SPA HEATER SYSTEM
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A spa system comprises an electrically powered heater. The electrically powered heater comprises a heating element capable of drawing a rated current when switched on to an AC line voltage. An electronic control system is programmed to control the heating element to draw less than the rated current.
93 Citations
74 Claims
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1-7. -7. (canceled)
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8. A method of controlling a heater of a bathing installation for heating water disposed in a recirculating water flow path in fluidic communication with a vessel for holding water, the heater having a maximum rated current draw, and wherein the bathing installation includes electrically powered components other than the heater, said components including a pump for circulating water through the recirculating water flow path, the method comprising:
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determining an available current capacity for the heater in a particular operating configuration for the plurality of electrically powered components of the bathing installation, comprising sensing the current being drawn by non-heater components of the bathing installation;
providing an AC line voltage source having a rated maximum current draw for energizing the heater, wherein the AC line voltage source comprises a plurality of consecutive cycles, the available current capacity being dependent on the rated maximum current draw and the current drawn by the electrically powered components of the bathing installation which are activated for the operating configuration;
controlling the flow of current from the AC voltage source to the heater with a current control circuit to avoid exceeding the rated maximum current draw while still operating the heater at the maximum rated current draw or at a reduced heater current draw if the available current capacity for the heater is less than the maximum rated current draw;
controlling the current control circuit to prevent the heater from drawing current during a first non-zero portion of each of a plurality of consecutive cycles and to permit the heater to draw current during a second non-zero portion of each of the plurality of consecutive cycles. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14-61. -61. (canceled)
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62. A method of manufacturing a spa heater controller assembly, comprising:
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providing a spa heater with a maximum heater current rating;
providing a controller arranged to modulate the current drawn by the heater to maintain a total system current at or below a maximum system current limit, wherein the maximum system current limit can be pre-programmed into the controller for any of a range of current limits. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64)
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65-67. -67. (canceled)
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68. A bathing installation system, comprising:
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a water vessel for holding a volume of bathing installation water;
an electrically powered water heater;
a solid state device for controlling current to the water heater;
a plurality of electrically powered bathing installation non-heater components, including a water pump, and wherein at least said pump is adapted to be selectively powered on and off;
wherein the current drawn by the heater and the plurality of electrically powered bathing installation non-heater components exceeds a maximum current rating of a line voltage supply for the bathing installation or of the bathing installation;
a circulation system for passing the bathing installation water through the water heater to heat the bathing installation water, the circulation system including a circulation water path, and said pump, wherein said pump is arranged for pumping the bathing installation water through the circulation path;
an electronic control system for controlling the water heater and the plurality of non-heater components to any one of a plurality of different power configuration states by turning said components on or off in dependence on a commanded configuration state, the control system adapted to determine a current load drawn by a commanded configuration state of the non-heater components, to calculate an available current capacity for the heater based on said current load and said maximum current rating and to control the solid state device so that a current magnitude applied to the heater does not exceed said available current capacity and the total current drawn by the bathing installation does not exceed said maximum current rating. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method of constructing a spa heater and controller assembly which is suitable for use in a plurality of different spa system products, each with different maximum system current and power specifications, comprising:
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providing an electrically powered spa water heater with a maximum heater current rating for generic use in each of the plurality of different spa system products;
providing an electronic controller arranged to modulate the current drawn by the spa water heater to maintain a total spa system current at or below a maximum system current specification for a given one of the plurality of different spa system products, said electronic controller including a programming means for setting the electronic controller to said maximum system current specification for any of a range of maximum system current specification values, corresponding to the respective plurality of different spa system products. - View Dependent Claims (74)
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Specification