Two-piece oil filter assembly for pumps

Abstract

The technology of a two-piece filter assembly for a centrifugal pump assembly is generally described. A filter portion, optionally made of recyclable material, can receive contaminated oil from an oil path, pass it through the filter, and provide filtered oil back to a reservoir. The filtered oil is then recovered from the reservoir by an oil ring to lubricate bearings. The filter portion can be removed from a plug portion, and the plug portion can be placed back on the pump assembly together with a new filter portion. In some examples, moisture absorbing beads are placed inside the filter portion to remove moisture from the filtered oil.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0002] The pump assembly includes a bearing housing that includes a bearing assembly with a shaft that is rotated by a motor for turning the pump's impeller. During the life of the pump, the bearing housing can accumulate contaminants that can lead to premature bearing failure. Contaminants can become trapped in the bearing housing and circulate through the bearings. Contaminants can also include debris from bearing wear over time, water that can penetrate the bearing housing due to condensation, etc. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present disclosure generally describes a two-piece oil filter assembly for a pump and methods associated therewith.

[0004] According to some examples, an apparatus is described. The apparatus may include a housing for a centrifugal pump assembly, the housing including: a first housing wall portion defining a chamber formed therein, wherein the chamber is configured to receive a combination of a bearing assembly and a shaft to be rotated; a second housing wall portion defining a reservoir formed therein and fluidly coupled to the chamber, wherein the reservoir is configured to receive filtered oil from a channel; a third housing wall portion defining a channel formed therein and fluidly coupled to the reservoir, wherein the channel is configured to receive filtered oil from a filter cavity and distribute it to the reservoir; and a fourth housing wall portion defining a filter cavity formed therein that is distinct from the reservoir and the channel and fluidly coupled to the channel, wherein the filter cavity is configured to receive contaminated oil from an oil path and distribute the filtered oil to the channel. The apparatus may also include a removable filter assembly including: a filter portion configured to filter contaminated oil received from the oil path and to distribute the filtered oil to the passageway, thereby effectively lubricating the bearing assembly in the chamber when the shaft rotates, wherein the filter portion is replaceable; and a plug portion fluidly coupled to the filter portion and configured to transfer contaminated oil from the oil path to the filter portion, wherein the plug portion is reusable.

[0005] According to other examples, the apparatus may further include a fifth housing wall portion defining another filter cavity formed therein and fluidically connected between the chamber and the reservoir, wherein the other filter cavity is configured to spread the filtered oil from the filter and provide it to the reservoir. The filter assembly may be configured to be placed in the filter cavity or another filter cavity based on the rotational direction of the shaft. The filter assembly may further include a set of threads on a first portion of the outer surface of the plug portion, and may be configured to be fixed to the filter cavity by another set of complementary threads on the inner surface of the filter cavity. The second portion of the outer surface of the plug portion may be knurled for manual placement and removal of the filter assembly. The plug portion may include an adapter portion, which defines a plug hole configured to transfer contaminated oil from an oil path in the housing to the filter portion. The filter assembly may further include a plurality of moisture absorbing beads inside the filter portion to remove moisture from the oil. The bearing assembly may be a ball bearing assembly or a sleeve ball bearing assembly.

[0006] According to another example, a centrifugal pump assembly is described. The pump assembly may include a pump; and a bearing housing mechanically coupled to the pump. The bearing housing may include: a first housing wall portion defining a chamber formed therein, wherein the chamber is configured to receive a combination of a bearing assembly and a shaft to be rotated; a second housing wall portion defining a reservoir formed therein and fluidly coupled to the chamber, wherein the reservoir is configured to receive filtered oil from a channel; a third housing wall portion defining a first filter cavity formed therein that is different from the reservoir and fluidly coupled to the reservoir through a channel to spread the filtered oil; and a fourth housing wall portion defining a second filter cavity formed therein that is different from the reservoir and fluidly coupled to the reservoir through a channel to spread the filtered oil. The pump assembly may also include a removable filter assembly that is configured to be placed in the first filter cavity or the second filter cavity based on the rotational direction of the shaft. The filter assembly may include: a filter portion configured to filter contaminated oil received from the chamber through the oil path and spread the filtered oil to the channel, thereby effectively lubricating the bearing assembly in the chamber when the shaft rotates, wherein the filter portion is replaceable; and a plug portion fluidly connected to the filter portion and configured to transfer contaminated oil from the oil path to the filter portion, wherein the plug portion is reusable.

