AU2012292964B2

AU2012292964B2 - A swimming pool pump

Info

Publication number: AU2012292964B2
Application number: AU2012292964A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ross Leslie Palmer
Original assignee: Poolrite Ip Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Poolrite Ip Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2011-08-10
Filing date: 2012-08-10
Publication date: 2017-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 2032-08-10
Also published as: AU2017245458A1; AU2012292964A1; WO2013020181A1

Abstract

The invention resides in a swimming pool pump which is able to operate at a low speed and a high speed, the pump automatically switched between the low speed and the high speed each time power is supplied to the pump.

Description

WO 2013/020181 PCT/AU2012/000947 1

TITLE “A SWIMMING POOL PUMP”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a swimming pool pump. In particular 5 the invention relates to a swimming pool pump which can be used to reduce electricity charges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Domestic swimming pools are enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. So that people are able to enjoy their swimming pools, 10 it is necessary to filter the swimming pool water to make it clean as well as chlorinate the swimming pool water to inhibit microbial growth. To filter swimming pool water a pump is used to pump swimming pool water through a filter. To chlorinate the swimming pool water, it is necessary to the pump the swimming pool water through an electrolytic cell which creates chlorine 15 from salt located within the swimming pool water. Swimming pool water is typically pumped through the filter and then through the electrolytic cell. This allows a single pump to be used. The operation of the pump and the electrical cell are normally controller simultaneous using a controller.

Swimming pool filtration systems are expensive to operate. 20 This is largely due to electricity costs associated with running the pump. The electrolytic cell and the associated controller utilize minimal amount of electricity in comparison with operation of the pump. Accordingly many pool owners program their controller to operate the pump and electrolytic cell for a comparatively low numbers of hours. This can create a swimming pool water 25 which is either not clean and/or contain dangerous microbes.

In order to reduce electricity costs, it is possible to operate a pump during off-peak times when tariffs are at there lowest. However, in order to generate sufficient chlorine the electrolytic cell must generally between in operation for between 6 and 12 hours depending on the size of 30 the pool and weather conditions. Swimming pool pumps are generally noisy and running pumps through the night, when electricity tariffs are at their lowest, is often not possible. Further, due to the duration that the electrolytic PCT/AU2012/000947 WO 2013/020181 2 cell must run, it is generally not possible to operate the pump entirely during off-peak times. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to overcome or alleviate one or 5 more of the above disadvantages or to provide the consumers with a useful or commercial choice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form the invention resides in a swimming pool pump which is able to operate at a low speed and a high speed, the pump 10 automatically switched between the low speed and the high speed each time power is supplied to the pump.

In another form, although not necessarily the only or broadest form, the invention resides in a swimming pool pump including: a motor; 15 an impeller driven by the motor; an inlet that is able to draw water from a swimming pool when the impeller is being driven; an outlet able to pump water back into a swimming pool when the impeller is being driven; and 20 a switch to automatically switch the motor between a high speed and a low speed; wherein the switch is automatically switched cyclically between the low speed and the high speed in separate periods of operation.

Preferably the switch is automatically switched cyclically between the 25 low speed and the high speed in successive periods of operation.

Normally the periods of operation are defined when the power to the motor is switched on and off.

Preferably the pump has a basket void for location of a filter basket. Suitably the swimming pool filter includes a filter basket. 30 In another form the invention resides in a method of operating a swimming pool pump the method including the steps of: operating the pump at a high speed for a period of time; PCT/AU2012/000947 WO 2013/020181 3 automatically switching the pump to a low speed; and operating the pump at a low speed for a period of time.

Preferably, the pump is automatically switched between the high speed to the low speed when the power supply to the pump is changed. 5 In another form the invention resides in a swimming pool filtration system including: an electrolytic cell; a pump operable at a high volume and a low volume; a controller to control the periods of operation of both the 10 electrolytic cell and pump; wherein the pump automatically alternates between a low volume and a high volume after each period of operation.

In another form, the invention resides in a method of operating a swimming pool filtration system including the steps of: 15 connecting a controller to a pump so that the controller determines the period of operation of the pump; automatically alternating the volumetric output of the pump between a high volume and a low volume when the period of operation changes.

20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION

An embodiment Will be described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figure in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a pool filtration system which includes a swimming pool pump according to an embodiment of the 25 invention; and

Figure 2 is a schematic view of a swimming pool pump according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figure 1 shows a typical pool filtration system 100 which is 30 used to both chlorinate and filter water from a swimming pool 10. The swimming pool filtration system 100 includes a swimming pool pump 110, an electrolytic cell 120, a filter 130 and a controller 140. The controller 140 is PCT/AU2012/000947 WO 2013/020181 4 used to control the operation of the swimming pool pump 110 and the electrolytic cell 120. In normal, use the controller 140 is programmed so that the pump 110 and the electrolytic cell 120 are operated twice a day. However, it should be appreciated that the controller 140, the electrolytic cell 5 120 and pump 110 may be operated more than twice per day.

The electrolytic cell 120, pump 110, filter 130 and controller 140 are all standard pieces of swimming pool equipment which are readily purchased from swimming pool accessories suppliers. A person skilled in the art would readily be able to select an appropriate controller 140, filter 130 10 and electrolytic cell 120 based on the size of the pool, the volume of water and associated climate..

The swimming pool pump 110, shown in Figure 2, includes a 2-speed motor 111, an impeller 112, an inlet 113, an outlet 114, a filter basket-void 115 and a filter basket 116. The 2-speed motor 111 is attached to the 15 impeller by a shaft 117. The impeller 112 is located adjacent to the filter basket void 115 to pump water into the inlet 113, through the filter basket 116 and out of the outlet 114.

