Controller and control method for a pool system
First Claim
1. Controller means for a pool system, said pool system including a pool;
- pool related conditioning apparatus including pump means and actuating means coupled to drive said pump means;
solar water heating apparatus and non-solar water heating apparatus; and
hydraulic circuit means including valve means formed for the flow of pool water to and from said pool, said pump means and said solar water heating and said non-solar water heating apparatus;
said controller means including a plurality of sensing apparatus formed and positioned to sense conditions in said pool system and formed to produce a signal in response to said conditions, actuating means formed and coupled to said solar sater heating and said non-solar water heating apparatus for actuation of the same, and programmable input means formed for receipt and storage of input and formed to produce a signal based upon said input, and said controller means further being formed with logic circuit means having logic gates and coupled to said sensing apparatus, said actuating means and said programmable input means for control of the operating parameters of said pool system, wherein the improvement in said controller means comprises;
said sensing apparatus includes;
(i) water temperature sensing means formed and positioned to sense pool water temperature, and(ii) solar temperature sensing means formed and positioned to sense a radiant temperature proximate said solar water heating apparatus; and
said logic circuit includes comparator means and temperature level setting means connected to said comparator means, said comparator means being formed to compare said pool water temperature sensed by said water temperature sensing means with said radiant temperature and with at least one preset temperature from said temperature level setting means and to input said logic circuit with logic true and logic false signals for controlled actuation of said solar water heating apparatus and said non-solar water heating apparatus and said non-solar water heating apparatus in accordance with a predetermined logic sequence.
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Abstract
A controller and method for controlling the operation of electrically powered pool related apparatus in recreational pool system, and more particularly for controlling the flow of pool water through the pool system and water-conditioning apparatus, is disclosed. The controller includes a logic circuit formed with a plurality of logic gates coupled to pool-water-sensing apparatus and programmable input apparatus in accordance with a predetermined logic sequence. The pool system includes a swimming pool and spa, and the pool-water-conditioning apparatus includes a solar water heater and a non-solar water heater. The controller is capable of preferential solar heating and of temperature-switched operation, time-switched operation and a combination thereof, as well as manual switching.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. Controller means for a pool system, said pool system including a pool;
- pool related conditioning apparatus including pump means and actuating means coupled to drive said pump means;
solar water heating apparatus and non-solar water heating apparatus; and
hydraulic circuit means including valve means formed for the flow of pool water to and from said pool, said pump means and said solar water heating and said non-solar water heating apparatus;
said controller means including a plurality of sensing apparatus formed and positioned to sense conditions in said pool system and formed to produce a signal in response to said conditions, actuating means formed and coupled to said solar sater heating and said non-solar water heating apparatus for actuation of the same, and programmable input means formed for receipt and storage of input and formed to produce a signal based upon said input, and said controller means further being formed with logic circuit means having logic gates and coupled to said sensing apparatus, said actuating means and said programmable input means for control of the operating parameters of said pool system, wherein the improvement in said controller means comprises;said sensing apparatus includes; (i) water temperature sensing means formed and positioned to sense pool water temperature, and (ii) solar temperature sensing means formed and positioned to sense a radiant temperature proximate said solar water heating apparatus; and said logic circuit includes comparator means and temperature level setting means connected to said comparator means, said comparator means being formed to compare said pool water temperature sensed by said water temperature sensing means with said radiant temperature and with at least one preset temperature from said temperature level setting means and to input said logic circuit with logic true and logic false signals for controlled actuation of said solar water heating apparatus and said non-solar water heating apparatus and said non-solar water heating apparatus in accordance with a predetermined logic sequence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- pool related conditioning apparatus including pump means and actuating means coupled to drive said pump means;
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24. A method for controlling the operation of pool related conditioning apparatus in a pool system, said pool system includes a pool, pool related conditioning apparatus including solar heating apparatus and non-solar heating apparatus, a hydraulic circuit coupling at least a portion of said conditioning apparatus to said pool, sensing apparatus mounted in said pool system and formed to sense pool water temperature and radiant temperature proximate said solar water heating apparatus, and controller means including temperature level setting means and comparator means coupled to said sensing apparatus and said conditioning apparatus and formed to actuate said conditioning apparatus in response to said sensing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
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sensing the temperature of pool water and the radiant temperature proximate said solar water heating apparatus; comparing the sensed temperatures to at least one preset temperature; and actuating one of said solar heating apparatus and said non-solar heating apparatus in accordance with a predetermined logic sequence.
