Patent Application
20210340997
The present invention relates to the field of submersible pumps, and, more particularly, to a selective barrier for a submersible pump.
Submersible pumps typically have a suction port located near the bottom of the pump. The submersible pumps are often placed in sump pits filed with liquid and other debris. As the pump operates, a suction force is generated in order for liquid to be drawn into the pump and forced out through an outlet port. The outlet port may be coupled to a pipe or hose.
A drawback of the current submersible pumps is that often times debris enters the pump through the suction port and causes the pump to malfunction. Accordingly, a strainer is often used over the suction port in order to prevent debris from entering the pump. However, once enough debris is gathered on the strainer, the flow into the suction port is effectively blocked causing the pump to lose its prime and no longer function as a pump. In addition, the pump may run dry which causes premature failure of the pump and more frequent maintenance.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a submersible pump that prevents debris from entering the suction port while at the same time is not subject to extensive clogging that prevents the flow of liquid into the pump.
In a particular embodiment, a selective barrier for a submersible pump is disclosed. The selective barrier includes a frame, and a membrane wrapped around the frame and configured to enclose the submersible pump. The selective barrier is sized to be spaced apart from the submersible pump a pre-defined distance in order to define a contiguous fluid passageway between the selective barrier and the suction port of the submersible pump. The membrane comprises mesh having a plurality of passageways formed therein to allow fluid to pass through. The pre-defined distance may be at least one or two inches, for example. The submersible pump may have a strainer over the suction port so that the membrane is configured to allow larger sized particles to pass than through the strainer over the suction port. In a particular aspect, the frame is cylindrical in shape. The membrane may be plastic or metal, for example.
In another aspect, a submersible pump assembly includes an electric motor and a submersible pump having a suction port at a bottom end, where the submersible pump is coupled to the electric motor. A selective barrier is secured around the electric motor and the submersible pump. The selective barrier is spaced apart from the electric motor and the submersible pump a pre-defined distance to define a contiguous fluid passageway between the selective barrier and the suction port of the submersible pump. The selective barrier may include a frame and a membrane wrapped around the frame and enclosing the electric motor and the submersible pump. The membrane may include a mesh having a plurality of passageways formed therein to allow fluid to pass through.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The membrane 105a, 105b may comprise mesh having a plurality of passageways formed therein to allow fluid to pass through. The pre-defined distance may be at least one or two inches, for example, to allow sufficient space for liquid to enter through the membrane 105a and travel down alongside the submersible pump 120 to the suction port 122 to maintain a sufficient flow volume for the characteristics of the submersible pump 120 to avoid cavitation. The submersible pump 120 may have a strainer 126 over the suction port 122. Accordingly, the membrane 105a, 105b is configured to prevent larger sized particles from entering the selective barrier 100 and the strainer 126 is configured to prevent smaller sized particles that are small enough to pass through the membrane 105a, 105b but are too large to pass through the submersible pump 120 safely. In another aspect, the membrane 105a, 105b may be configured to prevent any particle too large for the submersible pump 120 to be blocked from entering the selective barrier 100 making the strainer 126 unnecessary.
Referring now to
The top cover 108 of the upper frame 102 is provided with a central aperture 110 defined therein for a discharge pipe 124 to pass through the selective barrier 100, as shown in
Referring now to
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
