Submersible pump with external slicer

A pump apparatus comprising:

• housing,
• a motor, wherein the motor is in operative connection with the housing,
• a drive shaft, wherein the motor is in operative connection with the drive shaft, wherein in the operative position of the apparatus the drive shaft extends along a vertical axis,
• a pump chamber within the housing, wherein the pump chamber includes
• an axially extending inlet opening configured to enable liquid flow into the pump chamber, and an outlet opening vertically above the inlet opening and configured to enable liquid to flow from the pump chamber,
• an impeller, wherein the impeller is rotatably positioned in the pump chamber, wherein the impeller is in operative connection with the drive shaft and is rotatable about the axis,
• a slicer plate, wherein the slicer plate
• includes a plurality of slicer plate fluid openings, wherein the slicer plate fluid openings are in fluid connection with the inlet opening, and
• wherein in the operative position the slicer plate extends below and fluidly in advance of the inlet opening,
• a slicer, wherein the slicer
• includes at least one blade edge,
• wherein the at least one blade edge extends in downward immediately adjacent relation with the slicer plate fluid openings,
• wherein the slicer is in operative connection with the drive shaft, wherein rotation of the drive shaft is operative to cause the at least one blade edge to move across the fluid openings,
• wherein the impeller includes
• a circular plate portion, wherein the plate portion has a circumferential periphery, wherein an impeller diameter corresponds to a distance through the axis across the circumferential periphery,
• a plurality of uniformly angularly spaced impeller vanes, wherein each of the impeller vanes
• is in fixed connection with the plate portion,
• extends radially outward and vertically downward from the plate portion,
• an impeller open area, wherein the impeller open area comprises an axially centered radially extending annularly continuous open area that is bounded vertically by the plate portion and radially outwardly by respective leading surfaces of the impeller vanes,
• wherein each of the impeller vanes extend downward from the plate portion a distance that is at least 30% of the impeller diameter,
• wherein rotation of the drive shaft responsive to the motor is operative to cause rotation of the impeller and movement of the slicer, whereby the impeller is operative to cause liquid flow from outside the housing through the at least one slicer plate fluid opening, through the inlet opening and the pump chamber, and outward through the outlet opening while the at least one blade edge of the slicer is operative to slice solid material that extends in the at least one fluid opening.

A pump apparatus comprising:

• a housing,
• a motor, wherein the motor is in operative connection with the housing,
• wherein the motor is in operative connection with a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft extends along an axis, wherein in an operative position of the apparatus the axis extends vertically,
• a pump chamber, wherein the pump chamber extends within the housing,
• wherein the pump chamber includes
• an axially centered vertically extending inlet opening configured to enable liquid to flow into the pump chamber, and
• an outlet opening vertically above the inlet opening and configured to enable liquid to flow out of the pump chamber,
• an impeller, wherein the impeller is rotatably positioned in the pump chamber,
• wherein the impeller is in operative connection with the drive shaft and is rotatable about the axis,
• a slicer plate, wherein in the operative position the slicer plate extends in axially disposed underlying relation of the inlet opening,
• wherein the slicer plate includes
• a slicer face, wherein the slicer face extends in a downward facing direction away from the inlet opening,
• an axially aligned slicer drive opening, wherein the drive opening extends through the slicer plate,
• at least one slicer plate fluid opening, wherein the at least one slicer plate fluid opening is fluidly in advance of the inlet opening, extends vertically through the slicer plate at a location disposed radially away from the slicer drive opening and is vertically in direct underlying relation below the inlet opening,
• a slicer, wherein the slicer
• extends in outwardly underlying relation of the slicer face,
• is in operatively engaged rotational connection with the drive shaft, whereby the slicer is in operative connection with the drive shaft through the slicer drive opening,
• includes at least one blade edge, wherein the at least one blade edge extends radially outward away from the axis and is positioned in immediately adjacent relation to the slicer face,
• wherein the impeller includes
• a circular axially centered plate portion, wherein the plate portion has an outer periphery, wherein an impeller diameter corresponds to the outer periphery,
• an axially centered cylindrical hub, wherein the hub
• is operatively attached to the plate portion,
• is operatively engaged with the drive shaft, and
• is bounded radially outward by a hub outer surface,
• a plurality of uniformly angularly spaced impeller vanes in attached connection with the plate portion, wherein in the operative position each impeller vane extends
• beginning radially outward away from the outer surface of the hub, downward from the plate portion to a radially and horizontally extending bottom edge, and
• radially outward from a radially innermost leading surface to a vertically extending outer vane edge, wherein the outer vane edge radially corresponds to the outer periphery,
• wherein the leading surface is continuously radially disposed away from the hub outer surface and is disposed radially further away from the hub outer surface with increasing proximity to the bottom edge,
• wherein in each of the leading surfaces bound a continuous annular open area, wherein the open area extends continuously
• radially between the hub outer surface and the leading surfaces,
• and
• immediately above the inlet opening,
• wherein each impeller vane has a vane height parallel to the axis from the plate portion to the bottom edge that is at least 30% of the impeller diameter,
• wherein rotation of the drive shaft responsive to the motor is operative to cause rotation of the impeller and the slicer, wherein the impeller is operative to cause liquid flow from outside the housing through the at least one slicer plate fluid opening, through the inlet opening and the pump chamber, and outward through the outlet opening while the at least one blade edge of the slicer is operative to slice solid material that extends in the at least one fluid opening, wherein solids are suspended within the liquid in the continuous annular open area until the liquid in which the solids are suspended flows radially outward between the vanes.