A MULTIPLE OUTLET PUMP

Abstract

 A multiple outlet pump (P) of the present invention with at least one cover (1) including an inlet (2) for receiving a fluid, a first outlet (3) and a second outlet (4) for discharging the fluid; a dispenser (R) allowing the fluid to reach the desired location; and a movement unit (M) that moves the dispenser (R), comprises a rotatably movable guide (5) interposed between the cover (1) and the movement unit (M); a first opening (5a) located on the guide (5) and opened to the inlet (2); a second opening (5b) located on the guide (5) in order to guide the fluid in the pump (P) towards the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) and overlapping with the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) upon rotational movement of the guide (5); a first transfer member (6) positioned on the guide (5) for the movement of the guide (5); and an actuating part (7) comprising a second transfer member (7a) connected with the first transfer member (6) and an extension (7b) passing through a third opening (8) positioned on the cover (1) and extending from the second transfer member (7a) to an outer side of the cover (1) and actuating the second transfer member (7a) so as to move the first transfer member (6) and thus the guide (5).

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to pumps with multiple outlet option, which is suitable for use in especially household appliances such as dishwashers.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, pumps are used for transferring a fluid from a location to the other. Pumps are operated mechanically so as to transfer said fluids and are supplied with the necessary energy by motors or through manpower. Pumps are utilized in various fields such as production industry, medical devices or household appliances and may have various sizes and shapes depending on the need. Moreover, based on the number of sources where the fluid which is desired to be transferred through a pump is located, the pump may comprise multiple inlets; and yet based on the number of locations to which the fluid exiting the pump is desired to be transferred, the pump may comprise multiple outlets. For example, prior art document US2011243732A1 discloses a pump with multiple outlets and a pump impeller included in the said pump. The fluid supplied to the impeller system of the said pump is passed through the openings on the impeller blades by means of the movement of the impeller and discharged through multiple outlets provided on a support member located on the circumference of the impeller. However, although a plurality of outlets is included in this embodiment, the fluid is simultaneously discharged through the said outlets, as a result of which the fluid cannot be discharged through the desired outlet.

Brief Description of the Invention

[0003] The multiple outlet pump of the present invention with at least one cover including at least one inlet for receiving a fluid, at least a first outlet and at least a second outlet for discharging the said fluid; at least one dispenser increasing kinetic energy of the fluid entering into the pump so as to allow it to reach the desired location; and at least one movement unit that moves the said dispenser, comprises at least one rotatably movable guide interposed between the said cover and the movement unit such that the said dispenser remains in the inner volume; at least a first opening located on the guide and opened to the said inlet; at least a second opening located on the guide in order to guide the fluid in the pump towards the first outlet or the second outlet and overlapping with the first outlet or the second outlet upon rotational movement of the guide; at least a first transfer member positioned on the guide for the said movement of the guide; and at least one actuating part comprising at least a second transfer member connected with the said first transfer member and positioned on that part of the cover which is facing the guide, and at least one extension passing, in a sealing manner, through at least a third opening positioned on the cover and extending from the second transfer member to an outer side of the cover which is remote from the movement unit and actuating the second transfer member so as to move the first transfer member and thus the guide.

[0004] With the multiple outlet pump according to the present invention, a fluid is delivered to different locations in an effective manner. Furthermore, the inventive pump may be mounted to other devices without any further modification and thus a multiple outlet pump is obtained which is easy-to-use, cost effective and safe.

Object of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a pump with multiple outlets for delivering a fluid to different locations.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiple outlet pump which does not require manpower for operation.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiple outlet pump which may be mounted to all devices without any further modification.

[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a multiple outlet pump which is easy-to-use, highly effective, inexpensive to manufacture and safe.

Description of the Drawings

[0009] The exemplary embodiments of the multiple outlet pump according to the present invention are illustrated in the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the inventive multiple outlet pump.

Figure 2 is another perspective view of the inventive multiple outlet pump.

Figure 3 is a view of detail "D" shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing internal structure of the inventive multiple outlet pump, with the cover removed.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the inventive pump.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the inventive pump at a first position.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing the delivery path of the fluid when the inventive pump is at its first position.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the inventive pump at a second position.

Figure 9 is a sectional view showing the delivery path of the fluid when the inventive pump is at its second position.

