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:
Aug. 20, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 15, 2000
Paul L. Guilmette, Canton Center, CT (US);
Other;
Abstract
A pump ( ) comprises a pair of bladders ( ) attached to respective opposite sides of a flexure plate ( ) for pumping fluid by alternately compressing and expanding the bladders. Each bladder has at least one input connector ( ) with a one-way valve ( ) therein and at least one output connector ( ) with a one-way valve ( ) therein, in order to provide one-way flow of fluid through each of the bladders. The pump ( ) is positioned to be acted upon by a moving liquid, such as natural wave action of a body of water, for example, by being connected to floating objects on the surface. The moving liquid causes the flexure plate ( ) to bend in an undulate manner, first in one direction and then in the other. This bending action causes fluid to be alternately drawn into and expelled from the bladders as the bladders are alternately expanded and compressed. Alternatively, one end of the flexure plate ( ) of the pump ( ) may be attached to a stable object such as a dock and the other end to a floating object such as a boat. Alternate embodiments of the pump ( ) may operate as a fender pump or a bilge pump.