EP3282070A1 - Skimmer device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a skimmer device for swimming pools, ponds or the like comprising an inlet opening (2) equipped with a pivotally mounted skimmer flap (1), which is arranged at the level of the water level (3) of the basin or pond, an adjacent inflow chamber (4). with a Skimmersieb (5), at least one on the outlet side of the inflow chamber (4) arranged filter (6) and a downstream circulating pump. The Skimmersieb (5) is obliquely to the water level (3) in the inflow chamber (4) and extends through the water level (3) in the flow direction (7) in normal operation from bottom to top. The circulating pump can be switched to a backwashing operation, wherein the skimmer flap (1) closes in the reverse flow direction and the water level (3) in the inflow chamber (4) can be raised to above an overflow opening (8) arranged at the upper end of the skimmer sieve (5), whereby on Skimmersieb (5) accumulated material in the backwash operation on the overflow opening (8) can be discharged.

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a skimmer device for swimming pools, ponds or the like comprising an inlet opening provided with a pivotally mounted skimmer flap, which is arranged at the level of the water level of the basin or pond, an adjacent inflow chamber with a Skimmersieb, at least one arranged on the outlet side of the inflow chamber Filter and one
downstream circulating pump.

State of the art

In conventional skimmer devices, which keep the surface of swimming pools and ponds clean, a corresponding inlet opening is arranged on the water surface through which liquid and impurities floating on the surface are directed into an inflow chamber. In this chamber is usually a kind of basket or a sieve, in which the coarser impurities are collected. The water transported through the device is usually subsequently fed to a filter system. The mentioned baskets or sieves must be removed manually from the inflow chamber from time to time and cleaned of the impurities, such as leaves and the like. Especially in natural swimming ponds, there is a greater pollution and thus more frequent cleaning intervals.

Although there are automated cleaning systems with rotating screen surfaces or scrapers, but these are very complex in construction and prone to errors.

Another problem with natural swimming ponds is that in the skimmer also animals, like amphibians or frogs get caught and then can not free themselves from the mostly lowered baskets independently and die. For self-cleaning systems there is a risk that the rotating screen surfaces or scrapers injure the animals, which is why these systems are generally unsuitable for natural ponds.

Brief description of the invention

Object of the present invention is therefore to provide a Skimmervorrichtung, which is simple, is to be cleaned automatically and is very gentle to any sucked animals, which these animals can on the one hand free themselves from the Skimmervorrichtung and on the other hand without damage during automatic cleaning process the skimmer device are removed.

This object is achieved in that the Skimmersieb is arranged obliquely to the water level in the Anströmkammer and the water level in the flow direction in normal operation from bottom to top, and that the circulation pump is switchable in a backwash, with the Skimmerklappe closes in reverse flow direction and the water level in the inflow chamber can be raised to above an overflow opening arranged at the upper end of the Skimmersiebs, whereby material accumulated on the Skimmersieb can be discharged in the backwash operation via the overflow opening. On the one hand, the obliquely arranged Skimmersieb that captive animals can easily get over the slope up to the overflow opening or, in accordance with the upwardly open design, the Skimmervorrichtung can also leave directly, and on the other hand, by the backwashing of the device, the Skimmersieb also heavier Material, such as leaves or branches are automatically cleaned. Due to the rising water level during the backwash operation, the skimmer flap closes at the inlet opening and the water level continues to rise, whereby the material located on the skimmer sieve is lifted and discharged via the overflow opening located above it. Depending on the application, the overflow opening can either be connected to a water drain or channel or, in particular when used in natural bathing ponds, can pass the water and material discharged via the overflow, for example towards the planting area in the surrounding area of the bathing pond or into an adjacent biotope. When backwashing over the overflow discharged live animals, such as amphibians or frogs, can easily return from the adjacent plants back to their habitat in the bathing pond, while the water and the discharged leaf material serves the surrounding plants as irrigation water or fertilizer.

According to a further feature of the present invention, it is provided that a control for switching the flow direction between normal operation and backwash operation is provided, the controller either switches between the modes due to a presettable time scheme or depending on a sensor for determining the power consumption and / or the Flow rate of the circulation pump, which in each case change according to the degree of blockage of Skimmersiebs. The control of the backwash operation is carried out in the simplest case according to a predetermined time scheme, which can be selected depending on the size, location and frequency of contamination of the pelvis or pond in question. However, the backwashing operation can also be demand-controlled if a sensor is used to measure either the power consumption of a downstream circulating pump or the water volume exiting from the circulating pump. If the power consumption rises above a certain threshold, or the volume of water delivered decreases, the skimmer device can be switched into the backwash mode due to the control and the skimmer screen can thus be automatically cleaned by discharging via the overflow opening.

In one possible embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the circulation pump is an air lift pump. This pump is particularly popular with natural bathing ponds, which also include fish, since on the one hand enriches the water with oxygen and on the other hand can be operated with very low power consumption.

