Water flow detection system for a bathing unit

• US 7,440,820 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gecko Alliance Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gecko Alliance Group Inc.
• Inventors: Brochu, Christian, Gougerot, Florent, Gaudreau, Daniel, Laflamme, Benoit
• Primary Examiner(s): Kosowski; Alexander J
• Application Number:
  US10/998,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/278, 392/471, 219/497, 219/506, 219/501, 219/481, 219/483, 219/412, 374102-103, 374/107
• US Class Current: 700/278
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2033/0054 with liquid level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/005 Electrical circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/0087 Therapeutic baths with agitated or circulated water
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/02 Bathing devices for use with gas-containing liquid, or liquid in which gas is led or generated, e.g. carbon dioxide baths A61H33/6026 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/60 Components specifically designed for the therapeutic baths of groups A61H33/00 plumbing E03C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/601 Inlet to the bath
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/6068 Outlet from the bath
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/54 Water heaters for bathtubs or pools; Water heaters for reheating the water in bathtubs or pools
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/128 Preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/196 Automatically filling bathtubs or pools; Reheating the water in bathtubs or pools
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/212 Temperature of the water
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/238 Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/246 Water level
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/25 Temperature of the heat-generating means in the heater
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/335 Control of pumps, e.g. on-off control control of compressors of heat pumps F24H15/38
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/407 using electrical switching, e.g. TRIAC
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/421 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2028 Continuous-flow heaters
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1928 : sensing the temperature of one space

Abstract

The present invention provides a control system for a bathing unit that comprises a heating module, a thermal element and a heating module controller. The heating module includes a body that defines a passage through which water can flow, that has an inner surface and an outer surface. The heating module further includes a heating device that is operative for heating the water that flows through the body. The thermal element is mounted to the outer surface of the body such that the thermal element is in thermally conductive communication with water flowing through the body. The heating module controller is operative for obtaining temperature information associated with the thermal element for detecting at least in part on the basis of the temperature information the sufficiency of water flow through the body.

Claims

1. A control system for a bathing unit, said control system comprising:

a heating module including;

i) a body defining a passage through which water can flow;

ii) a heating device operative for heating the water that flows through said body;

a thermal element mounted in thermally conductive communication with water flowing through the body of said heating module;

a heating module controller operative for controlling the heating device of the heating module to cause said heating device to acquire either one of a heating state or a non-heating state, said heating module controller being further operative for;

i) causing said thermal element to acquire a certain temperature condition;

ii) obtaining temperature information associated with said thermal element, said temperature information being distinct from a water temperature associated to the water that flows through the body of said heating module;

iii) detecting at least in part based on said temperature information associated with said thermal element the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

2. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said body has a thermally conductive portion that extends from an inner surface of said body to an outer surface of said body, said thermal element being mounted in contact with said thermally conductive portion.

3. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating module controller is operative for controlling said heating device on the basis of the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

4. A control system as defined in claim 3, wherein said heating module controller is operative for preventing said heating device from heating the water in said body upon detection of insufficient water flow through said body.

5. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating module controller is operative for providing an indication to a user of the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

6. A control system as defined in claim 5, wherein said control system includes a display unit, said heating module controller being operative for causing said display unit to display a message to a user at least in part on the basis of the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

7. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said thermal element is a solid state device operative for controlling power supplied to said heating device, said solid state device increasing in temperature as it supplies power to said heating device.

8. A control system as defined in claim 7, wherein said solid state device includes a device selected from the set consisting of TRIACs, SRCs, FETs, IGBTs, MOSFETs, JFETs and BJTs (bipolar junction transistors).

9. A control system as defined in claim 7, wherein said solid state device includes a TRIAC.

10. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein obtaining said temperature information includes obtaining a rate of temperature change of said thermal element as the thermal element moves from said temperature different from the temperature of the water towards the temperature of the water, said heating module controller being operative for comparing said rate of temperature change to a predetermined rate of temperature change.

11. A control system as defined in claim 10, wherein said heating module controller is operative for detecting that there exists sufficient water flow through said body when said rate of temperature change is greater than said predetermined rate of temperature change.