[0010] All the parts illustrated in the figures are individually assigned a reference numeral and the corresponding terms of these numbers are listed as follows:

Pump

(P)

Movement unit

(M)

Dispenser

(R)

Movement member

(A)

Cover

(1)

Inlet

(2)

First outlet

(3)

Second outlet

(4)

Guide

(5)

First opening

(5a)

Second opening

(5b)

First transfer member

(6)

Actuating part

(7)

Second transfer member

(7a)

Extension

(7b)

Gear

(7c)

Third opening

(8)

Third transfer member

(9)

Protrusion

(10)

Recess

(11)

Lug

(12)

Description of the Invention

[0011] The pumps may have varying sizes and forms depending on the intended use and the area of use. Particularly, pumps suitable for use in household appliances may comprise multiple outlets depending on that there is a plurality of locations where the fluid entering into the pump is desired to be delivered. In a pump with multiple outlets, it may be desired that the fluid is discharged through a certain outlet into a certain location, in which case the fluid must be prevented from being discharged through other outlets. In the multiple outlet pumps, those parts (i.e. collapsible covers) used for guiding the fluid in a delivery direction mainly constitute an obstacle on the movement path of the fluid and accordingly result in an increase in friction, thereby reducing the efficiency of the pump. Therefore, with the present invention, there is provided a multiple outlet pump which changes the delivery direction of the fluid entering into the pump without reducing the efficiency of the pump.

[0012] The multiple outlet pump (P) of the present invention, as illustrated in Figures 1-9, essentially comprises at least one cover (1) including at least one inlet (2) for receiving a fluid, at least a first outlet (3) and at least a second outlet (4) for discharging the said fluid; at least one dispenser (R) increasing kinetic energy (typically with a rotational movement) of the fluid entering into the pump (P) so as to allow it to reach the desired location; and at least one movement unit (M) that moves the said dispenser (R). The said dispenser (R) is preferably in the form of an impeller. Furthermore, the inventive pump (P) comprises at least one rotatably movable guide (5) interposed between the said cover (1) and the movement unit (M) such that the said dispenser (R) remains in the inner volume; at least a first opening (5a) located on the guide (5) and opened to the said inlet (2); at least a second opening (5b) located on the guide (5) in order to guide the fluid in the pump (P) towards the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) and overlapping with the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) upon rotational movement of the guide (5); at least a first transfer member (6) positioned on the guide (5) for the said movement of the guide (5); and at least one actuating part (7) comprising at least a second transfer member (7a) connected with the said first transfer member (6) and positioned on that part of the cover (1) which is facing the guide (5), and at least one extension (7b) passing, in a sealing manner, through at least a third opening (8) positioned on the cover (1) and extending from the second transfer member (7a) to an outer side of the cover (1) which is remote from the movement unit (M) and actuating the second transfer member (7a) so as to move the first transfer member (6) and thus the guide (5).

[0013] In an illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 1-6, the fluid to be transferred is received into the pump (P) through the said inlet (2) on the cover (1) and through the said first opening (5a) on the guide (5). Depending on the desired delivery direction of the fluid, the second opening (5b) on the guide (5) is overlapped on the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) on the cover (1). In other words, if the fluid is desired to be delivered through the first outlet (3), the second opening (5b) must be at the first position overlapping with the first outlet (3), as shown in Figure 7. Similarly, if the fluid is desired to be delivered through the second outlet (4), the second opening (5b) must be at the second position overlapping with the second outlet (4), as shown in Figure 9. In case the fluid is desired to be delivered through the first outlet (3) but the second opening (5b) is overlapping with the second outlet (4) (at the second position of the pump (P)), the second transfer member (7a) is moved by the said extension (7b). With the said movement of the second transfer member (7a), the first transfer member (6) connected with the second transfer member (7a) is also moved and accordingly the guide (5) is also moved. By rotational movement of the guide (5) about an axis passing preferably through the center, the guide (5) and the second opening (5b) located thereon receive the first position overlapping with the first outlet (3) so that the fluid is delivered through the first outlet (3). In case the fluid is desired to be delivered through the second outlet (4) but the second opening (5b) is overlapping with the first outlet (3) (the first position of the pump (P)), the second transfer member (7a), the first transfer member (6) and the guide (5) are, similarly, moved by the said extension (7b) so as to enable the second opening (5b) on the guide (5) to overlap with the second outlet (4) and thus the fluid is delivered through the second outlet (4). In this manner, the delivery direction of the fluid entering into the pump (P) may be changed between the first outlet (3) and the second outlet (4) with a minimized loss of efficiency. With the pump (P) according to the present invention, rinse water in a household appliance, which may for example be a dishwasher, may be transferred to a washing chamber via circulation and may also be transferred to a storage chamber for subsequent use.

