Patent Publication Number: US-6659717-B1

Title: Filter pump for a pool

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a filter pump for a pool, particularly to one easy to be assembled and disassembled, and convenient in use. 
     It is believed that the best way of relieving heat of summer is to jump into cool water in a pool and make fun in it, and some people prefer to purchase a small-size portable pool together with a filter pump to be used at home rather than go swimming in a public swimming pool because the pool may be far from home and it is not necessarily hygienic to swim therein. The set of filter pump is used for eliminating impurities in the water of a pool by circulatory filtration, and enabling the water in the pool to be used repeatedly. 
     A conventional filter pump for a pool, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a pump body  10 , and a water intake connecter  101  and a water outlet connecter  101 ′ for respectively combining a water pipe  20  to lead water out of and in a pool. The water pipe  20  has one end fitted around with a constriction device  30  made of arc-shaped metallic sheet, as shown in FIG.  3 . The arc-shaped metallic sheet has both ends respectively bent to extend outward and form a pair of wings  301 , which are made parallel to each other after closely constricted together. The wings  301  respectively have two through holes  302  for bolts  303  to be inserted therethruogh and then screw tightly with nuts  304 . After the water pipe  20  is combined respectively with the water intake connecter  101  and the water outlet connecter  101 ′, the bolts  303  and the nuts  304  of the constriction device  30  are tightly screwed together by means of tools (such as a screwdriver and a spanner) so as to let the water pipe  20  firmly connected together with the water intake connecter  101  and the water outlet connecter  101 ′. 
     However, the combination of the water intake connecter  101  and the water outlet connecter  101 ′ with the water pipe  20  in the conventional filter pump  10  can hardly be done without tools, resulting in much trouble when the pool and the filter pump  10  have to be assembled for use or disassembled for storing. The pool and the filter pump  10  are not fixed or stationary, often have to be moved, disassembled and assembled, so the conventional filter pump is quite troublesome in using. 
     SUMMAERY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of the invention is to offer a filter pump for a pool, easy in assembling and disassembling, and convenient in use. 
     The filter pump includes a valve body provided with a water intake connecter and a water outlet connecter on one side for combining a water pipe respectively. The feature of the invention is that the water intake connecter and the water outlet connecter are respectively fixed with a connecter formed with male threads around the outer surface and a recessed stepped surface in the inner surface to make up a receiving space between the connector and the water intake connecter or the water outlet connecter. The water pipe is provided with two annular projecting ribs around the outer surface of its end, and between the two annular ribs is fitted a rotatable locking cover with female threads. Thus, after the water pipe is combined respectively with the water intake connecter and the water outlet connecter, the locking cover is threadably mounted on the connector to let the water pipe inserted in the receiving space between the connector and the water intake connecter and the water outlet connecter respectively, and the locking cover presses on the outer wall of the water pipe, achieving effect of assembling and disassembling with easiness. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional filter pump for a pool: 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional filter pump for a pool combined with a water pipe: 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a constriction device of the conventional filter pump: 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a filter pump for a pool in the present invention: 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the filter pump for a pool in the present invention: 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an air-exhausting device of the filter pump for a pool in the present invention: 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled condition of FIG.  5 : 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the air-exhausting device in the present invention: 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the air-exhausting device in a used condition in the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A preferred embodiment of a filter pump  1  in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, includes a water-pumping motor and a filter (not shown), and a water intake connecter  11  and a water outlet connecter  11 ′ provided on a same side to be respectively combined with a water pipe  2 . The water pipe  2  connected with the water intake connecter  11  guides the water pumped from a pool into the filter pump  1  for filtrating, while the water pipe  2  connected with the water outlet connecter  11 ′ guides the filtrated water to flow back into the pool. The filter pump  1  is further provided with a passage  12  for guiding the water flowing in from the water intake connecter  11  into the filter to be filtrated therein and then guided out through the water outlet connecter  11 ′. 
