TREATMENT SYSTEM AND UNIT FOR ONE OR MORE FLUIDIC SYSTEMS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to treatment unit for one or more fluids of at least one fluidic system. This disclosure also generally relates to a treatment system for at least one fluidic system.

BACKGROUND

Swimming pools require any combination of water circulation, filtration, sanitizing, disinfecting, heating, cooling, pH balancing. Substantial, potentially complex assemblies of components constructed in a treatment system are often required for installing and/or maintaining a swimming pool. These systems are often constructed in situ comprising electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, chemical, thermal, data, information, sensor, feedback, controller, optical, and/or plumbing components.

The presence of heat and water in portions of known treatment systems may create humidity above a minimum relative humidity, which may have negative effects on certain components of the treatment system, adversely impacting service life and/or operation of such components.

Exposure of certain components of a treatment system to sunlight may also adversely affect the mechanical strength, ductility, appearance, lubrication, or friction, and/or may cause embrittlement of materials and their mechanical dimensions or properties, including appearance. Transparent features, used for inspection, may become opaque, crazed, or cracked making then less useful or unusable. Exposure to chemicals used in sanitation or water quality balancing, may degrade the mechanical, electrical or reliability of data transmission to or from sensors, actuators, controllers or controlled components.

Exposure to severe environmental conditions such as hurricanes, tornados, electrical storms, severe rain, high tides, tidal surges, impact from debris or other manifestations of nature may also interfere with the short-term or long-term operation of certain components of known treatment systems.

Certain components of known treatment systems utilize electromechanical power for, e.g., running pumps, manipulating valves, and driving fluid through filters, pipes, and in tortuous paths. Vibration and noise may be generated via the use of such components, which can render the space immediately surrounding the equipment to be at least partially less usable and/or enjoyable. In some cases, the resulting environment may be above permitted levels for habitation or for workplace regulation.

Installation of a pool including a treatment system to support its water treatment and thermal requirements typically involves coordinating a plurality of trade skills including construction skills for siting, water and/or gas plumbing, electrical wiring, and systems configuration and automation controls installation or programming, general contracting, and design work. Finding these trades, coordinating with them on a design, scheduling work and ensuring the work is completely appropriately, compliantly, and timely is typically a challenge for pool installation or refurbishment projects.

Furthermore, certain treatment systems have aesthetic limitations. When installed inside (e.g., in a dwelling or utility shed), certain known treatment systems may take up more floor space or room volume than preferred. When installed outdoors, certain known treatment systems may be unsightly and incongruent with the adjacent architecture. Certain known treatment systems may also be poorly suited to withstand environmental conditions. Without system-wide coordination among trades and a system designer, there is not driving force to optimize the system's use of space, its acoustic footprint, hydraulic efficiency, serviceability and overall aesthetic fit in the system's visual environment.

SUMMARY

In an aspect, alone or in combination with any other aspect, a treatment unit for one or more primary fluids of at least one fluidic system comprises a treatment portion for selectively maintaining, achieving, and/or facilitating a desired condition for the at least one primary fluid of the at least one fluidic system. The treatment unit also comprises a containment portion for structurally supporting the treatment portion. The containment portion comprises a container. The container has a bottom panel with an exterior surface, an opposite interior surface, and a perimeter surface extending vertically from the exterior surface to at least the interior surface. At least a portion of the perimeter surface of the bottom panel is spaced from an adjacent portion of the container by a gap. The gap is configured to permit the passage of at least one secondary fluid into and/or out from the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a treatment system according to one aspect of the present invention, including the treatment system in an example use configuration and environment;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a treatment unit of the treatment system of the aspect of FIG. 1, in which the treatment unit includes a treatment portion and a containment portion;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the treatment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective first side view of the treatment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a first side view of the treatment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective second side view of the treatment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a second side view of the treatment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the treatment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a perspective first side view of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9A is a perspective first side view of an alternative configuration of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a perspective second side view of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2, including the containment portion in a first condition;

FIG. 12 is a perspective rear view of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2, including the containment portion in a second condition;

FIG. 12A is a side view of an element of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2, including the element in an example configuration;

FIG. 13 is a perspective top view of a portion of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2, including the containment portion in an alternative configuration;

FIG. 15 is a top view of a portion of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is a perspective first side view of an installation template of the treatment system;

FIG. 17 is a perspective second side view of the installation template of the treatment system;

FIG. 18 schematically illustrates the treatment unit of the treatment system of the aspect of FIG. 1, including the treatment unit in an alternative configuration and in an example use environment;

FIG. 19 is a perspective first side view of the treatment unit of the treatment system of the aspect of FIG. 1, including the treatment unit in an alternative configuration;

FIG. 20A is a perspective first side view of an alternative configuration of the treatment unit of the aspect of FIG. 19, including a portion of the treatment unit in an accessible position;

FIG. 20B is a perspective first side view of the treatment unit of the aspect of FIG. 20A, including a portion of the treatment unit in a stored position;

FIG. 21 is a top view of an alternative configuration of the portion of the containment portion shown in the aspect of FIG. 15;

FIG. 22A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an alternative configuration of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2, including a portion of the containment portion in a closed position;

FIG. 22B depicts a portion of the aspect of FIG. 22A in an opened position;

FIG. 23 is a front view of a portion of the containment portion of the aspect of FIG. 2, including the containment portion in an alternative configuration;

FIG. 24 schematically illustrates an alternate configuration of the treatment unit of the aspect of 2;

FIG. 25 schematically illustrates an alternative configuration of the treatment unit of the aspect of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 26 schematically illustrates the treatment system of the aspect of FIG. 1, including the treatment system in another example use configuration and environment.

DESCRIPTION OF ASPECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

As used herein, the term “user” can be used interchangeably to refer to an individual who prepares for, assists with, and/or performs the operation of a tool and/or an individual who prepares for, assists with, and/or performs a procedure.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” can include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” as used herein, can specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the term “and/or” can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” can be interpreted to include X and Y.

As used herein, the phrase “at least one of X and Y” can be interpreted to include X, Y, or a combination of X and Y. For example, if an element is described as having at least one of X and Y, the element may, at a particular time, include X, Y, or a combination of X and Y, the selection of which could vary from time to time. In contrast, the phrase “at least one of X” can be interpreted to include one or more Xs.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” “connected” to, “contacting,” etc., another element, it can be directly on, connected to or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may not have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms can encompass different orientations of a device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. For example, if a device in the Figures is inverted, elements described as “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.

It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, a “first” element discussed below could also be termed a “second” element without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. The sequence of operations (or steps) is not limited to the order presented in the claims or Figures unless specifically indicated otherwise.

The invention comprises, consists of, or consists essentially of the following features, in any combination.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a treatment system 100 for at least one fluidic system. In the example configuration shown in FIG. 1, the at least one fluidic system includes two bodies of water 102, which, in this example, are artificial bodies of water 102 in the form of a swimming pool 102a and a spa 102b. A treatment unit 104 of the treatment system 100 may be operatively connected to the swimming pool 102a and to the spa 102b. The treatment unit 104, however, may be connected to any number of bodies of water 102 (and/or other fluidic systems), whether they be artificial or otherwise, whether they be configured to be used for therapy, rehabilitation, exercise, training, relaxation, or any other purpose, and whether they be configured to be utilized by humans or non-humans. The treatment system 100 may also include one or more ancillary devices 106 (e.g., a pooling cleaning device 106a, a filtering device 106b, etc.) operatively connected to the treatment unit 104 and to one or more of the bodies of water 102 via the treatment unit 104.

The treatment unit 104 depicted in FIG. 2 includes a treatment portion 104a and a containment portion 104b for the treatment portion 104a. As shown in FIGS. 2-8, the treatment portion 104a comprises one or more components 207 for selectively maintaining, achieving, and/or facilitating a desired condition for one or more fluids (e.g., one or liquids, such as water) of the at least one fluidic system (which, in this example configuration, is the pool 102a and/or the spa 102b) to which it is operatively connected. The one or more fluids that are treated via the treatment portion 104a may be referred to as “primary fluids” herein, while all other fluids may be referred to as “secondary fluids”. The treatment portion components 207 may include, for example, at least one of a water supply line 408, a temperature regulator(s) 310, a chlorinator(s) 712, 314, an Ozone/UV sanitizer 216, a pool cleaner pump 418, a spa jet pump 420, a spa blower 422, a filtration pump(s) 424, 426, a control box 227, a fluid line(s)/pipe(s) 228, a valve(s) 330, any other component configured to selectively maintain/achieve/facilitate a desired condition for a body of water, or any combination of such components.

The water supply line 408, when provided, selectively connects the pool 102a and the spa 102b to a source of water. The source of water may be internal (e.g., an internal tank) or external (e.g., a municipal water source, a well, a pond, a lake, a stream, a river, a creek, or an externally stored source of water) to the treatment unit 104. Therefore, water from the water source may be selectively provided to each of (or a selected one of) the pool 102a and the spa 102b via the water supply line 408 to achieve and/or maintain a desired water level (or volume of water) in the pool 102a and the spa 102b. The water supply line 408 may include plumbing elements to at least partially prevent backflow from the pool 102a and/or the spa 102b to the source of water. Such backflow-preventing plumbing elements may include, for example, a one-way valve 409.

The temperature regulator 310, when provided, is operable to achieve a desired water temperature for the pool 102a and the spa 102b. The temperature regulator 310 shown in the example configuration of FIGS. 3-8 is a gas heater that utilizes gas (e.g., natural gas) provided via a fluid line 228 to heat the water to a desired temperature as it flows through the temperature regulator 310. The gas temperature regulator 310 may also include at least one air intake 332 and/or at least one exhaust 334 for maintaining and/or achieving a desirable operating condition. As shown in FIG. 24, in addition to a gas temperature regulator 310 (shown here as 310a), the treatment portion 104a may, in certain embodiments, also include a second temperature regulator 310 (shown here as 310b) in the form a heat pump (e.g., a reversible heat pump). The heat pump temperature regulator 310b is configured to selectively heat and cool the water to a desired temperature as it flows through the heat pump temperature regulator 310b. Such a heat pump temperature regulator 310b may be powered via electricity. Having both a gas temperature regulator 310a and an electric heat pump temperature regulator 310b allows for redundant temperature regulation of the water and/or for utility cost/consumption optimization (e.g., via a selective use of one or both of the gas temperature regulator 310a and the electric heat pump temperature regulator 310b). However, certain other embodiments of the treatment unit 104, may omit one or both of the gas temperature regulator 310a and the heat pump temperature regulator 310b.

Although the treatment portion 104a has been described as having a temperature regulator 310 that utilizes gas (e.g., the gas temperature regulator 310, 310a) and/or a temperature regulator 310 that is in the form of a heat pump (e.g., the heat pump temperature regulator 310, 310b), a desired water temperature for the pool 102a and/or the spa 104a may instead or additionally be at least partially maintained and/or achieved via a temperature regulator 310 that is and/or includes a heat sink or heat source (e.g., a geothermal well where the water is circulated through plumbing in contact with a well or earth at a lower or higher temperature), a heat exchanger where water is brought to a desired temperature by circulating primary water or heat exchanging secondary fluids through a warmer/cooler environment (such as, e.g., a living space, underground, a well, or an aquafer), an air/water heat exchanger (such as, e.g., an air conditioning system), a liquid/water heat exchanger (e.g. a geothermal system with an isolated head conducting fluid that passes through a heat exchanger to affect the temperature in the primary water system), one or more solar-powered heat sources, one or more geothermal sources, one or more hydro-powered heat sources, one or more wind-powered heat sources, one or more electrical heat sources, one or more air sources (e.g. through an evaporative cooler), and/or one or more fossil fuel sources.

The/a temperature regulator 310 of the treatment portion 104a may also or instead include features to recover heat from passive heat sources of the treatment unit 104 and use such recovered heat to heat the pool/spa water and/or to capture and dispose of unwanted heat. For example, a passive heat source of the treatment unit 104 (e.g., at least one of the pumps 418, 420, 424, 426 or other components of the treatment unit 104 that may at least partially produce heat during operation) may be wrapped with heat-conducting (e.g. copper) tubing through which some portion of the pool/spa water passes. As the pool/spa water passes through the tubing wrapped around the passive heat source, the pool/spa water may extract heat from the passive heat source that would otherwise be released into the surrounding environment. Additionally or instead, the pool/spa water may be directed to an external heat sink (geothermal or air/water heat exchanger) to release at least a portion of undesirably captured heat, which may also be directed for other useful purposes, such as to condition the living environment of an attached dwelling.

The treatment portion 104a may comprise any number of chlorinators 712, 314, though certain configurations of the treatment portion may be free of chlorinators 712, 314 as desired. The example treatment portion of FIGS. 2-8 includes pool and spa chlorinators 712, 314. The pool and spa chlorinators 712, 314 are configured to selectively dispense chlorine or bromine into the water flowing through the treatment unit 104 to at least partially sanitize the water before it returns to the pool 102a and the spa 102b.

The Ozone/UV sanitizer system 216, when provided, includes any combination of ozone generation and an ultraviolet (“UV”) light source (e.g., a high output UV light source) that emits UV light. The Ultraviolet light, ozone, or combination of both agents at least partially sanitizes the water via at least partially killing or otherwise making inactive the microbes, micro-organisms or other infectious agents (such as viruses) that are in the water that flows through the Ozone/UV sanitizer system 216. The emitted UV light and/or ozone may also oxidize the water flowing through the Ozone/UV sanitizer system 216, which at least partially kills or deactivates additional micro-organisms or other harmful infectious agents carried by the water.

Although not shown, the treatment portion 104a may include a salt-based sanitizer (not shown) in addition to or instead of the pool chlorinator 712, the spa chlorinator 314, and/or the Ozone/UV sanitizer system 216.

The pool cleaner pump 418, when provided, is typically an electric motorized pump that is selectively and operatively connected to the pool cleaner 106a (e.g., a manual or automated pool vacuum) via a fluid line 228. When actuated, the pool cleaner pump 418 generates a pressure and flow of water that is utilized by the in-pool cleaner 106a to remove debris from the pool 102a.

The spa jet pump 420, when provided, may be selectively operable to circulate water in and out of the spa 102b. By controlling the output of the spa jet pump 420, the force at which the water returns to the spa 102b can be set as desired. For example, the spa jet pump 420 may be fluidically connected to one or more “jets” in the spa 102b. Therefore, the force at which the water enters the spa 102b through the jets may be controlled via the spa jet pump 420. In other embodiments, a separate jet pump is not used and instead a series of valves can be made to divert filtered water to spa jets.

The spa blower 422, when provided, is operable to force air into the spa 102b so as to create bubbles in the spa's water. The spa blower 422 may be configured as a combination air pump and fan that is fluidically connected to the spa 102b via a fluid line 228. In some configurations, air may be entrained in the jet flow by venturi action connecting a source of flowing water to a source of air.

The treatment portion 104a may comprise any number of filtration pumps 424, 426, though certain configurations of the treatment portion may be free of such filtration pumps 424, 426. The example treatment portion 104a of FIGS. 3-8 includes pool and spa filtration pumps 424, 426. The pool and spa filtration pumps 424, 426 are configured to selectively direct water from the pool 102a and the spa 102b to the filtering device 106b. The force generated via the pool and spa filtration pumps 424, 426 may also cause water to return from the filtering device 106b to the pool 102a and the spa 102b, though the filtering device 106b may have its own internal pump(s) for returning water to the pool 102a and/or the spa 102b.

Although the filtering device 106b is shown and described as being an ancillary device 106 that is separate from the treatment unit 104 and the treatment portion 104a, the treatment portion 104a may be configured to have one or more integral filtering devices for the pool 102a and/or the spa 102b. In such a configuration, the ancillary filtering device 106b may be omitted or provided for redundant filtering.

The control box 227, when provided, includes one or more electrical components configured for controlling at least one treatment portion component 207, though the control box 227 may also be configured to selectively control other devices of the treatment unit 104 and/or any ancillary device 106. For example, the control box 227 may be electrically or otherwise operatively connected to one or more of the water supply line 408, the temperature regulator 310, the pool chlorinator 714, the spa chlorinator 314, the Ozone/UV sanitizer system 216, the pool cleaner pump 418, the spa jet pump 420, the spa blower 422, the pool filtration pump 424, the spa filtration pump 426, and the valve(s) 330. The control box 227 may also be electrically or otherwise operatively connected to one or more sensors for monitoring and/or displaying one or more conditions of the pool's and/or spa's water. Via the control box 227, the user may thus selectively maintain, achieve, and/or facilitate a desired condition for the water of the pool 102a and the spa 102b, though the control box 227 may be configured produce the desired condition(s) without user input. The control box 227 may also control the operation of the treatment system 100 or any combination of its components to optimize its effectiveness with respect to utility cost, operating time, and/or the time of day (e.g., via controlling certain treatment portion components 207 to power down or operate in such a manner that reduces noise at particular times and/or takes advantage of lower costs of utilities at certain times) to meet a user's needs (e.g., by balancing water or energy use with other demands). The control box 227 may also include and/or be connected to one or more elements to sense, measure, calculate, report, alarm and/or act on the usage of make-up water, for the purpose of detecting leaks, reporting or managing make-up water consumption or for tracking make-up water consumption due to evaporation, leaks or for sanitizer dosing. For example, the control box 227 may (and/or be connected to one or more sensors that) track the usage frequency of the supply line 408 and/or the volume of fluid being supplied to the pool 102a and/or the spa 102b via the supply line 408.