[0007] According to some examples, the contaminated oil and the filtered oil can be circulated through the filter assembly by gravity feed or oil pressure caused by the bearing assembly and the rotating shaft. When the filter assembly is placed in the first filter cavity, the second filter cavity can be closed with a passive plug. The filter portion may include a substantially cylindrical lining material and a pleated filter medium encapsulating the lining material, the lining material having a plurality of holes for the filtered oil to seep out of the filter portion. The plug portion may include an adapter portion, the adapter portion defining a plug hole configured to transfer the contaminated oil from the oil path in the housing to the filter portion. The filter assembly may further include a plurality of moisture absorbing beads or crystals inside the filter portion to remove moisture from the oil. The plug portion may include a knurled cover portion; and a threaded plug housing portion. The pump assembly may also include an oil ring inside the chamber, the oil ring being configured to rotate with the shaft and pour the contaminated oil into the oil path.

[0008] According to other examples, a method for manufacturing a centrifugal pump bearing system is described. The method may include: forming a chamber in a first housing wall portion of the bearing housing to receive a combination of a bearing assembly and a shaft to be rotated; forming a reservoir in a second housing wall portion of the bearing housing, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the chamber to provide filtered oil to the chamber; forming a first filter chamber in a third housing wall portion of the bearing housing to receive contaminated oil from the chamber through an oil path and to distribute the filtered oil to the reservoir through an oil passage; forming a second filter chamber in a fourth housing wall portion of the bearing housing to receive contaminated oil from the chamber through another oil path and to distribute the filtered oil to the reservoir through another oil passage; constructing a filter assembly by fluidly coupling a replaceable filter portion to an adapter of a reusable plug portion, the plug portion being configured to secure the filter assembly in the first or second filter chamber and direct the received contaminated oil to the filter assembly, and the filter portion being configured to filter the contaminated oil and to distribute the filtered oil to the reservoir, thereby effectively lubricating the bearing assembly when the shaft rotates; and removably placing the filter assembly in the first filter chamber or the second filter chamber based on the rotational direction of the shaft.

[0009] According to further examples, the method may also include: mechanically coupling the bearing housing to the pump so that rotation of the shaft effectively rotates the impeller; placing a plurality of moisture absorbing beads or crystals inside the filter portion to remove moisture from the oil; forming the bearing assembly as a ball bearing assembly or a sleeve ball bearing assembly.

[0010] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings depict only several embodiments according to the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure, which will be described with additional specificity and detail through the use of these drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1A and 1B showing a cross-sectional view and a perspective cutaway view of a bearing housing of an example ball bearing pump assembly having a two-piece filter assembly;

[0013] Figure 2A and 2B showing a cross-sectional view and a perspective cut-away view of a bearing housing of an example sleeve bearing pump assembly having a two-piece filter assembly;

[0014] Figure 3A shows an exterior side view of an example two-piece filter assembly;

[0015] Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional side view of an example two-piece filter assembly;

[0016] Figure 3C An assembled view of an example two-piece filter assembly is shown;

[0017] Figure 4A shows a side view of a plug forming part of an example two-piece filter assembly;

[0018] Figure 4B showing a side view of a plug for an empty filter cavity of a bearing housing;

[0019] Figure 5 A shaft rotation related assembly showing a bearing housing with a two-piece filter assembly,

[0020] All of this is arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in the following detailed description, which form a part of this document. In the drawings, similar symbols generally identify similar components unless the context otherwise dictates. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. The various aspects of the present disclosure as generally described herein and shown in the drawings may be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a variety of different configurations, all of which are expressly contemplated herein.

