Patent Grant
12215711
Car wash facilities often include vacuum systems that patrons of the car wash may use to vacuum inside of their vehicles, individual canister vacuum systems located adjacent to the location where a vehicle may be vacuumed are sometimes employed. Also, systems are sometimes employed that use a central vacuum system providing vacuum forced air from a location remote from the vehicle location such as in a facility central building to the individual vehicle vacuuming bays. In such instances where the main vacuum supply motor of the facility is located in a central facility, the facility may sometimes employ a long main vacuum line to provide vacuum suction to numerous vacuuming locations at the facility. These systems generally employ a vacuum system with enough overall suction capacity to provide service to all of the vehicle vacuuming locations even though it is rare that all of the vehicle vacuuming locations are used simultaneously. A larger than typically needed overall suction capacity is required even if all locations are not in use. In fact, multiple vacuum motors are often used to produce the necessary suction. Moreover, these large sized vacuum motors, as all mechanical systems, eventually become damaged or worn and will need repairs or replacement parts. However, vacuum motors currently employed use multiple impellers to create the amount of vacuum capacity necessary to service all of the multiple vehicle vacuuming service locations of the overall vehicle vacuuming facility. The multiple impellers of the vacuum system historically employed were also integrally formed with the motor and the overall system was large and heavy. These factors each contributed to the fact that the prior systems could not be reliably and/or economically taken apart and field serviced at the vehicle vacuuming facility where the vacuum service was being provided to the end customer/user. Instead, the entire vacuum motor system, virtually in every instance, needed to be shipped back to a manufacturer's repair shop. This is costly and inefficient for the owner of the vehicle vacuuming facility and the manufacturer. The potential economic loss due to the down time of the overall vacuum facility that would result if the motor was not present often resulted in the owner or the supplier providing a redundant system while the damaged system was off-site being repaired.
Another drawback of prior systems was the need to provide multiple impellers to provide the necessary airflow/vacuuming capacity to adequately supply vacuum force to each location in the vehicle vacuuming facility in the event that all locations within the facility were in use. Unfortunately, the use of multiple impellers has significant and profound drawbacks. The impellers often had resonance issues and vibrated creating significantly loud volume noise in the main facility housing the vacuuming motor system. Moreover, due to the vibration and the use of multiple components, the systems were more likely to be damaged or need service.
An additional drawback of prior systems was the requirements needed to maintain an equal amount of airflow/vacuuming capacity without increasing the power when the system is in use at facilities at higher and higher elevations above sea level. As the height from sea level increases, the air becomes thinner, and the air pressure decreases. Typically, the systems at higher altitudes would employ a thicker impeller to draw in more air without needing to increase the power of the motor. However, multiple sizes of impellers would need to be produced, making it less economical and more difficult to service since different parts would be necessary for different geographical locations based on the height above sea level as one of the major factors. If a manufacturer wanted to cast their impellers as a singular piece, which makes the impeller stronger and less liable to break, they needed to have multiple molds for various elevations. Alternatively, multiple impellers can be used in sequence, but as stated above, these impellers can have issues with resonance, increasing their vibration and leading to significantly louder use volumes/increased noise and greater potential for damage and earlier damage in the use cycle. The increased likelihood of repair and the need for specialized vacuum motor systems at specific and niche elevation use cases makes this kind of implementation undesirable.