Finally, it is a further feature of the present invention that an optionally controllable valve device is provided between the circulation pump and the filter, which communicates with the inflow chamber is connected downstream of the Skimmersiebs and which in the backwash the pumped water from the circulating pump, bypassing the filter directly into the inflow chamber. By providing a valve, the entire filter assembly can be bypassed in the backwash, whereby the applied by the circulation pump capacity can be used directly for cleaning the Skimmersiebs without significant losses. The discharge of the collected material is thus particularly efficient and even a short backwash operation is sufficient. The valve can either be designed as a simple check valve, or be controlled directly by the controller. When operating the valve via the controller can thus also be selected whether the backwash operation should also run through the filter, making it can be cleaned, or whether it is used only for cleaning the Skimmersiebs.

Short description of the drawing figures

• Fig. 1 eine schematische seitliche Schnittansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Skimmervorrichtung zeigt und
• Fig. 2 eine Aufsicht auf eine erfindungsgemäße Skimmervorrichtung zeigt.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

• Fig. 1 a schematic sectional side view of a skimmer device according to the invention shows and
• Fig. 2 a plan view of a skimmer device according to the invention shows.

Description of the embodiments

In the Fig. 1 schematically represented skimmer device according to the invention has an inlet opening 2, at the lower edge of a pivotable Skimmerklappe 1 is arranged. The inlet opening 2 is arranged such that it is located in the height of the water level 3 of the basin or pond. The Skimmerklappe 2 has at the free end a float 11, whereby the flap 2 is always kept just below the water level 3 in normal operation and the water from the basin or pond Skimmerklappe 2 easily flows into the inflow chamber 4. In the inflow chamber 4, a Skimmersieb 5, for example, a perforated plate, arranged obliquely to the water level 3, wherein by the flow direction 7 of the water in normal operation material, such as leaves, branches or the like, on Accumulate Skimmersieb 5. The water is further passed through a series of filters 6, 10. A filter 6 may be formed, for example, as a gravel or zeolite bed. Downstream of the flow direction, a number of finer filters 10, for example filter sponges, can be arranged. Following the filters 6, 10 is a circulating pump (not shown), which maintains the flow direction 7 in normal operation and directs the water from the pool, through the skimmer device and back into the basin again.

By the obliquely arranged Skimmersieb 5 animals that reach the inflow chamber 4 can easily leave the skimmer device back up. Either via an overflow opening 8 or, in the open design, through a corresponding outlet at the top of the skimmer device. If the animals can not free themselves, or the Skimmersieb 5 is contaminated by material, the circulation pump can be switched into a backwash, whereby the flow direction 7 reverses. This closes the Skimmerklappe 1 and further backwashing the water level rises 3 in the inflow chamber 4 to the overflow opening 8, which is arranged above the Skimmersiebs 5. The material located on Skimmersieb 5 and the animals located in the inflow chamber 4 are so gently discharged through the overflow opening 8. In order to supply more power of the circulation pump of the inflow chamber 4 in the backwash directly, a valve device 9 may be provided, which does not conduct the backwashing the water through the filter 6,10, but directly into the inflow 4.

In Fig. 2 is the arrangement off Fig. 1 shown in a plan view, wherein the Skimmersieb 5 is not shown in this illustration. Depending on the basin, the overflow opening 8 can either be connected directly to a channel or a water drain or, in particular in natural ponds, guide the water, material and any existing animals discharged in the backwash operation into the surrounding planting area around the natural pond, whereby the plants are watered on the one hand and the discharged material can serve as fertilizer. The any mitausgetragenen animals, such as Lurche or frogs, can then easily return to their normal life in the pond. If the water is channeled into an adjacent biotope, the animals can safely stay there.

Claims (4)

Skimmer device for swimming pools, ponds or the like comprising a with a pivotally mounted Skimmerklappe (1) equipped inlet opening (2) which is arranged in the height of the water level (3) of the basin or pond, an adjacent inflow chamber (4) with a Skimmersieb ( 5), at least one on the outlet side of the inflow chamber (4) arranged filter (6) and a downstream circulating pump, characterized in that the Skimmersieb (5) obliquely to the water level (3) in the inflow chamber (4) is arranged and the water level ( 3) in the flow direction (7) in normal operation from bottom to top, and that the circulation pump is switchable in a backwash, with the Skimmerklappe (1) closes in reverse flow direction and the water level (3) in the inflow chamber (4) to about an overflow opening (8) arranged at the upper end of the Skimmersiebs (5) can be lifted, whereby Mate accumulated on the Skimmersieb (5) rial in the backwash via the overflow opening (8) can be discharged. Skimmer device according to claim 1, characterized in that a control for switching the flow direction (7) between normal operation and backwash operation is provided, wherein the controller switches either due to a presettable time scheme between the modes or depending on a sensor for determining the power consumption and / or Flow rate of the circulation pump, which each change according to the degree of clogging of Skimmersiebs (5). Skimmer device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is an air lift pump in the circulation pump. Skimmer device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that between the circulation pump and filter (6) optionally controllable valve means (9) is provided, which is connected to the inflow chamber (4) downstream of the Skimmersiebs (5) and which in the backwash the pumped by the circulation pump water, bypassing the filter (6) directly back into the inflow chamber (4).

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