Turbine pump

Claim 2

A reversible turbine pump for producing a bi-directional liquid flow comprising: (a) a housing having a substantially annular outer wall and top and bottom walls closing the ends of the outer wall; (b) a bi-directional rotatable impeller within the housing having an annular series of blades extending outwardly and forming with said walls a substantially toroidal space; (c) first and second spaced outlet openings; (d) first and second circumferentially spaced channels between the impeller and each of the outlet openings in liquid flow communication with the toroidal space; (e) a dam between said channels; and (f) an inlet opening located in each of said channels, each of said inlet openings having a flapper check valve arranged to open and permit liquid flow through the inlet opening in one direction of rotation of the impeller and close to prevent the flow of liquid through the opening in the opposite direction of rotation of the impeller, one of said flapper check valves being open when the other is closed during impeller rotation, said inlet openings being dimensioned to flow liquid therethrough in a volume greater than the capacity of the impeller to move the liquid through the toroidal space; and (g) a liquid reservoir arranged to supply liquid to the inlet openings at least equal to the inlet opening liquid flow through volume.

Claim 3

The turbine pump of claim 1 wherein the inlet openings are located in the interior sidewall of each of the channels and extend from the outlet opening to the dam.

Claim 4

The turbine pump of claim 2 wherein the inlet openings are rectangular shaped.

Claim 5

The turbine pump of claim 1 wherein the flapper check valve for both inlet openings is an integrally formed assembly with a V-shaped cavity between the two flapper check valves.

Claim 6

The turbine pump of claim 4 wherein the integral flapper check valve assembly includes a continuous flange perpendicular to the flapper check valves when they are in the closed position.

Claim 7

The turbine pump of claim 1 wherein insertable rigid opening frames surround each of the openings.

Claim 8

The turbine pump of claim 6 wherein the frames provide stop means for the flapper check valve in the closed position.

Claim 9

In a clothes washing machine having means for washing the clothes and for extracting liquid from said clothes, a liquid-containing tub, a reversible pump, a motor, a filter, means including the pump to recirculate water from the tub through the filter and back into the tub, and means including the pump to discharge liquid from the tub to drain, the improvement comprising a reversible turbine pump having; (a) a housing having a substantially annular outer wall and top and bottom walls closing the ends of the outer wall; (b) a bi-directional rotatable impeller within the housing having an annular series of blades extending outwardly and forming with said walls a substantially toroidal space; (c) first and second spaced outlet openings; (d) first and second circumferentially spaced channels between the impeller and each of the outlet openings in liquid flow communication with the toroidal space; (e) a dam between said channels; (f) an inlet opening located in each of said channels, each of said inlet openings having a flapper check valve arranged to open and permit liquid flow through the inlet opening in one direction of rotation of the impeller and close to prevent the flow of liquid through the opening in the opposite direction of rotation of the impeller, one of said flapper check valves being open when the other is closed during impeller rotation, said inlet openings being dimensioned to flow liquid therethrough in a volume greater than the capacity of the impeller to move the liquid through the toroidal space; and (g) a liquid reservoir arranged to supply liquid to the inlet openings at least equal to the inlet opening liquid flow through volume.

Claim 10

In a clothes washing machine having means for washing the clothes and for extracting liquid from said clothes, a liquid-containing tub, a reversible pump, a motor, a filter, means including the pump to recirculate water from the tub through the filter and back into the tub, and means including the pump to discharge liquid from the tub to drain, the improvement comprising a reversible turbine pump having; (a) a housing having a substantially annular outer wall and top and bottom walls closing the ends of the outer wall; (b) a bi-directional rotatable impeller within the housing having an annular series of blades extending outwardly and forming with said walls a substantially toroidal space; (c) first and second spaced outlet openings; (d) first and second circumferentially spaced channels between the impeller and each of the outlet openings in liquid flow communication with the toroidal space; (e) a dam between said channels; (f) an inlet opening located in each of said channels, each of said inlet openings having a flapper check valve arranged to open and permit liquid flow through the inlet opening in one direction of rotation of the impeller and close to prevent the flow of liquid through the opening in the opposite direction of rotation of the impeller, one of said flapper check valves being open when the other is closed during impeller rotation, said inlet openings being dimensioned to flow liquid therethrough in a volume greater than the capacity of the impeller to move the liquid through the toroidal space; and (g) a liquid reservoir arranged to supply liquid to the inlet openings at least equal to the inlet opening liquid flow through volume.

Claim 11

In the clothes washing machine of claim 8 wherein the inlet openings of the turbine pump are located in the interior sidewall of each of the channels and extend from the outlet opening to the dam.

Claim 12

In the clothes washing machine of claim 8 wherein the inlet openings of the turbine pump are rectangular shaped.

Claim 13

In the clothes washing machine of claim 8 wherein the turbine pump has an opening between the inlet openings and the reservoir for communication with a water level pressure sensitive switch.

Claim 14

In the clothes washing machine of claim 8 wherein the flapper check valve for both inlet openings of the turbine pump is an integrally formed assembly with a V-shaped cavity between the two flapper check valves.

Claim 15

In the clothes washing machine of claim 8 wherein the turbine pump has insertable rigid opening frames which surround each of the openings.

Claim 16

In the clothes washing machine of claim 13, wherein the turbine pump frames provide stop means for the flapper check valve in the closed position.

Claim 17

In the clothes washing machine of claim 8 wherein the liquid reservoir is the machine tub.

Claim 18

In the clothes washing machine of claim 15 wherein the integral flapper check valve assembly includes a continuous flange perpendicular to the flapper check valves when they are in the closed position and acts as a liquid seal between the pump inlets and the machine tub.