Flow pump

Abstract

A flow pump includes a housing and an impeller. The housing has a suction port, a discharge port, and an inner housing which forms a flow channel. The impeller is arranged in the flow channel to be open on at least one side. The impeller has rotor blades and rotates about a drive axis. The suction port has a front side which faces the impeller. The front side has a circumferential protrusion. Each rotor blade of the impeller has an edge which faces the suction port. Each edge has a height offset over a length of the edge which corresponds to the circumferential protrusion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 : A flow pump comprising:
 a housing comprising at least one suction port, at least one discharge port, and an inner housing which is configured to form a flow channel; and   an impeller which is arranged in the flow channel to be open on at least one side, the impeller comprising rotor blades and being configured to rotate about a drive axis,   wherein,   the at least one suction port comprises a front side which faces the impeller, the front side comprising a circumferential protrusion, and   each rotor blade of the impeller comprises an edge which faces the suction port, each edge having a height offset over a length of the edge which corresponds to the circumferential protrusion.   
     
     
         12 : The flow pump as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the flow pump is a radial pump. 
     
     
         13 : The flow pump as recited in  claim 11 , wherein each edge comprising the height offset and the front side of the suction port comprising the circumferential protrusion together form a slot which is permeable for a fluid to be conveyed, a geometry of the slot being configured so that a portion of the fluid which flows back from the flow channel towards the impeller is directed along the rotor blades away from the front side of the suction port into a free area of the impeller. 
     
     
         14 : The flow pump as recited in  claim 11 , wherein,
 each of the rotor blades have a height in a region which is closer to an outer circumference of the impeller, and a height in a region which is closer to the drive axis, the height in the region which is closer to the outer circumference of the impeller being greater than the height in the region which is closer to the drive axis, and   the circumferential protrusion of the front side of the suction port is located on an inner side of the suction port which faces the drive axis.   
     
     
         15 : The flow pump as recited in  claim 11 , wherein,
 the height offset of the edge of each rotor blade is arranged at a radial distance from the drive axis,   the suction port comprises a minimum inside diameter,   the circumferential protrusion of the suction port is arranged at a distance from the minimum inside diameter, and   the radial distance of the height offset from the drive axis is greater than or equal to the distance of the circumferential protrusion to the minimum inside diameter.   
     
     
         16 : The flow pump as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the circumferential protrusion of the front side of the suction port comprises an arch-like course towards the drive axis in a section along the drive axis. 
     
     
         17 : The flow pump as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the arch-like course is a circular arch-like course. 
     
     
         18 : The flow pump as recited in in  claim 11 , wherein the height offset has an abrupt form. 
     
     
         19 : The flow pump as recited in in  claim 11 , wherein the height offset has a staircase-shaped form. 
     
     
         20 : The flow pump as recited in in  claim 11 , wherein,
 the edge of each rotor blade further comprises an edge area, and   the height offset of the edge is arranged to extend perpendicular to the edge area.   
     
     
         21 : The flow pump as recited in in  claim 11 , wherein the edge of each rotor blade facing the suction port is arranged perpendicular to the drive axis. 
     
     
         22 : The flow pump as recited in in  claim 11 , wherein the edge of each rotor blade facing the suction port is arranged to be straight on at least one side of the height offset. 
     
     
         23 : The flow pump as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the edge of each rotor blade facing the suction port is arranged to be straight on both sides of the height offset.