Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PUMP CRADLE ASSEMBLY
Cross-reference to other applications
[0001] The disclosure claims priority from US Provisional Application No.
63/279,507 filed
November 15, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Field
[0002] The disclosure relates in general to pumps, and, in particular, to a
pump cradle
assembly.
Background
[0003] Over the years, there have been different ways to collect a liquid,
such as water, and
to then use it for different applications. For examples, wells and water
collection storage tanks
have been used to harvest groundwater and rainwater, respectively. Water may
also be
pumped out of water reservoirs, such as ponds, lakes or rivers. These water
collection and/or
harvesting apparatus typically include a pump that is used to pump water out
in order to supply
the water for subsequent use. The pump is located on the floor of the water
collection
apparatus (or water bed) and can be used when it is submerged under a minimum
water level.
Submerged pumps are typically operated under preferred, or specific, operating
conditions.
To protect the mechanical components of a submerged pump, the preferred
operating
conditions generally relate to the operating angle of the pump and the minimum
water level
relative to top of the pump. In typical applications, reducing the minimum
water level (which
may also be seen as a liquid depth for a water collection apparatus)
maintained in a storage
tank is advantageous as it increases the amount of liquid available for use.
For some water
collection apparatus, a reduction in the minimum water level may result in a
significantly
greater amount of water that is available for use.
[0004] In some installations, water well pumps have water intakes that are
positioned on a
bottom of the collection apparatus or water bed to increase or maximize the
amount of
available water that is able to be supplied. Unfortunately, the positioning of
these water intakes
allow dirt and debris to be drawn into the pump. Alternatively, conventional
pumps may be
installed with a bottom of the pump positioned at a specified height above the
bottom of the
well or storage tank to avoid drawing dirt and debris into the pump, however,
this causes an
increase in the required minimum water level that must be maintained. As such,
there is an
unmet need in the art for a pumping system or device that increases the amount
of available
water in a water collection apparatus but also avoids drawing in debris or
other material resting
on the bottom of the water collection apparatus.
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[0005] Therefore, there is provided a novel pump cradle assembly that
overcomes
disadvantages of current systems.
Summary
[0006] The disclosure is directed at a pump cradle assembly for supporting a
pump when the
pump is submerged in a liquid, such as water, environment. In select
embodiments, the
present disclosure provides a pump cradle having a sleeve and an intake
portion coupled to
the sleeve, the intake portion shaped to receive a flow of liquid with a
reduced amount of
debris when the pump cradle rests on the bottom of a storage tank, well, lake
bed or similar
environment.
[0007] In other embodiments, the intake portion includes an opening that is
narrower than a
diameter of the sleeve. In yet other embodiments, the intake portion is
circular at an end
adjacent the sleeve and non-circular, such as rectangular, at the other end of
the intake
portion. In further embodiments, the intake portion is shaped to reduce the
formation of
currents within the storage tank, well, or similar environment.
[0008] In one aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a pump cradle
assembly for
supporting a submersible pump in a water environment including a sleeve
portion for receiving
the submersible pump; an intake portion connected to an intake end of the
sleeve portion, the
intake portion including a bottom wall portion and a top wall portion; and at
least one handle
portion; wherein the bottom wall portion is located an intake opening bottom
wall distance
above a floor of the water environment and the top wall portion is located an
intake opening
top wall distance above the floor of the water environment; and wherein the
sleeve portion is
positioned at a preferred operating angle with respect to the floor of the
water environment.
[0009] In another aspect, the intake portion expands vertically from an end
away from the
sleeve portion to an end closest to the sleeve portion. In yet another aspect,
the top wall
portion of the intake portion is located a clearance distance away from a
predetermined water
level. In a further aspect, the at least one handle portion comprises two
handle portions. In
yet a further aspect, the two handle portions are parallel with each other. In
yet another aspect,
the two handle portions are not parallel to each other. In an aspect, the
handle portion
positions the sleeve portion at the preferred operating angle. In yet another
aspect, the sleeve
portion, the intake portion and the at least one handle portion form a pump
cradle.
