Patent ID: 11920607
Assignee: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  A | IPC A  F

Claim 6:
7. A method of pumping water for an aquarium filter; the method comprising:
(a) providing a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a rotor mounted on the shaft;
(b) rotating an impeller in an aquarium to draw water into the filter; and
(c) wherein the step of rotating the impeller includes rotating blades radially extending from the shaft, each of the impeller blades including:
(i) opposite blade faces;
(ii) a free edge remote from the shaft;
(iii) first and second opposite edges extending from the shaft to the free edge; the blade faces being bordered by the first and second edges and the free edge;
(iii) each of the blades having a thickness defined between the opposite blade faces; the thickness being non-constant and including a region of smallest thickness and one or more regions of maximum thickness;
(A) the region of smallest thickness being at the free edge; the thickness increasing along the blade from said free edge and toward the first edge and second edge;
(B) the first edge and second edge having the maximum thickness; and
(C) wherein each of the blade faces includes a depression having two opposite parallel sections that round to a vertex portion.