Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04D9/00—Priming; Preventing vapour lock
  • F04D9/001—Preventing vapour lock
  • F04D9/002—Preventing vapour lock by means in the very pump
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04D1/00—Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04D9/00—Priming; Preventing vapour lock
  • F04D9/001—Preventing vapour lock
  • F04D9/002—Preventing vapour lock by means in the very pump
  • F04D9/003—Preventing vapour lock by means in the very pump separating and removing the vapour

Definitions

• This invention relates to a pump; and more particularly, relates to a centrifugal pump, e.g., including a bilge pump.
• a centrifugal pump cannot begin pumping water until its impeller is immersed in water.
• the impeller is prevented from engaging any water by air entrapped in the pump's housing or body. This situation is known as air lock and is a problem in the art.
• air lock e.g., in centrifugal pumps.
• the present invention may take the form of a pump having a pump housing with an impeller arranged therein, featuring an anti- airlock valve or valve assembly configured with a valve housing in combination with a valve ball.
• the valve housing may be configured with a passageway having a vent hole to allow air to bleed out of a chamber of the pump housing into the atmosphere so liquid can fill the pump housing, rise and engage the impeller in order to get the pump running.
• the valve ball may be arranged in the valve housing, configured to rest against one part of the valve housing so air can pass out of the vent hole, and also configured to be light or buoyant enough to respond to the liquid filling the pump housing, float upwardly and rest against another part of the valve housing so as not to allow water to escape readily from the vent hole after the liquid rises to a sufficient level and substantially engages the impeller.
• the present invention may also include one or more of the following features:
• the anti-airlock valve assembly may be configured in, or form an integral part of, the pump housing.
• the anti-airlock valve assembly may be configured on the discharge side of the pump, e.g., including forming part of a discharge chamber of the pump.
• the anti-airlock valve assembly may be configured on the suction side of the pump, e.g., including forming part of a suction chamber of the pump.
• the valve housing may include an upper valve seat configured with the vent hole; and a lower valve seat configured to contain the valve ball in the valve housing and allow air to bleed out of the pump housing into the atmosphere via the vent hole.
• the upper valve seat may include a frustoconical wall configured to form part of the passageway.
• the frustoconical wall may include one end configured with a wide opening dimensioned to be larger in diameter than the valve ball; and another end configured with the vent hole dimensioned to be smaller in diameter than the valve ball, so that when the valve ball floats upwardly and seals against part of the frustoconical wall, water cannot escape readily from the vent hole after the liquid rises to the sufficient level and substantially engages the impeller.
• the valve ball may be configured to respond to a suction discharge pressure once the pump is running and seal against the lower valve seat in order to prevent air from passing from the atmosphere into a suction discharge chamber of the pump housing.
• the pump may be configured as a centrifugal pump, e.g., for use as a bilge pump, including where the bilge pump has an outlet nozzle having a backflow preventer assembly coupled thereto with a duckbill-type check valve arranged therein to allow only liquid flow in only one direction, consistent with that disclosed in patent application serial no. 14/193,324 (91 1 -17.32-1 //M-RLE-X0008), filed on 28 February 2014, and incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• Figure 1 a is a diagram of a centrifugal pump equipped with a discharge type anti-lock valve or valve assembly, according to some embodiments of the present invention.
• Figure 1 b is a more detailed view of the discharge type anti-lock valve of the centrifugal pump in Figure 1 a.
• Figure 2a is a diagram of a centrifugal pump equipped with a suction type anti-lock valve or valve assembly, according to some embodiments of the present invention.
• Figure 2b is a more detailed view of the suction type anti-lock valve of the centrifugal pump in Figure 2a.
• FIGS 1 a and 2a show the present invention in the form of a pump generally indicated as 10, 10' having the pump housing B with the impeller A arranged therein.
• the pump 10, 10' may be configured with an anti-airlock valve (also known as an anti-airlock valve assembly) generally indicated as D, D' in
• FIGs 1 a and 2a each configured with a valve housing generally indicated as 12, 12' in combination with a valve ball G, H as shown in Figures 1 b and 2b.
• the valve housing 12, 12' may be configured with a passageway 14, 14' having a vent hole 16 to allow air to bleed out of a chamber 1 1 of the pump housing B into the atmosphere surrounding the pump so liquid can fill the pump housing B, rise and engage the impeller A in order to get the pump 10, 10' running.
• the valve ball G, H may be arranged in the valve housing 12, 12', configured to rest against a lower part of the valve housing 12, 12' so air can pass out of the vent hole 16, and also configured to be light or buoyant enough to respond to the liquid filling the pump housing B, float upwardly and rest against an upper part of the valve housing 12, 12' so as not to allow water to escape readily from the vent hole 16 after the liquid rises to a sufficient level and substantially engages the impeller A.
• pressurized air in the chamber 1 1 may cause the valve ball G, H to lift so as to enable the air to pass around the valve ball G, H, through the passageway 14, 14' of the valve D, D', and out the vent hole 16 to the atmosphere surrounding the pump 10, 10'.