[0010] In yet a further aspect, the pump cradle assembly includes a base for
supporting the
pump cradle. In another aspect, the base further includes a set of holes for
receiving ropes.
In a further aspect, the base is curved at both ends. In yet another aspect,
the base is made
from plastic or metal. In yet another aspect, the base is comprises a set of
ridges. In yet a
further aspect, the pump cradle assembly includes a set of feet for supporting
the sleeve
portion.
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Description of the Figures
[0011] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the disclosure will
be apparent
from the following description of embodiments thereof as illustrated in the
accompanying
drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a
part of the
specification, further serve to explain the principles of the disclosure and
to enable a person
skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the disclosure. The drawings are
not to scale.
[0012] Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a pump cradle assembly
according to an
embodiment installed in a liquid storage tank;
[0013] Figure 2 is another side view of a pump cradle assembly with the pump
cradle
assembly shown in cross-section;
[0014] Figure 3 is a top back perspective view of a pump cradle;
[0015] Figure 4 is a top front perspective view of the pump cradle of Figure
3;
[0016] Figure 5a is atop back perspective view of the pump cradle of Figure 3
with an intake
portion removed;
[0017] Figure 5b is a magnification of a portion A identified in Figure 5a;
[0018] Figure 6 is a side view of the pump cradle assembly;
[0019] Figure 7 is a back view of the pump cradle assembly;
[0020] Figure 8 is a side view of another embodiment of a pump cradle
assembly;
[0021] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 8;
[0022] Figure 10 is another perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 8;
[0023] Figure lla is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 8; and
[0024] Figure 11 b is a cross-section view taken along line A-A of Figure 11a.
Detailed Description
[0025] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure are now described with
reference to
the Figures, wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally
similar elements.
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not
intended to limit
the disclosure or the application and uses of the disclosure. Directional
terms used within the
specification are with respect to the way in which the drawing is presented
unless otherwise
described. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or
implied theory
presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the
following detailed
description.
[0026] Turning to Figure 1, a side view of a pump cradle assembly installed
within a water
collection apparatus is shown. Figure 2 is another side view with the pump
cradle assembly
shown in a cross-sectional view.
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[0027] The pump cradle 100 is located or installed in a water collection
apparatus 102, such
as a storage tank that contains a liquid 104, such as, but not limited to,
rainwater or
groundwater. In order for the pump to operate effectively, the liquid 104 is
preferably at a
minimum or preferred water level 106. The pump cradle 100 includes a sleeve,
or sleeve
portion, 110 and an intake portion 112 that is coupled to a first end of the
sleeve 110. The
intake portion 112 includes an opening 118 through which the liquid 104 may
flow into the
sleeve 110. A bottom, or lower, wall 136 of the opening 118 is at an intake
opening bottom
wall distance 142 above a floor 119 of the water collection apparatus 102
while atop, or upper,
wall 134 of the opening 118 is at an intake opening top wall distance 138
above the floor of
the water collection apparatus. The top wall 134 is located a clearance
distance 140 away
from the minimum water level 106.
[0028] A cap, or cap portion, 114 is coupled to a second, or opposite, end of
sleeve 110 and
includes an opening 120 (as shown more clearly in Figure 4) for receiving a
pipe portion 130
through which the liquid 104 may be pumped out of the water collection
apparatus 102 for a
further use or application.
[0029] In one embodiment, the sleeve 110 is dimensioned to accommodate a pump
126 (as
shown in Figure 2), such as a submersible pump 126, that may be installed
within the sleeve
110 to pump the liquid 104 out of the water collection apparatus 102, when
required. The
opening 120 may also receive a pump outlet 148 that connects to the pipe
portion 130. In
some embodiments, the pipe portion 130 and the pump outlet 148 may be a single
piece that
extends out from the sleeve portion 110 and through the opening 120.
