The present invention concerns a fountain pump with a housing, which has a housing wall, which is constructed at least partially as a filter, through which the water can flow into the housing; with a first outlet, through which the water can be pumped out of the housing; with a suction connection; with a pumping device for sucking in water and for discharging water; and with a control unit for controlling the pumping device.
Fountain pumps of this type are widely known and are used, for example, in ponds. They usually stand in the water in the middle of the pond and are used to produce waterworks on the pond. Fountain pumps of this type generally have an essentially vertically standing outlet that forms a fountain connection.
Fountain pumps of this type have a housing wall, which can be designed in any desired way but is formed as a filter at least in sections to prevent coarse material and debris from entering the pump housing.
The problem with well-known fountain pumps of this type is that the filter surface is generally limited to the sides of the housing, since support elements are present on the bottom side, and the fountain outlet and various control elements are formed on the upper side. Some regions of the housing must be filter-free for stability reasons, so that in fact only certain sections of the housing wall can ever be used as filters.
Due to these restricting structural conditions, the filters cannot be designed as large as one would want, so that contamination and obstruction of the filters by coarse material and debris occur after a predeterminable time. This time is so short under practical conditions of use that the user of a fountain pump of this type must deal with the problem of frequently taking the pump out of the water to clean the filter.
Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to develop a fountain pump whose filter surface is significantly increased using the same housing dimensions.
In accordance with the invention, this objective is achieved by mounting an additional, detachable filter element on the housing.
An additional, detachable filter element of this type offers many possibilities for creating additional filter surface. For example, the additional, detachable filter element can be installed spatially in front of the actual filter, so that a portion of the water sucked in flows through this additional filter element and relatively coarse material present in the water is retained. An increase in the filter surface also results in longer running times during which cleaning of the filter surfaces is not necessary.
In accordance with claim 2, it is advantageous for the additional filter element to have a hinged design, so that it can be secured on the housing in such a way that the filter element rests against the wall of the housing in a first position and is swung away from the wall of the housing like wings in a second position. In this way, the additional filter element can be spatially placed in front of the housing while a secure connection is maintained, so that exact positioning of the wing elements is possible. Another advantage is that the additional filter element has an outside and an inside, each of which is formed as a filter surface. In this way, the filter surface can even be tripled.
Another advantage is that the additional filter element has a connection for a hose coupling with the suction connection on the housing, so that the additional filter element remains connected with the housing even when it is detached from the housing. In this way, the additional filter element can be installed a distance away from the actual housing in an area in which strong intake of coarse material and debris is expected.
The latter advantage is also related to a further advantage, namely, that the additional filter element has a control device for setting a waterworks function. Specifically, this makes it possible to utilize the additional filter element not only as a means of optimizing the running time of the fountain pump but also as a remote control device, for example, for setting the height of a fountain.
An embodiment of the present invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the drawings.
A suction connection 11 is formed on the web face 3.5. The suction connection 11 can be connected with a threaded insert to allow a hose (not shown) to be attached. In the absence of a threaded insert of this type, the suction connection can be covered with a cover 12. The opposite web face 3.6 is provided with a second outlet 13, from which water can emerge, for example, for a water spout or the like. A controller 15 for this second outlet 13 is formed on the web 3.7. A mounting 16, on which a lighting fixture for the water spout or fountain can be mounted, is also formed on the web 3.7.
The end faces 3.5 and 3.6 define the maximum outer contour of the oval cross section. The filter surfaces 3.2 and 3.3 lie closer to the longitudinal axis, so that they are positioned a certain radial distance from the outer contour of the end faces 3.5 and 3.6. The purpose of this design is to allow the integration of an additional filter element 17 in the housing 3. This is more clearly illustrated in
The additional filter element 17 in
In the present embodiment, the filter wings 17.1 and 17.2 of the additional filter element can be secured on the housing 3 in such a way that they form a continuation of the circumference determined by the outer contour of the end faces 3.5 and 3.6 along the entire length of the housing 3. The filter wings 17.1 and 17.2 thus fit into the recessed lateral regions of the filter surfaces 3.2 and 3.3 of the housing 3.
Furthermore, the additional filter element 17 or the filter wings 17.1 and 17.2 in the present embodiment can be hinged on the upper side of the housing 3 in the vicinity of the web 3.7 in such a way that the filter wings 17.1 and 17.2 can be swung out of a first position, in which the filter wings 17.1 and 17.2 are integrated in the housing in such a way that they are flush with the end faces of the housing (not shown), and into a second position (see
The additional filter element 17 has one filter surface on its upper or outer side and one filter surface on its lower or inner side. As a result, the two opposite main surfaces of the additional filter element 17 and thus of the filter wings 17.1 and 17.2 have their own filter characteristics. In the state shown in
The first outlet 7 on the web 3.7 of the housing 3 is designed in such a way that a nozzle (not shown) mounted on it can swivel about 20° in all directions.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10239944.1 | Aug 2002 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/DE03/02804 | 8/22/2003 | WO | 4/18/2005 |