Control system

• US 20080290039A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D. Johnson, Joseph A. King
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D. Johnson, Joseph A. King
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey D., King, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,632,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/739
• 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 with or without feedback comprising:

a cyclic controller responsive to either a stand alone display or an integrated spa display, said cyclic controller repeatedly generating a cyclic output signal having a first signal and a second signal with the first signal different than the second signal; 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 first signal and the second signal to thereby either maintain or change the water characteristic of the body of water.

2. The system of claim 1 including 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 prevent water from flowing through the water characteristic affecting material.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the water characteristic affecting material comprises a pH adjuster.

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.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the cyclic controller is integrated to a spa control system with the cyclic controller responsive to operator controls in a spa display pad.

6. 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 control system.

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

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

9. The system of claim 1 including a flow adjustable dispenser 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 power source for the cyclic controller and the body of water is in a spa.

24. 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.

25. The spa control system of claim 24 wherein each of the at least two control modules each include a visual display and each of the control modules displays the same information.

11. A cyclical method of day-to-day control of a characteristic of a body of water comprising:

selecting a daily dispensing cycle;

selecting a portion of a daily dispensing cycle period that a dispenser is in a dispensing condition and a remaining portion of the dispensing cycle period the dispenser is in a second condition through a control module either integrated in the system controls or through a control module in wireless communication therewith; and

controlling the characteristic of the body of water by continually repeating the dispensing cycle to periodically release a water characteristic affecting material.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising control of a spa by including the step of directing water through a dispenser containing a water characteristic affecting material when the dispensing cycle period is in the open condition in response to a signal from one of least two control modules wherein at least one of the control modules is a wireless control module.

13. The method of claim 11 including the step of changing the portion of the dispensing cycle period in the open condition and correspondingly changing the remaining portion of dispensing cycle period in the second condition to thereby change an amount of dispensable material deliverable to the body of water over a duty cycle without changing the dispensing cycle period through either of at least two control modules wherein at least one is a wireless control module.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein selecting the dispensing cycle having a dispensing cycle period comprises selecting a spa dispensing cycle having a fixed dispensing cycle period and the step of changing the portion of the dispensing cycle in the open condition and correspondingly changing the remaining portion of cycle in the second condition is done on-the-go by a user.

15. The method of claim 11 the step of further changing a rate of dispensing the water characteristic affecting material from the dispenser by changing the flow through area on a flow area controllable dispenser located in the dispenser through either of at least two spa control modules wherein at least one is a wireless control module.

16. The method of claim 11 including the step of changing a rate of dispensing of the water characteristic affecting material from the dispenser by changing a port size in the dispenser.

17. The method of claim 11 including the step of directing the water from the dispenser through a swimming pool, a spa or hot tub.

18. The method of claim 11 including the step of monitoring a non-water characteristic and temporarily overriding the dispensing cycle to direct more flow through the water characteristic affecting material in response to the non-water characteristic through either of at least two control modules wherein at least one is a wireless control module.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of monitoring a non-water characteristic comprises monitoring an operational time of a jet pump and temporarily, overriding the dispensing cycle to direct more flow through the dispensable material in response to the operational time of the jet pump.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the second condition is a non-dispensing condition.

21. The method of maintaining a water characteristic in a body of water over a period of time comprising:

dispensing a water characteristic affecting material into the body of water; and

regularly interrupting the dispensing of the water characteristic affecting material into the body of water during the period of time to thereby maintain the water characteristic of the body of water by limiting when an amount of the water characteristic affecting material is dispensed into the body of water during the period of time; and

adjusting the dispensing through a control module either proximate or in wireless communication therewith.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the body of water is in a spa and the period of time is greater than a day.

23. The method of claim 22 including the step of suspending the regularly interrupting the dispensing of the water characteristic affecting material to accommodate extra use of the spa.