This invention relates to waste water systems which utilize pumps, particularly grinder pumps, and the design of a cutting system for those grinder pumps. More particularly, this invention relates to a reversible grinder pump containing an unique cutting system. This reversible grinder pump is useful with larger horsepower motors and particularly useful as a fractional horsepower reversible grinder pump because of its unique capability of cutting solids that are present within a basin or other container in which the reversible grinder pump is placed.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in that light and not as an admission of prior art.
Sump pumps, grinder pumps, and other types of submersible pumps are placed in basins and other structural containers and are used for the treatment of and removal of waste water containing solids therefrom. For example, waste water disposal systems are often used in sewage systems for grinding and pumping waste water that contains solids.
Such systems include a grinder pump containing a cutter system for cutting or grinding solid or semi-solid matter present in the waste water. Such waste water disposal systems may be installed outdoors underground or indoors in a lower portion of a structure, such as a basement or a bathroom of a home.
A problem with current grinder pump systems is that, when the grinder pump is in operation grinding up solid or semisolid materials, a significant amount of vibration and torquing occurs, which impacts the longevity of the grinder pump and its components. Further, because of the types of solid materials present in the waste water, clogging of these pumps systems has also become a problem.
Some grinder pumps are large pumps designed to receive significant quantities of solid waste from a multi-unit structure. However, because such grinder pumps are large, they are difficult to use in locations where space is limited, such as a basement bathroom.
In addition, some current grinder pumps are sometimes not efficient in grinding up solids that are present in the waste water or the solids clog the grinder pump, particularly if they are smaller, fractional horsepower grinder pumps.
Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide an improved grinder pump with an improved cutting system for the grinder pump which addresses and overcomes these difficulties.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved grinder pump which utilizes a fractional horsepower motor but which is able to cut solids efficiently because of a unique design of a cutting system used with said grinder pump.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved grinder pump for use in small spaces, such as a bathroom, particularly behind a toilet.
Other objects are addressed by the disclosures and claims contained herein.
The present invention relates to a novel, reversible grinder pump which receives waste water containing solids. A lower portion of the reversible grinder pump includes a unique cutter plate and cutter blade which interact with waste water containing solids that enter the grinder pump to efficiently cut up the solids in the waste water into small pieces for removal.
In a preferred embodiment, the lower portion of the grinder pump includes a cutter plate with uniquely shaped openings therein which act in coordination with a uniquely shaped cutter blade to efficiently cut up solids present in the waste water that enter the openings in the cutter plate while the reversible grinder pump is operating.
In a further preferred embodiment, the uniquely shaped openings of the cutter plate include pairs of angled openings, wherein each angled opening of the pair extends through the cutter plate, wherein each angled opening of the pair includes multiple sides including a straight cutting edge and an adjacent concave shaped cutting edge, wherein ends of the straight cutting edge and the concave shaped cutting edge where they meet form a substantially V-shaped angled cutting feature, and wherein each of the pair of angled openings has a shape which is a mirror image of the other angled opening of the pair, when viewed from above a surface of the cutter plate.
In a further preferred embodiment, there is utilized with the uniquely shaped cutter plate a uniquely shaped cutter blade, which includes a pair of triangular cross section, prism-shaped cutting edges, which triangular shapes are congruent to each other and also reflective of each other, extending in opposite directions from each other. As a result of the unique design of the cutting edges of the cutter blade when used in coordination with the mirror image pairs of angled openings of the cutter plate, solids are efficiently cut, regardless of which direction the reversible grinder pump is rotating.
In a further preferred embodiment, there is utilized the uniquely shaped cutter plate and uniquely shaped cutter blade forming an important portion of a reversible, fractional horsepower grinder system, which can be placed in small locations, such as a bathroom, and is small enough to be located behind a toilet.
These and other embodiments are achieved by the products disclosed in the drawings, the detailed description and the products, as disclosed herein.
While the present disclosure describes various embodiments of the various inventions, it is not limited by the disclosures contained within the drawings or specification. The drawings describe at least one presently preferred embodiment and should be considered an exemplification thereof. They are not intended to limit the invention to any specific embodiment or embodiments described therein.
A bottom portion of the reversible grinder pump (12), includes a cutter plate (20) and cutter blade (50), as shown in
The cutter plate (20) used with the grinder pump of
The cutter blade (50), as shown in
In certain embodiments the cutter blade (50) is secured directly in contact with the cutter plate (20). Alternatively, the cutter blade may be secured to the grinder pump not in direct contact with the cutter plate and thus is separated by a small distance from the surface (21) of the cutter plate, although the cutter plate and the cutter blade are still located substantially parallel and adjacent to each other. The particular arrangement of the cutter plate and the cutter blade is dependent upon the goal and operation of the reversible grinder pump. Arrangements for the respective location of these components are discussed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,562,287, which is incorporated by reference herein.
The pairs of angled openings (44, 46) in the cutter plate (20), as shown in
It has been surprisingly discovered, however, that the particular shape and relationship between each angled opening in the cutter plate must be carefully coordinated for efficient operation, especially of a fractional horsepower, reversible grinder pump. It has been surprisingly discovered that, instead of each angled opening having the same shape, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,352,327, pairs of similarly shaped, but reflectively oriented, mirror image openings in the cutter plate are more efficient for the cutting of solids by the reversible grinder pump disclosed herein. Preferably, there are several pairs of angled openings, preferably at least about four (4) pairs of angled openings in each cutter plate, although the total number of pairs depends on the size of the cutter plate and grinder pump.
