Liquid purification or separation – Flow – fluid pressure or material level – responsive – Float
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-05-01
Popovics, Robert (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Flow, fluid pressure or material level, responsive
Float
C210S130000, C210S131000, C210S167150, C210S242100, C210S776000, C137S578000, C137S101270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224753
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements made to water catchment devices (skimmers) at the surface of a basin, in particular to supply a water filtering system for the basin, and more specifically improvements made to devices of this type which are of a floating design.
The skimmers commonly used in conjunction with water basins such as swimming pools are maintained at a correct level relative to the water surface in the basin by attaching them, possibly adjustably, to a fixed element of the basin (for example a wall, ladder).
However, there is such a thing as a “free” skimmer, i.e. one which is not joined to a fixed element of the basin and which floats on the free surface of the water during normal operation. Since the skimmer is made from materials of a density higher than 1, on the one hand, and the body of the skimmer partially filled with water behaves like a hollow body on the other, it is the level of the water inside the body of the skimmer which determines the relative degree of rising and sinking vertical forces to which the skimmer is subjected and determines whether the skimmer is “buoyant” or “sinking” (or “skimming”).
More specifically, the water level inside the skimmer body varies, in particular depending on the suction rate of the pump and disruptions affecting the intake of water to the skimmer body (for example extensive clogging of the filter basket, jamming of the floating dish above the water level, etc.).
If an imbalance occurs in the flow of water across the skimmer and the rate at which water flows by gravity through its inlet into the skimmer body is reduced or even halted (by an obstruction at the inlet screen, for example) and becomes lower than the rate at which water is sucked in by the pump, the skimmer body empties and the pump fails.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the objective of the invention is to overcome this drawback and propose an improved design for a floating device of this type so that even if the water entering the skimmer body by gravity is reduced or interrupted, the pump can not shut down, the improved device nevertheless remaining simple in structure and made from parts which are easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and such that operation of the device will require no intervention to switch from one operating mode in a normal situation to another operating mode in an abnormal situation or in the event of deterioration.
To this end, the invention proposes a water catchment device which floats at the water surface of a basin, in particular to supply a water filtering system, comprising:
a floating support having a support base and
a skimmer arranged inside said floating support and retained on said base, this skimmer comprising:
a skimmer body provided with stop means designed to allow restricted vertical displacement thereof above the base,
the skimmer body having a base which has a central main orifice which can be connected to a pumping means and which has at least one auxiliary passage designed to be closed off by said base when the skimmer body is resting thereon and
a floating dish which sits at the top of the skimmer body and which is provided with an axial opening.
A device of this type overcomes the disadvantages outlined above and prevents the pump from shutting down:
a) when the device is functioning normally, the floating dish is maintained below the water level of the basin and takes in through its axial opening a lamellar flow of water which falls into the skimmer body before being drawn in through the main orifice under the action of the pumping means whilst the skimmer body, partially filled with water, is “skimming” and is held down against the base: the auxiliary passage provided in the base of the skimmer body is therefore closed off by the base;
b) during abnormal operation when the skimmer body has excessive buoyancy because it is not filling up with water, it becomes “buoyant” and raises the floating dish above the water level of the basin, cutting off the intake of water into the skimmer: the skimmer body will then rise above the base, releasing the auxiliary passage so that the water from the basin can penetrate the body via said auxiliary passage thus released and is drawn in through the central orifice by the pumping means.
In one particular embodiment, the base has an annular plate in which a connector linking the skimmer body to the pumping means loosely engages, a free space being left between said connector and the inner edge of the annular plate for the reflux of water from the basin when the device is operating under abnormal conditions. The base can then be provided with at least one member protruding radially from the periphery of the annular plate towards the interior to form a stop that will retain the skimmer body vertically; it is of practical use if the protruding member is an annular wing and the base is of a [ shape in cross section.
Advantageously, if the skimmer body is made from a low density material, such as a low density plastic, for example, the skimmer body may be provided with a ballast so that its density becomes substantially greater than 1.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3970556 (1976-07-01), Gore
patent: 4405458 (1983-09-01), McHugh, Jr.
patent: 4802592 (1989-02-01), Wessels
patent: 5133854 (1992-07-01), Horvath
patent: 5498348 (1996-03-01), Plink et al.
patent: 79928 (1963-05-01), None
patent: 79928 (1997-02-01), None
patent: WO 97/07298 (1997-02-01), None
French Preliminary Search Report of the priority French Patent Appplication FR 98 16447, dated Sep. 3, 1999.
Kilpatrick & Stockton
Popovics Robert
Russell Dean W.
Sevylor International
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