[0022] The present disclosure relates generally and, more particularly, to methods, apparatus, systems and / or devices associated with a two-piece filter assembly for a ball bearing or sleeve bearing pump.

[0023] Briefly, the technology of a two-piece filter assembly for a centrifugal pump assembly is generally described. A filter portion, optionally made of recyclable material, can receive dirty oil from an oil sump of a pump assembly, filter, and provide the filtered oil through a plug portion of the filter assembly to a recirculation path of a bearing housing to lubricate the bearings. The filter portion can be removed from the plug portion, and the plug portion can be placed back on the pump assembly along with a new filter portion. Moisture absorbing beads are placed inside the filter portion to remove moisture from the filtered oil.

[0024] Figure 1A and 1B Cross-sectional and perspective cutaway views are shown of a bearing housing of an example ball bearing pump assembly having a two-piece filter assembly, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0025] Figure 1A The ball bearing pump assembly 100A includes a bearing housing 102, a first filter chamber 104, a first plug 106, a reservoir 108, a second filter chamber 109, a two-piece filter assembly 110, a second plug 112 of the two-piece filter assembly 110, an oil channel 114, an oil path 116, a ball bearing 118, a shaft 120, and a direction of shaft rotation 122.

[0026] Pump assembly 100A is an example of a dual rotation pump, where the shaft can be configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. Bearing housing 102 contains two filter chambers (104, 109) for two-piece filter assembly 110 to be placed therein depending on the rotation direction 122 of shaft 120. In the example configuration shown, shaft 120 is shown rotating clockwise, and two-piece filter assembly 110 is placed in filter chamber 109. First plug 106 is used to cover the empty first filter chamber 104. Shaft 120 is surrounded by ball bearings 118. As shaft 120 rotates, oil for lubricating ball bearings 118 is supplied by oil ring 128 (in Figure 1B 108, and is picked up by the first filter cavity 104, the reservoir 108, the second filter cavity 109, the oil passage 114, and the oil path 116. The oil then travels to the filter adapter annulus 107 and down through the filter assembly 110, and out to enter the reservoir 108. The filtered oil is provided to the ball bearing 118 by the oil ring 128, which picks up the oil from the reservoir 108. The first filter cavity 104, the reservoir 108, the second filter cavity 109, the oil passage 114, and the oil path 116 are defined by the housing wall portion within the bearing housing 102.

[0027] Bearings reduce friction of moving or rotating parts and allow parts to move or rotate smoothly. In a pump assembly, the shaft is keyed to the impeller and the fluid is moved through the pump assembly by rotating the impeller. Ball bearings 118 allow shaft 120 to rotate freely. Ball bearings are a category of bearings that utilize spherical balls. Ball bearings can be made of inner and outer rings with a series of balls between them and a cage to hold the balls in place. The various parts of the ball bearing can be made of hardened steel and precision machined.

[0028] Ball bearings can be operated with simple and inexpensive lubrication such as oil bath, oil mist or oil rings due to the lower contact area, generating less heat. Their narrow width can allow ball bearings to fit in compact housings, making the span of the shaft and bearing combination shorter and producing lower shaft deflection.

[0029] During operation, a rotating shaft may encounter two types of forces or thrust loads. These are axial thrust loads acting along the axis of the shaft and radial thrust loads acting perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. For example, the main thrust on the shaft of an operating centrifugal pump may be primarily radial. Gravity may also act depending on whether the shaft is oriented vertically or horizontally. A vertical orientation may produce greater axial thrust, while a horizontal shaft may encounter higher radial thrust. Since ball bearings can carry both axial and radial loads, they may be suitable for use in angular contacts.