• valve housing 12, 12' may be configured with an upper valve seat 20, 20' configured with the vent hole 16; and a lower valve seat 22, 22' configured to contain the valve ball G, H in the valve housing 12, 12' and allow air to bleed out of the chamber of the pump housing B into the atmosphere via the vent hole 16, consistent with that shown in Figures 1 b, 2b.
• the upper valve seat 20 may include a frustoconical wall 24 configured to form one part of the passageway 14
• the lower valve seat 22 may include a frustoconical wall 26 also configured to form another part of the passageway 14.
• the frustoconical wall 24 may include one end 24a configured with a wide opening dimensioned to be larger in diameter than the valve ball G; and another end 24b configured with the vent hole 16 dimensioned to be smaller in diameter than the valve ball G, so that when the valve ball G floats upwardly and seals against part of the frustoconical wall 24, water cannot escape readily from the vent hole 16 after the liquid rises to the sufficient level and
• the frustoconical wall 26 has an end 26a configured with an opening dimensioned to be smaller in diameter than the valve ball G to prevent the valve ball G from escaping the valve housing 12.
• the upper valve seat 20' may include a wall 28 configured to form one part of the passageway 14'
• the lower valve seat 22' may include a frustoconical wall 30 configured to form another part of the passageway 14'.
• the upper valve seat 20' and the lower valve seat 22' are configured with corresponding openings dimensioned to allow the air out of the valve housing 12' and keep the valve ball H in the valve housing 12', similar to that set forth above in relation to Figure 1 b.
• Figure 1 a shows the pump 10 in the form of a centrifugal pump equipped with a discharge type anti-airlock valve C located on the pump's discharge E.
• the impeller A causes the air pressure to rise in the pump's discharge chamber 1 1 .
• This pressurized air escapes through the vent hole 16 in the valve D and water begins to fill the pump chamber 1 1 .
• the valve ball G is forcibly pressed against the top of the valve D creating a seal which prevents water from escaping out the vent hole 16.
• Figure 1 b for an enlarged and more detailed view of the discharge anti-airlock valve design shown in Figure 1 a.
• FIG 2a shows the pump 10' in the form of a low profile centrifugal pump having the valve D' located at the pump's intake F.
• This pump configuration is basically useful when the central axis of the pump 10' is parallel to the plane of the surface of the water to be pumped. In this situation, the air is allowed to bleed out due to increased pressure of the air in the intake chamber 1 1 ' from the turning of the impeller A. Once water is flowing, this intake area is at a negative pressure relative to the atmosphere surrounding the pump 10' and the valve ball H is forced inwards to the bottom of the valve D' creating a seal. See Figure 2b for a detailed view of the intake anti-airlock valve design.
• the present invention provides anti-airlock valve assembly in two different forms, e.g., including discharge and suction types.
• the anti- airlock valve assembly includes the valve housing 12, 12' having the upper valve seat 20, 20' for the valve ball G, H to set under the water pressure preventing any water to escape through the vent hole 16.
• the anti-airlock valve assembly also includes the valve ball G, H that is constructed light enough to allow air to escape yet will easily be forced upward (or downward in the case of the intake valve) to seat against the upper valve housing seat 20, 20' not allowing water to escape readily.
• a pump housing receptacle may be configured for receiving the valve housing 12, 12', including where it is an integral part of the pump 10, 10', has suitable mating, and also has a diameter and dimensioning for allowing the valve housing 12, 12' to be securely held to the pump housing B.
• the lower valve ball seat 22, 22' is integral to the overall geometry and valve configuration by preventing the valve ball G, H from escaping yet allowing air to escape through the vent hole 16 in the pump housing outlet.
• Pump may also include, e.g., other parts, elements, components, or circuits that do not form part of the underlying invention, including a motor, diaphragm pumping components, pressure transducers, wiring for coupling the motor to a control circuit, and are thus not identified and described in detail herein.
• pumps having motors and impeller arranged or configured thereon are known in the art, and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to any particular type or kind thereof either now known or later developed in the future.
• Possible applications are envisioned to include any type or kind of pump or rotary equipment that may be submerged and contain trapped air, e.g., in its housing or impeller housing, including but not limited to centrifugal pumps or other types or kinds of submersible pumps either now known or later developed in the future, including bilge pumps or utility pumps..

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
• Self-Closing Valves And Venting Or Aerating Valves (AREA)
• Check Valves (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=54006569

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (20)

• 2014
  • 2014-02-28 US US14/193,210 patent/US20150247501A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2015
  • 2015-02-24 AU AU2015223265A patent/AU2015223265A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2015-02-24 CA CA2940847A patent/CA2940847A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2015-02-24 EP EP15754789.4A patent/EP3111093A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2015-02-24 CN CN201580015487.3A patent/CN106104002A/zh active Pending
  • 2015-02-24 WO PCT/US2015/017177 patent/WO2015130620A2/en active Application Filing
• 2018
  • 2018-07-12 AU AU2018205135A patent/AU2018205135A1/en not_active Abandoned

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