Sanitary fitting with parabolic entrance and vortex-forming, suction-relief ribs

1. A sanitary fitting, comprising:

a flange portion with a planar ring surface defining a central opening;

a connector portion defining a lumen extending from the central opening toward an outlet port;

a parabolic entrance surface extending from the planar ring surface and having a parabolic-shaped cross section with a vertex located at a transition point between the planar ring surface and the parabolic entrance surface, and further transitioning into the connector portion to define a portion of the lumen; and

a plurality of suction-relief ribs positioned around the central opening and configured to cause a vortex in fluid flow through the lumen.

2. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the vertex of the parabolic entrance surface is positioned at an interface of the planar ring surface and the parabolic entrance surface.

3. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein a radius of a curvature at points along the parabolic entrance surface is 0.14×D, where D is a diameter of the lumen in the connector portion below the parabolic entrance surface.

4. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the parabolic entrance surface causes an increase laminar flow of fluid passing through the sanitary fitting as compared to other curved or squared port entrance geometries with a same lumen diameter in the connector portion.

5. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the parabolic entrance surface causes an increase in flow velocity of fluid passing through the sanitary fitting as compared to other curved or squared port entrance geometries with a same lumen diameter in the connector portion.

6. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the parabolic entrance surface causes an increase in flow volume rate of fluid passing through the sanitary fitting as compared to other curved or squared port entrance geometries with a same lumen diameter in the connector portion.

7. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the suction-relief ribs are spaced equiangularly around the central opening.

8. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the suction-relief ribs extend partially on the planar ring surface and partially along the parabolic entrance surface.

9. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the suction-relief ribs are formed with a twisting curvature extending along the parabolic entrance.

10. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein a leading end of the suction-relief ribs is parabolic in shape.

11. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the suction-relief ribs tapers towards the lumen in the connector portion.

12. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein sidewalls of the suction-relief ribs comprise an airfoil shape.

13. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein the lumen extending through the connector portion below the parabolic entrance surface is formed by a cylindrical wall of the connector portion.

14. The sanitary fitting of claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the parabolic entrance surface is greater than a diameter of the lumen extending through the connector portion below the parabolic entrance surface.

15. A sanitary fitting, comprising:

a flange portion defining a flat face and a central opening therein;

a connector portion extending from the flange portion and defining an outlet port;

a parabolic entrance to the outlet port formed by a continuous sidewall that defines the central opening extending from an inner perimeter edge of the flat face to the outlet port of the connector portion; and

a suction-relief rib arranged along the flat face of the flange portion and extending into the parabolic entrance, wherein the suction-relief rib comprises a twisting curvature for causing rotation of fluid flow through the sanitary fitting.

16. The sanitary fitting of claim 15 , wherein the suction-relief rib comprises a parabolic-shaped leading end.

17. The sanitary fitting of claim 15 , wherein the suction-relief rib comprises a generally flat top surface that tapers downward to gradually decrease a height of the suction-relief rib as the suction-relief rib extends along the parabolic entrance toward the outlet port.

18. The sanitary fitting of claim 15 , wherein:

the suction-relief rib comprises sidewalls forming an airfoil shape extending generally normal to the flat face and parabolic entrance,

the airfoil shape comprises a parabolic-shaped leading edge that transitions into the sidewalls;

a thickness between the sidewalls remains substantially constant as the suction-relief rib extends along the flat face towards the parabolic entrance, and

the thickness between the sidewalls narrows as the suction-relief rib extends into the parabolic entrance and tapers to terminate at a trailing end.

19. The sanitary fitting of claim 18 , wherein the sidewall comprises the twisting curvature as the suction-relief rib extends into the parabolic entrance.

20. The sanitary fitting of claim 18 , wherein the suction-relief rib comprises a parabolically shaped top edge and sidewall.

21. A sanitary fitting comprising:

a flange portion having a planar ring surface;

a connector portion extending from the flange portion and defining a lumen therethrough having an axis normal to the planar ring surface; and

a plurality of suction-relief ribs positioned at least partially on and protruding from the planar ring surface of the flange portion around an entrance opening to the lumen and configured to cause a vortex in fluid flow through the lumen.

22. The sanitary fitting of claim 21 , wherein sidewalls of the plurality of suction-relief ribs comprise an airfoil shape having a leading edge that is wider than a trailing edge.

23. The sanitary fitting of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of suction-relief ribs form a curved shape from the leading edge to the trailing edge.