.

Of the internal flow path FP, the discharge flow path FP3 from the air-water separation chamber 22 to the other end E2 is provided with a pressure sensor 34. The pressure sensor 34 is arranged above the water level WL1 at the time of priming, the self-priming operation is completed, and the pressure of the discharge flow path FP3 filled with water is detected. The detection result of the pressure sensor 34 is output to the control device 13, and the control device 13 determines the rotation speed of the motor 12 based on the target pressure such as known discharge pressure constant control and estimated terminal pressure constant control and the detection result. Control.

Further, as described above, the discharge flow path FP3 is provided with the pressure tank 18. The pressure tank 18 has a rubber bladder built in the pressure-resistant container, and when the discharge pressure of the pump 11 rises, the air outside the bladder is compressed and water is stored in a pressurized state. Further, for example, as the pressure in the discharge flow path FP3 decreases with the use of water, the compressed air expands and the stored water is pushed out to the discharge flow path FP3. In this way, immediately after the pump 11 is started, water can be supplied from the pressure tank 18 to the discharge flow path FP3 for a while even if the rotation speed has not risen sufficiently for water supply.

Next, the operation of the automatic operation of the pump unit 1 having the configuration described above will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the pump unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 starts when the pump 11 is started and is interrupted when the pump 11 is stopped. For example, the pump 11 is started when the operation switch provided in the control device 13 is turned on and the discharge pressure detected by the pressure sensor 34 is equal to or lower than a predetermined starting pressure. When the flow check valve 23 detects a small amount of water due to a decrease in the amount of water used, or when the pump 11 is abnormal, the flow check valve 23 is stopped. When the pump 11 is started, the control device 13 first determines whether or not the detection switch 33 is in the off state (step S11).

When it is determined that the detection switch 33 is in the off state (when the determination result in step S11 is "YES"), the electric motor 12 is controlled by the control device 13, and the self-priming operation is executed in the pump unit 1. (Step S12). That is, the pump 11 is operated at a rotation speed for self-priming operation. Here, since the self-priming operation does not pump water, it does not affect the equipment (for example, the faucet) connected to the secondary side of the pump unit 1. Therefore, the rotation speed for self-priming operation can be set to, for example, a predetermined maximum rotation speed of the impeller 11a. The faster the impeller 11a rotates in the self-priming operation, the shorter the self-priming operation is completed, and water can be supplied by the pumping operation. During the self-priming operation, the control device 13 determines whether or not the detection switch 33 is switched from the off state to the on state (step S13). When it is determined that the detection switch 33 is not in the ON state (when the determination result in step S13 is "NO"), the process of step S12 is repeated, and the pump 11 rotates for self-priming operation. Driving at speed continues.

When there is air on the upstream side of the flow check valve 23, the air in the suction flow path FP1 communicating with the suction pipe via the suction port 16 pushes up the flow check valve 23 due to the rotation of the impeller 11a and enters the pump chamber 21. Be sucked in. The mixed liquid of the sucked air and the water in the pump casing 11b is discharged from the pump chamber 21. The suction pipe is a pipe connected to a water source such as a well and a suction port 16 of the pump unit 1, and one end of the suction pipe is hidden in the water source.

The discharged mixed liquid collides with the baffle 24 provided in the pump casing 11b, flows into the air-water separation chamber 22, and is separated into air and water. The air separated in the air-water separation chamber 22 is discharged from the discharge port 17 via the discharge flow path FP3. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a part of the water separated in the air-water separation chamber 22 flows from the opening OP into the reflux channel RP via the auxiliary chamber 25, and flows into the reflux channel RP via the reflux channel RP to the pump chamber. Reflux to 21. The water recirculated to the pump chamber 21 via the recirculation flow path RP and the sucked air are mixed by the impeller 11a rotating at the rotation speed for self-priming operation, so that the time required for self-priming operation is shortened. can. While this operation is repeated, the air sucked into the pump chamber 21 is discharged from the discharge port 17, so that the amount of water in the pump casing 11b is the same as when priming, and the air-water separation chamber. Since the water level of the water in 22 is maintained at the water level WL1 at the time of priming, the opening OP remains open.

By repeating the above operation, the air on the upstream side of the flow check valve 23 disappears and water rises. When the suction flow path FP1 in the pump casing 11b is filled with water, the water sucked into the pump chamber 21 is discharged from the discharge port 17, so that the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 rises. .. Then, the floating body 30 moves upward and the valve body 26 moves upward. As shown in FIG. 5, when the air-water separation chamber 22 and the downstream side of the air-water separation chamber 22 are filled with water, the opening OP is closed by the valve body 26 and the detection switch 33 is turned on. Since the opening OP is closed by the valve body 26, there is no water flowing from the air-water separation chamber 22 into the reflux channel RP via the auxiliary chamber 25, which is the same as the state in which the reflux channel RP is closed. Become a state. That is, by closing the opening OP, the reflux channel RP is indirectly closed. By eliminating the water flowing from the air-water separation chamber 22 into the return flow path RP, the pump efficiency during the pumping operation can be improved.

When the floating body 30 moves upward, the control device 13 determines that the detection switch 33 is in the ON state based on the detection result of the detection switch 33 (the determination result in step S13 becomes “YES”), and the control device 13 The pumping operation is started under the control of (step S14). That is, the operation at the rotation speed for the pumping operation is started. Here, the pump 11 may be temporarily stopped and restarted before the pumping operation is started.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S11 that the detection switch 33 is not in the off state (when the determination result is "NO"), the motor 12 is controlled by the control device 13 and the pumping operation is executed (when the determination result is "NO"). Step S14), the process returns to the process of step S11 again. The pump unit 1 operates in this way.

Examples of the method for controlling the rotation speed of the pump 11 in the pumping operation in step S14 include constant discharge pressure control, constant estimated end pressure control, constant current control, constant flow rate control, constant rotation speed control, and the like. Be done. The constant discharge pressure control is a control method for controlling the pump 11 so that a predetermined target pressure SV is set to a predetermined set pressure PA and the discharge pressure of the pump 11 is set to a set pressure PA. In the estimated terminal pressure constant control, the pump 11 is controlled so that the target pressure SV is calculated so that the pressure at the end of the water supply destination becomes a predetermined set pressure PA, and the discharge pressure PV of the pump 11 is the calculated target pressure SV. It is a control method to do. The constant current control is provided with a current sensor (not shown) for measuring the current flowing through the electric motor 12, and the control device 13 controls the pump 11 so that the current value flowing through the electric motor 12 input from the current sensor becomes a predetermined value. It is a control method. The constant flow rate control is a control method for controlling the pump 11 so that the discharge flow rate of the pump 11 becomes a predetermined value by using a flow meter (not shown). The constant rotation speed control is a control method for controlling the pump 11 so that the rotation speed of the electric motor 12 becomes a predetermined value.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the bottom of the air / water separation chamber 22 is provided with an auxiliary chamber 25 that communicates with the reflux channel RP and also communicates with the air / water separation chamber 22 through the opening OP formed at the upper part. The valve body 26 and the floating body 30 housed in the chamber 25 are connected by a connecting member 29 inserted in the opening OP. Then, the valve body 26 is moved up and down according to the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22 to open or close the opening OP. Therefore, the reflux flow path RP can be surely opened in the self-priming operation and closed in the pumping operation. As a result, the operating efficiency can be improved in both the self-sucking operation and the pumping operation.

