U.S. patent application number 11/787968 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-16 for filtering structure for swimming pool.
This patent application is currently assigned to Piscines Waterair S.A. and Procopi S.A.. Invention is credited to Pierre Baysse, Jacques Braun, Pierre Le Guillou.
Application Number | 20070187311 11/787968 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8867824 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070187311 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Braun; Jacques ; et
al. |
August 16, 2007 |
Filtering structure for swimming pool
Abstract
A filtering structure intended to be incorporated in a vertical
swimming pool wall has a filtering device and a pumping device with
the pumping device having an electrical part, including an electric
motor, and a hydraulic part equipped with a turbine. The filtering
structure has a suction port facing towards a nominally horizontal
access passageway partly submerged in water, and emerging towards a
nominally vertical tank arranged thereunder. The filtering
structure has a tank communicating with a nominally vertical
column, partly in the upper part of which is arranged the hydraulic
part. The electrical part is arranged above the level of the water
to be treated and is contained in the nominally horizontal access
passageway, while the hydraulic part is immersed in a volume of
filtered water.
Inventors: |
Braun; Jacques; (Seppois le
Bas, FR) ; Baysse; Pierre; (Seppois le Bas, FR)
; Le Guillou; Pierre; (Le Rheu, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles N.J. Ruggiero;OHLANDT, GREELEY, RUGGIERO & PERLE, L.L.P.
10th FLOOR
ONE LANDMARK SQUARE
STAMFORD
CT
06901-2682
US
|
Assignee: |
Piscines Waterair S.A. and Procopi
S.A.
|
Family ID: |
8867824 |
Appl. No.: |
11/787968 |
Filed: |
April 18, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10491177 |
Aug 13, 2004 |
|
|
|
PCT/FR02/03333 |
Sep 30, 2002 |
|
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|
11787968 |
Apr 18, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
210/167.1 ;
210/416.2; 4/490 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 35/0276 20130101;
B01D 35/26 20130101; E04H 4/1272 20130101; E04H 4/1218 20130101;
B01D 35/027 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
210/167.1 |
International
Class: |
C02F 1/00 20060101
C02F001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 1, 2001 |
FR |
01/12635 |
Claims
1. A filtering structure for filtering a liquid having a top
surface, the structure comprising: an electric motor disposed above
the top surface of the liquid; a turbine disposed below the top
surface of the liquid; a tank having a filtering device; and a
generally vertical column adjacent to said tank for receiving
filtered liquid from said tank, wherein said turbine is disposed in
the filtered liquid of said generally vertical column and is driven
by said electric motor so that the liquid is drawn through said
filtering device.
2. The filtering structure of claim 1, wherein said basin is a
swimming pool basin.
3. The filtering structure of claim 1, further comprising a
detachable cassette, said cassette including said electric part
therein.
4. A filtering structure for incorporating in the generally
vertical walls of a swimming pool basin, comprising means for
filtering and means for pumping, said means for pumping including
an electrical part and a hydraulic part equipped with a turbine,
said electrical part including an electric motor, said structure
comprising a suction port facing towards a generally horizontal
access passageway partly submerged in water, and emerging towards a
generally vertical tank arranged thereunder and wherein are
arranged said means for filtering, said vertical tank communicating
with a generally vertical-column, partly in an upper part of which
is arranged said hydraulic part of the means for pumping, and
wherein the electrical part of the means for pumping is disposed
above the level of the water to be treated, contained in said
generally horizontal access passageway while said hydraulic part of
the same means for pumping is submerged in a volume of filtered
water.
5. The filtering structure of claim 4, wherein said electric motor
is supported by a flange forming one portion of a upper side of
said generally horizontal access passageway.
6. The filtering structure of claim 4, wherein said electric motor
is in a vertical position, substantially normal to said hydraulic
part, and wherein said electric motor and said hydraulic part have
a transmission therebetween that is performed by way of a vertical
transmission shaft traversing the generally horizontal access
passageway.
7. The filtering structure of claim 6, further comprising a casing
arranged in the generally horizontal access passageway to protect
said transmission shaft.
8. The filtering structure of claim 4, wherein said electric motor
has an electrical component, which is disposed above the water, in
an upper part of said generally horizontal access passageway.
9. The filtering structure of claim 8, wherein said electrical
component is contained in a detachable cassette.
10. The filtering structure of claim 9, wherein said cassette can
encompass at least part of said electric motor.
11. The filtering structure of claim 9, wherein said cassette
accommodates electrical parts associated with a heating resistor
and/or an automatic water treatment device, and wherein said
heating resistor and/or automatic water treatment device are fitted
on said cassette and placed in contact with water in said generally
horizontal access passageway, said vertical tank and/or said
vertical column.
12. The filtering structure of claim 4, wherein said electric motor
is equipped with means for cooling comprising an open hydraulic
circuit.
13. The filtering structure of claim 4, wherein said hydraulic part
comprises an outlet connected via a backflow pipe to a backflow
inlet laterally offset on either side of a suction port according
to a desired hydraulicity to be conferred to the pool basin.
14. The filtering structure of claim 4, wherein said hydraulic part
comprises two outlets connected via backflow pipes to two backflow
inlets laterally offset on either side of a suction port, the
individual operation of one of the two outlets or the simultaneous
operations of two of said outlets permitting the selection of the
hydraulicity of the pool basin.
15. A filtering structure for filtering a liquid having a top
surface, the structure comprising: a pumping means having an
electrical part and a hydraulic part, said electrical part being
disposed above the surface of the liquid and said hydraulic part
being disposed below the surface of the liquid, wherein the
filtering structure is incorporated in a wall of a basin, wherein
the filtering structure is disposed near or is part of a generally
horizontal access passageway in said wall, wherein said electric
part is an electric motor, wherein said electric motor is in a
vertical position, substantially normal to said hydraulic part, and
wherein said electric motor and said hydraulic part have a
transmission therebetween that is performed by way of a vertical
transmission shaft traversing a generally horizontal access
passageway.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/491,177 filed Aug. 13, 2004 entitled
"Filtering Structure For Swimming Pool," now pending, which claims
priority of PCT International Application No. PCT/FR02/03333 filed
on Sep. 30, 2002, and French Application No. 01/12635 filed on Oct.
1, 2001. The aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated
herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention concerns the field of swimming pool
water filtration and, more particularly, relates to a filtering
structure designed to be incorporated in one of the generally
vertical walls of a swimming pool.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] A plurality of filtering devices of this type have to date
been proposed. They comprise mainly a portion immersed in the water
of the swimming pool, equipped with a suction port and a discharge
outlet for water once it has been filtered. They also comprise
filtering and pumping means located outside the pool basin, either
at a locality technically developed for this purpose at a more or
less considerable distance from the pool basin, or in a space such
as a casing, directly adjacent to the immersed portion.
[0006] The pumping and filtering means, such as, for example, sand
or cartridge filters or filtering bags, are interconnected by
connecting pipes, the said pumping and filtering means allowing the
passage of water through the connecting pipes. The unit is
furthermore connected to a suction port by way of suction pipes and
to a discharge outlet by way of backflow pipes.
[0007] The presence of these pipes, even if less important when the
filtering and pumping device is in the form of a casing, inevitably
brings about load losses diminishing the performance of the known
systems. These losses are generally compensated for by using
"oversized" pumping means, in particular with regard to the
electric motor. Moreover, in the prior art devices, the connecting
pipes often pass above the water level, resulting in priming
difficulties.
[0008] The use of oversized pumping means results of necessity in
increased production costs, but also in higher energy consumption
and therefore a higher electricity bill of the owner of a pool
equipped with such devices.
[0009] It is imperative that the pipe unit is perfectly watertight
in order to prevent leaks or the intake of air detrimental to the
proper functioning of the unit.
[0010] Furthermore, the devices whose pumping and electric control
means are arranged in an underground location adjacent to or remote
from the immersed portion, are subjected to flooding in case of
heavy rains, resulting inevitably in serious damage to the pumping
system or imposing considerable and costly work in order to carry
out gravitational drainage at the bottom of the technical
location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] It is the object of the invention to overcome the above
mentioned drawbacks.
