Patent Application
20110097219
The present invention generally relates to a pump, and more particularly to a pump that has a construction capable of preventing cracking caused by thermal expansion and contraction from occurring in outer enclosure so as to be fit for pumping ice water or low temperature water.
A submerged pump is set under water and is thus provided with excellent water tightness. The submerged pump is often constructed to enclose a motor with a water resistant housing. To simplify the manufacturing, the housing is often composed of two separate parts. In the manufacturing and assembling, the motor is first fit into one of the parts and then other part of the housing is fit to an opposite end of the motor to completely enclose the motor, so that water can be completely prevented from entering the motor and thus realizing water tightness.
When the submerged pump is put in a container (such as an ice water tank) that contains ice water or low temperature liquid for pumping water to an other container, the connection or joint of the housing of the motor is easily subjected to cracking caused by thermal expansion and contraction, leading to undesired penetration of water into the motor to damage the components of the pump and thus damaging and shortening the lifespan of the submerged pump.
The conventional underwater pumps or submerged pumps are not suitable for pumping ice water or low temperature liquids. Thus, the present invention aims to provide an ice water pump that overcomes the above discussed drawbacks.
An objective of the present invention is to provide an ice water pump that is suitable for pumping ice water or low temperature liquids. In structure, the ice water pump of the present invention comprises a motor assembly that comprises water pumping blades rotatably set at an end of the motor assembly. The motor assembly comprises a water-resistant housing arranged outside and partially enclosing the motor assembly. A cover is coupled to an end of the water-resistant housing to completely enclose the motor assembly with the water-resistant housing. A tube extends through the cover to communicate between inside and outside of the cover. When the pump is set inside an ice water tank that contains therein ice water, air is allowed to freely flow through the tube between inside and outside of the cover to balance pressures between inside and outside of the pump so as to prevent cracking caused by thermal expansion and contraction from occurring in connection portions of the pump and thus prevent the ice water from entering the motor assembly to protect the motor assembly from damage by the ice water.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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The motor assembly 10 has a construction made up of essential parts of a regular motor and these known components and structure of the motor assembly 10 will not be further described herein for simplifying the description of the present invention. The motor assembly 10 comprises a water-resistant housing 11 that is fixed outside and partially encloses the motor assembly 10. The motor assembly 10 has an end through which pumping blades 12 extend through the water-resistant housing 11 and are rotatably set outside the water-resistant housing 11.
The cover 20 is constructed to directly fit over an end of the water-resistant housing 11 to enclose the motor assembly 10 in a water tight manner so as to form therebetween an internal chamber 21. The cover 20 can be coupled to and fixed by the case 40, or alternatively, the cover 20 is fixed to the water-resistant housing 11 by application of water-resistant adhesive therebetween. The cover 20 comprises a sealing block 22 made of resilient rubber materials and fit into an opening defined through an end face of the cover 20. Electrical wires 23 have ends extending in a water tight manner through the sealing block 22 to electrically connect contacts 13 of the motor assembly 10, whereby the motor assembly 10 is electrically connectable to an external power source. With sealing realized through the sealing block 22, when the present invention is deposited in ice water, the water outside the cover 20 does not penetrate around the electrical wires 23 into the inside of the motor assembly 10 and thus water-tightness is realized.
Similar to the electrical wires 23, the tube 30 extends in a water tight manner through the sealing block 22. Alternatively, the tube 30 can individually extend through an additional seal (not shown in the drawings) mounted to the cover 20. Both arrangements allow the tube 30 to communicate between the internal chamber 21 and the outside environment. The location where the tube 30 extends through the sealing block 22 is made water tight due to the water sealing effect provided by the material of the sealing block 22.
The case 40 is coupled to an opening rim of the cover 20 in a water tight manner, preferably by application of water-resistant adhesives. The case 40 encloses the water-resistant housing 11 and the blades 12. Preferably, the case 40 and the cover 20 together form a continuous outside surface to enhance outside aesthetics of the motor assembly 10. The case 40 and the water-resistant housing 11 define a water pumping compartment 41 therebetween. The case 40 defines a water inlet hole 42 corresponding to the blades 12 and also forms a water discharge section 43 that forms a water passage in communication with the water pumping compartment 41 on a circumferential wall thereof, preferably at an upper side of the case 40. The water discharge section 43 is connectable to a water pumping tube, whereby the blades 12 draw water outside the water pumping compartment 41 into the water pumping compartment 41 through the water inlet hole 42 and the water so drawn in is acted upon by a centrifugal force to discharge through the water discharge section 43 so as to realize water pumping. The circumferential wall of the case 40 forms two retention rings 44 opposite to each other.
The water intake cap 50 has an end forming two barbed retention tabs 51 respectively corresponding to the retention rings 44. The retention tabs 51 are resilient to allow the barbed sections of the retention tabs 51 to be forced through and engage the retention rings 44 thereby securing the water intake cap 50 to the case 40. The water intake cap 50 forms a plurality of fixing holes 52 and openings 53. The fixing holes 52 function to receive fasteners therethrough to secure the present invention to a predetermined location, such as a location inside an ice water tank, whereby the water intake cap 50 functions to block debris entraining ice water from entering the water pumping compartment 41 at a location upstream the water inlet hole 42 and water is allowed to flow through the openings 53 to enter the water inlet hole 42 so as to provide protection to the pump.
Referring to
In accordance with the present invention, the sealing block 22 that is mounted to the cover 20 at one end of the pump is fit into a hole defined in a side wall of the ice water tank 90 so as to allow the electrical wires 23 and the tube 30 to project outside the ice water tank 90 with external ends thereof. Due to the sealing nature provided by the material of the sealing block 22, ice water contained inside the ice water tank 90 is prevented from leaking out of the ice water tank 90 around the sealing block 22. The water discharge section 43 of the pump of the present invention is connectable to a water pumping tube 80 by being fit into an inner end of the water pumping tube 80. In the embodiment shown in
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While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
