Rechargeable Utility Pump Series Centrifugal Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable pumps lack a reliable and efficient mechanism for powering integral pumps while submerged in fluid, as they often fail to prevent electrical contact with fluid when in use, leading to operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A rechargeable portable utility pump with a unique housing and battery configuration featuring a series arrangement of integral pumps, where the battery's protruding portion contacts electrical terminals only when rotated to the 'ON' position, and includes a sealing O-ring to prevent fluid contact with terminals, allowing operation in submerged conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a battery is inserted into the battery receiving portion without rotational positioning, then the electrical terminals can contact to provide power, but the battery lacks secure orientation and may not reliably engage the electrical terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The battery and battery receiving portion incorporate asymmetric features including a keyway in the battery, a corresponding protrusion in the receiving portion, and indexing tabs with notches that only mate in one rotational orientation. This asymmetric design ensures the battery can only be inserted in the correct orientation, reliably engaging the electrical terminals without requiring complex active positioning mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the battery and electrical terminals are exposed to fluid environment, then the pump can operate when submerged, but the electrical terminals may contact fluid causing safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The battery receiving portion is segmented into a sealed upper portion and an open lower portion. The sealed upper portion houses the electrical terminals and contains an O-ring seal that prevents fluid from reaching the terminals, while the open lower portion allows the pump to be submerged. This segmentation isolates the electrical components from fluid exposure while maintaining submerged operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
An O-ring seal acts as an intermediary barrier between the electrical terminals and the fluid environment. The O-ring is positioned within a groove in the battery receiving portion, creating a waterproof barrier that allows the pump to operate submerged while preventing direct contact between fluid and electrical components.
3Power
If a series configuration of integral pumps is used, then the pump head is increased for more effective fluid discharge, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Two centrifugal pump impellers are merged into a single integrated pump housing, with the discharge of the first impeller directly connected to the suction of the second impeller in series configuration. This merging approach achieves increased pump head while minimizing additional complexity by integrating both impellers into one unified structure rather than using separate pump units.
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 enables the pump to function effectively both partially and fully submerged by ensuring electrical contact is maintained only when intended, preventing fluid ingress and ensuring reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
an O-ring configured to frictionally engage and make sealing contact with an internal wall of the battery receiving portion to prevent the fluid from contacting the electrical terminals
Implementation Method 2
The series configuration of the integral pumps may include a first centrifugal pump and a second centrifugal pump
Data Source
AI summary
A utility pump is provided featuring a housing and battery configuration, where the housing is configured with a series configuration of integral pumps, and also configured with a battery receiving portion having electrical terminals for receiving power for providing to the series configuration of the integral pumps, and where the battery has a protruding portion with corresponding electrical terminals configured to contact the electrical terminals to provide power to the series configuration of the integral pumps when the protruding portion of the battery is inserted into the battery receiving portion of the housing and rotated in one direction to an “ON” position, and also configured not to contact the electrical terminals when the battery is not rotated to the “ON” position.