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US 2009/0211641 A1Published application
Distribution valve and method
OwnerDonald Tipotschinventor
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OwnerDonald Tipotschinventor
Estimating the term…
An improved distribution valve is provided that distributes water from a swimming pool pump to cleaning heads located along the inner surface of a swimming pool. The distribution valve includes a housing having a fluid inlet and a plurality of fluid outlet ports. The housing includes a lower section and a removable upper section. A gear reduction assembly located in the housing includes a gear reduction mechanism and impeller located near the inlet port and connected to a rotary input shaft of the gear reduction mechanism. A cam device engages a rotary output shaft of the gear reduction mechanism so as to rotate the cam device in response to rotation of the impeller. The cam device rotates under a pliable annular disc on the rotary output shaft and lifts and lowers portions of the annular disc to sequentially open and close fluid paths through the fluid outlet ports. The improved distribution valve may include a bypass chamber with a rotatable drum therein and a diffusion chamber in fluid communication with the fluid inlet. The drum wall includes a cutout. The drum is rotatable to fully or partially align the cutout with a bypass chamber inlet to permit water flow through the bypass chamber to help rotate the impeller. The impeller speed may be controlled by adjusting the water flow through the bypass chamber. The more water flow, the faster the impeller rotates. The drum is also rotatable to block the bypass chamber inlet to prevent water flow through the bypass chamber, in which case water from the diffusion chamber rotates the impeller. Impeller rotation will be at a slower speed due to the decreased water flow.
A distribution valve having a fluid inlet port and a plurality of fluid outlet ports, the distribution valve comprising:
A lower housing valve assembly adapted for sealable engagement with an upper housing section of a distribution valve having a gear reduction assembly and a fluid inlet port, the gear reduction assembly including a gear reduction mechanism and an impeller located in fluid communication with the fluid inlet port and connected to a rotary input shaft to drive the gear reduction mechanism, the lower housing valve assembly comprising:
A speed control assembly for a distribution valve having a housing with a gear reduction assembly therein, a fluid inlet port, and a plurality of fluid outlet ports, the gear reduction assembly including a gear reduction mechanism and an impeller located in fluid communication with the fluid inlet port and connected to a rotary input shaft to drive the gear reduction mechanism comprising:
The method of distributing water pumped from a swimming pool pump to a fluid inlet port of a distribution valve through a plurality of fluid outlet ports in the bottom of the distribution valve to cleaning heads disposed in a swimming pool, the method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.