US 5,289,846 AGranted

Automatic liquid replenishing system

OwnerTariq J. Elias, Hani E. Chikainventors

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Abstract

An automatic water replenishing system is designed for use with multiple dye vats used for tinting eyeglass lenses, but the broad principles of the invention could apply to other systems used for replenishing individual ones of plural vats or reservoirs with water or some other liquid. A rotary water distributor rotates about an arc when it is signaled by water level sensors that the water in a particular vat is low. As the rotary distributor reaches the low reservoir, the LED carried by the distributor actuates a photo transistor adjacent the particular reservoir that needs replenishing, causing the motor to stop and the water supply solenoid valve to be actuated, filling the reservoir until a brief period of time after the level sensor indicates a full condition to the central control system.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An automatic liquid replenishing system for distributing liquid on demand to any one reservoir of an array of reservoirs as needed such that the liquid level in each of said reservoirs is maintained despite evaporation and spillage, comprising:

(a) a source of liquid;
(b) a supply valve and a liquid distributor connected to said source through said supply valve, said distributor including a common filler pipe which is physically movable to selectively communicate with any one of said reservoirs to selectively deliver liquid to same;
(c) frame means maintaining said reservoirs and liquid distributor in a substantially stable and fixed predetermined configuration such that at least a portion of each reservoir is disposed in a common predetermined path and said filler pipe is movable along said path to selectively introduce liquid into selected ones of said reservoirs;
(d) motive means for moving said distributor with said filler pipe along said path into said selective communication with any one of said reservoirs;
and
(e) a liquid level sensor system operative to sense the individual liquid level in each of said reservoirs, said sensor system being operatively connected to said motive means to cause said motive means to move said distributor and said filler pipe along said part into fluid communication with a selective one of said at least a portion of of said reservoirs for introducing liquid therein when said liquid level has fallen below a predetermined level.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.