Robotic valve
OwnerRichard Anthony Bishelinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nozzle apparatus in a distributed system controls the nozzle in the desired direction using a position-controlled motor and is controlled by a computer with pre-recorded or preset patterns. The apparatus may be a fountain apparatus, a sprinkler apparatus, or a pool apparatus where the nozzles of these apparatuses emit a pressurized liquid such as water. The position-controlled motor can be an inexpensive hobby servo, or an elaborate self-contained control system with a servomotor, and a computer commands the desired position of the motor with preset patterns. The preset patterns may have music along with control information of the nozzles, valves, lights, and pumps. An aesthetic water display is produced from the overall systems.
Claims19
A fountain system comprising:
- at least one nozzle;
- a liquid source;
- a position-controlled motor valve fluidly connected between the liquid source and at least one nozzle such that liquid flows from the liquid source, through the position-controlled motor valve, and then through at least one nozzle wherein the position-controlled motor valve comprises of a valve housing with motor mounts, a rotatable valve contained within said housing, said rotatable valve movable to any position from a fully opened position to a fully closed position, a valve stem connected to said rotatable valve and extending from said housing with a handle, and a position-controlled electromagnetic motor mounted to said motor mounts and having a rotatable output shaft connected to said handle of said valve stem, wherein said rotatable output shaft of said position-controlled motor shaft rotates said valve stem to any position from the fully opened position to the fully closed position;
- and,
- a portable computer configured to control the position-controlled motor valve to synchronize liquid flow from at least one nozzle with a choreographed program.
A fountain apparatus comprising:
- a position-controlled motor valve wherein the position-controlled motor valve comprises of a valve housing with motor mounts, a rotatable valve contained within said housing, said rotatable valve movable to any position from a fully opened position to a fully closed position, a valve stem connected to said rotatable valve and extending from said housing with a handle, and a position-controlled electromagnetic motor mounted to said motor mounts and having a rotatable output shaft connected to said handle of said valve stem, wherein said rotatable output shaft of said position-controlled motor shaft rotates said valve stem to any position from the fully opened position to the fully closed position;
- at least one nozzle;
- a pipe connected between the position-controlled motor valve and at least one nozzle such that a flow rate through the nozzle is controlled by the position-controlled motor valve;
- and
- a receiver electrically connected to said position-controlled motor valve and configured to receive one or more signals from a computer via a communication link, wherein the computer executes a choreographed control program to control the flow rate through at least one nozzle via said position-controlled motor valve.
A method of operating a plurality of fountain nozzles that emit pressurized water from a liquid source, the method comprising providing flow rate information from a computer to a position-controlled motor valve wherein the position-controlled motor valve comprises of a valve housing with motor mounts, a rotatable valve contained within said housing, said rotatable valve movable to any position from a fully opened position to a fully closed position, a valve stem connected to said rotatable valve and extending from said housing with a handle, and a position-controlled electromagnetic motor mounted to said motor mounts and having a rotatable output shaft connected to said handle of said valve stem, wherein said rotatable output shaft of said position-controlled motor shaft rotates said valve stem to any position from the fully opened position to the fully closed position,
- fluidly connected to the nozzles, thereby controlling the flow rate from the nozzles, wherein the flow rate information is choreographed to music stored on the computer.
A fountain system, comprising:
- at least one position-controlled motor valve wherein the position-controlled motor valve comprises of a valve housing with motor mounts, a rotatable valve contained within said housing, said rotatable valve movable to any position from a fully opened position to a fully closed position, a valve stem connected to said rotatable valve and extending from said housing with a handle, and a position-controlled electromagnetic motor mounted to said motor mounts and having a rotatable output shaft connected to said handle of said valve stem, wherein said rotatable output shaft of said position-controlled motor shaft rotates said valve stem to any position from the fully opened position to the fully closed position;
- and
- a control means for synchronizing flow of a pressurized liquid through said valve with a preset program.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.