The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 13, 2021
Filed:
Nov. 08, 2017
Lewmar Limited, Hampshire, GB;
David Frank Bailes, Portsmouth, GB;
LEWMAR LIMITED, Hampshire, GB;
Abstract
A hydraulic reservoir (), for use for example in a marine pleasure craft, comprises a vortex chamber (), a hydraulic fluid return line () and a hydraulic fluid suction line () respective entering and exiting substantially tangentially to an internal wall surface of the vortex chamber. An upper chamber () is disposed above the vortex chamber () and in fluid communication with the vortex chamber. The upper chamber is capable of expansion and/or contraction in use in order to adjust continuously to the volume of the hydraulic fluid to be accommodated in the hydraulic reservoir. Also disclosed is a method of operating such a hydraulic reservoir, in which hydraulic fluid is directed into the vortex chamber () along the hydraulic fluid return line () and extracting hydraulic fluid from the vortex chamber along the hydraulic fluid suction line (), to thereby generate a vortex flow in the vortex chamber. Dissolved air, if present, becomes entrained into bubbles which rise to the upper chamber (). Expansion and/or contraction of the upper chamber () is provided in order to adjust continuously to the volume of the hydraulic fluid to be accommodated in the hydraulic reservoir ().