U.S. patent application number 15/419746 was filed with the patent office on 2017-05-18 for modular pump and filter system and method.
The applicant listed for this patent is Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.. Invention is credited to Brian J. Boothe, Robert W. Stiles, JR., Ryan Weaver.
Application Number | 20170138076 15/419746 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46233003 |
Filed Date | 2017-05-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170138076 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stiles, JR.; Robert W. ; et
al. |
May 18, 2017 |
Modular Pump and Filter System and Method
Abstract
A pump and filter system and method. The system includes a
housing with a housing inlet, a housing outlet, and a housing
cavity, where the housing inlet is positioned above the housing
outlet. The system also includes filtration media positioned inside
the housing cavity and separating the housing inlet from the
housing outlet, and a pump positioned at least partially inside the
housing cavity. The pump includes a magnetic drive motor.
Inventors: |
Stiles, JR.; Robert W.;
(Cary, NC) ; Weaver; Ryan; (Winterville, NC)
; Boothe; Brian J.; (Raleigh, NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc. |
Cary |
NC |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
46233003 |
Appl. No.: |
15/419746 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13327588 |
Dec 15, 2011 |
9555352 |
|
|
15419746 |
|
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|
61425596 |
Dec 21, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 29/21 20130101;
B01D 29/54 20130101; B01D 29/908 20130101; C02F 2103/42 20130101;
B01D 29/23 20130101; E04H 4/1245 20130101; B01D 29/50 20130101;
B01D 29/58 20130101; E04H 4/1272 20130101; C02F 1/004 20130101;
E04H 4/16 20130101; B01D 35/26 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04H 4/12 20060101
E04H004/12; E04H 4/16 20060101 E04H004/16; C02F 1/00 20060101
C02F001/00; B01D 35/26 20060101 B01D035/26; B01D 29/50 20060101
B01D029/50 |
Claims
1. A pump and filter system comprising: a housing including a
housing inlet, a housing outlet, and a housing cavity, the housing
inlet being positioned above the housing outlet; filtration media
positioned inside the housing cavity and separating the housing
inlet from the housing outlet; and a pump positioned at least
partially inside the housing cavity, the pump including a magnetic
drive motor.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump includes a pump inlet
and a pump outlet, the pump inlet being separated from the housing
inlet by the filtration media, and the pump outlet being in direct
communication with the housing outlet.
3. system of claim 2, wherein the pump further includes a pumping
cavity adjacent the pump inlet, and an outlet cavity positioned
between the pumping cavity and the pump outlet, wherein the outlet
cavity includes a spiral geometry.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the filtration media is one of a
circular filter cartridge and a sheet-type filter cartridge.
5. system of claim 1, wherein the pump is located in a
substantially filtered region of the housing cavity downstream from
the filtration media.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump is positioned in the
housing cavity to create a suction pressure to force a fluid
outside of the filtration media to flow across the filtration media
toward a pump inlet of the pump.
7. system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic drive motor is located
in a motor cavity, and the pump further includes an impeller driven
by the motor, the impeller being located in a pumping cavity in
communication with the housing cavity, wherein the motor cavity and
the pumping cavity are substantially sealed from one another.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump includes a pump housing
integral with the housing.
9. The system of claim 1 and further comprising a controller in
communication with the pump and configured to control the pump.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is a modular housing
including a housing base and a housing cover assembly, and wherein
the housing cover assembly includes the housing inlet and the
housing base includes the housing outlet.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the modular housing includes a
housing insert stacked between the housing base and the housing
cover assembly to increase a volume of the housing cavity,
accommodating a second set of the filtration media.
12. system of claim 1 and further comprising a pre-filter assembly
positioned between the housing inlet and the housing cavity.
13. A method of filtering fluid from an aquatic application, the
method comprising: providing a housing with an inlet, an outlet,
and a housing cavity; splitting the housing cavity into a filtered
region and an unfiltered region with filtration media; positioning
a pump in the filtered region of the housing cavity; and operating
the pump to>pull the fluid from the aquatic application through
the housing inlet into the unfiltered region, to pull the fluid
across the filtration media into the filtered region via suction
pressure of the pump, and to force the fluid through the pump to
the housing outlet.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the filtration media is formed
as a cylindrical filter cartridge and the pump is positioned inside
the cylindrical filter cartridge.
