WO2004109112A1

WO2004109112A1 - Four-in pump

Info

Publication number: WO2004109112A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/001387
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ki-Man Lee; Whan-Sun Lee; Myung-Sun Kwak; Ki-Won Lee
Original assignee: Lee, Ki-Chun
Priority date: 2003-06-11
Filing date: 2004-06-10
Publication date: 2004-12-16
Also published as: KR20040106695A

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide a four-in pump that improves the four-in pumps disclosed in Korean Patent Application Nos. 2002-31420 and 2002-43777 respectively filed by the inventor of the present invention. The four-in pump of the present invention includes a gearbox placed between a first housing block (10) and a second housing block (20), with a gearing unit (31) provided in the gearbox to be operated by a drive shaft (35) of a drive motor; four shafts (s1, s2, s3 and s4) rotated by the gearing unit (31); and a plurality of impellers (40, 50, 60 and 70) directly mounted to the shafts (s1 through s4), respectively, thus executing pumping operations in the first and second housing blocks (10, 20).

Description

FOUR- IN PUMP

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a four-in pump which improves the four-in pumps disclosed in Korean Patent Application Nos. 2002-31420 and 2002-43777 respectively filed by the inventor of the present invention on June 4, 2002 and July 25, 2002 and, more particularly, to a four-in -pump in which each of impellers is directly installed on a shaft without using any bearing, and outer surfaces of the impellers are in close contact with each other to isolate a suction port from an exhaust port of the pump.

Background Art

In the four-in pump disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2002-31420 filed by the inventor of the present invention on June 4, 2002, both a drive gear and driven gears of a gearing unit are eccentrically placed to solve a conventional problem in that the pump may fail to normally operate. However, the above-mentioned four-in pump is problematic in that it is very difficult to produce the drive and driven gears with eccentricities and, furthermore, the sequence of eccentric rotations of the pistons must be severely limited.

The four-in pump, which is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2002-43777 filed by the inventor of the present invention on July 25, 2002, was proposed to improve the above-mentioned four-in pump disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2002-31420. In the four-in pump, a cylinder block or each of pistons is constructed to have an elliptical shape that allows for a simplification of the process of producing the pump and a reduction in the production costs of the pump.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a four-in pump in which each of impellers is changed in a shape thereof to simplify the construction of the pump and allows for an easy production of the pump.

In the following description for the four-in pump according to the present invention, the technical terms "impeller" and "housing block" respectively correspond to the technical terms "piston" and "cylinder block" of conventional four-in pumps. In the present invention, each of impellers is directly installed on a shaft without using any bearing and executes a function similar to that of an impeller of a conventional pump.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a four-in pump, comprising: a gearbox placed between a first housing block and a second housing block, with a gearing unit provided in the gearbox to be operated by a drive shaft of a drive motor; a plurality of shafts rotated by the gearing unit; and a plurality of impellers directly mounted to the plurality of shafts, respectively, thus executing pumping operations in the first and second housing blocks .

The gearing unit may comprise a helical gear mechanism, which is not eccentric, or a worm and worm gear mechanism, with a drive gear rotated by the drive shaft, and a plurality of driven gears mounted to the plurality of shafts to operate in conjunction with the drive gear.

Each of the plurality of shafts may comprise a linear hollow pipe or a linear solid pipe. An impeller of the plurality of impellers may comprise two blades provided around a cylindrical outer surface thereof at diametrical opposite positions, with a groove formed on the cylindrical outer surface at a position in front of each of the two blades, based on a rotating direction of the two blades.

Another impeller of the plurality of impellers may comprise two blades provided around a cylindrical outer surface thereof at diametrical opposite positions, with a groove formed on the cylindrical outer surface at a position in back of each of the two blades, based on a rotating direction of the two blades.

The above-mentioned impellers are placed so that the outer surfaces thereof are in close contact with each other to isolate a suction port from an exhaust port, and thus, the blades cooperate with each other to force an inlet fluid from the suction port to the exhaust port, and to generate a vacuum pressure in a space defined in back of each of the blades to newly introduce fluid into the pump through the suction port.

Each of the impellers is constructed in that a radial distance from a central axis thereof to an outside end of each of the blades is longer than a radius between the central axis to the cylindrical outer surface, so that the blades are received in the grooves when the blades are vertically positioned.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectioned view of a four-in pump according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 2a and 2b are latitudinal sectioned views taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1 to show the operation and effect of the four-in pump.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components .

As shown in FIG. 1, a four-in pump according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first housing block 10 and a second housing block 20, with a gearbox arranged between the first and second housing blocks 10 and 20. A gearing unit 31 is provided in the gearbox to be operated by a drive shaft 35 of a drive motor (not shown) . The gearing unit 31 rotates four shafts which are first, second, third and fourth shafts si, s2, s3 and s4, so that four impellers which are first, second, third and fourth impellers 40, 50, 60 and 70 that are directly mounted to the four shafts si through s4 respectively execute pumping operations in the first and second housing blocks 10 and 20. The gearing unit 31 may comprise a helical gear mechanism, which is not eccentric, or a worm and worm gear mechanism (not shown) , with a drive gear 32 which is rotated by the drive shaft 35, and a plurality of driven gears 34 which are fitted over the shafts si through s4 to operate in conjunction with the drive gear 32.