[0030] Figure 1B The illustrated portion of the ball bearing pump assembly 100B in FIG. 1 includes a bearing housing 102 , a second plug 112 of a two-piece filter assembly (not shown in this view), a shaft 120 , a ball bearing 118 surrounding the shaft 120 , an oil path 116 , and an oil ring 128 .

[0031] In operation, lubricating oil is poured from the oil ring 128 into the oil path 116 (132), travels down the oil path (134) to enter the filter assembly (136). In some examples, the oil may travel down the oil path 116 via gravity feed or alternatively by oil pressure caused by the combination of the bearing assembly and the rotating shaft 120. The two-piece filter assembly may be secured in the filter cavity by threads on the outer surface of the second plug 112 or another securing mechanism.

[0032] Figure 2A and 2B Cross-sectional and perspective cutaway views are shown of a bearing housing of an example sleeve bearing pump assembly having a two-piece filter assembly, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0033] Figure 2AThe sleeve ball bearing pump assembly 200A includes a bearing housing 202, a first filter chamber 204, a first plug 206, a reservoir 208, a second filter chamber 209, a two-piece filter assembly 210, a second plug 212 of the two-piece filter assembly 210, an oil passage 214, an oil path 216, a sleeve bearing 218, a shaft 220, and a direction of shaft rotation 222 and an oil ring 228.

[0034] like Figure 1A , the shaft 220 can be configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, and the two-piece filter assembly 210 can be placed in one of the two filter cavities (204, 209) depending on the rotation direction 222 of the shaft 220, such as in the filter cavity 209 in the example configuration shown. The first plug 206 is used to cover the empty first filter cavity 204. The shaft 220 is surrounded by a sleeve bearing 218. As the shaft 220 rotates, oil used to lubricate the sleeve bearing 218 is picked up from the oil ring 228 and poured into the oil path 216, which captures the oil and fills up. In some examples, the oil is then gravity fed to the filter adapter annular area 207. The oil then travels downward through the two-piece filter 210 and exits through the oil channel 214 to enter the reservoir 208. In other examples, the bearing housing may include multiple recirculation channels, paths and / or ports.

[0035] Sleeve bearings (also known as journal bearings) are a category of bearings that utilize a substantially cylindrical sleeve. As the name indicates, sleeve bearings are formed as a sleeve on a shaft. There is a small gap between the bearing and the shaft, where a lubricant fills the space. In some instances, sleeve bearings can be made of porous powdered metal using a sintering process. Sleeve bearings can be longer in the axial direction compared to relatively compact ball bearings. Although ball bearings can carry both radial thrust loads and axial thrust loads, sleeve bearings are specifically meant to carry radial thrust loads because they do not have the ability to carry axial thrust loads. Sleeve bearings can have almost unlimited radial thrust capacity. However, they are more suitable for use in medium and high speed applications. Sleeve bearings can provide better stiffness than ball bearings, and are easier to inspect or replace because they are divided into two halves.

[0036] Figure 2BThe illustrated portion of the sleeve ball bearing pump assembly 200B in FIG. 2 includes the bearing housing 202, the second plug 212 of the two-piece filter assembly (not shown in this figure), the sleeve bearing 218 (shown empty, without the shaft 220), the oil path 216, and the oil ring 228. In operation, lubricating oil is picked up by the oil ring 228 and poured into the oil path 216 (232), which captures the oil and fills up. The oil is gravity fed (234) to the filter adapter annulus 207 (236). The oil then travels downward through the two-piece filter 210 and exits through the oil passage 214 and enters the reservoir 208.

[0037] Figure 3A An exterior side view of an example two-piece filter assembly is shown, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0038] Figure 3A FIG. 300A in FIG. 300A shows a two-piece filter assembly 301. The two-piece filter assembly 301 includes a plug portion 303 and a filter portion 302. The filter portion 302 has a filter medium 304, an adapter 305, an O-ring 306, a filter adapter annular area 308, and a top ring 310. The plug portion 303 can be coupled to the filter portion 302. The plug portion 303 can include a plug 312 having an adapter top ring hole 309, and an O-ring 311.

[0039] In some examples, the plug portion 303 can be placed above the top ring 310. The top section of the plug portion 303 can be knurled for manual removal or placement of the two-piece filter assembly. As previously discussed, the two-piece filter assembly 301 can be placed in a filter cavity defined by a portion of the bearing housing wall and fluidly coupled between the oil reservoir and the oil path. The two-piece filter assembly 301 can be configured to receive contaminated oil poured from the oil ring into the oil path, pass through the filter, and provide filtered oil to the reservoir.

[0040] The filter medium 304 of filter part 302 can be made of porous filter media such as microscopic cellulose fibers and synthetic fibers (e.g., glass or polyester). In some instances, for strength and rigidity, the medium can be saturated with resin. The main body of filter medium 304 can be shaped to increase total surface area by folding (e.g., pleating), and thus increase the efficiency of the filter. In operation, the contaminated oil that flows through the filter adapter annular area 308 from oil path 116 into the space inside the filter medium 304 can enter the gap between the filter part 302 and the surrounding filter chamber (e.g., filter chamber 109) through the filter medium 304, thereby being filtered in the process. Gravity can pass the clean (filtered) oil in the gap through the oil channel and enter the storage tank of the bearing housing. Plug part 303 and filter part 302 can be connected together by two groups of matching threads, snap-on type mechanisms, pressure-based mechanisms or similar mechanisms.

[0041] According to the two-piece filter assembly of the example, the filter portion can be replaced without discarding the plug portion. The plug portion 303 and the adapter 305 can be made of metal and non-metal parts. In order to provide a durable plug portion, complex details can be designed into the parts. Therefore, the plug portion can be a relatively expensive component. In contrast, the filter portion can be made of replaceable relatively low-cost materials. Therefore, cost efficiency can be achieved by replacing only the filter portion rather than the entire filter assembly. In addition, environmental issues can be solved by avoiding frequent disposal of the plug portion and the filter assembly. For example, the filter portion can be made of paper and can be easily recycled relative to the main metal plug portion.

[0042] Figure 3B A cross-sectional side view of an example two-piece filter assembly is shown, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0043] In the cross-sectional view of Fig. 300B, a two-piece filter assembly 301 is shown having a filter portion 302, filter media 304, a collection space 318 inside the filter portion 302, an adapter annular area hole 308, an O-ring 306, a stem 314 of an adapter 305, and a securing mechanism site 316. Fig. 300B also shows moisture absorbing beads or crystals 315 at the bottom of the filter portion 302. The plug portion 303 includes a plug 312 having an adapter top ring hole 309, and an O-ring 311.

[0044] In some examples, the inner surface 317 of the filter portion, which may have a cylindrical or elliptical cross section, may be lined with metal or similar hard materials to provide strength and durability to the filter portion. The lining material may include openings (e.g., holes of different sizes and shapes) to allow filtered oil to seep out of the collection space 318. The filter adapter annular area 308 provides a path for oil to flow into the filter assembly and out to the storage tank, as previously discussed. The fixing mechanism part 316 can hold the adapter 305 and the filter portion together. The example configuration shown can represent two or more screws that can hold the two components of the two-piece filter assembly 301 together. In other examples, two sets of complementary threads can fix the two components.

[0045] During the life of the pump assembly, contaminants from the pumped liquid, shavings from the bearings (or other components of the pump) may accumulate in the lubricating oil and be filtered by the filter assembly. Water from condensation or leaks may also accumulate in the lubricating oil, but may not necessarily be filtered by the filter portion 302. Moisture absorbing beads 315 or similar dehumidifying materials (e.g., crystals) may be placed at the bottom of the filter portion 302 to remove moisture (water) from the filtered oil, further increasing the reliability and expected life of the pump assembly.