15. method of claim 13 and further comprising providing a
pre-filter element between the housing inlet and the unfiltered
region.
16. The method of claim 13 and further comprising positioning the
inlet above the outlet.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of operating the pump
includes operating the pump with a magnetic drive motor.
18. The method of claim 17 and further comprising sealing at least
a rotor and a stator of the magnetic drive motor from the housing
cavity.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the pump is one of a one-speed
pump, a two-speed pump, and a variable speed pump.
20. The method of claim 13 and further comprising coupling the
inlet to a drain of an above-ground swimming pool, and coupling the
outlet to a supply inlet of the above-ground swimming pool.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/327,588, filed on Dec. 15, 2011, which
claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/425,596 filed on Dec. 21, 2010, the entire contents of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Conventional pool filtration systems include a filter in
fluid communication with a pump. The filter is often housed in a
separate filter housing downstream from the pump. The pump creates
a pressure vessel in the filter housing by pushing water into the
filter housing and through the filter. The pump's impeller is often
subject to interaction with debris from the pool that bypasses
relatively course openings of the pump's preliminary debris basket.
The debris can cause damage to pump's components limiting the
longevity of the pool filtration system.
SUMMARY
[0003] Some embodiments of the invention provide a pump and filter
system including a housing with a housing inlet, a housing outlet,
and a housing cavity, where the housing inlet is positioned above
the housing outlet. The system also includes filtration media
positioned inside the housing cavity and separating the housing
inlet from the housing outlet, and a pump positioned at least
partially inside the housing cavity. The pump includes a magnetic
drive motor.
[0004] Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for
filtering fluid from an aquatic application. The method includes
providing a housing with an inlet, an outlet, and a housing cavity.
The method also includes splitting the housing cavity into a
filtered region and an unfiltered region with filtration media, and
positioning a pump in the filtered region of the housing cavity.
The method further includes operating, the pump to pull the fluid
from the aquatic application through the housing inlet into the
unfiltered region, to pull the fluid across the filtration media
into the filtered region via suction pressure of the pump, and to
force the fluid through the pump to the housing outlet.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a pump and
filter system according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0006] FIG. 2 is another cross-sectional view of the pump and
filter system of FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 is an outer perspective view of the pump and filter
system of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a pump for use with the
pump and filter system o FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a pump and filter system
according to another embodiment of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view of the pump and
filter system of FIG. 5.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the pump and filter system
of FIG. 5.
[0012] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a pump for use with the
pump and filter system of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including,"
"comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to
encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as
well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise,
the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled" and
variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and
indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further,
"connected" and "coupled" are not restricted to physical or
mechanical connections or couplings.
[0014] The following discussion is presented to enable a person
skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention.
Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic
principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and
applications without departing from embodiments of the invention.
Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited
to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope
consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The
following detailed description is to be read with reference to the
figures, in which like elements in different figures have like
reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to
scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit
the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will
recognize the examples provided herein have many useful
alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the
invention.
[0015] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a pump and filter system 10 according
to one embodiment of the invention. The system 10 can include a
housing 12, a filter cartridge 14, and a pump 16. The housing 12
can include a housing inlet 18 and a housing outlet 20 (as shown in
FIG. 3), and the pump 16 can include a pump inlet 22 and a pump
outlet 24. In some embodiments, the system 10 can be used with an
aquatic application, for example as a filtration system for a
swimming pool or spa. In one embodiment, the housing inlet 18 can
be in fluid communication with (e.g., directly or indirectly
coupled to) a drain or skimmer of a swimming pool (not shown) and
the housing outlet 20 can be in fluid communication with a supply
inlet of the swimming pool. The swimming pool can be an
above-ground or an in-ground swimming pool in some embodiments.
[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 12 can enclose the
filter cartridge 14 and the pump 16. The filter cartridge 14 can be
substantially cylindrical and the pump 16 can, be located inside
the filter cartridge 14. As a result, the filter cartridge 14 can
substantially separate the housing inlet 18 from the pump inlet 22.
The pump outlet 24 can be directly coupled to the housing outlet
20. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the housing inlet 18 can be
located substantially above the housing outlet 20.
