Electromagnetic circulation pump

Abstract

A fluid pump assembly is used in combination with a container having a wall. The pump assembly comprises a first casing disposed outside the container, a first magnetic assembly including a stationary magnetic drive member non-rotatably mounted to the first casing, a second casing disposed inside the container, and a rotatable second magnetic assembly mounted to the second casing and including a rotatable magnetic driven member drivingly coupled to a fluid motion imparting device. The magnetic drive member comprises electromagnets non-rotatably mounted within the first casing so that the electromagnets are provided to be energized in succession to create a rotating magnetic field for continuously rotating the rotatable magnetic driven member. The second casing is detachably securable to the wall solely by the magnetic attraction force between the magnetic drive member and the magnetic driven member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid pump kit, comprising:
 a stationary first magnetic assembly including a stationary magnetic drive member;   a first casing supporting and housing said first magnetic assembly;   a rotatable second magnetic assembly including a rotatable magnetic driven member drivingly coupled to a fluid motion imparting device;   a second casing supporting and housing said second magnetic assembly; and   a non-magnetic spacer separating said first and second magnetic assemblies;   said magnetic drive member and said magnetic driven member being magnetically coupled to each other by a magnetic attraction force therebetween through said spacer;   said magnetic drive member comprising a plurality of electromagnets non-rotatably mounted within said first casing and facing said magnetic driven member, said electromagnets controlled so as to be energized in succession to create a rotating magnetic field for continuously rotating said rotatable magnetic driven member;   said magnetic drive member being spaced from said spacer on one side thereof and said magnetic driven member being spaced from said spacer on an opposite side thereof;   said second casing being detachably securable to said spacer solely by the magnetic attraction force between said magnetic drive member and said magnetic driven member sufficient to support said first and second casings in a particular position without the use of mechanical aids.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said magnetic driven member is a permanent magnet. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said magnetic driven member further including a driven support disc non-movably attached to said magnetic driven member. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said driven support disc is made of magnetically permeable material. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said stationary magnetic drive member further comprises a drive support plate, said electromagnets are non-rotatably and angularly equidistantly mounted on said support plate. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said drive support plate is made of a ferromagnetic material. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said electromagnets are non-rotatably attached to said drive support plate around a first axis equidistantly in a circular pattern so as to extend substantially parallel to said first axis. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of said electromagnets includes a ferromagnetic core surrounded by an operably associated electro-magnetic coil so that current passing through one of the coils generates a magnetic field emanating from the associated electro-magnetic coil. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 8 , wherein each of said ferromagnetic cores extends toward said magnetic driven member of said second magnetic assembly substantially parallel to a first axis of said stationary magnetic drive member. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said ferromagnetic core is made of pole laminations formed from sheet metal. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first magnetic assembly further comprises a control unit operably associated with each of said electromagnets for sequentially energizing each of said electromagnets. 
     
     
         12 . A combination of a fluid pump assembly and a container having a wall, said pump assembly comprising:
 a first casing disposed exteriorly of said container on a first side of said wall;   a stationary first magnetic assembly including a stationary magnetic drive member non-rotatably mounted to said first casing and spaced from said wall outside said container;   a second casing disposed interiorly of said container on a second side of said wall; and   a rotatable second magnetic assembly mounted to said second casing and including a rotatable magnetic driven member spaced from said wall inside said container, said rotatable magnetic driven member drivingly coupled to a fluid motion imparting device;   said magnetic drive member comprising a plurality of electromagnets non-rotatably mounted within said first casing and facing said magnetic driven member, said electromagnets controlled so as to be energized in succession to create a rotating magnetic field for continuously rotating said rotatable magnetic driven member;   said magnetic drive member being magnetically coupled to said magnetic driven member by a magnetic attraction force through said wall for imparting a rotary driving force to said fluid motion imparting device;   said second casing being detachably securable to said wall solely by the magnetic attraction force between said magnetic drive member and said magnetic driven member sufficient to support said first and second casings in a particular position without the use of mechanical aids.   
     
     
         13 . The combination as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said magnetic driven member is a permanent magnet. 
     
     
         14 . The combination as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said magnetic driven member further including a driven support disc non-movably attached to said magnetic driven member. 
     
     
         15 . The combination as defined in  claim 14 , wherein said driven support disc is made of magnetically permeable material. 
     
     
         16 . The combination as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said stationary magnetic drive member further comprises a drive support plate, said electromagnets are non-rotatably and angularly equidistantly mounted on said support plate. 
     
     
         17 . The combination as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said drive support plate is made of a ferromagnetic material. 
     
     
         18 . The combination as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said electromagnets are non-rotatably attached to said support plate around a first axis equidistantly in a circular pattern so as to extend substantially parallel to said first axis. 
     
     
         19 . The combination as defined in  claim 12 , wherein each of said electromagnets includes a ferromagnetic core surrounded by an operably associated electro-magnetic coil so that current passing through one of the coils generates a magnetic field emanating from the associated electro-magnetic coil. 
     
     
         20 . The fluid pump kit as defined in  claim 19 , wherein each of said ferromagnetic cores extends toward said magnetic driven member of said second magnetic assembly substantially parallel to a first axis of said stationary magnetic drive member. 
     
     
         21 . The combination as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said ferromagnetic core is made of pole laminations formed from sheet metal. 
     
     
         22 . The combination as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said first magnetic assembly further comprises a control unit operably associated with each of said electromagnets for sequentially energizing each of said electromagnets. 
     
     
         23 . The combination as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said stationary magnetic drive member is adhesively bonded to said first side of said wall of said container. 
     
     
         24 . A method of circulating fluid within a container, comprising the steps of:
 providing a first casing having a stationary first magnetic assembly including a stationary magnetic drive member non-rotatably mounted to said first casing, said magnetic drive member comprising a number of electromagnets non-rotatably mounted within said first casing so as to face said magnetic driven member;   providing a second casing having a rotatable second magnetic assembly mounted to said second casing and including a rotatable magnetic driven member drivingly coupled to a fluid motion imparting device;   providing a container having a fluid therein;   positioning said first casing on an exterior side of a wall of said container and positioning said second casing on an interior side of said wall of said container within the fluid in coaxial alignment with said first casing and allowing said first and second casings to remain in alignment solely as a result of a magnetic attraction force between said stationary magnetic drive member and said rotatable magnetic driven member sufficient to support at least the second casing against gravity without the use of mechanical aids;   energizing said electromagnets in succession so as to create a rotating magnetic field of said stationary magnetic drive member and thereby causing cooperating rotation of said rotatable magnetic driven member and of said fluid motion imparting device.