US 7,182,090 B2Granted

System for cleaning components of a water retaining device, associated water retaining device, and water propulsion device for use therein

OwnerW. T. David Abbottinventor

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Abstract

A system for cleaning components of one or more water retaining devices (e.g., tubs) includes two pumps, a tank, one or more supply valves, a water retaining device, and control circuitry. The pumps control the flow of a concentrated cleaning agent and water to the tank. The tank stores the cleaning agent and water as a diluted cleaning solution at a desired pressure, and selectively dispenses the diluted solution to the tub(s) through appropriate piping. The supply valve(s) controls the flow of cleaning solution to components of the tub. The tub includes a water propulsion device (e.g., jet) configured to facilitate efficient cleaning of the propulsion device's various surfaces. The control circuitry controls the operation of the pumps and preferably the supply valve(s) in accordance with a predetermined cleaning procedure. The system may optionally include an outflow device to prevent premature evacuation of the cleaning solution from the tub's components.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An automated system for cleaning components of one or more water retaining devices, the system comprising:

a first pump for controlling a flow of a cleaning agent from a source of the cleaning agent;
a second pump for controlling a flow of water from a water source;
a tank, coupled to the first pump and the second pump, for receiving the water from the first pump and the cleaning agent from the second pump to produce a diluted solution, and selectively dispensing the diluted solution at a desired pressure;
a water retaining device that includes a plurality of components, the plurality of components including at least one water propulsion device, said water propulsion device including:
a cover that includes a recessed interior surface terminating in a base, the base defining at least one aperture around a periphery thereof and further defining a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof;
a body that includes a recessed interior surface that accommodates an exterior surface of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together in an inter-fitting relation, the body terminating in a base that defines a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof and substantially aligned with the water supply aperture in the base of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together, the base of the body further defining an inlet aperture to facilitate a flow of the diluted solution to surfaces of the cover and the body and to the at least one aperture in the periphery of the base of the cover to facilitate cleaning of at least the interior and exterior surfaces of the cover and the interior surface of the body;
and
an inlet connected to an exterior surface of the base of the body, the inlet defining an aperture to facilitate the flow of the diluted solution to the inlet aperture in the base of the body, the inlet being positioned such that the aperture of the inlet substantially aligns with the inlet aperture of the base of the body;
at least one supply valve, coupled between the tank and the water retaining device, for controlling a flow of the diluted solution to the water retaining device;
and
control circuitry that controls operation of at least the first pump and the second pump in accordance with a procedure for cleaning the plurality of components of the water retaining device.

8 more elements

A system for cleaning components of a water retaining device, the system comprising:

a pump for controlling a flow of cleaning solution from a source of the cleaning solution;
a tank, coupled to the pump, for receiving, storing, and selectively dispensing the cleaning solution at a desired system pressure;
a water retaining device that includes a plurality of components, the plurality of components including at least one water propulsion device, said water propulsion device including:
a cover that includes a recessed interior surface terminating in a base, the base defining at least one aperture around a periphery thereof and further defining a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof;
a body that includes a recessed interior surface that accommodates an exterior surface of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together in an inter-fitting relation, the body terminating in a base that defines a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof and substantially aligned with the water supply aperture in the base of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together, the base of the body further defining an inlet aperture to facilitate a flow of the cleaning solution to surfaces of the cover and the body and to the at least one aperture in the periphery of the base of the cover to facilitate cleaning of at least the interior and exterior surfaces of the cover and the interior surface of the body;
and
an inlet connected to an exterior surface of the base of the body, the inlet defining an aperture to facilitate the flow of the cleaning solution to the inlet aperture in the base of the body, the inlet being positioned such that the aperture of the inlet substantially aligns with the inlet aperture of the base of the body;
at least one supply valve, coupled between the tank and the water retaining device, for controlling a flow of the cleaning solution to the water retaining device;
and
control circuitry that controls operation of at least the pump and the supply valve in accordance with a procedure for cleaning the plurality of components of the water retaining device.

