Fluid handling – Freeze condition responsive safety systems – Stop and waste
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-09
2004-07-20
Walton, George L. (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Freeze condition responsive safety systems
Stop and waste
C137S078100, C137S080000, C137S624120, C137S624180, C137S434000, C239S069000, C239S070000, C239S075000, C261S039100, C261S043000, C261S070000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06763845
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Weather exposed, water utilizing devices such as evaporative coolers (e.g., “swamp coolers”), lawn sprinklers, agricultural watering systems and so forth are usually winterized through use of water valve shut-off and vacuum bleed-off systems. Such water utilizing devices may be directly or indirectly exposed to freezing conditions. For example, in the case of evaporative coolers, the coolers themselves, as well as the water piping (usually copper water pipes) leading to and from them, may reside in (or pass through) low temperature exposed areas such as unheated attics. Consequently, as fall and winter approach, all such cold temperature exposed water utilizing devices, and their associated water piping systems, must be fully drained before the first freeze of the year.
The procedures used to winterize these devices are normally manual in nature. They usually begin with manually shutting off a water supply valve on a water supply line that leads from a water source line to the water utilizing device. Another valve is then manually opened in order to drain any water contained in the water utilizing device (e.g., a reservoir of water in an evaporative cooler). Any water held in any water supply or drainage pipe (e.g., by the presence of a vacuum) also must be drained. To this end, water drainage and/or vacuum bleed off valves are placed at appropriate places in the water pipe system that service such water utilization devices. For example, vacuum bleed off valves are located at or near a high point in a water pipe system that services the water utilizing device. When such a valve is opened, any vacuum in a water pipe serviced by that valve is broken and thereby allowing gravity to drain the pipe into a low lying drainage line.
Use of these manually operated valves often creates certain inconveniences and/or hazards to humans. For example, because evaporation coolers are usually located on top of the building they serve (e.g., on top of a residence, commercial building, industrial building or farm building), they are often attended through use of high stepladders that create inconveniences and/or hazards. Next, it should be noted that, even though they may not require use of ladders, similar winterizing procedures are used in the context of lawn or agricultural sprinkler systems. Here again, the water supply is first manually shut off. Thereafter, a water drainage valve leading from the sprinkler device is opened. Any water held in any vacuum-containing pipes also must be drained. Manually operated air bleed off valves also may be employed for this purpose. In the alternative, some water utilizing devices and their associated piping system are winterized through use of blasts of air delivered to such systems by on-site, or portable air compressors. In either case, the use of such air compressors involves added labor and air compressor equipment costs. Thus there is a need for water freeze prevention devices that operate automatically, and especially those that operate automatically without any need for air compressor equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Applicant has invented an automatic water drainage/refill apparatus for use in conjunction with various kinds of cold weather exposed, water utilizing devices. For purposes of illustration only, applicant will use an evaporative cooler and a lawn sprinkler system as specific examples of such water utilizing devices. The automatic drainage/refill apparatus of this patent disclosure also may be hereinafter referred to as “water freeze prevention device(s)”. Nomenclature aside, applicant's water freeze prevention devices employ (1) at least three automatically operated valves that open or close as part of at least two distinct modes of operation, a draining mode and a filling mode, (2) a temperature setting device for selecting one or more temperatures whose attainment will invoke each of the least two modes of operation, (3) a temperature sensing device capable of detecting one or more temperatures that is (are) capable of invoking the at least two modes of operation, (4) an electrical power sending device such as a transformer that powers the automatically operated valves and (5) electrical circuitry for placing applicant's device in its two different modes of operation. Optionally, applicant's water freeze prevention devices may further comprise (6) a mounting board to which the above-noted components are physically mounted to create a unified water freeze prevention device that is especially well suited for attachment to water piping leading to and from an existing water utilization device, (7) water pipes leading to and from the valves, (8) water pipe connector devices (couples, threaded ends and the like) and (9) electrical connecting devices (e.g., an electrical plug) for connecting at least one component of the water freeze preventing device to a source of electrical power.
Preferably, the first valve further comprises an electrically driven valve actuator capable of moving said first valve back and forth between an open position and a closed position in order to fill or drain the water utilization device. Likewise, the second valve has its own separate and distinct electrically powered valve actuator for opening and closing said second valve in order to drain (or block drainage of) water from that portion of a first pipe located between the first valve and the water utilization device. Likewise, the third valve is provided with its own independently operable, electrically driven valve actuator that is capable of moving said third valve back and forth between an open position and a closed position in order to drain (or block drainage of) the water utilization device. These three valves can be operated simultaneously, or sequentially.
The at least two modes of operation of applicant's water freeze prevention device are respectively invoked by detection of one or more pre-selected temperatures. These pre-selected temperatures are preferably entered into a temperature setting device (such as a thermostat) by a human. In any case, detection of this (these) temperature(s) create(s) certain hereinafter described electrical signals and currents that ultimately operate the three valves according to which mode of operation is then being carried out (i.e., draining or filling the water utilizing device). The pre-selected temperature(s) is (are) transduced into electrical signals that operate the valves. In effect, these temperature generated signals are intended to anticipate certain sustained, seasonally expected, temperature conditions. However, in the event that the sustained, seasonally expected, temperature conditions prove to be “unsustained”, the hereindisclosed device can readily cycle back and forth between the two modes of operation until the expected weather conditions become sustained.
In one particularly preferred embodiment of this invention, the temperature sensing device will be set (manually, electrically or mechanically) to detect a single temperature. Normally, such a single temperature (e.g., 40° F.) will be between about 35° F. and 55° F. The temperature sensing device is preferably constructed and/or programmed such that it will go into its water utilizing device filling mode at a temperature slightly above the single temperature (e.g., one to three ° F. above the single set temperature). For example, if the temperature tolerance is 1° F., and the set temperature is 40° F., then attainment of 41° F. will cause the water utilization device to be filled. Conversely, when the ambient temperature reaches the set temperature (or a lower temperature), the water freeze prevention device will go into its draining mode. Thus, in the above example, when a falling ambient temperature reaches the pre-selected 40° F. temperature (or a lower temperature), the water utilization device will be drained.
In another preferred embodiment of this invention, the temperature setting device will act upon two separate and distinct temperature settings that are respectively associated a water
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