The present invention relates to apparatus for an electrically powered water (or other liquid) feature.
Conventional electrically powered water features, particularly for indoor or garden use, generally fall into two categories: mains-powered, or solar-powered. Mains-powered water features suffer from the inconvenience of requiring a mains cable connection, with associated safety issues. Solar-powered water features may be completely self-contained but require strong sunlight to operate effectively; this renders them unsuitable for use indoors, or in countries where strong sunlight is not often available.
Conventional water features may include decorative and/or structural components, made for example from stone or resin. These components may be expensive to manufacture and bulky to transport. Moreover, they are not easily reconfigurable to provide the decorative and/or structural effects desired by customers.
WO-A-2019/243800, filed by the present applicant, discloses a unit for a water (or other liquid) feature, including a pump, a rechargeable battery and control electronics within a housing comprising upper and lower housing parts. The battery is connectable to a power source for recharging, either wirelessly or through waterproof contacts.
Aspects of the present invention are defined by the accompanying claims.
Embodiments of the invention comprise apparatus for an electrically powered liquid feature, including a unit including a housing containing a pump and a rechargeable power source for the pump. The unit may include a contactless or contact power receiver for charging the power source. The power receiver may be positioned in the housing, for example in an upper portion of the housing. The unit may include one or more light sources.
The unit may be controlled by a user-actuable button, switch or other user-actuable means positioned on the unit. Settings of the unit may be controlled by a predetermined number or pattern of actuations of the user actuable means. The settings may be confirmed to the user by the light sources, for example by flashing a predetermined number of times to confirm the setting.
The unit may be removably installed in a reservoir. There may be provided apparatus for enabling this removable installation. The apparatus may be arranged for converting a receptacle, such as a pot or planter, to a water feature. Alternatively, the receptacle may be arranged to removably support the reservoir. The apparatus may include a lid or cover for the reservoir that supports decorative features, such as pebbles, gravel and/or plants. The cover may be partitioned so as to provide a pattern of different decorative features. Alternatively, the lid or cover may itself comprise one or more decorative features.
One or more translucent or transparent features may be removably attached to the upper side of the cover. The cover may allow light to pass from the light source(s) of the unit to these features. Alternatively or additionally the cover, or an additional unit provided on the cover, may itself include one or more light sources, arranged to illuminate these features.
There may be provided an outlet portion removably connected above the cover. The outlet portion may comprise a tiered cascade feature. Alternatively, the outlet portion may comprise a plurality of interconnected, stacked components. Alternatively, the outlet portion may comprise an adapter to which a statue or figurine may be removably attached.
Other aspects and optional features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
There now follows, by way of example only, a detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the Figures identified below.
Pump and Power Source Unit
Embodiments of the invention comprise a pump 2 for pumping water (or other liquid) as part of the function of the water feature, for example for pumping water through a nozzle 3 in a fountain, or pumping water to a higher level in a cascade. The pump 2 is electrically powered, and includes a motor, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet.
Power for the pump 2 is provided by a rechargeable power source 1, such as a one or more cells, batteries or capacitors. The capacity of the rechargeable power source 1 is sufficient to power the pump 2 for a length of time appropriate for the water feature, without requiring additional power from another source, such as a mains or solar power supply. Preferably, the rechargeable power source 1 is the sole power source for the pump 2.
Preferably, the pump 2 and rechargeable power source 1 are combined in a common housing, comprising an upper portion 21 and a lower portion 22 that are removably attachable together so as to provide a single, compact module or unit 20 that may be supplied as a self-contained water feature or as a component for integration into a water feature. The size and/or shape of the module or unit may be chosen to suit the application. In a specific example, the dimensions of the module or unit are 120×83 mm. The unit is preferably light and easily portable, weighing for example between 0.1 and 1 Kg, and preferably between 200 and 500 g.
