The present invention relates to a liquid level maintainer for a reservoir of liquid, such as a swimming pool of water. Typically, a motorized pump is used to maintain a level of liquid.
In one aspect, the invention provides a liquid level maintainer for controlling a liquid level in a reservoir. The liquid level maintainer includes an inlet configured to be coupled to a source of pressurized fluid, an opening configured to receive liquid from the reservoir, a first outlet, and a second outlet. A first flow path is defined between the inlet and the first outlet, and a second flow path is defined between the inlet and the second outlet. A constriction is disposed in the second flow path, the constriction configured to provide a pressure differential in the second flow path for drawing the liquid from the opening towards the constriction. A third flow path is defined between the opening and the constriction. A valve is disposed in at least one of the first or second flow paths and configured to selectively open and close the at least one of the first or second flow paths.
In another aspect, the invention provides a liquid level maintainer for controlling a liquid level in a reservoir. The liquid level maintainer includes an inlet configured to be coupled to a source of pressurized fluid, an opening configured to receive liquid from the reservoir, a first outlet, and a second outlet. A first flow path is defined between the inlet and the first outlet, and a second flow path is defined between the inlet and the second outlet. A constriction is disposed in the second flow path, the constriction configured to provide a pressure differential in the second flow path for drawing the liquid from the opening towards the constriction. A third flow path is defined between the opening and the constriction. The liquid level maintainer also includes a float chamber having a float configured to rise and fall in an axial direction with the liquid level in the reservoir, the float configured to selectively open and close at least one of the first or second flow paths depending on the liquid level in the reservoir.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of controlling a liquid level in a reservoir. The method includes providing an inlet configured to be coupled to a source of pressurized fluid, providing an opening configured to receive liquid from the reservoir, providing a first outlet, providing a second outlet, providing a first flow path defined between the inlet and the first outlet, providing a second flow path defined between the inlet and the second outlet, providing a constriction disposed in the second flow path, the constriction configured to provide a pressure differential in the second flow path for drawing the liquid from the opening towards the constriction, providing a third flow path defined between the opening and the constriction, and selectively opening and closing at least one of the first or second flow paths depending on the liquid level in the reservoir.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
The maintainer 30 includes an inlet 1, an outlet 23, and a plumbing assembly 32 disposed between the inlet 1 and the outlet 23. The inlet 1 may include a hose connector, such as a threaded hose connector or a quick-connect connector, and a hose coupled thereto, as shown in
An outlet fitting 22 is disposed proximate the outlet 23 and may include a hose connector, such as a threaded hose connector or a quick-connect connector, and a hose coupled thereto, as shown in
The plumbing assembly 32 includes an inlet Y joint 4, an inlet supply tube 7a, an outlet supply tube 7b, an outlet suction tube 17, a venturi inlet port 18, a venturi valve 19, and a water outlet tube 21. The inlet Y joint 4 includes an inlet arm fluidly coupled to the inlet 1 and first and second outlet arms fluidly coupled to the inlet supply tube 7a and the outlet supply tube 7b, respectively. The inlet Y joint 4 splits the pressurized water 5 into two flow paths by way of the inlet supply tube 7a and the outlet supply tube 7b.
A first flow path, which may also be referred to herein as a filling flow path, is defined between the inlet 1 and a filling outlet 34 by the inlet supply tube 7a and selectively fluidly connects the inlet 1 to the reservoir 15 for supplying the reservoir 15 with the pressurized fluid 5. A second flow path, which may also be referred to herein as a draining flow path, is defined between the inlet 1 and the outlet 23 by the outlet supply tube 7b and selectively fluidly connects the inlet 1 and the reservoir 15 to the outlet 23 by way of the outlet suction tube 17 and the water outlet tube 21 for draining fluid from the reservoir 15 through the outlet 23, as will be described in greater detail below. The venturi inlet port 18 is fluidly coupled to the reservoir 15 by the outlet suction tube 17.
The outlet suction tube 17 includes an opening to the reservoir 15 and an outlet filter 16 disposed proximate the opening into the outlet suction tube 17 for filtering fluid from the reservoir 15 into the outlet suction tube 17.
The inlet supply tube 7a includes a filling valve 9a, such as a first magnet-actuated diaphragm valve, disposed in the first flow path for selectively opening and closing the first flow path between the inlet 1 and the reservoir 15. The outlet supply tube 7b includes a draining valve 9b, such as a second magnet-actuated diaphragm valve, disposed in the second flow path for selective opening and closing the second flow path between the inlet 1 and the outlet 23. In the illustrated embodiment, the filling valve 9a and the draining valve 9b are normally closed valves configured to open in response to magnetic activation, e.g., by the presence of a magnet. However, it should be understood that other arrangements (e.g., normally open) and the corresponding variations of the maintainer 30 needed to accommodate such alternate arrangements are within the scope of the invention.
Returning to
The filling and draining valves 36 and/or the solenoids 38, are disposed proximate a sidewall 50 defining the float chamber 8 in order to provide proximity to the magnets 12a, 12b when the corresponding magnet(s) 12a, 12b reach a position adjacent to the valves 36 and/or solenoids 38 in the axial direction. The valves 36 and/or the solenoids 38 may be directly adjacent the sidewall 50. The draining valves 36 and/or the solenoids 38 are disposed on different sides of the float chamber 8 transverse to the axial direction, and in the illustrated embodiment are on generally opposite sides of the float chamber 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the solenoids 38 and/or the valves 36 are disposed at the same height in the axial direction, and the magnets 12a, 12b are offset from each other in the axial direction. However, in other embodiments, it should be understood that other arrangements can achieve the same actuation of the solenoids 38 and/or valves 36 at the same fluid level heights 10, 13, 20. For example, the solenoids 38 and/or valves 36 may be offset at different heights in the axial direction while the magnets 12a, 12b are disposed at the same height on the float 11 relative to the axial direction, in which case the magnets 12a, 12b may be separate or integrated into a single magnet. Thus, a magnet assembly may include separate magnets 12a, 12b or a single magnet. Other configurations are also possible, such as the solenoids 38 and/or valves 36 being offset and the magnets 12a, 12b being offset.
The reservoir 15 includes a predetermined normal fluid level setting 10, a predetermined low fluid level setting 13, and a predetermined high fluid level setting 20. The magnets 12a, 12b are arranged to selectively open and/or close the filling and draining valves 9a, 9b. As shown in
In operation, the fluid level maintainer 30 is driven by a back pressure (e.g., the pressure of the fluid 5 from the fluid source) to maintain a predetermined fluid level, e.g., at or around the normal fluid level setting 10. When the reservoir 15 contains the normal fluid level 10 (
When the fluid level drops to the predetermined low level 13 (
When the fluid level rises to the predetermined high fluid level 20 (
It should be understood that the maintainer 30 operates in the same manner if the alternate filling/draining valve 36 is employed.
Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a fluid level maintainer 30 that is powered by the pressure of the source fluid and controlled to either fill or drain the reservoir by a switch-actuating float. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/446,311 filed on Jan. 13, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62446311 | Jan 2017 | US |