Patent Publication Number: US-2006013714-A1

Title: Magnetic axleless liquid circulator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a liquid circulator for a bathtub or a foot dipping tank, more particularly a liquid circulator structure that does not require a liquid circulation pipeline.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A traditional messaging bath tub or foot dipping tank as shown in  FIG. 1  usually comes with a liquid circulating structure for producing a water circulation, and the liquid circulator structure has at least one water incoming pipeline  1 , and the water incoming pipeline  1  is interconnected to a compressed motor  2 , and the compressed motor  2  interconnects at least one water outgoing pipe  3  to a tank, and the water incoming pipeline  1  guides the water of the tank into the compressed motor  2 . After the motor  2  is compressed, the water flows from the water outgoing pipeline  3  into the tank, so that the liquid circulating structure can produce a whirl of water circulation in the tank. The impact produced by the whirl has a messaging effect on human bodies. Further, various medical agents can be added to the water for a bath for the medical treatment. After the use of a messaging bathtub or a foot dipping tank is completed, it is necessary to drain out the water and medical agents in the tank or refill the tank to facilitate the next use or storage. However, some liquid may remain on the water incoming pipeline  1  and the water outgoing pipeline  3  of the prior-art liquid circulating structure, and thus it will cause hygienic problems. Therefore, it is necessary for users to clean up the internal pipelines of the traditional liquid circulating structure, which is very inconvenient to users.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a liquid circulating structure, and the present invention does not require an internal pipeline disposed in the liquid circulating structure as needed in the prior art, and thus can avoid the cleaning job of the internal pipelines and also avoid the hygienic problem caused by the liquid remained on the pipelines. Furthermore, the present invention is easy and simple to install and does not need to install the internal pipelines, and thus can be used in a horizontal position or a vertical position according to the user&#39;s need.  
      The technical measure taken by the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problems is described as follows.  
      A magnetic axleless liquid circulator comprises: 
      a circulating base, being a hollow base fixed onto a sidewall of a tank and having a hollow accommodating chamber protruded from the bottom of the circulating base;     a vane set, comprising a vane base disposed in the accommodating chamber and having a circulating vane; wherein the vane base comprises a rotary magnetic core;     a circulating lid, being wrapped and fixed around an open end of the circulating base and having a water outlet hole disposed at the center of the circulating lid;     a motor being coupled to the bottom of the circulating base and having a hollow rotary magnetic base disposed at an axle end, and the rotary magnetic base being capable of magnetically attracting and driving the rotary magnetic core of the vane set to rotate and producing a water circulation by the circulating vane.   

    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of a prior-art liquid circulating structure.  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the liquid circulating structure according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the liquid circulating structure according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 4A  is an illustrative view of the liquid circulating structure being in use according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 4B  is another illustrative view of the liquid circulating structure being in use according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 5A  is an illustrative view of the actions of the liquid circulating structure according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 5B  is another illustrative view of the actions of the liquid circulating structure according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Please refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3  for a magnetic axleless liquid circulator according to the present invention, which comprises: 
          a circulating base  10 , being a hollow base, and the main body of the circulating base  10  comprising a connecting section  11  with external screw threads and a fixing section  12  with external screw threads; wherein the bottom of the connecting section  11  has a water stop washer  111  and a screw nut  121  being coupled to the exterior of the fixing section  12  for being fixed onto a wall of a tank, and the circulating base  10  having a hollow accommodating chamber  13  and the center of the accommodating chamber  13  has a lower fixing axle center  131 , and a bearing  132  being disposed between the lower fixing axle center  131  and the wall of the accommodating chamber  13 , such that the lower fixing axle center  131  can be rotated successfully at the center of the accommodating base  131 ;     a vane set  20 , comprising a cylindrical vane base  21 , a lower fixing axle center  131  being embedded into the axle center at the lower end of the vane set  21 , a corresponding upper fixing axle center  211  being embedded into the axle center at the upper end of the vane base  21 , a bearing  212  being disposed between the upper fixing axle center  211  and the vane set  21 , and a plurality of circulating vanes  22  extended from the vane base  21 ; wherein the vane base  21  comprises a rotary magnetic core  23  therein;     wherein, the upper fixing axle center  211 , the vane base  20  and the lower fixing axle center  131  have an air incoming hole  24  passing the central position of their axle centers, and an air passage  14  passing through the circulating base  10  and the wall of the accommodating chamber  13 , and one end of the air passage  14  being interconnected with the air incoming hole  24  and the other end of the air passage  14  being interconnected with an air pipe  141  exposed on the circulating base  10 ;     a circulating lid  30 , having its internal wall corresponding to an internal thread disposed on the connecting section  11  for being wrapped and fixed around an open end of the circulating base  10  and having a water outlet hole  301  disposed at the center of the circulating lid  30  and a plurality of water inlet holes  32  disposed around the periphery of the water outlet hole  301 ; wherein a hollow fixed frame  311  being disposed at and inwardly extended towards the water outlet hole  31  for mounting the upper fixing axle center  211 , and a plurality of through holes being disposed on the fixed frame  311 ;     a motor  40 , being coupled to the bottom of the fixing section  12  of the circulating base  10  and having a hollow rotary magnetic base  42  disposed at an axle end  41  of the motor  40 , and the rotary magnetic base  42  being capable of receiving the accommodating chamber  13 .        

      After each section of the forgoing structure is described in details, the principle and method for the actions of the present invention are described as follows:  
      Please refer to  FIGS. 4A and 4B  for the illustrative views of the conventional foot dipping message tank according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. By the actions of the fixing section  12  and the screw nut  121  according to the present invention, we only need to drill a hole at an appropriate position of the tank in the manufacturing process as to mount the whole set of liquid circulator onto the wall of the tank by a screw nut  121 . Such arrangement not only provides a simple and easy installation, but also allows user to install the liquid circulator horizontally or vertically according to the user&#39;s need. Further, since the bottom of the circulating base  10  is completely isolated and sealed from the outside and the water stop washer  111  at the bottom surface of the connecting section  11  can be secured by a screw nut  121  and the wall of the tank can stop the action of the water circulation as shown in  FIG. 5A  to prevent the liquid from leaking and relieve your worry about electric leakage of the motor  40  caused by moisture.  
      Further, with the installation of the upper fixing axle center  211  and the lower fixing axle center  131 , the vane set  20  not only secures the rotary axle center of the vane base  21 , but also rotates the vane base  21  smoother by installing the bearings  132 ,  212 .  
      When the motor  40  is driven to rotate by electric power, the axle  41  can drive the rotary magnetic base  42  to rotate outside the accommodating chamber  13 . The rotary magnetic base  42  can drive the vane base  21  to rotate with the accommodating chamber in between due to the magnetic force between the rotary magnetic base  42  and the rotary magnetic core  23 . Further, if the vane base  21  is rotated counterclockwise by the action of the circulating vanes  22  as shown in  FIG. 5B , the circulating vanes  22  can drive the water to flow towards the center of the vane base  21  and pass through the through hole  312  of the fixed frame  311  and then flow out from the water outlet hole  31  to produce a whirl of water current.  
      When the vanes  22  are rotating, the pressure difference produced by the speeds of fluid will drive the water to produce a sucking force and suck the air from the air incoming hole  24  to produce an air exposure action with the water current and enhance the water circulating massage effect. Further, a stop valve can be installed to the air pipe  141  to prevent the water in the tank from refluxing and leaking, and the air pipe  141  can also be connected to an air pump to produce high-pressure air and the air is pumped into the water current through the air incoming hole  24 .  
      The present invention does not require the internal pipeline disposed in the liquid circulating structure as needed in the prior art, and thus can avoid the cleaning of the internal pipelines and also can avoid the hygienic problem caused by the liquid remained on the pipelines. Furthermore, the present invention is easy and simple to install and does not need to install the internal pipelines, and thus can be used in a horizontal position or a vertical position according to the user&#39;s need to increase the flexibility of the manufacture of the massaging tank and effectively simplify the manufacturing process.  
      In summation of the above description, the present invention herein enhances the performance than the conventional structure and further complies with the patent application requirements and is submitted to the Patent and Trademark Office for review and granting of the commensurate patent rights.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.