The shape of the angled openings (30) in the reversible grinder pump includes a straight cutting edge first side (32), which meets with, and forms a substantially V-shape angled cutting edge (34), with a slightly concave cutting edge second side (36) of the angled openings. The angle of this substantially V-shaped cutting angle is from about 15 degrees to about 80 degrees, preferably from about 30 degrees to about 65 degrees.
The second ends of these two cutting edges (32, 36) are joined by a generally convex cutting edge third side (38), as shown in
The inside surfaces (40, 42) of the straight cutting edge first side (32) and the slightly concave cutting edge second side (36), as shown in
It has been surprisingly discovered that the use of only one orientation of the shaped angled openings in the cutter plate is not sufficient when used with a reversible grinder pump (10). Rather, it has been surprisingly discovered that the angled openings in the cutter plate (30) should be utilized in pairs of angled openings (44,46), wherein each of the pair of angled openings has a shape which is a mirror image of the other angled opening of the pair, when viewed from above a surface of the cutter plate, as shown in
It has been surprisingly discovered that angled openings that have the same shape and orientation operate efficiently when the cutter blade rotates in one direction. However, when the grinder pump is reversed, the cutter blade operates effectively only when used when the orientation of the angled openings is reversed.
In one embodiment, as shown in
The shape of the cutter blade (50) also assists in the efficient operation of the reversible grinder pump, particularly a fractional horsepower, reversible grinder pump. As shown in
As shown in
There are also preferably relief cuts (80) at the end of each inset gap (56) which assists in the cutting of solid materials, as shown in
In addition to the shape of the pair of angled openings (44,46) in the cutter plate (20), the position of the cutting edges (52,54) of the cutter blade (20) in relation to the cutting edges of the angled openings in the cutter plate as they cross said angled openings in operation also assists in the efficient cutting of solids that enter the angled openings. Because of the choice of the V-shaped cutting angles of the angled openings in the cutter plate, as shown in
Because the angled openings (30) in the cutter plate (20) are formed in pairs (44,46), wherein each of the pairs of the angled openings has a shape which is a mirror image of the other angled opening of the pair, when viewed from above the surface of the cutter plate, the cutter blade, which has a pair of triangular cross section, prism-shaped cutting edges (52,54), which are congruent to each other but reflective thus extending in opposite directions from each other, solid material is forced between the straight cutting edge first side (32) and the concave cutting edge second side (36) of the cutting blade (20) regardless of the direction of rotation of the cutter blade (50) in relation to the cutter plate. The unique design of both the cutter plate and the cutter blade allow for the efficient and effective cutting of solids by the fractional horsepower reversible grinder pump (10).
It has been surprisingly discovered that by use of these pairs of uniquely shaped angled openings in the cutter plate, in coordination with the unique shape of the cutting blade, solid material passing through the reversible grinder pump is cut more efficiently than has been done in the past. These shapes increase the cutting ability, reduce motor torque, and the cutting force required to grind up solids as they enter the pump inlet.
In some grinder pumps, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,562,287, there have been secured to the bottom portion of the grinder pump a ring which is secured to the outside edge of the cutter plate beyond the angled openings therein. This ring has been necessary in some grinder pumps to channel fluid and materials into the angled openings in the cutter plate. However, with the preferred design of the angled openings in the cutter plate, and the preferred design of the cutter blade, along with other innovations disclosed herein, it has been surprisingly discovered that this ring is not necessary.
This ring is also not necessary because of the presence of relief cuts (70) in the outer surface of the cutter plate (20) and relief cuts (80) in the inner surface of the cutter blade (50), as shown in
Further, preferably, there are two groups of relief cuts in the outer surface of the cutter plate, one set (72) extending from the center opening in the cutter plate outward and a second set (74) located further out from the opening, as shown in
The relief cuts in the surface of the cutter blade, as shown in
During operation of the grinder pump, these relief cuts assist in the cutting of solids and prevent the space between the cutter blade and the cutter plate from becoming clogged with solid materials. Along with the other features of the reversible, grinder pump, these relief cuts assist in the channeling of fluids and solid materials into the pump inlet and reduce the opportunity for solids to catch and become trapped underneath the cutter blade or wrap around the shaft of the grinder pump, thereby eliminating the need for a ring to be secured to the bottom surface of the grinder pump.
It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that this grinder pump with cutter plate and cutter blade can be used for other systems than the disclosed system, such as in a pump basin under a sink for grinding up food and other materials or as a waste pumping system, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,352,327.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the various disclosed inventions. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. The present invention is intended to embrace alternatives, modifications, and variances which fall within the scope of the attached claims.
This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 62/831,430, filed Apr. 9, 2019.
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Entry |
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“ProVore® PRG-Series” flyer by LibertyPumps® (2015). |
“LSG200-Series” flyer by LibertyPumps® (2004). |
“Fractional HP Grinder Series the Shark Series” flyer by Zoeller® Pump Company (2016). |
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English Translation of Chinese Evaluation Report of Utility Model Patent issued by Chinese Patent Office (CNIPA) dated Jan. 28, 2022 with respect to parallel Chinese Patent No. ZL2021206489638—cited only for references disclosed therein. Other non-cited references previously disclosed. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210148365 A1 | May 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62831430 | Apr 2019 | US |