An aspect of the present disclosure includes a vacuum motor assembly for providing vacuum suction power to one or more vehicle vacuuming locations in a vehicle washing and vacuuming facility. The vacuum motor assembly typically includes: a motor having a drive shaft; an impeller, typically a closed impeller having a front shroud and a back shroud with a plurality of impeller blades spaced radially around a center portion of the closed impeller between the front shroud and the back shroud where the closed impeller has an impeller diameter and where the center portion is free of any of the plurality of impeller blades and the plurality of impeller blades are circumjacent the center portion of the closed impeller; and an impeller cover. The impeller cover is spaced around the closed impeller and includes: a front portion having a front portion central opening defined by an inner perimeter edge, a front portion inner surface, a forwardly extended enlarged channel section between the inner perimeter edge and a front portion outer perimeter edge, where the front portion outer perimeter edge extends away from the front portion inner surface toward the closed impeller, and a front portion air exhaust chute section that is tapered; a back portion engaged to the front portion, where the back portion has front portion facing side and a back support facing side, a back portion inner surface, a back portion air exhaust chute section that matingly engages the front portion air exhaust chute section and is tapered, an interior edge having an interior edge perimeter that defines a back portion opening that is larger than the closed impeller, and an outer perimeter edge engaged with the front portion outer perimeter edge to collectively form a spiral-shaped airflow channel located about a perimeter of the impeller cover, where the spiral-shaped airflow channel starts with a tapered end, extends around the impeller cover, and then into an air exhaust outlet formed by the engagement of the front portion air exhaust chute section and the back portion air exhaust chute section together. A cross-sectional area of the spiral-shaped airflow channel between the front portion and the back portion typically increases from the tapered end to the air exhaust outlet. The front surface of the front shroud of the closed impeller defines a vertical plane and a first air channel interior distance from the front portion inner surface to the vertical plane within the spiral-shaped airflow channel is greater than a second air channel interior distance from the back portion inner surface to the vertical plane. The vacuum motor assembly further typically includes a back support having a back support perimeter, a concave side and a convex side. The concave side of the back support is typically engaged with the back support facing side of the back portion around the back portion opening such that the back support covers substantially all of the back portion opening. The convex side is typically engaged with the motor. The back support also includes a drive shaft receiving aperture portion is fixedly engaged to the motor and the drive shaft passes through the drive shaft receiving aperture of the back support and engages with the closed impeller.
Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a vacuum motor assembly that includes: a motor having a drive shaft; an impeller having a plurality of impeller blades spaced radially around a center portion of the impeller where the impeller has an impeller diameter and typically the center portion that is free of any of the plurality of impeller blades and the plurality of impeller blades are circumjacent the center portion of the impeller; an impeller cover spaced around the impeller; and a back support. The impeller cover typically includes: a front portion having a front portion central opening defined by an inner perimeter edge; a front portion inner surface; a forwardly extended enlarged channel section between the inner perimeter edge and a front portion outer perimeter edge, where the front portion outer perimeter edge extends away from the front portion inner surface toward the impeller; and a front portion air exhaust chute section; a back portion engaged to the front portion, where the back portion has front portion facing side and a back support facing side, a back portion inner surface, a back portion air exhaust chute section, an interior edge having an interior edge perimeter that defines a back portion opening that is larger than the impeller, and an outer perimeter edge engaged with the front portion outer perimeter edge to collectively form an airflow channel that is typically spiral-shaped and located about a perimeter of the impeller cover. The typically spiral-shaped airflow channel starts with a tapered end, extends around the impeller cover, and then into an air exhaust outlet formed by the engagement of the front portion air exhaust chute section and the back portion air exhaust chute section together. The impeller is typically positioned within the impeller cover toward the motor and not in the center of the airflow channel. Typically, the impeller is positioned such that the front surface of the impeller defines a vertical plane and a first air channel interior distance from the front portion inner surface to the vertical plane within the airflow channel is greater than a second air channel interior distance from the back portion inner surface to the vertical plane. The back support typically has a back support perimeter, a motor-facing side and an impeller-facing side. The impeller-facing side of the back support is engaged with the back support facing side of the back portion around the back portion opening such that the back support covers the back portion opening. The motor-facing side is engaged with the motor during use. The back support further typically includes a drive shaft receiving aperture. When the back support is fixedly engaged to the motor the drive shaft passes through the drive shaft receiving aperture of the back support and engages with the impeller so that the motor rotates the impeller during use.
