SUBMERSIBLE PUMP WITH INTEGRATED LIQUID LEVEL SENSING AND CONTROL SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A submersible pump comprising:
- a pump body forming a main compartment having liquid intake and discharge openings, wherein said pump body is configured to be at least partially submerged in a body of liquid whose level is to be controlled;
a drive motor housed in said main compartment;
an impeller coupled to said drive motor to selectively eject liquid through said discharge opening when said impeller is rotated by said drive motor;
a sealed liquid-tight auxiliary compartment formed as an integral part of said pump body and located to be at least partially submerged in said liquid body;
at least one electric-field sensor mounted on a circuit board, said circuit board being enclosed entirely within said sealed auxiliary compartment and attached to an inner surface of an outer wall of said sealed auxiliary compartment, said circuit board being configured to produce an electric field that extends through said outer wall into space adjacent the outer surface of said outer wall and thereby detect changes in the electric field of said sensor caused by a change in elevation of the surface of said liquid body adjacent a portion of the outer surface of said sealed auxiliary compartment directly adjacent said sensor;
a pair of electrical conductors coupling said electric-field sensor and said drive motor to a power supply; and
a controllable switch coupled to at least one of said pair of electrical conductors and configured to control the supply of electrical power to said drive motor, said electric-field sensor being connected to said controllable switch to turn said drive motor on and off in response to changes in the detected elevation of the surface of said liquid body adjacent the outer surface of said sealed auxiliary compartment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a submersible pump that includes a pump housing forming a main compartment for receiving a pump impeller and having liquid entrance and exit openings in said main compartment, and an impeller mounted in the main compartment. The pump housing is adapted for submersion in a body of liquid whose level is to be controlled, and a sealed auxiliary compartment is formed as an integral part of the housing and located to be at least partially submerged in the liquid body. A drive motor is coupled to the impeller for rotating the impeller to eject liquid from the main compartment through the exit opening. An electric-field sensor is mounted in the sealed auxiliary compartment for detecting the elevation of the surface of the liquid body adjacent the sealed auxiliary compartment. At least one controllable switch is connected in the power supply line for controlling the supply of power to the drive motor, and the electric-field sensor is connected to the controllable switch for opening and closing the switch in response to changes in the detected elevation of the surface of the liquid body adjacent the outer surface of the sealed auxiliary compartment.
25 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A submersible pump comprising:
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a pump body forming a main compartment having liquid intake and discharge openings, wherein said pump body is configured to be at least partially submerged in a body of liquid whose level is to be controlled; a drive motor housed in said main compartment; an impeller coupled to said drive motor to selectively eject liquid through said discharge opening when said impeller is rotated by said drive motor; a sealed liquid-tight auxiliary compartment formed as an integral part of said pump body and located to be at least partially submerged in said liquid body; at least one electric-field sensor mounted on a circuit board, said circuit board being enclosed entirely within said sealed auxiliary compartment and attached to an inner surface of an outer wall of said sealed auxiliary compartment, said circuit board being configured to produce an electric field that extends through said outer wall into space adjacent the outer surface of said outer wall and thereby detect changes in the electric field of said sensor caused by a change in elevation of the surface of said liquid body adjacent a portion of the outer surface of said sealed auxiliary compartment directly adjacent said sensor; a pair of electrical conductors coupling said electric-field sensor and said drive motor to a power supply; and a controllable switch coupled to at least one of said pair of electrical conductors and configured to control the supply of electrical power to said drive motor, said electric-field sensor being connected to said controllable switch to turn said drive motor on and off in response to changes in the detected elevation of the surface of said liquid body adjacent the outer surface of said sealed auxiliary compartment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of pumping liquid from a liquid body with a pump, the method comprising:
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placing a pump body in said body of liquid whose level is to be controlled, said pump body forming a main compartment defining liquid intake and discharge openings, said main compartment containing a drive motor operatively connected to an impeller and configured to eject liquid from said body of liquid outwardly through said discharge opening by selectively rotating said impeller; detecting the elevation of the surface of said liquid body with at least one electric-field sensor mounted on a circuit board, said circuit board being enclosed entirely within a sealed liquid-tight auxiliary compartment formed as an integral part of said pump body and located to be at least partially submerged in said liquid body, said circuit board being attached to an inner surface of an outer wall of said sealed auxiliary compartment to produce an electric field that extends through said outer wall into space adjacent the outer surface of said outer wall so that the electric field of said at least one electric-field sensor is altered by the presence or absence of liquid adjacent a portion of the outer surface of said outer wall of said auxiliary compartment adjacent said at least one electric-field sensor and thereby producing an output signal that changes with the presence or absence of liquid along the outer surface of said auxiliary compartment adjacent said at least one electric-field sensor; and controlling the supply of electrical power to said drive motor in response to changes in said output signal from said at least one electric-field sensor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method of pumping liquid from a liquid body with a pump at least partially disposed in said liquid body whose level is to be controlled, the method comprising
placing a pump body in said body of liquid, said pump body forming a main compartment defining liquid intake and discharge openings, said main compartment containing a drive motor connected to an impeller and configured to eject liquid from said body of liquid outwardly through said discharge opening by selectively rotating said impeller; -
detecting the elevation of the surface of said liquid body with at least one electric-field sensor mounted on a circuit board, said circuit board being enclosed entirely within a sealed liquid-tight auxiliary compartment formed as an integral part of said pump body and located to be at least partially submerged in said liquid body, said circuit board being attached to an inner surface of an outer wall of said sealed auxiliary compartment such that said at least one electric-field sensor senses a difference in a dielectric constant in the space adjacent the outer surface of said outer wall due to the presence or absence of liquid adjacent a portion of the outer surface of said outer wall of said auxiliary compartment adjacent said at least one electric-field sensor and thereby producing an output signal that changes with the presence or absence of liquid along the outer surface of said auxiliary compartment adjacent said at least one electric-field sensor; and controlling the supply of electrical power to said drive motor in response to changes in said output signal from said at least one electric-field sensor to trigger a pump to begin pumping said liquid.
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Specification