Vortex disruptor for a liquid circulator
AssigneeKasco Marine, Inc.
InventorTravis Hilden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid circulator for creating liquid circulation in a body of liquid includes a vortex disrupter or blocker that disrupts a vortex created by the circulation assembly of the liquid circulator to minimize or eliminate the slurping/slapping sound. The liquid circulator and vortex disrupter described herein may be used in shallow water with the liquid circulator mounted to a structure, such as a dock or pier. The vortex disruptor permits the circulation assembly to be operated closer to the water surface, while minimizing or eliminating the slurping/slapping sound, and with the circulation assembly further away from the bottom to avoid moving too much debris or possibly causing dredging/trenching on the bottom.
Claims7
A liquid circulator system for creating liquid circulation in a body of liquid, comprising:
- a liquid circulator that includes a support shaft and a liquid circulation assembly;
- the support shaft is mountable to a support structure, the support shaft having an upper end that in use is disposed out of the liquid and a lower end that in use is disposed in the liquid;
- the liquid circulation assembly is mounted at the lower end of the support shaft and is submerged in the liquid, the liquid circulation assembly includes a rotatable liquid propeller, an electric drive motor connected to the rotatable liquid propeller to rotate the rotatable liquid propeller, and a propeller guard at least partially surrounding the rotatable liquid propeller;
- a self-locating vortex disruptor buoy that is physically separate and spaced from the support shaft, the self-locating vortex disruptor buoy is positioned at a location above the rotatable liquid propeller and is configured to self-locate relative to the rotatable liquid propeller to a position to disrupt a vortex created by the rotatable liquid propeller;
- and
- a tether attached to the self-locating vortex disruptor buoy and to the liquid circulator that prevents the self-locating vortex disruptor buoy from floating away.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.