U.S. patent application number 13/115655 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-29 for leak-preventing device for a pump.
Invention is credited to Tien-Tsai Tseng.
Application Number | 20120301339 13/115655 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47219350 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120301339 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tseng; Tien-Tsai |
November 29, 2012 |
Leak-Preventing Device for a Pump
Abstract
Disclosed is a pump with a shell, an air-pumping device, a cover
and a leak-preventing device. The air-pumping device is used to
pump air out of the shell and therefore pump liquid into the shell.
The cover includes an opening and channel defined therein. The
shell is in communication with the exterior via the opening and in
communication with the cylinder via the channel as the cover is
attached to the shell and the cylinder. The leak-preventing device
is connected to the cover. The channel is normally released from
the leak-preventing device as the pump is located in an upright
position. The channel is blocked by the leak-preventing device as
the pump is located in an inverted position.
Inventors: |
Tseng; Tien-Tsai;
(US) |
Family ID: |
47219350 |
Appl. No.: |
13/115655 |
Filed: |
May 25, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/490 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 39/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/490 |
International
Class: |
F04B 39/10 20060101
F04B039/10 |
Claims
1. A pump including: a shell; an air-pumping device for pumping air
out of the shell and therefore pumping liquid into the shell; a
cover including an opening and channel defined therein, wherein the
shell is in communication with the exterior thereof via the opening
and in communication with the air-pumping device via the channel as
the cover is attached to the shell and the air-pumping device; and
a leak-preventing device connected to the cover, wherein the
channel is normally released from the leak-preventing device as the
pump is located in an upright position, wherein the channel is
blocked by the leak-preventing device as the pump is located in an
inverted position.
2. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the leak-preventing
device includes a lever pivotally connected to the cover, a valve
connected to the lever for blocking the channel, and a weight
connected to the lever for pressing down the valve when the pump is
located in the inverted position.
3. The pump according to claim 2, wherein the lever includes an
axle connected to the cover, a valve-connecting tab connected to
the valve, and a weight-connecting tab connected to the weight.
4. The pump according to claim 3, wherein an axis of the valve is
located closer to an axis of the axle than an axis of the weight
is.
5. The pump according to claim 3, wherein an axis of the valve and
an axis of the weight are located at a same distance from an axis
of the axle.
6. The pump according to claim 3, wherein an axis of the weight is
located closer to an axis of the axle than an axis of the valve
is.
7. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the air-pumping device
includes a cylinder located in and connected to the shell, a
flexible piston movable in the cylinder, a rod connected to the
flexible piston, a handle connected to the rod, and a check valve
attached to an end of the cylinder.
8. The pump according to claim 1, further including a buoyant for
floating on the liquid to lift the leak-preventing device to block
the channel when the shell is almost full of liquid in the upright
position.
9. A pump including: a shell; a cylinder located in and connected
to the shell; a flexible piston movable in the cylinder; a rod
connected to the flexible piston; a handle connected to the rod; a
check valve attached to an end of the cylinder; a buoyant movable
along the cylinder; a cover including an opening and channel
defined therein, wherein the shell is in communication with the
exterior via the opening and in communication with the cylinder via
the channel as the cover is attached to the cylinder and the shell;
and a leak-preventing device connected to the cover, wherein the
channel is normally released from the leak-preventing device as the
pump is located in an upright position, wherein the channel is
blocked by the leak-preventing device lifted by the buoyant as the
shell is almost full of liquid in the upright position, wherein the
channel is blocked by the leak-preventing device as the shell is
located in an inverted position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a pump and, more
particularly, to a leak-preventing device for a pump.
