Control system

• US 7,632,402 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: King Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: King Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey D., King, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRINCE JR, FREDDIE GARY
• Application Number:
  US12/079,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20080290039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 210/138, 210/143, 210/167.1, 210/167.11, 210/198.1, 210/206, 210/139, 210/140
• US Class Current: 210/167.11
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/505 by oligodynamic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/685 Devices for dosing the additives
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/688 Devices in which the water progressively dissolves a solid compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/44 Time
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1281 Devices for distributing chemical products in the water of swimming pools

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a water characteristic of a body of water by controlling the cyclic release of a water characteristic material into the body of water with or without the system being responsive to a level of the water characteristic in the body of water with the system capable of being controlled from a display or from a wireless control module or both.

Claims

1. A system for cyclical control of a water characteristic in a body of water without a sensor comprising:

a time-based cyclic controller responsive to a display, said cyclic controller having a fixed time period during which the cyclic controller repeatedly generates a duty cycle as a portion of a cyclic output signal having a first signal and a second signal with the first signal different than the second signal;

a display switch for an operator to manually set the duty cycle wherein said duty cycle is maintained until manually reset by the operator, said display switch comprising a manual operator control wherein the cyclic controller is integrated to a spa control system with the cyclic controller responsive to the manual operator control in a spa display pad; and

a valve responsive to the first signal and the second signal to periodically deliver a water characteristic affecting material into a body of water in response to the duty cycle to thereby either maintain or change the water characteristic of the body of water.

2. The system of claim 1 including an outlet and a dispenser for holding the water characteristic affecting material with the first signal opening the valve to allow water to flow through the water characteristic material and the second signal closing the valve to direct water into the body of water while preventing water from flowing through the water characteristic affecting material.

3. The system of claim 1 including a flow adjustable cartridge containing the water characteristic affecting material wherein the water characteristic affecting material comprises a pH adjuster and the display includes a viewing screen providing information on either a boost condition, a sanitizer condition or a mineral condition.

4. The system of claim 1 including a dispenser for holding the water characteristic affecting material with the first signal opening the dispenser to release the water characteristic affecting material into the body of water and the second signal closing the dispenser to prevent release of the water characteristic affecting material into the body of water wherein the display includes a viewing screen for showing a length of the duty cycle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes at least two control modules with one of the least two control modules mounted as part of a spa display and another of the at least two control modules in wireless communication with the system.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the valve is a solenoid valve that opens in response to the first signal and closes in response to the second signal and each of the control modules include a viewing screen.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the display includes an override for overriding the cyclic output signal to thereby dispense the water characteristic affecting material independent of the duty cycle of the system.

8. The system of claim 7 including a jet pump wherein the controller monitors the operating time of the jet pump to initiate a boost cycle when an operating time of the jet pump has exceeded a preset time.

9. The system of claim 1 including a flow adjustable dispenser having flow adjustable ports with the flow adjustable dispenser holding the water characteristic affecting material and the water characteristic affecting material comprises a halogen and the control of the release of the water characteristic affecting material is based solely on the cycling of the valve from an open condition to a closed condition.

10. The system of claim 1 including a control module incorporated as part of the display with a face of the display having a viewing screen proximate the display switch with the display switch operable to change a mode of the viewing screen, a power source for the cyclic controller and the body of water is in a spa.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a spa control system that includes at least two control modules with one of the least two control modules mounted as part of a spa display and another of the at least two control modules in wireless communication with the control system.

12. The spa control system of claim 11 wherein each of the at least two control modules each include a visual display and each of the control modules displays the same information.