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25. Controller means for a pool system, said pool system including a pool and a spa;
- pool related conditioning apparatus including heating apparatus; and
hydraulic circuit means for the flow of pool water to and from said pool, spa and said conditioning apparatus;
said controller means including a plurality of sensing apparatus formed and positioned to sense conditions in said pool system and formed to produce a signal in response to said conditions, actuating means formed and coupled to said conditioning apparatus for actuation of same, and programmable input means formed for receipt and storage of input and formed to produce signal based upon said input, and said controller means further being formed with circuit means coupled to said sensing apparatus, said actuating means and said programmable input means for control of the operating parameters of said pool system, wherein the improvement in said controller means comprises;said circuit means is provided as a logic circuit formed with a plurality of logic gates formed to input logic true and logic false signals from said sensing apparatus and from said programmable input means to said actuating means only in accordance with a predetermined logic sequence, said logic circuit being formed to feed back a logic signal indicating the mode or pool system operation to a heating portion of said logic circuit, said heating portion of said logic circuit being formed with a first set of logic gates which are activated when a logic true signal is fed back to said heating portion and a second set of logic gates which are activated when a logic false signal is fed back to said heating portion, said first set of logic gates controlling heating of one of said pool and said spa and said second set of logic gates controlling heating of a remainder of said pool and said spa.
- pool related conditioning apparatus including heating apparatus; and
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26. Controller means for a pool system, said pool system including a pool;
- a pool water filter;
pump means; and
hydraulic circuit means including valve means for the flow of pool water to and from said pool, spa and said filter;
said controller means including a plurality of sensing apparatus formed and positioned to sense conditions in said pool system and formed to produce a signal in response to said conditions, actuating means formed and coupled to said pump means and said valve means for actuation of same, and programmable input means formed for receipt and storage of time sequene input and formed to produce a timing signal based upon said input, and said controller means further being formed with circuit means coupled to said sensing apparatus, said actuating means and said programmable input means for control of operation of said pump means and said valve means, wherein the improvement in said controller means comprises;said programmable input means further includes a totalizer, a time setting input means connected to said totalizer, and a counter connected to said totalizer, said totalizer being further connected to said programmable timer and formed when enabled by a logic true signal from said programmable timer to output a logic true signal whenever the value in said counter is less than the value in said time setting input means, said totalizer being coupled to said logic circuit to cause actuation of said pump means upon output of a logic true signal; said logic circuit being further formed to input said counter and increase the value therein during actuation of said pump means in response to said sensing apparatus; said programmable timer being connected to said counter to input said counter and increase the value therein during programmed time intervals, and said programmable timer being formed and connected to said counter and said counter being formed to periodically reset said counter to a beginning value upon receipt of a signal from said programmable timer. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
- a pool water filter;
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29. A method for controlling the operation of pool related conditioning apparatus in a pool system, said pool system including a pool, pool related conditioning apparatus including a filter pump and a pool water filter, a hydraulic circuit coupling said pool to said filter pump and said filter sensing apparatus mounted in said pool system and formed to sense temperature and the presence of pool water, and controller means formed for input of preset timed intervals for timed operation of said filter pump and formed for input of a preset total time of filter pump operation and coupled to said sensing apparatus and said filter pump and formed to actuate said filter pump in response to said sensing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
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operating said filter pump in response to temperatures sensed by said sensing apparatus; operating said filter pump in accordance with said input preset timed intervals; comparing the total of; (i) the time of filter pump operation in response to temperatures sensed, and (ii) the time of filter pump operation in accordance with said input preset timed intervals, with the input for total time of filter pump operation; and terminating filter pump operation by said controller means when said total time of temperature sensed and interval input operation equals said input of a preset total time of filter pump operation.
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Specification