The control box 227 may also include short-range wireless communication protocol, such as Bluetooth, internet connectivity, such as WiFi, or any other communication wireless or wired protocol/connectivity for transmitting data and communicating with external devices or systems. The control box 227 may also provide means to control ancillary systems that are part of the pool environment, such as, e.g., lights, music, irrigation, and/or other elements the user wishes to control.

As shown in FIGS. 2-8, the treatment portion components 207 may include one or more fluid lines or pipes 228 facilitating the movement of fluid (e.g., water, fuel, and/or air) into, out from, and through the treatment unit 104. The fluid lines 228 may fluidically connect certain treatment portion components 207 to the pool 102a, the spa 102b, and/or to other treatment portion components 207. The fluid lines 228 may also connect at least one of the pool 102a, the spa 102b, and a selected one or more treatment portion components 207 to the ancillary devices 106. Select fluid lines 228 may include connectors 236 via which these select fluid lines 228 may be fluidically connected to fluid lines/pipes of the pool 102a, the spa 102b, and/or the ancillary devices 106. At least one of the fluid lines 228 may be insulated to minimize heat loss or gain from the fluid/gas within the insulated fluid line(s) 228 and/or at least partially prevent the development of condensation on the insulated fluid line(s) 228.

The treatment portion components 207 may include one or more valves 330 operatively connected to one or more of the fluid lines 228 for controlling at least one of the direction, flow rate, and/or flow volume of fluids flowing into, out from, and/or through the treatment unit 104. The one or more valves 330 may also be used to select a body of water 102 to be treated. The valves 330 may be operated manually via the user and/or at least semi-automatically via the control box 227.

Via the various treatment portion components 207, the treatment portion 104a may define one or more treatment circuits. An example pool treatment circuit may include directing water from the pool 102a to the filtering device 106b via the pool filtration pump 424, filtering the pool water in the filtering device 106b, heating/cooling the pool water via the temperature regulator 310, sanitizing the pool water via the pool chlorinator 712, and then further sanitizing the pool water via the Ozone/UV sanitizer system 216 before directing the pool water back to the pool 102a. Similarly, an example spa treatment circuit may include directing water from the spa 102b to the filtering device 106 via the spa filtration pump 426, filtering the spa water in the filtering device 106, heating/cooling the spa water via the temperature regulator 310, and then sanitizing the spa water via the spa chlorinator 314 before directing the spa water back to the spa 102b. These or other treatment circuits may be created or adjusted as desired (e.g., to target or avoid certain treatment portion components 207 and/or certain ancillary devices 106) either manually or via the control box 227 to maintain and/or achieve a desired condition for the water of the pool 102a and/or the spa 102b. Furthermore, each body of water 102 may have its own desired condition(s) to be maintained/achieved. These unique desired conditions may be maintained/achieved via the user/control box 227 specifically tailoring treatment circuits to a selected body of water 102 and/or via tailoring the settings of certain treatment portion components 207 to a selected body of water 102.

Each of the treatment portion components 207 are structurally supported by (e.g., by being received in and/or mounted to) the containment portion 104b. As shown in FIGS. 9-12, the containment portion 104b comprises a container 938 having a frame 1240 and a plurality of panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250, each of which is joined to the frame 1240 and/or to at least one other panel 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250. Each panel 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 includes opposing exterior and interior surfaces 1252a, 1252b. The interior surfaces 1252a of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 define a containment chamber 1254 in which at least one of the treatment portion components 207 is at least partially received. One or more electrical lines for powering treatment portion components 207, other components of the treatment unit 104, and/or ancillary devices 106, and/or for providing electrical communication with or between the treatment portion components 207, other components of the treatment unit 104, and/or ancillary devices 106, one or more surge protectors, short-circuit protector(s), system automation and/or control circuitry, circuitry for at least one of communication, remote telemetry, sensing, and diagnosis, any other associated/desired electronic lines and/or devices, or any combination thereof may also be at least partially provided in the containment chamber 1254. One or more of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 may be at least partially transparent for visually accessing the treatment portion 104a and electrical components provided in the containment chamber 1254.

An acoustic attenuating material may be provided on the interior surface 1252a of at least one of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 for at least partially preventing, damping, or absorbing noise generated in the container 938, though the acoustic attenuating material may also or instead be provided on the exterior surface 1252b of at least one of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250. Therefore, at least one of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 may, for example, be metal (or some other rigid material) with an acoustic attenuating material provided on at least one of its interior and exterior surfaces 1252a, 1252b. The acoustic attenuating material may include rubber or rubber-like elastomeric material, fiberglass, rock wool, various open- and closed-cell polymeric foam materials, viscoelastic adhesive or non-adhesive materials that dampen sound, the mass of panel materials effective in reducing noise of undesirable frequencies, any other sound damping material, or any combination thereof. FIG. 12A depicts an example of a portion of one panel 942 that includes the acoustic attenuating material 1255 provided on the interior surface 1252a thereof, though any of the other panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 may also or instead include the acoustic attenuating material provided on at least a portion of its/their interior and/or exterior surfaces 1252a, 1252b.

In addition to or instead of passive noise cancellation elements (such as, e.g., the acoustic attenuating material 1255, etc.), the containment portion 104b may include one or more active noise cancellation devices 457 that at least partially counteract acoustic energy generated within the containment chamber 1254 so as to at least partially prevent such acoustic energy/noise from emanating out from the containment chamber 1254. The active noise cancellation device 457 shown in at least FIG. 4, for example, includes one or more microphones or sensors for sensing sound waves generated in the containment chamber 1254, one or more processors for analyzing the sensed sound waves and determining opposing sound waves that are opposite to the sensed sound waves, and one or more speakers for emitting the opposing sound waves so as to at least partially neutralize the sound waves generated in the containment chamber 1254. The active noise cancellation device 457 of FIG. 4 is configured to be provided in the containment chamber 1254 (e.g., mounted to the interior surface 1252a of one of the panels 942, 1144, 946). However, the active noise cancellation device 457 may instead be external to the containment chamber 1254 (e.g., mounted to the exterior surface of one of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 1250). As another alternative, a portion of the active noise cancellation device 457 (e.g., the one or more microphones) may be provided in the containment chamber 1254, while another portion of the active noise cancellation device 457 (e.g., the one or more speakers) may be provided externally to the containment chamber 1254.

As shown in FIGS. 9-12, the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 include at least one front panel 942, at least one rear panel 1144, two side panels 946, a top panel 948, and a bottom panel 1250. In the example configuration shown in FIGS. 9-12, the container 938 includes two front panels 942. Each of the front panels 942 are connected to the frame 1240 and/or an adjacent one of the side panels 946 via one or more hinges 956 such that the containment chamber 1254 may be selectively opened and closed via the front panels 942. Should the embodiment be other than rectilinear or faceted, then the equivalent surfaces would have the same purpose and effect as the panels shown.

The container 938, as is shown in FIGS. 11-12, includes two rear panels 1144 spaced laterally from the front panels 942. At least one of the rear panels 1144 may be removably connected to at least one of the frame 1240, an adjacent side panel 946, the top panel 948, and the bottom panel 1250 such that components within the containment chamber 1254 may be accessed by removing the removable rear panel(s) 1144. Therefore, by removing one or both of the rear panels 1144, the user and/or a technician are/is able visually and/or physically access portions of the treatment unit 104 that would otherwise be inaccessible (or at least difficult to access) through opening just the front panels 1144.

