Abstract:
A floating pool chlorinator made of a chemical resistant material comprising a float assembly and basket assembly. Solid pool chemicals are dispersed at a selectively micro-variable rate by engaging the float assembly more or less into the basket assembly thereby exposing to a lesser or greater degree one or more vent holes in the side of the basket assembly. The float assembly is preferably hollow and permanently sealed and dimensioned to float the combined weight of the device and any chemicals placed inside the basket assembly. A child proof lock ring is provided to prevent unwanted exposure to caustic pool chemicals. Optionally, a drain and tether are individually present. The floating pool chlorinator floats in a pool and disperses selected solid pool chemicals dissolved in a pool or spa.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to chlorination devices to add chemicals to pools, and more particularly, to a floating pool chlorinator that has a micro-adjustable flow rate for accurate solid chemical dispersion in a pool or spa. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Several designs for pool chlorinators have been designed in the past. None of them, however, includes a floating pool chlorinator that have a simple and durable child resistant lock, a streamlined profile to avoid catching on skimmer drains, stairs or ladders, micro-adjustable metering, a low chemical indicator, a safety drain means, a permanently sealed float and made from a chemical resistant metal case. 
         [0005]    Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,103 issued to Kiefer. However, it differs from the present invention because the Kiefer device does not provide for a means to adjust the rate at which chemicals are dispersed into a pool, does not provide for a child resistant locking feature to prevent unwanted contact of chemicals upon a person, does not provide for a means to easily and effectively seal the device for transport or storage, does not provide a drain for safe removal from a pool and uses a less suitable buoyancy material that comes into direct contact with the caustic pool chemicals. 
         [0006]    Further distinguishing Kiefer from the present device is Kiefer&#39;s use of a tipping design to indicate that chemicals contained within the device have been sufficiently depleted. This feature can cause the Kiefer device to hang up or catch onto pool ladders or get caught into a pool skimmer drain thereby limiting the efficiency of the pool skimmer drain and potentially overworking the pool pump. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,805 issued to Connors discloses a floating pool chlorinator with a childproof cap but differs from the present invention in that Connors complicates the child protective by utilizing several series of beads that frictionally engage each other instead of the present device that utilizes a simpler threaded locking ring. The Connors device also does not include a means to determine the amount of chemical in the device to signal that it requires replenishing without removing the device from the pool. The Conner design also imparts upon his device the propensity to get caught on pool ladders, stairs and pool skimmer drains whereas the present invention is designed with streamlined vertical edges that allow it to float past obstructions in a pool. 
         [0008]    Other patents are known that each provide a pool chlorinator with many fallible parts, made from materials that fail to resist the caustic pool chemicals, don&#39;t have adequate or simple child-proof features, don&#39;t adequately drain when removed from a pool causing safety concerns of inadvertent human contact with pool chemicals and don&#39;t simply and effectively provide a metering device that is easily adjustable for various conditions and is suitably robust for the pool environment. 
         [0009]    Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a floating pool chlorinator with a minimal number of parts but yet includes a childproof safety feature, safety drain feature, adjustable chemical dispersion rate with a low chemical indicator. 
         [0011]    It is another object of this invention to provide a floating pool chlorinator that will not hang up on pool ladders, stairs or pool skimmer drain when floating around a pool. 
         [0012]    It is still another object of the present invention to provide a highly robust and long lasting floating pool chlorinator. 
         [0013]    It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness. 
         [0014]    Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  represents a perspective view of the device with a float assembly separated from a basket assembly. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the device with a lock ring unengaged. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the device with the lock ring engaged as it might be in actual use. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a representation of a perspective view of the float assembly isolated from the basket assembly. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the lock ring isolated from the other elements of the device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral  10  (sometimes referred to as the device) as shown in  FIG. 1 , it can be observed that it basically includes a float assembly  20  and a basket assembly  40 . 
         [0022]    Said float assembly  20  is shown to be comprised of, inter alia, a cylinder  22 , a cap  24 , threads  26 , a lock ring  28 , a cap  30  and a tether  38 . 
         [0023]    Said basket assembly  40  is shown to be comprised of, inter alia, a cylinder  42 , threads  44 , vents  46 , a drain  48 , a cap  50  and a seat  52 . 
         [0024]    Generally, the float assembly  20  is formed of a hollow cylinder  22  enclosed on a first end by cap  24  and enclosed on the opposite end with cap  30 . The float assembly  20  is completely sealed and watertight. I a preferred embodiment cap  24  and cap  30  are either permanently welded to or formed integral to the cylinder  22 . Ideally, the water displacement created by the volume bounded by the cylinder  22 , cap  24  and cap  30  is greater than that of the combined weight of all elements of the invention plus the weight of any chemicals placed inside the basket assembly  40  so that the entire device will float in water. 
