Electronically controlled valve actuator in a plumbed water line within a water conditioning management system

• US 7,954,508 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: KBK Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Doyle, Kevin, Schulte, Keith, Johnson, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle; Stephen M
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCALISTER, WILLIAM M
• Application Number:
  US11/515,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20070205232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 137/487.5, 137/553, 137/554, 137872-876
• US Class Current: 137/487.5
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/686 Devices for dosing liquid additives
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/006 comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/03 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87788 With valve or movable deflector at junction

Abstract

An electronically controlled actuator in a plumbed water line within a water conditioning management system, having an at least one valve with a valve stem in a plumbed water line within the water conditioning management system, an at least one actuator, an at least one actuator housing, an at least one electronic controller in communication with the actuator, an at least one shaft coupled to the actuator and said valve; an at least one shaft encoding device; and an at least one user interface with multiple indicator elements indicating the position of valve.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled actuator and at least one valve in a plumbed water line within a water conditioning management system, comprising:

an at least one valve having at least two operating positions besides closed or off with a valve stem in a plumbed water line within the water conditioning management system wherein the valve has an at least one water input and at least two water outputs;

an at least one actuator;

an at least one actuator housing;

an at least one electronic controller in communication with the actuator wherein said controller activates the actuator to turn the electronically controlled actuator within the plumbed water line within the water conditioning management system, and thereby the valve, based on an input from an at least one control input from the water conditioning management system to one of the at least two operating positions to incrementally redirect water in the water conditioning management system between at least a first of the at least two water outputs and a second of the at least two water outputs, where the redirected water is conditioned by the water conditioning management system;

an at least one shaft coupled to the actuator and said valve;

an at least one shaft encoding device; and

an at least one user interface with multiple indicator elements indicating the position of the valve and any incremental changes of this position, there being programmed at least two set points defining a safe area for operation of the valve and an opposite restricted zone as indicated by the indicator elements and including a warning indicator as part of the at least one user interface, the warning indicator indicating the attempt at passage of the valve during operation of the actuator to move through one of the at least two set points defining the safe area and into the restricted zone, the further passage outside the safe area through either of the at least two set points and into the restricted zone requiring activation of an override input which must be pressed to move the actuator and thereby the valve.

2. The electronically controlled actuator in a plumbed water line of claim 1, wherein the multiple indicator elements indicating the position of the valve are LEDs.

3. The electronically controlled actuator in a plumbed water line of claim 2, wherein the LEDs are arranged in a circle and triggered to light upon the passing of the valve through a designated position.

4. The electronically controlled actuator in a plumbed water line of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface further comprises an at least one manual input for adjusting the at least one valve.

5. The electronically controlled actuator in a plumbed water line of claim 4, wherein the at least one manual input further comprises two manual inputs one associated with manual clockwise and the other associated with manual counterclockwise operation of the valve.

6. The electronically controlled actuator in a plumbed water line of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface further comprises an at least one set point indicator.

7. The electronically controlled actuator in a plumbed water line of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a first housing component, a second housing component and a chassis, the first housing component being coupled to the second housing component and the chassis being held therebetween, the housing further containing the controller and the actuator and being releasably sealed and watertight.