Returning to FIGS. 9-12, the container 938 includes two side panels 946 spaced longitudinally from one another and extending laterally between the front and rear panels 942, 1144. Each of the side panels 946 includes fluid openings 958 via which certain fluid lines 228 of the treatment unit 104 may extend so as to be selectively connected to, for example, one or more bodies of water 102, the source of water, a fuel (e.g., gas) source, and one or more ancillary devices 106. The side panels 946 may also include electrical openings 1060 through which the electrical lines may extend. Therefore, the fluid and electrical openings 958, 1060 of the side panels 946 support ready-made fluidic and electrical connections to the one or more bodies of water 102, the source of water, the fuel source, an electrical source, and/or one or more ancillary devices 102.

As shown in FIG. 2, the exterior surface 1252b of one of the side panels 946 (shown as a first one of the side panels 946a) may include the control box 227 mounted thereto, while the exterior surface 1252b of the other of the side panels 946 (shown here as a second one of the side panels 946b) may have the Ozone/UV sanitizer 216 mounted thereto. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, one of the side panels 946 (shown here as the first side panel 946a) may include an exhaust opening 1062 in which an exhaust fan 264 is mounted, though the exhaust opening and fan 1062, 264 may be provided on any other panel 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250. The exhaust fan 264 is operable (rotatable in an air exhaust direction) to expel air from the containment chamber 1254 to an area outside the treatment unit 104. The exhaust fan 264 thus functionally removes unwanted airborne moisture, humidity, odors and other particles from the containment chamber 1254. The exhaust fan 264 may also be selectively controlled to draw air into the containment chamber 1254 via rotating the fan 264 in a direction opposite to the air exhaust direction.

Operating characteristics (e.g., fan speed and/or rotational direction) of the exhaust fan 264 may be set directly via the user and/or via the control box 227 so that the containment chamber 1254 may achieve and/or be maintained at a desired humidity/moisture level suitable for the components housed in the containment chamber 1254. Therefore, the humidity/moisture control provided via the exhaust fan 264 may be beneficial in at least partially maintaining/extending the life of the components inside the container 938.

The top panel 948, which is shown in FIGS. 9-12, extends laterally between the front and real panels 942, 1144 and longitudinally between the side panels 946. The top panel 948 may include one or more openings 966, 968, 970 for use by the treatment portion 104a. For example, the top panel 948 may include an air intake opening 966 for the air intake 332 of the temperature regulator 310, a top exhaust opening 968 for the exhaust of the temperature regulator 310, and a blower opening 970 for the spa blower 422.

As shown in the example configuration of FIG. 9A, at least some embodiments of the container 938 may have a sloped roof 963 so as to at least partially prevent the pooling/collection of rainwater and/or snow, to at least partially prevent animals from inhabiting or otherwise forming habitats/homes on top of the container 938, and/or for any other purpose. In the example configuration shown in FIG. 9A, the sloped roof 963 is provided via a roof structure 965 that is attached (substantially permanently and/or removably) to the container 938 (e.g., to the top panel 948 and/or a portion of the frame 1240 that is adjacent to the top panel 948), though the sloped roof 965 may instead be provided or defined by at least the top panel 948. The roof structure 967 may include a top surface 969 that slopes downward from a front panel side of the container 938 to a rear panel side of the container 938, though the top surface 969 may slope downward in any other direction. The top surface 969 may include one or more openings 971 that correspond to (e.g., by being vertically aligned or otherwise associated with) or take the place of the one or more openings 966, 968, 970 of the top panel 948.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the bottom panel 1250 is spaced vertically from the top panel 948, extends laterally between the front and real panels 942, 1144, and extends longitudinally between the side panels 946. At least one treatment portion component 207 may be supported on the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3-8, the pool cleaner pump 418, spa jet pump 420, pool filtration pump 424, spa filtration pump 426, and the pool chlorinator 712 may be supported on the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250. At least one of (or each of) the treatment portion components 207 supported on the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 may be indirectly supported on and/or mounted to the bottom panel 1250 via a support platform 1271, though at least one of the treatment portion components 207 may be directly supported on and/or mounted to the bottom panel 1250. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3-8 and 12-13, at least one of the pumps 418, 420, 424, 426 (shown here as each pump 418, 420, 424, 426) may be indirectly supported on the bottom panel 1250 via a support platform 1271. At least one of the support platforms 1271 may be formed integrally with the bottom panel 1250 as a single monolithic piece or may be separately formed and subsequently connected to the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250. Such indirect connection to the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 helps prevent the mounting hardware/fasteners utilized in mounting/securing at least one of the treatment portion components 207 to the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 from penetrating the bottom panel 1250.

Although the support platforms 1271 are only shown as being provided on the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250, at least one support platform 1271 may be instead or additionally provided on any other interior surface of/in the treatment unit 104 (for the indirect mounting of internal treatment portion components 207) and/or on any exterior surface of the treatment unit 1251 (for the indirect mounting of external treatment portion components 207 or other externally mounted components of the system 100).

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a vibration isolating pad 1272 may be provided on at least one support platform 1271 (shown here as each support platform 1271) and/or to at least a portion of the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 such that the vibration isolation pad 1272 is provided between at least one treatment portion component 207 and the support platform 1271 or portion of the interior surface 1252a that the at least one treatment portion component 207 is mounted thereto/supported thereon. For example, a vibration isolation pad 1272 may be provided on each support platform 1271 that supports a pump 418, 420, 424, 426 such that a vibration isolation pad 1272 is interposed between each pump 418, 420, 424, 426 and its respective support platform 1271. Each vibration isolation pad 1272 that is mounted to a support platform 1271 is indirectly mounted to the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 via its respective support platform 1271. Providing a vibration isolation pad 1272 between internal treatment portion components 207 (e.g., the pumps 418, 420, 424, 426) and the structures on which they are supported (e.g., the support platforms 1271 and/or the bottom panel 1250) at least partially prevents or reduces the internal treatment portion components 207 from vibrating directly against the structures on which they are supported. Such vibration prevention/reduction helps to eliminate or at least partially dampen noise that would have otherwise been generated via an operating pump 418, 420, 424, 426 and/or other treatment portion component 207.

In certain configurations of the treatment unit 104 that include or do not include at least one support platform 1271, at least one vibration isolation pad 1272 may form a support platform for indirectly mounting at least one treatment portion component 207 to the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250. In such a configuration, the vibration isolation pad(s) 1272 may be provided directly between the treatment portion component(s) 207 and the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 to at least partially prevent the internal treatment portion component(s) 207 from vibrating directly against the bottom panel 1250 and to help prevent the mounting hardware/fasteners utilized in mounting/securing the treatment portion component(s) 207 to the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 from penetrating the bottom panel 1250.

Although the vibration isolation pads 1272 are only shown as being provided on the support platforms 1271, at least one vibration isolating pad 1272 may be instead or additionally provided on the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1260 (for indirectly mounting and/or providing vibration damping for internal treatment portion components 207), any other interior surface of/in the treatment unit 104 (for indirectly mounting and/or providing vibration damping for internal treatment portion components 207), and/or on any exterior surface of the treatment unit 1251 (for indirectly mounting and/or providing vibration damping for external treatment portion components 207 or other externally mounted components of the system 100). Also, the container 938 may be supported by an elastomeric element between the underlying surface and one or more of the feet of the container 938.

Each vibration isolation pad 1272 may be formed at least partially from silicone (e.g., room-temperature-vulcanizing or “RTV” silicone), ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (“EPDM”), natural or synthetic rubber, or any other material suitable for at least partially damping vibrations.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13-15, the exterior surface 1252b of the bottom panel 1250 is supported on the frame 1240. In other words, the bottom panel 1250 is supported in the treatment unit 104 via the exterior surface 1252b resting vertically on the frame 1240. The frame 1240 may, however, include support feet 1273 such that the exterior surface 1252b of the bottom panel 1250 is spaced from a support surface on which the treatment unit 104 (e.g., the container 938) stands by the support feet 1273. Such spacing defines a clearance 1276 under the bottom panel 1250 for lifting and transporting the treatment unit 104.

The clearance also permits moisture/liquids collected on the bottom panel 1250 to drain out of the containment chamber 1254 via a drain opening 1378 in the bottom panel 1250. The bottom panel 1250 may include a lip 1380 that extends from the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250. The lip 1380 and the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 collectively define a basin 1382 for at least temporarily collecting liquids (e.g., water). A fluid sensor 484 (FIG. 4) may be provided in this basin 1382 (e.g., on the lip 1380 and/or the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250) and electrically connected to the control box 227. Via the signals sent from the fluid sensor 484, the control box 227 may determine and/or display whether liquid is present in the basin 1382, how long liquid has been present in the basin 1382, and/or how much liquid is present in the basin 1382.