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure includes a method of replacing a component of a vacuum motor assembly without removing an impeller of the vacuum motor assembly from engagement with an impeller, the method typically includes the steps of: disengaging a first back support from engagement with a first impeller cover spaced around the impeller. The first impeller cover typically includes: a front portion having a front portion central opening defined by an inner perimeter edge; a front portion inner surface; a forwardly extended enlarged channel section between the inner perimeter edge and a front portion outer perimeter edge and a front portion air exhaust chute section. The front portion outer perimeter edge extends away from the front portion inner surface toward the impeller; a back portion engaged to the front portion, where the back portion has front portion facing side and a back support facing side, a back portion inner surface, a back portion air exhaust chute section, an interior edge having an interior edge perimeter that defines a back portion opening, and an outer perimeter edge engaged with the front portion outer perimeter edge to collectively form an airflow channel that is typically a spiral-shaped airflow channel located about a perimeter of the first impeller cover, where the airflow channel starts with a tapered end, extends around the first impeller cover, and then into an air exhaust outlet formed by the engagement of the front portion air exhaust chute section and the back portion air exhaust chute section together. The first back support has a first back support perimeter, a motor-facing side and an impeller-facing side, where the impeller-facing side of the first back support is engaged with the back support facing side of the back portion around the back portion opening such that the first back support covers the back portion opening of the first impeller cover, and where the motor-facing side is engaged with a motor, where the first back support further typically includes a drive shaft receiving aperture. When the first back support is fixedly engaged to the motor, the drive shaft of the motor passes through the drive shaft receiving aperture of the back support and engages with the impeller that is positioned between within the first impeller cover and the motor provides rotational force to the impeller during use. The method further comprises the step of replacing either or both of (1) all or a portion of the first impeller cover with all or a portion of a second impeller cover or (2) the first back support with a second back support, typically after a period of time of use that can by at least months or years and after they are worn or broken. The second impeller cover typically includes: a front portion having a front portion central opening defined by an inner perimeter edge; a front portion inner surface; a forwardly extended enlarged channel section between the inner perimeter edge and a front portion outer perimeter edge, where the front portion outer perimeter edge extends away from the front portion inner surface toward the impeller; and a front portion air exhaust chute section; a back portion engaged to the front portion, where the back portion has front portion facing side and a back support facing side, a back portion inner surface, a back portion air exhaust chute section, an interior edge having an interior edge perimeter that defines a back portion opening, and an outer perimeter edge engaged with the front portion outer perimeter edge to collectively form an airflow channel that is typically a spiral-shaped airflow channel located about a perimeter of the first impeller cover, where the airflow channel typically starts with a tapered end, extends around the first impeller cover, and then into an air exhaust outlet formed by the engagement of the front portion air exhaust chute section and the back portion air exhaust chute section together. The second back support has a second back support perimeter, a motor-facing side and an impeller-facing side, where the impeller-facing side of the second back support is engaged with the back support facing side of the back portion around the back portion opening such that the back support covers the back portion opening, and where the motor-facing side is engaged with a motor. The first back support further typically includes a drive shaft receiving aperture; and, when the first back support is fixedly engaged to the motor, a drive shaft of the motor passes through the drive shaft receiving aperture of the back support and engages with the impeller that is positioned between within the second impeller cover.
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure includes a kit having a motor assembly of the present disclosure and a high elevation kit/system of the present disclosure and optionally also a replacement impeller cover of the present disclosure. The kit may also include a motor assembly or multiple motor assemblies of the present disclosure and one or a plurality of replacement impeller covers that are typically identical to the impeller covers originally provided with the motor assembly or multiple motor assemblies.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present disclosure and claimed invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described invention and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
The term “about” in the context of the present application means a range of values inclusive of the specified value that a person skilled in the art would reasonably consider to be comparable to the specified value. In certain aspects of the present disclosure, “about” means within a standard deviation using measurements generally accepted in the art. In other aspects of the present disclosure, “about” will mean the specified value but ranging up to ±10% of the specified value.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the disclosure as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure and claimed invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
It is to be understood that the disclosed innovations may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range, and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range, is encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges, and are also encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the scope of the present disclosure. All ranges and parameters, including but not limited to percentages, parts, and ratios, disclosed herein are understood to encompass any and all sub-ranges assumed and subsumed therein, and every number between the endpoints. For example, a stated range of “1 to 10” should be considered to include any and all sub-ranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 1 to 6.1, or 2.3 to 9.4), and to each integer (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) contained within the range. In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. All combinations of method steps or process steps as used herein can be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified or clearly implied to the contrary by the context in which the referenced combination is made.
