Swimming Pool Pump Inlet Deflector and Expandable Impeller Shell

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Solution Overview

Problem

Centrifugal pumps in swimming pools are limited by their inability to accommodate impellers of varying sizes, leading to inefficient flow rates and performance, and suffer from heat and friction damage due to incomplete priming during start-up.

Innovation Solution

The pump features an expandable impeller shell and an inlet deflector with a cavity to improve priming and reduce turbulence, ensuring the impeller is fully submerged at start-up, and a non-circular strainer shape for proper alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the pump uses a fixed-size impeller shell, then the structure is simple and compact, but the flow rate and performance are limited and cannot be adjusted for varying circumstances

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflow rateVSAvoidimpeller shell structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The impeller shell is designed to be expandable from a first size to a second size, allowing the pump to adapt its impeller diameter dynamically. This enables the pump to achieve different flow rates and performance characteristics by expanding or contracting the impeller shell, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple structure and achieving variable high productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical parameter of impeller shell volume by expanding it from a first volume to a second volume. This parameter change allows the pump to accommodate impellers of varying sizes, directly improving flow rate and performance while maintaining a compact form when not in expanded state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the pump operates without proper priming, then the structure remains simple, but heat and friction damage occurs to the impeller

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpeller protectionVSAvoidpriming mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inlet deflector is positioned to prevent water from draining out of the pump during shutdown, ensuring that water remains in the pump chamber before startup. This preliminary action of maintaining water presence prevents the impeller from operating in a dry state, thereby preventing heat and friction damage without requiring complex additional priming mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The inlet deflector acts as an intermediary component that intercepts water flow and redirects it to prevent drainage during shutdown. This intermediary structure ensures water remains in the pump chamber, serving as a passive priming mechanism that protects the impeller without requiring active control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If the strainer is circular in shape, then it is simple to manufacture, but it requires careful alignment during insertion to avoid interfering with water flow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrainer fabricationVSAvoidstrainer alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The strainer is designed with a non-circular, asymmetric shape that includes a portion extending into the inlet deflector cavity. This asymmetric geometry provides inherent alignment cues and mechanical constraints that guide proper insertion of the strainer into the strainer housing, eliminating the need for careful manual alignment while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard forming processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

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

The solution allows for higher flow rates, quicker and more effective priming, reducing heat and friction damage, and ensures proper strainer alignment, enhancing overall pump performance and longevity.

Implementation Method 1

an inlet deflector that significantly improves the priming of the pump so as to eliminate or reduce the risk of heat and friction damage to the impeller

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow redirection:

Implementation Method 2

An impeller in the impeller shell is constantly spinning when the centrifugal pump is turned on or activated. The rotational forces exerted by the rotating impeller pumps the water out through the outlet port that is connected to the impeller shell.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 3

the pumps can only accommodate limited sizes of impellers due to space constraint, and limitations on efficiency and performance

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVolume expansion:

Data Source

PatentUS11415137B2Swimming pool pump with an inlet deflector and variable size impeller

Publication Date: 2022.08.16 AFSHAR REZA

AI summary

Centrifugal pumps are widely used in swimming pools as part of the recirculation system that sucks water from the swimming pool through the drain and them pumps it back into the pool after filtration. The present invention relates to a centrifugal pump for swimming pools that can accommodate impellers of varying size to attain the proper flow rate for varying circumstances. The centrifugal pump of the present invention also includes a deflector that improves the priming of the pump so as to eliminate or reduce the risk of heat and friction damage to the impeller.