GB2385893A

GB2385893A - A device to indicate the correct positioning of a submersible pump

Info

Publication number: GB2385893A
Application number: GB0201373A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Sidney Ireland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-22
Filing date: 2002-01-22
Publication date: 2003-09-03
Also published as: GB0201373D0

Abstract

A device comprising a tubular pipe section 1 which wraps around the water pipe 6 and electrical cabling 7 from a submersible pump 5, and may be connected to the pump, forming a rigid assembly of length such that the device protrudes from the inlet of a container 8 and indicates when the pump is correctly located at the bottom of the container.

Description

SUBMERSIBLE PUMP SINKER This invention relates to a submersible pump sinker.

Submersible pumps are commonly used to pump liquids from a container.

The pump outlet is connected to a tube or hose that provides the fluid where it is required, and the submersible pump is placed into a fluid container.

When a flow of fluid is required, the submersible pump is operated and fluid is forced up the tube.

However, the positioning of the submersible pump within the fluid container is not controlled. The pump inlet is often not ideally located at the bottom of the fluid container, resulting in it being out of the fluidand so fluid flow ceasing-whilst there is still fluid within the container.

This results in more frequent refilling of the fluid container than is necessary.

According to the present invention there is provided a submersible pump sinker that ensures that the pump is sunk to the bottom of the container, thereby extracting the maximum fluid from it.

The sinker is constructed such that it wraps around the pump outlet tube or hose, and may connect to the submersible pump itself, forming a rigid assembly of length such that the sinker protrudes from the filling inlet of the container when the pump is correctly located at the bottom of the container. This gives a visual indication that the pump is correctly located A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example. The following diagrams are used to illustrate the invention and its use in this example: Figure 1-the ideal positioning of a submersible pump in a water container thereby extracting the maximum fluid from it.

Figure 2 and Figure 3-common causes of submersible pump inlets being positioned in non-ideal positions.

Figure 4-One embodiment of a submersible pump sinker according to the invention.

Figure 5-The submersible pump sinker of Figure 4 fitted to an example of a submersible pump, such as that used in caravan applications.

Figure 6-The submersible pump sinker of Figure 4 showing the"pipe channel"in use.

Touring caravans commonly employ small, electrically driven submersible pumps to pump water from a portable water container into the caravan's water system. The submersible pump is connected to the caravan system by means of a water pipe and electrical cabling. The portable water container typically stands alongside the caravan.

The water container is taken to a water tap for refilling, so requiring the removal of the submersible pump. The less frequently that refilling has to be undertaken the better, as manoeuvring containers filled with water can be physically demanding. It is also an inconvenience. It follows, therefore, that the maximum amount of water should be used from the container before refilling becomes necessary.

Figure 1 shows the ideal positioning of the submersible pump 5 in the water container 8. The pump inlet is at the bottom of the water container allowing the maximum amount of fluid to be extracted from it.

Figures 2 and 3 show typical reasons why this is not consistently achieved. Figure 2 shows the situation where the submersible pump 5 is not located at the bottom of the container 8 because of the connecting water pipe 6 or the electrical cable 7-it may be too short due to the water container being located further away from the caravan, it may have a tendency to adopt a curvature which takes the pump off of the bottom of the water container, or simply that the pipe or electrical cable has not been pushed far enough into the container. Figure 3 shows the situation where too much pipe 6 or electrical cable 7 is inserted into the container 8, forcing the pump 5 to lift from the bottom of the container.

The submersible pump sinker provides a solution to all of these potential problems.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 4. It consists of a tubular sinker 1 split from end to end by a "pump channel" 2 and a thinner channel 3. Fixing holes 4 are provided to attach the sinker to the pump.

Figure 5 shows the sinker attached to a submersible pump of the type commonly used for caravan systems. The sinker 1 is of a diameter suitable to fit through the common sizes of filler inlets of water containers, and of length such that when connected to the submersible pump 5 the overall length of pump and sinker is such that the sinker protrudes from the filler of the water container.

The water pipe 6 and electrical cable 7 pass through the centre of the sinker.

The sinker is split along the length of the tube by means of the pipe channel 2 for the majority of the length, and a thinner channel 3 for the remainder. If the sinker is constructed of a resilient material this split allows the sinker to be easily assembled to the submersible pump 5 by prising apart the sinker along the channel and passing the water pipe 6 and electrical cable 7 into the tube. If the sinker is constructed of a rigid, non-resilient material, then it may be hinged to allow the water pipe 6 and electrical cable 7 into the tube.

This facility makes it easy to use the sinker on existing submersible pump assemblies where the pump is supplied already connected to the water pipe and electrical cables, both of which are terminated in a connector that attaches to the caravan.

The submersible pump may be attached to the sinker. This does provide additional confidence that the sinker/pump assembly does form a rigid structure, and that the pump will be correctly positioned at the bottom of the water container. The attaching can be permanent or such that the pump may be removed. Fixing holes 4 are provided to allow the pump 5 to be tied to the sinker 1.

There are numerous means of attaching the pump to the sinker; four such means, given by way of example, are :- 1. The use of a flexible sleeve, linking the submersible pump to the sinker.

2. Tying the pump directly to the sinker.

3. Using an adhesive to attach the pump to the sinker 4. By clamping the water hose and electric cabling where it emerges from the top of the sinker and retaining it so that the pump is held firmly against the bottom of the sinker.

Figure 6 shows the function of the pipe channel 2. The sinker has a channel removed from its wall to allow the enclosed water pipe 6 and electrical cable 7 to move out through it when installing and removing the pump and sinker from the water container 8. This"pipe channel"2 avoids the need for excessive lengths of water pipe and electrical cable, as would be necessary if the sinker was a simple tube.

The submersible pump sinker may, for example, be made from plastic material, metal, or ceramics, or any combination of such materials. For applications where potable water is encountered the materials utilised will comply with the relevant safety standards.

The sinker may also be employed to sense the liquid in which it is immersed. When fitted with suitable sensors the information obtained can be made available to indicate, for example, the level of fluid in the container, or warn of such situations as freezing temperatures. The integration of such sensors with the sinker provides the basis of a water management system.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A submersible pump sinker comprising a tubular pipe section that wraps around the water pipe and electrical cabling from the pump and may connect to the submersible pump itself, forming a rigid assembly of length such that the sinker protrudes from the filling inlet of the liquid container when the pump is correctly located at the bottom of the container.
2. A submersible pump sinker as described in Claim 1 where the sinker is split along the length of the tube, allowing it to be easily assembled to the submersible pump by prising or hinging apart the sinker and passing the water pipe and electrical cable (s) into the tube.
3. A submersible pump sinker as described in Claim 1 or Claim 2 featuring a"pipe channel"removed from the wall of the sinker, as referenced in Figure 4, item 2, to allow the enclosed water pipe and electrical cable (s) to move out through it when installing and removing the pump and sinker from the fluid container.
4. A submersible pump sinker as described in any preceding claim wherein the sinker is provided with at least one fixing hole for attaching the submersible pump to the sinker.
5. A submersible pump sinker as described in any preceding claim that is made from plastic material, metal, ceramics, or any combination of such materials.
6. A submersible pump sinker as described in any preceding claim fitted with sensor device (s) to sense parameters of the liquid in which it is immersed.
7. A submersible pump sinker as described in Claim 6 with sensor devices to determine the fluid level within the container.
8. A submersible pump sinker substantially as described herein and illustrated in Figures 4 and 6.