Controller system for pool and/or spa

• US 6,643,108 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Balboa Water Group LLC (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Balboa Instruments Incorporated (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cline, David J., Otto, Cindy
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Application Number:
  US10/066,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 361/45, 361/100, 361/58, 361/62, 361/64, 361/115
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0173 Means for preventing injuries
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0176 By stopping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/50 Control means thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5082 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/00 Bathing devices for special therapeutic or hygienic purposes A61H35/00 takes precedence; sprays acting on a body or body part not immersed in water A61H9/00; means for washing bed-ridden persons A61G7/0005; for sub aquatic intestinal cleaning A61M9/00; isolation chambers A61M21/0094; electric or magnetic baths, applying ionised fluids A61N1/44 ; heater for bath tubs F24H1/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/005 Electrical circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/0087 Therapeutic baths with agitated or circulated water
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/60 Components specifically designed for the therapeutic baths of groups A61H33/00 plumbing E03C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0263 High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board H05K1/0293 takes precedence

Abstract

A control system for a pool and spa. Main line voltage is provided through a single line voltage service and a single ground fault circuit interrupter circuit, facilitating a ground fault test and simplifying installation. The control system acts as a power distribution system for controlling the pool and spa equipment, with a circuit board assembly including individual fuse protection devices and switching circuits. A test algorithm is included, wherein the control system is disabled from normal operation if the GFCI test fails. The pool operator manually enters a water fill command, and the controller system automatically opens the fill valve for a predetermined time interval, and then automatically closes the valve. An emergency disconnect switch is mounted near the bathing area, connected by low voltage wiring to the controller system cabinet. The controller system senses the emergency switch closure and disconnects line voltage to the line voltage loads. The emergency switch closure also remotely induces a ground fault, tripping the GFCI. A sensing circuit allows the controller system to sense the presence of the emergency switch system, and issues a warning and prevents normal operation of the pool and spa system if not connected. A gas pressure sensor monitors the natural gas line, and the heater is disabled and a warning given under low pressure conditions. Abnormal filter backpressure triggers a warning when the filter needs service. A temperature sensor has parallel sensing elements in a common housing to provide separate sensing circuits.

Claims

1. A method for providing line voltage to a plurality of line loads for a bathing pool installation, comprising:

connecting a line voltage supply at a line voltage distribution panel to a ground fault circuit interrupter (GCFI), the line voltage having a sufficient power rating to supply power for said plurality of loads;

providing a pool control panel including a pool controller circuit assembly, the assembly including a circuit protection device and an electrical switching device for each of said plurality of line voltage loads, a wiring circuit to distribute line voltage through the respective circuit protection devices and circuit protection devices to line voltage load terminal connections at the controller circuit assembly, and an electronic controller coupled to each of the switching devices for actuating each of said switching devices;

providing a GFCI-protected line voltage connection between the GFCI and the controller circuit assembly; and

electrically connecting each of said plurality of line voltage loads to a corresponding terminal connection at said controller circuit assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the circuit protection devices include fuse protection devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the switching devices include switching relays.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the line voltage supply is a 240 VAC line voltage supply;

at least one of said line voltage loads is a 240 VAC load; and

at least one of the line voltage loads is a 120 VAC load.

5. A spa or pool control system with an emergency shutdown capability, comprising:

one or more electrically powered devices associated with operation of the spa or pool;

a controller system operatively connected to the one or more electrically powered devices for controlling the operation of said one or more devices;

a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) circuit;

a line voltage service connected to the controller system through the GFCI circuit, the GFCI circuit adapted to detect ground faults and interrupt the service upon detection of a ground fault;

a manually actuated low voltage emergency switch system mounted in the vicinity of the spa or pool, the switch system connected to the controller system and to a ground fault test circuit, the test circuit inducing a ground fault between line voltage and ground upon activation by the emergency switch system, thereby tripping the GFCI circuit.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the controller system includes a monitoring system for detecting the presence of the emergency switch system and taking a predetermined action in the event the emergency switch system is not detected.

7. The control system of claim 5 wherein the predetermined action includes interrupting line voltage to the devices.

8. The control system of claim 5 wherein the predetermined action includes generating an audible or visual warning signal indicating that the emergency switch system has not been detected.

9. The control system of claim 5 wherein the emergency switch system includes a normally open manually activated switch, and the monitoring system includes a resistive element connected in parallel with the switch, a circuit for providing a low voltage across the resistive element, and a voltage monitoring circuit for monitoring a voltage on the emergency switch system, wherein the control system is responsive to signals provided by the monitoring system to determined whether the emergency switch system is properly installed.

10. In a pool/spa service system including an electronic controller, the controller receiving electrical power from a line voltage powered circuit, and including a ground fault interrupt circuit (GFCI) for interrupting line voltage in the event of a detected ground fault, a method for checking for proper operation and installation of the GFCI, comprising:

inducing a ground fault between line voltage and ground to check operation of the GFCI;

monitoring line voltage to determine whether line voltage has been interrupted in response to the induced ground fault;

if interruption of line voltage does not occur, automatically taking a predetermined warning or corrective action.

11. The method of claim 10 further including generating a warning signal indicative of failure of the GFCI if interruption of line voltage does not occur in response to said inducing of said ground fault.

12. The method of claim 10 further including the step of storing test outcome indicating data in a nonvolatile memory in the event interruption of line voltage occurred in response to said inducing a ground fault, said stored data indicating successful completion of the GFCI test, said storing occurring prior to shutting down operation of the controller due to said interruption of line voltage.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

powering up the controller;

reading said nonvolatile memory to determine whether said test outcome indicating data is stored in said memory;

if said test outcome indicating data is stored in memory, operating the controller in a normal manner.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of inducing a ground fault includes closing a controller controlled switch to connect a resistive element from a line voltage conductor to earth ground.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of monitoring line voltage includes converting the line voltage to a low voltage waveform of similar periodicity as the line voltage, and monitoring the low voltage waveform to detect that the waveform has been interrupted.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein said taking said predetermined warning or corrective action includes:

providing a warning signal indicating that the GFCI is not properly connected or operational.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said taking said predetermined warning or corrective action includes preventing the system from operating normally.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said system includes at least one line voltage load controlled by the controller, and said preventing said system from operating normally includes preventing application of line voltage to the at least one line voltage load.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein said method is an algorithm automatically performed by the controller.

20. A method for operating an electronic pool/spa controller which has control of at least one line voltage load, and wherein the line voltage which powers the load also provides primary power for the electronic controller and is protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), the method comprising:

applying electrical power to the controller, the electrical power resulting from the line voltage;

checking a nonvolatile memory for information regarding prior successful GFCI testing;

if said information is stored in said memory, proceeding to normal controller operation;

if said information is not stored in said memory, conducting a GFCI test procedure, said procedure including inducing a ground fault, determining whether line voltage is interrupted within a predetermined time period after said inducing, if line voltage is interrupted, continuing operation of the controller through a short term auxiliary power supply in order to write to said nonvolatile electronic memory said information.