To the extent that the terms “includes” or “including” or “have” or “having” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “or” is employed (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A” or “B” or both “A” and “B”. When the Applicant intends to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term “only A or B but not both” or similar structure will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. Also, to the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or “onto.” In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The vacuum subsystems 14 are each interconnected to a main vacuum line 20 that is operable engaged with the vacuum motor assembly 22. The vacuum subsystems 14 each typically include a vertical support pole 17, an arch 19 that extends from the top of the vertical support pole 17 above the vacuum stall 12, and a hose 18 that hangs down from the arch 19 such that a user can manipulate the hose 18 without it dragging across the ground. Each of the systems may include a cyclonic separator 21 positioned between the hose and the main vacuum line. Each vacuum system's hose 18 attaches to a main vacuum line 20 either directly or indirectly through a cyclonic separator (See
As shown in
The outlet 34 is typically on the left side of the overall vacuum pump assembly 24 and the cover 28, but the construction could be reversed such that the outlet 34 is on either side. Furthermore, the outlet 34 does not need to be oriented in an upwards direction and could continue in another pass of a portion of or completely around the overall vacuum pump assembly 24 if desired to further slow or redirect the air coming out from the outlet 34. If the outlet 34 is on a different side than shown in the present disclosure, then the impeller 42 would spin in the opposite direction to ensure the airflow follows the correct path and to allow for the creation of a stable airflow thereby preventing or greatly lessening the likelihood of damage to the vacuum pump assembly 24. The outlet 34 may include a top horizontal planar and outwardly extending lip about its perimeter, typically about the entire perimeter or at least 90% of the perimeter surface. The outwardly extending lip may allow for better engagement to other pipe or conduits by snap fitting or being integrated with other piping that provides outlet air to ambient atmosphere outside of the motor assembly, typically outside of the building housing the motor assembly such as an air outlet within a wall or ceiling of a building housing the motor assembly. One or more segments of piping, which can be solid polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or other plastic piping or can be metal or flexible metal or flexible plastic piping running between the outlet of the motor assembly and the outlet of the building housing the motor assembly.
The cover 28 is formed when the front portion 36, the back portion 38 and the back support 40 are assembled together with the impeller 42 spaced therein. The cover 28 has a unique shape that provides multiple advantages. The increased size/diameter of the impeller 42 that is able to fit inside the enlarged cover 28 increases the efficiency of the motor 26 and allows the vacuum motor 26 to move greater volumes of air without changing its horsepower while also using less energy. This also may allow the vacuum systems located remotely from the individual vacuum subsystems 14 to employ motors that are less expensive and provide the same or more vacuum suction power to the overall vehicle vacuum system thereby maintaining vacuum performance of the overall vehicle vacuum system.
The overall vacuum pump assembly 24 typically has a diameter in the range of from about 36.5 inches to about 38.5 inches. The vacuum pump assembly 24 most typically has a diameter of 33 inches or greater, more typically between about 35 inches and about 40 inches in diameter and most typically about 37.5 inches. In the context of the diameter here, the term “about” means within the range where a person skilled in the art would reasonably be consider to be comparable, typically one inch variance in the above amounts.
As shown at least in
The front portion 36 of the cover 28 typically has a forwardly extended enlarged channel section 37 around its perimeter. The channel section 37 contains an airflow channel 39 in its interior that wraps around the impeller 42 and ultimately leads/directs airflow to the outlet 34. The channel 39 is a space within the cover 28 that is defined by the channel section 37 and a channel forming section 33 of the back portion 38, which can conceivably be the entire back portion 38. Typically, the airflow channel 39 center is not aligned with the same vertical plane that the impeller 42 lies in, and the impeller is spaced slightly rearward as discussed above to direct airflow into the channel 39. As shown in at least
A bell-shaped center intake pipe 32 that defines an inlet 35 is attached to the front portion 36 and engages threaded fastener receiving apertures in the exterior facing surface of the front portion (See
