Fluid pump having self-cleaning air inlet structure

A pneumatically driven fluid pump apparatus comprising:

• a pump casing having an inner wall;
• a pump cap secured at a first end of the pump casing;
• a liquid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap and extending at least partially within an interior area of the pump casing toward a second end of the pump casing, and where fluid is admitted into the pump casing at the second end;
• a fluid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap for receiving liquid collected within the pump casing and discharged through the liquid discharge tube;
• the pump cap including:
• an airflow inlet for receiving a pressurized airflow from an external pressurized air source, where the pressurized airflow is used to help displace liquid collecting within the pump casing upwardly through the liquid discharge tube;
• and
• a flow channeling subsystem in communication with the airflow inlet and operably associated with the pump cap and exposed to an interior area of the pump casing, which directs the pressurized airflow received through the airflow inlet towards the inner wall of the pump casing to create a swirling airflow within the pump casing that extends along at least portions of the inner wall, the swirling airflow moving in a circumferential swirling fashion toward the second end of the pump casing, which entrains fluid within the pump casing causing a swirling fluid flow within the pump casing, which helps to clean the inner wall of the pump casing as the fluid is forced into and through the liquid discharge tube during a fluid eject cycle;
• wherein the flow channeling subsystem includes a component secured to an undersurface of the pump cap which is in airflow communication with the airflow inlet, and which directs the pressurized airflow toward the inner wall of the pump casing in the circumferential swirling fashion.

A pneumatically driven fluid pump apparatus comprising:

• a pump casing having an inner wall;
• a pump cap secured at a first end of the pump casing;
• a liquid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap and extending at least partially within an interior area of the pump casing toward a second end of the pump casing, and where fluid is admitted into the pump casing at the second end;
• a fluid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap for receiving liquid collected within the pump casing and discharged through the liquid discharge tube;
• the pump cap including:
• an airflow inlet for receiving a pressurized airflow from an external pressurized air source, where the pressurized airflow is used to help displace liquid collecting within the pump casing upwardly through the liquid discharge tube;
• and
• a flow channeling subsystem in communication with the airflow inlet and operably associated with the pump cap and exposed to an interior area of the pump casing, which directs the pressurized airflow received through the airflow inlet towards the inner wall of the pump casing to create a swirling airflow within the pump casing that extends along at least portions of the inner wall, the swirling airflow moving in a circumferential swirling fashion toward the second end of the pump casing, which entrains fluid within the pump casing causing a swirling fluid flow within the pump casing, which helps to clean the inner wall of the pump casing as the fluid is forced into and through the liquid discharge tube during a fluid eject cycle;
• wherein the flow channeling subsystem includes:
• a nozzle in communication with the air inlet port;
• and
• an air deflector having an outwardly flaring portion configured to receive the pressurized airflow leaving the nozzle, and to redirect the pressurized airflow in a circumferential swirling flow toward the inner wall of the pump casing, the air deflector secured to and supported from the liquid discharge tube;
• wherein the air deflector includes a sleeve which fits over a portion of the liquid discharge tube such that the air deflector is positioned concentrically with the liquid discharge tube.

A pneumatically driven fluid pump apparatus comprising:

• a pump casing having an inner wall;
• a pump cap secured at a first end of the pump casing;
• a liquid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap and extending at least partially within an interior area of the pump casing toward a second end of the pump casing, and where fluid is admitted into the pump casing at the second end;
• a fluid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap for receiving liquid collected within the pump casing and discharged through the liquid discharge tube;
• the pump cap including:
• an airflow inlet for receiving a pressurized airflow from an external pressurized air source, where the pressurized airflow is used to help displace liquid collecting within the pump casing upwardly through the liquid discharge tube;
• and
• a flow channeling subsystem in communication with the airflow inlet and operably associated with the pump cap and exposed to an interior area of the pump casing, which directs the pressurized airflow received through the airflow inlet towards the inner wall of the pump casing to create a swirling airflow within the pump casing that extends along at least portions of the inner wall, the swirling airflow moving in a circumferential swirling fashion toward the second end of the pump casing, which entrains fluid within the pump casing causing a swirling fluid flow within the pump casing, which helps to clean the inner wall of the pump casing as the fluid is forced into and through the liquid discharge tube during a fluid eject cycle;
• wherein the flow channeling subsystem includes:
• a nozzle in communication with the air inlet port;
• and
• an air deflector having an outwardly flaring portion configured to receive the pressurized airflow leaving the nozzle, and to redirect the pressurized airflow in a circumferential swirling flow toward the inner wall of the pump casing;
• wherein the nozzle projects from the pump cap into the interior area of the pump casing generally parallel to the liquid discharge tube.

A pneumatically driven fluid pump apparatus, comprising:

• a pump casing;
• a pump cap secured at a first end of the pump casing and having an airflow inlet port configured to receive a pressurized airflow from a remote compressed air source;
• a liquid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap and extending at least partially within an interior area of the pump casing toward a second end of the pump casing, and where liquid is admitted into the pump casing at the second end;
• a fluid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap for receiving liquid collected within the pump casing and discharged through the liquid discharge tube, and routing the received liquid to an external reservoir or location;
• the pump cap including a flow channeling subsystem including:
• an airflow nozzle in communication with the airflow inlet and also with the interior area of the pump casing, which directs the pressurized airflow toward an inner wall of the pump casing to create a circumferential swirling airflow within the pump casing, the airflow nozzle depending from an undersurface of the pump cap;
• and
• an air deflector disposed in the pump casing adjacent to the nozzle and in the path of the pressurized airflow discharged from the nozzle, the air deflector further helping to create the circumferential swirling airflow within the pump casing which entrains liquid having collected within the pump casing to create a swirling, helical fluid flow which operates to help clean the inner wall of the pump casing, while also forcing the swirling liquid upwardly into and through the liquid discharge tube during a fluid ejection cycle.

A method for cleaning an interior area of a pump casing of a pneumatically driven fluid pump, the method comprising:

• using a pump cap secured to a first end of an elongated, tubular pump to receive a pressurized airflow from a remote pressurized air generating device, to be admitted into an interior area of the pump casing;
• using a liquid discharge tube in communication with the pump cap and extending at least partially within an interior area of the pump casing toward a second end of the pump casing, to receive liquid which has been admitted into the pump casing at a second end of the pump casing;
• directing the pressurized airflow received at the pump cap through the pump cap into a flow channeling subsystem disposed within the pump casing and into the interior area of the pump casing;
• and
• creating a swirling, helical flow of the liquid within the pump casing by entraining the liquid within the pump casing with the pressurized airflow provided to the interior area of the pump casing such that the liquid moves along an inner wall of the pump casing, towards the second end of the pump casing, to thus clean the inner wall of the pump casing by liquid scrubbing action within the pump casing to remove debris adhered to an inside wall surface of the inner wall of the pump casing and such that the liquid collects removed debris as the liquid swirls downward under pressure from the pressurized airflow and then is forced upwardly into, and through, the liquid discharge tube out from the pump casing.