Resilient Pump Strainer Structure for Crush and Clog Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art strainers used in pumping liquids are prone to clogging and vulnerability to crushing, especially in harsh environments like mining, where they can be damaged by heavy machinery, leading to reduced service life and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A strainer with a body made from a resilient deformable material, such as elastomeric polymer or polychloroprene, that can compress and return to its original shape, featuring a plurality of inlet holes connected to a hollow internal chamber and an outlet for attachment to a hose, with periodic flow reversal and impact methods to dislodge contaminants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid strainer is used, then it can effectively strain contaminants, but it is vulnerable to crushing and breakage under compressive forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid to resilient deformable material. The body is formed from a resilient deformable material such that opposed sides of the internal chamber may be brought into contact with each other in response to the application of a compressive force, transforming the structural property to simultaneously achieve strain effectiveness and crush resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible shell structure where the body is formed from a resilient deformable material. This flexible shell allows the internal chamber to be compressed and deformed under load while maintaining structural integrity, preventing crushing and breakage while still effectively straining contaminants.
2Strength
If the strainer is made from a resilient deformable material, then it can withstand compressive forces, but it may be more susceptible to clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic flow reversal to dislodge contaminants that may clog the inlet holes. The method includes periodically reversing the flow direction of the pump such that liquid is pumped out of the holes so as to dislodge contaminants clogging the holes, creating a periodic cleaning action that prevents sustained clogging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs mechanical impact through the deformable material to dislodge contaminants. The method includes periodically detaching the strainer and impacting the strainer against a solid object so as to dislodge contaminants clogging the holes, using mechanical vibration and impact forces to clear blockages.
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 strainer effectively withstands compressive forces, reduces clogging, and extends service life, minimizing labor and repair costs, while maintaining pump safety by using deformable materials that can absorb compressive forces and resist vacuum collapse.
Implementation Method 1
the body is formed from a resilient deformable material such that opposed sides of the internal chamber may be brought into contact with each other in response to the application of a compressive force prior to the body resiliently returning substantially to its pre-deformation shape when the force is no longer applied
Data Source
AI summary
As shown for example in FIG. (5), the strainer (13) has a body (2) that defines a plurality of inlet holes (3). Each of the inlet holes (3) is in fluid communication with a hollow internal chamber. In use, liquid is sucked through the holes (3), thereby straining out larger contaminants such as rocks and stones, into the hollow internal chamber and then out the outlet. The majority of the strainer (13), is formed from a resilient deformable material that allows opposed sides of the internal chamber to be brought into contact with each other in response to the application of a compressive force. Once the force is no longer being applied, the resilience of the material allows the body (2) to resiliently return to substantially its pre-deformation shape.