Turbo fan aspirator
AssigneeAir Cruisers Company
InventorDaniel A. McNeil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aspirator assembly for enabling rapid inflation of evacuation slides and life rafts is configured for direct attachment to the inflatable article. The aspirator assembly comprises an open-ended body housing, a nozzle arrangement for introducing a pressurized fluid into the aspirator and toward a pair of counter-rotating impeller arrangements. The counter-rotating impeller arrangements allow for minimizing the internal forces to enable the stable mounting of the aspirator to the inflatable article without causing damage to the article material during operation.
Claims20
An aspirator assembly adapted for attachment to an inflatable article, comprising:
- an open-ended housing having opposite upstream and downstream ends;
- a source of a first pressurized fluid and at least two exit nozzles for directing said first pressurized fluid downstream therefrom;
- a central shaft extending longitudinally within the housing, said shaft being disposed along the longitudinal axis of said housing;
- at least a pair of primary and secondary impeller arrangements, said primary impeller arrangement rotationally mounted upon said central shaft and having integral central inner vane portions and outer blade portions;
- and,
- said secondary impeller arrangement rotationally mounted upon said central shaft adjacent to and downstream from said primary impeller arrangement, said secondary impeller arrangement having central inner vane portions and outer blade portions,
- wherein during operation, said first pressurized fluid is introduced into said housing and directed through said at least two exit nozzles toward the central internal vane portions of said primary impeller arrangement to effect rotation thereof in the first direction, the rotating outer blade portions of said primary impeller arrangement effecting entrainment of a secondary fluid into said housing through the open upstream end thereof, the rotation of said primary impeller arrangement causing corresponding counter-rotation of said secondary impeller arrangement in the second direction which is counter to the first direction.
A method for rapidly inflating an inflatable article using an aspirator assembly including a housing having an open upstream end and a downstream end, an inlet for introducing a pressurized fluid, at least two pressurized fluid outlets, and a pair of rotationally mounted impeller arrangements each having an inner vane portion, the method comprising the steps of:
- mounting said aspirator assembly directly to said inflatable article such that the upstream open end of said aspirator housing is exposed to ambient air surrounding said inflatable article and said downstream end is disposed within an interior region of said inflatable article;
- and
- introducing a pressurized primary fluid from a pressure source into said inlet such that the fluid passes through said fluid outlets and impinges upon the vane portion of a first one of said impeller arrangement in a manner causing rotation of said first impeller arrangement and corresponding counter-rotation of a second one of said impeller arrangements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.