Sump pump alarm

• US 6,375,430 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wayne/Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Campbell Hausfeld/Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eckert, Lee H., Graham, Scott R., Frey, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, William H
• Application Number:
  US09/562,500
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 417/36, 417/63, 417/423.3, 417/572, 417/40, 417/41
• US Class Current: 417/40
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0218 the condition being a liquid level or a lack of liquid supply

Abstract

A sump pump has a float operated alarm switch mounted on the top end of the pump housing for activating an alarm when water rises above a normal operating level. The alarm is in a remote enclosure with the pump power plug so that plugging in the unit automatically positions the alarm in a desirable location to be heard. The power cord and alarm switch wire extend through a flexible corrugated tube that is attached to the pump housing and the alarm enclosure by strain relief connections that do not compressively crush the tube.

Claims

1. An electric sump pump having a liquid level alarm switch attached thereto, a power cord having one end connected with said sump pump and an opposite end attached to a plug remote from said pump, an alarm that is activated by said alarm switch, and a common enclosure for said plug and said alarm, whereby insertion of said plug into a socket locates said alarm and said enclosure in a desirable remote position relative to said pump.

2. The pump of claim 1 wherein said alarm is battery operated and said enclosure includes a battery compartment.

3. The pump of claim 1 including a flexible corrugated tube through which said power cord extends, and said tube being attached to said pump and to said enclosure at strain relief connections.

4. The pump of claim 1 wherein said pump includes a pump housing having a housing top end, an alarm switch support attached to said housing top end and having a cantilevered portion extending outwardly therefrom, and said alarm switch being mounted on said cantilevered portion.

5. The pump of claim 1 wherein said pump is activated at a predetermined normal operating water level and said alarm switch is positioned to activate said alarm when the water level is above said predetermined normal operating water level.

6. The pump of claim 5 wherein said switch is positioned to activate said alarm when the water level is ½

inch to 2 inches above said predetermined normal operating water level.

7. The pump of claim 1 wherein said alarm is battery operated and said enclosure includes a battery compartment, and said enclosure having a test button to test the battery and alarm.

8. The pump of claim 7 including a battery condition indicator light on said enclosure.

9. The pump of claim 1 including a power cord strain relief in said enclosure, said power cord being clamped by said strain relief to prevent pulling forces from being applied to the connections between said power cord and said plug.

10. A sump pump having a housing, said housing having a housing top end, a power cord opening in said top end, a switch support secured to said top end and projecting outwardly therefrom, said switch support having a support sleeve extending upwardly therefrom in alignment with said power cord opening, said support sleeve having longitudinally-spaced circumferential external ribs thereon, a flexible corrugated tube having alternating circumferential external and internal grooves and ridges along the length thereof, said corrugated tube having a tube end portion received over said support sleeve with said external ribs on said support sleeve received in said tube internal grooves, a cover member positioned over said support, said cover member having cooperating opposed parts with a cover opening therebetween receiving said tube end portion, and said cover opening having longitudinally-spaced inwardly extending circumferential ribs received in said tube external grooves.

11. The pump of claim 10 wherein said tube end portion is trapped in uncompressed relationship between said support sleeve and said cover opening so that said tube end portion is rotatable relative to said support sleeve and said cover but is not movable longitudinally relative to said support tube and said cover.

12. The pump of claim 10 including a switch assembly mounted on said switch support.

13. The pump of claim 12 wherein said switch assembly includes a switch and said switch assembly extends downwardly from said switch support.

14. The pump of claim 13 including a float vertically slidable on said switch assembly for operating said switch.

15. The pump of claim 12 wherein said switch assembly includes an alarm switch, a power cord extending through said power cord opening in said pump housing through said support sleeve and through said corrugated tube, said power cord having one end connected with said pump and an opposite end attached to a plug remote from said pump, an alarm that is activated by said alarm switch, a common enclosure for said alarm and said plug, and said corrugated tube being attached to said enclosure.

16. An electric sump pump having a liquid level sensing alarm switch mounted thereon, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, said pump including a pump housing having a pump housing top end, a switch support extending outwardly from said pump housing top end, and said alarm switch being mounted on said switch support externally of said housing.

17. The pump of claim 16 wherein said alarm switch extends downwardly from said switch support.

18. The pump of claim 17 wherein said alarm switch includes a magnetically operable reed switch depending from said switch support, an annular float slidable upwardly and downwardly on said reed switch, and said float carrying a permanent magnet that operates said reed switch to activate said alarm upon upward movement of said float along said reed switch in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump.

19. An electric sump pump having a liquid level sensing alarm switch mounted thereon, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, said pump including an electric motor, a motor power cord attached to said pump and having a power plug remote from said pump, an alarm enclosure in which said alarm is mounted, and said power plug being attached to said alarm enclosure.

