Accelerated drain apparatus and method for walk-in bathtub
OwnerDaniel Oliverinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accelerated drain apparatus for a walk-in bathtub, in which a pump communicates water to a valve selectively in a first position to circulate the water through nozzles into the bath water therein and in a second position to a drain, with a controller configured for moving the valve selectively between the first and second positions, and during draining, stopping the pump in response to a signal from a water level sensor and after a predetermined period of gravity draining of residual water, moving the valve to the first position for subsequent filling and use of the walk-in bathtub.
Claims15
A water flow control system for walk-in bathtubs, comprising:
- a pump for receiving a supply of water through an inlet mounted in a wall of a walk-in bathtub that defines a cavity for holding the water;
- a valve for receiving water from the pump and selectively positioned in a first position and in a second position, the first position for communicating water to a manifold that communicates with a plurality of nozzles open to the cavity for circulating water within the walk-in bathtub and the second position for communicating water to a drain from the walk-in bathtub;
- a controller configured for moving the valve selectively between the first position and the second position;
- and
- a water level sensor mounted proximate a first edge of the inlet and communicating a signal to the controller representative of sensing water, the controller stopping operation of the pump upon detecting a low water level,
- whereby the pump being operated with the valve in the second position for draining water from the cavity, stops operating in response to the signal.
A water flow control system for walk-in bathtubs, comprising:
- a pump for receiving a supply of water through an inlet in a wall of a walk-in bathtub that communicates with basin for holding the water;
- a valve for receiving water from the pump and selectively positioned in a first position and in a second position, the first position for communicating the water to a manifold that communicates with a plurality of nozzles open to the basin for circulating water within the walk-in bathtub and the second position for communicating water to a drain for selectively discharging water from the basin of the walk-in bathtub;
- a controller configured for moving the valve selectively between the first position and the second position and configured for moving the valve from the second position to the first position after a predetermined period commencing upon initiation of operation of the pump after moving the valve from the first position to the second position;
- and
- a water level sensor mounted proximate a first edge of the inlet and communicating a signal to the controller representative of sensing water, the controller stopping operation of the pump upon detecting a low water level,
- whereby the pump being operated with the valve in the second position for draining water from the cavity, stops operating in response to the signal while water discharges through the drain from the basin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.