Further, in the present embodiment, the priming port 31 located above the floating body 30 is closed by the priming faucet 32 provided with the detection switch 33. Then, when the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 becomes higher than the water level WL1 at the time of priming, the floating body 30 moves upward, and the other end 29b of the connecting member 29 comes into contact with the detection switch 33, the detection switch 33 is switched from the off state to the on state. Therefore, the completion of self-priming can be easily detected.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a main part of a pump unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the pump according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in FIG. 7, only the main configuration is shown, and the configurations other than the main configuration are omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are used for the configurations corresponding to the configurations described in the first embodiment, and some description thereof will be omitted.

The pump 11 of the first embodiment described above was a horizontal axis pump in which the main axis is horizontally arranged. On the other hand, the pump 11A of the present embodiment is a vertical shaft pump in which the main shaft is arranged vertically.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pump unit 2 of the present embodiment includes an inner casing 41 and a self-priming portion 42. In FIG. 8, the inner casing 41 is not shown. The inner casing 41 is a bottomed annular member in which an impeller 11a attached to the rotating shaft of the electric motor 12 is arranged. By attaching the cover 43 above the inner casing 41, the pump chamber 21 is formed (see FIG. 8). The pump casing 11b forming the pumping flow path of the pump 11A is an inner casing 41, a cover 43, and a self-priming portion 42.

A suction hole 41a, a discharge hole 41b, and a return hole 41c are formed on the side surface of the inner casing 41. The suction hole portion 41a is a hole portion into which pumped water (including air at the time of self-suction) flows in, and communicates with a suction port of a pump unit 2 (not shown). The discharge hole portion 41b is a hole portion through which the water pressurized in the pump chamber 21 (including a mixed liquid of water and air at the time of self-suction) flows out, and the air-water separation provided inside the self-suction portion 42. It communicates with the discharge flow path of the chamber 22. The reflux hole portion 41c is a hole portion forming a part of the reflux flow path RP, and communicates with the pump chamber 21 and the air / water separation chamber 22, and the water separated from the air in the air / water separation chamber 22 is sent to the pump chamber 21. Put it back again.

An auxiliary chamber 25 is provided on the side of the steam separation chamber 22 (the left side of the paper in FIG. 8), and a floating chamber 44 is provided on the upper part of the steam separation chamber 22 (above the auxiliary chamber 25). There is. The auxiliary chamber 25 communicates with the reflux channel RP and the air-water separation chamber 22, and the valve body 26 is housed inside the auxiliary chamber 25. The inner diameter of the auxiliary chamber 25 is increased downward in accordance with the shape of the valve body 26 (conical cone shape). The floating body chamber 44 is formed so as to extend upward, and the floating body 30 is housed therein. Further, a priming port 31 is formed in the upper part of the floating chamber 44, and the priming port 31 is closed by the priming faucet 32. In FIG. 8, the detection switch 33 provided in the priming faucet 32 is not shown. The floating body chamber 44 is provided to secure a vertical stroke of the floating body 30. The valve body 26 housed in the auxiliary chamber 25 and the floating body 30 housed in the floating body chamber 44 are connected by a connecting member 29.

In the pump unit 2 having the above configuration, the water level in the floating chamber 44 is substantially maintained at the priming water level WL2 during the self-priming operation, as shown in FIG. 8A. Therefore, the open end of the reflux flow path RP (the open end on the air-water separation chamber 22 side) remains open. On the other hand, when the self-suction is completed, the water level in the floating body chamber 44 rises, the floating body 30 moves upward, and the valve body 26 moves upward. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the open end of the reflux flow path RP is closed by the valve body 26, and the other end 29b of the connecting member 29 comes into contact with the detection switch 33 provided in the priming faucet 32. The detection switch 33 is turned on.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the reflux channel RP and the auxiliary chamber 25 communicating with the steam separation chamber 22 are provided on the side of the steam separation chamber 22, and the floating body chamber 44 is provided above the steam separation chamber 22. The valve body 26 housed in the auxiliary chamber 25 and the floating body 30 housed in the floating body chamber 44 are connected by a connecting member 29. Then, the valve body 26 is moved up and down according to the water level of the water in the floating chamber 44 to close the open end of the reflux flow path RP. Therefore, the reflux flow path RP can be surely opened in the self-priming operation and closed in the pumping operation. As a result, the operating efficiency can be improved in both the self-sucking operation and the pumping operation. Further, also in the present embodiment, the completion of self-priming can be easily detected by the detection switch 33.

<Modification example>
FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing a first modification of the pump unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment described above, the valve body 26 has a truncated cone shape, and the inner diameter of the auxiliary chamber 25 is expanded downward in accordance with the shape of the valve body 26. On the other hand, in the first modification, the valve body 26 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape or a flat plate shape, and the width of the auxiliary chamber 25 in the left-right direction on the paper surface is constant.

In the first modification, as shown in FIG. 9A, the water level in the floating chamber 44 is substantially maintained at the priming water level WL2 during the self-priming operation. Therefore, the open end of the reflux flow path RP (the open end on the air-water separation chamber 22 side) remains open. On the other hand, when the self-suction is completed, the water level in the floating body chamber 44 rises and the floating body 30 moves upward. Then, the valve body 26 is guided by the side wall (side wall in the left-right direction of the paper surface) of the auxiliary chamber 25 and slides upward, and as shown in FIG. 9B, the open end of the return flow path RP is opened by the valve body 26. It will be closed. Further, when the floating body 30 moves upward, the other end 29b of the connecting member 29 moves upward from the detection switch 33 provided in the priming faucet 32, and the detection switch 33 is turned on.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing a second modification of the pump unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment and the first modification described above, the valve body 26 closes the open end of the return flow path RP. On the other hand, in the second modification, the opening OP provided in the auxiliary chamber 25 is closed by closing the opening OP provided in the auxiliary chamber 25, as in the first embodiment, without directly closing the opening end of the return flow path RP. It indirectly closes the return flow path RP.

In the second modification, as shown in FIG. 10, the opening OP is formed on the side portion (side portion on the right side of the paper surface) of the auxiliary chamber 25. Further, a guide member 45 is formed at a specific position in the air-water separation chamber 22. Here, the above-mentioned specific position is a position where a line extending from the opening OP to the right of the paper surface and a line extending vertically downward from the central portion of the floating chamber 44 (toward the front side of the paper surface) intersect. The valve body 26 housed in the auxiliary chamber 25 and the floating body 30 housed in the floating body chamber 44 are connected by a string-shaped connecting member 29. The connecting member 29 extending from the valve body 26 to the right of the paper surface is folded upward by the guide member 45 and connected to the floating body 30. Therefore, when the floating body 30 moves in the vertical direction, the valve body 26 moves in the horizontal direction.