         [0025]    On the exterior of cylinder  22  are male threads  26 . The threads  26  begin on the end of the cylinder  22  adjacent to cap  30  and continue along the cylinder  22  enough to be able to fully engage into threads  44  on the basket assembly  40  or so far as to fully obscure all of vents  46  on the basket assembly  40 . 
         [0026]    Yet referring to  FIG. 1 , said lock ring  28  is threaded and thread-able onto threads  26 . A tether  38  is optionally provided formed integral to cap  24 . Tether  38  provides a feature where a rope or chain may be connected to secure the device  10  to another object such as a handrail or ladder frame pre-existing in the pool. The tether  38  safety feature could, for example, be used to keep the device  10  floating in the deeper end of a pool and away from swimmers in the shallower end of the pool. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3  where a materially similar device to that demonstrated in  FIG. 1  is shown.  FIG. 2  depicts the floating pool chlorinator as it is prepared for use. A predetermined amount of solid pool chemicals have been placed inside the basket assembly  40 . The float assembly  20  has threads  26  engaged into threads  44  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) to the point where a predetermined depth to obscure or cover a portion of the vents  46 . By obscuring more or less of vents  46  with threads  26  the exposure of pool chemicals dissolved inside the basket assembly  40  with the pool may be varied. For example, if the floating pool chlorinator was to be used in small pool or hot tub it would be preferable to obscure two vents  46  and leave one vent  46  open to permit limited communication of dissolved chemicals inside the basket assembly  40  with the pool. Conversely, for example, if used in a larger pool it may be preferable to increase the amount of chemicals dispersed into the pool by not covering any of the vents  46  with the threads  26 . 
         [0028]    As would be appreciated by one reasonably skilled in the art, the vents  46  could take myriad forms that would permit fluid communication between the pool and dissolved chemicals inside the basket assembly  40 . For example, there could be one or more round, oval, rectangular or other shaped vent. 
         [0029]    Also as would be appreciated by one reasonably skilled in the art, it would be recognized that threads  26  could alternatively be female where threads  44  on the basket assembly would then be male and the lock ring  28  would then engage threads  44 . 
         [0030]    Once the float assembly  20  is engaged into the threads  44  of the basket assembly, as the example in  FIG. 3  shows, the lock ring  28  may be threaded along threads  26  to rest against seat  52 . When lock ring  28  is firmly pressed against seat  52  the movement of threads  26  relative to threads  44  is inhibited and therefore the surface area exposed of vents  46  will remain fixed. Due to the diameter of the lock ring  28  and the force with which the lock ring  28  is pressing against seat  52  a person with less hand strength and smaller hands would be impeded from separating the float assembly  20  from the basket assembly  40 . This child proof feature reduces the risk of unwanted human exposure of any chemicals contained inside the basket assembly  40 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 4  an embodiment of the float assembly  20  is shown to further include a ring  32  around the circumference of the cylinder  22 . When the floating pool chlorinator is in use floating in a pool the chemicals contained in the basket assembly  40  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) will act as a ballast and keep the float assembly  20  positioned vertically over the basket assembly  40 . As the pool chemicals dissolve and are dispersed into the pool water the net weight of the device and remaining chemicals will be less and therefore more of the float assembly  20  will be exposed above the surface of the pool. The ring  32  is positioned on the float assembly  20  so that when a predetermined amount of chemicals is dispersed from the basket assembly  40  the ring  32  will be exposed slightly above the surface of the pool indicating that the basket assembly  40  should be re-filled with pool chemicals. 
         [0032]      FIG. 5  is a more detailed view of the lock ring  28  shown isolated from the other elements of the device and including, inter alia, a grip  34  and threads  36 . Said grip  34  may be positioned on the outside edge of the lock ring  28 . Said grip  34  may take the form of knurling, indentations, dimples, grooves or other suitable gripping means commonly in use in the art. 
         [0033]    Said threads  36  are preferably complimentary in dimension to threads  26  on the float assembly  26 . As described above, the lock ring  28  functions to lock the float assembly  20  relative to the basket assembly  40 . Lock ring  28  is preferably constructed from the same material as the float assembly  20  to avoid corrosion or a galvanic reaction. 
         [0034]      FIG. 6  demonstrates an alternate embodiment of a basket assembly  60  that is comprised of, inter alia, a cylinder  62 , threads  64 , a drain  68 , a cap  70  and a seat  72 , each having analogous function to the similarly named element as described above in the discussion on  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 6  further is comprised of a port  66  and indicator marks  74  that differ from those shown in other embodiments. 