7 more elements

A system for cleaning multiple water retaining devices, the system comprising:

a first pump for controlling a flow of a cleaning agent from a source of the cleaning agent;
a second pump for controlling a flow of water from a water source;
a tank, coupled to the first pump and the second pump, for receiving the water from the first pump and the cleaning agent from the second pump to produce a diluted solution, and selectively dispensing the diluted solution at a desired pressure;
a plurality of water retaining devices, each of the plurality of water retaining devices including a plurality of components, the plurality of components including at least one water propulsion device, said water propulsion device including:
a cover that includes a recessed interior surface terminating in a base, the base defining at least one aperture around a periphery thereof and further defining a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof;
a body that includes a recessed interior surface that accommodates an exterior surface of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together in an inter-fitting relation, the body terminating in a base that defines a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof and substantially aligned with the water supply aperture in the base of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together, the base of the body further defining an inlet aperture to facilitate a flow of the diluted solution to surfaces of the cover and the body and to the at least one aperture in the periphery of the base of the cover to facilitate cleaning of at least the interior and exterior surfaces of the cover and the interior surface of the body;
and
an inlet connected to an exterior surface of the base of the body, the inlet defining an aperture to facilitate the flow of the diluted solution to the inlet aperture in the base of the body, the inlet being positioned such that the aperture of the inlet substantially aligns with the inlet aperture of the base of the body;
a plurality of supply valves coupled between the tank and the plurality of water retaining devices for controlling a flow of the diluted solution to the plurality of water retaining devices;
and
control circuitry that controls the operation of at least the first pump and the second pump in accordance with a procedure for cleaning the plurality of water retaining devices.

8 more elements

A water retaining device that includes components requiring occasional cleaning, the water retaining device comprising:

at least one supply valve that controls a flow of cleaning solution from a remote source of the cleaning solution to the components of the water retaining device;
at least one outflow valve, coupled to a suction output of the water retaining device, for controlling a flow of the cleaning solution out of the components of the water retaining device, wherein the at least one outflow valve controls the flow of cleaning solution out of the components of the water retaining device at a rate that is slower than a rate at which the at least one supply valve controls the flow of cleaning solution to the components of the water retaining device;
and
at least one water propulsion device coupled to the at least one supply valve, the water propulsion device including:
a cover that includes a recessed interior surface terminating in a base, the base defining at least one aperture around a periphery thereof and further defining a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof;
a body that includes a recessed interior surface that accommodates an exterior surface of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together in an inter-fitting relation, the body terminating in a base that defines a water supply aperture positioned in a central portion thereof and substantially aligned with the water supply aperture in the base of the cover when the body and the cover are mated together, the base of the body further defining an inlet aperture to facilitate a flow of the cleaning solution to surfaces of the cover and the body and to the at least one aperture in the periphery of the base of the cover to facilitate cleaning of at least the interior and exterior surfaces of the cover and the interior surface of the body;
and
an inlet connected to an exterior surface of the base of the body, the inlet defining an aperture to facilitate the flow of the cleaning solution to the inlet aperture in the base of the body, the inlet being positioned such that the aperture of the inlet substantially aligns with the inlet aperture of the base of the body.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/873,093Filed 21 Jun 2004 · continuation in part
Priority: 10 Mar 2004
Published: US 2005/0199274 A115 Sep 2005
Granted: 27 Feb 2007
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

E04H 4/12
Swimming or splash baths or pools: devices or arrangements for circulating water , i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or…
A61H 33/02
Bathing devices for special therapeutic or hygienic purposes: bathing devices for use with gas-containing liquid, or liquid in which gas is led or…
A61H 33/60
Bathing devices for special therapeutic or hygienic purposes: components specifically designed for the therapeutic baths of groups A61H33/00
A61H 33/6021
Inlet to the bath: nozzles

Family

Application10/798,582Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Mar 2004
US 2005/0199275 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Sep 2005
US 2005/0199274 A1Published application
US 7,182,090 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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