Patent Application
20100031435
The present invention relates a novel bypass system to control liquid volume. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for use in the control and regulation of pumps, pumping installations and/or systems, and the control of fluid flow in general. This system will find particular, though not exclusive, application with bathing vessels such as pools, whirlpools, bathtubs, hot tubs and spas.
Bathing vessels such as spas and hot tubs are very popular and commercially successful. These vessels are water holding enclosures (or reservoirs) that are typically constructed from a molded shell. The molded enclosures include one or more bathing spaces for use by one or more persons, and each bathing space includes at least one jet (or nozzle) from which water can be discharged to produce a relaxing or therapeutic effect. The molded shell may be constructed from fiberglass, plastic or a polymer, or a composite of such materials, in keeping with current technology in the field.
One or more pumps are usually placed under the molded shell to draw water from the enclosure and discharge it, sometimes with air, into the enclosure through a plurality of jets of various types. The jets are frequently mounted through the shell in either or both of the floor or sidewall. Usually, jets mounted through the sidewall are located below the water line of the bathing vessel and are designed to provide a comforting or therapeutic effect to a person occupying a bathing space. Piping is provided between the various jets, pumps and water inlet ports, and is often comprised of PVC pipes and flexible tubing. Various filters, heaters, cleaning units and diverter valves may also be provided, once again in keeping with known technology.
A person occupying a bathing space within a bathing vessel can orient himself in a selected position relative to the one or more jets to receive a vigorous or therapeutic massage action. However, in many cases, the bathing vessel has only one setting through which water flow through the jets can be regulated. This is a disadvantage for a bather who may wish to adjust the velocity or flow of water that is discharged through the jets of the bathing vessel.
Over the years a number of solutions have been proposed to provide means by which water flow or volume may be adjusted or regulated. For example, the flow rate of water may be controlled through the use of a regulating valve, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,036 (Bergman), U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,708 (Mathis) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,258 (Henkin et al). Use of a valve to choke the outlet of the pump is an approach that has also been found to work in some instances. However, the success of this approach is largely dependent on the type of pump that is selected for the bathing vessel. For a pump that is cooled by liquid, since there is less water coming in, the pump's internal temperature rises and a temperature switch stops the motor. If a pressure switch is used when there is not enough liquid pressure in the system, the switch can be tripped and the motor stopped in this way. In addition, while choking the outlet does result in a reduction of the volume of water running through the bathing vessel, it also increases the noise level of the whole system. This is an undesirable side effect.
Other means for controlling water flow include modifying the rotational speed of the pump, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,017 (Sears et al), United States Patent Publication No. 2008/0168599 (Caudill et al), United States Patent Publication No. 2007/0114162 (Stiles et al) and United States Patent Publication No. 2006/0045750 (Stiles), or providing bypass means on the pump, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,108 (Caudill et al), U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,852 (Gravatt et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,754 (Graber et al). Yet another method involves injecting air in the water intake of the pump to reduce the volume of water, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,959 (Karlsson). These approaches can be difficult to implement, and they can be expensive. For these reasons, alternatives to pump-based methods to control water flow continue to be sought.
Inconveniently, some of the means suggested above do not allow regulation of the water flow or pressure by the bather. In addition, some of them result in the creation of an audible noise, which can lessen the enjoyment of the bathing experience.
There is thus a need for an improved system for continuously regulating the flow of liquid from the pump which is simple, inexpensive, space-saving, and which do not increase the noise generated by the pump when it is in operation. Ideally, such a system would allow the bather to have some control over the flow rate and would not be labor-intensive to install in a bathing vessel.
The present invention seeks to meet this and related needs.
The present invention relates to a bypass system to control water flow in a water holding enclosure, including bathing vessels such as pools, whirlpools, baths, spas and hot tubs. The system relies on the use of at least one bypass plumbing loop as well as a valve to control water flow through the water holding enclosure.
The bypass system includes a pump water inlet, at least one pump water outlet operably connected to said bypass water inlet and capable of releasing water under pressure passing from said inlet to said pump water inlet and a pump for pumping said water received from said water inlet to said water outlet. The pump can be an axial flow pump or any pumping device suitable for the purposes sought.
The size, configuration and location of the bypass loop can be tailored to meet the needs of the particular design of the bathing vessel, or its intended application. As may be appreciated from the drawings, the bypass loop generally has a lesser overall length than the main reservoir loop. The invention may further include a plumbing connection (or “bridge” element) that extends from the bypass loop to the reservoir or bathing vessel.
The controlled-flow valve allows varying volumes of water or fluid to be directed through the main reservoir loop and the bypass loop. This in turn affects the pressure of the fluid as it is released or discharged through the jets of a bathing vessel, resulting in an effect that can be adjusted in accordance with the bather's needs or desires.
As will also be appreciated from the drawings, in certain embodiments a control valve has been positioned at the junction of the main and bypass loops or piping systems for further control of the volume flow.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As used herein, the term “jet” or “fluid jet” refers to an orifice or nozzle through which a fluid such as water may be pumped, discharged or dispensed into a fluid enclosure such as a bathing vessel.
As used herein, the term “bathing vessel” refers to a water or liquid enclosure such as a pool, whirlpool, bath, spa, hot tub and the like. Bathing vessels are adapted to contain a fluid such as water and include one or more bathing spaces to be occupied by at least one person. Each bathing space includes one or more jets through which water is expelled while the bathing vessel is in use. The jets may be provided in various shapes and sizes to produce a variety of beneficial (i.e., therapeutic, relaxing, massaging, etc.) effects.
For purposes of the present description, the terms “parallel” and “bypass” are used interchangeably.
The system shown in
As may be seen in
Turning now to
A third embodiment of the invention is shown in
In yet another embodiment of the invention shown in
The embodiments of the invention have the advantage of simplicity. Installing a bypass system as described above can be conveniently done in an existing bathing vessel or in a new one. Features of the invention, such as the limited number of components and their ability to be removed from each other in a relatively easy manner, allow for ease of maintenance and replacement. In addition, the relative positioning of the valve 8 and pump 2 results in an arrangement that significantly reduces noise levels while the bathing vessel is in use.
A further advantage of the bypass system of the present invention resides in the fact that the pump can function with optimal design characteristics (i.e., without the disadvantage or inconvenience of having either an insufficient quantity of water at its inlet or having to build pressure because of reduced size of pipes at the outlet). As a result, the pump's useful lifetime can be extended, which is a desirable feature for those who purchase pools, whirlpools, baths, spas, hot tubs and other similar bathing vessels.
Moreover, the selection of embodiments allows for flexibility. Depending on the style and function of the bathing vessel, a bypass system can be selected to achieve the variations in water flow that are desired by the bather, while minimizing ambient noise.
The above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be examples only. Variations, alterations and modifications can be made to the particular embodiments described herein by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
This application is a claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/086,624 filed Aug. 6, 2008 the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61086624 | Aug 2008 | US |
