Abstract:
A buoyant dispensing device for dispensing a material into a body of water. An inner receptacle contains the material and has apertures to permit the material to escape therefrom. A housing having an outer receptacle houses the inner receptacle therein and has corresponding apertures. The inner and outer receptacles are rotatable and fixable with respect to one another to enable a varying degree of overlap between the apertures to control the amount of material dispensed therethrough. Vanes circumscribe the receptacles and corresponding spokes and guard rings interconnect the receptacles and the vanes and keep the receptacles spaced a predetermined distance from other objects. The vanes absorb an impulse force from the body of water and impart the impulse force to the receptacles in the form of a rotational reaction force whereby the dispensing device rotationally and linearly displaces itself within the body of water.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not applicable.  
         FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not applicable.  
         REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0005]    The present invention generally relates to floating or buoyant dispensing devices. More specifically, this invention relates to a buoyant chlorine dispenser for controlled dispensing of chlorine into a swimming pool, wherein the dispenser is specifically designed to avoid interfering with a skimmer device of the swimming pool.  
           [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0007]    Buoyant chlorine dispensers for chlorinating swimming pools are well known. Typically, such dispensers are essentially hollow floating receptacles  20  and  36  that store a supply of chlorine in crystal or tablet form therein. The receptacles  20  and  36  enable discharge of metered amounts of chlorine through small apertures in the receptacle. Generally, such dispensers float near the surface of the water in the swimming pool and move across the swimming pool in accordance with the flow of the water therein or in response to wind acting thereupon. Unfortunately, however, such dispensers often get swept into the immediate vicinity of swimming pool skimmers.  
           [0008]    Swimming pool skimmers are typically built-in to a swimming pool and are located near or at the water&#39;s surface. A typical swimming pool includes a recirculating pump that pulls deep water through drains located in the bottom of the pool and that pulls surface water through the skimmer. To cause surface water to move from the rest of the swimming pool into the skimmer, a significant stream or flow of surface water must be pulled to and through the skimmer.  
           [0009]    This flow of surface water tends to pull a free-floating chlorine dispenser into the immediate vicinity of the skimmer and entrap it there in place, thereby leading to several problems. Firstly, typical floating chlorine dispensers tend to inhibit or block the flow of surface water through the skimmer, thereby causing the recirculating pump to cavitate or at least to be impaired or operate inefficiently. Secondly, this flow of surface water can unnecessarily accelerate the dispensing of the chlorine from the dispenser by constant agitation of water passing through the dispenser on its way to the skimmer. Thirdly, chlorine receptacles  20  and  36  of typical free-floating dispensers periodically bump into the side of the pool and cause immediate and direct contact of chlorine therewith, thereby staining or fading the sides of the pool. The following prior art patents are illustrative of these typical free-floating dispensers: U.S. Pat. No. 2,934,409 to Biehl; U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,536 to Christensen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,979 to Clinton; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,551 to Powell.  
           [0010]    From the above, it can be appreciated that the free-floating chlorine dispensers of the prior art are not fully optimized and are susceptible to impeding the flow of surface water into a skimmer of a swimming pool. Therefore, what is needed is a free-floating chlorine dispenser for a swimming pool that does not impede the flow of surface water to a skimmer, is not susceptible to accelerated dissolution of chlorine therefrom, and maintains a receptacle a predetermined distance from the sides of a swimming pool.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a unique dispensing device for use in a body of fluid. The dispensing device includes inner and outer receptacle members for containing a medium therein and for dispensing the medium into the body of fluid. Reaction members are provided to absorb an input force from the body of fluid, wherein offset members connect the receptacle members to the reaction members and thereby space the reaction members from the receptacle members. In operation, the reaction members absorb the input force from the body of fluid and impart the input force to the receptacle members in the form of a rotational reaction force whereby the dispensing device is rotationally and linearly displaced within the body of fluid.  
           [0012]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device that will automatically displace itself out of the vicinity of a skimming device of a swimming pool by absorbing and converting an impulse force from the body of water to a rotational reaction force whereby the dispensing device rotates and translates.  
           [0013]    It is another object to provide a dispensing device that maintains the receptacle portion of the device a predetermined distance away from and out of contact with another object.  
           [0014]    It is a still another object to provide a dispensing device that permits easy adjustment of the receptacle portion of the device to selectively meter and release a medium housed therein.  
           [0015]    It is yet another object to provide a dispensing device having adjustable vane members thereon.  
           [0016]    These objects and other features, aspects, and advantages of this invention will be more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a partially broken away perspective view taken from the front of the dispensing device of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a top view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a top view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1 shown in a swimming pool in front of a skimmer; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1 shown in the swimming pool and shown sweeping away from the front of the skimmer. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]    Referring now in detail to the Figures, there is shown in FIG. 1 a dispensing device  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In general, the dispensing device  10  is used to release a dissolvable medium, such as chlorine, continuously and at an adjustably controlled rate into a body of fluid, such as a swimming pool, in which the dispensing device  10  is placed. The dispensing device  10  generally includes an inner receptacle  20  for holding a supply of media such as chlorine tablets  22 , a housing  24  surrounding the inner receptacle  20 , and a multitude of vanes  46 . The dispensing device  10  has a central longitudinal axis  28  that remains vertically upright when the dispensing device  10  is disposed within the swimming pool  12 .  
