Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04D15/00—Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or systems
  • F04D15/0066—Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or systems by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/12—Devices or arrangements for circulating water, i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or for water treatment
  • E04H4/1209—Treatment of water for swimming pools
  • E04H4/1245—Recirculating pumps for swimming pool water
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/12—Devices or arrangements for circulating water, i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or for water treatment
  • E04H4/1209—Treatment of water for swimming pools
  • E04H4/1218—Devices for removal of polluted water; Circumferential gutters
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/14—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
  • E04H4/16—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for specially adapted for cleaning
  • E04H4/1618—Hand-held powered cleaners
  • E04H4/1636—Suction cleaners
  • E04H4/1645—Connections to the pool water circulation system
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/14—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
  • E04H4/16—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for specially adapted for cleaning
  • E04H4/1654—Self-propelled cleaners
  • E04H4/1672—Connections to the pool water circulation system

Definitions

• This invention relates to systems principally—although not necessarily exclusively—for cleaning recirculating water of recreational vessels such as swimming pools and spas (sometimes collectively referred to herein as “pools” or “swimming pools”) and more particularly, although again not exclusively, to systems utilizing variable-speed, dedicated booster pumps in connection with "pressure-side” automatic swimming pool cleaners (APCs).
• APCs automatic swimming pool cleaners
• APCs are categorized as either hydraulic or electric, depending mainly on the source of energy used to move the devices within pools.
• Hydraulic APCs frequently are sub-categorized as "suction-side” or “pressure-side” cleaners, with suction-side cleaners typically being connected, via hoses and debris filters, to inlets of water-recirculation pumps. Because this latter type of cleaner is connected to the suction side of the pump, it is evacuated by the pump and thus sucks debris-laden water from the pool to clean it.
• Pressure-side cleaners communicate with outlets of the pumps. Pressurized water thus is passed through the bodies of these cleaners; employing the Venturi principle, the pressurized water draws with it debris-laden water from the pool. The debris-laden water then passes through a filter before being returned to the pool.
• Standard water-recirculation pumps often are inadequate to power pressure-side APCs satisfactorily. Historically, therefore, separate booster pumps have been required to do so.
• U.S. Patent No. 8,297,920 to Ortiz, et al. whose contents are incorporated herein in their entirety, discloses examples of such booster pumps. These booster pumps undeniably use additional electricity, a disadvantageous result especially as energy costs increase.
• booster pumps operate at a single speed. They thus may supply to pressure-side APCs water at greater pressure and/or volume than optimal or otherwise desirable. To resolve this problem, water by-pass paths may be created or restrictor plates may be placed in supply hoses, for example. Both approaches simply waste some of the pressure provided by the booster pumps, however, and therefore waste some of the energy used to pressurize the water.
• the present invention avoids the inefficiencies present in existing solutions involving single-speed booster pumps.
• Systems of the invention control speed and suction power of pressure-side APCs by varying the water flow supplied by the secondary booster pump rather than wasting extra flow by by-passing or restricting it.
• Preferred embodiments of the invention do so by employing a variable-speed booster pump and adjusting its motor speed (revolutions per minute, or RPMs) to supply a pressure-side APC with water at satisfactory, if not optimal, pressure and/or volume. No by-pass or restriction is thus necessary, materially reducing the amount of wasted energy.
• the present invention hence relates to systems including both pressure-side
• APCs and variable-speed pumps especially booster pumps. It also relates to methods of cleaning pools using pressure-side APCs connected to outlets of variable-speed booster pumps. It further relates to pressure-side APCs configured for use with variable-speed booster pumps. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
• the FIGURE is a block diagram of an exemplary water- circulation and cleaning system for a swimming pool or spa.
• system 10 Illustrated in the FIGURE is an example of system 10 consistent with the present invention. Included in system 10 are filtration pump 20, water distribution equipment 40, and booster pump 50. Optionally forming part of system 10 may be first and second water conditioning equipment 30 and 70, respectively, and APC 60.
• APC 60 is an optional part of system 10, its presence is preferable, as inclusion of certain hydraulic APCs generates need for booster pump 50 (as discussed above).
• Filtration pump 20 constitutes the main water-circulation means for system 10.
• Filtration pump 20 evacuates water from a swimming pool or spa (optionally through a skimmer or other filtration device) and passes the now-pressurized water at least to distribution equipment 40 downstream thereof.
• first water conditioning equipment 30 may be filters, heaters, chlorinators or other sanitizers, sensors, or other devices.
• second water conditioning equipment 70 may be or include such devices as filters, heaters, chlorinators or other sanitizers, or sensors, for example.
• distribution equipment 40 may comprise a plumbing system or manifold configured to divide water flow 80 into at least two flows 80A and 80B.
• Flow 80B travels to second water conditioning equipment 70, if present, then returning to the pool or spa from which it originated.
• flow 80A passes to booster pump 50 for subsequent downstream travel to APC 60.
• booster pump 50 is distinct from filtration pump 20 and dedicated to further pressurizing water for operation of APC 60.
• filtration pump 20 has a motor operational at either a single speed (i.e. a single-speed motor) or varying speeds (i.e. a variable-speed motor).
• a single speed i.e. a single-speed motor
• varying speeds i.e. a variable-speed motor.
• examples of such pumps 20 include the Jandy FloPro pumps, available from Zodiac Pool Systems, Inc. with single- and variable-speed motors. Other commercially-available pool pumps may be used as filtration pump 20.
• booster pumps in pool and spa water-circulation systems undesirably adds to the energy usage of the systems.
• conventional booster pumps operate at a single speed. This is true today, as even the booster pump of the recently-issued Ortiz patent is designed for single-speed operation. Long-needed, therefore, is a booster pump that allows operation of an APC (especially a pressure-side APC) but reduces, to the extent feasible, the additional energy needed to function.
• Booster pump 60 of system 10 fulfills this long- felt need in the industry by configuring its motor to operate at varying speeds. It thus may be constructed using at least some of the variable-speed technology of the corresponding Jandy FloPro pumps, for example, although other variable-speed motors and technology may be used instead. Generally, booster pump 60 will be both physically smaller and less powerful than filtration pump 20, although these differences are not necessarily required.
• system 10 allows variation in water flow and pressure to APC 60 by adjusting motor speed of booster pump 60.
• system 10 may supply water to APC 60 at optimal (or near optimal) pressures and/or volumes without need for energy- wasting by -pass paths or restrictor plates.
• speeds of both motors may be adjusted independent of one another to improve overall efficiency of operation of the systems 10.
• booster pump 50 is not necessarily limited to use with pressure-side APCs 60 and that system 10 may be configured and plumbed differently so as to allow use of booster pump 50 with another type of hydraulic APC 60 or otherwise as desired.
• Hoses, conduits, pipes, and other conventional equipment may be used to pass water between components of system 10.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Control Of Positive-Displacement Pumps (AREA)
• Separation Using Semi-Permeable Membranes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2014
  • 2014-10-02 US US14/504,508 patent/US20150107012A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2014-10-02 WO PCT/US2014/058732 patent/WO2015061015A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2014-10-02 EP EP14789678.1A patent/EP3060730A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-10-02 AU AU2014340558A patent/AU2014340558A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2016
  • 2016-09-13 US US15/264,201 patent/US20170002580A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (1)

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