The module or unit 20 may be submersible in water or other liquid, for example in a reservoir such as a pond, fountain reservoir or birdbath, to provide a water feature such as a fountain, cascade, or bubbler. In some embodiments, the unit could be designed for other types of water or liquid feature, such as for example a rain effect feature using oil rather than water.
The power source 1 may be rechargeable by contactless or wireless charging, for example by inductive charging in proximity to a contactless or wireless power transmitter 5 connected to a source of mains power, as described in the first and second embodiments of WO-A-2019/243800.
Alternatively, the power source 1 may be rechargeable by a contact connection, or a combination or selection of contact and wireless connections.
The unit 20 may include further features as disclosed in WO-A-2019/243800, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Specific embodiments of the invention are described in detail below. Similar features between different embodiments are described using the same reference numerals. In this description ‘upper’, ‘lower’, ‘top’, bottom’, ‘vertical’ and similar terms are defined with reference to the normal orientation of the module or unit when the pump 2 is in use, for example with the nozzle 3 projecting upwards.
Water Feature Installation
As shown in
The reservoir 80 may be supported within an outer receptacle, such as a planter or pot 90 by a plurality of connectors, such as hangers or hooks 84 which fit over the rim of the pot 90 and are attached to the periphery of the reservoir 80 by corresponding loops or ties 85, which are adjustable in length to allow mounting in pots 90 of a range of different diameters. The ties 85 may be cable ties, turnbuckles or other adjustable length connectors. Each of the hooks 84 includes an adjustable screw 86 for clamping onto the rim of the pot 90; this allows use with pots 90 with rims of different thicknesses. This arrangement allows the unit 20 to be mounted on the rim of the pot 90, and is adjustable for different diameters and thicknesses of pot 90.
Instead of the hangers or hooks 84, the reservoir 80 may be supported by material such as soil or gravel, or may float on water or other liquid, within the pot 90. Alternatively, the reservoir 80 may have a rim that fits over the rim of the pot 90 and thereby supports the reservoir 80. In another alternative as shown in
In the above first embodiment, the pot 90 does not act as a reservoir for the liquid, but supports and provides a decorative surround for the reservoir 80. Alternatively, the reservoir 80 may include one or more apertures to allow liquid communication with the interior of the pot 90.
In a second embodiment as shown in
As shown in
The arrangement provides a cascade effect using components that can be removably installed above the unit 20, allowing the unit 20 to be removed for charging.
In a third embodiment as shown in
The reservoir 80 in this embodiment has an outer rim designed to fit the rim of a pot 90 so that the reservoir 80 is supported by the pot 90.
In a variant shown in
The filter 87 has a central aperture 87b which aligns with the central aperture 82 of the cover 83, to allow the nozzle 3 to pass through. The filter 87 may have filter portions 87c, for example of nylon mesh or wire mesh.
As shown in
The partitions 112 may have one or more internal partitions 113 used to hold material of different types in position within the partition 112. This allows a variety of different decorative effects to be achieved, comprising for example pebbles, gravel or other decorative objects of different colors, shapes and/or sizes to be arranged on the cover 83, on which a fountain effect is created by the unit 20 and the nozzle 3.
The cover 83 and attached features may be removed from the reservoir 80 by a detachable handle 114 as shown in
The LEDS 132 may be powered by one or more rechargeable batteries 136, housed in the lower housing portion 134, which may be recharged by a contact or contactless connection similar to that of the unit 20, via charging contacts which pass through contact holes 138 in the lower housing portion 134. A PCB 137 comprising control and driver electronics for the LEDs 132 is also housed in the lower housing portion 134.
When first powered on, the driver may switch on the LEDs 132 for a predetermined period of time (i.e. a starting illumination period) then may modulate the power delivered to the LEDs 132 to a lower level or switch them off completely, in order to conserve battery life. The LEDs 132 may be switched on periodically to maintain the glow of the phosphorescent elements in a ‘top up’ phase until the power is switched off.
The control electronics may be coupled to a sensor 131, provided within the upper housing portion 130, to detect the presence of the element 120 in the aperture or recess 133 and switch on or varying the power to the LEDs 132 in response thereto. The sensor 131 may be a magnetic switch, actuated by a magnet within the element 120.
The inner adapter 141 comprises an upper portion 141a removably connectable to a lower portion 141b or stem. The upper portion 141a may be connectable directly to the outlet of the unit 20, for installations that do not include the cover 83 as shown for example in
The reservoir 80 in at least some embodiments may be supported by a self-supporting stand 40, which may be adjustable. The stand 40 may for example be mounted within the pot or planter 90. In the example shown in
System Components
A controller 12, such as a microcontroller or microprocessor, controls the switching on and off as well as the speed of the pump motor 75 via a pump speed control circuit 71. Advantageously, the controller 12 may control the speed so as to increase the life of the rechargeable power supply 1. For example, the controller 12 may provide a pulsed operation setting, whereby the speed is varied periodically so as to provide a pulsed effect. This may reduce power consumption by up to 50%, without materially affecting the visual appearance of the water feature. Unit settings may be stored in a memory 72 accessed by the controller 12.
The controller 12 may communicate via a wireless interface, such as Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi module 16 and/or IR receiver 17, to a wireless remote control 70 such as a mobile device running an app 74, or a dedicated remote control, so as to allow remote control of functions of the device.
To increase the range of wireless communication, an external antenna may be provided for the wireless interface. The external antenna may be molded into the upper portion 21 and/or the nozzle 3.
The controller 12 and/or the remote control 70 may be programmable so as to provide functions of the unit 20 at specific times, for specific durations, or in response to triggers such as proximity of a user.
The controller 12 may connect via a wireless interface, such as a Wi-Fi interface, to a network, for example for remote control or firmware updates over the network.
The controller 12 may also control the light source(s) 7, power indicator 8, charging indicator 9, and/or one or more auxiliary devices 76. The auxiliary device(s) 76 may be integrated within the unit 20 or may be external to the unit 20, and may comprise: one or more motors for driving additional functions such as decorative moving parts; one or more sounds generators for music or sound effects; and one or more ultrasonic misters.
In an alternative arrangement, the unit 20 may be controlled by a user interface provided on the unit 20 itself, rather than by a wireless remote control. For example, a multi-function button (MFB) may be provided on the unit 20, such as on the upper surface of the upper portion 21. This allows the system to be more cost-effective because there is no need for remote control 70 or the wireless interface 16, 17. Moreover, the system may be more power-efficient because there is no need to power the wireless interface 16, 17 in order to detect input from the remote control 70.
The operation of the unit 20 may be controlled by one or more presses of the MFB, as shown for example in
Features from one of the above embodiments may be combined with features of another one of the embodiments, where these are compatible.
The embodiments described above are illustrative of rather than limiting to the present invention. Alternative embodiments apparent on reading the above description may nevertheless fall within the scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1809958.0 | Jun 2018 | GB | national |
1904476.7 | Mar 2019 | GB | national |
2114061.1 | Sep 2021 | GB | national |
The present application is a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/GB2021/053265 filed on Dec. 13, 2021, which claims benefit of priority to United Kingdom Patent Application No. GB2114061.1 filed on Sep. 30, 2021 and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/123,072 filed on Dec. 15, 2020. The present application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/123,072 filed on Dec. 15, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/GB2019/051698 filed on Jun. 18, 2019, which claims the benefit of United Kingdom Patent Application No. GB1809958.0 filed on Jun. 18, 2018, and of United Kingdom Patent Application No. GB1904476.7 filed on Mar. 29, 2019. The disclosures of the aforementioned applications are all expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/GB2021/053265 | Dec 2021 | US |
Child | 18210015 | US | |
Parent | 17123072 | Dec 2020 | US |
Child | PCT/GB2021/053265 | US | |
Parent | 17123072 | Dec 2020 | US |
Child | PCT/GB2021/053265 | US | |
Parent | PCT/GB2019/051698 | Jun 2019 | US |
Child | 17123072 | US |