Heating system and heat generating pump

Claim 2

A fluid pump comprising a housing having fluid inlet means and fluid outlet means, rotor means rotatably mounted in said housing for pumping said fluid in a flow path from said fluid inlet means to said fluid outlet means, drive means operatively connected to said rotor means for rotating said rotor means, stator means operatively disposed in said housing in said flow path so that fluid friction effects an increase in the thermal energy of the fluid pumped to said outlet, and operator means responsive to the attainment of a predetermined thermal energy level of said fluid for removing said stator from the fluid flow path thereby permitting said pump to operate without power absorption from said stator.

Claim 3

A fluid pump for pumping and heating fluid comprising a housing, a rotatable impeller mounted in said housing for imparting pressure and kinetic energy to the fluid to pump said fluid from said inlet through said outlet, a plurality of fixed fins disposed in said housing for frictionally contacting said fluid to effect fluid turbulence and an increase in the temperature of said fluid as said fluid is pumped by said impeller, and fluid blocking means movably mounted in said housing and movable from a position in which said fins are fully exposed to the fluid pumped by said impeller to a blocking position in which said blocking means covers the major portion of said fins to reduce power absorption by said fins.

Claim 4

A fluid pump for pumping and heating fluid comprising a housing, a rotatable impeller mounted in said housing for imparting pressure and kinetic energy to the fluid to pump said fluid from said inlet through said outlet, a plurality of fixed fins disposed in said housing for frictionally contacting said fluid to effect fluid turbulence and an increase in the temperature of said fluid as said fluid is pumped by said impeller, and fluid blocking means movably mounted in said housing and movable from a position in which said fins are fully exposed to the fluid pumped by said impeller to a blocking position in which said blocking means covers the major portion of said fins to reduce power absorption by said fins.

Claim 5

A fluid pump comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a bladed impeller for pumping fluid from said inlet through said outlet, a stator having a plurality of fins fixed to the interior of said housing and facing said impeller, a blocker plate having a plurality of recesses formed therein for receiving the fins of said stator and for mounting said plate for axial sliding movement on said fins, temperature responsive operator means secured to the interior of said housing and to one side of said plate for moving said plate between a fluid blocking position adjacent to said impeller and a retracted position spaced from said impeller whereby said fins are fully exposed to said fluid so that the thermal energy thereof is increased by fluid friction in response to rotation of said impeller.

Claim 6

A fluid pump comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a bladed impeller for pumping fluid from said inlet through said outlet, a stator having a plurality of fins fixed to the interior of said housing and facing said impeller, a blocker plate having a plurality of recesses formed therein for receiving the fins of said stator and for mounting said plate for axial sliding movement on said fins, temperature responsive operator means secured to the interior of said housing and to one side of said plate for moving said plate between a fluid blocking position adjacent to said impeller and a retracted position spaced from said impeller whereby said fins are fully exposed to said fluid so that the thermal energy thereof is increased by fluid friction in response to rotation of said impeller.

Claim 7

A pump for pumping and heating a liquid comprising a housing, liquid inlet and outlet means, an impeller mounted for rotation in said housing for imparting pressure and kinetic energy to the liquid pumped from said inlet through said outlet means, said impeller having an annular hEad portion with a plurality of radial fins thereon and having a drive shaft extending to the exterior of said housing, drive means secured to said drive shaft for turning said impeller, stator means fixed in said housing for effecting fluid turbulence and absorbing power as said liquid is being pumped, said stator means having a plurality of radial fins circularly disposed in said housing adjacent to said fins on said impeller, blocker plate means having a plurality of radial slots which match and slidingly fit said fins of said stator, and thermally responsive bellows means secured in said housing and to said blocker plate to move said blocker plate between a position in which said stator is in the path of liquid being pumped from said inlet to said outlet to increase liquid friction and the temperature of said liquid and a position in which said stator means is substantially blocked from the path of said liquid so that said impeller pumps liquid without substantial power absorption by said stator.

Claim 8

A pump for pumping and heating a liquid comprising a housing, liquid inlet and outlet means, an impeller mounted for rotation in said housing for imparting pressure and kinetic energy to the liquid pumped from said inlet through said outlet means, said impeller having an annular hEad portion with a plurality of radial fins thereon and having a drive shaft extending to the exterior of said housing, drive means secured to said drive shaft for turning said impeller, stator means fixed in said housing for effecting fluid turbulence and absorbing power as said liquid is being pumped, said stator means having a plurality of radial fins circularly disposed in said housing adjacent to said fins on said impeller, blocker plate means having a plurality of radial slots which match and slidingly fit said fins of said stator, and thermally responsive bellows means secured in said housing and to said blocker plate to move said blocker plate between a position in which said stator is in the path of liquid being pumped from said inlet to said outlet to increase liquid friction and the temperature of said liquid and a position in which said stator means is substantially blocked from the path of said liquid so that said impeller pumps liquid without substantial power absorption by said stator.

Claim 9

A heating system for a vehicle comprising an engine having a fluid coolant passage therethrough, a fluid pump driven by said engine having fluid intake means and fluid outlet means, a heater core, first fluid conducting means operatively connecting said outlet means to the coolant passage of said engine, second fluid conducting means operatively connecting said coolant passage of said engine to said heater core, third fluid conducting means for operatively connecting said heater core to said fluid intake means so that said pump can circulate a fluid through said engine and said heater core, said pump having a rotatable impeller and having a stator movable into and out of the flow path of the fluid circulated by said pump, and temperature responsive actuator means for exposing said stator to said flow path under predetermined fluid temperature conditions to create fluid turbulence and friction so that said pump will function as a pump and fluid heater and to effectively remove said stator from said flow path under higher predetermined fluid temperature conditions so that said pump will operate only as a fluid pump.

Claim 10

A heating system for a vehicle comprising an engine having a fluid coolant passage therethrough, a fluid pump driven by said engine having fluid intake means and fluid outlet means, a heater core, first fluid conducting means operatively connecting said outlet means to the coolant passage of said engine, second fluid conducting means operatively connecting said coolant passage of said engine to said heater core, third fluid conducting means for operatively connecting said heater core to said fluid intake means so that said pump can circulate a fluid through said engine and said heater core, said pump having a rotatable impeller and having a stator movable into and out of the flow path of the fluid circulated by said pump, and temperature responsive actuator means for exposing said stator to said flow path under predetermined fluid temperature conditions to create fluid turbulence and friction so that said pump will function as a pump and fluid heater and to effectively remove said stator from said flow path under higher predetermined fluid temperature conditions so that said pump will operate only as a fluid pump.

Claim 11

The system defined in claim 5 and further including a radiator having a fluid passageway therethrough, fourth fluid conducting means operatively connecting the coolant passage of said engine to said radiator, fifth fluid conducting means operatively connecting said radiator to said fluid intake means of said pump so that said pump can circulate from said engine to said radiator, a temperature controlled valve means operatively disposed in said fourth fluid conducting means for blocking flow from said engine to said radiator under predetermined low temperature of said fluid and for allowing flow from said engine to said radiator under predetermined higher temperatures of said fluid, and bypass means connecting said coolant passage of said engine and said intake means of said pump to permit fluid flow directly from said engine into said fluid intake means of said pump.