Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Tubs – Means for agitating or circulating water in a tub
Patent
1998-06-11
1999-11-02
Recla, Henry J.
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Tubs
Means for agitating or circulating water in a tub
417 441, 417 63, 362562, 116202, G05D 2300, A47K 300
Patent
active
059746025
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a remote control and indication system for an electric device in a sanitary environment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In our modern society electricity is used as a power source for almost all kinds of applications. In our daily lives we constantly come across electricity, often without even noticing it. The above is particularly true in our homes, in which electrical applications are well-known with respect to lighting and heating as well as operation of all kinds of electrical devices. It should be obvious to all of us, that the use of electrical power sources requires a certain amount of caution with regard to the risks connected to such use. For instance, shorted electrical lines may generate sparks or heat, which may lead to a fire. Furthermore, the human body is--as well as other living organisms--sensitive and vulnerable, if electric current is allowed to flow through it as a consequence of e.g. a short circuit or a ground fault. For this reason the use of electricity is surrounded by various laws, rules, and regulations.
In certain areas the risks of accidents are higher than usual. Such areas are e.g. production and distribution of electrical power, which involves very high voltages. This is true also for many industrial applications. A field most private people get into contact with is sanitary environments, such as bathrooms, steam saunas, laundry rooms, or other wet rooms. The increased risks of personal injuries or even deaths as a consequence of electrical accidents in such sanitary environments are due to the potentially dangerous combination of a substantially naked human body and the presence of water, which in some cases is a fairly good conductor of electric current.
An example of an electric mains-operated device in a sanitary environment is a pump motor, which is arranged to pump air-mixed water jets through jet outlets in a whirlpool or a bubble bath tub. Other examples are the steam generator in a steam sauna, various types of heating devices, etc.
According to present regulations for sanitary environments the different positions of switches, actuators or controls must be visibly indicated. In some cases such indication may be carried out by marking the different positions of e.g. a rotary switch by means of digits or letters. In other cases, e.g. when it comes to different kinds of push buttons or touch controls, indication must be carried out in another way, for example by means of a light emitting diode.
Hence, in the bubble bath tub example, it must be indicated to any person present, that a pump motor used in the actual application is operating. Such indication may be realised by turning on and off, respectively, a light source mounted e.g. on the edge of the bath tub in response to the pump motor being in operation or not. However, according to the existing regulations, it is not permitted to directly supply the indication light source mentioned above, which is within reach of a user of the bubble bath, with power from a mains voltage of e.g. 230 V, which is used by the pump motor. The reason for this is obvious; such a mains voltage could cause highly dangerous and even lethal currents in case of an electric fault such as a short circuit. Instead, the regulations state that devices, which are within reach of a bathing person, may only be connected to so called extra-low protection voltage of maximum 12V. Furthermore, the power source must be mounted in areas or zones allowed in the regulations.
For similar reasons the actuators or control means for controlling the pump motor operation may only be driven by a low voltage. Hence, it is previously known to arrange a down transforming means between a mains-operated heavy current source and the indication and control means. Such transforming means may be realised as a circuit board, comprising a transformer for 12V DC. However, such a solution requires components, which are both expensive and space-consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,789 discloses an electronic microcomputer-co
REFERENCES:
patent: 4844333 (1989-07-01), Davis et al.
patent: 4850536 (1989-07-01), Teranishi et al.
patent: 4861231 (1989-08-01), Howard
patent: 5491617 (1996-02-01), Currie
Nguyen Tuan
Recla Henry J.
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