[0017] The filter cartridge 14 can be positioned in a housing
cavity 26 of the housing 12 and can separate the housing cavity 26
into an unfiltered region 28 outside of the filter cartridge 14
(i.e., between the filter cartridge 14 and inside walls of the
housing 12) and a filtered region 30 inside of the filter cartridge
14. The pump 16 can be at least partially located in the filtered
region 30 of the housing cavity 26 and can be substantially
surrounded by the filter cartridge 14, and the filtered region 30
can be substantially "downstream" from the unfiltered region 28.
For example, during operation, the pump 16 can pull fluid through
the housing inlet 18 into the unfiltered region 28 and across the
filter cartridge 14 into the filtered region 30. More specifically,
the pump system 10 can act as a suction vessel by "pulling" water
through the filter cartridge 14, as opposed to conventional
filtration systems that "push" water through a filter (i.e.,
creating a pressurized vessel).
[0018] In some embodiments, the pump 16 can be a variable speed,
variable flow, or multispeed pump. In other embodiments, the pump
16 can be a single speed pump or a two speed pump. As shown in
FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the pump 16 can be positioned in a vertical
orientation and can include a magnetic drive motor 32 with a stator
34, a rotor 36, and a rotor shaft 38. The pump 16 can also include
an impeller 40 coupled to the rotor shaft 38. The impeller 40 can
be positioned in a pumping cavity 42 near the pump inlet 22 in
order to pump fluid into a volute 44 (e.g., an outlet cavity) and
through the pump outlet 24. The volute 44 can include a spiral
geometry to provide minimal flow resistance and optimal flow
movement of fluid from the impeller 40 to the pump outlet 24. In
some embodiments, a pump housing 46, which can at least partially
form the pumping cavity 42 and the volute 44, can be an integral
part of the housing 12. Also, in some embodiments, as shown in
FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the pump housing 46 can include ribs 50, for
example to add structural strength to the pump housing 46.
[0019] In addition, in some embodiments, at least the stator 34,
the rotor 36, and the rotor shaft 38 can be at least partially
housed within a motor cavity 48, and the rotor shaft 38 can extend
into the pumping cavity 42 so that it can be coupled to the
impeller 40. In some embodiments, the pump 16 can include one or
more seals to prevent fluid from leaking out of the pumping cavity
42 into the motor cavity 48 and contacting other components of the
motor 32 (e.g., a "dry" rotor design). In this manner, the motor
cavity 48 can remain substantially dry during operation of the pump
16.
[0020] In other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the
rotor 36 and the rotor shaft 38 can be positioned within the motor
cavity 48 and can be in fluid communication with the pumping cavity
42 (e.g., a "wet" rotor design). The stator 34 can be positioned,
outside the motor cavity 48 and can be sealed from the pumping
cavity 42. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the motor cavity 48
can be located near a lower portion of the system 10. As a result,
the motor cavity 48 can be accessible through the underside of the
system 10 for motor maintenance or replacement. In some
embodiments, the motor cavity 48 can be formed by a portion of the
housing 12.
[0021] In some embodiments, operation of the pump 16 (e.g., on/off
control and/or speed control of the motor 32) can be controlled by
a controller (not shown). The controller can be used to operate the
pump 16, for example a variable speed pump, in order to schedule
pump on/off times, as well as control flow through pump system 10
by controlling the speed of the motor 32. These operations can
prevent the pump 16 from constantly operating at full speed, which
may be unnecessary in certain situations. As a result, the
scheduling and speed control operations can increase the efficiency
of the system 10, lengthen the life of the system 10 (including the
motor 32, the pump 16, and/or the filter cartridge 14), and reduce
the operating costs of the system 10.
[0022] As described above, the pump 16 can be located in the
filtered region 30. As a result, the fluid flowing, through the
pump 16 has already passed through the filter cartridge 14 and can
be substantially filtered from debris which may cause damage to the
impeller 40 or other components of the pump 16. Due to the pump 16
pumping filtered fluid, pump durability and pump life can be
increased in comparison to pumps in conventional pressurized vessel
filtration systems that pump unfiltered fluid. For example,
conventional pressurized vessel filtration systems include a debris
basket that removes larger debris and particulate matter. These
debris baskets can include mesh geometries in the centimeter range,
allowing a substantial amount of particulate matter to reach the
pump. The filter cartridge 14 of the system 10 can include
filtration media with mesh geometries in the micron range in order
to remove all particulate matter from the fluid before it reaches
the pump 16.