The cover 28 typically completely encases/surrounds the impeller 42 and generally forms a spiraling shape that is a volute-like structure, with the front portion 36 of the cover 28 being asymmetrical with the back portion 38, but matingly engageable with one another. The front portion 36 forms a majority of the spiraling shape when mated with the back portion. The front portion and the back portion are typically not symmetrical halves since having symmetrical halves typically causes turbulent airflows going conflicting directions whereas the design of the present construction where a majority of the internal volume of the airflow channel 39 is formed by the front portion 36, the greater volume of air/fluid flow volume in front of the impeller greatly lessens or eliminates the competing airflow directions and thereby lowers turbulence within the system and reduces wear and noise. The front portion 36 of the cover 28 is typically engaged with the back portion 38 of the cover 28. The front portion 36 may be engaged with the back portion 38 using a snap fit configuration, a plurality of fasteners positioned around the perimeter of the cover 28 or using an O-ring or other gasket/airflow restricting material, typically within a groove, around the perimeter that provides greater protection against airflow loss outside of the channel 39 when in use. In such configurations a lip around the back portion 38 or the front portion 36 may be employed circumferentially around the perimeter. An outlet 34 for the release of air pushed through the vacuum pump assembly 24 is formed by the front portion 36 of the cover 28 and a back portion 38 of the cover 28 when they are engaged with one another. The front portion 36 typically has a central aperture 47 defined by an internal perimeter rim 49. The exterior facing side of the front portion 36 engages the bell-shaped center intake pipe 32 and is held in place using one or more spaced apart fasteners, typically bolts. The bolts are typically placed into engagement in a spaced apart arrangement along the perimeter portion 55 of the outwardly extending flange of the bell-shaped center intake pipe 32 and engage with corresponding apertures 200 (See
The back portion 38 is typically generally circular and concave when viewed from the front but with a portion of the air exhaust chute 41 included. The back portion 38 may have a large circular centrally positioned gap/aperture at its center that is defined by the interior perimeter edge 57 of the back portion 38. The aperture is typically large and typically encompasses the majority of the diameter of the back portion 38 as best shown in
As shown in
The back cover 38 also may include a plurality of holes 51 spaced in a square configuration and located to receive a fastener that engages spacers 52 and the motor 26 at threaded attachment locations 27 in the motor 26. Since there are more attachment locations circumferentially located about the drive shaft of the motor, the back support 40 and thereby the entire vacuum pump assembly may be oriented in different positions depending on how the vacuum pump assembly/the back support 40 are mounted. The holes 51 allow for bolts, rivets, or other attachment means to connect the back cover 38 to the motor 26.
The back support 40 also typically has a thermostatic valve receiving aperture 67 that receives the thermostatic valve 50. The thermostatic valve 50, as shown in
Advantageously, the cover 28 can also be easily field/on-site serviced and facilitate easier field/on-site servicing of the vacuum motor assembly 22. One feature that assists in the field servicing of the assembly of the present disclosure is the fact that the cover 28 can be completely removed from the back support 40 of the vacuum motor assembly 22. When separated from the back support 40, the large opening in the back portion 38 (See
Another useful aspect of the vacuum motor assembly 22 of the present disclosure is the ability to use the vacuum pump assembly 24 with any standard motor 26. As long as the particular motors have a compatible mounting and drive shafts of the proper length, they are useable and interchangeable without effecting the performance of the vacuum motor 26. The increased efficiency of the vacuum motor 26 is due to the cover 28 and the impeller 42, so the exact features and specifications of the motor 26 do not matter. This also makes the vacuum motor 26 more field serviceable, as discussed above, because a user can just swap either only the cover 28 (or a portion thereof), the impeller, the valve, or the motor 26 when any one or more are damaged, the performance is compromised or otherwise unusable.
Seen in at least
The impeller vanes 58 originate along the perimeter of the impeller eye 56, and extend radially outwards to the perimeter of the shrouds. The impeller 42 will typically employ 24 impeller vanes, but may include more or less vanes as well. Typically, the impeller will include from 18 to 30 vanes. As shown in
The impeller 42 is operably engaged to the motor 26 via a driveshaft 48, and is not directly connected to the cover 28. The drive shaft 48 is attached to the hub connection portion 62 in the center of the back shroud 60 via a hub 44 (shown in
When the motor 26 is running, the impeller 42 spins clockwise in the opposite direction that the vanes are curved towards. The curves force the air to move in a set direction within the channel 39. If the outlet 34 is located on the opposite side, the vanes would need to curve to the right and the impeller 42 would need to spin in a counterclockwise direction. As discussed above, the impeller 42 is typically cast as a unitary piece, making it more resistant to debris sucked into the vacuum motor 26 by not having loose and breakable joint sections.