[0003] 2. Related Prior Art
[0004] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional pump 10 is located in an
inverted position. The pump 10 includes a shell 11 formed with an
upper end 12 and a lower end (not shown). The upper end 12 of the
shell 11 is an open end. A check valve (not shown) is located in an
aperture (not shown) defined in the lower end of the shell 11. A
cylinder 14 is located in the shell 11. A lower end of the cylinder
14 is attached to the lower end of the shell 11. Thus, the space in
the cylinder 14 is separated from the space in the shell 11. The
check valve is located in the cylinder 14. A flexible piston (not
shown) is located in and movable along the cylinder 14. The
flexible piston is connected to an end of a rod while a handle is
connected to an opposite end of the rod. An annular buoyant 13 is
located around and movable along the cylinder 14. A cover 20 is
connected to the shell 11 and the cylinder 14. The space in the
shell 11 is in communication with the space in cylinder 14 through
a channel 22 defined in the cover 20. The cover 20 includes an
opening 21 defined therein. A valve 18 is used to close a first end
of the channel 22 located in the space in the shell 11. A lever 17
is connected to the valve 18 at an end and connected to another
buoyant 16 at an opposite end. The pump is useful in pumping liquid
such as used oil 15 out of an oil pan of an engine of for example.
In use, the pump is located in an upright position. A plug (not
shown) is fit in the opening 21. A flexible pipe (not shown) is
inserted through the plug. An end of the flexible pipe is located
in the space in the shell 11 while another end of the flexible pipe
is located in the used oil 15 contained in the oil pan. The
flexible piston is reciprocated in the cylinder 14 to pump air out
of the space in the cylinder 14 and hence out of the space in the
shell 11. Therefore, some of the used oil 15 is pumped from the oil
pan into the space in the shell 11. When the space in the shell 11
is almost full of the used oil 15, the channel 22 is blocked by the
valve 18 lifted by the buoyant 16 and the annular buoyant 13
floating on the used oil 15 contained in the pump 10. To pour the
used oil from the pump 10, the plug is removed from the opening 21,
and the pump 10 is tilted. The used oil is supposed to leave the
pump 10 through the opening 21 only. However, there is leak of the
used oil from the pump 10 through the channel 22 because the
channel 22 is released from the valve 18 moved with the buoyant
16.
[0005] The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at
least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0006] It is the primary objective of the present invention to
provide a pump with a leak-preventing device.
[0007] To achieve the foregoing objective, the pump includes a
shell, an air-pumping device, a cover in addition to the
leak-preventing device. The air-pumping device is used to pump air
out of the shell and therefore pump liquid into the shell. The
cover includes an opening and channel defined therein. The shell is
in communication with the exterior via the opening and in
communication with the cylinder via the channel as the cover is
attached to the shell and the cylinder. The leak-preventing device
is connected to the cover. The channel is normally released from
the leak-preventing device as the pump is located in an upright
position. The channel is blocked by the leak-preventing device as
the pump is located in an inverted position.
[0008] Other objectives, advantages and features of the present
invention will be apparent from the following description referring
to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention will be described via detailed
illustration of three embodiments versus the prior art referring to
the drawings wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a conventional
pump in an inverted position;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pump with a
leak-preventing device according to the first embodiment of the
present invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the leak-preventing device
shown in FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the leak-preventing device
shown in FIG. 3;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a front view of the leak-preventing device shown
in FIG. 4;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a left side view of the leak-preventing device
shown in FIG. 5;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a left side view of the leak-preventing device in
another position than shown in FIG. 6;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a front view of the leak-preventing device in an
inverted position relative to the upright position shown in FIG.
5;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a lever of a leak-preventing
device according to the second embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0019] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lever of a
leak-preventing device according to the third embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 2 through 8, there is shown a pump 30
according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The pump
30 includes a shell 31, a cover 40, an air-pumping device, and a
leak-preventing device 60. The shell 31 is formed with a lower end
32 and an upper end 36. The shell 31 includes a base 33 formed at
the lower end 32. A check valve 35 is located in an opening (not
shown) defined in the lower end 32 of the shell 31. The upper end
36 of the shell 31 is an open end.
[0021] The air-pumping device includes a cylinder 50, a handle 51,
a rod 52 and a flexible piston 53. The cylinder 50 is located in
the shell 31. A lower end of the cylinder 50 is attached to the
lower end 32 of the shell 31 by welding for example. Thus, the
space in the cylinder 50 is separated from the space in the shell
31. The check valve 35 is located in the cylinder 50. The flexible
piston 53 is located in and movable along the cylinder 50. The rod
52 is connected to the flexible piston 53 at an end and connected
to the handle 51 at another end.
[0022] An annular buoyant 34 is located around and movable along
the cylinder 50. The annular buoyant 34 is used with the
leak-preventing device 60 in a manner to be described later.
