1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a pump or pump system; and more particularly a pump or pump system configured to be powered by a human.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
There is a need to irrigate vegetation in remote locations by using human/manual power. These remote locations do not have access to electricity or liquid fuel, therefore the need of human powered devices is extremely important, and arguably a must. An inexpensive manually driven pump is required to lift water from streams, ponds or shallow wells to crops, so they can grow in the non-rainy seasons.
By way of example,
According to some embodiments, the present invention provides, or takes the form of, a new and unique apparatus, including a pump system, that includes a first pump configured with a first pump actuating portion; a second pump configured with a second pump actuating portion; and an assembly frame configured to receive the first pump and the second pump. The assembly frame includes a first pedal coupled to the first pump actuating portion, and a second pedal coupled to the second pump actuating portion. The assembly frame also includes a rocker arrangement with at least one rocker configured to pivotally couple the first pedal to the second pedal, so that a pushing movement of the first pedal in one direction causes a pulling movement of the second pedal in an opposite direction, and so that a corresponding pushing movement of the second pedal in the one direction causes a corresponding pulling movement of the first pedal in the opposite direction. In operation, the first pedal is configured to respond to a pushing force, move the first pump actuating portion for pumping a fluid from the first pump, and correspondingly move the second pump actuating portion for drawing the fluid to be pumped into the second pump; and the second pedal is configured to respond to a corresponding pushing force, move the second pump actuating portion for pumping the fluid from the second pump, and correspondingly move the first pump actuating portion for drawing the fluid to be pumped into the first pump.
According to some embodiments, the present invention may include one or more of the following features:
The first pump and the second pump may be, or take the form of, diaphragm pumps. The first pump actuating portion may include, or take the form of, a first piston portion, e.g., that is coupled to a first diaphragm portion of a first diaphragm pump. The second pump actuating portion may include, or take the form of, a second piston portion, e.g., that is coupled to a second diaphragm portion of a second diaphragm pump.
The rocker arrangement may include a center assembly frame member arranged between the first pump and the second pump; and the at least one rocker may be configured to attach pivotally to the center assembly frame member and couple to the first pump actuating portion and the second pump actuating portion. The at least one rocker may include a first rocker configured to attach pivotally to one end of the center assembly frame member and couple to the first pump actuating portion and the second pump actuating portion; and also include a second rocker configured to attach pivotally to another end of the center assembly frame member and also couple to the first pump actuating portion and the second pump actuating portion. The at least one rocker may include an upper rocker configured to attach pivotally to an upper portion of the center assembly frame member and couple to the first pump actuating portion and the second pump actuating portion; and also include a lower rocker configured to attach pivotally to a lower portion of the center assembly frame member and also couple to the first pump actuating portion and the second pump actuating portion. The center assembly frame member may include an internal wall portion; and the lower rocker may be configured to attach pivotally to the internal wall portion.
The first pedal may be coupled directly to the first pump actuating portion, e.g., the first piston portion of the first pump; and the second pedal may be coupled directly to the second pump actuating portion, e.g., the second piston portion of the second pump.
The assembly frame may further include a frame unit having a first elongated assembly frame member with one end portion configured with a first extended pedal, and with another end configured to couple pivotally to one part of the assembly frame; and also having a second elongated assembly frame member with one corresponding end portion configured with a second extended pedal, and with another corresponding end configured to couple pivotally to another part of the assembly frame.
The first elongated assembly frame member may include an intermediate portion configured with a first wheel rotationally coupled thereto for rolling on the first pedal; and the second elongated assembly frame member may include a corresponding intermediate portion configured with a second wheel rotationally coupled thereto for rolling on the second pedal.
Alternatively, the first elongated assembly frame member may include an intermediate portion configured to couple to the first pump actuating portion and a first end of the at least one rocker, and the second elongated assembly frame member may include a corresponding intermediate portion configured to couple to the second pump actuating portion and a second end of the at least one rocker. In this case, the intermediate portion may also be configured to couple to the first pedal to the first pump actuating portion, and the corresponding intermediate portion may also be configured to couple to the second pedal to the second pump actuating portion.
The assembly frame may also include a T-shaped handle configured to extend from the center assembly frame member and be held by a user when operating the pump system.
The assembly frame may also include a wheel configured on a part of the assembly frame for tilting and rolling the pump system.
Some difference between this known manual driven foot powered water pump and the pump system according to the present invention include the following: The known manual driven foot powered water pump differs from the existing units by first using two horizontally mounted diaphragm pumps and second using a different rocking device so as one diaphragm pump is pushed down the other is pulled up with the same foot. The third difference is that the pump system according to the present invention is a modular design so that it can be used in two different applications stream/pond and shallow well. The modular design also provides the opportunity to buy the small stream/pond pump at a low cost and later if needed buy the frame to power the pump for shallow wells. A fourth difference is that the pump system according to the present invention may be configured to be portable by incorporating a wheel onto the pump structure, so that a person can wheel the pump to any location it is needed instead of carrying it like current pumps on the market today.
The drawing, which is not necessarily drawn to scale, includes the following Figures:
According to embodiments shown in relation to
Since it is generally understood to take a reasonably larger force to compress and pull the diaphragm pumps with more then 5 ft of water lift, the frame unit 30 (
According to embodiments shown in relation to
In operation, the complete unit or pumping system 10 may be configured to lift over about 15 ft of water (1.5 inch diameter hose) and create 15 psi of pressure head to power a spray nozzle.