In the second modification, during the self-priming operation, as shown in FIG. 10A, the water level in the floating chamber 44 is substantially maintained at the priming water level WL2. Therefore, the opening OP remains open. On the other hand, when the self-suction is completed, the water level in the floating body chamber 44 rises and the floating body 30 moves upward. Then, the valve body 26 moves to the right of the paper surface, and the opening OP is closed by the valve body 26 as shown in FIG. 10 (b). Further, when the floating body 30 moves upward, for example, the floating body 30 comes into contact with a detection switch 33 (not shown) provided on the priming faucet 32, and the detection switch 33 is turned on.

In both the first modification shown in FIG. 9 and the second modification shown in FIG. 10, the reflux flow path RP can be surely opened in the self-priming operation and surely closed in the pumping operation. Can be. As a result, the operating efficiency can be improved in both the self-sucking operation and the pumping operation. The completion of self-priming can be easily detected by the detection switch 33.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a pump unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 11 (a) is a schematic cross-sectional arrow view taken along the line AA in FIG. 11 (b), FIG. 11 (b) is a plan view, and FIG. 11 (c) is a display unit. It is a figure which shows an example. In FIG. 11, only the main configuration is shown, and the configurations other than the main configuration are omitted. The main configuration of the pump unit 3 of the present embodiment (the configuration of opening and closing the RP for the reflux flow) may be the same as that of the pump unit 1 of the first embodiment, and is the same as that of the pump unit 2 of the second embodiment. May be there. Further, in the present embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are used for the configurations corresponding to the configurations described in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the pump unit 3 of the present embodiment includes a control unit 50 provided on the upper part of the control device 13 and a display 60 attached to the unit cover 15, and is displayed as the control unit 50. Wireless communication (or wired communication) is performed with the device 60, and information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 is displayed on the display 60 attached to the unit cover 15. Further, the pump unit 3 of the present embodiment wirelessly communicates with the external display 70, which is an external device of the unit cover 15, and displays information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 on the display screen DP of the external display 70. It is possible.

In the following, the communication between the control unit 50 and the display 60 will be referred to as the first short-range communication C1, and the communication between the display 60 and the external display 70 will be referred to as the second short-range communication C2. Here, the first short-range communication C1 and the second short-range communication C2 are, for example, wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark), or short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication). Is. Further, serial communication may be performed by RS232C, RS485, or the like, or packet communication may be performed by USB (Universal Serial Bus). In this embodiment, the case where the first short-range communication C1 and the second short-range communication C2 are NFC will be described as an example.

The display 60 is attached to the unit cover 15 in a state of being visible from the outside through a window portion 15a formed on the upper surface 15U of the unit cover 15. The window portion 15a has, for example, a rectangular notch formed in the upper surface 15U of the unit cover 15, and a transparent window TW is attached to the notch. The transparent window TW is made of a transparent resin (for example, transparent reinforced plastic) that is not easily deformed. In such a window portion 15a, the display content of the display 60 can be visually recognized by looking into the inside of the unit cover 15 through the transparent window TW. As described above, the display unit 64 (details will be described later) of the display unit 60 can be visually recognized from the outside through the transparent window TW of the window unit 15a. The display 60 may be detachably attached to the inner wall of the upper surface 15U of the unit cover 15.

As shown in FIG. 11C, a plurality of indicator lamps LP1 to LP6 are provided on the display unit 64 of the display unit 60. The indicator lamp LP1 is an indicator lamp for indicating whether or not the pump unit 3 is in an operating state. The indicator lamp LP2 is an indicator lamp for indicating whether or not the pump unit 3 is in self-priming operation. Specifically, if the detection switch 33 is in the off state, the indicator lamp LP2 may be output, and if the detection switch 33 is in the on state, the output of the indicator lamp LP2 may be stopped. The indicator lamp LP3 is an indicator lamp for indicating whether or not the pump unit 3 is in a faulty state. The indicator lamps LP4 to LP6 are indicator lamps for displaying the set pressure PA of the pump unit 3. Specifically, the indicator lamps LP4, LP5, and LP6 each indicate that the set pressure PA of the pump unit 3 is set to "high", "medium", and "low", and only one of them is displayed. Lights up exclusively.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a control unit, a display, and an external display provided in the pump unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 50 includes an I / O unit 51, a calculation unit 52, a storage unit 53, a maintenance port 54, a DC power supply 55, a reader / writer 56, and a control unit side antenna unit 57. The I / O unit 51 is connected to an inverter (not shown) provided in the control device 13 and various sensors such as the detection switch 33 and the pressure sensor 34, and the detection result of the detection switch 33 and the various sensors is calculated by the calculation unit 52. And the command signal from the calculation unit 52 (for example, the rotation speed of the pump 11) is output to the electric motor 12. Further, the I / O unit 51 may include an external output terminal (not shown) that outputs the state of the pump unit 3 as a contact signal. Specifically, if the detection switch 33 is in the off state, it is preferable to output a contact signal indicating a state of self-priming operation.

The calculation unit 52 calculates a command signal to be output to the motor 12 based on the detection results of the detection switch 33 and various sensors, which are realized by, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) and input via the I / O unit 51. Then, the command signal is output to the I / O unit 51. Further, the calculation unit 52 obtains information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 (during self-priming operation, during pumping operation, discharge pressure, rotation speed, integrated operation time, integrated operation number, etc.) and stores it in the storage unit 53. .. The storage unit 53 includes various information used by the calculation unit 52 and various memories for storing various information obtained by the calculation unit 52.

The maintenance port 54 is a port used by an operator during maintenance of the pump unit 3. This port is usually covered with a cover or the like so as to be hidden from the outside. Maintenance equipment (general-purpose information equipment such as personal computers, smartphones, tablets, etc., dedicated information equipment, etc.) used for maintenance in communication (wireless / wired) can be connected to this port, and is stored in, for example, a storage unit 53. It is used to read various information to maintenance equipment.

The DC power supply 55 is a power supply that supplies electric power to the control unit side antenna unit 57 and the like, and is supplied from the main power supply of the pump unit 3 via an AC / DC converter (not shown). The reader / writer 56 reads out various information stored in the storage unit 53 and transmits it to the display 60 via the control unit side antenna unit 57, or reads out various information received by the control unit side antenna unit 57. And store it in the storage unit 53. The control unit side antenna unit 57 uses the electric power supplied from the DC power supply 55 to supply the electric power for operating the display unit 60 to the display unit 60 in a non-contact manner. Further, the control unit side antenna unit 57 converts various information output from the reader / writer 56 into a wireless signal and transmits it to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 12, the display unit 60 includes a display unit side antenna unit 61, a control unit integrated circuit 62, a reader / writer 63, a display unit 64, an external display unit integrated circuit 65, and a display unit side antenna unit 66. The display unit side antenna unit 61, the control unit integrated circuit 62, the reader / writer 63, and the display unit 64 are operated by electric power supplied from the control unit 50 in a non-contact manner, and the external display unit integrated circuit 65 and the display unit side antenna are operated. The unit 66 operates by electric power supplied from the external display 70 in a non-contact manner. The integrated circuit 65 for the external display may be replaced by the integrated circuit 62 for the control unit. In that case, the integrated circuit 62 for the control unit and the antenna unit 66 on the display side are connected. Further, if the display 60 can operate with its own power supply, the control unit 50 or the external display 70 does not have to supply power to the display 60.