[0023] The cover 40 includes a handle 41 formed thereon, an
aperture defined therein axially, an opening 42 defined therein
longitudinally, a channel 43 defined therein in a radial direction,
an upper port defined therein longitudinally, and a lower port
defined therein longitudinally. The channel 43 is in communication
with the aperture at an end and in communication with both of the
upper and lower ports at an opposite end. The cover 40 is connected
to the shell 31 and the cylinder 50 so that the space in the shell
31 is in communication with the space in the cylinder 50 via the
channel 43. The rod 52 is inserted through the aperture. A relief
valve 44 is located in the upper port.
[0024] The leak-preventing device 60 is used to close the second
end of the channel 43. As clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the
leak-preventing device 60 includes a lever 61, a valve 70 and a
weight 80. The lever 61 includes a flat axle 64 extending from a
first side near an end, a weight-connecting tab 62 extending from a
second side opposite to the first side near an opposite end, and a
valve-connecting tab 63 extending from the first side.
[0025] The flat axle 64 is located in a recess 45 defined in an
extensive portion of the cover 40. A connective plate 46 is
attached to the extensive portion of the cover 40 by a screw for
example. Thus, the flat axle 64 is retained in the recess 45 by the
connective plate 46. Both of the thickness and width of the flat
axle 64 are shorter than a diameter of the recess 45 so that the
flat axle 64 is rotational in the recess 45, i.e., the lever 61 is
pivotally connected to the extensive portion of the cover 40.
[0026] The valve 70 includes a reduced section 72 formed thereon.
The reduced section 72 of the valve 70 is clipped by the
valve-connecting tab 63. The valve 70 is movably located in the
lower port as the lever 61 is pivotally connected to the extensive
portion of the cover 40.
[0027] The weight 80 is connected to the weight-connecting tab 62
by a screw 81 for example. Accordingly, the weight 80 includes a
screw hole defined in an end for receiving the screw 81.
[0028] The pump 30 is useful in pumping liquid such as used oil out
of an oil pan of an engine of for example. Referring to FIGS. 5 and
6, in use, the pump 30 is located in an upright position. The lower
port defined in the cover 40 and hence the channel 43 is released
from the valve 70. A plug (not shown) is fit in the opening 42. A
flexible pipe (not shown) is inserted through the plug. An end of
the flexible pipe is located in the space in the shell 31 while
another end of the flexible pipe is located in the used oil
contained in the oil pan. By operating the handle 51, the flexible
piston 53 is reciprocated in the cylinder 50 to pump air out of the
space in the cylinder 50 and hence out of the space in the shell
31, i.e., vacuum is created in the space in the shell 31.
Therefore, some of the used oil is pumped from the oil pan into the
space in the shell 31.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 7, as the space in the shell 31 is almost
full of the used oil, the lower port defined in the cover 40 and
hence the channel 43 is blocked by the valve 70 lifted by the
annular buoyant 34 floating on the used oil contained in the space
in the shell 31. Thus, no more air can be pumped out of the space
in the cylinder 50 and hence out of the space in the shell 31.
Therefore, no more used oil can be pumped from the oil pan into the
space in the shell 31 by operating the handle 51.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 8, to pour the used oil from the pump 30,
the plug is removed from the opening 42, and the pump 30 is tilted
or inverted. The channel 43 is closed by the valve 70 pressed down
by the weight 80. Hence, the used oil leaves the pump 30 through
the opening 42 only. There is no leak of the used oil from the pump
30 through the channel 43.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 9, a lever 61 according to a second
embodiment of the present invention is shown. The second embodiment
is like the first embodiment except that the tabs 62 and 63 are
formed on the lever 61 so that the axis of the weight 80 and the
axis of the valve 70 are located at a same distance from the flat
axle 64.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 10, a lever 61 according to a third
embodiment of the present invention is shown. The third embodiment
is identical to the first embodiment except that the tabs 62 and 63
are formed on the lever 61 so that the axis of the weight 80 is
located closer to the flat axle 64 than the axis of the valve 70
is.
[0033] The present invention has been described via the detailed
illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can
derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the
scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall
not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the
claims.
* * * * *