Fresh water control system and method
First Claim
1. The method of controlling operation of a plurality of liquid operable fixtures, each fixture having a liquid flow rate and the liquid flow rate of at least one fixture differing from the liquid flow rate of at least one other fixture, comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing a maximum liquid flow rate;
(b) determining which of the fixtures requires operation;
(c) determining the liquid flow rate of the fixture requiring operation;
(d) calculating whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded; and
(e) causing the fixture requiring operation to operate if the maximum flow rate will not be exceeded and preventing operation of the fixture requiring operation until sufficient liquid capacity is available if the maximum flow rate will be exceeded.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The method of controlling operation of a plurality of fixtures comprises the steps of establishing a maximum liquid flow rate and determining which of the fixtures required operation. A determination is then made of the liquid flow rate of the fixture requiring operation and a calculation is made of whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded. The fixture requiring operation is caused to operate if the maximum flow rate will not be exceeded and is prevented from operating if the maximum flow rate will be exceeded.
85 Citations
53 Claims
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1. The method of controlling operation of a plurality of liquid operable fixtures, each fixture having a liquid flow rate and the liquid flow rate of at least one fixture differing from the liquid flow rate of at least one other fixture, comprising the steps of:
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(a) establishing a maximum liquid flow rate; (b) determining which of the fixtures requires operation; (c) determining the liquid flow rate of the fixture requiring operation; (d) calculating whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded; and (e) causing the fixture requiring operation to operate if the maximum flow rate will not be exceeded and preventing operation of the fixture requiring operation until sufficient liquid capacity is available if the maximum flow rate will be exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. The method of controlling liquid flow to a plurality of liquid operable mixtures operably connected to a liquid supply and with each fixture utilizing a predetermined quantity of liquid during operation and the predetermined quantity of at least one fixture being different from the predetermined quantity of at least one other fixture and each fixture having a remotely operable valve for causing operation thereof and each valve operably associated with a controller and a detector means being operably associated with each of the fixtures for detecting usage thereof and the detector means being operably associated with the controller for signaling a need to operate the associated valve, comprising the steps of:
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(a) establishing a maximum liquid flow rate for the supply; (b) signaling the controller the need of one of the fixtures to operate; (c) determining the liquid flow rate of the fixture needing operation; (d) determining whether any other fixture is operating; (e) calculating the liquid flow of the operating fixtures and adding to that the liquid flow of the fixture needing operation and thereby generating a required liquid flow rate; (f) comparing the required liquid flow rate with the maximum liquid flow rate; and
,(g) operating the fixture needing operation if the required liquid flow rate is less than the maximum liquid flow rate and preventing operation of the fixture needing operation if the required liquid flow rate exceeds the maximum liquid flow rate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. The method of operating a plumbing system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a fresh water supply and a sewage drain; (b) providing a plurality of urinals, each urinal haVing an inlet in fluid communication with the supply and an outlet in fluid communication with the drain; (c) providing a plurality of toilets, each toilet having an inlet in fluid communication with the supply and an outlet in fluid communication with the drain; (d) providing a plurality of sinks, each sink having an inlet in fluid communication with the supply and an outlet in fluid communication with the drain; (e) establishing a maximum water flow for the supply; (g) determining which of the sinks, toilets and/or urinals requires operation; (h) determining whether any other sink, toilet and/or urinal is operating; (i) determining the water flow of the sink, toilet and/or urinal which is operating and adding thereto the water flow of the sink, toilet or urinal requiring operation and thereby determining required flow; (j) comparinq the required flow with the maximum water flow; and
,(k) operating the sink, toilet or urinal requiring operation if required flow is less than maximum water flow and preventing operation of the sink, toilet or urinal requiring operation if the required flow exceeds the maximum water flow. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of controlling a fluid system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of at least first, second and third fluid handling means in operable association with a fluid source and a fluid drain, each of the fluid handling means requiring a predetermined volume of fluid to operate and the first means requiring the capability of operation at all non-emergency times; (b) establishing a maximum fluid flow rate for the supply; (c) deriving a modified flow rate by subtracting from the maximum fluid flow rate the fluid flow required in the event each of the first means are simultaneously operated; (d) determining which of the second and/or third means requires operation; (e) calculating whether operation of the second and/or means requiring operation will cause the modified flow rate to be exceeded; and
,(f) operating the second and/or third means requiring operation if the modified flow rate will not be exceeded and preventing operation of the second and/or third means requiring operation if the modified flow rate will be exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A liquid control system for combination with a liquid supply and a liquid drain interconnected by a plurality of first, second and third liquid operating means wherein each of the liquid operating means is operable through a remotely controlled valve and the liquid flow rate of at least one of the operating means is different than the liquid flow rate of at least one other of the operating means, the liquid control system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of sensors, each sensor for operable association with one of the liquid operating means for determining the need of the associated liquid operating means to operate; and
,(b) control means for operable association with each of said sensors for identifying the liquid operating means requiring operation and for operable association with each of the valves for causing selected operation thereof, said control means includes first means for establishing a maximum liquid flow rate for the supply, calculating means for determining whether operation of the liquid operating means requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded, and second means for causing operation of the valve of the liquid operating means requiring operation if the maximum flow rate will not be exceeded and for preventing operation of the valve of the liquid operating means requiring operation if the maximum flow rate will be exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A plumbing system, comprising:
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(a) a fresh water supply and a Waste water drain; (b) a plurality of water operating means interposed said supply and said drain, each operating means includes a remotely operable valve means for establishing fluid communication between said supply and said drain; (c) a plurality of sensor means, each sensor means proximate one of said water operating means for determining when the associated operating means requires operation; and
,(d) control means operably associated with each of said sensor means and with said valve means and including means for identifying the water operating means requiring operation, said control means further includes first means for establishing a maximum fresh water flow rate, calculating means for determining whether operation of the operating means requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded, and second means for causing operation of the valve of the operating means requiring operation if the maximum flow rate will not be exceeded and for preventing operation of the water operating means requiring operation if the maximum flow rate will be exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification