Pneumo-hydraulic Sump Water Evacuation System

Abstract

A system is taught for automatically siphoning water out of a sump pit or reservoir that only relies on domestic water as the sole source of motive power to automatically evacuate water from a sump pit. This pump system uses neither electricity nor floats as it mechanically amplifies a small pneumatic pressure signal—a change in air pressure—to turn on and off a higher-pressure hydraulic source such as a domestic water supply having a pressure of approximately 60 psig. The present sump pump system further teaches an eductor Venturi assembly having an annular groove in the fluid outflow conduit that creates pumping suction using the principle of differential pressure created when a fluid transitions from laminar to turbulent flow. This sump pump system operates with or without backpressure unlike some systems of this type. Importantly, the present automatic sump pump is further distinguished from other sump pump assemblies by being easy and inexpensive to install into Radon-remediated sump pits, which by code must have hermetically sealed covers.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of the pending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/671,519 filed on Nov. 7, 2012 by inventors Lewis Werner Fleischmann and Carle Klupt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to systems for evacuating water from a sump pit, and more particularly, to systems that automatically evacuate water from a sump pit without electricity or floats using domestic water supply as the sole motive force.

2. Description of the Related Prior Art

Currently there are devices to automatically pump water from a sump pit in the event that electricity to run a standard sump pump is lost or the said standard pump experiences an electrical or mechanical failure.

One such pump relies on a standby battery power supply which can supply power for several hours, cycling on and off in response to the position of a float in the sump pit that is supplied with the unit.

Another system that is a Venturi pump, also called an eductor pump, that attaches to a washbasin faucet and has a standard ¾-inch garden hose attached to it with its other end placed into the sump pit. This pump must be manually turned on and off, necessitating that someone be home during a power outage.

There is yet another system which uses a float in the sump pit connected to a push-pull rod that extends upward to connect to a ball valve which turns a standard water supply on and off in response to the level of the float in the pit. This water supply powers a standard Venturi siphon. This float-based system does not readily lend itself to installation in a Radon remediated sump pit since the push-pull rod must penetrate through the cover and require a dynamic seal to maintain hermetic seal integrity. This adds to the expense of installation and the services of a plumber.

Tash's device U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,633 incorporates an elastomeric nozzle that deforms into a Venturi hourglass shape, but can only operate in the presence of a backpressure.

Numerous Venturi eductor pumps of the prior art are limited in the type and location of their installation because they will only operate if their discharge is directed against either a zero or a positive backpressure, typically requiring pumping up hill.

The pneumo-hydraulic sump water evacuation system taught herein overcomes in various ways the technical constraints and obstacles found in the prior art, including without limitation: not needing electricity to operate, not using a float ball-valve combination, not needing a dynamic seal for Radon-remediated buildings, not needing backpressure to evacuate water from a sump pit, and operating automatically without need for manual control or oversight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present automatic sump evacuator system is an assembly that siphons water from a sump pit automatically when the water level reaches some predetermined level, without need for oversight or electricity. Requiring neither electrical power nor flotation device for its operation, the present sump pump is comprised of a pilot-pressure operated fluid-amplified check-valve device that incorporates an integrated Venturi eductor annulus channel. This assembly screws onto a sink faucet or the like, or is otherwise connected to a water supply pipe having an isolation valve; to enable its operation, the water supply is turned on. The assembly has three hoses connected to it: a garden hose placed into the sump pit for siphoning water out of it; a small diameter plastic hose connected to a rigid stand pipe mounted vertically on a sump wall and extending some pre-determined distance into the sump pit; and a discharge hose to expel the evacuated sump water either to the building exterior or into a sink. The two hoses extending from the assembly into the sump pit are sealed at the sump coverlid to prevent Radon gas from leaking out. These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specifications and drawings and claims.