[0030] The pump cradle 100 further includes a handle portion 116 for receiving
the sleeve
110 therethrough such that the pump cradle 100 may be picked up by an
individual, when
required. The sleeve portion 110 may be mounted or fastened to the handle
portion 116 via
known methods. A bottom of the handle portion 116 (when resting on the floor
of the water
environment) supports the sleeve 110 at an angle, (1) (132), relative to a
bottom of the water
collection apparatus 102. The dimensions and/or characteristics of the handle
portion 116
may be designed in accordance with the dimensions and characteristics of the
sleeve portion
110 to provide the angle 132. As such, the submersible pump 126 within the
sleeve 110
maintains an operating angle approximately equal to the angle cl) (132) which
may be seen as
a preferred operation position.
[0031] Turning to Figures 3 and 4, two different perspective views of the pump
cradle 100 are
provided. As seen in Figures 3 and 4, the pump cradle 100 further includes a
foot 124, or feet,
to provide additional support and stability to the pump cradle or pump cradle
assembly 100
such as the sleeve 110 and pump 126 when it is placed within the water
collection apparatus
102. The feet may also assist to retain the pump within the sleeve.
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[0032] An opening 144 between the sleeve portion 110 and the top area of the
handle portion
116 allows a user to grasp the handle portion 116 to lift/carry the pump
cradle 100.
Additionally, the opening 144 allows attachment of a rope or the like to
facilitate installation
and/or removal of the pump cradle 100 into or out of the water collection
apparatus (or water
environment) which may be a storage tank, well, or any other water reservoir.
In another
embodiment, the pump cradle assembly may include one or more additional handle
portions
similar to handle portion 116 positioned to receive the sleeve 110 and
oriented somewhat
parallel to the handle 116 such that a user may use two hands to lift up the
pump cradle 110
or to enable multiple connection points for equipment that may be used to lift
up the pump
cradle depending on a size of the pump cradle. In other embodiments, the
multiple handle
portions do not need to be parallel to each other with one handle located at a
top of the pump
cradle assembly and a second handle located at a side of the pump cradle
assembly or at
other combinations of positions. The additional handle portions may also
further improve the
stability of the pump cradle when installed and may also improve the ease with
which the
pump cradle may be carried. In some embodiments, the handle portions are
designed to
maintain the angle 132 between the sleeve 110 and the floor.
[0033] Turning to Figure 5a, a partial exploded view of the pump cradle is
shown. Figure 5b
is a magnified view of circle A of Figure 5a. As can be seen in Figure 5a, the
pump cradle 100
is shown with the intake portion 112 detached thereby exposing the first end
of the sleeve
portion. The first end of the sleeve portion 110 includes a set of vanes 122
(which in the
current embodiment is three) to retain the pump 126 that is installed within
sleeve 110 so that
it does not slide out when in the angled position. In other words, the vanes
122 reduce the
likelihood of or prevent the installed pump from sliding out of the end of the
pump cradle 100.
In alternative embodiments, more or fewer vanes may be included. In the
current
embodiment, each vane 122 includes a tab 146 that is shaped and positioned to,
in use,
support at least a portion of an end of the pump 126. The tabs may receive and
position the
pump 126 such that there is a gap 128 (more clearly shown in Figure 2) between
an inside
surface of the sleeve 110 and an outside surface of the pump 126. In one
embodiment, the
gap 128 may be one inch or greater and may entirely surround the pump 126.
[0034] Figure 61s a side view of the pump cradle 100 and Figure 71s a rear
view of the pump
cradle 100. As visible in Figures 5a to 7, intake portion 112 includes feet
124 to provide
additional support and stability to the pump cradle 100. Opening 118 includes
the top wall
portion 134 and bottom wall portion 136 which are approximately parallel with
each other. In
alternative embodiments, the opening 118 may have a shape that is circular,
rectangular, or
any other shape.