The display unit side antenna unit 61 receives power supplied from the control unit side antenna unit 57 provided in the control unit 50 in a non-contact manner, and the first short-range communication C1 with the control unit side antenna unit 57. To receive various information transmitted from the control unit 50. The integrated circuit 62 for the control unit stores various information transmitted from the control unit 50 and received by the antenna unit 61 on the display unit side, and controls the display of the display unit 64 based on these various information. The reader / writer 63 exchanges various information between the display unit side antenna unit 61 and the external display integrated circuit 65. The display unit 64 includes a 7-segment LED (Light Emitting Diode), a display lamp such as an LED, or a display element of a liquid crystal display element, and the pump unit 3 is controlled by an integrated circuit 62 for the control unit. Displays information indicating the status of. Specifically, if the detection switch 33 is in the off state, information indicating the state of self-priming operation may be displayed.

The integrated circuit 65 for an external display stores various information transmitted from the external display 70 and received by the antenna unit 66 on the display side. The display side antenna unit 66 receives power supplied in a non-contact manner from the external display side antenna unit 71 provided in the external display 70, and is second closest to the external display side antenna unit 71. The range communication C2 is performed to receive various information transmitted from the external display 70.

As shown in FIG. 12, the external display 70 includes an external display side antenna unit 71, a battery 72, a reader / writer 73, and a display unit 74, and performs the display 60 and the second short-range communication C2. Information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 is displayed on the display screen DP of the external display 70 which is the display unit 74. The external display 70 is realized by a general-purpose information device such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer. The external display side antenna unit 71 uses the power supplied from the battery 72 to supply power for operating the display 60 to the display 60 in a non-contact manner. Further, the external display side antenna unit 71 receives various information output from the display unit side antenna unit 66.

The battery 72 is a power source that supplies electric power to the antenna portion 71 on the external display side and the like. The reader / writer 73 reads various information received by the antenna unit 71 on the external display side and outputs the information to the display unit 74. Alternatively, the reader / writer 73 sends a set value input from an input unit (not shown), an operation / stop command of the pump unit 3, etc. to the external display side antenna unit 71, so that the second short-range communication C2 becomes the first. It can also be stored in the storage unit 53 via the short-range communication C1. The display unit 74 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display, and is a display screen DP that displays information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 obtained from the display 60. When the external display 70 is realized by a smartphone, a tablet, or the like, since the display screen DP includes a touch panel, the display screen DP becomes the above-mentioned input unit.

Next, an operation of displaying information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 in the above configuration will be described. The operation of displaying the information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 is the operation of transmitting the information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 from the control unit 50 to the display 60 (first operation) and the operation of the external display 70 of the pump unit 3. It is roughly classified into an operation (second operation) in which information indicating the state is acquired from the display 60 and displayed on the display screen DP. Hereinafter, these operations will be described in order.

<First operation>
The control unit 50 always emits a radio wave for supplying power to the display 60 while the power is on. When the display unit 60 receives the radio waves from the display unit side antenna unit 61 located in the vicinity of the control unit 50, an electromotive force is generated in the display unit side antenna unit 61. This electromotive force is supplied to the control unit integrated circuit 62 and the display unit 64 of the display unit 60, whereby the display unit side antenna unit 61 of the display unit 60, the control unit integrated circuit 62, and the display unit 64 are energized. become.

In the control unit 50, various information stored in the storage unit 53 is read out by the reader / writer 56. For example, information indicating the operating state of the pump unit 3, information indicating a failure, information indicating the discharge pressure, and the like are read out. The information read by the reader / writer 56 is output to the antenna unit 57 on the control unit side and transmitted to the display 60 by the first short-range communication C1.

The information transmitted from the control unit 50 to the display unit 60 is received by the display unit side antenna unit 61 of the display unit 60 and then output to the integrated circuit 62 for the control unit and stored. Then, in the display unit 60, the display control of the display unit 64 based on the information transmitted from the control unit 50 to the display unit 60 is performed by the integrated circuit 62 for the control unit. For example, when the information indicating the operating state of the pump unit 3 indicates that it is “in operation”, the display control for lighting the indicator lamp LP1 shown in FIG. 11C is performed, and the pump unit 3 is further operated. When the information indicating the state indicates that "self-priming operation is in progress", the display control for turning on the display lamp LP2 shown in FIG. 11C is performed. Further, the display control for turning on or blinking the display lamp LP3 shown in FIG. 11C is performed according to the information indicating the failure of the pump unit 3. Further, display control for lighting any of the display lamps LP4 to LP6 shown in FIG. 11C is performed according to the information indicating the set pressure of the pump unit 3.

A series of operations related to communication between the control unit 50 and the display 60 after the display 60 described above is energized is repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle. As a result, the information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 is continuously or intermittently updated on the display unit 64 of the display unit 60 according to the above cycle. Specifically, when the above cycle is short (for example, when it is 1 second or less), the information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 is continuously updated, and when the above cycle is long (for example, about several tens of seconds). In the above case), the information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 is intermittently updated. It is preferable that the latest information is displayed on the display unit 64 at the timing of update. The above cycle may be defined by the amount of processing executed by the integrated circuit 62 for the control unit or the arithmetic unit 52.

<Second operation>
It is assumed that the external display 70 is arranged close to the window portion 15a formed on the upper surface 15U of the unit cover 15 mounted on the pump unit 3. In this state, if a radio wave for power supply is emitted from the external display 70, the radio wave is received by the display side antenna unit 66 of the display 60. Then, an electromotive force is generated in the antenna portion 66 on the display side. This electromotive force is supplied to the integrated circuit 65 for the external display of the display 60, whereby the integrated circuit 65 for the external display is energized.

Then, the integrated circuit 65 for the external display transfers the stored data (for example, information indicating the operating state of the pump unit 3, information indicating a failure, information indicating the discharge pressure, etc.) to the antenna unit 66 on the display side. It is output and transmitted to the external display 70 by the second short-range communication C2. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that the same information is stored in the integrated circuit 62 for the control unit and the integrated circuit 65 for the external display provided in the display 60.

