Portable alternative-energy powered pump assembly

• US 10,072,644 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KickStart International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: KickStart International, Inc.
• Inventors: Spybey, Alan C., Fisher, Martin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamo, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US15/674,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20180045188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 417 62, 1375653, 13756533
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/02 Watering arrangements located above the soil which make use of perforated pipe-lines or pipe-lines with dispensing fittings, e.g. for drip irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/01 specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/128 Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/006 Solar operated
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/02 driven by wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/03 driven by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 1/063 of the vertically split casing type
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/06 the pump being electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/14 the pumps being all of centrifugal type deviation valves F04D15/0016
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/628 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A modular pump system permits combining multiple discrete pump assemblies in serial and/or parallel configurations to tailor system output to user needs. The assemblies may be combined by hand quickly, without the needs for tools, to permit use in remote areas.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a pump housing including;

an inner chamber adapted to accommodate a pump;

an inlet for drawing fluid into the pump;

an outlet for expelling fluid from the pump; and

an elongate outer casing surrounding the inner chamber and comprising each of a first quick connect comprising a sliding peg-slot connector and a second quick connect,

wherein a sliding peg of the sliding peg-slot connector is formed on a convex portion of the elongate outer casing and a slot connector of the sliding peg-slot connector is formed in a concave portion of the elongate outer casing, and

wherein the pump housing is configured for coupling to another pump housing in at least one of a serial configuration and a parallel configuration using at least one of the quick connects.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate outer casing is at least one of substantially cylindrical in shape, rectangular-shaped, box-like, and substantially sector-shaped.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate outer casing comprises opposing faces selected from the group consisting of planar and arcuate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate outer casing comprises opposing arcuate faces comprising convex and concave faces, such that a convex face of a first outer casing is couplable to a concave face of a second outer casing to provide the parallel configuration of pump assemblies.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slot connector forms a non-linear opening.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second quick connect is selected from the group consisting of a bayonet-type connection, a screw-on type connection, magnets of opposing polarity, a hollow conduit comprising a flexible clip including an opening on a sidewall thereof, and a hollow conduit comprising at least one of an annular ring and a disk on a sidewall thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second quick connect comprises a bayonet-type connection formed at an end of the outer casing and couplable with a mating bayonet-type connection formed at an end of another outer casing to provide the serial configuration of pump assemblies.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pump housing is adapted to couple to a plurality of other pump housings in a combined serial and parallel configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second quick connect is located at an end of the pump housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second quick connect comprises components located at opposing ends of the pump housing.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a pump housing including;

an inner chamber adapted to accommodate a pump;

an inlet for drawing fluid into the pump;

an outlet for expelling fluid from the pump;

an elongate outer casing surrounding the inner chamber and comprising each of a first quick connect and a second quick connect; and

a pump motor disposed in the inner chamber,

wherein the pump housing is configured for coupling to another pump housing in at least one of a serial configuration and a parallel configuration using at least one of the quick connects.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the pump motor is selected from the group consisting of an electric (DC) pump, a brushless (DC) pump, a rotary pump, a centrifugal pump, a submersible pump, an axial flow pump, a positive displacement pump, a reciprocating pump, and combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the first quick connect is disposed at the outlet;

the second quick connect is disposed at the inlet; and

the pump housing is configured for coupling to the other pump housing in a serial configuration using at least one of the quick connects.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a sealing device located between the first quick connect and the second quick connect.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a pump housing including;

an inner chamber adapted to accommodate a pump;

an inlet for drawing fluid into the pump;

an outlet for expelling fluid from the pump; and

an elongate outer casing surrounding the inner chamber and comprising each of a first quick connect disposed at the outlet and a second quick connect disposed at the inlet,

wherein the first quick connect comprises;

a sidewall defining a hollow conduit;

a proximal end in fluid communication with the outlet of the pump housing;

a distal end adapted to form fluid communication with and to be removably attachable to a second quick connect of another pump housing; and

a plurality of protrusions located on the sidewall, each protrusion adapted to engage a corresponding opening passing through a flexible clip of the second quick connect of the other pump housing for coupling the pump housing to the other pump housing in a serial configuration.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first quick connect is at least one of fixedly attached to the outlet, incorporated into the outlet, and removably attachable to some portion of the pump housing proximate the outlet.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second quick connect comprises:

a sidewall defining a hollow conduit;

a distal end adapted to form fluid communication with and to be removably attachable to a first quick connect of another pump housing;

a proximal end in fluid communication with the inlet of the pump housing; and

a flexible clip comprising a plurality of openings, each opening configured for retaining a corresponding protrusion located on a sidewall of the first quick connect of the other pump housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second quick connect is at least one of fixedly attached to the inlet, incorporated into the inlet, and removably attachable to some portion of the pump housing proximate the inlet.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a pump housing including;

an inner chamber adapted to accommodate a pump;

an inlet for drawing fluid into the pump;

an outlet for expelling fluid from the pump; and

an elongate outer casing surrounding the inner chamber and comprising each of a first quick connect disposed at the inlet and a second quick connect disposed at the outlet, wherein the second quick connect comprises;

a sidewall defining a hollow conduit;

a proximal end in fluid communication with the outlet of the pump housing;

a distal end adapted to form fluid communication with and to be removably attachable to a first quick connect of another pump housing; and

a plurality of arms extending from the sidewall, each arm comprising a corresponding protrusion adapted to engage at least one of an annular ring and a disk located on the first quick connect of the other pump housing for coupling the pump housing to the other pump housing in a serial configuration.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second quick connect is at least one of fixedly attached to the outlet, incorporated into the outlet, and removably attachable to some portion of the pump housing proximate the outlet.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first quick connect comprises:

a sidewall defining a hollow conduit;

a distal end adapted to form fluid communication with and to be removably attachable to a second quick connect of another pump housing;

a proximal end in fluid communication with the inlet of the pump assembly; and

at least one of an annular ring and a disk configured to retain at least one of the plurality of protrusions located on any arm of another first quick connect of another pump housing.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first quick connect is at least one of fixedly attached to the inlet, incorporated into the inlet, and removably attachable to some portion of the pump housing proximate the inlet.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the elongate outer casing is at least one of substantially cylindrical in shape, rectangular-shaped, box-like, and substantially sector-shaped.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the elongate outer casing comprises opposing faces selected from the group consisting of planar and arcuate.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the elongate outer casing comprises opposing arcuate faces comprising convex and concave faces, such that a convex face of a first outer casing is couplable to a concave face of a second outer casing to provide a parallel configuration of pump assemblies.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the pump housing is adapted to couple to a plurality of other pump housings in a combined serial and parallel configuration.

27. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a sealing device located between the first quick connect and the second quick connect.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sidewall of the first quick connect comprises an upper sidewall portion and a lower sidewall portion delineated by at least one of the annular ring and the disk.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein at least one of:

the upper sidewall portion and the lower sidewall portion are manufactured as a single unitary piece to which at least one of the annular ring and the disk is attachable; and

the upper sidewall portion, the lower sidewall portion, and at least one of the annular ring and the disk are manufactured as a single unitary piece.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each protrusion of the second quick connect is structured and arranged to engage a surface of at least one of the annular ring and the disk to provide a watertight seal.