Submersible, circulation system for relatively small bodies of water such as a small pond
First Claim
1. A submersible, circulation system for a body of water such as a pond, said system including:
- a driving unit having a substantially tubular shell member and a base member, said tubular shell member being spaced from and extending about a substantially vertical axis and extending along said vertical axis for a first distance between upper and lower end sections, said upper and lower end sections of said tubular shell member respectively forming upper and lower openings extending about the vertical axis, said base member extending substantially across the lower opening of the tubular shell member and being supported below and spaced therefrom to create at least one inlet therebetween into the driving unit,said system further including a motor and pump supported within said tubular shell member and extending substantially along said vertical axis, said pump having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, said pump inlet being positioned vertically higher than said pump outlet and substantially adjacent the inlet into the driving unit, said pump outlet including a discharge nozzle directed upwardly and substantially along said vertical axis, said discharge nozzle being positioned in said base portion of the driving unit closer to the vertical axis than the inlet into the driving unit wherein with the driving unit of the system including the upper and lower end sections of the tubular shell member submerged below the surface of the body of water, the pump continuously draws an incoming flow of water substantially horizontally from outside the driving unit inwardly through the inlet into the driving unit with a first portion of the continuously incoming flow entering the pump inlet and the pump thereafter driving the first portion out through the discharge nozzle thereof substantially vertically upwardly within the driving unit along the vertical axis past the inlet and through the incoming flow of water wherein the upwardly directed water from the discharge nozzle flows out of the upper opening of the tubular shell member toward the surface of the body of water and induces the remaining portion of the incoming flow of water not drawn into the pump inlet to move upwardly therewith toward the surface of the body of water.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A submersible, circulation system for small and shallow bodies of water such as a small pond. The system includes a driving unit with a tubular shell member and a base member and has a submersed motor and pump supported therein. The shell member extends along and about a vertical axis and has upper and lower openings with the base member spaced below and extending across the lower opening to create inlets therebetween. The pump draws water horizontally through the inlets into the unit where a relatively small first portion of the incoming water enters the pump and is driven downwardly and out upwardly directed discharge nozzles. The discharged flow passes through the remaining portion of the incoming flow to induce the larger, remaining portion to move upwardly with it toward the pond surface in a non-turbulent manner to raise the pond surface into a slightly convex mound. Gravity subsequently collapses the mound in a repeating process to create a pattern of substantially laminar, surface waves outwardly to the pond edges, down the pond sides, and back into the driving unit.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A submersible, circulation system for a body of water such as a pond, said system including:
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a driving unit having a substantially tubular shell member and a base member, said tubular shell member being spaced from and extending about a substantially vertical axis and extending along said vertical axis for a first distance between upper and lower end sections, said upper and lower end sections of said tubular shell member respectively forming upper and lower openings extending about the vertical axis, said base member extending substantially across the lower opening of the tubular shell member and being supported below and spaced therefrom to create at least one inlet therebetween into the driving unit, said system further including a motor and pump supported within said tubular shell member and extending substantially along said vertical axis, said pump having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, said pump inlet being positioned vertically higher than said pump outlet and substantially adjacent the inlet into the driving unit, said pump outlet including a discharge nozzle directed upwardly and substantially along said vertical axis, said discharge nozzle being positioned in said base portion of the driving unit closer to the vertical axis than the inlet into the driving unit wherein with the driving unit of the system including the upper and lower end sections of the tubular shell member submerged below the surface of the body of water, the pump continuously draws an incoming flow of water substantially horizontally from outside the driving unit inwardly through the inlet into the driving unit with a first portion of the continuously incoming flow entering the pump inlet and the pump thereafter driving the first portion out through the discharge nozzle thereof substantially vertically upwardly within the driving unit along the vertical axis past the inlet and through the incoming flow of water wherein the upwardly directed water from the discharge nozzle flows out of the upper opening of the tubular shell member toward the surface of the body of water and induces the remaining portion of the incoming flow of water not drawn into the pump inlet to move upwardly therewith toward the surface of the body of water. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for circulating water in a body of water such as a pond, said method including the steps of:
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(a) providing a submersible driving unit with a substantially tubular shell member extending along and about a substantially vertical axis and having upper and lower openings extending about said vertical axis and a base member extending substantially across the lower opening and spaced below the lower opening to create at least one inlet therebetween into the driving unit, (b) using a pump having at least one inlet and one discharge nozzle with the pump inlet positioned vertically higher than the discharge nozzle to continuously draw an incoming flow of water substantially horizontally from outside the driving unit through the inlet into the driving unit with a first portion of the incoming flow entering the pump inlet and being driven out through the discharge nozzle, and (c) directing the water from the discharge nozzle substantially vertically upwardly within in said driving unit along the vertical axis past the inlet into the driving unit and through the incoming flow of water toward the surface of the body of water to induce the remaining portion of the incoming flow not drawn into the pump inlet to move upwardly therewith toward the surface of the body of water. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A circulation system for a body of water such as a pond, said system including:
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a driving unit submersible below the surface of the body of water and having a substantially tubular shell member and a base member, said tubular shell member being spaced from and extending about a substantially vertical axis and extending along said vertical axis for a first distance between upper and lower end sections, said upper and lower end sections of said tubular shell member respectively forming upper and lower openings extending about the vertical axis, said base member extending substantially across the lower opening of the tubular shell member and being supported below and spaced therefrom to create at least one inlet therebetween into the driving unit, said system including a submersible motor and pump supported within said submerged tubular shell member and extending substantially along said vertical axis, said pump having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, said pump outlet including a discharge nozzle directed upwardly within said tubular shell member and substantially along said vertical axis toward the surface of the body of water, the pump continuously drawing an incoming flow of water substantially horizontally from outside the driving unit inwardly through the inlet into the driving unit with at least a first portion of the continuously incoming flow entering the pump inlet and the pump thereafter driving the first portion out through the discharge nozzle thereof substantially vertically upwardly within the tubular shell member along the vertical axis toward the surface of the body of water, the system further including at least one surface float spaced from and attached to the submerged driving unit wherein the upwardly directed first portion of water flowing vertically out of the tubular shell member is unrestricted and forms an unconfined, upwardly directed current in said body of water, said surface float being positioned in the upwardly directed current and having a submerged, substantially convex lower surface substantially extending about the vertical axis wherein the water in said upwardly directed current strikes said submerged, convex lower surface of the surface float and is deflected outwardly about said vertical axis.
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41. A method for circulating water in a body of water such as a pond, said method including the steps of:
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(a) providing a submersible driving unit with a substantially tubular shell member extending along and about a substantially vertical axis and having upper and lower openings extending about said vertical axis and a base member extending substantially across the lower opening and spaced below the lower opening to create at least one inlet therebetween into the driving unit, (b) using a pump having at least one inlet and one discharge nozzle to continuously draw an incoming flow of water substantially horizontally from outside the driving unit through the inlet into the driving unit with at least a first portion of the incoming flow entering the pump inlet and being driven out through the discharge nozzle, (c) directing the water from the discharge nozzle substantially vertically upwardly within said tubular shell member along the vertical axis toward the surface of the body of water, (d) providing a surface float spaced from and attached to said submerged driving unit having a submerged, substantially convex lower surface substantially extending about said vertical axis, (e) directing the water from the driving unit upwardly in an unrestricted manner forming an unconfined, upwardly directed current in said body of water, and (f) positioning the submerged convex lower surface of the surface float in said upwardly directed current to deflect the water therein outwardly about said vertical axis.
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Specification