US 12,215,711 B1
Carwash vacuum motor
James Jolly Harlan, Banner, WY (US); Jared Leroy Meacham, Sheridan, WY (US); Clay D. Price, Sheridan, WY (US); John F. Tucker, Sheridan, WY (US); and Justin Taylor Heaps, Ranchester, WY (US)
Assigned to Vacuum Technologies, LLC, Sheridan, WY (US)
Filed by VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Sheridan, WY (US)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/404,621.
Int. Cl. F04D 29/42 (2006.01); F04D 17/06 (2006.01); F04D 27/02 (2006.01); F04D 29/28 (2006.01)
CPC F04D 29/4206 (2013.01) [F04D 17/06 (2013.01); F04D 29/281 (2013.01); F04D 27/0276 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vacuum motor assembly for providing vacuum suction power to one or more vehicle vacuuming locations in a vehicle washing and vacuuming facility, wherein the vacuum motor assembly comprises:
a motor comprising a drive shaft;
a closed impeller having a front shroud and a back shroud, with a plurality of impeller blades spaced radially around a center portion of the closed impeller between the front shroud and the back shroud, wherein the closed impeller has an impeller diameter and wherein the center portion is free of any of the plurality of impeller blades and the plurality of impeller blades are circumjacent the center portion of the closed impeller;
an impeller cover spaced around the closed impeller, wherein the impeller cover comprises:
a front portion having a front portion central opening defined by an inner perimeter edge; a front portion inner surface; a forwardly extended channel section between the inner perimeter edge and a front portion outer perimeter edge, wherein the front portion outer perimeter edge extends away from the front portion inner surface toward the closed impeller; and a front portion air exhaust chute section that is tapered;
a back portion engaged to the front portion, wherein the back portion has front portion facing side and a back support facing side, a back portion inner surface, a back portion air exhaust chute section that matingly engages the front portion air exhaust chute section and is tapered, an interior edge having an interior edge perimeter that defines a back portion opening that is larger than the closed impeller, and an outer perimeter edge engaged with the front portion outer perimeter edge to collectively form a spiral shaped airflow channel located about a perimeter of the impeller cover, wherein the spiral-shaped airflow channel starts with a tapered end, extends around the impeller cover, and then into an air exhaust outlet formed by engagement of the front portion air exhaust chute section and the back portion air exhaust chute section together; and wherein a cross sectional area of the spiral shaped airflow channel between the front portion and the back portion increases from the tapered end to the air exhaust outlet;
wherein a front surface of the front shroud of the closed impeller defines a vertical plane and a first air channel interior distance from the front portion inner surface to the vertical plane within the spiral-shaped airflow channel is greater than a second air channel interior distance from the back portion inner surface to the vertical plane; and
a back support having a back support perimeter, a concave side and a convex side, wherein the concave side of the back support is engaged with the back support facing side of the back portion around the back portion opening such that the back support covers substantially all of the back portion opening, and wherein the convex side is engaged with the motor, wherein the back support includes a drive shaft receiving aperture; wherein when the back portion is fixedly engaged to the motor, and wherein the drive shaft passes through the drive shaft receiving aperture of the back support and engages the closed impeller.