[0046] Figure 3C An assembled view of an example two-piece filter assembly is shown, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0047] The assembled view shown in Figure 300C includes a two-piece filter assembly 301 having a plug portion 303 and a filter portion 302. The plug portion 303 includes an O-ring 311, a plug 312, and a top ring adapter 313. The filter portion 302 includes a top ring 310, an adapter annular area hole 308, a stem 314, an O-ring 306, an adapter 305, and a filter medium 304 and a collection space 318 inside the filter medium 304.

[0048] The outer circumference of the plug rod 314 and the inner circumference of the opening of the collection space 318 can be selected so that the plug rod 314 is configured to fit tightly inside the opening of the collection space 318 and retain the moisture absorbing beads 315 in the filter portion 302. The O-ring 306 can provide a seal between the adapter 305 and the cavity to guide the contaminated oil through the filter. As discussed above, the plug portion 303 can be made of metal, metal alloy, ceramic or similar materials, while the filter portion 302 (specifically, the filter medium 304) can be made of low-cost, recyclable materials such as various forms of paper, fabric, etc.

[0049] Figure 4AShown is a side view of a plug forming part of an example two-piece filter assembly, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0050] Diagram 400A shows the plug portion of a two-piece filter assembly having a cap portion 402 , a lower plug housing portion 404 with threads 408 on the lower plug housing portion 404 , an O-ring 410 , and a top ring hole 406 .

[0051] The cap portion 402 may be knurled for manual placement and removal.The threads 408 on the lower plug housing portion 404 may allow the filter assembly to be secured into the filter cavity by mating with a complementary set of threads on the inner surface of the filter cavity and allowing the assembly to be manually installed.

[0052] Figure 4B A side view of a plug for an empty filter cavity of a bearing housing is shown, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0053] Plug 400B comprises cover part 422, lower plug housing part 424, O-ring 420, and thread 428 on lower plug housing part 424. Cover part 422 may comprise knurling to allow manual placement and removal of the plug. Thread 428 on the outer surface of lower plug housing part 424 may be used together with a complementary set of threads on the inner surface of the top portion of the empty filter chamber to fix the plug to the filter chamber. In some instances, a snap-fit ​​fixing mechanism may be used to replace the thread. In other instances, one or more screws or similar mechanisms may also be used. Plug 400B may be used as a passive plug on an empty filter chamber.

[0054] Figure 5 A shaft rotation related assembly of a bearing housing having a two-piece filter assembly is shown, arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.

[0055] exist Figure 5 500A, a cross-sectional view of a bearing housing of a pump with clockwise shaft rotation is shown. Bearing housing 502 includes a reservoir 506, shaft 504, a first filter cavity 508, a second filter cavity 509, a two-piece filter assembly 510, and a plug 512. Due to the clockwise rotation of shaft 504, the two-piece filter assembly 510 is placed in the first filter cavity 508. The empty second filter cavity 509 is covered by plug 512. As shown in the figure, the filter assembly 510 can be fixed in the first filter cavity 508 by two sets of matching threads on the filter assembly and on the inner surface of the filter cavity. In other examples, the two-piece filter assembly can also be fixed by a snap or screw type mechanism.

[0056] exist Figure 5In Figure 500B, a cross-sectional view of a bearing housing of a pump with counterclockwise shaft rotation is shown. Bearing housing 502 includes a reservoir 506, a shaft 504, a first filter chamber 508, a second filter chamber 509, a two-piece filter assembly 510 and a plug 512. Due to the counterclockwise rotation of shaft 504, the two-piece filter assembly 510 is placed in the second filter chamber 509. The empty first filter chamber 508 is covered by the plug 512. In some instances, the shaft rotation direction of the pump can be reversed once or more during the service life of the pump. Since the two-piece filter assembly 510 is configured to be easily removed and replaced (filter portion), the position of the filter assembly can also be changed in the event of a reversal of the shaft rotation direction.