[0012] For this purpose, the invention proposes a filtering
structure designed to be incorporated in one of the generally
vertical walls of a swimming pool, comprising filtering and pumping
means consisting of an electric part including in particular an
electric motor, and a hydraulic part, equipped with a turbine, the
said structure comprising a suction port facing towards a generally
horizontal access passageway submerged partly in the water and
emerging towards a generally vertical tank arranged thereunder and
wherein are arranged the filtering means, for example a filtering
bag, the said tank communicating with a generally vertical column,
partly in the upper part of which is arranged the hydraulic part of
the pumping means.
[0013] The main characteristic of this structure resides in the
fact that the electric part of the pumping means is disposed above
the level of water to be treated, contained in the generally
horizontal access passageway, while the hydraulic part is immersed
in the volume of filtered water.
[0014] The generally horizontal access passageway serves as what
the person skilled in the art denotes by the Anglicism "skimmer",
meaning that it treats the superficial layers of a liquid and
forming in effect an integral part of the tank interior.
[0015] With the filtering structure configured in this manner,
suction pipes are completely dispensed with and the backflow pipes
are limited or even done away with, the volume containing the
filtering means being in direct contact with the volume containing
the hydraulic part of the water pumping means.
[0016] The disposition in this manner puts a complete end to load
losses as a result of pipes such as those in the prior art and
allows the utilization of more economical and less energy-consuming
pumping means.
[0017] The positioning of the motor above the water level allows to
obviate water-tightness between electric and hydraulic pump parts
which are always difficult to realize and to maintain. Finally, the
fact that the motor is positioned in the upper portion of the
filtering structure rather than laterally makes the unit more
compact and easier to access.
[0018] Preferably, the motor is supported by a flange forming part
of the upper side of the generally horizontal access
passageway.
[0019] Also preferably, the electric motor is in a vertical
position, substantially normal to the hydraulic part of the pumping
means, the transmission between the said electric motor and the
said hydraulic part coming about with the aid of a generally
vertical transmission shaft traversing the generally horizontal
access passageway. This disposition allows in addition good
transmission of the torque and the motor speed to the hydraulic
part.
[0020] However, it is conceivable to place the motor in a
horizontal position. Its output shaft will then be normal to the
generally vertical transmission shaft controlling the hydraulic
part. The transmission of the motor movement comes about
conventionally in this case by way of bevel gears or ring and
pinion gearing.
[0021] A casing disposed in the access passageway protects the
transmission shaft between the electric motor and the hydraulic
part of the pumping means.
[0022] With a view to improve the safety of the invention even
more, the electric parts associated with the motor are arranged
above the water, in the upper part of the generally horizontal
access passageway.
[0023] As a matter of fact, these electric parts group together the
conventional electric controls of this equipment, i.e., in
particular, an on-off switch, a timer etc.
[0024] Their accessibility, particularly with regard to
maintenance, repair and winter storage, is made particularly easy
by the fact that the electric components are contained in a
detachable cassette. The latter may, by the way, be designed in a
manner so as to encompass at least part of the motor body. This
feature permits to further improve the compactness of the unit.
[0025] This cassette may thus readily be removed for placing it
into storage during winter or for repair by simply disconnecting
the said electric motor components, connected by way of fast
connections. Repairs may then be readily carried out on site or, if
necessary, in a workshop or at the factory.
[0026] The electric motor creates, by definition, a certain amount
of heat which needs to be dispersed, in most cases by means of
ventilators. Therefore, the presence of such ventilators is at the
origin of serious noise problems and increases the space taken up
by the motor. In order to overcome this problem, the electric motor
according to the invention is preferably equipped with cooling
means formed by an open circuit. This open circuit encompasses the
body of the electric motor, one of its end sections being immersed
in the water, contained in the access passageway while the opposite
end section is either submerged in the generally vertical column
equipped with pumping means, the circuit acting in that case in a
depressurizing manner, or in the backflow piping system arranged
downstream from the hydraulic part contained in the said column,
the circuit acting in that case in a pressurizing manner.
[0027] As a matter of fact, this circuit takes the form of a coil
of thermal conducting material, wherein the water circulates. A
system of this type has the added advantage of being able to
recover the calories of the electric motor in order to return them
to the pool basin, acting in effect like a secondary water heating
means.