[0014] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first transfer member (6) on the guide (5) is preferably in the form of a gear. In this embodiment, preferably the second transfer member (7a) of the actuating part (7) delivering movement to the first transfer member (6) is also in the form of a gear so that by rotating the said extension (7b), the second transfer member (7a) is also rotated. With the rotational movement of the second transfer member (7a), the first transfer member (6) connected with the second transfer member (7a) rotates opposite to the movement direction of the second transfer member (7a). In this way, with the movement of the first transfer member (6), the guide (5) and thus the second opening (5b) located thereon are also moved so that the delivery direction of the fluid in the pump (P) is changed in an easy and controlled manner.

[0015] In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the first transfer member (6) and the second transfer member (7a) has a pulley form and are connected to each other by means of a belt. Also in this embodiment, the extension (7b) located outside of the cover (1) is moved in order to change the delivery direction of the fluid entering into the pump (P), wherein with the movement of the extension (7b) the second transfer member (7a) is also moved and the movement of the second transfer member (7a) in the form of a pulley is conveyed to the first transfer member (6) by means of the said belt. The guide (5) is rotated as a result of the rotational movement of the first transfer member (6) and the fluid received into the guide (5) through the first opening (5a) is transferred to the desired location by being passed through the second opening (5b) and the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) overlapping with this opening (5b).

[0016] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the inventive pump (P) comprises at least a third transfer member (9) moving the said extension (7b) in order to change the delivery direction of the fluid therein. The said third transfer member (9) may be in the form of a rotatably movable gear whereas it is in the form of a shaft and may move rotationally and/or linearly. The third transfer member (9) may, for example, be moved manually or automatically by means of an actuating unit and thus the second transfer member (7a), the first transfer member (6), the guide (5) and the second opening (5b) on the guide (5) are moved with the said extension (7b).

[0017] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the inventive pump (P) comprises at least one movement member (A) which is preferably in the form of a hydraulic piston or a pneumatic piston in order to actuate the said extension (7b) or the said third transfer member (9). In this embodiment, the movement member (A) is preferably connected with the extension (7b) or the third transfer member (9) via at least one connecting unit. In an embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, the said connecting unit comprises at least one protrusion (10) provided on the movement member (A) and at least one recess (11) suitable for firmly receiving the protrusion (10) and positioned on the third transfer member (9) (or the extension (7b)). In another embodiment, the said connecting unit comprises at least one protrusion (not shown) provided on the third transfer member (9) (or the extension (7b)) and at least one recess (not shown) for firmly receiving the protrusion and positioned on the movement member (A). Thus, the movement of the guide (5) in the pump (P) may be automatically performed, irrespective of manpower. Moreover, the inventive pump (P) comprises at least one lug (12) which is positioned on the said cover (1) in order for the movement member (A) to operate robustly and safely and which is suitable for receiving the movement member (A).

[0018] In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the third transfer member (9) is preferably in the form of a rack and preferably the movable part (7) of the pump (P) comprises at least one gear (7c) positioned on the said extension (7b) such that it contacts the third transfer member (9). In this embodiment, with the reciprocating linear movement of the third transfer member (9) in the form of a rack, the said gear (7c) rotatably moves. With the said movement of the gear (7c), the said extension (7b) and thus the second transfer member (7a) are also moved. The first transfer member (6) connected with the second transfer member (7a) is also moved so that the guide (5) is made to move so as to enable that the second opening (5b) on the guide (5) overlaps with the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4). Thus, the fluid in the pump (P) is transferred to the desired location.

[0019] In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the said third transfer member (9) is in the form of at least one gear suitable for rotating about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first transfer member (6), and preferably the said movable part (7) comprises at least one gear (7c) which is positioned on the said extension (7b) such that it contacts the third transfer member (9) and rotates about an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the first transfer member (6) and which forms a hypoid gear pair together with the said third transfer member (9). Thus, the guide (5) is moved in a more controlled manner and the second opening (5b) on the guide (5) is made to overlap with the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) in a precise manner.

[0020] With the multiple outlet pump (P) according to the present invention, a fluid is delivered to different locations in an effective manner. Furthermore, the inventive pump (P) may be mounted to other devices without any further modification and thus a multiple outlet pump is obtained which is easy-to-use, cost effective and safe.