[0057] The benefits of the currently disclosed filter assembly are numerous. For example, the lower cost filter portion can be easily replaced at a higher frequency (e.g., manually) compared to the higher cost of replacing the entire filter, and thereby allow for enhanced reliability and life expectancy of the pump assembly. In addition, environmental issues can be addressed by avoiding frequent disposal of the plug portion and the filter assembly. For example, the filter portion can be made of paper or similar recyclable materials, and frequent replacement may not trigger environmental issues compared to the metal portion of the plug portion.

[0058] The present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described in this application, and the embodiments are intended to be illustrative of various aspects. Many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the methods and devices listed herein, functionally equivalent methods and devices within the scope of the present disclosure are also possible according to the foregoing description. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is limited only by the terms of the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents authorized by the claims. The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive.

[0059] The subject matter described herein sometimes illustrates different components that are contained in or connected to different other components. Such depicted architectures are merely examples, and many other architectures that realize the same functionality can actually be implemented. In a conceptual sense, any component arrangement that realizes the same functionality is actually "associated", so that the desired functionality is realized. Therefore, any two components that are combined to realize a specific functionality herein can be considered to be "associated" with each other, so that the desired functionality is realized, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two components that are so associated can also be considered to be "operably connected" or "operably connected" to realize the desired functionality, and any two components that can be so associated can also be considered to be "operably connected" to realize the desired functionality. The specific examples that can be operably connected include but are not limited to components that can be physically connected and / or physically interact, and / or components that can wirelessly interact and / or wirelessly interact, and / or components that logically interact and / or can logically interact.

[0060] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art may convert the plural to the singular and / or the singular to the plural as appropriate to the context and / or application. For clarity, various singular / plural arrangements may be expressly set forth herein.

[0061] In general, the terms used herein and particularly in the appended claims (e.g., the appended claim bodies) are generally intended to be "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least", the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to", etc.). It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that if a specific number of introduced claim recitations is intended, such intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such a recitation, no such intent is present. For example, to aid understanding, the following appended claims may include the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as implying that a claim recitation introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an" will limit any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim contains the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and the indefinite article "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should be construed to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of the definite article used to introduce a claim recitation. In addition, even if a specific number of introduced claim recitations is expressly recited, one skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be construed to mean at least that number (e.g., the express recitation "two recitations" without other modifiers means at least two recitations or two or more recitations).

[0062] Furthermore, in those instances where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, generally such construction is intended in a sense that one skilled in the art would understand the convention to mean (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include, but not be limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). One skilled in the art would further understand that virtually any disjunctive word and / or phrase indicating two or more alternative terms, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, would be understood to encompass the possibility of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" would be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0063] For any and all purposes, such as in providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any enumerated range can be easily identified by being fully described, and the same range can be decomposed into at least the same two, three, four, five, ten, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be easily decomposed into a lower third, a middle third, and an upper third, etc. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that all languages, such as "up to", "at least", "exceeding", "less than", etc., contain the enumerated numbers and refer to the ranges that can be subsequently decomposed into subranges as discussed above. Finally, the range includes each individual member. Therefore, for example, a group with 1-3 units refers to a group with 1, 2, or 3 units. Similarly, a group with 1-5 units refers to a group with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 units, and so on.

[0064] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments are possible. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A bearing device, comprising: A housing for a centrifugal pump assembly, the housing comprising: a first housing wall portion defining a chamber formed therein, wherein the chamber is configured to receive the combination of the bearing assembly and a shaft to be rotated; a second housing wall portion defining a reservoir formed therein and fluidly coupled to the chamber, wherein the reservoir is configured to receive filtered oil from the passage; a third housing wall portion defining the passage formed therein and fluidly coupled to the reservoir, wherein the passage is configured to receive the filtered oil from the filter cavity and disperse to the reservoir; a fourth housing wall portion defining the filter cavity formed therein distinct from the reservoir and the passage and fluidly coupled to the passage, wherein the filter cavity is configured to receive contaminated oil from an oil path and to distribute the filtered oil to the passage; and a fifth housing wall portion defining another filter cavity formed therein fluidly coupled between the chamber and the reservoir, wherein the another filter cavity is configured to spread filtered oil from the filter and provide to the reservoir; and A removable filter assembly, the removable filter assembly comprising: a filter portion configured to filter the contaminated oil received from the oil path and to distribute the filtered oil to the passageway to effectively lubricate the bearing assembly in the chamber when the shaft rotates, wherein the filter portion is replaceable; and a plug portion fluidly coupled to the filter portion and configured to transfer the contaminated oil from the oil path to the filter portion, wherein the plug portion is reusable; and Therein, the filter assembly is configured to be placed in the filter cavity or the other filter cavity based on the rotational direction of the shaft.

2. The bearing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter assembly further comprises a set of threads on a first portion of the outer surface of the plug portion and is configured to be secured to the filter cavity via another set of complementary threads on the inner surface of the filter cavity.

3. The bearing apparatus of claim 2, wherein a second portion of the outer surface of the plug portion is knurled for manual placement and removal of the filter assembly.

4. The bearing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plug portion includes an adapter portion defining a plug hole configured to transfer the contaminated oil from the oil path within the housing to the filter portion.

5. The bearing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter assembly further comprises a plurality of moisture absorbing beads inside the filter portion to remove moisture from the filtered oil.

6. The bearing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly is one of a ball bearing assembly and a sleeve ball bearing assembly.

7. A centrifugal pump assembly comprising: Pumps; as well as A bearing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing of the bearing apparatus is mechanically coupled to the pump.

8. The centrifugal pump assembly of claim 7, wherein the contaminated oil and the filtered oil are circulated through the filter assembly by gravity feed or oil pressure caused by the bearing assembly and the shaft.

9. The centrifugal pump assembly of claim 7, wherein the further filter cavity is closed with a passive plug when the filter assembly is placed in the filter cavity.

10. The centrifugal pump assembly of claim 7, wherein the filter portion comprises a substantially cylindrical liner material and a pleated filter media encapsulating the liner material, the liner material having a plurality of pores for the filtered oil to seep out of the filter portion.

11. The centrifugal pump assembly of claim 7, wherein the plug portion comprises: Knurled cover part; as well as Threaded plug housing part.

12. The centrifugal pump assembly of claim 7, further comprising: An oil ring inside the chamber is configured to rotate with the shaft and pour the contaminated oil into the oil path.

13. A method for manufacturing a centrifugal pump bearing system, the method comprising: forming a chamber in a first housing wall portion of the bearing housing to receive the combination of the bearing assembly and the shaft to be rotated; forming a reservoir in the second housing wall portion of the bearing housing, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the chamber to provide filtered oil to the chamber; forming a first filter cavity in a third housing wall portion of the bearing housing to receive contaminated oil from the chamber through an oil path and to distribute filtered oil to the reservoir through an oil passage; forming a second filter cavity in a fourth housing wall portion of the bearing housing to receive contaminated oil from the chamber through another oil path and to distribute filtered oil to the reservoir through another oil passage; constructing a filter assembly by fluidly coupling a replaceable filter portion to an adapter of a reusable plug portion, the plug portion being configured to secure the filter assembly in the first filter cavity or the second filter cavity and direct received contaminated oil to the filter assembly, and the filter portion being configured to filter the contaminated oil and spread the filtered oil to the sump to effectively lubricate the bearing assembly when the shaft rotates; as well as The filter assembly is removably placed in the first filter cavity or the second filter cavity based on the rotational direction of the shaft.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: The bearing housing is mechanically coupled to the pump such that rotation of the shaft effectively rotates the impeller.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: A plurality of moisture absorbing beads or crystals are positioned inside the filter portion to remove moisture from the filtered oil.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The bearing assembly is formed as a ball bearing assembly or a sleeve ball bearing assembly.

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