US 7,253,536 B2 · Water supply apparatus

Abstract

A water supply apparatus includes an apparatus body disposed in a flow passage for sucking water to an indoor facility and a power generation unit installed in the apparatus body. Further, the power generation unit further comprises a rotating shaft extended in a direction perpendicular to the water channel direction of the flow passage, and impeller installed on the rotating shaft and rotated by a water flow, a magnet rotated interlockingly with the impeller, and a coil arranged oppositely to the magnet, wherein the impeller forms blades in the radial outer direction and forms clearances allowing water to pass to the inside of the blades. Since the clearances are formed between the blades and the rotating shaft such a trouble that water flowing into the base ends of the blades obstructs the rotation of the impeller can be eliminated to increase a power generation amount by the power generation unit. In addition, since there is no need to expand the flow passage on the outside of the impeller to reduce the rotational resistance of the impeller, the size of the water supply apparatus can be reduced.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A water supply apparatus in which an apparatus body is disposed in a midst of a flow passage for supplying water to an indoor facility and a power generating unit is installed in the apparatus body, the power generating unit comprising;

a rotating shaft extended in the direction perpendicular to the water flow direction of the flow passage;
an impeller mounted on the rotating shaft and rotated by a water flow;
a holder having a cylindrical portion with an arcuate cross section along the impeller and having a shaft support portion which supports a proximal end portion of the rotary shaft on a distal end portion of the cylindrical portion;
a magnet rotated interlockingly with the impeller;
and
a coil arranged to face the magnet in an opposed manner wherein
the holder in the power generating unit is mounted on a peripheral surface of an opening portion formed in the apparatus body in a state that the shaft support portion is inserted into the inside of the flow passage from the opening portion,
the impeller forms blades in the outward radial direction and forms clearances allowing water to pass the inside of the blades;
a clearance is formed between outer peripheries of the blades and an inner wall of the flow passage, and the clearance is set larger than a clearance between the outer peripheries of the blades and the cylindrical portion for forming a flow passage which does not receive a pressure loss attributed to the impeller.

6 more elements

A water supply apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body disposed in a water supply flow passage;
a power generating unit removably disposed in the apparatus body, the power generating unit comprising:
a holder having an axial proximal end and an axial distal end;
said holder including an axially extending cylindrical portion and a cover, said cylindrical portion extending from said holder distal end towards said holder proximal end, and said cover extending from said holder proximal end towards said holder distal end, said cylindrical portion including an axial opening;
a rotating shaft rotatably supported at said axial distal end of said holder cylindrical portion in essentially a radial center of said cylindrical portion, said shaft axially extending towards said holder cover;
said holder being removably mounted on a peripheral surface of an opening in the apparatus body so that:
said cover is disposed exterior to said body and said cylindrical portion is disposed within said body and extends perpendicularly through a water flow path;
and water flow is capable of flowing over an exterior surface of said cylindrical portion and into an interior of said cylindrical portion through said axial opening;
an impeller disposed within the cylindrical portion of the holder and disposed on the rotating shaft, the impeller being rotatable by the water flow entering the interior of said cylindrical portion;
a magnet disposed within the holder and connected to the impeller so as to rotate with the impeller;
and
a coil disposed in said cover of the holder and facing the magnet;
and
the impeller including blades extending in a radially outward direction and including clearances for enabling water flow past the blades.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Water supply apparatus

Life of this patent

Water supply apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17