12. A control system as defined in claim 10, wherein said heating module controller is in communication with a database comprising a plurality of data entries, each data entry including a rate of temperature change and a measurement associated to the flow of water through said body, said processing unit being operative for comparing said rate of temperature change of said thermal element to the data entries in said database for obtaining a measurement of the flow of water within said body.

13. A control system as defined in claim 10, wherein said heating module controller is operative for detecting that there exists insufficient water flow through said body when said rate of temperature change is less than said predetermined rate of temperature change.

14. A control system as defined in claim 10, wherein said heating module controller is in communication with a thermal sensor, said thermal sensor being operative for obtaining said temperature information associated to said thermal element.

15. A control system as defined in claim 14, wherein said thermal sensor is operative for providing to said heating module controller a signal indicative of temperature measurements of said thermal element.

16. A control system as defined in claim 15, wherein said heating module controller is operative for calculating a rate of temperature change of said thermal element on a basis of the temperature measurements received from said thermal sensor.

17. A control system as defined in claim 14, wherein said thermal sensor is operative for providing to said heating module controller a signal indicative of a rate of temperature change of said thermal element.

18. A control system as defined in claim 17, wherein said heating module controller is operative for deriving a measurement associated to the flow of water through said body on a basis of said rate of temperature change.

19. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said thermal element is a heater that increases in temperature when activated.

20. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said heating module controller includes a high limit device that is responsive to an unsafe water temperature for causing the heating device to acquire the non-heating state.

21. A control system as defined in claim 20, further comprising a capacitive water level sensor adapted for obtaining a capacitance measurement associated to a level of water in said heating module, said heating module controller being in communication with said capacitive water level sensor for:

processing the capacitance measurement in order to derive a control signal;

controlling said heating device on the basis of said control signal for causing the heating device to acquire either one of the heating state or the non-heating state.

22. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the certain temperature condition is an increase in temperature associated to the thermal element.

23. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the certain temperature condition is a decrease in temperature associated to the thermal element.

24. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the temperature condition is a pre-determined temperature associated to the thermal element.

25. A method for detecting a sufficiency of water flow through a heating module of a bathing unit, the heating module having a body defining a passage through which water can flow and a heating device for heating the water that flows through the body, the heating device being adapted for acquiring either one of a heating state or a non-heating state, said method comprising:

causing a thermal element to acquire a certain temperature condition, the thermal element being mounted in thermally conductive communication with water flowing through the body of said heating module;

obtaining temperature information associated to said thermal element, said temperature information being distinct from a water temperature associated to the water that flows through the body of the heating module;

detecting at least in part on the basis of said temperature information associated with said thermal element, the sufficiency of water flow through the body of the heating module.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising controlling the heating device on the basis of the sufficiency of water flow through the body.

27. A method as defined in claim 25, comprising causing a display unit to display a message on the basis of the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

28. A method as defined in claim 25, comprising:

obtaining a rate of temperature change of the thermal element as the thermal element moves from said temperature different from the temperature of the water towards the temperature of the water, and

comparing said rate of temperature change to a predetermined rate of temperature change.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, comprising detecting that there exists sufficient water flow through said body when said rate of temperature change is greater than said predetermined rate of temperature change.

30. A method as defined in claim 28, comprising detecting that there exists insufficient water flow through said body when said rate of temperature change is less than said predetermined rate of temperature change.

31. A method as defined in claim 30, comprising preventing the heating device from heating the water in the body upon detection of insufficient water flow through the body.

32. A method as defined in claim 25, comprising receiving from a thermal sensor in communication with the thermal element, said temperature information associated to said thermal element.

33. A method as defined in claim 32, comprising receiving from the thermal sensor a signal indicative of temperature measurements of said thermal element.

34. A method as defined in claim 33, comprising calculating a rate of temperature change of the thermal element on a basis of the temperature measurements received from said thermal sensor.

35. A method as defined in claim 32, comprising receiving from the thermal sensor a signal indicative of a rate of temperature change of said thermal element.

