Spa control system with improved flow monitoring
First Claim
1. A spa control system comprising:
- a vessel for holding water;
a heater for heating said water, the heater including a heating element;
a pump for circulating said water through said heater;
a solid-state temperature sensor positioned near the heating element of said heater for sensing temperature at a single location in a water flow path of the spa;
a microprocessor coupled to said heater, said pump, and said sensor for the purpose of controlling said heater and said pump based on the temperature measurements of said sensor, said microprocessor configured to control said heater to operate while the pump is de-energized, to control the pump to operate with the heater de-energized, and to control the pump to operate with the heater energized.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A spa control system that measures the flow of water through the heater and accurately reports water temperature in the spa using only one solid-state sensor in the heater. The rate of flow is determined by energizing the pump, with the heater still de-energized, and observing the rate in which the moving water cools the inside of the heater. If there is no circulation of water through the heater, the temperature of the sensor will continue to rise from the energy applied when the heater was briefly energized. This rise will be quite significant and a clear indication of a flow problem. If the flow is found to be adequate, the heater will be energized for a normal period of time. The sensor is now carefully monitored for a sudden increase in temperature, which would indicate loss of a normal flow of water.
36 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A spa control system comprising:
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a vessel for holding water; a heater for heating said water, the heater including a heating element; a pump for circulating said water through said heater; a solid-state temperature sensor positioned near the heating element of said heater for sensing temperature at a single location in a water flow path of the spa; a microprocessor coupled to said heater, said pump, and said sensor for the purpose of controlling said heater and said pump based on the temperature measurements of said sensor, said microprocessor configured to control said heater to operate while the pump is de-energized, to control the pump to operate with the heater de-energized, and to control the pump to operate with the heater energized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A spa control system for controlling operation of a spa including a vessel for holding water, a heater for heating the water and including a heater element, and a pump for circulating said water through the heater, the control system comprising:
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a solid-state temperature sensor positioned near the heating element of the heater for sensing temperature at a single location in a water flow path of the spa; and a microprocessor coupled to the heater, the pump, and said sensor for controlling the heater and the pump based on temperature measurements of said sensor at the single location, said microprocessor configured to control the heater to operate while the pump is de-energized, to control the pump to operate with the heater de-energized, and to control the pump to operate with the heater energized. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A spa control system for measuring a flow of water through the spa heater and accurately reporting water temperature in the spa vessel, by selective operation of the spa circulation pump and the spa heater and temperature measurements at a single location, the spa control system comprising:
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a solid-state sensor for sensing temperatures at a single location in the spa heater; a microprocessor connected to the solid-state sensor for receiving signals indicated of temperatures sensed by the solid-state sensor, the microprocessor further connected to the pump and the heater for selectively energizing and de-energizing the pump and the heater, said microprocessor configured to control the heater to operate while the pump is turned off, to control the pump to operate with the heater turned off, and to control the pump to operate with the heater turned on; the microprocessor configured for determining whether the solid-state sensor is in working condition by activating the heater for a brief period of time, with the circulation pump de-energized, and monitoring for an expected heat rise at the sensor; the microprocessor further configured to conduct a flow test in the event the sensor is determined to be in working condition, by energizing the pump with the heater de-energized, and observing a rate in which moving water cools an inside of the heater, and declaring a flow problem if a temperature sensed by the sensor continues to rise from energy applied when the heater was briefly energized during the sensor test; the microprocessor further configured, in the event the flow test indicates adequate water flow, to energize the heater and pump in normal operation to hold the water temperate at a set temperature, and to monitor the sensor for a sudden increase in temperature, indicating loss of a normal flow of water. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification