Parallel Flow Pump with Radiused Corners and Turning Vanes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing parallel flow pumps in commercial washing applications suffer from reduced efficiency due to internal sharp corners that act as flow restrictors, limiting the pump's capacity and making it difficult to assemble with wash sinks.
Innovation Solution
The improved parallel flow pump design addresses these issues by incorporating socket wrench clearances for easier assembly, replacing sharp corners with gently angled surfaces and radiused corners to minimize flow resistance, and adding turning vanes to improve velocity distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sharp corners are used inside the pump housing and volute, then the pump structure is simpler to manufacture, but the flow capacity and efficiency are reduced due to flow restriction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sharp corners with radiused corners throughout the pump housing and volute. Specifically, the volute includes a radiused corner where the discharge fluid path transitions, and the pump housing includes radiused corners at internal transitions. This curvature eliminates flow separation and turbulence that would occur at sharp corners, thereby maximizing flow capacity and efficiency while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard radiusing operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional pump design is used without socket wrench clearances, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the assembly time and labor requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates socket wrench clearances into the pump housing design during the manufacturing process. These clearances are pre-formed features that provide adequate space for socket wrenches to access fasteners connecting the pump to the wash sink. By building these clearances into the housing geometry itself, the design enables rapid assembly without requiring additional tools or complex procedures, significantly reducing assembly time while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Device complexity
If the pump design does not account for socket wrench clearances, then the housing design is simpler, but the ease of operation during installation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing socket wrench clearances specifically at the locations where fasteners are positioned on the pump housing. These clearances are localized features that provide the necessary space for tool access without requiring the entire housing to be redesigned. The clearances are strategically placed to accommodate socket wrenches for tightening and loosening fasteners, thereby improving ease of operation during installation and maintenance while minimizing additional complexity in the overall housing design.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved parallel flow pump is provided. The improved parallel flow pump includes clearance for tooling, nuts, and bolts, and further provides smoothed, contoured surfaces and one or more turning vanes to improve the top-to-bottom velocity distribution in the discharge manifold into which the pump flows.