# US 2014/0154071 A1 · Air diffuser system for industrial pumps > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154071 A1 - Document ID: US20140154071A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/908,808 - Filed: 2013-06-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2007-04-05 - Assignees: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd. - Applicants: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd. - Inventors: Kevin Edward Burgess; Michael Christopher Foreman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154071A1 ## CPC - F04D 1/04: Helico-centrifugal pumps - F04D 29/108: {the sealing fluid being other than the working liquid or being the working liquid treated} - F04D 29/128: {with special means for adducting cooling or sealing fluid} - Y10T 29/49243: Centrifugal type - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An air diffuser device suitable for use in an air diffuser system for a centrifugal pump the pump including a pump casing with a pumping chamber therein, an impeller mounted within the pumping chamber for rotation about a rotation axis, the impeller including a front side and a rear side. The air diffuser system comprises one or more passages extending through the impeller from the front side to the rear side, the or each passage having a first opening at the rear side and a second opening at the front side of the impeller. The air diffuser device comprises a main body having a seal side and an impeller side, and at least one channel extending through the main body from the seal side to the impeller side, the or each channel having an intake opening at the seal side, a discharge opening at the impeller side, and a base wall extending through the main body, the base wall having a leading end portion at the seal side, and a trailing end portion at the impeller side, the discharge opening being in fluid communication with the first opening of the passage in the impeller when installed. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-11. (canceled) ### Claim 12 An air diffuser device suitable for use in an air diffuser system for a centrifugal pump, the pump including a pump casing with a pumping chamber therein, an impeller mounted within the pumping chamber for rotation about a rotation axis, the impeller including a front side and a rear side, the air diffuser system comprising one or more passages extending through the impeller from the front side to the rear side, the or each passage having a first opening at the rear side and a second opening at the front side of the impeller, the air diffuser device comprising a main body having a first side and a second side, and at least one channel extending through the main body from the first side to the second side, the or each channel having an in use intake opening at the first side and a discharge opening at the second side, and wherein the main body has an element which extends radially outwardly therefrom and which is arranged in use to be positioned in a close facing relationship with the rear side of the impeller so as to define a chamber therebetween, such that in use the discharge opening and the first opening of the passage in the impeller are placed in fluid communication via the said chamber. ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 An air diffuser device suitable for use in an air diffuser system for a centrifugal pump, the pump including a pump casing with a pumping chamber therein, an impeller mounted within the pumping chamber for rotation about a rotation axis, the impeller including a front side and a rear side, the air diffuser system comprising one or more passages extending through the impeller from the front side to the rear side, the or each passage having a first opening at the rear side and a second opening at the front side of the impeller, the air diffuser device comprising a main body having a first side and a second side, and at least one channel extending through the main body from the first side to the second side, the or each channel having an in use intake opening at the first side, a discharge opening at the second side, wherein the device is arranged such that in use the or each channel alone places the first side of the body in fluid communication with the first opening of the passage in the impeller. ### Claim 15 (canceled) ### Claim 16 An air diffuser device comprising a main body having a first side and a second side, and at least one channel extending through the main body from the first side to the second side, the or each channel being configured so that, when the device is rotated in use, a vortex or swirling flow is created causing material to flow therethrough. ### Claim at position 7 17-18. (canceled) ### Claim 19 A method of installing an air diffuser system in a pump assembly, comprising: providing a centrifugal pump having an internal chamber sized for receipt of an impeller therein for rotation and having a drive shaft; providing an impeller with a front side and a rear side and having an air diffuser system comprising one or more passages extending through the impeller from the front side to the rear side of the impeller, each passage having a first opening at the rear side and a second opening at the front side of the impeller: providing an air diffuser device comprising a main body having a first side and a second side and at least one channel extending through the main body from the first side to the second side of the main body, each channel having an in-use intake opening at the first side, a discharge opening at the second side arranged to be in fluid communication with the first opening of the passage in the impeller; and operatively mounting the air diffuser device and the impeller to a drive shaft of the pump assembly for rotation by the drive shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19 including the step of mounting the device to a hub of the impeller so that the hub extends through an aperture in the device, securing a mounting plate to a seal side of the main body, securing the drive shaft to the impeller hub, the drive shaft extending through the aperture in the device, sandwiching the mounting plate between an end of the hub of the impeller and a part of a pump seal so that the air diffuser device will rotate with said drive shaft and said impeller. ### Claim at position 10 ### Claim at position 11 ### Claim at position 12 ### Claim at position 13 ### Claim at position 14 ### Claim at position 15 ### Claim at position 16 ### Claim at position 17 ### Claim 29 (depends on 12) An air diffuser device according to claim 12 wherein the or each channel further comprises a base wall having a leading end portion at the first side of the main body and a trailing end portion at the second side of the main body, wherein the leading and trailing end portions are flush with the respective first side and second side. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) An air diffuser device according to claim 29 wherein the base wall of the or each said channel is generally arcuate in shape and generally radially spaced from a central axis of the main body and inclined from the leading end portion towards the trailing end portion. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) An air diffuser device according to claim 30 wherein the or each intake opening is generally arcuate in shape and generally radially spaced from the central axis. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) An air diffuser device according to claim 30 wherein the or each discharge opening is generally arcuate in shape and generally radially spaced from the central axis. ### Claim 33 (depends on 12) An air diffuser device according to claim 12 wherein the or each channel further comprises a base wall, each base wall being generally partially spiral or helical in shape. ### Claim 34 (depends on 12) An air diffuser device according to claim 12 further including a plurality of said channels, the intake openings being spaced apart around said first side of the main body and the discharge openings being spaced apart around said second side of the main body. ### Claim 35 (depends on 12) An air diffuser device according to claim 12 wherein said first side and said second side of the main body are each generally circular when viewed in the direction of a central axis, with a peripheral side wall extending therebetween. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) An air diffuser device according to claim 35 further including a rim extending radially outwardly from the second side of the main body. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) An air diffuser device according to claim 36 wherein the rim is substantially resiliently deformable. ### Claim 38 (depends on 14) An air diffuser device according to claim 14 wherein the or each channel further comprises a base wall having a leading end portion at the first side of the main body and a trailing end portion at the second side of the main body, wherein the leading and trailing end portions are flush with the respective first side and second side of the main body. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) An air diffuser device according to claim 38 wherein the base wall of the or each said channel is generally arcuate in shape and generally radially spaced from a central axis of the main body and inclined from the leading end portion towards the trailing end portion. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) An air diffuser device according to claim 39 wherein the or each intake opening is generally arcuate in shape and generally radially spaced from the central axis. ### Claim 41 (depends on 39) An air diffuser device according to claim 39 wherein the or each discharge opening is generally arcuate in shape and generally radially spaced from the central axis. ### Claim 42 (depends on 14) An air diffuser device according to claim 14 wherein the or each channel further comprises a base wall, each base wall being generally partially spiral or helical in shape. ### Claim 43 (depends on 14) An air diffuser device according to claim 14 further including a plurality of said channels, the intake openings being spaced apart around said first side of the main body and the discharge openings being spaced apart around said second side of the main body. ### Claim 44 (depends on 14) An air diffuser device according to claim 14 further including a rim extending radially outwardly from the second side of the main body, wherein the rim is substantially resiliently deformable.