[0028] In addition, it allows to reduce the height of the filtering
structure, permitting the aesthetic improvement of the said
structure once it has been set up.
[0029] Preferably, the hydraulic part of the pumping means
comprises an outlet connected by backflow pipes to a backflow
outlet laterally offset from on either side of the suction port
according to the hydraulicity desired for the pool.
[0030] According to another configuration this hydraulic part may
comprise two outlets connected by means of backflow pipes to two
backflow ports laterally offset on either side of the suction port.
Individual start-up of one of the outlets or of both at the same
time also permits to choose the hydraulicity of the pool.
[0031] In this manner the user may, at his/her convenience modify
the water flow in the pool and make the most of the shape of the
swimming pool in order to avoid stagnation zones where the water
would not be correctly turned over.
[0032] The invention will be better understood on the basis of the
more detailed specification with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a filtering
structure according to the invention.
[0034] FIG. 2 represents a side elevation thereof in longitudinal
section.
[0035] FIG. 3 represents a perspective rear view of the said
structure.
[0036] FIGS. 4 and 5 are views from the top, permitting to see in
more detail the constituent elements of the invention.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a close-up view showing in perspective the front
of the structure, side of the pool.
[0038] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the cooling device of the
motor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0039] The filtering structure (1) according to the invention is
incorporated in the generally vertical wall (2) of a swimming pool
and comprises a suction port (3) partly immersed in the water (4)
of the pool basin, the level of which is shown in FIG. 2 by an
uneven line. Referring to this figure, the filtering structure (1)
according to the invention also comprises filtering means and
pumping means (6). The pumping means (6) are composed of an
electric motor (7) associated with a hydraulic part (8) composed of
a flange (36) in which a turbine (37) is accommodated and intended
for immersion in the water in the course of a filtering cycle to
move it. The electric motor (7) drives the hydraulic part (8) by
means of a transmission shaft (9) on which the turbine (37) is
fixed. In the embodiment shown in particular in FIG. 2, the motor
(7) is in a vertical position and its output shaft (10) is coupled
to the transmission shaft (9).
[0040] The suction port (3) opens towards a generally horizontal
access passageway (12), likewise partly submerged in the water (4)
of the pool basin. This access passageway (12) is substantially
parallelepipedic and its lower side (12b) includes an aperture (34)
emerging towards a generally vertical tank (13).
[0041] This tank (13) comprises filtering means which are explained
in more detail in what follows in the description. It comprises in
the lower portion a lateral inlet (14) facing, via an inlet (35),
towards the lower portion of a generally vertical column (15). The
latter is oriented parallel to the tank (13). This column acts as
suction upstream from the hydraulic part (8) of the pumping
means.
[0042] According to a different embodiment, the flange (36) of the
hydraulic part may be molded into the body of the filtering
structure at the level of the upper portion of the column (5).
[0043] Two outlets are provided at the level of the hydraulic part
(8) making it possible to direct the water flow via two backflow
pipes (16a, 16b) towards two backflow inlets (17a, 17b), laterally
offset on either side of the suction port (3). During assembly, the
user may thus choose the inlet located on the right or the
left-hand side of the port (3) depending on the sense of rotation
one wishes the water flow in the pool to have. The user may also
choose to use both inlets (17a, 17b) at the same time in order to
bring about an "inverse hydraulicity", i.e. to direct the flow of
the backflow towards the bottom of the swimming pool wall opposite
the filtering structure so that the same flow comes back to the
surface towards the suction port (3).
[0044] The filtering structure such as it has been described above
permits to obviate, in comparison to the prior art configurations,
the suction and connection pipes between the tank (13) and the
column (15) and to limit the backflow pipes (16).
[0045] The electric motor (7) is disposed above the water level and
is supported by a flange (30) forming part of the upper side (12a)
of the generally horizontal access passageway (12) (see FIG.
2).
[0046] The transmission shaft (9), traversing, in effect, the
access passageway (12), is protected by a casing (18) disposed
between the upper (12a) and lower (12b) sides of the latter. This
casing (18) further allows to prohibit any water splashing towards
the motor (7).