The information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 transmitted from the display 60 to the external display 70 is received by the external display side antenna unit 71 of the external display 70 and then output to the display unit 74 via the reader / writer 73. Will be done. Then, the display unit 74 displays based on the information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 transmitted from the display unit 60 to the external display unit 70. As described above, since the display unit 74 of the external display 70 is provided with a display such as a liquid crystal display, various displays are possible.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display screen of the external display according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 13, the information W1 displayed on the display screen DP of the external display 70 is information indicating the current state of the pump unit 3. In the example shown in FIG. 13, as the information W1 indicating the current state of the pump unit 3, the information indicating that the pump unit 3 is in the operating state and the self-priming operation in the off state of the detection switch 33 of the pump unit 3 are in progress. Information to that effect is displayed. When the self-sucking operation is completed, the information that the pump unit 3 is in the pumping operation may be displayed instead of the information that the pump unit 3 is in the self-sucking operation. It should be noted that these information W1 may be displayed by animation using, for example, an icon or the like.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the display 60 capable of the first short-range communication C1 and the second short-range communication C2 is provided so as to be visible from the outside through the window portion 15a formed on the unit cover 15. It is attached to the unit cover 15. Then, the information indicating the state of the pump unit 3 is transmitted from the control unit 50 to the display 60 by the first short-range communication C1, displayed on the display unit 64 of the display 60, and transmitted from the control unit 50. Information is transmitted from the display 60 to the external display 70 by the second short-range communication C2 and displayed on the display unit 74 of the external display 70. As a result, various information such as the operating state of the pump unit 3 and alarms can be easily confirmed. Further, since information is transmitted / received and non-contact power supply is performed by the first short-range communication C1 between the control unit 50 fixed to the unit base 14 and the display 60 attached to the unit cover 15, the unit cover is used. There is no need to worry about wiring when removing 15.

As a modification of the third embodiment described above, a device (communication device) in which the display unit 64 is omitted from the display device 60 can be used instead of the display device 60. In this communication device, the first short-range communication C1 with the control unit 50 and the second short-range communication C2 with the external display 70 are possible by NFC, and the external display 70 with the control unit 50 It can also be said to be a repeater that relays communication between.

When such a communication device is used, it is possible to omit the window portion 15a for visually recognizing the inside of the unit cover 15. However, since the communication distance of NFC is as short as several centimeters, if the external display 70 is not placed close to the communication device, NFC between the external display 70 and the communication device will not be performed, and the state of the pump unit 3 will be changed. The indicated information is not displayed on the external display 70. Further, if there is an obstacle (for example, a metal plate) that interferes with radio waves between the external display 70 and the communication device, communication cannot be performed. Therefore, it is desirable to put a mark on the upper surface of the unit cover 15 to indicate that it is a portion (visible portion) where NFC is possible between the unit cover 15 and the communication device.

Since water does not come out while the self-priming operation is being executed by the pump unit 3, the user may mistakenly think that water cannot be pumped due to a failure of the pump unit 3. By displaying the information indicating that the self-priming operation is in progress as in the present embodiment, the user can correctly recognize that the operating state of the pump unit 3 is executing the self-priming operation. .. This improves user convenience.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of the pump according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 (a) is a diagram showing a state during self-priming operation, and FIG. 14 (b) is a diagram showing a state in which self-priming is completed. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are used for the configurations corresponding to the configurations described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The pump unit 1 of the first embodiment described above opens and closes the return flow path RP according to the vertical movement of the floating body 30 provided in the pump 11, and is turned off by the vertical movement of the floating body 30. The completion of self-priming was detected by using the detection switch 33 that switches from the on state. On the other hand, the pump unit 4 of the present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in that the return flow path RP is opened and closed according to the vertical movement of the floating body 30 provided in the pump 11. The completion of self-absorption is detected by using a switch that directly detects the water level in the pump 11.

As shown in FIG. 14, the pump 11 included in the pump unit 4 of the present embodiment replaces the connecting member 29 and the priming faucet 32 of the pump 11 shown in FIG. 3 with the connecting member 29A and the priming faucet 32A, respectively. The connecting member 29A has a shorter length than the connecting member 29 shown in FIG. 3, and the floating body 30 is attached to the other end 29b. Since the method of detecting the water level in the pump 11 is different between the present embodiment and the first embodiment, the connecting member 29A having a length shorter than that of the connecting member 29 shown in FIG. 3 is used.

The priming faucet 32A is provided with a pair of electrodes 35 (switches) for detecting the completion of self-priming. The pair of electrodes 35 are separated by a predetermined interval, one of which is a common electrode and the other of which is a detection electrode. When the water level in the pump 11 becomes higher than the height position of the pair of electrodes 35 and the pair of electrodes 35 are both immersed in water, the space between the pair of electrodes 35 is changed from the non-conducting state (first state). It switches to the conduction state (second state). That is, the completion of self-absorption is detected by switching from the non-conducting state to the conducting state between the pair of electrodes 35. Further, when the water level in the pump 11 becomes lower than the height position of the pair of electrodes 35 and at least one of the pair of electrodes 35 is no longer immersed in water, the pair of electrodes 35 is not in a conductive state. It switches to the conductive state. Using such a pair of electrodes 35, the water level of water in the pump 11 can be directly detected. The pair of electrodes 35 are connected to the control device 13, and the detection result of the pair of electrodes 35 is output to the control device 13.

The electrodes 35 are arranged so that at least one of the electrodes is exposed in the air when the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 is equal to or lower than the water level WL1 at the time of priming. Further, since the electrode 35 is a non-contact type water level detector, there is little possibility that the conduction state is erroneously detected due to rust, components in the liquid, or the like.

In the pump unit 4 having the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 14A, the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 is maintained at substantially the priming water level WL1 during the self-priming operation. Therefore, the opening OP remains open. Further, the pair of electrodes 35 are in a non-conducting state because they are not immersed in water. On the other hand, when the self-suction is completed, the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22 rises, the floating body 30 moves upward, and the valve body 26 moves upward. Then, as shown in FIG. 14 (b), the opening OP is closed by the valve body 26. Further, when the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22 rises and the pair of electrodes 35 provided in the priming faucet 32A are both immersed in water, the electrodes 35 become conductive. By outputting the detection result of the pair of electrodes 35 to the control device 13, the control device 13 can know that the self-priming is completed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the opening OP is closed by moving the valve body 26 up and down according to the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22. Therefore, the reflux flow path RP can be surely opened in the self-priming operation and closed in the pumping operation. As a result, the operating efficiency can be improved in both the self-sucking operation and the pumping operation. Further, in the present embodiment, the completion of self-priming can be easily detected by the pair of electrodes 35 provided on the priming faucet 32A.

The pair of electrodes 35 are preferably arranged above the height position of the inner wall surface of the upper portion 11U of the pump casing 11b in order to make it less susceptible to the influence of the water flow during the pumping operation. Further, when the pump casing 11b can be energized, the common electrode can be omitted. In such a case, depending on the water level of the water in the pump 11, the space between one electrode 35 provided in the priming faucet 32A and the pump casing 11b becomes a non-conducting state or a conducting state. Further, in the present embodiment, since the pair of electrodes 35 are provided in the priming faucet 32A, the electrodes 35 can be easily replaced.

<Modification example>
FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the pump according to the modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 (a) is a diagram showing a state during self-priming operation, and FIG. 15 (b) is a diagram showing a state in which self-priming is completed. In FIG. 15, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations corresponding to the configurations shown in FIG.

The pump unit 1 of the fourth embodiment described above detects the completion of self-priming by a pair of electrodes 35 provided in the priming faucet 32A. On the other hand, in this modification, the completion of self-priming is detected by a pair of electrodes 35 provided in the discharge flow path FP3 of the pump 11. As shown in FIG. 15, in the pump 11 according to this modification, the priming faucet 32A shown in FIG. 14 is replaced with the priming faucet 32B, and a pair of electrodes 35 are attached to the discharge flow path FP3 of the pump casing 11b.