36. A method as defined in claim 32, comprising deriving a measurement associated to the flow of water through said body on a basis of said temperature information.

37. A method as defined in claim 36, comprising comparing said temperature information associated to said thermal element to data entries in a database for obtaining a measurement of the flow of water within said body.

38. A method as defined in claim 25, comprising causing the heating device to acquire the non-heating state upon detection of an unsafe water temperature in the body.

39. A method as defined in claim 25, comprising:

obtaining a capacitance measurement associated to a level of water in said heating module,

processing the capacitance measurement in order to derive a control signal;

controlling the heating device on the basis of said control signal for causing the heating device to acquire either one of the heating state or the non-heating state.

40. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the certain temperature condition is an increase in temperature associated to the thermal element.

41. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the certain temperature condition is a decrease in temperature associated to the thermal element.

42. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the certain temperature condition is a pre-determined temperature associated to the thermal element.

43. A control system for a bathing unit, said control system comprising:

a heating module including;

i) a body defining a passage through which water can flow;

ii) a heating device operative for heating the water that flows through said body;

a thermal element mounted in thermally conductive communication with water flowing through the body of said heating module, said thermal element being adapted for acquiring a temperature different from the temperature of the water flowing through said body;

a heating module controller operative for obtaining temperature information associated with said thermal element for detecting at least in part on a basis of said temperature information the sufficiency of water flow through said body, wherein obtaining said temperature information includes obtaining a rate of temperature change of said thermal element as the thermal element moves from a temperature different from the temperature of the water towards the temperature of the water.

44. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating module controller is operative for comparing said rate of temperature change to a predetermined rate of temperature change.

45. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said body has a thermally conductive portion that extends from an inner surface of said body to an outer surface of said body, said thermal element being mounted in contact with said thermally conductive portion.

46. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating module controller is operative for controlling said heating device on the basis of the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

47. A control system as defined in claim 46, wherein said heating module controller is operative for preventing said heating device from heating the water in said body upon detection of insufficient water flow through said body.

48. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating module controller is operative for providing an indication to a user of the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

49. A control system as defined in claim 48, wherein said control system includes a display unit, said heating module controller being operative for causing said display unit to display a message to a user at least in part on the basis of the sufficiency of water flow through said body.

50. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said thermal element is a solid state device operative for controlling power supplied to said heating device, said solid state device increasing in temperature as it supplies power to said heating device.

51. A control system as defined in claim 50, wherein said solid state device includes a device selected from the set consisting of TRIACs, SRCs, FETs, IGBTs, MOSFETs, JFETs and BJTs (bipolar junction transistors).

52. A control system as defined in claim 51, wherein said solid state device includes a TRIAC.

53. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating module controller is operative for detecting that there exists sufficient water flow through said body when said rate of temperature change is greater than said predetermined rate of temperature change.

54. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating module controller is operative for detecting that there exists insufficient water flow through said body when said rate of temperature change is less than said predetermined rate of temperature change.

55. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating module controller is in communication with a thermal sensor, said thermal sensor being operative for obtaining said temperature information associated to said thermal element.

56. A control system as defined in claim 55, wherein said thermal sensor is operative for providing to said heating module controller a signal indicative of temperature measurements of said thermal element.

57. A control system as defined in claim 56, wherein said heating module controller is operative for calculating a rate of temperature change of said thermal element on a basis of the temperature measurements received from said thermal sensor.

58. A control system as defined in claim 55, wherein said thermal sensor is operative for providing to said heating module controller a signal indicative of a rate of temperature change of said thermal element.

59. A control system as defined in claim 58, wherein said heating module controller is operative for deriving a measurement associated to the flow of water through said body on a basis of said rate of temperature change.

60. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said heating module controller is in communication with a database comprising a plurality of data entries, each data entry including a rate of temperature change and a measurement associated to the flow of water through said body, said processing unit being operative for comparing said rate of temperature change of said thermal element to the data entries in said database for obtaining a measurement of the flow of water within said body.

61. A control system as defined in claim 43, wherein said thermal element is a heater that increases in temperature when activated.