         [0022]    One or more of the above-mentioned components is composed of a buoyant material such as rigid foam that is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art of constructing buoyant devices. Preferably, any kind of polymeric material can be used that is either of open or closed-cell foam construction that entraps air or gas within the polymeric material for keeping the dispensing device  10  afloat in a body of fluid, preferably water in a swimming pool. Further, the components are preferably injection molded or blow-molded in the case of the inner receptacle  20 , but may be manufactured in accordance with any well-known method. Such material selection and manufacturing methods are well within the ordinary skill in the art and need not be discussed further herein.  
         [0023]    Still referring to FIG. 1, the inner receptacle  20  is shaped as a bottle-like cylindrical vessel having one open end  30  to which a lid  32  is removably attached by any well-known method such as threading or snap fitting. The lid  32  is removable to permit filling the inside of the inner receptacle  20  with the chlorine tablets  22 , and reattachable to close the inner receptacle  20 . The chlorine tablets  22  are preferably sized such that their outer diameter&#39;s closely match, but fit within, the inner diameter of the inner receptacle  20 , such that the chlorine tablets  22  form a stack. FIG. 1, however, shows alternative chlorine tablets  22  of smaller size that are commonly used in prior art chlorine dispensers. The inner receptacle  20  includes apertures  34  of any reasonable number, size, and shape, but preferably the apertures  34  are rectangular extending length-wise along the general longitudinal axis  28  of the dispensing device  10  and are sized in proportion to the chlorine tablets  22  such that the chlorine tablets  22  will not pass therethrough in whole.  
         [0024]    The inner receptacle  20  is surrounded and supported by a corresponding portion of the housing  24  referred to as an outer receptacle, such that the inner receptacle  20  is assembled into the outer receptacle. The outer receptacle is also cylindrically shaped, open ended, and includes apertures  38  therein that correspond to the apertures  34  of the inner receptacle  20 . The fit between the inner and outer receptacles  20  and  36  is snug, but loose enough to permit hand rotating the inner receptacle  20  relative to the outer receptacle  36  to adjust the overlap of the apertures  34  and  38 . The overlap of the apertures  34  and  38  is thereby adjustable to control the volume of fluid passing into and out of the apertures  34  and  38  to thus selectively control the amount of chlorine dispensed from the dispensing device  10 . A setscrew  40  locks the inner receptacle  20  with respect to the outer receptacle  36  wherein the setscrew  40  is screwed through the outer receptacle  36  and is jammed tightly upon the inner receptacle  20  so as to prevent relative movement therebetween. Such setscrew arrangements are very well known to those of ordinary skill in any mechanical art.  
         [0025]    The outer receptacle  36  provides a hub-like structure for the housing  24  wherein an upper and lower array of equally spaced spokes  42  extend integrally and radially outwardly therefrom. Each array of spokes  42  terminates in an integral guard ring  44  circumscribing the outer receptacle  36  and thus completes a wagon wheel like structure of the housing  24 . Accordingly, the spokes  42  provide a full circumferential standoff or offset between the receptacles  20  and  36  and the outer diameter of the housing  24  defined by the guard ring  44  to maintain the receptacles  20  and  36  a predetermined distance from and clear of another object, such as a sidewall of a swimming pool.  
         [0026]    Between the upper and lower arrays of spokes  42  and guard rings  44  there is mounted an array of equally spaced longitudinally extending blades or vanes  46 . The vanes  46  are pivotably mounted between the guard rings  44  by integral shafts  48  or shaft portions integrally extending from the vanes  46  into corresponding holes (not shown) in the guard rings  44 . The vanes  46  are assembled to the housing  24  simply by inserting the shaft  48  at one end of the vane  46  into its corresponding hole in the guard ring  44 , deflecting the opposite guard ring  44 , and fitting the shaft  48  at the opposite end of the vane  46  into the corresponding hole in the opposite guard ring  44 . Alternatively, the vanes  46  could be formed integrally with the rest of the housing  24 , but would be fixed in position. Preferably, however, the vanes  46  are independent of the housing  24  and interconnected by linkage  50  attached to one end of each of the vanes  46 , such linkage  50  being well known in any mechanical art.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 better illustrates the linkage  50  that interconnects the vanes  46 . Each vane  46  includes its own linkage member  52  that is pivotably attached to a corner portion thereof as shown and well known, extended toward the adjacent vane, and attached to a corresponding corner portion of an adjacent vane  46 . Thus a complete 360° linkage  50  is formed. The vanes  46  are thereby adjustable in unison and a setscrew  54  is used to fix the position of one of the vanes  46 , thereby fixing the position of the rest of the vanes  46 . Again, such a setscrew arrangement is very well known in any mechanical art and need not be dwelled upon here.  