PRIOR ART REFERENCES

• Tash U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,633
• Ostrowski U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,518
• Tyner U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,835
• Gallup U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,512
• Buchanan U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,829
• Tremain U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,341
• Miskin U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,376
• Vignerot U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,172
• Kupiec U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,680

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional schematic view of the system assembly in its housing;

FIG. 2 shows an overview of the system assembly connected to a washbasin faucet with hoses for suction and the pneumatic pressure signal coming from an open sump pit, and a discharge port;

FIG. 3 shows an overview of the installed system assembly in the context of a Radon remediated sump pit; and,

FIG. 4 illustrates the physics of the formation of the hydraulically created eductor Venturi effect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system that comprises a sump water evacuation assembly which automatically turns itself on and off by continuously monitoring the level of fluid in a sump pit or other comparable reservoir. The system works without electricity as it is powered solely by the available water supply, automatically turning said water supply on when the level of water in the sump pit rises above a preset high-water level and turning off when it falls below.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, water or other fluid is siphoned out of a sump pit 40 or comparable reservoir through a hose, tubing or pipe that on one end reaches from near the bottom of the sump pit 40 and connects at its other end to the side suction port 30 of the present sump pump assembly 1. The force of pumping suction, equivalently referred to as siphoning, is created by source water flowing from a standard domestic supply at 60 psig and directed through chambers F to E and through nozzle 29 to flow past the side suction inlet port into chamber K through an eductor Venturi annulus channel and then into chamber G and out.

As seen in FIG. 4, the eductor Venturi assembly presented herein is comprised of a Venturi annular groove 32 in the cylindrical outflow path so that the water flows past the annulus 32 creating eddy currents, which transform laminar into turbulent flow. An increased flow velocity results with a concomitant lower water pressure through the central part of the conduit.

The water flow goes through the channel changing from laminar to turbulent as it passes by the annulus 32.

In the prototypical exemplary embodiment, the annular groove 32 is comprised of a sufficiently short section of a larger-diameter cylindrical conduit interposed between the cylindrical conduit that forms chambers K and G so as to create the Venturi hydrodynamics for suction. The high-velocity water jet enters the cylindrical eductor chamber E and as depicted in FIG. 4, induces a laminar flow regime upstream from the annulus 32.

As the laminar flow encounters the annulus 32, eddy currents are formed which induces a turbulent flow regime. This turbulent boundary layer increases the hydraulic pressure forcing the water flow into a smaller cross section that increases the velocity and thus a reduction in pressure of the water in the eductor tube. This pressure reduction prototypically induces a negative pressure in the order of approximately 18 inches of mercury applied to suction port 30.

The source water enters at the faucet connection into chamber F and equilibrates in chamber D. In response to a high-water air signal initiated as the water level in the sump pit rises above a pre-determined threshold level, a tilt valve 19 opens and source water is allowed to flow into chambers C and H which pushes check valve assembly 2 downward, allowing source water to flow from chamber F into chamber E, initiating the Venturi suction action. Chamber C may be considered a transition pressure chamber as it encompasses different pressures at different stages of the sump pump assembly activation.

When the fluid level falls below the threshold value, the high-water signal abates and tilt valve spring 9 biases the tilt valve to close; the piston valve springs back against O-ring 4 to seal chamber F from chamber E, thereby terminating the pumping siphoning action.

The source water pressure flowing into chamber H acts on the piston check valve to open chamber E to the source water in F because piston head 2 has a surface area larger than, for example twice that of the surface area of piston base 7; the 60 psig source water pressure exerted in chamber H on the piston head creates twice the force pushing the piston away from an O-ring 4 to open chamber E to chamber F as against the resisting closing force. Thus, the high-water air signal results in the flow of 60 psig source water from chamber F to chamber E, through a nozzle 29 and into outflow chambers K, and G that incorporate the Venturi annular groove 32 thereby creating pumping suction.

Chamber J is a relatively low-pressure compartment below the piston head 2 and is sealed with O-ring 5. It has restricted fluidic continuity with chamber H via a narrow-diameter orifice 15 through the piston head 2. Chamber J is also in fluidic continuity with the annular groove 32 via connecting tube 31. The narrow-diameter orifice 15 restricts water flow from chamber H into chamber 3 and hence to annulus 32 via aperture 31.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 when water rises in a sump pit the column of air within a rigid PVC tube or pipe 37 is compressed to an increased air pressure that is transmitted into assembly 1 by a polyurethane tubing 38 using a barbed fitting 24 or some equally effective attachment.

In a preferred embodiment, the rigid tube or pipe 37 is positioned with its lower open end at a pre-determined sump pit level; in the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 the lower open end of 37 is set to be higher than a pre-existing electric sump pump float valve. Standpipe 37 does not extend to the bottom of the pit, but rather just above the existing pump's float or other water level sensing mechanism, whatever that might be. By such a placement of 37, the present inventive sump pump would, for exemplary purposes and without imposing limitations on other possible advantageous placements, be activated automatically if a pre-existing electric sump pump is overwhelmed and water rises faster than it can pump; or in the not uncommon eventuality of a power failure.

FIG. 3 shows an installation of the present sump pump system for a radon-remediated structure whereas FIG. 2 shows an installation for an open sump pit. An adaptor 25 can be screwedly connected to the discharge port of the apparatus when the installation is set up to discharge into a sink where there is zero back pressure to the water flow. If the installation is to discharge to the exterior of the dwelling and the hose or tubing rises at least two feet, there is sufficient backpressure so that such an adapter 25 is not required.

When the increased air pressure of a high water signal equilibrates in chamber A, a diaphragm 21 sandwiched between diaphragm support discs 20 and 13 is deformed inward to overcome the resistance of both the biasing spring 14 and the static friction force of O-ring 12. The diaphragm support discs 13 and 20 are connected at center to one end of a rigid plunger rod 22. Chamber B is vented to ambient air via opening 33 so the bulging diaphragm will not increase chamber B's air pressure, which would otherwise oppose the movement of the diaphragm and discs 13, 20.

As the sump pit water rises, the bulging of the diaphragm due to increased air pressure in chamber A moves plunger rod 22 perpendicularly towards its other end in contact with the elongated shaft of tilt valve 19. As plunger rod 22 pushes the tilt valve shaft off its centerline the tilt valve head is displaced off its O-ring 10 thereby allowing water to flow from chamber D into chamber C. The air signal thus causes the opening of the tilt valve 19 to initiate the source water flow through the Venturi eductor annulus 32 that creates the pumping suction to empty fluid from the sump pit into a sink or some external discharge.

When the water level in the sump pit falls below the open end of rigid tube 37, the pilot signal abates and the pumping stops automatically. In the absence of a high water signal the diaphragm 21, the disc 20 and the push rod 22 return to a neutral position by action of balancing spring 14. With the shaft of the tilt valve no longer deflected past its centerline position the tilt valve returns to its default closed-configuration by action of spring 9 and the source water pressure, thereby preventing source water from further flowing through the assembly to create pumping suction. Pressures in the chambers return to baseline values thanks to the incorporation of vent holes 33, 15, and 31 that allow equilibration of pressures. As the diaphragm returns to its flat configuration, tilt valve 19 reverts back to its centerline position thereby cutting off the domestic water supply pressure exerted on piston 2. The water pressure acting on piston base 7 augmented by the biasing spring 3 then pushes the piston 2 upward into chamber H. The now stagnant water in chamber H now continues to bleed through orifice 15 into chamber J, exiting to the low-pressure zone in the eductor and the apparatus turns off until the next cycle.

Closing the source water supply to the assembly inactivates the present automatic sump pump system.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables anyone skilled in the relevant art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to the embodiments presented herein will be apparent to such artisans, and the general principles articulated in the description and the claims can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention.

Finally, any reference to prior art contained herein is not to be taken as an admission that the information is common general knowledge, unless otherwise indicated.

Claims

1. A system for evacuating a liquid from a sump pit to a remote location, powered solely by a domestic water pressure in response to a stagnation pressure signal, comprising:

a. a housing; and,

b. a diaphragm chamber having a diaphragm assembly deformably responsive to said stagnation pressure signal; and,

c. a plunger stem connected to said diaphragm assembly and sealably protruding into a lower pressure fluid chamber; and,

d. a transition pressure fluid chamber housing a long stem tilt valve juxtaposed against said plunger stem such that a mechanical lever arm moment amplification is induced; and,

e. a porting orifice fluidly connecting said higher pressure fluid chamber and a lower pressure fluid chamber; and,

f. a check valve piston assembly located such that a large diameter piston end of said check valve comprises a means to be sealably slideable within the lower pressure fluid chamber and a smaller diameter valve end of said check valve is sealably located within an inlet end of the higher pressure fluid chamber; and,

g. a stagnation pressure standpipe vertically located in the sump pit and in fluidic continuity with said diaphragm housing, wherein said stagnation pressure signal originates and controls a pneumohydraulic means for an on off operation of a motive fluid flow through an eductor Venturi component that creates a pumping suction force with said motive fluid flow causing said fluid to be siphoned from said sump pit.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the stagnation pressure signal side of the diaphragm chamber has volume dimensions to afford a flat diaphragm under zero differential pressure conditions, and further comprising a vent port on an opposite spring side of said diaphragm assembly open to an ambient atmospheric pressure.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 further comprising a biasing spring located on the opposite spring side of said diaphragm chamber which exerts a force on said diaphragm assembly slightly greater than a static friction force induced by a sealing means of said pushrod, and further comprising on said pushrod a plunger seal having a small inner diameter.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said long stem tilt valve having a minimal diameter long-stem rod sealably located in the transition pressure fluid chamber is ported to an inlet of said domestic water pressure, and further comprising:

a. an elongated stem of said long stem tilt valve, juxtaposed with the transition pressure fluid chamber, which by a summation of moments mechanically amplifies said stagnation pressure signal to produce a high-level hydraulic force; and,

b. wherein said tilt valve controls a domestic high pressure fluid flow entering from a high pressure inlet into a chamber having a large diameter piston end of said check valve.

5. The check valve piston assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said large diameter piston end is ported in communication with said lower pressure fluid chamber side of the tilt valve, said check valve piston assembly further comprising:

a. a high-lohm orifice located in the large diameter piston end through which there is a restricted fluid communication flow to a low-pressure chamber bounded on a side by an underside of said piston; and,

b. a small diameter valve is affixed to a slideably sealed stem segment of the larger diameter piston; and,

c. said low-pressure chamber ported to a sub-atmospheric pressure zone.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an exit chamber sealably located between said large diameter piston end and an inlet valve, wherein said discharge fluid chamber is in fluidic communication with the eductor Venturi component.

7. The check valve as recited in claim 1 wherein the sealable means of piston 2 comprises a rolling elastomeric diaphragm in place of an O-ring.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the eductor Venturi component comprises

a nozzle; and,

a cylindrical conduit for conducting a laminar flow of a fluid with a hydraulic pressure; and,

an annular groove circumferentially positioned in said cylindrical conduit imparting a discontinuous increase in a diameter of a groove section of said cylindrical conduit, whereby said annular groove induces a turbulent fluid boundary layer that causes a hydraulic flow velocity increase and a hydraulic pressure reduction within the cylindrical conduit, resulting in a pumping suction force.

9. A system for siphoning a fluid from a reservoir comprising,

a. means to transmit a stagnation pressure signal given a pre-determined fluid level in said reservoir without electricity or a float; and,

b. means to amplify said stagnation pressure signal by a mechanical lever arm moment amplification; and,

c. means to transduce a pneumatic stagnation pressure signal to a high pressure liquid flow; and,

d. means to direct said high-pressure liquid flow through an eductor Venturi assembly integrated in a substantially cylindrical discharge conduit having a nozzle and a discontinuous segmental increase in a conduit circumference, comprising an annular groove to create a pumping suction force,

whereby said stagnation pressure signal controls an operation of said system.