Patent Application
20110062065
1. Field of Invention
The subject disclosure relates to pools and spas and more particularly to improved methods and apparatus for filtering contaminants from pools and spas.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable spas have become quite popular as a result of their ease of use and multiplicity of features such as varied jet and seating configurations. One area where the inventor has recognized that ease of use could be enhanced is the area of maintaining proper water chemistry and sanitation.
The following is a summary description of illustrative embodiments of the invention. It is provided as a preface to assist those skilled in the art to more rapidly assimilate the detailed design discussion which ensues and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the claims which are appended hereto in order to particularly point tout the invention.
In an illustrative embodiment, water chemistry and sanitation are improved by installing a novel filter element in a filter compartment of a portable spa or tub In one embodiment, the filter element comprises a sintered plastic outer cylinder of a first diameter and a sintered plastic inner cylinder of a second diameter less than the first diameter. The inner cylinder is positioned coaxially with respect to the outer cylinder to define an annular interior chamber. A selected granular filter medium or media may then be placed in the annular chamber to combat one or more particular contaminants in the spa water.
In an alternative embodiment, a donut shaped bag containing selected filter media is placed in the annular chamber. In such an embodiment, the inner cylinder may be a suitable plastic mesh material and the bag may be adapted to hook over the inner cylinder.
The circulation pump 19 further pumps the spa water through a “no fault” heater 22, with which are associated a regulating sensor 23 and a hi-limit sensor 25. An ozone generator and associated injector or other water purification apparatus 27 is also positioned in the return flow path to the spa 11, which may comprise an 8 to 10 foot contact chamber 29 and a spa inlet 31 where a circulation return jet is created. A secondary drain 33 may also be provided. An electronic control unit 17 controls the pump 19 and ozone generator 27, as well as other accessories which may be provided as part of the spa 11. In one embodiment, the filter bucket 13 may be a conventional filter bucket traditionally manufactured as part of the original spa equipment.
An exchangeable media filter 15 according to an illustrative embodiment is shown in
Presently preferred thicknesses W1, W2 for each of the cylinders range from 1/16″ to ½″ with an exemplary thickness of ⅛″ for both W1 and W2. Porosity of the cylinders may range from 25 to 150 microns, with 100 microns being a typical porosity. While the filter 15 is cylindrical, other geometrical shapes, such as square or star-shaped could be employed. Various heights and outer diameters may also be employed, including diameters of conventional filter elements such as, for example, 8 to 20 inches tall and 5 to 12 inches in outer diameter.
The respective filter elements 43, 44 define an annular hollow inner chamber 47. The annular chamber 47 constitutes a space which is filled with a selected granulated or beaded medium or combination of granulated or beaded media. Such media may include, for example, and without limitation:
After filling the chamber 47, the top cap 50 is fixed in place to close the unit. In operation, water flows radially from the outside larger diameter cylinder 43 to the inner cylinder 44, at a flow rate of e.g. 1-10 gallons per minute, thus bringing the water in contact with the active media. An advantage of the illustrative embodiment is that cylinders containing different filter media can be added or exchanged after the spa has been filled with water in response to occurrence of a problem with a particular type of contaminant.
In use, when a spa is filled with water, there is an amount of contamination already in the water. Through usage, chemical addition, evaporation, and water addition; waste and other toxic elements can build up in the water. Traditionally, it is recommended to change the water when the total dissolved solids (TDS) exceed 1500 ppm, or based on a days of use measure; for example, according to the formula [(Spa size in gallons)/3] (times) (number of bathers per day)=the number of days before water change is needed.
A filter constructed according to the illustrative embodiments serves to extend the life of the water, reduce the number of water changes and save water by removing the accumulated TDS from the water. Such TDS include: toxic metals such as lead, iron, copper, manganese, minerals, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, soaps, detergents, foaming agents, oils, suntan lotions, cyanuric acid, ammonia, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, organic acids, beer/wine, components of human sweat and waste, chlorinated by-products, humic acid, urine, body fluids, and tannins.
In an alternative embodiment, a screw-on cap is provided on a filter like that of
In an alternative embodiment, a press-fit or friction fit, rather than screw-on, cap is provided on a filter like that of
In an embodiment such as
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
This application claims the Paris Convention priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/242,779 entitled “Exchangeable Media filter,” filed Sep. 15, 2009, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61242779 | Sep 2009 | US | |
| 61242749 | Sep 2009 | US |