The priming faucet 32B is not provided with a detection switch 33 or an electrode 35, and is a faucet used only for closing the priming port 31. The pair of electrodes 35 are provided so as to penetrate the pump casing 11b from the outside of the pump casing 11b and extend into the discharge flow path FP3. The pair of electrodes 35 are electrically insulated from the pump casing 11b. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the pair of electrodes 35 are attached to the upper portion 11U of the pump casing 11b and are provided so as to extend downward in the discharge flow path FP3. The mounting position of the pair of electrodes 35 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 15, and is mounted at an arbitrary position of the discharge flow path FP3 (the flow path from the steam separation chamber 22 to the other end E2). It is also possible. The pair of electrodes 35 are connected to the control device 13, and the detection result of the pair of electrodes 35 is output to the control device 13.

In the above configuration, during the self-priming operation, as shown in FIG. 15A, the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22 is substantially maintained at the priming water level WL1, and the discharge flow path FP3 is filled with air. There is. Therefore, the opening OP remains open, and there is no conduction between the pair of electrodes 35. On the other hand, when the self-suction is completed, the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22 rises, and the discharge flow path FP3 is filled with water. As a result, the floating body 30 moves upward and the valve body 26 moves upward. Then, as shown in FIG. 15B, the opening OP is closed by the valve body 26. Further, the pair of electrodes 35 provided in the discharge flow path FP3 are both immersed in water, and the electrodes 35 are in a conductive state. By outputting the detection result of the pair of electrodes 35 to the control device 13, the control device 13 can know that the self-priming is completed.

As described above, in this modification, the operation efficiency can be improved in both the self-suction operation and the pumping operation, and the self-suction is completed by the pair of electrodes 35 provided in the discharge flow path FP3. Can be easily detected. If the water (splash) that has flown from the air-water separation chamber 22 is held between the pair of electrodes 35, an erroneous detection will occur. Therefore, in this modification, it is preferable to provide a cover for preventing the splash from the air-water separation chamber 22 from being applied to the pair of electrodes 35.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of the pump according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16A is a diagram showing a state during self-priming operation, and FIG. 16B is a diagram showing a state in which self-priming is completed. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are used for the configurations corresponding to the configurations described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The pump unit 5 of the present embodiment is different from the pump unit 1 of the first embodiment described above in that it has a mechanism for opening and closing the return flow path RP (auxiliary chamber 25, valve body 26, spring member 27, support member 28, connecting member 29). , And the floating body 30) are omitted, and the priming faucet 32C is provided in place of the priming faucet 32A. The priming faucet 32C is provided with a movable switch 36 (switch) for detecting the completion of self-priming.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a movable switch used in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 17, the movable switch 36 includes a rotating member 36a, a rotating shaft 36b, a float 36c, a bearing member 36d, a magnet 36e, and a magnetic sensor 36f. The rotating member 36a is a rod-shaped or flat plate-shaped member, and a rotating shaft 36b is provided at one end and a float 36c is provided at the other end. As shown in FIG. 16A, for example, the length of the rotating member 36a is set so that the float 36c is arranged above the priming water level WL1 in a state of extending vertically downward. There is.

The rotating shaft 36b is rotatably fitted into the bearing member 36d provided in the priming faucet 32C. The rotating shaft 36b may be integrally formed with the rotating member 36a, or may be formed as a member different from the rotating member 36a and fixed to one end of the rotating member 36a. The float 36c is, for example, a member made of a resin having a lighter specific gravity than water, or a member having a hollow inside. The float 36c receives buoyancy when the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 exceeds the priming water level WL1 and becomes higher than the height position of the float 36c.

A notch NT is formed in the bearing member 36d, and the rotating member 36a projects to the outside of the bearing member 36d via the notch NT. The notch NT limits the range of rotational movement of the rotating member 36a. Specifically, when one side surface of the rotating member 36a is in contact with one end e1 of the notch NT, the rotating member 36a is in the self-priming position and one end e1 of the notch NT. The rotating member 36a is in the self-priming complete position when the other side surface of the rotating member 36a is in contact with the other end e2 of the notch NT located above. Therefore, the notch NT formed in the bearing member 36d allows the rotating member 36a to rotate between the self-priming position and the self-priming complete position. The self-priming position of the rotating member 36a is a position where the rotating member 36a extends vertically downward (see the solid line in FIG. 17), and the self-priming completion position of the rotating member 36a is an obliquely downward position of the rotating member 36a. It is a position extending to (see the dotted line in FIG. 17).

The magnet 36e is provided on the other side surface of the rotating member 36a, and the magnetic sensor 36f is provided on the priming faucet 32C. The magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f are provided on the rotating member 36a and the priming faucet 32C, respectively, in consideration of their positional relationship with each other. For example, in the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f, when the rotating member 36a is in the self-priming position, the distance between the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f becomes longer than the predetermined reference distance L1, and the rotating member 36a Is installed so that the distance between the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f is equal to or less than the above-mentioned reference distance L1 when is in the self-priming completion position. Here, the reference distance L1 is a distance at which the magnitude of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor 36f becomes equal to or larger than a preset threshold value. The movable switch 36 is turned off (first state) when the distance between the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f is longer than the above reference distance L1, and the distance between the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f is the above reference distance. If it is L1 or less, it will be in the on state (second state).

The self-priming position of the rotating member 36a is a position where the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f are separated from the reference distance L1, that is, the movable switch 36 is in the off state. The self-priming completion position of the rotating member 36a is a position where the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f are closer than the reference distance L1 and the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f do not come into contact with each other, that is, the movable switch 36 is in the ON state. Specifically, the movable switch 36 is at the self-priming position at the position where the rotating member 36a extends vertically downward (see the solid line in FIG. 17), and the rotating member 36a extends diagonally downward (two-dot chain line in FIG. 17). It is preferable that the notch NT is formed so as to be the self-priming completion position in (see). As described above, in the movable switch 36, the magnet 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f do not come into contact with each other in either the off state (first state) or the on state (second state), so that the magnet is caused by rust, components in the liquid, or the like. It is possible to prevent the 36e and the magnetic sensor 36f from sticking to each other in contact with each other.

In the above configuration, during the self-priming operation, as shown in FIG. 16A, the water level in the air-water separation chamber 22 is substantially maintained at the priming water level WL1. Since the float 36c provided on the movable switch 36 does not receive buoyancy due to the water in the air-water separation chamber 22, the rotating member 36a is in the self-priming position due to its own weight, and the movable switch 36 is in the off state. be. On the other hand, when the self-suction is completed, the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22 rises, and the discharge flow path FP3 is filled with water. As a result, the float 36c provided on the movable switch 36 receives buoyancy, the rotating member 36a rotates upward and is arranged at the self-suction completion position, and the movable switch 36 is turned on.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the completion of self-priming can be easily detected by the movable switch 36 provided in the priming faucet 32C. Further, in the present embodiment, since the movable switch 36 is provided in the priming faucet 32C, the movable switch 36 can be easily replaced. The pump unit 5 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which a mechanism for opening and closing the return flow path RP (auxiliary chamber 25, valve body 26, spring member 27, support member 28, connecting member 29, and floating body 30) is omitted. there were. However, the pump unit 5 of the present embodiment is provided with a mechanism for opening and closing the return flow path RP so as to improve the operation efficiency during both the self-priming operation and the pumping operation, and the priming faucet 32C. The movable switch 36 provided in the above may be used to easily detect the completion of self-priming. Further, as in the modification of the fourth embodiment, the movable switch 36 may be provided on the pump casing 11b so that the movable switch 36 detects the water level of the discharge flow path FP3.