Another key feature to the pump system, e.g., as shown in
The pump systems 10 (
In
The assembly frame of the pump unit 12 includes a rocker arrangement, assembly or device generally indicated as 19, e.g., as shown in
The rocker arrangement, assembly or device 19 also includes the at least one rocker that may take the form of one or more bars 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d (
In operation, the first pedal 18a is configured to respond to a pushing force, move the first piston portion 14a for pumping the fluid from the first pump 14, and correspondingly move the second piston portion 16a for drawing the fluid to be pumped into the second pump 16; and the second pedal 18b is configured to respond to a corresponding pushing force, move the second piston portion 16a for pumping the fluid from the second pump 16, and correspondingly move the first piston portion 14a for drawing the fluid to be pumped into the first pump 14.
In
In particular, the upper rocker 20a is attached pivotally to one end portion of the center assembly frame member 22, e.g., using a bolt or screw 22a, and coupled to respective upper portions of the first piston portion 14a and the second piston portion 16a, e.g., using a bolt or screw 22b, 22c. Similarly, the other upper rocker 20b in
The lower rocker 20c is attached pivotally to one end portion of the center assembly frame member 22, e.g., using a bolt or screw 22d, and coupled to respective lower portions of the first piston portion 14a and the second piston portion 16a, e.g., using a bolt or screw 22e, 22f. Similarly, the other lower rocker 20d (
In
In
The first elongated assembly frame member 32a may also include an intermediate portion 32a′″ configured with a first wheel rotationally 35a coupled thereto for rolling on the first pedal 18a (see
In
In
In
The assembly frame or unit 130 includes a first pedal 118a coupled to the first piston portion 114a and a second pedal 118b coupled to the second piston portion 116a. The assembly frame or unit 130 a rocker arrangement, assembly or device generally indicated as 119 having at least one rocker 150 configured to pivotally couple the first pedal 118a to the second pedal 118b, so that a pushing movement of the first pedal 118a in one direction causes a pulling movement of the second pedal 118b in an opposite direction, and so that a corresponding pushing movement of the second pedal 118b in the one direction causes a corresponding pulling movement of the first pedal 118a in the opposite direction. The first pedal 118a may be configured to respond to a pushing force, move the first piston portion 114a for pumping a fluid from the first pump 114, and correspondingly move the second piston portion 116a for drawing the fluid to be pumped into the second pump 116. The second pedal 118b may be configured to respond to a corresponding pushing force, move the second piston portion 116a for pumping the fluid from the second pump 116, and correspondingly move the first piston portion 114a for drawing the fluid to be pumped into the first pump 114.
The rocker arrangement, assembly or device 119 includes the center assembly frame member 152 arranged between the first pump 114 and the second pump 116. The rocker 150 is attached pivotally to the center assembly frame member 152 and coupled to the first piston portion 114a and the second piston portion 116a.
The assembly frame or unit 130 may include a first elongated assembly frame member 132a having one end portion 132a′ configured with a first extended pedal 118a, and having another end 132″ configured to couple pivotally to one part 131a of the assembly frame or unit 130; and a second elongated assembly frame member 132b having one corresponding end portion 132b′ configured with a second extended pedal 118b, and having another corresponding end 132b″ configured to couple pivotally to another part 131b of the assembly frame or unit 130.
The first elongated assembly frame member 132a may include an intermediate portion 132a′″ configured to couple to the first piston portion 114a and a first end 150a of the one rocker 150, and the second elongated assembly frame member 132b may include a corresponding intermediate portion 132b′″ configured to couple to the second piston portion 116a and a second end 150b of the rocker 150. In this embodiment, the intermediate portion 132a′″ is configured to couple to the first pedal 118a to the first piston portion 114a, and the corresponding intermediate portion 132b′″ is configured to couple to the second pedal 118b to the second piston portion 116a. As shown the coupling takes the form of a chain arrangement having links 153a affixed to the first end 152a of the rocker 150 and the first piston portion 114a, and having links 153b affixed to the second end 152b of the rocker 150 and the second piston portion 116a, although the scope of the invention is intended to include other types or kinds of couplings either now known or later developed in the future.
The assembly frame or unit 130 may also include the T-shaped handle 104 configured to extend from a part or member 157 of the center assembly frame member 152 and be held by a user when operating the pump system.
The assembly frame or unit 130 may also include the wheel 102 configured on a part or member 159 of the assembly frame 130 for tilting and rolling the pump system 100 in order to deploy it in a desired location, e.g., near a stream, river or pond.
In
The pump system 100 includes input and output ports 114b, 114c for coupling to hosing, consistent with that set forth herein.
The pump system 100 may also include a filter 115 coupled to the input 114b, as shown in
For the sake of enhancing the overall description of the present invention, and for the sake of reducing clutter in the Figures, each element is not necessarily numbered or labeled in each Figure.
Further still, the embodiments shown and described in detail herein are provided by way of example only; and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular configurations, dimensionalities, and/or design details of these parts or elements included herein. In other words, a person skilled in the art would appreciate that design changes to these embodiments may be made and such that the resulting embodiments would be different than the embodiments disclosed herein, but would still be within the overall spirit of the present invention.
It should be understood that, unless stated otherwise herein, any of the features, characteristics, alternatives or modifications described regarding a particular embodiment herein may also be applied, used, or incorporated with any other embodiment described herein. Also, the drawings herein are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, the foregoing and various other additions and omissions may be made therein and thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application claims benefit to patent application Ser. No. 61/515,375, filed 5 Aug. 2011, entitled Human Powered Irrigation Diaphragm Modular Pump, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61515375 | Aug 2011 | US |