[0035] In operation, a flow of liquid (such as water), driven by the pump 126,
enters the pump
126/sleeve 110 via the opening 118 through the intake portion 112. The liquid
then flows
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through the sleeve 110 and out of the water collection apparatus via the pump
outlet 148 and
outlet pipe 130 for use in another application such as for irrigation,
drinking, storage in other
liquid storage containers, water supply for buildings, industry processes,
etc..
[0036] As discussed above, the pump cradle 100 holds or supports the pump 126
at an angle
cl) (132) relative to the floor of the liquid environment. The angle cl) (132)
may be equal to or
greater than a predetermined, or preferred, operating angle of the pump 126.
By maintaining
the pump 126 at or close to the predetermined operating angle, improved
performance may
be experienced. In one embodiment, the angle 132 may be between about 10
degrees to
about 20 degrees and more specifically, between about 12 degrees to about 17
degrees, and
most specifically at about 15 degrees. In other embodiments, the angle cl)
(132) may be equal
to an angle determined by installation requirements of the pump 126 such as
established by
a manufacturer of the pump 126.
[0037] In the current embodiment, the top portion 134 of the opening 118 is
positioned at the
intake opening top wall distance 138 above the surface upon which the pump
cradle rests,
such as the floor of the water collection apparatus. By maintaining the level
of liquid above a
predetermined, or clearance, level 106 may reduce the likelihood or prevent
dry running of the
pump 126. Also, ensuring the pump 126 is submersed or submerged in the liquid,
or water,
assists with pump cooling during operation thereby extending the working
lifetime of the pump
126.
[0038] The predetermined level 106 typically depends at least in part on a
position of the
pump within the water collection apparatus with a longer submersible pump
corresponding to
a higher predetermined level. In some embodiments, the clearance distance 140
may be, for
example, three inches or greater.
[0039] In one embodiment, the upward angle of at least a portion of the intake
portion 112
positions the bottom wall portion 136 above the bottom of the storage tank at
the intake
opening bottom distance 142, while also allowing the pump cradle 100 to rest
on the bottom
119 of the water collection apparatus 102. This may be due to the shape of the
intake portion
112. The handle portion 116, in cooperation with the feet 124 and the sleeve
110, maintains
the pump 126 at the angle cl) (132). In other words, the pump cradle 100
positions the pump
126 on or near the bottom surface while water is drawn into the pump 126 from
a height (the
intake opening bottom distance 142) above the bottom surface of the water
collection
apparatus. As such, the positioning of the intake portion 112 of the pump
cradle 100 reduces
the amount of dirt and/or debris intake compared with a conventional pump that
has the bottom
wall of its intake portion 112 resting on the bottom of the water collection
apparatus. By resting
the pump on or near the bottom surface of the storage tank, the pump cradle
100 also reduces
the height of the predetermined level 106 which may increase the amount of
liquid available
for use.
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[0040] In the present embodiment, the opening 118 includes two approximately
parallel and
straight portions, namely top portion 134 and bottom portion 136, while intake
portion 112 is
circular at the end adjacent to sleeve 110. The size of the opening 118 in the
vertical direction
(i.e. the difference between the intake opening top wall distance 138 and the
intake opening
bottom wall distance 142) may be less than an interior diameter of the sleeve
110. In other
words, the intake portion 112 is shaped to narrow vertically from the end
adjacent the sleeve
110 to the opening 118. This narrowing may provide a flow of water into the
intake portion
112 that is narrower in the vertical dimension, which may provide a reduced
disturbance of
debris lying on the bottom of the storage tank. In alternative embodiments,
the intake portion
may expand vertically to provide improved liquid entry into the sleeve 110 and
reduce the
creation of currents in the liquid thereby reducing the amount of debris drawn
into the sleeve
110 from either a top layer of the liquid or from a bottom surface of the
water collection
apparatus. The shape of the intake portion 112 may also provide a flow of
water into the intake
portion 112 that is less likely to draw in material at or near the surface of
the liquid in the
storage tank, e.g. a biofilnn formed on the surface of water in a tank. For
example, the vertical
narrowing of intake portion 112 may provide an increase to at least one of the
intake opening
bottom wall distance 142 and the clearance distance 140 relative to an intake
portion that is
not designed to narrow vertically.