When the vacuum motor assembly 22 is in operation, the motor 26 turns the impeller 42 using the drive shaft 48. Air travels through the hoses 18 into the main vacuum line 20, wherein it will flow to the bell-shaped center intake pipe 32 of the vacuum pump assembly 24. From there it enters the impeller eye 56. The rotating impeller 42 accelerates the air outward along the spinning impeller vanes 58 using centrifugal force. The air leaves the impeller 42 and enters the surrounding channel 39 at a high velocity. As the channel 39 widens its cross-sectional area the air speed decreases and the air pressure increases. This is due to the venturi effect, which is the reduction of pressure through a constricted section of pipe, or the inverse, the increase of pressure though an expanded section of pipe. The flowrate through the channel 39 must be the same throughout, so the air speed drops as the channel 39 expands to compensate for increased volume of air. Slower moving air produces more pressure, the air pressure in the channel 39 increases the closer the air moves to the outlet 34. In this way, the vacuum motor 26 reclaims pressure lost by the fast-moving air in the hoses 18 and gives the air a pressure equal to or greater to the air pressure outside of the vacuum motor 26. The air then is forced out of the system at the outlet 34 due to the high pressure of the volume of air. If the vacuum pump assembly 24 of the vacuum motor assembly 22 or similar system does not reclaim the pressure lost in the main line, the air will not be able to leave through the outlet 34.
Referring to
Upon heating of the wax due to heating of the air proximate the thermostatic valve 50 during use of the systems of the present disclosure, the wax within the wax motor 64 forces the piston 66 downward and thereby applies a downward force to the bridge 110 and via the support bars 132, a downward force to the second axle, which then moves downward in an arch-shaped pathway pulling the top portion of the valve door 70 away from engagement with the recessed back 73 thereby opening the air pathway 142 behind the door. As shown in
The thermostatic valve 50 is a passive cooling system, without the need for a user or another internal mechanism to activate it. As such, there is no need for a thermometer or another temperature sensing device. After the vacuum pump assembly 24 cools down, the wax volume will also naturally cool down and contract. The piston 66 will no longer have pressure applied on it but it will not return to its original position on its own via a spring within the wax motor 64. The spring 72, now having no/less forces acting on it, is strong enough to keep it compressed against the recessed back wall 73, will return to its original, closed position. The valve door 70 is pushed shut by the spring 72 and the actuator 68 is also pushed upward against the piston 66, forcing it back into its original position. The thermostatic valve 50 is completely reset and it can be opened again any number of times as the vacuum pump assembly 24 heats up and cools down/cycles through uses.
Seen in
Referring to
To compensate for the thinner atmosphere, the impeller 42 would normally have to be changed so that it would have an increased thickness. This means that a manufacturer would need to create multiple impellers with different thicknesses to account for multiple different elevations as well as differently sized cover housings for the different impellors, which is not cost-effective. The high elevation kit/systems of the present disclosure can attach to any vacuum motor assembly 22, giving a one size fits all solution. The axial fan 82 working in conjunction with the regular impeller 42 effectively act as an impeller 42 with an increased thickness making the overall vacuum motor assembly functional at higher elevations without having to replace or change the original impeller. This removes the need for multiple vacuum pump assembly sizes, and a user only needs to attach a high elevation kit for their specific use. The pump assembly in a higher elevation will not recover 100% of the lost pressure. Typically, the pump assembly will recover between about 90% to about 91% of the original air pressure, while the high elevation kit will reclaim about 9% to about 10% of the original pressure, enabling complete pressure reclamation while working in tandem.
The cover 28 portion and the inducer fan are not typically unitary. When the high elevation kit is attached to the vacuum motor assembly 22, the cover 28 portion is attached to the cover 28, while the inducer fan is attached to the same drive shaft 48 as the impeller 42. The inducer fan is enclosed within the cover portion 88 as seen in
The vacuum pump assembly 24 of the vacuum motor assembly 22 is typically made of aluminum that is molded to the proper shape by die casting. The vacuum pump assembly 24 could employ other metals such as steel or titanium. However, aluminum was found to be more beneficial for its weight. Given the size of the vacuum pump assembly 24 and the impeller 42 within, some metals may be used in an amount that is too heavy to ship or transport as a practical/economic matter to remote locations from the location where the motor is produced. Aluminum is both durable enough for use and light enough to avoid significant issues and costs when components made with it are shipped to customer's locations.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180372116 | Nandagopal | Dec 2018 | A1 |
| 20210095691 | Yanagisawa | Apr 2021 | A1 |
