Electronic bypass system for a fluid treatment system

• US 8,356,628 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Culligan International Company
• Original Assignee: Culligan International Company
• Inventors: Quinn, Kerry, Connolly, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dinh Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Chee-Chong
• Application Number:
  US12/242,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20090084451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 251/249.5, 251/248, 251/251, 137/599.11, 137/599.15, 137/624.19, 137/597, 137253-254
• US Class Current: 137/599.11
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/04 using a motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87338 Flow passage with bypass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8737 Water treatment feature

Abstract

An electronic bypass system for a water softener having a raw water inlet and a bypass outlet, having a valve assembly associated with the water softener including at least one piston and a controller in communication with the at least one piston. The at least one piston is configured for automatically controlling water flow in a conduit between the raw water inlet and the bypass outlet in response to a signal sent from the controller.

Claims

1. An electronic bypass system for a water softener having a raw water inlet and a bypass outlet, comprising:

a valve assembly associated with the water softener including at least one piston;

a cam driving said piston;

a position feedback gear matingly engaged with said cam and including a plurality of slots, wherein said slots are separated into sets, each of said sets including a designated number of said slots and corresponding to a cycle of the water softener, said position feedback gear being configured to indicate a cycle of the water softener based on said sets;

a controller in communication with said at least one piston, said at least one piston configured for automatically controlling water flow in a conduit between the raw water inlet and the bypass outlet in response to a signal sent from said controller; and

said cam includes at least one peak and at least one valley that contact said at least one piston, said at least one peak and at least one valley projecting along an axis that is parallel to an axis of reciprocation of said at least one piston.

2. The electronic bypass system of claim 1, wherein said conduit between the raw water inlet and the bypass outlet is automatically opened when said at least one piston contacts said at least one valley, and said conduit is automatically closed when said at least one piston is at said at least one peak.

3. The electronic bypass system of claim 1, further including a motor connected to a motor drive gear being configured to drive said cam.

4. The electronic bypass system of claim 1, wherein said controller includes a remote display.

5. The electronic bypass system of claim 1, wherein said controller includes a wireless remote display.

6. The electronic bypass system of claim 1, wherein said controller includes a timer for setting a time period for automatically controlling water flow in said conduit at designated times.

7. An electronic bypass system for a water softener having a raw water inlet and a bypass outlet, comprising:

a valve assembly including a plurality of pistons;

a gearbox including a plurality of cams, each of said cams including at least one peak and at least one valley that contact a corresponding piston of said plurality of pistons;

at least one of said pistons configured for automatically opening said conduit between the raw water inlet and the bypass outlet when said piston is at said at least one valley, and closing said conduit when said piston is at said at least one peak;

a position feedback gear positioned adjacent to and matingly engaged with at least one of said plurality of cams, said position feedback gear including a plurality of slots that are separated into sets, each of said sets including a designated number of said slots and corresponding to one of several operational cycles of the water softener, said cycles including service, backwash and rinse, said position feedback gear being configured to indicate a cycle of the water softener based on said sets; and

a controller in communication with at least one of said pistons and configured for controlling a motor for activating said gearbox based on the position of said position feedback gear for moving said pistons from an operational cycle to a bypass condition which results in the automatic opening of said conduit; and

said cam includes at least one peak and at least one valley that contact said at least one piston, said at least one peak and at least one valley projecting along an axis that is parallel to an axis of reciprocation of said at least one piston.

8. The electronic bypass system of claim 7, wherein said conduit between the raw water inlet and the bypass outlet is automatically opened when said at least one piston contacts the at least one valley, and said conduit is automatically closed when said at least one piston contacts the peak.

9. The electronic bypass system of claim 7, further including a motor and at least one motor drive gear connected to said motor and configured to drive at least one of said cams.

10. The electronic bypass system of claim 7, further including a gear sensor in communication with said position feedback gear and configured for sending a signal to said controller.

11. The electronic bypass system of claim 10, wherein said position feedback gear includes a plurality of equally-spaced slots, wherein a designated number of said slots each correspond to a different cycle of the water softener, and said gear sensor is constructed and arranged for monitoring said slots.

12. The electronic bypass system of claim 7, wherein said controller includes a remote display.

13. The electronic bypass system of claim 12, wherein said remote display is a handheld device.

14. The electronic bypass system of claim 12, further including a timer in communication with said remote display and configured for automatically controlling water flow in said conduit at designated times.

15. The electronic bypass system of claim 7, wherein said controller includes a wireless remote display.

16. The electronic bypass system of claim 7, which includes a timer in communication with said controller and configured for automatically controlling water flow in said conduit at designated times.

17. An electronic bypass system for a water softener having a raw water inlet and a bypass outlet, comprising:

a plurality of pistons;

a plurality of cams, each of said cams contacting a corresponding one of said pistons and including at least one peak and at least one valley;

a position feedback gear matingly engaged with one of said cams and including a plurality of equally spaced slots separated into sets, each of said sets representing different operational cycles of the water softener, said operational cycles including service, backwash and rinse;

a gear sensor positioned adjacent to said position feedback gear and configured to generate a signal based on a position of said position feedback gear relative to said gear sensor;

at least one of said pistons configured for automatically opening a conduit between the raw water inlet and the bypass outlet when said piston is at said at least one valley, and closing said conduit when said piston is at said at least one peak; and

a controller in communication with at least one of said pistons and configured for controlling the softener by switching from an operational cycle to a bypass condition and automatic opening and closing of said conduit based on said signal generated by said gear sensor; and

said cam includes at least one peak and at least one valley that contact said at least one piston, said at least one peak and at least one valley projecting along an axis that is parallel to an axis of reciprocation of said at least one piston.