Inlet design for a pump assembly

摘要

One embodiment includes an air pump assembly (10) with an impeller (12), a housing (16), and a diverter (18). The impeller (12) has an axis of rotation (R). The housing (16) surrounds the impeller (12) and has an inlet passage (42) with a longitudinal axis (L1) arranged generally orthogonal to the axis of rotation (R) of the impeller (12). The diverter (18) helps reduce turbulent fluid-flow in the inlet passage (42).

主权项

1. A product comprising:
a regenerative air pump assembly comprising: an impeller having an axial face, an axis of rotation, and a circumferential periphery; a housing surrounding the impeller; an inlet and an outlet passage formed in the housing for receiving and delivering a fluid, the inlet passage having a longitudinal axis arranged generally orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the impeller; at least one primary passage being open to the impeller at the axial face of the impeller and extending between the inlet passage and the outlet passage and having a cross-section defined by the axial face of the impeller and a primary surface of the housing; wherein the cross-section of the at least one primary passage is essentially the same from the inlet passage to the outlet passage; and a diverter located at least adjacent the inlet passage, the diverter having a surface confronting the axial face of the impeller, confronting the circumferential periphery of the impeller, or confronting the axial face and the circumferential periphery of the impeller, wherein, during use of the air pump assembly, the diverter inhibits generation of turbulent flow between the incoming fluid flow and the impeller where the diverter surface confronts the impeller.