US 12,012,980 B2
Cyclonic flow-inducing pump
Paul Wayne Schmidt, Carlton, OR (US); and Avijit Ghosh, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Vortex Pipe Systems LLC, Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Vortex Pipe Systems LLC, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Dec. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/542,200.
Application 17/542,200 is a continuation of application No. 17/462,896, filed on Aug. 31, 2021, granted, now 11,221,028.
Application 17/462,896 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/991,270, filed on Aug. 12, 2020, granted, now 11,391,309.
Application 16/991,270 is a continuation of application No. 16/846,474, filed on Apr. 13, 2020, granted, now 10,895,274, issued on Jan. 19, 2021.
Application 16/846,474 is a continuation of application No. 16/567,379, filed on Sep. 11, 2019, granted, now 10,683,881, issued on Jun. 16, 2020.
Application 16/567,379 is a continuation of application No. 16/445,127, filed on Jun. 18, 2019, granted, now 10,458,446, issued on Oct. 29, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/125,556, filed on Dec. 15, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/917,233, filed on Nov. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0090613 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F15C 1/18 (2006.01); B01F 25/4314 (2022.01); B01F 25/432 (2022.01); B01F 25/433 (2022.01); B01F 25/435 (2022.01); B01F 25/60 (2022.01); B01F 29/00 (2022.01); B01F 29/25 (2022.01)
CPC F15C 1/18 (2013.01) [B01F 25/4314 (2022.01); B01F 25/432 (2022.01); B01F 25/4334 (2022.01); B01F 25/435 (2022.01); B01F 25/60 (2022.01); B01F 29/252 (2022.01); B01F 29/40113 (2022.01); B01F 29/40221 (2022.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pump, comprising:
an exterior body;
a centralizer tube;
a plurality of helical vanes each extending between the exterior body and the centralizer tube at least partially along a length of the exterior body to jointly define a plurality of helical flow passages, wherein a longitudinal centerline axis of the exterior body and a longitudinal centerline axis of the centralizer tube extend colinearly with a longitudinal reference axis;
a plurality of mounting units each supporting a respective portion of the exterior body to enable rotation of the exterior body about the longitudinal reference axis; and
at least one of a material inlet body attached to an upstream end face of the exterior body and a material outlet body attached to a downstream end face of the exterior body, wherein the centralizer tube and the at least one of the material inlet body and the material outlet body each have a common inside diameter that is uniform over an entire length of thereof.