The swimming pool pump 110 also includes a switch 118 which is connected to the 2-speed motor 111. The switch 118 can be used to 20 operate the motor 111 in a number of different modes namely, high, low, standby, auto and boosta. The modes are shown Figure 2. The different modes can be activated by selecting buttons 119 located on the switch 118. That is, the switch 118 can operate the motor 111 solely at a high speed. The switch 118 can also operate the motor 111 solely a low speed. The 25 switch 118 can be used to stop the motor 111 thereby placing the motor 118 in a standby mode. The switch 118 can be used in auto mode in which the motor 111 automatically alternates between a low speed and a high speed, and from a high speed to a low speed, in a continuous fashion, when power is switched on. It should be appreciated that the switch may switch the 30 motor 111 from a low speed to a high speed and visa versa when the power is turned off in an alternate embodiment. The switch 118 can also be used in a boosta mode which runs the motor 111 at high speed for a predetermined PCT/AU2012/000947 WO 2013/020181 5 length of time (for example 30 minutes).

It should be appreciated that when the low speed mode is selected on the switch 118 or the auto speed mode is selected and is alternated to the low speed, the motor 111 can be run on high for a short 5 period of time (eg 30 sec to 2 min) to ensure the pump is primed and/or to pass any accumulated debris into the basket that may be located in the pool filtration system 100.

It should be appreciated that the swimming pool pump 110 may be operated using and associated remote control 150 that is wirelessly linked 10 to the swimming pool switch using conventional technology. The remote control 150 again has a number of different modes namely, high, low, stop, sync-auto and boosta. The different modes can be activated by selecting buttons 151 located on the remote control 150. The high, low and boosta modes have been discussed above. The stop mode is self explanatory and 15 stops the motor 111. The sync-auto changes the sequence of from high speed to low speed pr visa versa when the auto mode on the switch 118 has been selected.

In use, the controller 140 is typically used to control the supply of power the pump 110 and to the electrolytic cell 120 to operate both the 20 pump 110 and the electrolytic cell 120 simultaneously. That is, when the pump 110 is operating, the electrolytic cell 120 is also operating. The controller 140 must be set to operate the electrolytic cell 120 for a sufficient period of time so that the electrolytic cell 120 produces sufficient chlorine. Further, the controller 140 must be set to operate the pump 110 so that a 25 sufficient volume of water passes through the filter 130 to clean the water. It is desirable to achieve the above at the lowest cost.

Accordingly, the controller 140 is the set to operate the pump 110 at a low speed (and low volume) when electricity tariffs are high. Therefore, the amount of electricity consumed by operating of the pump 110 30 is reduced when compared to a single speed pump. The electrolytic cell 130 still operates at this time and still produces chlorine. When electricity charges are low then the pump 110 is run at a high speed (and high volume) PCT/AU2012/000947 WO 2013/020181 6 in order to achieve the required volume of water to be passed through the filter 130. Again, the electrolytic cell is being run when the pump is being run.

The advantage of having a two speed/volume pump is existing 5 pumps can be replaced keeping all of the older equipment. This replacement can easily be achieved as the change in power switches the speed of the motor 110 of the pump from a low speed to a high speed and visa versa. Therefore, an existing controller can be programmed to supply power to the pump according to electricity tariffs times taking into account the 10 volume of water that must be passed through the filter and the amount of time the electrolytic cell must operate for to produce the required amount of chlorine.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modification may be made to the embodiment described without departing 15 from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A swimming pool pump which is able to operate at a low speed setting and a high speed setting, the pump automatically switched between the low speed setting and the high speed setting each time power is supplied to the pump.
2. The swimming pool pump of claim 1 wherein the swimming pool pump includes: a motor; an impeller driven by the motor; an inlet that is able to draw water from a swimming pool when the impeller is being driven; an outlet able to pump water back into a swimming pool when the impeller is being driven; and a switch to automatically switch the motor between a high speed and a low speed when power is supplied to the pump.
3. The swimming pool pump of claim 2 wherein the switch is automatically switched cyclically between the low speed and the high speed in separate periods of operation.
4. The swimming pool pump of claim 2 or claim 3 wherein switch is automatically switched cyclically between the low speed and the high speed in successive periods of operation.
5. The swimming pool pump of any one of the preceding claims further including a basket void for location of a filter basket.
6. The swimming pool pump of claim 5 wherein the basket void includes a filter basket.
7. A method of operating a swimming pool pump, the method including the steps of: operating the pump at a high speed setting for a period of time; automatically switching the pump to a low speed setting when the power supply to the pump is changed; and operating the pump at a low speed setting for a period of time.
8. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of: automatically switching the pump to a low speed when the power supply to the pump is changed; and operating the pump at a high speed for a period of time.
9. A swimming pool filtration system comprising: an electrolytic cell; a pump operable at a high volume and a low volume; a controller to control the periods of operation of both the electrolytic cell and pump; wherein the pump automatically alternates between a low volume and a high volume when the period of operation changes.
10. The swimming pool filtration system of claim 9 wherein the swimming pool pump includes: a motor; an impeller driven by the motor; an inlet that is able to draw water from a swimming pool when the impeller is being driven; an outlet able to pump water back into a swimming pool when the impeller is being driven; and a switch to automatically switch the motor between a high speed and a low speed the when power is supplied to the pump wherein the change in period of operation causes power to be supplied to the pump.
11. The swimming pool filtration system of claim 10 wherein the switch is automatically switched cyclically between the low speed and the high speed in separate periods of operation.
12. The swimming pool filtration system of claim 10 or claim 11 wherein switch is automatically switched cyclically between the low speed and the high speed in successive periods of operation.
13. The swimming pool filtration system of any one of claims 9 to 12 including a basket void for location of a filter basket.
14. The swimming pool filtration system of claim 13 wherein the basket void includes a filter basket.