Patent Application
20200030756
The present invention relates generally to an aerating and liquid agitating device that efficiently introduces high velocity, agitating air into a liquid-conveying line such as for the purpose of mixing and aerating solids and liquids in liquid tanks. More so, the present invention relates to an aerating and liquid agitating device that may introduce high velocity air into a liquid-conveying line downstream of a liquid pump and may utilize a male threaded reducer that couples to the liquid pump and a device fitting which communicates with the male threaded reducer and may reduce in diameter by about 10% to about 40%, or from about 1.5″ to about 1.25″, for example and without limitation, from the male threaded reducer to the device fitting such that the flow pressure of liquid in the liquid-conveying line is increased. An air inlet fitting may extend through an opening in the sidewall and into the device fitting and may protrude typically substantially more than about ¾ of the way across the interior width or diameter of the device fitting. The air inlet fitting may have a terminal angled profile of between about 35° and about 90° in the device fitting to facilitate greatly increased injection of air into the liquid-carrying line due to enhanced surface area for the flowing liquid to create vacuum pressure at the air inlet fitting in the device fitting. An air intake hose may be coupled to the air inlet fitting to distribute air from an air source into the air inlet fitting.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views of the drawings.
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “rear,” “right,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
An illustrative embodiment of an aerating and liquid agitating device 100 is referenced in
The device 100 may also include an air inlet fitting 116 that may extend into and typically across greater than about ⅔ of an interior width or diameter of the device fitting 108. The air inlet fitting 116 may have a terminal angled profile 118 which may be sloped between from about 35° to about 90° and may further face the downstream direction with respect to flow of the liquid 134 from the liquid pump 122 through the device fitting 108 and the liquid-conveying line 126. The length of extension of the air inlet fitting 116 into the device fitting 108, the comparatively extreme angle of the terminal angled profile 118 of the air inlet fitting 116, and the typically downstream orientation of the air inlet fitting 116 in the device fitting 108 may create a synergy that greatly increases injection of the air 144 into the liquid-conveying line 126 due to more surface area across which the flowing liquid 134 creates vacuum pressure in the device fitting 108 typically at the terminal angled profile 118 of the air inlet fitting 116.
Thus, in some applications, the device 100 may introduce the air 144 into a liquid 134 flowing into a nutrient tank 136 (
In one aspect, the aerating and liquid agitating device 100 may include:
In another aspect, the width or diameter of the male threaded reducer 102 may be about 1.5″.
In some embodiments, the device fitting 108 may undergo a reduction in diameter of from about 10% to about 40% from the ingress end 110 to the egress end 112. In another aspect, the device fitting 108 may undergo a 20% reduction in width or diameter from the ingress end 110 to the egress end 112. In some embodiments, the device fitting 108 may be a one-piece molded construction. The device fitting 108 may be fabricated in different sizes ranging from about 1.5″ to about 1.25″, or from about 2″ to about 1.6″, for example and without limitation.
In another aspect, the air inlet hose 120 may include a food grade hose.
One objective of the present invention is to provide an aerating and liquid agitating device 100 that efficiently introduces high velocity, agitating air 144 into a liquid-conveying line 126 typically for mixing and aerating liquid tanks.
Another objective is to use a volumetric reduction method to increase pressure of air 144 flowing from the air inlet hose 120, through the air inlet fitting 116 into the device fitting 108.
Yet another objective is to utilize a more extreme angle that is greater than the standard or conventional 45° for the terminal angled profile 118 of the air inlet fitting 116, the terminal angled profile 118 being typically between from about 35° to about 90°, so as to greatly increase injection of air 144 into the device fitting 108 due to more surface area for the liquid 134 to create vacuum pressure typically at the angled profile 118 of the air inlet fitting 116.
Yet another objective is to keep solids suspended in solution (fertilizers in water).
Yet another objective is to utilize any length of flexible tubing as the liquid-conveying line 126 coupled to the egress end 112 of the device fitting 108 for use in extreme depths when the device fitting 108 is attached to the appropriate liquid pump 122.
Yet another objective is to eliminate the need for air stones and mixing pumps, by providing an all-in-one mixing unit.
Yet another objective is to stabilize pH in water.
Yet another objective is to alleviate sediment buildup in a fertilizer tank by increasing turbulence therein.
Yet another objective is to provide an aerating and liquid agitating device 100 that may operate independently of plumbing fixtures and external water lines.
As referenced in
In some embodiments, the device 100 further may include a device fitting 108 which may have a sidewall 130 with an ingress end 110 and an egress end 112. An opening 114 may extend through the sidewall 130 between the ingress end 110 and the egress end 112. In some embodiments, the ingress end 110 may detachably couple to the tank end 106 of the male threaded reducer 102. In other embodiments, the ingress end 110 may be fabricated or formed in one piece with the tank end 106 of the male threaded reducer 102 according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the device fitting 108 may have a lesser diameter than that of the male threaded reducer 102. This reduction in diameter may increase the flow pressure of the liquid 134 from the male threaded reducer 102 to the device fitting 108. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this reduction in diameter may increase the pressure of the liquid 134 at the air inlet fitting 116.
In some applications, the liquid-conveying conduit 126 may be coupled to the egress end 112 of the device fitting 108 using threads, couplings and/or other suitable coupling techniques known by those skilled in the art. In some applications, the egress end 112 of the device fitting 108 may be configured for attachment to a flexible liquid-conveying line 126. In some applications, the liquid pump 122 may be submerged in water or other liquid 134. The high velocity flow of the liquid 134 in the liquid-conveying line 126 may be effective to maintain solids suspended in solution, i.e., fertilizers in water, in the tank, vessel or other volume (not illustrated) connected to the liquid-conveying line 126.
In some embodiments, the liquid-conveying line 126 may include a flexible hose, although any type of hose, tubing, conduit, or reinforced hose may be used. Any length of flexible hose can be used at extreme depths when attached to the appropriate liquid pump 122 to allow aeration of the liquid 134 pumped by the liquid pump 122 at depth, for example. In some applications, the egress end 112 of the device fitting 108 may not be coupled to the liquid-conveying line 126. Accordingly, the tank, vessel or other liquid-containing volume (not illustrated) may be coupled to or otherwise disposed in fluid communication with the egress end 112 of the device fitting 108 according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. In other applications, the device fitting 108 may be submerged in the liquid 134 in the tank, vessel or other liquid-containing volume, such as the nutrient tank 136 illustrated in
As further illustrated in
As further illustrated in
As shown in
The air inlet hose 120 may introduce the air 144 into the device fitting 108 through the aforementioned air inlet fitting 116. This interconnection between the air inlet hose 120 and the device fitting 108 may create a straight-in airline, which may increase flow of the air 144 through the air inlet hose 120. In some embodiments, the device 100 may include at least one stabilizing arm 140 (
The device 100 may be easily coupled to the liquid pump 122 for operation typically by threading the male threaded reducer 102 into a companion, interiorly-threaded bore (not illustrated) in the liquid pump 122. The liquid pump 122 need not include projecting parts that require manipulation for coupling of the device 100 to the liquid pump 122. Further, the device 100 need not be attached to any plumbing system. In some applications, the device 100 may be an independent unit that may be used in water/fertilizer tanks and need not be installed in any permanent plumbing. In some applications, the device 100 may be installed in a hot tub to increase the bubbling effect therein.
These and other advantages of the invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following written specification, claims and appended drawings.
Because many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalence.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/703,024, filed Jul. 25, 2018 and entitled “AERATING AND LIQUID AGITATING DEVICE”, which provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62703024 | Jul 2018 | US |
