Drainage Pump Separate Chamber Radial Bores Air Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In water-bearing domestic appliances like dishwashers and washing machines, drainage pumps face operational disturbances due to air entering the pump housing, which reduces the conveying flow and delays the removal of remaining liquid, leading to inefficient drainage.
Innovation Solution
A drainage pump with a separate chamber behind the pump impeller, featuring radial bores on its external and internal diameters, enhances the mixing of air and liquid, improving the pumping capacity and suction behavior without external modifications or ventilation openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If air enters the pump housing during drainage, then the pump can handle air pockets, but the conveying flow breaks away and liquid removal is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing is segmented into a suction chamber and a separate chamber located behind the impeller. The separate chamber is equipped with radial bores that allow controlled air-liquid mixing. This segmentation enables the pump to handle air pockets without disrupting the main conveying flow, as the air is channeled through a dedicated mixing zone rather than directly interfering with the impeller's primary pumping action.
2Reliability
If ventilation openings are added to the pump housing, then air can be vented, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The separate chamber serves multiple functions: it acts as a mixing zone for air-liquid combination, provides a controlled pathway for air removal through radial bores, and maintains the integrity of the main pumping chamber. This multi-functional design achieves reliable air handling without requiring additional ventilation openings or complex external modifications to the pump housing.
3Productivity
If a separate chamber with radial bores is added behind the impeller, then air-liquid mixing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separate chamber is nested within the existing pump housing structure, utilizing the available space behind the impeller. The radial bores are integrated into the chamber wall, creating a compact configuration that adds air-liquid mixing capability without requiring external attachments or significant structural modifications. This nested design minimizes the increase in device complexity while achieving improved pumping capacity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively pumps away the air-liquid mixture, enhancing the drainage efficiency and preventing operational disturbances, thereby improving the overall performance of the drainage pump without additional costs or complexities.
Implementation Method 1
a pump impeller (3) used to convey liquid
Implementation Method 2
a liquid flow is advantageously formed from the external diameter to the internal diameter and then into the centre of the pump impeller whereby the air is better vortexed with the liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A water-bearing domestic appliance includes a retainer for retaining items to be subjected to a liquid treatment and a drainage pump having an inlet through which liquid enters the drainage pump. The drainage pump also includes an outlet through which liquid exits the drainage pump, a pump impeller for conveying liquid along a passage through the drainage pump extending from the inlet to the outlet, and a separate chamber located upstream of the pump impeller relative to the direction of flow of liquid through the passage. The separate chamber has an internal diameter and an external diameter and has respective radial bores on its external diameter and in the vicinity of its internal diameter.