The bottom panel 1250 is positioned on the frame 1240 such that a perimeter surface 1586 of the bottom panel 1250 is spaced from the frame 1240. The perimeter surface 1586 of the bottom panel 1250 extends vertically from the exterior surface 1252b to at least the interior surface 1252a. The perimeter surface 1586 may extend beyond the interior surface 1252a of the bottom panel 1250 when the lip 1380 defines a portion of the perimeter surface 1586. The perimeter surface 1586 thus is spaced in at least one (shown here as both) of the lateral and longitudinal directions from the frame 1240 so as to not directly contact the frame 1240 in at least one (shown here as both) of the lateral and longitudinal directions. This spacing forms a gap 1588 between the perimeter surface 1586 of the bottom panel 1250 and the frame 1240. This gap 1588 (in conjunction with the clearance 1276) permits air (e.g., fresh air) to circulate into the containment chamber 1254 and replace the air exhausted by the exhaust fan 264 or makeup air consumed in combustion of a heater. The air circulation at least partially helps to achieve and/or maintain the containment chamber 1254 at the desired humidity/moisture level and/or at a desired temperature. The source of air provided via the gap 1588 may also be utilized by the temperature regulator 301 in addition to or in place of the air intake 332. In addition to its air-intake functionality, the gap 1588 (in conjunction with the clearance 1276) may also function as a liquid overflow for releasing liquid(s) from the containment chamber 1254 to prevent an undesirable amount of unwanted liquid from collecting in the containment chamber 1254.

The gap 1588 may be sized to permit the desired (e.g., secondary) fluid flow (i.e., liquid and/or air flow), while at least partially preventing debris, rodents, and/or other pests from entering the containment chamber 1254. Additionally or alternatively, the gap 1588 may be at least partially covered (e.g., vertically covered) on its interior and/or exterior end with a mesh screen 2189 (see FIG. 21 an example of a mesh screen 2189 on an exterior side of the gap 1588) that permits the desired fluid flow, while at least partially preventing debris, rodents, and/or other pests from entering the containment chamber 1254. For example, the mesh screen 2189 may have mesh size of about 20 to about 100 mesh to permit the flow of certain liquids (e.g., water) and gasses (e.g., air) therethrough, while at least partially preventing debris (e.g., sand), rodents, and/or other pests from entering the containment chamber 1254 through the gap 1588.

It is contemplated that in some embodiments, portions of the frame 1240 may at least partially cover (e.g., vertically cover) the gap 1588. In such case, the portions of the frame 1240 that cover the gap 1588 may include perforations that permit the desired fluid flow, without easily permitting debris, rodents, and/or pests to enter the containment chamber 1254 through the gap 1588.

Although debris may be at least partially prevented from entering the containment chamber 1254 through the gap 1588 via the gap's dimensions, the mesh screen 2189, and/or portions of the frame 1254 that at least partially cover the gap 1588, the container 938 may also or instead include at least one manipulable sealing member 22148 that is configured to at least partially close at least a portion of the gap 1588 (in some configurations, e.g., entirely closes every portion of the gap 1588), and thus at least partially prevent debris, liquids (e.g., water), rodents, and/or other pests from entering the containment chamber 1254 through the gap 1588. As shown in the example configuration of FIGS. 22A-B, each sealing member 22148 may comprise a buoyant cover 22150 (i.e., a cover formed at least partially from a buoyant material) that is manipulable between closed and opened positions. In particular, the buoyant cover 22150 may include a base layer 22152 having opposite interior and exterior surfaces 22154a, 22154b, a buoyant layer 22156 (i.e., a layer formed at least partially from a buoyant material) attached to the exterior surface 22154b, and a sealing layer 22158 attached to the interior surface 22154a.

Each buoyant cover 22150 may be pivotably connected the frame 1240 (as is shown in FIGS. 22A-B), the bottom panel 1250, and/or any other portion of the treatment unit 104 via one or more hinges 22160 such that the buoyant cover 22150 may be pivoted between the closed and opened positions via the hinge(s) 22160. As shown in FIG. 20A, at least the sealing layer 22158 contacts (e.g., directly contacts) portions of the frame 1240 and the bottom panel 1250 and seals/covers (e.g., vertically seals/covers) a corresponding portion of the gap 1558 when the buoyant cover 22150 is in the closed position. In certain embodiments, the sealing layer 22158 may be at least partially deformable (e.g., elastically deformable) such that portions of the sealing layer 22158 may be deformed by one or both of the frame 1240 and the bottom panel 1250 when in contact therewith to help form and/or strengthen a seal formed between the frame 1240, the bottom panel 1250, and the sealing layer 22158. Furthermore, regardless of whether the sealing layer 22158 is deformable or not, at least a portion of the sealing layer 22158 may extend into the gap 1588 when in the closed position to help create and/or strengthen the corresponding seal.

Each buoyant cover 22150 may be pivoted from the opened position to its closed position as a result of its innate buoyancy. For example, as the water level in the immediate area of the treatment unit 104 rises to a predetermined level (e.g., during flood and/or other events), the buoyancy of each buoyant cover 22150 causes the buoyant cover 22150 to float upward and, thus, pivot from the opened position toward the closed position. Therefore, when the water level reaches the predetermined level, the gap 1588 (or at least portions thereof) is closed via the buoyant cover 22150 to prevent outside water and/or debris or other entrained material (such as, e.g., sand) carried by the outside water from entering the containment chamber 1254 through the gap 1588. Conversely, as the water level falls below the predetermined level, the buoyant cover 22150 pivots from the closed position toward the opened position under the force of gravity, though other forces (e.g., spring forces, manual forces, etc.) may be utilized to return the buoyant cover 22150 to the opened position (FIG. 22B). As should be readily understood, the gap 1588 is permitted to be utilized for air circulation and/or as a liquid overflow when the buoyant cover 22150 is in the opened position.

Although the buoyant cover 22150 has been described as having three layers (i.e., the base layer 22152, the buoyant layer 22156, and the sealing layer 22158), the buoyant cover 22150 may be configured to include more or less than three layers. For example, some configurations of the buoyant cover 22150 may include only the base layer 22152 and the sealing layer 22158. In these configurations, the base layer 22152 and/or the sealing layer 22158 may be at least partially formed from a buoyant material such that the base and/or sealing layer 22152, 22158 also functions as the buoyant layer 22156. In other configurations, the buoyant cover 22150 may include only the base layer 22152. In these configurations, the base layer 22152 may be at least partially formed from a buoyant material and function as both the buoyant and sealing layers 22156, 22158. The base layer 22152 of the single layer buoyant cover 22150 may also be at least partially formed from a deformable (e.g., elastically deformable) material similar to that of the deformable sealing layer 22158 discussed above. Furthermore, although the buoyant cover 22150 has been described as pivoting between the closed and open positions via one or more hinges 22160, the buoyant cover 22150 may be manipulated between these two positions via any other method/mechanism, such as, e.g., by being translated (e.g., along guides) in the vertical direction between the opened and closed positions. Additionally, although the buoyant cover 22150 has been described as pivoting between the closed and open positions as a result of rising water and/or gravity, the buoyant cover 22150 may be manipulated between the two positions manually via a user and/or at least semi-automatically via an electronic/mechanical actuator that is electronically connected to the control box 227.

It should be noted, however, that in certain embodiments of the container 938, the gap 1588 may be omitted. In other embodiments, the gap 1588 may be positioned in a different location instead of or in addition to being provided between the bottom panel 1250 and the frame 1240. For example, instead of or in addition to being located between the bottom panel 1250 and the frame 1240, the gap 1588 may be located between the frame 1240 and at least one of the top panel 948, the first one of the side panels 946a, the second one of the side panels 946b, a first one of the rear panels 1144, a second one of the rear panels 1144, a first one of the front panels 942, and a second one of the front panels 942.

Although the clearance 1276 under the bottom panel 1250 is useful for lifting and transporting the treatment unit 104, the treatment unit 104, as shown in FIG. 22, may optionally include at least one lift pocket 2291 (shown here as a plurality of lift pockets 2291) positioned in the clearance(s) and attached to or integrally formed with the frame 1240. Each lift pocket 2291 may define a lift opening 2293 configured to receive a forklift tine so as to provide for a more stable interface between a forklift and the treatment unit 104.

As shown in FIG. 14A, vibration damping material 1495 (e.g.,, RTV silicone or EPDM) may be provided between the frame 1240 and the portions of the bottom panel 1250 that are adjacent to and/or rest on the frame 1240 to dampen vibrations between bottom panel 1250 and the frame 1240, between the bottom panel 1250 and any components mounted to the bottom panel 1250, and/or between fluid/electrical lines and the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 where the fluid/electrical lines extend through and/or are mounted to the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250.

As shown in FIG. 12, the container 938 may include one or more interior shelves 1290 for supporting components (e.g., a temperature regulator 310 or other treatment portion components 207) within the containment chamber 1254. The interior shelves 1290 may be modular in that they may be formed of individual shelf panels 1290a-c that are connected together (e.g., via welding) as desired to achieve a desired size and/or geometry.

As shown in FIG. 24, the container 938 may also or instead include one or more exterior shelves 24146 for supporting components (e.g., a heat pump temperature regulator 310b) on an exterior surface of the container. In the example configuration of FIG. 24, the heat pump temperature regulator 310b is supported on an exterior shelf 24146 that is attached to an exterior surface 1252b of a selected one of the side panels 946 and/or to a portion of the frame 1240 that is adjacent to the exterior surface 1252b of the selected side panel 946 via an exterior shelf 24146. Therefore, via the exterior shelf 24146, the temperature regulator 310b is mounted to/supported on and/or adjacent to the selected side panel 946. The heat pump temperature regulator 310b, however, may be mounted to any selected exterior surface or combination of selected exterior surfaces of the container 938 via one or more exterior shelves 24146 or otherwise. Furthermore, the heat pump temperature regulator 310b may instead be mounted in the containment chamber 1254.

Because the treatment portion components 207, integral electrical lines, circuitry and/or devices, and certain containment portion components (e.g., the acoustic attenuating material(s) 1255, the active noise cancellation element(s) 457, the support platform(s) 1271, the vibration isolation pad(s) 1272, the exhaust fan 264, the fluid sensor 484, the shelve(s) 1290, and/or the vibration damping material 1495, etc.) are provided in or on the container 938, the treatment unit 104 may be transported to an installation site in a ready-to-operate state. Therefore, after being delivered to the installation site, the treatment unit 104 may selectively begin operating as desired once operatively connected to the appropriate/selected fluidic system(s), source of water, source of fuel, source of electricity, external/ancillary devices/systems, and/or any other appropriate device/system/source, or any combination thereof at the installation site.

Furthermore, at least a portion of an exterior of the container 938 may be configured to have an aesthetic design that matches the aesthetic of the installation site and/or of the area surrounding the installation site. For example, at least a portion of the exterior of the container 938 may be wrapped, covered, imprinted, painted, affixed with external housing siding material, and/or otherwise configured to have a photorealistic design that matches the visual aesthetics of its surroundings. As a more specific example, the exterior surface 1252b of at least one of the front panels 942, the rear panels 1144, the side panels 946, the top panel 948, the bottom panel 1250, and the frame 1240 may have a photorealistic design provided thereon that matches the visual aesthetics of the area surrounding the installation site.

To help develop the installation site for the treatment unit 104, the treatment system 100 may also include an installation template 1692. As shown in FIGS. 16-17, the installation template 1692 includes a base 1694 having a primary portion 1694a and two secondary portions 1694b extending longitudinally from the primary portion 1694a. The primary portion 1694a may have a longitudinal length and a lateral width that corresponds to (e.g., may be the same size as or slightly larger than) a longitudinal length and lateral width of the container 938. Each secondary portion 1694b may include one or more fluid openings 1796 and/or one or more electrical or energy source openings 1698. The openings 1796, 1698 function as a guide for the appropriate fluid and/or electrical lines of at least one of the body(ies) of water 102, the source of water, the source of fuel (e.g., gas), the (electrical) power source, external/ancillary devices/systems, any other appropriate device/system/source, or any combination thereof at the installation site that extend from underground (i.e., from beneath the support surface).

The installation template 1692 also includes two sidewalls 16100 that are spaced longitudinally from one another and extend vertically from the primary portion 1694a. A longitudinal distance between the sidewalls 16100 may correspond to (e.g., may be the same as or slightly larger than) a longitudinal distance between the two side panels 946. Each sidewall 16100 may have one or more fluid openings 16102 and/or one or more electrical openings 16104. The number and positioning of the openings 16102, 16104 of each sidewall 16100 may directly correspond to the number and positioning of the openings 958, 1060 of an associated side panel 946. For example, the number and positions of the openings 16102, 16104 of a first one of the sidewalls 16100a may directly correspond to the number and positions of the openings 958, 1060 of the first side panel 946a, while the number and positions of the openings 16102, 16104 of a second one of the sidewalls 16100b may directly correspond to the number and positions of the openings 958, 1060 of the second side panel 946b. Via the sidewalls 16100 and their openings 16102, 16104, a developer of the installation site may feed or at least align the desired fluid and/or electrical lines at the installation site such that they are in an appropriate position for connecting to the fluid lines 228, connecting to the electrical lines, and/or being inserted through openings 958, 1060 of the treatment unit 104 once the treatment unit 104 is transported to the installation site.

The installation template 1692 may also include an offsetting portion 16106 extending laterally from the base 1694. The lateral width of the offsetting portion 16106 is configured to help position the treatment unit 104 at a predetermined distance from adjacent structures (e.g., walls and/or vegetation) so that the treatment unit 104 can be physically accessed and/or in order to conform with building codes, industry standards, or other rules or regulations.

Therefore, the installation template 1692 is configured to correspond to a design of the treatment unit 104 and, thus, enables a developer of the installation site to set the input and output plumbing and utility lines/connections in suitable positions so that the treatment unit 104 may be simply dropped off at the installation site and be readily connectable to the plumbing and utility lines/connections. The installation template 1692 may be removed from the installation site once the installation site is prepared for the treatment unit 104 and prior to installation of the treatment unit 104, or it may be entirely or partially left in situ.

In certain treatment unit 104 and/or treatment system 100 configurations, one or more elevating elements may be provided to elevate at least the container 938 of the treatment unit 104 above ground level 18107 so as to locate certain components of the treatment unit/system (e.g., the components of the treatment unit/system that are mounted in or on the container 938) above a high-tide, storm-tide, or other threshold damage prevention elevation 18109 below which equipment may be exposed to an increased likelihood of damage from natural events (e.g., rising water or floods, storms, and/or storm surges), waterborne debris, and/or airborne debris. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, a length of the support feet 1273 of the treatment unit 104 is configured such that the container 938 (and the components mounted thereto) is above such a threshold damage prevention elevation 18109. The threshold damage prevention elevation 18109 may be selected/determined based upon the locale in which the treatment unit 104 is installed, user desire, and/or any other relevant factor.

Although the support feet 1273 have been shown as providing the elevating functionality, the treatment unit 104 and/or the treatment system 100 may instead or additionally include other elevating features (e.g., stilts, legs, mounting elements, and/or platforms) for locating at least the container 938 at a desired elevation.

Furthermore, while certain components of the treatment unit 104 and/or the treatment system 100 may be located at a threshold damage prevention elevation 18109 above ground level 18107, other components may be located at or closer to ground level 18107 in order to be more easily accessible than the higher elevated components. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the treatment system 100 may include high elevation components 18108 mounted in or on the container 938 and low elevation components 18110 that are located at or otherwise closer to ground level 18107 than the high elevation components 18108, though the high and low elevation components 18108, 18110 may still be connected (e.g., fluidically and/or electrically) to one another as appropriate via the fluid and/or electrical lines. The high elevation components 18108 may include components that are typically not frequently attended to and/or that include certain electrical components such as, but not limited to, pumps (e.g., the pumps 418, 420, 424, 426), blowers (e.g., the spa blower 422), temperature regulators (e.g., the temperature regulator 310), electronic control units for all or certain treatment portion components 207 and/or ancillary devices 106, electrical load centers, and/or other electronic components, devices, and/or systems. The low elevation components 18110 may include components that are typically more frequently attended to such as, for example, filters (e.g., the filtering device 106b), water sanitizing devices (e.g., the chlorinator(s) 712, 314 and/or the Ozone/UV sanitizer 216), extracted debris containers, and/or user displays/control devices for assessing and adjusting the function of certain components and/or the condition of the spa or pool water.

As shown in FIG. 18, the treatment unit 104 may optionally include at least one securing member 18111 (represented in FIG. 18 as line 18111) for structurally securing the at least a portion of the treatment unit 104 (e.g., the container 938) to an adjacent structure 18113 (e.g., to a wall or other portion/feature of an adjacent building 18113). The securing member 18111 may be a tether, a chain, a rope, a bar, a beam, any other rigid or flexible member suitable for structurally securing at least a portion of the treatment unit 104 to the adjacent structures 18113, or any combination thereof. Via the securing member 18111, at least the structurally secured portions of the treatment unit 104 (e.g., the container 938 and the elements that are attached to the container 938) may be at least partially prevented from egressing from their desired position. The securing member(s) 18111 may be connected to one or more of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250 (e.g., to the exterior surface 1252b of one or more of the panels 942, 1144, 946, 948, 1250) and/or to the frame 1240.

Although the securing member 18111 has only been shown in an embodiment of the treatment unit 104 that includes elevating elements, any embodiment of the treatment unit 104 may include and utilize at least one securing member 18111 regardless of whether it includes elevating elements or not.

As shown in FIG. 19, when portions of the treatment unit 104 are elevated above the threshold damage prevention elevation 18109, the treatment unit 104 may optionally include an elevated platform 19128 via which a user may selectively occupy to access the elevated portions of the treatment unit 104 (e.g., at least the elevated components/elements of the treatment portion 104a and/or the containment portion 104b). The elevated platform may, e.g., be at and/or adjacent to the threshold damage prevention elevation 18109 or any other desired elevation. For reasons of clarity, the treatment portion components 104a have been omitted from FIG. 19. The elevated platform 19128 may be substantially permanently fixed (as is shown in FIG. 19) to the container 938 and/or the support feet 1273 or may be removably connected to the container 938 and/or the support feet 1273. The elevated platform may be accessible via a ladder 19130 or one or more other tools/elements configured for accessing elevated features/areas. Furthermore, the support feet 1273 may be connected directly to one or both of the container 938 and the elevated platform 19128.

The elevated platform 19128 and/or other portions of the treatment unit (e.g., the container 938) may optionally include safety elements 19132 for at least partially preventing a user on the elevated platform 19128 from undesirably egressing from the elevated platform 19128. The safety elements 19132 may include items, such as, but not limited to, fences, posts, rails, walls, chains, tethers, ropes, hooks, anchors, etc. In the example configuration shown in FIG. 19, the safety elements 19132 include a post and rope rail system 19134 as well as at least one anchor 19136 on the container 938. A user may selectively secure themselves (e.g., via a safety harness) to a selected one or more of the rope rails 19138 and/or to a selected one or more of the anchors 19136. Furthermore, the rope rails 19138 and the posts 19140 of the post and rope rail system 19134 may define at least one opening 19142 for accessing the elevated platform 19128.

Although the elevated platform 19128 is shown in FIG. 19 as being a one-piece construction, the elevated platform 19128 may instead comprise a plurality of separate platform sections (e.g., similar to that of the platform sections 19128a-d shown in FIG. 20A).

Regardless of whether the elevated platform 19128 is a substantially permanent or removable structure, the elevated platform 19128 may, in certain embodiments, be manipulated between accessible and stored positions so as to reduce the dimensions of the treatment unit 104 when the elevated portions/components of the treatment unit 104 do not need to be physically accessed. Therefore, at least a portion of the elevated platform 19128 may remain in the stored position until such time that a user desires to physically access one or more of the elevated portions/components of the treatment unit 104. In the example configuration shown in FIGS. 20A-B, the elevated platform 19128 extends substantially in the vertical direction when in the stored position (FIG. 20B), and extends substantially in a direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction (e.g., the longitudinal and/or lateral direction) when in the accessible position (FIG. 20A). Therefore, the elevated platform 19128 extends further in at least one direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction when in the accessible position than it does when in the stored position.

In the example configuration shown in FIGS. 20A-B, the elevated platform 19128 may be divided into a plurality of separate platform sections 19128a-d. For reasons of clarity, the treatment portion components 207 have been omitted from FIGS. 20A-B. The elevated platform 19128 of FIGS. 20A-B is divided into 4 separate platform sections 19128a-d, though the elevated platform 19128 may be comprised of any number of platform sections 19128a-d. Each platform section 19128a-d may be attached to another portion of the treatment unit 104 (e.g., to the container 938 and/or the support feet 1273) via one or more hinges 20144 such that the platform sections 19128a-d may be separately and selectively manipulated (e.g., swung) between the accessible position (FIG. 20A) and the stored position (FIG. 20B) via the hinge(s) 20144.

Although the storable elevated platform 19128 has been described and shown as utilizing one or more hinges 20144 to move between the accessible and stored positions, the storable elevated platform 19128 may instead or additionally be moved between these two positions via any other suitable mechanism or method such as, e.g., by being unfolded/folded, protracted/retracted, unwound/wound, attached/detached, or slid. Further, although no safety elements 19132 are shown in FIGS. 20A-B, certain embodiments of the storable elevated platform 19128 may optionally include safety elements 19132 as desired. Additionally, although the elevated platforms 19128 of FIGS. 19-20B have been shown as being grated and, thus, at least semi-permeable (e.g., to allow rainwater pass therethrough), at least one of the support platforms 19128 (or portions of the support platforms 19128a-d) may instead be solid.

It is contemplated that while certain treatment unit/system 104/100 components are described as being high elevation components 18108 and/or low elevation components 18108, certain treatment unit/system configurations may include certain components that are buried or partially buried underground so as to not occupy above-ground or indoor space and/or to further reduce noise emitted from such underground components. For example, at least one of the pumps 418, 420, 424, 426 may be stored in an underground container to at least partially suppress the noise generated by the buried pump(s) 418, 420, 424, 426. Alternatively or additionally, at least a portion of the treatment unit 104 itself may be buried/stored underground.

As shown in FIG. 25, certain treatment portion components 207 may be constructed and/or configured with certain other treatment portion components 207 to form one or more treatment portion modules 25162. Each treatment portion module 25162 may at least include certain or all fluid lines, electrical lines, electronic devices, and/or structural features associated with the operation of the components of the treatment portion module 25162 and/or with the structural connection of the treatment portion module 25162 to at least one other treatment portion module 25162 and/or to a portion of the containment portion 104b (e.g., the container 938). In certain embodiments, the structural features of at least one treatment portion module 25162 may comprise a housing in and/or on which each associated fluid line, electrical line, electronic device, treatment portion component 207, and/or other structure feature is mounted or otherwise provided.

In the example treatment unit configuration shown in FIG. 25, the treatment portion components 207 are divided into eight treatment portion modules 25162, though the treatment unit 104 may selectively include any number of treatment portion modules 25162. The eight example treatment portion modules 25162 of FIG. 25 include a gas temperature regulator module 25164, a heat pump temperature regulator module 25166, a pump module 25168, a chlorinator module 25170, a UV/Ozone sanitizer module 25172, an intake module 25174, a valve module 25176, and a power & control module 25178.

The gas temperature regulator module 25164 may include components such as, e.g., the gas temperature regulator 310a, a temperature gauge(s), a flow sensor(s), the air intake 332, the air exhaust 334, associated fluid (e.g., liquid and/or gas) lines, associated electrical lines, associated electronic devices, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

The heat pump temperature regulator module 25166 may include components such as, e.g., the heat pump temperature regulator 310b, a compressor(s) for the heat pump temperature regulator 310b (if it is not integrally formed with the heat pump temperature regulator 310b), a temperature gauge(s), associated fluid lines, associated electrical lines, associated electronic devices, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

The pump module 25168 may include components such as, e.g., the pool cleaner pump 418, the spa jet pump 420, the spa blower 422, the pool filtration pump 424, the spa filtration pump 426, any other selected pump, a debris collection container(s), associated fluid lines, associated electrical lines, associated electronic devices, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

The chlorinator module 25170 may include components such as, e.g., the pool chlorinator 712, the spa chlorinator 314, any other chlorinator, associated fluid lines, associated electrical lines, associated electronic devices, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

The UV/Ozone sanitizer module 25172 may include components such as, e.g., the Ozone/UV sanitizer 216, a salt-based sanitizer, any other sanitizer, associated fluid lines, associated electrical lines, associated electronic devices, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

The intake module 25174 may include components such as, e.g., the water supply line 408, backflow prevention elements 409, valves 330, electrical grounding, vacuum gauges, flow gauges, associated fluid lines, associated electrical lines, associated electronic devices, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

The valve module 25176 may include components such as, e.g., valves 330 and connected fluid lines to fluidically connect at least two of the other treatment portion modules 25162 to one another and/or to fluidically connected at least one of the treatment portion modules 25162 to an associated fluidic system(s) and/or ancillary device(s) 106, other valves 330 (e.g., check-valves and/or isolation valves) and/or fluid lines (e.g., bypass lines or otherwise) utilized by at least one of the other treatment portion modules 25162, associated electrical lines, associated electronic devices, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

The power & control module 25178 may include components such as, e.g., the control box 227, electrical power circuity/lines, surge protectors, short-circuit protectors, system automation and/or control circuity, circuitry for at least one of communication, remote telemetry, sensing, and diagnosis, any other associated electrical line, any other electronic device, and/or associated structural features (e.g., connection, positioning, and/or mounting features).

Each treatment portion module 25162 may be “standardized”. In other words, each type of treatment portion module 25162 may be the same or substantially the same (e.g., in terms of components and/or geometry) as every other treatment portion module of the same type. Therefore, as one example, every gas temperature regulator module 25164 may be the same or substantially the same as every other gas temperature regulator module 25164. However, in certain configurations, a treatment portion module 25162 may be constructed differently than at least one other treatment portion module 25162 of the same typing in order to tailor the “different” treatment portion module 25162 to a particular use case, use environment, fluidic system(s), and/or user desire.

As discussed above, the treatment unit 104 may include any number and/or combination of the treatment portion modules 25162 (whether they be the eight described above or otherwise). Therefore, the treatment unit 104, via the selection of treatment portion modules 25162, may be made application specific. In other words, via the selection of treatment portion modules 25162, the treatment unit 104 may be tailored to its intended environment, its intended use case, its associated fluidic system(s), and/or the desires of the end user.

The containment portion 104b (e.g., the container 938) may be configured to receive therein/thereon the selected treatment portion modules 25162. Therefore, in certain configurations, the containment portion 104b may receive therein/thereon more or less treatment portion modules 25162 than the containment portion 104b of a separate configuration

In certain embodiments of the treatment unit 104, the containment portion 104b may be configured to structurally support up to a maximum number of treatment portion modules 25162 such that the treatment unit 104 includes a selected number of treatment portion modules 25162 that ranges from one to the maximum number of treatment portion modules 25162, though the selected number of treatment portion modules 25162 typically ranges from two to the maximum number of treatment portion modules 25162. This may be the case, e.g., when the containment portion (e.g., the container 938) is “standardized”. The standardized containment portion 104b may be standardized to accept all available treatment portion modules 25162 and, in some cases, more than one of certain types of the available treatment portion modules 25162. However, in certain situations, it may not be desirable for the standardized containment portion 104b to every treatment portion module 25162 that the standardized containment portion 104b could possibly support. Therefore, treatment unit 104 and its associated standardized containment portion 104b may include, contain, and/or support only certain selected treatment portion modules, whether that be equal to or less than the maximum number of treatment portion modules 25162 and/or types of treatment portion modules that the standardized containment portion could support.

In other configurations of the treatment unit 104 and/or the containment portion 104b, at least a portion of the containment portion 104b may be constructed based on the selected treatment portion modules 25162 that it will support, and thus the containment portion 104b may be tailored to its associated treatment portion modules 25162.

Having a treatment unit 104 with selectable treatment portion modules 25162 may help with manufacturing, assembling, installing, servicing, and/or repairing the treatment unit 104 and/or with the large-scale manufacturing of treatment units 104 due to the standardization of the treatment portion modules 25162 (when the treatment portion modules 25162 are standardized), the standardization of the containment portion 104b (when the containment portion 104b is standardized), and/or due to the connectability of the treatment portion modules 25162 to one another and to the containment portion 104b.

Although the treatment system 100 has been described as being configured for treating at least one body of water 102, the treatment system 100 may also or instead be configured for treating one or more fluids (e.g., liquids) of other fluidic systems, whether they be residential or non-residential fluidic systems. Accordingly, the treatment portion components 207 of the treatment unit 104 may be selected or adapted to maintain, achieve, and/or facilitate a desired condition of the fluid(s) of fluidic system(s), whether they be bodies of water or otherwise. For example, as shown in FIG. 26, the treatment unit 104 may be operatively connected to one or more residential fluidic systems of a residence 26112 and, thus, the treatment portion components 207 of the treatment unit 104 may also or instead include, for example, at least one of a water supply line 408, a filter(s), a sanitizer(s) (e.g., a chlorinator(s) and/or an Ozone/UV sanitizer(s)), water softening equipment, a pump(s) (e.g., waste pumps, sump pumps, well pumps, filtration pumps), a temperature regulator(s) 310, a control box 227, a fluid line(s)/pipe(s) 228, a valve(s) 330, any other component configured to selectively maintain/achieve/facilitate a desired condition for a fluid of a residential fluidic system, or any combination of such components. Therefore, instead of or in addition to treating at least one body of water 102, the treatment unit 104 may be configured to treat (e.g., via maintaining, achieving, and/or facilitating a desired condition of) the fluid(s) of other (e.g., residential) fluidic systems such as, but not limited to, a waste/sewage system 26114, a waterproofing system 26116, a well 26118, a tap/drinking/potable water system 26120, an interior floor and/or wall fluid-based heating circuit 26122, an exterior (e.g., driveway and/or sidewalk) fluid-based heating circuit 26124, a humidity-controlling system 26126, any other residential fluidic system, or any combination thereof. Similarly, the treatment unit 104 may be operatively connected to one or more commercial fluidic systems of a non-residential fluidic system, e.g., a fluidic system of a business.

In summary, the treatment unit 104 is deliverable to an installation site in a ready-to-operate state and includes at least one of (1) equipment configured to treat water or other fluids of one or more fluidic systems (e.g., via circulating, directing, supplying, expelling, heating, cooling, filtering, sanitizing, and cleaning); (2) acoustical treatment(s) for attenuating noise; (3) humidity control features to improve conditions for short-term and long-term equipment performance; and (4) electrical and automation circuitry that would otherwise need to be separately added. However, it should also be appreciated at least portions or certain components of the treatment unit 104 may instead be delivered to the installation site so that at least a portion of the treatment unit 104 may be assembled at the installation site. The treatment unit 104 is suitable for indoor installation (e.g., inside a building or utility shed) because of its acoustic and vibration attenuation, as well as suitable for outdoor installation and exposure to natural elements. In addition, the treatment unit 104 may be a part of a treatment unit system that includes one or more templates 1692 to aid the initial phases of installation site construction, so that placement of utilities such as sources of water, electricity, natural gas, propane gas, internet, are appropriately located to simplify final installation of equipment, minimizing additional labor, materials, time and to optimize use of the space available in the site location.

While aspects of this disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the example aspects above, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various additional aspects may be contemplated. For example, the specific methods described above for using the apparatus are merely illustrative; one of ordinary skill in the art could readily determine any number of tools, sequences of steps, or other means/options for placing the above-described apparatus, or components thereof, into positions substantively similar to those shown and described herein. In an effort to maintain clarity in the Figures, certain ones of duplicative components shown have not been specifically numbered, but one of ordinary skill in the art will realize, based upon the components that were numbered, the element numbers which should be associated with the unnumbered components; no differentiation between similar components is intended or implied solely by the presence or absence of an element number in the Figures. Any of the described structures and components could be integrally formed as a single unitary or monolithic piece or made up of separate sub-components, with either of these formations involving any suitable stock or bespoke components and/or any suitable material or combinations of materials. Any of the described structures and components could be disposable or reusable as desired for a particular use environment. Any component could be provided with a user-perceptible marking to indicate a material, configuration, at least one dimension, or the like pertaining to that component, the user-perceptible marking potentially aiding a user in selecting one component from an array of similar components for a particular use environment. Though certain components described herein are shown as having specific geometric shapes, all structures of this disclosure may have any suitable shapes, sizes, configurations, relative relationships, cross-sectional areas, or any other physical characteristics as desirable for a particular application. Any structures or features described with reference to one aspect or configuration could be provided, singly or in combination with other structures or features, to any other aspect or configuration, as it would be impractical to describe each of the aspects and configurations discussed herein as having all of the options discussed with respect to all of the other aspects and configurations. A device or method incorporating any of these features should be understood to fall under the scope of this disclosure as determined based upon the claims below and any equivalents thereof.

Other aspects, objects, and advantages may be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

	Number	Date	Country
	63681027	Aug 2024	US
	63619127	Jan 2024	US

TREATMENT SYSTEM AND UNIT FOR ONE OR MORE FLUIDIC SYSTEMS

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