[0041] The shape of the intake portion 112 may also provide a flow of water
into the intake
portion 112 that is more horizontal. A more horizontal flow may be less likely
to disturb debris
lying on the bottom of the storage tank or draw in material at the surface of
the liquid as
described above. The intake portion may also include a filter cover, such as a
screen or
perforated panel, to provide further preventative measures for keeping debris
out of the intake
portion.
[0042] Turning to Figures 8 to 10, another embodiment of a pump cradle
assembly 200 is
shown. In the current embodiment, the pump cradle assembly 200 is located at a
bottom of a
water reservoir, such as ponds, lakes or rivers. The cradle assembly 200
includes the pump
cradle 100 (including all of the parts of the pump cradle 100 as discussed
above) that rests or
is supported by a base layer 202. In some embodiments, the pump cradle is
fastened to the
base via a set of bolts although other fastening solutions are contemplated.
These other
fastening solutions may include, but are not limited to, clamps, screws of
other mechanism
fastening methods. The base layer 202 may be a formed plastic sheet and
provides supports
to the pump cradle or pump cradle assembly. In the current embodiment, a rope
or the like
204 is connected at one end to the base 202 and at a second end to a marker
206. The
marker 206 may provide an indication to an individual with respect to a
position of the pump
cradle assembly in the lake or water reservoir. The individual may also be
able to use the
marker 206 and rope 204 to pull up the pump cradle assembly or to use a boat
to pull the
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pump cradle assembly 200 into the water. A second rope 208 may be tied to the
other end of
the base 202 with the other end of the rope secured at shore or to a dock so
that the pump
can be pulled back to shore whereby there no need for a person to enter into
the water. In this
embodiment, the angle 132 is maintained between the pump 100 and the base 202.
100431 Figures 9 and 10 provide further prospective views of the pump cradle
assembly 200.
The base 202 includes a set of holes 210 for receiving at least one of ropes
204 or 208. Each
end of the base 202 may be curved (similar to being sled shaped) to facilitate
movement of
the base 202 along the floor of the water reservoir when it is being pulled by
a boat or the like
and back to shore. The curved nature of the ends may allow the base to be more
easily pulled
over obstacles such as rocks, branches or organic materials on the bottom of
the water
reservoir. In other embodiments, more permanently installed pump cradle
assemblies (where
the water does not freeze), the base may be made of a heavier material such as
a metal so
that it is less prone to accidental movement. In these embodiments, the ends
of the base 202
may be straight or flat.
[0044] The base 202 may also include ridges or ribs 214 that may be molded or
formed within
the base to reduce the likelihood of or prevent the pump cradle assembly from
moving with
water currents. The ribs 214 may settle into a lake bottom to act as an
anchoring mechanism
as more clearly shown in Figures 11 a and 11b. Figure 11 a is a side view of
the pump cradle
assembly mounted on the base and Figure llb which is a view taken along line A-
A of Figure
11 a.
[0045] In another embodiment, the base may be constructed as two or more
individual parts
to support and stabilize the pump cradle or pump cradle assembly.
[0046] While various embodiments have been described above, it should be
understood that
they have been presented only as illustrations and examples of the present
disclosure, and
not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the
relevant art that various
changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the
spirit and scope of
the disclosure. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should
not be limited
by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments but should be defined only
in
accordance with the appended claims and their equivalents. It will also be
understood that
each feature of each embodiment discussed herein, and of each reference cited
herein, can
be used in combination with the features of any other embodiment. All patents
and
publications discussed herein are incorporated by reference herein in their
entirety.
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