[0047] The electric components (19) (see FIG. 1) associated with
the motor (7) are likewise installed above the water level in the
access passageway (12). These electric components are conveniently
positioned in a detachable cassette (20). FIG. 6 by the way shows
the filtering structure (1) with the cassette removed from it.
[0048] The cassette (20) is so adapted as to encompass in part the
casing of the motor (7) (see, in particular, FIG. 5), protruding
from it towards the top. It may, in addition, comprise in the upper
portion a fixed, hinged glass casing (23). This glass casing (23)
allows convenient access to certain electrical controls of the
motor (on-off switch, timer etc . . . ), protecting them against
possible water splashes.
[0049] According to a variation, not shown, the cassette (20)
further accommodates, at locations provided for that purpose, the
electrical parts associated with devices such as a heating resistor
and/or an automatic water treatment device, for example an
electrolyser, these devices being fixed in that case on the
cassette and brought into contact with the water in the access
passageway (12), the tank (13) and/or the column (15).
[0050] The fact that an electrolyser or a heating resistor may be
added to the cassette offers a real advantage compared with the
prior art. As a matter of fact, this configuration permits the
incorporation into the filtering structure of new technical devices
without being obliged to add supplementary elements such as pipes,
connections or equivalent means.
[0051] What is attained, therefore, is simplicity of installation
of new devices, the absence of load losses due to pipes and
connections and the elimination of the risk of leaks. In addition,
the maintenance of these optional devices may be performed without
having to work on the pipes owing, in particular, to the wide
dimensions of the suction column and the presence of the aperture
in the cassette.
[0052] A removable lid (24) protects the upper side of the access
passageway (12) and makes it possible for the user or a technician
to readily gain access to the filtering and pumping means.
[0053] This lid (24) has a front portion (25) proximal to the pool
basin and a rear or distal portion (26) granting access
respectively to the pumping and filtering means. The contact zones
of these two portions (25, 26) are formed in such a manner that the
removal of the front portion (25), protecting in effect the
electrical parts of the pumping means, depends on first removing
the rear portion (26) (see FIG. 3).
[0054] In fact, this configuration of the lid (24) is designed to
limit as much as possible the splashing of water which might occur.
Again with a view to safety, the front portion (25) furthermore
comprises a locking latch (27) (see FIG. 4), which can, for
example, only be released by means of a tool such as a
screwdriver.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 1, the lid (24) is aesthetically perfectly
integrated in the pool basin as well as in its immediate
environment. For that purpose it comprises an outer side whose
generally rectangular periphery has rounded-off edges and an
inclined plane (26a) connecting an elevated surface to copings (31)
arranged along the pool basin and to the tiling (32) surrounding
it.
[0056] The electric motor (7) comprises, as already mentioned,
cooling means, which may be realized by an open hydraulic circuit
(28) (see FIG. 7), taking the form of a coil (29, formed by a small
pipe made of thermal conductive material wound around the motor,
through which passes the water of the pool basin. For this purpose,
one of the end sections of the circuit "bubbles through" the access
passageway (12) while the other end section is situated in the
generally vertical column (15) in the part forming the suction
column. The open circuit acts in that case in a depressing
manner.
[0057] According to a different embodiment, not shown, the open
circuit may have an end section, immersed in the passageway (12)
and its opposite end section, disposed in the backflow pipes and
connections (16) downstream of the hydraulic part (8) of the
pumping means (6). The open circuit acts in that case in a
pressurizing manner.
[0058] The filtering means which are specially adapted to the
filtering structure (1) of the invention, take the form, for
example, of a disposable filtering element (not shown) comprising
an exterior bag with strong filtering power and an interior bag
with weak filtering power, the unit being topped by a generally
cylindrical hollow piece (5) flared in the upper section and
equipped at its upper end section with a flange cooperating with
the aperture (34) of the tank (13) (see FIG. 2).
[0059] Alternatively, it is also possible to use a sand filter or
one or more cartridge filters, known per se.
[0060] The aforegoing description should be considered as an
example only of implementing the invention, which is in no way
exhaustive of the latter. On the contrary, the invention includes
all variations in form and configuration available to the person
skilled in the art.
* * * * *