Claims

1. A multiple outlet pump (P) comprising at least one cover (1) including at least one inlet (2) for receiving a fluid, at least a first outlet (3) and at least a second outlet (4) for discharging the said fluid; at least one dispenser (R) increasing kinetic energy of the fluid entering into the pump (P) so as to allow it to reach the desired location; and at least one movement unit (M) that moves the said dispenser (R), characterized by comprising;

- at least one rotatably movable guide (5) interposed between the said cover (1) and the movement unit (M) such that the said dispenser (R) remains in the inner volume;

- at least a first opening (5a) located on the guide (5) and opened to the said inlet (2);

- at least a second opening (5b) located on the guide (5) in order to guide the fluid in the pump (P) towards the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) and overlapping with the first outlet (3) or the second outlet (4) upon rotational movement of the guide (5);

- at least a first transfer member (6) positioned on the guide (5) for the said movement of the guide (5); and

- at least one actuating part (7) comprising at least a second transfer member (7a) connected with the said first transfer member (6) and positioned on that part of the cover (1) which is facing the guide (5), and at least one extension (7b) passing, in a sealing manner, through at least a third opening (8) positioned on the cover (1) and extending from the second transfer member (7a) to an outer side of the cover (1) which is remote from the movement unit (M) and actuating the second transfer member (7a) so as to move the first transfer member (6) and thus the guide (5).

2. A pump (P) according to claim 1, characterized in that the said dispenser (R) is in the form of an impeller.

3. A pump (P) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first transfer member (6) on the guide (5) is in the form of a gear.

4. A pump (P) according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the second transfer member (7a) delivering movement to the first transfer member (6) is in the form of a gear.

5. A pump (P) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first transfer member (6) and the second transfer member (7a) are in the form of a pulley and are connected to each other by means of a belt.

6. A pump (P) according to claim 1, characterized by comprising at least a third transfer member (9) moving the said extension (7b) in order to change the delivery direction of the fluid therein.

7. A pump (P) according to claim 6, characterized in that the said third transfer member (9) is in the form of a rotatably movable gear.

8. A pump (P) according to claim 6, characterized in that the said third transfer member (9) is in the form of a shaft.

9. A pump (P) according to claim 1, characterized by comprising at least one movement member (A) for moving the said extension (7b).

10. A pump (P) according to claim 6, characterized by comprising at least one movement member (A) for moving the said third transfer member (9).

11. A pump (P) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the said movement member (A) is in the form of a hydraulic piston or a pneumatic piston.

12. A pump (P) according to claim 9, characterized by comprising at least one connecting unit for connecting the said extension (7b) and the movement member (A).

13. A pump (P) according to claim 12, characterized in that the said connecting unit comprises at least one protrusion (10) located on the movement member (A) and at least one recess suitable for firmly receiving the protrusion (10) and positioned on the extension (7b).

14. A pump (P) according to claim 12, characterized in that the said connecting unit comprises at least one protrusion located on the extension (7b) and at least one recess suitable for firmly receiving the protrusion and positioned on the movement member (A).

15. A pump (P) according to claim 10, characterized by comprising at least one connecting unit for connecting the said third transfer member (9) and the movement member (A).

16. A pump (P) according to claim 15, characterized in that the said connecting unit comprises at least one protrusion (10) located on the movement member (A) and at least one recess (11) suitable for firmly receiving the protrusion (10) and positioned on the third transfer member (9).

17. A pump (P) according to claim 15, characterized in that the said connecting unit comprises at least one protrusion located on the third transfer member (9) and at least one recess suitable for firmly receiving the protrusion and positioned on the movement member (A).

18. A pump (P) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by comprising at least one lug (12) suitable for receiving the movement member (A) and positioned on the said cover (1).

19. A pump (P) according to claim 6, characterized in that the said third transfer member (9) is in the form of a rack.

20. A pump (P) according to claim 19, characterized in that the movable part (7) comprises at least one gear (7c) positioned on the said extension (7b) such that it contacts the third transfer member (9).

21. A pump (P) according to claim 6, characterized in that the said third transfer member (9) is in the form of at least one gear suitable for rotating about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first transfer member (6), and the said movable part (7) comprises at least one gear (7c) which is positioned on the said extension (7b) such that it contacts the third transfer member (9) and rotates about an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the first transfer member (6) and which forms a hypoid gear pair together with the said third transfer member (9).

Drawing