         [0035]    The port  66  is tear drop shaped with a larger end nearer the seat  72  and a pointed end nearer the cap  70 . The tear drop shape permits the dispersion rate of the device to be fine tuned for a specific volume pool. This avoids over or under treating a pool thereby increasing safety and waste of pool treatment chemicals. 
         [0036]    Indicator marks  74  provide a reference mark for how far to engage a float assembly such as the float assembly  20  shown in  FIG. 1  into the basket assembly  60  for a given volume pool. In the example shown in   FIG. 6  the reference marks could include “Spa”, “Small”, “Medium” and “Large”, referring to the volume of the pool. When assembling the device before deployment in a pool, the float assembly  20  is threaded into the basket assembly  60  to the point where the cap  30  matches up with the appropriate indicator mark  74 . This feature aids the user to easily determine the appropriate chemical dispersion rate for a particular pool. 
         [0037]      FIG. 7  shows an alternate version of a basket assembly  80  that includes, inter alia, a basket  82 , vents  84  and indicator marks  74 . The basket assembly  80  is preferably combined with a float assembly  20  such as that shown in  FIG. 1 . This basket assembly  80  primarily differs from the basket assembly  40  and basket assembly  60  (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6  respectively) due to the configuration and shape of the vents  84 . Vents  84  are oriented around the periphery around the top of the basket  82 . In the example shown in  FIG. 7  there are four equally spaced vents  84 . Each of the vents  84  is a trapezoid with the narrower side away from the open end of the basket assembly  80 . The trapezoidal shape of the vents  84  allows the chemical dispersion flow rate to be micro-adjustable to accommodate various volumes of pools or spas by finely tuning the open area on each vent  84 . 
         [0038]    Indicator marks  74  may be located adjacent to any or each of the vents  84  to aid a user in selecting the appropriate vent  84  size opening and thereby micro-adjusting the chemical dispersion rate appropriate for a particular pool or spa. 
         [0039]    It should be understood that any of the vents  46 , ports  66  or vents  84  may be present in various configurations and shapes. For example, they may be round, oval, rectangular, tear drop, trapezoidal or other shape. There also may be a single or multiple vents  46 , ports  66  or vents  84  as may be appropriate for various chemicals being dispersed or for various sized pools or spas. Each of the vents  46 , ports  66  or vents  84  shown in the figures are merely an example of alternate configurations. 
         [0040]    In any variation of the invention said drain  48 ,  68  may have a plug, valve or other closure means included to operatively open and close the drain  48 ,  68 . By closing the drain  48 ,  68  the accuracy of the micro-adjustable flow rate metering may be enhanced to finely calibrate the amount of chemical dispersed into a pool or spa. The drain  48 ,  68  may then be opened to drain any water contained inside the device when, for example, removing the device from a pool for replenishment of pool chemicals. In all variations of the device the presence of a drain on the case assembly  40 ,  60 ,  80  is optional. 
         [0041]    A variation of a floating pool chlorinator comprises a float assembly and a basket assembly where said float assembly has an interior volume and is permanently sealed, said basket assembly has an interior volume and is dimensioned to contain a predetermined volume of pool chemicals, said float assembly and said basket assembly being constructed of a corrosion resistant material, said basket assembly having one or more vents around the periphery of said basket assembly permitting liquid communication between the interior and exterior of the basket assembly when the floating pool chlorinator is floating in a pool or spa, said float assembly being sufficiently buoyant to float the combined mass of all elements of the floating pool chlorinator in addition to a predetermined mass of chemicals to be dispersed in a pool or spa, said float assembly removably connectable to said basket assembly by means of threads on the float assembly and basket assembly, said float assembly threadable into said basket assembly to varying degrees so that said vents are covered to a greater or lesser degree to provide a feature to meter the dispensation of chemicals contained in the basket assembly, a locking means that prevents the unintended separation of the float assembly from the basket assembly, and said basket assembly having a drain. 
         [0042]    In another variation the floating pool chlorinator is further characterized in that said corrosion resistant material is one of or a combination of any of stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloy, plastic, fiberglass or iron alloy. 
         [0043]    In another variation the floating pool chlorinator is further characterized in that a means to attach a tether is included on the float assembly or the basket assembly. 
         [0044]    In another variation the floating pool chlorinator as disclosed is further characterized in that said float assembly has a reference mark to indicate how deeply the floating pool chlorinator is submerged when floating in a pool or spa. 
         [0045]    The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.