Level sensor and alarm
OwnerRonald E. Jacksoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An alarm system is disclosed for use with a water softener including a salt-brine tank containing a bed of salt. The alarm system includes a sensor situated in the salt-brine tank on the top of the bed of salt, an electronic circuit including an alarm, and an input for connecting the circuit to the sensor. The sensor is responsive to direct contact with the brine for operating the circuit to initiate the alarm in the event the top of the bed of salt drops below a preselected level or the brine rises above another preselected level.
Claims12
An alarm system for use with a water softener including a salt-brine tank containing a bed of salt comprising:
- a sensor situated in the salt-brine tank on the top of the bed of salt, an electronic circuit including an alarm, and an input for connecting the circuit to the sensor, the sensor including means responsive to direct contact with the brine for operating the circuit to initiate the alarm in the event the top of the bed of salt drops below a preselected level or the brine rises above another preselected level,
- wherein the sensor comprises a pair of conductors having a first end connected to the input of the circuit and a second end situated on the top of the bed of salt,
- wherein the sensor further comprises an attitude responsive witch means connected to the second end of the pair of conductors, and
- wherein the sensor further comprises buoyant means for causing the switch means to float at or near the surface of any brine rising above the top of the bed of salt.
An alarm system for use with a water softener including a salt-brine tank containing a bed of salt comprising:
- an electronic circuit including an alarm, and an input for connecting the circuit to a sensor comprising a pair of conductors having a first end connected to the input of the circuit and a second end situated in a salt-brine tank on the top of the bed of salt, the sensor including means responsive to direct contact with the brine for operating the circuit to initiated the alarm in the event the top of the bed of salt drops below a preselected level or the brine rises above another preselected level, and
- wherein the sensor further comprises a buoyant element including a gravitationally responsive switch situated such that the normal attitude of the buoyant element while floating causes the switch to operate thereby initiating the alarm.
An alarm system for use in a salt-brine tank of a water softener, the alarm system comprising:
- an alarm, means for sensing an abnormal condition inside the tank and supplying a signal to the alarm indicative of the abnormal condition, means for coupling the sensing means to the alarm, the coupling means including means for delaying initiation of the alarm for a predetermined period of time after the sensing means signals the abnormal condition, the sensing means including a sensor, situated in the tank on top of a bed of salt, the sensor including means responsive to direct contact with a brine solution inside the tank to generate the signal indicative of the abnormal condition and initiate the alarm in the event the top of the bed of salt drops below a preselected level or that the brine rises above another preselected level, the sensor including a buoyant element including a gravitationally responsive switch and means situated inside the buoyant element for orienting the buoyant element while floating such that the normal attitude of the buoyant element while floating causes the switch to operate thereby initiating the alarm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.