AU2003203503A1 - Water Safety Device - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT WATER SAFETY DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: JGS:850079:M:299798 WATER SAFETY DEVICE This invention relates to a water safety device which alerts parents, guardians and/or household occupiers that some movement has occurred in a domestic swimming pool or spa, and that attention should be given to see if a child, pet or object has fallen into the water.

The present invention relates in general to a water safety device including a detection/transmitting device and a receiving device which act together as a warning system that monitors and subsequently alerts the household occupier that some movement has occurred within a domestic swimming pool or spa.

There have been numerous devices in the prior-art which use various electronic means to assist in the prevention of infant deaths caused by drowning in swimming pools.

One such device is based on water level meters with sensors that capture wave size variances It can be argued that changing water levels with rain or hot days and evaporation, could well render these types of devices inadequate.

Another prior-art device uses passive infra-red detectors that acknowledge movement in and around pool areas. Obviously these types of devices would send numerous false alarms when pets and birds simply walk past them. The alarms on these items are usually built within the same single housing as the sensors.

There have also been prior-art safety devices that measure the pixels of a digital photo taken by a camera which sits beneath the water surface. The picture is then scanned and compared to a previously taken picture to see if an object is indeed present. This could well be too late if a small child has fallen in and drowned in a few seconds.

The prior-art has included flotation devices but these have shown inaccuracies and inconsistencies in use and therefore failed to deliver a reliable monitoring system which could well save a life.

Reference is made to inventions disclosed in the following patents: US 3,276,007 US 3,732,556 US 3,786,469 US 4,333,094 US 5,638,048 US 6,064,309 To overcome some of the problems with the prior-art, the present invention is a pool alarm device including a flotation housing, a triggering device, a signal generating device, a remotely located receiving device and an alarm wherein the trigger device comprises at least two switches and at least one of the switches is adjustably located relative to the other switch to provide variable sensitivity to the movement of the flotation housing such that any movement above a pre-set minimum will trigger a signal and activate the alarm.

Preferably the switches are mercury switches. Preferably the switches are tilted at an angle between 3 degrees and 15 degrees to the horizontal "on" or trigger position. These switches detect displacement motion by waves or ripples upon the surface of a swimming pool or spa.

Preferably the signal is generated by a radio frequency transmitter with an adjustable frequency and the radio frequency receiver emits an audible alarm.

Preferably the power for the flotation device and radio frequency transmitter will be provided by battery and the power for the radio frequency receiver will be powered by mains power.

Preferably the flotation housing comprises outer fins that stabilise the device and otherwise assist in the movement of the device benefiting the sensitivity of the device.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alarm is activated by way of one or more switches. These switches detect displacement motion by waves or ripples upon the surface of a swimming pool or spa. Once activated, a transmitter within the unit sends a signal to the receiver in the house which is connected to 240V Mains Power outlet socket.

The receiver activates an audible alarm to alert the occupier to quickly investigate if a child or pet or object has fallen into the pool or spa.

The invention and its preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

That part of the pool alarm device concerned with detection and transmitting is housed within a flotation device or flotation housing similar to common chlorine dispensers. Preferably round in shape and with a counterbalance to assist in buoyancy, the unit consistently bobs with the wind and filter usage.

To assist in hydrodynamics, the flotation device could have protruding fins at its base which allows the unit to spin freely. This will add to the sensitivity of the device. See attached Fig 1.

The flotation device floats, preferably permanently, on the surface of the pool/spa. It houses a water-sealed compartment. The lid uses an Ring to seal it. This compartment holds various components, which are outlined individually below.

Within the water-sealed compartment of the unit, there is an internal fixed mercury switch. See attached Fig 2. It is activated, for example, if the angle of inclination surpasses a predetermined angle, say between 3 and 15 degrees to the horizontal.

JGS:850079:M:299798 A second mercury switch is also located within the water-sealed compartment of the device, but this one is adjustable by way of turning on a dial to make it move anywhere between parallel to and perpendicular to the fixed switch. See attached Fig 3. This way the unit can be adjusted to vary the sensitivity of the inclination trigger point that activates one or more switches and the alarm.

Adjusting the said sensitivity dial will regulate at what point it should be best set to avoid constant false alarms. This is necessarily dependent on various shapes of pools, and includes outdoor pools and indoor pools which have automated cleaning devices.

The device is preferably powered by a 9 or 12 volt long lasting Lithium battery unit. This could well be powered by other power sources such as solar panels or rechargeable batteries. It is preferably fitted with a small red light emitting diode. This is for ease of visual checking that the unit is "on" and functioning correctly. The radio frequency (RF) transmitter is activated once one or more of the switches are triggered by a tilt of the flotation device (where the inclination trigger point has been set by the user). The transmitter then sends a signal to the receiver which activates the alarm. See attached Fig 4.

Within the household, the receiver is preferably an 'all-in-one' unit which houses a transformer, a LED, a receiver and an audible alarm. See attached Fig 5. This unit is simply plugged into a wall socket usually in or within close proximity to the family or living room. It will be necessary to have the unit within a reasonable and workable distance from the transmitter to ensure accurate receipt of the signal. See attached Fig 7.

Preferably the receiver also has a light emitting diode to display that the unit is Its workings are similar to a cordless door-bell, with preferably an audible alarm similar to a smoke detector alarm in substitution for the chime. See attached Fig 6.

Testing has been done using weights from about 5 to 17 kilos being similar to children's weight between the ages of 1 to 4 and a 2 kilo weight similar to small household pets. Both with a splash and splashless entry the pool alarm device was activated as the water ripple from the entry of the weight reached the device.

JGS:850079:M:299798

Claims (12)

1. A pool alarm device including a flotation housing, a triggering device, a signal generating device, a remotely located receiving device and an alarm wherein the trigger device comprises at least two switches and a least one of the switches is adjustably located relative to the other switch to provide variable sensitivity to the movement of the flotation housing such that any movement above a pre-set minimum will trigger a signal and activate the alarm.

2. A pool alarm device according to claim 1 wherein the switches are mercury switches.

3. A pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the mercury switches are set between 3 degrees and 15 degrees to the horizontal.

4. A pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the signal is generated by a radio frequency transmitter with an adjustable frequency and the radio frequency receiver emits an audible alarm. A pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the power for the flotation device and radio frequency transmitter will be provided by battery and the power for the radio frequency receiver will be powered by mains power.

6. A pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the flotation housing comprises outer fins that stabilise the device and otherwise assist in the movement of the device benefiting the sensitivity of the device.

7. A pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims which, once activated by water movement, warns by way of a signal transmission to a separately housed remote receiver, which activates an audible and/or visual alarm.

8. A pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the alarm is housed in the remote receiver.

9. The pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the alarm in contained in the same housing as the flotation device. pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims which includes a housing which is water resistant.

11.The pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the signal generating device is powered by a solar powered unit.

12.The pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one or more of the switches is a fixed and/or variable,, sensor, which is activated when the movement of water is at an angle of inclination of the flotation unit that surpasses the desired setting.

13.A pool alarm device activated by way of one or more switches that detect displacement motion by waves or ripples upon the surface of a swimming pool or spa, wherein once a switch is activated, a transmitter within the unit sends a signal to a remote receiver which activates an audible alarm to alert a person to investigate the pool.

14.The pool alarm device according to any one of the preceding claims substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Applicant Date Parkmi n Pty Ltd FrahkG uerra Director/Inventor 4 April 2003 JGS:850079:M:299798