Since the method of detecting the water level in the pump 11 is different between the fourth and fifth embodiments and the first embodiment, the connecting member 29A having a shorter length than the connecting member 29 shown in FIG. 3 is used. It would be nice to be. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a method of detecting the water level in the pump 11 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment (a method of detecting by the other end 29b of the connecting member 29 and the detection switch 33), the electrode 35, and the movable switch. It may be used in combination with the method of detecting by at least one of 36. Then, even if one of the detection methods cannot be used due to a failure or the like, if the other detection method can be used, the water level in the pump 11 can be detected.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a pump unit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 18, only the main configuration is shown, and the configurations other than the main configuration are omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are used for the configurations corresponding to the configurations described in the first embodiment, and some description thereof will be omitted.

The pump 11 of the first embodiment described above is a cascade in which water existing in the pump chamber 21 is boosted while rotating substantially once by an impeller 11a formed in a disk shape having a large number of grooves G cut in the peripheral portion. It was a pump (friction pump). On the other hand, the pump 11B (self-priming pump) included in the pump unit 6 of the present embodiment is a centrifugal pump that transfers the water in the pump casing 11b by applying centrifugal force by rotating the impeller 11a.

As shown in FIG. 18, in the pump 11B of the present embodiment, the suction chamber 81 communicating with the suction port 16 is provided so as to be isolated from the pump chamber 21 by the partition wall 82. The impeller 11a attached to the rotating shaft 12a of the electric motor 12 is housed in the pump chamber 21. The pump chamber 21 is provided with a diffuser 83 surrounding the impeller 11a, and a steam separation chamber 22 is provided above the pump chamber 21.

A check valve (flap valve) 84 is provided at a portion communicating with the suction port 16 at the upper part of the suction chamber 81. Prior to the operation of the pump 11B, the check valve 84 secures the water necessary for filling the inside of the pump 11B to perform self-priming, and prevents the backflow of water when the pump 11B is stopped, so that the check valve 84 always keeps the inside of the pump 11B full. It has a role of filling the inside of the pump 11B with water.

A discharge port 17 communicating with the air-water separation chamber 22 is provided in the upper part of the pump casing 11b. Further, an exhaust pipe 85 extending in the lateral direction (left-right direction on the paper surface) is provided between the air-water separation chamber 22 and the discharge port 17. The exhaust pipe 85 is a pipe for discharging the air separated in the air / water separation chamber 22 to the outside during the self-priming operation. The exhaust pipe 85 is provided with an exhaust valve 86 that opens and closes the exhaust pipe 85. Under the control of the control device 13, the exhaust valve 86 is opened in the valve open state during the self-priming operation, and closed after the self-priming operation is completed (during the pumping operation). As the exhaust valve 86, for example, an electric valve or a solenoid valve can be used.

Further, the exhaust pipe 85 is provided with a pair of electrodes 35 described in the fourth embodiment on the discharge port 17 side of the exhaust valve 86. When the water level in the pump 11B becomes higher than the height position of the exhaust pipe 85 and the pair of electrodes 35 are both immersed in the water flowing into the exhaust pipe 85, the pair of electrodes 35 are non-conducting. The state (first state) is switched to the conduction state (second state). Further, when the water level in the pump 11B becomes lower than the height position of the exhaust pipe 85, the water in the exhaust pipe 85 is discharged, and at least one of the pair of electrodes 35 is not immersed in the water, the pair of electrodes During the period of 35, the conduction state is switched to the non-conduction state.

Here, as described above, the exhaust valve 86 is closed during the pumping operation. Therefore, since the water in the exhaust pipe 85 stays during the pumping operation, the pair of electrodes 35 provided in the exhaust pipe 85 are not affected by the flow of water discharged by the pump 11B. Using such a pair of electrodes 35, the water level of water in the pump 11B can be directly detected. The pair of electrodes 35 are connected to the control device 13, and the detection result of the pair of electrodes 35 is output to the control device 13.

In the above configuration, when the self-priming operation is started, the exhaust valve 86 is opened and the pump 11B is operated at the rotation speed for the self-priming operation under the control of the control device 13. The rotation speed for self-priming operation can be set to the maximum rotation speed of the impeller 11a defined in advance, for example, as in the first embodiment. During the self-priming operation, the water level in the steam separation chamber 22 is maintained at almost the priming water level (not shown), and the discharge flow path (discharge port 17 and exhaust pipe 85) above the steam separation chamber 22 is provided. The including channel) is filled with air.

On the other hand, when the self-suction is completed, the water level of the water in the air-water separation chamber 22 rises, and the discharge flow path (the flow path including the discharge port 17 and the exhaust pipe 85) above the air-water separation chamber 22 becomes. Filled with water. As a result, the pair of electrodes 35 provided in the exhaust pipe 85 are both immersed in water, and the electrodes 35 are in a conductive state. When the detection result of the pair of electrodes 35 is output to the control device 13, the exhaust valve 86 is closed by the control of the control device 13.

As described above, the exhaust pipe 85 is a pipe for discharging the air separated in the air-water separation chamber 22 to the outside during the self-priming operation, and the water that has passed through the exhaust pipe 85 and is discharged to the outside of the pump 11B is In many cases, it is drained without being reused due to hygiene problems. Therefore, by detecting the completion of self-priming and immediately closing the exhaust valve 86, the efficiency of the pump 11B can be improved and the amount of drainage can be reduced.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the completion of self-priming can be easily detected by the pair of electrodes 35 provided in the exhaust pipe 85. Further, in the present embodiment, the exhaust pipe 85 can be automatically closed by controlling the exhaust valve 86 by the control device 13 based on the detection result of the pair of electrodes 35. By providing a plug on the exhaust pipe 85 and attaching a pair of electrodes 35 to the plug, the electrodes 35 can be easily replaced as in the fourth embodiment.

<Modification example>
FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional view showing an internal structure of a pump according to a modified example of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this modification, the pair of electrodes 35 provided on the pump 11B of the pump unit 6 shown in FIG. 18 is replaced with the movable switch 36 shown in FIG. That is, in this modification, the movable switch 36 is attached to the exhaust pipe 85 of the pump 11B on the discharge port 17 side of the exhaust valve 86.

