Impeller with axially curving vane extensions to prevent airlock

Abstract

A pump has a housing that includes an inlet to receive a liquid to be pumped, an outlet to provide the liquid being pumped, a pumping chamber between the inlet/outlet; and a motor shaft to rotate in the pumping chamber. The impeller is arranged on the motor shaft, includes radially curved vanes to rotate inside the pumping chamber to pump the liquid from the pumping chamber to the outlet; and includes anti-airlock vanes formed as a set of axially curving vane extensions that extend along the axis of the shaft, rotate with one part inside the pumping chamber, protrude through the inlet and rotate with another part outside the inlet for submerging in liquid to be pumped underneath the pump, draw the liquid through the inlet into the pumping chamber, and provide the liquid to the radially curved vanes to generate pressure to force entrapped air from the pumping chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Apparatus comprising:
 an anti-airlock impeller configured to be mounted on a motor shaft, the anti-airlock impeller having radially curved vanes configured to rotate inside a pumping chamber of a housing of the pump to pump liquid from the pumping chamber to an outlet of the pump, the anti-airlock impeller also having anti-airlock vanes formed as a set of axially curving vane extensions configured to
 extend along an axis of the motor shaft, 
 rotate with one part configured inside the pumping chamber, 
 protrude through the inlet and rotate with another part configured outside the inlet for submerging in any liquid to be pumped underneath the pump, 
 draw the liquid through the inlet into the pumping chamber, and 
 provide the liquid to the radially curved vanes in order to generate pressure to force any entrapped air out of the pumping chamber of the housing. 
   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of axially curving vane extensions are defined by parametric equations in a Cartesian x, y, z, coordinate system with t as a sweep parameter, using a set of equations as follows:
     x=D *cos( at )* e   −bt ,       y=D *sin( at )* e   −bt , and       z=h−ct   n ,   where:   a, b, c, and n are constants that depend on the particular impeller,   D is the shaft hub diameter, and   h is the extension length.   
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the radially curving vanes are configured to provide pumping power for providing the liquid to be pumped from the pumping chamber to the outlet, and the set of axially curving vane extensions is configured to force the liquid below the pump to move axially into the pumping chamber and into the radially curving vanes to be pumped. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises the housing having the inlet configured to receive the liquid to be pumped, the outlet configured to provide the liquid being pumped, the pumping chamber formed therein between the inlet and the outlet; and the motor shaft configured to rotate in relation to the pumping chamber. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a centrifugal pump. 
     
     
         6 . A pump comprising:
 a housing having an inlet configured to receive a liquid to be pumped, an outlet configured to provide the liquid being pumped, a pumping chamber formed therein between the inlet and the outlet; and a shaft configured to rotate in relation to the pumping chamber; and   an anti-airlock impeller configured on the shaft, the anti-airlock impeller having radially curved vanes configured to rotate inside the pumping chamber to pump the liquid from the pumping chamber to the outlet, the anti-airlock impeller also having anti-airlock vanes formed as a set of axially curving vane extensions configured to extend along the axis of the shaft, rotate with one part inside the pumping chamber, protrude through the inlet and rotate with another part outside the inlet for submerging in any liquid to be pumped underneath the pump, draw the liquid through the inlet into the pumping chamber, and provide the liquid to the radially curved vanes in order to generate pressure to force any entrapped air out of the pumping chamber of the housing.   
     
     
         7 . A pump according to  claim 6 , wherein the set of axially curving vane extensions are defined by parametric equations in a Cartesian x, y, z, coordinate system with t as a sweep parameter, using a set of equations as follows:
     x=D *cos( at )* e   −bt ,       y=D *sin( at )* e   −bt , and       z=h−ct   n ,   where:   a, b, c, and n are constants that depend on the particular impeller,   D is the shaft hub diameter, and   h is the extension length.   
     
     
         8 . A pump according to  claim 6 , wherein the radially curving vanes are configured to provide pumping power for providing the liquid to be pumped from the pumping chamber to the outlet, and the set of axially curving vane extensions is configured to force the liquid below the pump to move axially into the pumping chamber and into the radially curving vanes to be pumped. 
     
     
         9 . A pump according to  claim 6 , wherein the pump is a centrifugal pump. 
     
     
         10 . A centrifugal pump comprising:
 a housing having an inlet configured to receive a liquid to be pumped, an outlet configured to provide the liquid being pumped, a pumping chamber formed therein between the inlet and the outlet; and a shaft configured to rotate in relation to the pumping chamber; and   an anti-airlock impeller configured on the shaft, the anti-airlock impeller having radially curved vanes configured to rotate inside the pumping chamber to pump the liquid from the pumping chamber to the outlet, the anti-airlock impeller also having anti-airlock vanes formed as a set of axially curving vane extensions configured to extend along the axis of the shaft, rotate with one part inside the pumping chamber, protrude through the inlet and rotate with another part outside the inlet for submerging in any liquid to be pumped underneath the centrifugal pump, draw the liquid through the inlet into the pumping chamber, and provide the liquid to the radially curved vanes in order to generate pressure to force any entrapped air out of the pumping chamber of the housing;   the radially curving vanes are configured to provide pumping power for providing the liquid to be pumped from the pumping chamber to the outlet, and the set of axially curving vane extensions is configured to force the liquid below the centrifugal pump to move axially into the pumping chamber and into the radially curving vanes to be pumped; and   the set of axially curving vane extensions being defined by parametric equations in a Cartesian x, y, z, coordinate system with t as a sweep parameter, using a set of equations as follows:
     x=D *cos( at )* e   −bt , 
     y=D *sin( at )* e   −bt , and 
     z=h−ct   n , 
   where:   a, b, c, and n are constants that depend on the particular impeller,   D is the shaft hub diameter, and   h is the extension length.   
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of axially curving vane extensions are configured with an axial vane curvature that is generated through the use of parametric equations in a Cartesian x, y, z, coordinate system. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the parametric equations in the Cartesian x, y, z, coordinate system include t as a sweep parameter. 
     
     
         13 . A pump according to  claim 6 , wherein the set of axially curving vane extensions are configured with an axial vane curvature that is generated through the use of parametric equations in a Cartesian x, y, z, coordinate system. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the parametric equations in the Cartesian x, y, z, coordinate system include t as a sweep parameter.