     The water intake connecter  11  and the water outlet connecter  11 ′ are respectively connected with connector  3  at an outer end, as shown in FIG.  5 . The connector  3  is formed with male threads  31  in an outer surface and a recessed stepped surface  32  on an inner surface to make up a receiving space between the connector  3  and the water intake connecter  11  or the water outlet connecter  11 ′, as shown in FIG.  5 . Besides, the water intake connecter  11  and the water outlet connecter  11 ′ are respectively provided with an annular recessed groove  111 ,  111 ′ around the outer surface near its opening for receiving an annular gasket  112 ,  112 ′, as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     The water pipe  2  is provided with two annular projecting ribs  21  around its end combined with the water intake connecter  11  or the water outlet connecter  11 ′, and between the two annular projecting ribs  21  is engaged a rotatable locking cover  4  with female threads  41 , as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the passage  12  of the filter pump  1  is bored with an air-exhausting opening  121  at a proper location. The air-exhausting opening  121  is fitted with an air-exhausting device  5  having an air-exhausting base  51  firmly secured in the air-exhausting opening  121 . The air-exhausting base  51  is formed at the outer end with a chamber  511  having a through hole  512 . The through hole  512  is formed with a recessed stepped surface  513  around the outer periphery of one side facing the chamber  511 , and a plurality of axial recessed grooves  514  spaced apart in the inner wall. The air-exhausting base  51  is further provided with an annular stopping surface portion  515  protruding outward at one end facing the passage  12  and closely tucked in the passage  12 , with a gasket  516  fitted in an inner end surface of the annular stopping surface portion  515 . Then, an air-exhausting button  52  is installed in the chamber  511  of the air-exhausting base  51  and a blocking member  53  corresponding to the air-exhausting button  52  is provided at the other end of the air-exhausting base  51 . The blocking member  53  has a support rod  531  extending sidewise outward from an outer side to be fitted around with a spring  532  and having its end fixed with the air-exhausting button  52 . 
     In assembling, to combine the water intake connecter  11  and the water outlet connecter  11 ′ with the water pipe  2 , as shown in FIG. 7, the end of the water pipe  2  provided with a locking cover  4  is fitted respectively with the water intake connecter  11  and the water outlet connecter  11 ′. Then, the locking cover  4  is threadably mounted on the connector  3  to let the water pipe  2  inserted in the receiving space between the connector  3  and the water intake connecter  11  and the water outlet connecter  11 ′, and have the locking cover  4  closely pressing on the outer side of the gasket  112  or  112 ′ of the water intake connecter  11  or the water outlet connecter  11 ′, easy to be assembled and disassembled without tools, and able to be sealed closely. 
     To assemble the air-exhausting device  5 , as shown in FIG. 8, the support rod  531  of the blocking member  53  is first inserted through the through hole  512  of the air-exhausting base  51  and then fitted around with the spring  532  and fixed with the air-exhausting button  52  to finish assembling the air-exhausting device  5 . Subsequently, the annular stopping surface portion  515  of the air-exhausting device  5  is closely tucked in the air-exhausting opening  121  of the passage  12 . Thus, the spring  532  has one end pushing against the air-exhausting button  52  and the other end resting on the stepped surface  513  of the air-exhausting base  51  and force the blocking member  53  with its resilient force to press on the gasket  516  on the front end of the annular stopping surface portion  515  so as to seal up the air-exhausting opening  121 . 
     In using, as shown in FIG. 9, the moment the filter pump is started, a user can press inward the air-exhausting button  52  to let the spring  532  contracted, and synchronously the blocking member  53  separates from the gasket  516  to make the air-exhausting device  5  communicable. At this time, the filter pump  1  keeps on rotating, and air in the air-exhausting device  5  and in the water pipe  2  will flow out of the filter pump  1  through the axial recessed grooves  514  of the air-exhausting device  5 , preventing the air from flowing in the interior of the filter pump  1 . And after the air is completely exhausted, release the air-exhausting button  52 , and the spring  532  will automatically recover its original position and the air-exhausting opening  121  will be sealed up again, as shown in FIG.  8 . 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.