When the water level in the pump 11B becomes higher than the height position of the exhaust pipe 85 and water flows into the exhaust pipe 85, the float 36c provided in the movable switch 36 receives buoyancy and the rotating member 36a moves upward. The movable switch 36 is switched from the off state to the on state. Further, when the water level in the pump 11B becomes lower than the height position of the exhaust pipe 85 and the water in the exhaust pipe 85 is discharged, the rotating member 36a rotates downward to the self-priming position. Arranged, the movable switch 36 switches from the on state to the off state.

Here, the exhaust valve 86 is closed during the pumping operation. Therefore, since the water in the exhaust pipe 85 stays during the pumping operation, the movable switch 36 provided in the exhaust pipe 85 is not affected by the flow of the discharged water of the pump 11B. The movable switch 36 is connected to the control device 13, and the detection result of the movable switch 36 is output to the control device 13. Since the operation of this modification is almost the same as that of the sixth embodiment described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in this modification, the completion of self-priming can be easily detected by the movable switch 36 provided in the exhaust pipe 85. Further, in the present embodiment, the exhaust pipe 85 can be automatically closed by controlling the exhaust valve 86 by the control device 13 based on the detection result of the movable switch 36. By providing a plug on the exhaust pipe 85 and attaching the movable switch 36 to the plug, the movable switch 36 can be easily replaced as in the fifth embodiment.

Further, the exhaust pipe 85 described above is not limited to the pipe extending in the lateral direction (left-right direction on the paper surface) between the air-water separation chamber 22 and the discharge port 17, and is separated by the air-water separation chamber 22 during the self-priming operation. It suffices if the air can be discharged to the outside by the time it flows into the equipment on the secondary side of the pump 11B, and the shape and arrangement do not depend on the present embodiment. For example, it may be provided between the discharge port 17 and the equipment on the secondary side of the pump 11B, or may be provided in the upper part of the air-water separation chamber 22. Further, for example, when the exhaust pipe 85 is provided in the discharge pipe of the pump 11B extending in the lateral direction (left and right direction of the paper surface), the exhaust pipe 85 may be a pipe extending in the vertical direction (vertical direction of the paper surface).

Although the self-priming pump and the pump unit according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be freely changed within the scope of the present invention. For example, the pump units 1 to 6 described in the above embodiment include one self-priming pump, but the number of self-priming pumps may be two or more. It is also possible to apply the above-mentioned third embodiment to the second, fourth to sixth embodiments.

Further, in any of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the control device 13 may include an inverter device (not shown) as variable speed means for the pumps 11, 11A, and 11B. Then, the control device 13 switches from the first state to the second state when the water level of the liquid in the gas-liquid separation chamber 22 reaches a predetermined water level higher than the predetermined priming water level WL1. Depending on the situation, it may be possible to control whether the operation is performed at the rotation speed of the self-priming operation or the pumping operation.

Further, the variable speed means of the pumps 11, 11A, 11B is not limited to the inverter device (not shown), but is a transmission mechanism such as a gear (not shown) provided between the motor 12 and the pumps 11, 11A, 11B. May be. When such a variable speed means is provided, the control device 13 rotates the impeller 11a with a speed change mechanism having a rotation speed for the self-priming operation during the self-priming operation, and lifts the impeller 11a during the pumping operation. The impeller 11a may be rotated by a speed change mechanism having a rotation speed for liquid operation.

Further, the control device 13 may temporarily stop the pumps 11, 11A, 11B once the self-priming operation is completed, and then start the pumping operation. When switching from self-priming operation to pumping operation when excessive pressure fluctuation occurs during operation of pumps 11, 11A, 11B and affects the equipment on the secondary side of pumps 11, 11A, 11B. By temporarily stopping the pumps 11, 11A and 11B, the control device 13 can protect the equipment on the secondary side of the pumps 11, 11A and 11B.

Further, in the third embodiment described above, an example of displaying the information indicating that the self-priming operation is in progress on the display 60 or the external display 70 has been described, but the information indicating that the self-priming operation is in progress is displayed in the control device 13. It may be displayed on a display device (for example, LED or the like) provided in. The display content of the display provided in the control device 13 can be visually recognized, for example, through the window portion 15a to which the display 60 is not attached, or by removing the unit cover 15.

1 to 6 Pump unit 11 Pump (self-priming pump)
11A pump (self-priming pump)
11a impeller 11b pump casing 13 control device 15 unit cover 16 suction port 21 pump room 22 air / water separation room 25 auxiliary room 26 valve body 30 floating body 32 priming faucet 32A priming faucet 32C priming faucet 33 detection switch 35 electrode 36 movable switch 50 Unit 60 Display 64 Display 70 External display C1 1st short-range communication C2 2nd short-range communication OP Opening RP Circulation flow path WL1 Water level at priming WL2 Water level at priming

Claims (11)

An impeller that pressurizes the liquid flowing in from the suction port by rotation,
A pump chamber for accommodating the impeller, a gas-liquid separation chamber provided on the discharge side of the impeller, and a recirculation flow path for returning the liquid separated by the gas-liquid separation chamber to the pump chamber are formed. Pump casing and
An opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the reflux flow path in the gas-liquid separation chamber,
A floating body that is connected to the opening / closing mechanism and moves up and down according to the water level of the liquid in the gas-liquid separation chamber.
A switch provided above the floating body and which switches from the first state to the second state when the water level of the liquid in the gas-liquid separation chamber becomes a predetermined water level higher than a predetermined reference water level.
A self-priming pump equipped with. The self-priming pump according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing mechanism includes a valve body that is connected to the floating body and opens / closes the opening end of the reflux flow path according to the upper and lower sides of the floating body. The gas-liquid separation chamber is provided with an auxiliary chamber that communicates with the perfusion flow path and also communicates with the gas-liquid separation chamber through an opening.
The opening / closing mechanism includes a valve body that is housed in the auxiliary chamber, is connected to the floating body through the opening, and opens / closes the opening according to the vertical movement of the floating body to open / close the reflux flow path.
The self-priming pump according to claim 1. The self-priming pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the switch switches from the first state to the second state by moving the floating body upward. The self-priming pump according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the switch is provided on a plug attached to a liquid supply port for supplying a liquid to the gas-liquid separation chamber. A pump unit including the self-priming pump according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .
When the switch is in the first state, the impeller is rotated at the rotation speed for self-priming operation, and when the switch is in the second state, the impeller is rotated at the rotation speed for pumping operation. A pump unit equipped with a control device that controls the rotation of the pump. The pump unit according to claim 6 , wherein the control device displays information indicating that the self-priming operation is in progress when the switch is in the first state. The control device includes claim 6 or claim 7 , further comprising a control unit that performs first short-range communication to transmit information indicating that self-priming operation is in progress when the switch is in the first state. The pump unit described. It is attached to the unit cover that covers the pump casing, and the first short-range communication is performed with the control unit to acquire the information, and the acquired information is subjected to the second short-range communication to perform the unit cover. The pump unit according to claim 8 , further comprising a communication device for transmitting to an external device. The pump unit according to claim 9 , wherein the communication device includes a display unit that displays the information acquired by performing the first short-range communication. The pump unit according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein the communication device is operated by at least one of a non-contact electric power supplied from the control unit and a non-contact electric power supplied from the external device.

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