US3972651A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solar-powered pump
Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Filing: 1975-04-09
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Granted: 1976-08-03
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Expires: 1995-04-09
Abstract
Abstract A solar-powered pump particularly suited for intermittently delivering a stream of water. The pump is characterized by a housing adapted to be seated in a source of water having a water discharge port disposed above the water line of the source, a sump including a valved inlet port through which water is introduced to the sump, disposed beneath the water line, a displacer supported for vertical reciprocation in said housing, an air passageway extended between the vertically spaced faces of the displacer, a tipple disposed adjacent to the water discharge port adapted to be filled in response to a discharge of water from the housing, and a line so interconnecting the tipple and the displacer that the displacer is moved upwardly in response to a filling of the tipple and moved downwardly once water is discharged from the tipple. Air above the displacer is expanded in response to solar energy impinging on the housing, transferred into pressurizing relation with the sump for forcing water from the sump, while the sump subsequently is depressurized for charging in a response to a lifting of the displacer, and a cooling of the air in the housing as it is displaced to the lower part of the housing.
Inventors
- 👤 with respect to an invention of Fletcher James C. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- 👤 Charles C. Kirsten
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:54
CPC Classifications
F; F03; F03G; F03G6/00; F03G6/02; F03G6/04; F04; F04B; F04B17/00; F04B17/006; F04F; F04F1/00; F04F1/06; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/46
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A cyclically operable pump adapted to employ sunlight as a source of energy and atmospheric air as a working fluid for intermittently delivering a stream of water from a source, comprising: A. an hermetically sealed enclosure adapted to be seated in a source of water including a sump, means including a valved water intake port for intermittently delivering water from the source to said sump, and a valved water discharge duct communicating with the sump for discharging water therefrom; B. pumping means for alternately forcing water through said intake port and through said discharge duct including,
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
A cyclically operable pump adapted to employ sunlight as a source of energy and atmospheric air as a working fluid for intermittently delivering a stream of water from a source, comprising: A. an hermetically sealed enclosure adapted to be seated in a source of water including a sump, means including a valved water intake port for intermittently delivering water from the source to said sump, and a valved water discharge duct communicating with the sump for discharging water therefrom; B. pumping means for alternately forcing water through said intake port and through said discharge duct including,
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
187 words
means defining in said enclosure an expansion chamber for partially confining air expanded by solar energy and means defining a cooling chamber communicating with said sump for confining in contact with water delivered to the sump air delivered from said expansion chamber, including a displacer supported for rectilinear motion along a vertically oriented path extended between the expansion chamber and the cooling chamber for varying the volumetric dimensions of said chambers as motion is imparted to said displacer, and 2. air delivery means for delivering air from said expansion chamber to said cooling chamber; C. a tipple cup supported adjacent to the discharge end of said discharge duct for pivotal displacement from a water-receiving position, wherein the cup is vertically oriented, to a water-discharge position, wherein the cup is horizontally oriented; and D. a line trained about a plurality of sheaves having one end thereof connected with said cup and the opposite end thereof connected with said displacer for raising said displacer as the cup is pivotally displaced to its water-discharge position, and for lowering said displacer, as said cup is pivotally displaced to its water-receiving position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
187 words
means defining in said enclosure an expansion chamber for partially confining air expanded by solar energy and means defining a cooling chamber communicating with said sump for confining in contact with water delivered to the sump air delivered from said expansion chamber, including a displacer supported for rectilinear motion along a vertically oriented path extended between the expansion chamber and the cooling chamber for varying the volumetric dimensions of said chambers as motion is imparted to said displacer, and 2. air delivery means for delivering air from said expansion chamber to said cooling chamber; C. a tipple cup supported adjacent to the discharge end of said discharge duct for pivotal displacement from a water-receiving position, wherein the cup is vertically oriented, to a water-discharge position, wherein the cup is horizontally oriented; and D. a line trained about a plurality of sheaves having one end thereof connected with said cup and the opposite end thereof connected with said displacer for raising said displacer as the cup is pivotally displaced to its water-discharge position, and for lowering said displacer, as said cup is pivotally displaced to its water-receiving position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The pump of claim 1 further comprising a dribble aperture interposed between said discharge duct and said tipple cup for delivering water from the discharge port to said cup at a determinable rate as water is forced from said sump through said discharge duct.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The pump of claim 2 further comprising a closure plate for said cup and means defining in said closure plate a metering orifice for delivering water from the cup at a determinable rate when the cup is in its discharge position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
The pump of claim 2 wherein air is delivered from said expansion chamber to said cooling chamber and delivered from said cooling chamber to said expansion chamber, and said air delivery means includes: A. at least one bore extended through said displacer through which the air is delivered; and B. means defining in said bore a heat sink for extracting heat from the air as it is delivered to said cooling chamber and for delivering heat to the air as it is delivered to said expansion chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The pump of claim 4 wherein said displacer comprises a block of expanded cellular polystyrene, and said heat sink comprises metallic components.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
170 words
A solar-powered pump particularly suited for intermittently delivering a stream of water from a source comprising: A. a housing adapted to be seated in a source of water, including, 1. means defining an hermetically sealed enclosure having a water discharge port for discharging a flow of water, adapted to be disposed above the water line of said source, 2. a sump adapted to be disposed beneath the water line of said source, 3. an inlet port including means adapted to establish intermittent communication between said sump and said source, and 4. a duct communicating with said sump including means for intermittently conveying a stream of water from the sump to the discharge port; and B. means for alternately charging said sump through said inlet port and for discharging said sump through said duct including, 1. a displacer supported for reciprocation in said housing defining a variably dimensioned cooling chamber below said displacer and a variably dimensioned gas expansion chamber above said displacer, 2. means defining a passageway between said chambers,
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
170 words
A solar-powered pump particularly suited for intermittently delivering a stream of water from a source comprising: A. a housing adapted to be seated in a source of water, including, 1. means defining an hermetically sealed enclosure having a water discharge port for discharging a flow of water, adapted to be disposed above the water line of said source, 2. a sump adapted to be disposed beneath the water line of said source, 3. an inlet port including means adapted to establish intermittent communication between said sump and said source, and 4. a duct communicating with said sump including means for intermittently conveying a stream of water from the sump to the discharge port; and B. means for alternately charging said sump through said inlet port and for discharging said sump through said duct including, 1. a displacer supported for reciprocation in said housing defining a variably dimensioned cooling chamber below said displacer and a variably dimensioned gas expansion chamber above said displacer, 2. means defining a passageway between said chambers,
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
87 words
means for imparting reciprocation to said displacer including a tipple cup, disposed in communication with said discharge port, supported for pivotal displacement from a water-receiving position, wherein the cup is positioned to fill with water in response to a discharge of water from said discharge port, to a discharge position, wherein the cup is positioned to discharge water therefrom, and 4. a flexible line trained about a plurality of sheaves having one end thereof connected to said cup and the opposite end thereof connected to said displacer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
87 words
means for imparting reciprocation to said displacer including a tipple cup, disposed in communication with said discharge port, supported for pivotal displacement from a water-receiving position, wherein the cup is positioned to fill with water in response to a discharge of water from said discharge port, to a discharge position, wherein the cup is positioned to discharge water therefrom, and 4. a flexible line trained about a plurality of sheaves having one end thereof connected to said cup and the opposite end thereof connected to said displacer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
242 words
A cyclically operable pump adapted to employ sunlight as a source of energy and atmospheric air as a working fluid for intermittently delivering a stream of water from a source, comprising: A. an hermetically sealed, upright, enclosure, including a sump arranged within the lowermost portion thereof, means including a valved water intake port for intermittently delivering water from a source to said sump, and means including a valved water discharge duct for intermittently delivering water from said sump; B. means for alternately forcing water through the intake port and through said discharge duct including a movable displacer supported for rectilinear motion along a vertical path defining within the uppermost portion of the enclosure an expansion chamber for partially confining a body of heated air, and further defining within the lowermost portion of the enclosure a cooling chamber for partially confining in contact with water delivered to the sump a body of cooled air; and C. air delivery means for alternately delivering air from said expansion chamber to said cooling chamber and from said cooling chamber to said expansion chamber as rectilinear motion is imparted to said displacer, including at least one bore extended through said displacer, and means defining in said bore a heat sink for extracting heat from the air as it is delivered from said expansion chamber to said cooling chamber, and for delivering heat to the air as it is delivered from said cooling chamber to said expansion chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
242 words
A cyclically operable pump adapted to employ sunlight as a source of energy and atmospheric air as a working fluid for intermittently delivering a stream of water from a source, comprising: A. an hermetically sealed, upright, enclosure, including a sump arranged within the lowermost portion thereof, means including a valved water intake port for intermittently delivering water from a source to said sump, and means including a valved water discharge duct for intermittently delivering water from said sump; B. means for alternately forcing water through the intake port and through said discharge duct including a movable displacer supported for rectilinear motion along a vertical path defining within the uppermost portion of the enclosure an expansion chamber for partially confining a body of heated air, and further defining within the lowermost portion of the enclosure a cooling chamber for partially confining in contact with water delivered to the sump a body of cooled air; and C. air delivery means for alternately delivering air from said expansion chamber to said cooling chamber and from said cooling chamber to said expansion chamber as rectilinear motion is imparted to said displacer, including at least one bore extended through said displacer, and means defining in said bore a heat sink for extracting heat from the air as it is delivered from said expansion chamber to said cooling chamber, and for delivering heat to the air as it is delivered from said cooling chamber to said expansion chamber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-08-03 | 1980-02-02 | 1980-08-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-08-03 | 1984-02-02 | 1984-08-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-08-03 | 1988-02-02 | 1988-08-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |