Patent Application
20090317312
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to swimming pools, spas, and other pools of standing water, and in particular to a dispensing unit and improved seal that distributes a chemical solution into the swimming pool, spa, or other pool of water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention relates to water quality, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for feeding controlled amounts of chemicals into swimming pools, hot tubs, spas, cooling towers and other standing water ponds.
In home swimming pools and in newly popular hot tubs, spas, and other water pools, it is almost always necessary to filter and recirculate the water and to add certain chemicals, such as organic flocculating agents, algaecides, etc., which greatly improved the effectiveness of the filters in removing impurities.
Still further, chlorination is undertaken in swimming pools, hot tubs and spas in order to improve the quality of water and in some instances, chelating agents are positioned in the water to prevent the formation of scale in boilers.
In large public and commercial systems, apparatus know as “feeders” are used to meter predetermined amounts of such chemicals into the water. This is practical from the stand point of large industrial and public treatment facilities, but the necessary capital investment for such equipment makes it impractical for a home pool, spa, hot tub or small cooling tower.
It has been discovered that many of the desired water treatment chemicals needed for relatively small swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, can be packaged and shipped in closed and sealed plastic spheres of handy size. In use, one or more apertures are punctured in the shell of the sphere and the chemical enclosed is dropped in the water, most often in the skimmer of the pool or spa. It has further been discovered that the motion of the water and of the sphere in the water can produce the desired rate of chemical feeding. A dispenser of this type and suitable for dispensing Applicant's formulation is disclosed by Etani in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,814, which is incorporated by reference.
In one embodiment, the capsule is used to add alum to the water of a backyard swimming pool. Dropped into the skimmer basket it introduces alum at a substantially constant rate proportional to the rate of flow and independent of the amount of undissolved alum remaining in the capsule. Although at any instant the dispensing rate from the capsule will depend upon the position of the tiny apertures relative to the flow, the positioned effect is eliminated, on the average, because of the movement of the capsule. This type of chemical feeding provides a cleaner pool and a more economical method of introducing the chemicals into the pool.
Capsules of the type described disburse the chemicals through a plurality of puncture holes in the shell of the capsule, the puncture holes being made by a push-pin having a relatively sharp pointed end, the push-pin being supplied with the capsule in the packaging and at the point of sale.
The capsules of the type previously described in which puncture holes are made with a push pin or other sharp instrument, are designed to release their chemical contents over a period of days. In some instances depending upon the chemical to be released, it is preferable that the release take place over several days. In other instances, the chemicals can be released more quickly. One problem associated with the capsules described in the prior art is that they occupy space within the skimmer basket and in many instances, home pools and spas utilize chlorine tablets for the chlorination of the pool, these tablets also occupying space within the skimmer basket. Therefore a capsule which requires several days to release its chemical contents interferes with the chlorination of the pool. Therefore there is need for an improved capsule with a seal and a release mechanism which will allow the chemical content of the capsule to be released into the pool based upon the motion of the water in the pool within a period of several hours as opposed to days.
An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel delivery system for water treatment chemicals for swimming pools, hot tubs and spas.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel delivery system in the form of a safe container for storage, shipment and introduction of water chemicals that both simple and safe.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel delivery system for a chemical solution for a swimming pool, hot tub or spa, which has an improved frangible seal which is puncturable with a blunt puncturing device.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel delivery system for a chemical solution to a swimming pool, hot tub, or spa, which allows for the delivery of the chemical contents over a period of hours, and thus not occupying a skimmer basket unduly or interfering with the chlorination of the pool.
The present invention relates to swimming pools, spas, and other pools of standing water, and in particular to a dispensing unit in the form of a capsule which is formed with a novel frangible seal which seal is puncturable by a blunt puncture device which allows for the improved time release of the chemicals within the capsule once the capsule is positioned in the skimmer of a pool, spa, or pool of standing water.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein:
Capsules of this design would be placed in the skimmer of the pool, hot tub or spa, and would release the contents of the capsule responsive to the movement of the water based on the number of people using the pool, hot tub or spa over a period of days. In many instances it is not desirable that the capsule occupies space in skimmer basket for such a long time, in that it may interfere with other pool requirements, such as chlorination. Therefore, there is a need for a capsule which can dispense its chemical contents in a time release manner, but much quicker that that of the prior art.
Seal 48 is also formed with an annular shoulder portion 51 about the upper portion of axial bore 58 in order to accommodate a circumferential weight ring 53 which is pressure fit into the axial bore 58 and sits on shoulder 51. Weight ring 53 maintains seal 48 and axial bore 58 in a downward, submerged position once the frangible bottom wall 60 has been breached and the capsule has been placed into a skimmer. The submergence of the axial bore 58 insures the discharge of the chemical bet it liquid or solid into the pool under the influence of wave motion. Still further, the evacuation of the chemicals contained in the capsule can be assisted by providing for a pin hole puncture 55 in hemisphere 44, approximately 180 degrees opposite of the seal 48.
The opposing fingers 84 and 86 of puncture instrument 70 and their elliptical periphery present no sharp, pointed ends such as the puncture instrument of the prior art which could cause injury if left unattended. Still further, the fingers 84 and 86 of plunger instrument 70 are cooperative with the bottom wall 60 of plug 48 which serves as the manner of dispensing the liquid contained in the capsule 40.
Puncture instrument 70 is inserted into axial bore 58 of plug 48 and the opposing fingers 84 and 86 will contact the bottom wall 60. If the two opposing fingers come in contact with the embossed ribs 64 and 66 formed in bottom wall 60 of plug 48, they will be unable to puncture the lower wall. However, because of their elliptical edges, the fingers 84 and 86 are designed to slide off of the embossed ribs 64 and 66 if contacted so as to rest firmly against the frangible portion of the bottom wall 60 which consists of the four quadrants defined by the intersecting embossed ribs 64 and 66. When the plunger instrument 70 finds itself in this position with the opposing fingers in contact with the quadrant surface of the bottom wall 60 of axial bore 50, a firm but slight pressure applied to the finger pressure end 72 of plunger instrument 70 will cause the opposing fingers to penetrate or rupture the frangible bottom wall 60.
The capsule 40 is then placed into a pool of water such as the skimmer of a pool, and become subject to the wave motion of the pool, the chemicals contained within the capsule will be released due to the weight ring 53 positioning the axial bore 58 of seal 48 vertically downwardly in a submerged orientation. Since the size of the hole is greater than that of the apertures utilized in the prior art, the chemicals contained within the capsule will be time released, but the time release will take place over a period of hours as opposed to days, thereby allowing chlorination tablets to be placed in the skimmer when required. Still further, to improved the release of the chemicals, a small aperture 55 may be made in the spherical capsule opposite the seal to improve the flow of chemicals.
Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.
Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/132,475, filed Jun. 20, 2008.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61132475 | Jun 2008 | US |