[0023] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the system 10
can include a pre-filter assembly 52. The pre-filter assembly 52
can be located within the housing cavity 26 on top of the filter
cartridge 14. In addition, the housing inlet 18 can be located near
a top portion of the housing 12 adjacent to the pre-filter assembly
52 so that fluid entering the housing cavity 26 can first enter a
pre-filter region 54 of the pre-filter assembly 52 before reaching
the unfiltered region 28. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-3,
the housing 12 can include a housing base 56 and the pre-filter
assembly 52, acting as a housing cover assembly, can substantially
cover the housing base 56. The housing outlet 20 can extend from
the pump outlet 24 through the housing base 56, and the housing
inlet 18 can be integral with the pre-filter assembly 52.
[0024] The pre-filter assembly 52 can include a solid bottom plate
58 and a cylindrical pre-filter element 60 coupled to and extending
upward from the solid bottom plate 58. The solid bottom plate 58
can substantially cover the top of the filter cartridge 14 to
enclose the filtered region 30 so that unfiltered fluid may only
reach the filtered region 30 by passing through the filter
cartridge 14. The cylindrical pre-filter element 60 can
substantially separate the housing inlet 18 and the pre-filter
region 54 from the unfiltered region 28 and can include a mesh that
allows fluid to pass from the pre-filter region 54 into the
unfiltered region 28 and prevents large debris (e.g., leaves,
rocks, etc.) from passing into the unfiltered region 28. As a
result, the large debris, which can be relatively heavy, can settle
onto the solid bottom plate 58. A housing cover 62 can be
positioned over the pre-filter assembly 52 in order to enclose the
pre-filter region 54. In some embodiments, the housing cover 62 can
be removable so that the large debris captured in the pre-filter
region 54 can be emptied out of the pre-filter assembly 52.
[0025] The system 10 can be compact in comparison to conventional
filtration systems due to the pump 16 being positioned inside the
filter cartridge 14 and both the pump 16 and the filter cartridge
14 being housed within the same housing cavity 26. In addition, in
some embodiments, the system 10 can be modular to accommodate
different sized aquatic applications. As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the
system 10 can accommodate larger aquatic applications by including
a second filter cartridge 14 stacked on top of a first filter
cartridge 14. The pump system 10 can also include a housing insert
64 positioned between the housing base 56 and the pre-filter
assembly 52 in order to increase the height of the housing 12, and
thus, increase the volume of the housing cavity 26. For example,
the system 10 of FIGS. 1-3 can provide a filter cartridge surface
area of about 100 square feet or about 150 square feet (e.g.,
accommodating a pool between about 10,000 gallons and about 15,000
gallons), and the system 10 of FIGS. 5-7 can provide a filter
cartridge surface area of about 200 square feet or about 300 square
feet (e.g., accommodating a pool between about 15,000 gallons and
about 20,000 gallons). In addition, in some embodiments, as shown
in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, the motor cavity 32 can be enclosed by a
cover 66.
[0026] In some embodiments, the system 10 can include different
types of filter cartridges 14, such as a sheet-type filter
cartridge 14, which substantially splits the housing cavity 26 into
the unfiltered region 28 (i.e., adjacent to and in fluid
communication with housing inlet 18) and the filtered region 30
(i.e., adjacent to and in fluid communication with the housing
outlet 20). In these embodiments, the pump 16 is positioned in the
filtered region 30 in order to create a suction pressure in the
filtered region 30 that causes fluid entering the system 10 in the
unfiltered region 28 to flow across the filter cartridge 14 to the
filtered region 30.
[0027] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the system 10 can
include a controller assembly 68 to receive user input, control the
pump 16, and/or display information and settings to a user. The
controller assembly 68 can be located along the base 56 so that it
is easily accessible by the user.
[0028] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
while the invention has been described above in connection with
particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not
necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments,
examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments,
examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims
attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and
publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each
such patent or publication were individually incorporated by
reference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention
are set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *