WO2018127906A1

WO2018127906A1 - Method and system for pumping water from a flexible tank through intermediate air box

Info

Publication number: WO2018127906A1
Application number: PCT/IL2018/050001
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alex Harel; Ohad ZECHARIA
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-01-03
Filing date: 2018-01-01
Publication date: 2018-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-03
Also published as: IL249917A0

Abstract

A system that includes a flexible tank for transporting water with a flexible inner bag and discharge hole, a pump with pumping tube and an intermediate air box that has a water inlet, a water outlet, and an upper air opening. When connecting the pump to the water outlet and the flexible tank to the water inlet the water flows from the flexible tank into the intermediate air box until the water inlet and outlet are under the level of the water. The pump pumps the water from the intermediate air box and consequently from the flexible tank and when the flexible tank is emptied the water level in the intermediate air box drops under the level of the water outlet and consequently the pump pumps air that flow inside the intermediate air box through the upper air opening and therefore the flexible inner bag does not sucked outside.

Description

Method and System for Pumping Water from a Flexible Tank through

Intermediate Air Box

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention refers to a method and system for pumping water from a flexible container with a thin internal bag through a pump through an intermediate air box.

BACKGROUND ART

Flexible containers (2) are used to transport and supply water and other liquids ("water") in a variety of cases. Flexible tank (2) includes a strong flexible outer layer made of materials such as PVC and PE and a thin flexible inner bag (3), which can be approved for food when transporting drinking water. The flexible tanks (2) include a discharge hole (21) from which the water is drawn from the flexible tank (2). There are a variety of sizes of flexible tanks (2) of up to 24,000 liters and even larger. It is customary to empty water from flexible tanks (2) using a pump (5) that its pumping tube (51) is attached to the discharge hole (21). In flexible tanks (2) with a volume of 200 liters and more it is customary and needed to use pumps (5) with pumping capacity of hundreds of liters per minute. In such cases, when all the water is pumped out from the flexible tank (2) the pump also draws the inner bag (3), which is a problem that the present invention is designed to solve. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The intention of the drawings attached to the application is not to limit the scope of the invention and its application. The drawings are intended only to illustrate the invention and they constitute only one of its many possible implementations.

FIG. 1 describes schematically the system (1) that includes the flexible tank (2), the pump (5) and the intermediate air box (4).

THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a system (1) that includes a flexible tank (2) for transporting and supplying water with a thin inner flexible bag (3), a pump (5) for pumping water from the flexible tank (2) and an intermediate air box (4). Another object of the present patent application is to describe and provide an intermediate air box (4) that is designed to be connected to standard pumps and flexible tanks. Another object of the present patent application is to describe a method for pumping water from flexible tanks (2) using a pump (5) without the internal bag (3) being sucked out, using the intermediate air box (4). The structure and design of a flexible tank (2) for transporting water with a thin inner bag (3) and which includes a discharge hole (21) is known to experts in the field and therefore it is not necessary to describe this structure in the present patent application, and it is the same as to the pump (5) with the pumping tube (51) which are designed to pump water from the flexible tank (2). The intermediate air box (4) is designed as a closed box that includes a water inlet (41) with a connecting adapter (61) to the discharge hole (21) of the flexible tank (2), a water outlet (42) with a connecting adapter (62) to the pumping tube (51) of the pump (5), and an upper air intake opening

(43) . The upper air intake opening (43) can be closed with a one-way valve

(44) that allows air to flow inside the box and prevents water to flow out. Fig. 1 describes schematically the system (1) that includes the flexible tank (2), the pump (5) and the intermediate air box (4).

The operation of the the system (1): Connecting the pumping tube (51) of the pump (5) to the water outlet (42) of the intermediated air box (4) using the connecting adapter (62). Connecting the discharge hole (21) of the flexible tank (2) to the water inlet (41) of the intermediate air box (4) using the connecting adapter (61). Leaving the upper air intake opening (43) in an open state. Water flows from the flexible tank (2) into the intermediated air box (4) from the force of gravity according to the principle of the communicating vessels in a way that the water inlet (41) and the water outlet (42) are under the level of the water. Activating the pump (5) to draws the water from the intermediated air box (4) and as a result from the flexible tank (2). When the flexible tank (2) is emptied of water, then the water level in the intermediated air box (4) falls below the level of the water outlet (42) and consequently the pump draws air entering the intermediated air box through the upper air intake opening (43) and the inner bag (3) does not sucked outside. The intermediated air box (4) and the method for using it, as described above, streamline the use of flexible tank for transporting and supplying water, and solve a known problem in the field.

The present patent application also refers to a method for pumping water from a flexible tank with a thin flexible inner bag and a discharge hole using a pump with a pumping tube for pumping the water from the flexible tank, which includes the following means and steps: (a) providing the intermediated air box that includes a water inlet with a connecting adapter to the discharge hole of the flexible tank, a water outlet with a connecting adapter to the pump tube of the pump, and an upper air intake opening, (b) connecting the pumping tube to the water outlet and the discharge hole to the water inlet, using the connecting adapters, that enable the water to flow from the flexible tank into the intermediate air box as a result of gravity force until the water outlet and the water inlet are under the level of the water, (c) activating the pump that draws the water from the intermediated air box and as a result form the flexible tank. When the flexible tank is emptied of water, the water level in the intermediated air box drops below the water outlet level and consequently the pump draws air that enters the intermediate air box through the upper air intake opening and the inner bag is not sucked out.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1. A system that includes a flexible tank for transporting and supplying water having a thin flexible inner bag, a pump with pumping tube for pumping the water from the flexible tank and an intermediate air box;

wherein the intermediate air box includes a water inlet with a connecting adapter to a discharge hole of the flexible tank, a water outlet with a connecting adapter to the pumping tube of the pump, and an upper air intake opening;

whereby enabling to connect the pumping tube to the water outlet and the discharge hole to the water inlet, using said connecting adapters; whereby the water enable to flow from the flexible tank into the intermediate air box according to gravity force to a state in which the water inlet and the water outlet are under the level of the water;

wherein enabling the pump to pump the water from the intermediate air box and consequently from the flexible tank; wherein when the flexible tank is emptied of water then the water level in the intermediate air box drops under the level of the water outlet and consequently the pump pumps air that flow inside the intermediate air box through the upper air intake opening and therefore the thin flexible inner bag does not sucked outside.

2. An intermediate air box that includes a water inlet with a connecting adapter to a discharge hole of a flexible tank, a water outlet with a connecting adapter to a pumping tube of a pump, and an upper air intake opening;

whereby enabling to connect the pumping tube of the pump to the water outlet and the discharge hole to the water inlet, using said connecting adapters; whereby the water enable to flow from the flexible tank into the intermediate air box according to gravity force to a state in which the water inlet and the water outlet are under the level of the water;

3. A method for pumping water from a flexible tank that has a thin flexible inner bag and discharge hole by a pump that has a pumping tube for pumping the water from the flexible tank, which includes the following means and steps:

providing an intermediate air box that includes a water inlet with a connecting adapter to the discharge hole of the flexible tank, a water outlet with a connecting adapter to the pumping tube of the pump, and an upper air intake opening;

connecting the pumping tube to the water outlet and the discharge hole to the water inlet, using said connecting adapters; whereby the water enable to flow from the flexible tank into the intermediate air box according to gravity force to a state in which the water inlet and the water outlet are under the level of the water;

activating the pump for pumping the water from the intermediate air box and consequently from the flexible tank; wherein when the flexible tank is emptied of water then the water level in the intermediate air box drops under the level of the water outlet and consequently the pump pumps air that flow inside the intermediate air box through the upper air intake opening and therefore the thin flexible inner bag does not sucked outside.