20. The pump of claim 19 wherein said alarm enclosure includes front and rear enclosure parts, and said front enclosure part having a power cord strain relief that clamps said power cord to said front enclosure part.

21. An electric sump pump having a liquid level sensing alarm switch mounted thereon, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, said pump including an electric motor, a motor power cord attached to said pump and having a power plug remote from said pump, an alarm enclosure in which said alarm is mounted, said power plug being attached to said alarm enclosure, said plug being selectively rotatable relative to said enclosure, and cooperating interdigitating lugs and recesses between said plug and said enclosure to selectively lock said plug against rotation relative to said housing.

22. An electric sump pump having a liquid level sensing alarm switch mounted thereon, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, said pump including an electric motor, a motor power cord attached to said pump and having a power plug remote from said pump, an alarm enclosure in which said alarm is mounted, said power plug being attached to said alarm enclosure, a flexible corrugated tube enclosing said motor power cord, said corrugated tube having alternating circumferential grooves and ridges along the length thereof, said enclosure having front and rear parts with a tube opening therebetween through which said tube extends into said enclosure, and opposed ribs on said front and rear enclosure parts received in at last one of said tube circumferential grooves to prevent relative longitudinal movement between said corrugated tube and said enclosure.

23. The pump of claim 22 including a power cord strain relief on said front enclosure part in aligned spaced relationship with said opposed ribs.

24. The pump of claim 22 including a battery compartment in said enclosure, a battery connector in said battery compartment, said battery connector having battery wires connected with said alarm, and alarm wires extending through said corrugated tube between said alarm switch and said alarm.

25. The pump of claim 22 including a rigid sleeve received within said tube in alignment with said opposed ribs on said enclosure.

26. An electric sump pump having a liquid level sensing alarm switch mounted thereon, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, said pump including a pump housing having a top end, a power cord opening in said top end, a switch support secured to said top end and projecting outwardly therefrom, said alarm switch being attached to said switch support, said switch support having a support sleeve extending upwardly therefrom in alignment with said power cord opening, said support sleeve having longitudinally-spaced circumferential external ribs thereon, a flexible corrugated tube having alternating circumferential external and internal grooves and ridges along the length thereof, said corrugated tube having a tube end portion received over said support sleeve with said external ribs on said support sleeve received in said tube internal grooves, a cover member positioned over said support, said cover member having cooperating opposed parts with a cover opening therebetween receiving said tube end portion, and said cover opening having longitudinally-spaced inwardly extending circumferential ribs received in said tube external grooves.

27. The pump of claim 26 wherein said tube end portion is trapped in uncompressed relationship between said support sleeve and said cover opening so that said tube end portion is rotatable relative to said support sleeve and said cover but is not movable longitudinally relative to said support tube and said cover.

28. An electric sump pump having a liquid level sensing alarm switch mounted thereon, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, an alarm enclosure in which said alarm is mounted, a battery in said enclosure to operate said alarm, and an alarm and battery testing button on said enclosure.

29. The pump of claim 28 wherein said alarm includes both audible and visual alarms mounted on said enclosure.

30. An electric sump pump having a housing, a liquid level sensing alarm switch assembly fixedly mounted on said housing against movement relative thereto, said alarm switch assembly including an alarm switch, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch assembly, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, a switch support secured to said housing and extending outwardly therefrom, and said switch assembly being mounted on said switch support externally of said housing.

31. The pump of claim 30 wherein said switch assembly extends downwardly from said switch support.

32. The pump of claim 30 wherein said housing has a top end and said switch support is secured to said housing top end, said switch support having a cantilevered portion extending outwardly from said housing top end, and said alarm switch assembly being mounted on said cantilevered portion in depending relationship thereto.

33. The pump of claim 32 wherein said cantilevered portion has an opening therein, said alarm switch assembly having an end portion received in said opening and being secured to said cantilevered portion.

34. The pump of claim 33 wherein said end portion of said alarm switch assembly is threaded and is secured to said cantilevered portion by a threaded fastener.

35. An electric sump pump having a housing, a liquid level sensing alarm switch assembly fixedly mounted on said housing against movement relative thereto, said alarm switch assembly including an alarm switch, an alarm remote from said pump and said alarm switch assembly, said alarm being electrically connected with said alarm switch, said alarm switch being operable to activate said alarm in response to a predetermined liquid level externally of said pump, a power cord having one end connected with said pump and an opposite end attached to a power plug remote from said pump, a common enclosure for said plug and alarm, said alarm being enclosed within said enclosure and said plug being at least partly enclosed within said enclosure, whereby insertion of said plug into a socket locates said alarm and enclosure in a remote position from said pump.