The shafts si through s4 may comprise linear hollow pipes or linear solid pipes. The four impellers of the four-in pump according to the present invention comprise first, second, third and fourth impellers 40, 50, 60 and 70. The first impeller 40 is arranged in an upper chamber 11 of the first housing block 10, while the second impeller 50 is arranged in a lower chamber 12 of the first housing block 10. In the meantime, the third impeller 60 is arranged in an upper chamber 21 of the second housing block 20, while the fourth impeller 70 is arranged in a lower chamber 22 of the second housing block 20. The first and second impellers 40 and 50 provided in the first housing block 10 have the same constructions as those of the third and fourth impellers 60 and 70 provided in the second housing block 20. Thus, for ease of description, the constructions of only the first and second impellers 40 and 50 provided in the first housing block 10 will be described herein below. As shown in FIG. 2a, the first impeller 40 has two blades 42 and 43 around a cylindrical outer surface

41 thereof so that the two blades 42 and 43 are diametrically opposite to each other. Furthermore, a groove 44, 45 is formed on the cylindrical outer surface 41 of the first impeller 40 at a position in front of each of the two blades 42 and 43, based on a rotating direction of the two blades 42 and 43.

In the same manner, the second impeller 50 has two blades 52 and 53 around a cylindrical outer surface 51 thereof so that the two blades 52 and 53 are diametrically opposite to each other. Furthermore, a groove 54, 55 is formed on the cylindrical outer surface 51 of the second impeller 50 at a position in back of each of the two blades 52 and 53, based on a rotating direction of the two blades 52 and 53.

The first and second impellers 40 and 50 having the above-mentioned constructions are fitted over the first and second shafts si and s2, respectively, and are placed in the first housing block 10 so that the outer surfaces 41 and 51 thereof are always in close contact with each other to isolate a suction port 15 from an exhaust port 16 of the pump. Thus, when the first and second impellers 40 and 50 rotate, the blades

42 and 43 of the first impeller 400 and the blades 52 and 53 of the second impeller 50 cooperate with each other to force an inlet fluid from the suction port 15 to the exhaust port 16. Furthermore, during the rotations of the first and second impellers 40 and 50, a vacuum pressure is generated in a space defined in back of each of the blades 42, 43, 52 and 53. Thus, fluid is newly introduced into the pump through the suction port 15.

As shown in FIG. 2b, each of the first and second impellers 40 and 50 is constructed in that a radial distance 1 from a central axis 0 of each impeller to an outside end of each blade 42, 43, 52, 53 is longer than a radius between the central axis 0 to the outer surface 41, 51. Thus, the blades 42, 43, 52 and 53 may be damaged during the rotations of the first and second impellers 40 and 50. However, in the present invention, the blades 42, 43, 52 and 53 are received in the grooves 44, 45, 54 and 55 when the blades are vertically positioned, so that the blades are prevented from damaged.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention provides a four-in pump in which each of impellers is directly installed on a shaft without using any bearing and executes a normal rotation, different from the conventional four-in pumps disclosed in Korean Patent Application Nos. 2002-31420 and 2002-43777. Thus, the four-in pump of the present invention is advantageous in that the pump can efficiently transfer sludge. Furthermore, because the four-in pump of the present invention does not have any eccentric structure, the pump has a simple construction and is easily produced. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in ^' the accompanying claims .

Claims

1. A four-in pump, comprising: a gearbox placed between a first housing block and a second housing block, with a gearing unit provided in the gearbox to be operated by a drive shaft of a drive motor; a plurality of shafts rotated by the gearing unit; and a plurality of impellers directly mounted to the plurality of shafts, respectively, thus executing pumping operations in the first and second housing blocks .

2. The four-in pump according to claim 1, wherein the gearing unit comprises a helical gear mechanism, which is not eccentric, or a worm and worm gear mechanism, with a drive gear rotated by the drive shaft, and a plurality of driven gears mounted to the plurality of shafts to operate in conjunction with the drive gear.

3. The four-in pump according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of shafts comprises a linear hollow pipe or a linear solid pipe.

4. The four-in pump according to claim 1, wherein a first impeller of the plurality of impellers comprises two blades provided around a cylindrical outer surface thereof so that the two blades are diametrically opposite to each other, with a groove formed on the cylindrical outer surface of the first impeller at a position in front of each of the two blades, based on a rotating direction of the two blades .

5. The four-in pump according to claim 1, wherein a second impeller of the plurality of impellers comprises two blades provided around a cylindrical outer surface thereof so that the two blades are diametrically opposite to each other, with a groove formed on the cylindrical outer surface of the second impeller at a position in back of each of the two blades, based on a rotating direction of the two blades .

6. The four-in pump according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the first and second impellers are mounted to first and second shafts of the plurality of shafts, respectively, and are placed in the first housing block so that the outer surfaces of the first and second impellers are in close contact with each other to isolate a suction port from an exhaust port of the pump, and thus, the blades of the first impeller and the blades of the second impeller cooperate with each other during rotations of the first and second impellers, thereby forcing an inlet fluid from the suction port to the exhaust port, and generating a vacuum pressure in a space defined in back of each of the blades of the first and second impellers to newly introduce fluid into the pump through the suction port.

7. The four-in pump according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each of the first and second impellers is constructed in that a radial distance from a central axis of each of the first and second impellers to an outside end of each of the blades is longer than a radius between the central axis to the cylindrical outer surface, so that the blades are received in the grooves when the blades are vertically positioned during rotations of the first and second impellers.