AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT IMPROVED POOL SAFETY VALVE The following statement is a full description of this invention, Including the best method of performing it known to me: I IMPROVED POOL SAFETY VALVE Pool safety valves used in swimming pools and spa's to release suction at the pool drain line are now a necessary requirement to avoid injury and even death by drowning when a person is accidently entrapped at the water out take point. Hair entanglement and even body coverage of this out take point can cause extreme suction as the water pump 5 continues to vacuum the drain line. Existing pool safety release valves use two different methods to de-prime the vacuum line. One method uses a safety switch at the pump that recognizes the pressure in the drain line when an entrapment occurs and automatically switches the power off. Another method uses a measured determined pressure to open an air intake valve or multiple air intake valves that de-prime the line. The first method uses 10 electric power to operate its shut off release. The second method uses a predetermined measured pressure and mechanical spring valve to operate release. The improved pool safety valve in the present invention uses both a mechanical and a differential pressure combination to release suction. By combining the existing water pressure from the return pool line back to the improved pooI safety valve, the valve is able to close the air intake 15 and assist the opening when water pressure is removed. In this way the pool line can prime and de-prime automatically without adjustments when obstructions occur at the pool intake point. A 'Y' or 'T' shaped housing is fitted onto the drain line that contains a movable ball stop valve mounted on a rod that transverses two in line ports. A third port is angled from the 20 other two opposing ports which is attached and adjacent to the pool drain line. This port becomes a suction port in the event of pool suction and entrapment. The first port is an 2 air intake port closed by the ball stop valve and by water pressure against a valve rod. This water pressure that closes and releases the rod comes from the water pump via a small auxiliary line from the pool return line. This auxiliary line can have water flow in two directions. Against the rod and closing the valve in normal operation, away from the 5 rod when the water ceases to flow. This additional line in the pool pump system causes pressure flow in two directions and provides a differential pressure value at the suction port. This differential pressure is an added safety feature for releasing the air intake. The valve now opens because of a combination suction port and release of water pressure. This simple dual configuration ensures that the valve will open when blockage occurs 10 and when the blockage is removed the line will prime with water again to operate the system normally. It is an invention that does not rely on differing sized mechanical springs and pre-determined pressures. It has the included feature of water pressure to operate its automatic on/off release function. The improved pool safety valve that uses water pressure from the return pool line together with a ball stop valve to keep an air 15 intake closed on a pump line is simple and cost efficient. Other devices that rely on mechanics and power switches are more complicated and expensive to install. The improved pool safety valve is better understood when viewing the accompanying drawings where: FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the improved pool safety valve providing a view of the 20 air intake valve. FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the improved pool safety valve showing the 'T' bar or 'Y' configuration.
3 FIGURE 3 is the assembled internal ball stop valve. FIGURE 4 is the exploded view of the internal ball stop valve. FIGURE 5 is the fully assembled ball stop valve inserted into the 'T' bar improved pool safety valve. 5 FIGURE 6 is an arrowed illustration showing a pool drain line exiting a swimming pool and passing the attached improved pool safety valve, entering a pump and returning pressured water to the valve and pool. In FIGURE 1 and 2 side views of the improved pool safety valve housing I is shown in a 'T' configuration although a 'Y' configuration could also be equally suited provided two 10 of the ports were in line. The improved pool safety valve has an air intake hole 2 at one opposing port 12. In FIGURE'S 3 and 4 assembled and unassembled parts of the stop ball valve 5 is shown that will be fitted into the improved pool safety valve housing 1. The disassembled valve consists of a half ball washer 4, ball 5, rod 6, spring 7, internal spring housing 8, rod 15 housing 9, an '0' ring washer 10 and housing fitting 11 for the rod 6 and '0' ring washer 10. In FIGURE 5 the ball 5 valve is fully assembled into the improved pool safety valve housing 1 showing the rod housing 9 with opposing port holes 12 and 2. A third port hole 13 becomes the suction line port. 20 In FIGURE 6 a swimming pool 14 has an arrowed illustration of a pool loop line 15 leaving the pool 14 via a water intake point 16 and passing by improved pool safety valve I on its way to a pump 17. Water pressure from the pump 17 travels along an auxiliary 4 line 18 into the port hole 12 against rod 6 and '0' ring washer 10, spring 7, ball 5 and half ball 4 into the port hole 2 air intake. Tension on spring 7 and water pressure 18 keeps the air intake 2 closed during normal operation. In the event of entrapment or blockage at water intake 16, the pump 17 keeps sucking air 5 until a vacuum forms in the drain line 15. When this occurs the remaining water pressure in the auxiliary line 18 drains back to the pool return line19 in a reverse flow 20, releasing pressure on the rod 6 within the improved pool safety valve housing 1. At the same time this abnormal suction causes the ball 5 and rod 6 attachments to move towards the opposing port 12 opening the air intake port 2 that de-primes the vacuum in the pool 10 line 15 and releases the entrapment or blockage at water pool intake 16. When the entrapment or blockage is removed from the water intake port 16 the pump 17 begins to prime the line 15. Water pressure entering the auxiliary line 18 assists the spring 7 to close the air intake 2 in the improved pool safety valve I once again. The automatic function of the improved pool safety valve I to de-prime and prime the pool 15 loop line 15 through water intake hole 16, pump 17, auxiliary pressure hose 18, return pool line 19 and reverse flow line 20 functions with a differential combination of hydro and mechanical pressures.