         [0028]    Also shown in FIG. 2 is the relationship between the apertures  38  of the outer receptacle  36  with respect to the apertures  34  of the inner receptacle  20 . The apertures  34  and  38  are shown almost entirely overlapped so as to reduce the full dispensing capability of the dispensing device  10  to dispense chlorine therefrom in proportion to the percentage overlap of the apertures  34  and  38 . Accordingly, the apertures  34  and  38  may be completely overlapped in full alignment, partially overlapped, or blocked and not overlapped at all, so as to respectively produce between 100% and 0% dispensing capability.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 also best shows the preferred shape and orientation of the vanes  46 . The vanes  46  are preferably concavo-convex in shape and are oriented with the concave portion of the vanes  46  facing relatively radially outward with respect to the longitudinal axis  28  of the dispensing device  10 . Alternatively, the vanes  46  can be shaped flat or can be angled longitudinally with respect to the longitudinal axis  28  of the dispensing device  10 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3 illustrates the use of the dispensing device  10  in a typical situation in a swimming pool  12  that was discussed in detail in the background section. As with the prior art, the dispensing device  10  of the present invention is placed in the swimming pool  12 , floats within and migrates around the swimming pool  12 , and eventually is pulled into the flow of water flowing into a skimmer  14 .  
         [0031]    In contrast, however, the present invention enables the dispensing device  10  to escape the immediate vicinity of the skimmer  14  such that it will not block the flow of water flowing into the skimmer  14 . Fluid pressure energy in the form of a stream of fluid is converted to mechanical velocity energy in the form of a rotating and translating dispensing device  10  through the principles of impulse. Specifically, principles of hydrokinetic impulse apply to the present invention wherein the dispensing device  10  behaves like a free-floating version of a vane-type anemometer or hydraulic turbine. In other words, a generally linearly flowing stream of water acts on the dispensing device  10  wherein the dispensing device  10  absorbs the potential energy of the flowing stream and converts that energy into rotational and translational kinetic energy of the dispensing device  10  itself.  
         [0032]    The flow or stream of water, as shown by arrows  56 , impinges on the vanes  46  much in the same way as wind impinges upon the vanes of an anemometer. The vanes  46  respond by tangentially absorbing the linear hydrokinetic impulse, input force, or input pressure of the stream of water  56  and by imparting the linear impulse to the housing  24 , thereby developing a torque or rotational reaction force about the longitudinal axis of the dispensing device  10  and thus causing the dispensing device  10  to rotate. In other words, the dispensing device  10  is impelled to rotate about its longitudinal axis and translate out of the way of the skimmer  14 . As a result, and as shown in FIG. 4, the dispensing device  10  rotationally and linearly displaces itself off to one side of the skimmer  14  in the swimming pool  12 .  
         [0033]    Referring back to FIG. 1, adjustment of the vanes  46  is effected by loosening the setscrew  54 , rotating the vanes  46  about their shafts  48 , and resetting the setscrew  54  to lock the vanes  46  in place. Adjustment of the vanes  46  yields greater or lesser surface area of the vanes  46  exposed to the stream of water, thereby altering the capability of the dispensing device  10  to convert linear hydrokinetic energy into rotational energy. Thus, the consequent effect is to optimize the rotational and linear displacement of the dispensing device  10 .  
         [0034]    Referring again to FIG. 2 and as is well known, the stream of water  56  flows into the apertures  38  and  34  of the outer and inner receptacles  20  and  36 , impinges upon the chlorine tablets  22  and thereby slowly dissolves and mixes with the chlorine tablets  22 , and flows out of the apertures  34  and  38  whereby a release of chlorine is achieved from the dispensing device  10 . Uniquely, however, the present invention allows for a selectively controlled release of chlorine by adjusting the overlap of the apertures  34  and  38  of the receptacles  20  and  36  as described previously. In other words, increasing the amount of overlap of the apertures  34  and  38  proportionally increases the output of chlorine.  
         [0035]    As is also well known, dispensing devices generally come into contact with sidewalls  16  of swimming pools  12  during migration of the dispensing device  10  around the swimming pool  12 . Uniquely, however, the present invention prevents immediate contact of the receptacles  20  and  36  with the sidewall  16  of the pool by providing a standoff configuration in the form of the spokes  42  and guard ring  44 . The spokes  42  and guard ring  44  set the receptacles  20  and  36  a predetermined distance off from the sidewall  16  of the swimming pool  12  to avoid damage thereto. Fortunately, however, flow of water  56  can still flow around the spokes  42  and guard ring  44  to surge against the receptacles  20  and  36  for generating chlorinating action as described previously.  
         [0036]    While the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example the teachings of the present invention encompass any reasonable substitutions or equivalents of claim limitations hereof. Examples include integrating the inner and outer receptacles  20  and  36  into a one-piece component, using other geometry and orientation for the vanes including a cup-shaped configuration, and using a single array of spokes and guard ring in the middle of the dispensing device instead of both an upper and lower array. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other applications, including those outside of the swimming pool industry, are possible with this invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to only chlorine dispensers and is to be limited only by the following claims.