Abstract:
The present invention relates to swimming pools and other pools of standing water, and in particular to a dispensing unit that distributes a desired chemical solution that maintains the desired water chemistry of the pool or spa, the chemical solution being color coded with a water soluble colorant or dye which serves as an indicia to the pool or spa owner of the depletion of the chemical solution from the dispensing unit and the need for replacement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to swimming pools and other pools of standing water, and in particular to a dispensing unit that distributes a chemical water treatment solution, the solution including a color coded organic or inorganic dye to assist in determining when the solution has been fully dispensed and the dispensing unit requires replacement. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    This invention relates to water quality, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for feeding controlled amounts of chemical solutions into swimming pools, hot tubs, spas, cooling towers and other standing water ponds, the particular chemical solution being dispensed to maintain or improve water quality. 
         [0005]    In home swimming pools and in newly popular hot tubs, spas, and other water pools, it is almost always necessary to filter and recirculate the water and to add certain chemicals, such as organic flocculating agents, which greatly improved the effectiveness of the filters in removing impurities. Other additives may include clarifiers, anti-scaling agents, algaecides, metallic stain preventors, scum line eliminators, filter cleaners and degreasers alone or in combination, plus spring pool or spa opening chemicals and winter closing chemicals. 
         [0006]    Still further, chlorination is undertaken in swimming pools, hot tubs and spas in order to improve the quality of water and in some instances, chelating agents are positioned in the water to prevent the formation of scale in boilers. 
         [0007]    In large public and commercial systems, apparatus know as “feeders” are used to meter predetermined amounts of such chemicals into the water. This is practical from the stand point of large industrial and public treatment facilities, but the necessary capital investment for such equipment makes it impractical for a home pool, spa, hot tub or small cooling tower. 
         [0008]    Additionally, with respect to swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, there are often extended periods of time when the swimming pool, hot tub or spa is not in use, yet the swimming pool, hot tub or spa is subjected to the ambient weather conditions, which depending upon the time of year, can include extreme heat. In such a situation, the swimming pool, hot tub or spa looses water volume to evaporation, which in turn effects the chemistry of the water in the swimming pool, hot tub or spa, due to the reduced volume. 
         [0009]    It has been discovered that many of the desired water treatment chemicals needed for relatively small swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, can be packaged and shipped in closed and sealed plastic spheres of handy size. In use, one or more holes are opened in the shell of the sphere and the sphere and chemical solution enclosed is dropped in the water system. It has further been discovered that the motion of the water and of the sphere in the water can produce the desired rate of chemical feeding. A dispenser of this type and suitable for dispensing Applicant&#39;s formulation is disclosed by Etani in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,880,547; 4,530,120; 4,853,131; 4,775,485; 4,692,314; and 4,519,814, which is incorporated by reference. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the capsule is used to add a chemical from the group consisting of flocculants, coagulants, microbiocides, disinfectants, disinfectant enhancers, oxidizers, sequestrants, chelating agents, defoamers, germicides, and evaporation retarders, to the water of a backyard swimming pool. Dropped into the skimmer basket the capsule introduces the chemical at a substantially constant rate proportional to the rate of flow and independent of the amount of undissolved alum remaining in the capsule. Although at any instant the dispensing rate from the capsule will depend upon the position of the apertures relative to the flow, the positioned effect is eliminated, on the average, because of the movement of the capsule. This type of chemical feeding provides a cleaner pool and a more economical method of introducing the chemicals into the pool. 
         [0011]    The present invention adapts the use of these sealed plastic spheres and chemical solutions with a color coded organic or inorganic dye which serves as an indicator or indicia of the amount of solution dispensed, and thereby aids the pool or spa owner in determining the amount of solution remaining or the need to replace the depleted dispenser with a new full dispenser in order to maintain the desired chemistry of the water of the swimming pool, hot tub or spa. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel delivery system for water treatment chemicals for swimming pools, hot tubs and spas. 
         [0013]    Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel delivery system in the form of a safe container for storage, shipment and introduction of water chemicals that both simple and safe. 
         [0014]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel delivery system for a chemical solution for a swimming pool, hot tub or spa which chemical solution is color coded with a water soluble colorant or dye, either organic or inorganic, which serves an indicia to the pool or spa owner of the depletion of the chemical solution and the need to replace the dispenser with a new, full dispenser of the desired chemical solution. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The present invention relates to swimming pools and other pools of standing water, and in particular to a dispensing unit that distributes a desired chemical solution that maintains the desired water chemistry of the pool or spa, the chemical solution being color coded with a water soluble organic or inorganic colorant or dye which serves as an indicia to the pool or spa owner of the depletion of the chemical solution from the dispensing unit and the need for replacement. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a typical home swimming pool; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a cross section of the dispensing container; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is an alternative construction of the dispensing container; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a second alternative construction of the dispensing container; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a cutaway view of the dispensing container. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    As indicated in  FIG. 1 , a typical swimming pool comprises a pool  10 , which has a drain  11  and sump  12  at the bottom of the pool, and a skimmer  14 , which carries away overflow and collects floating debris, a strainer  15  at the inlet to a pump  16 , a filter  17 , a water main  18 , a source of fresh water, a system outlet  19  and a pool inlet  20 . Pipes  21 - 30  and valves  31 - 36  connect all of the aforesaid elements. 
         [0023]    In normal operation water is taken from the pool through the skimmer  14 , the pipe  21 , the valve  31 , pipes  22  and  23 , strainer  15 , pump  16 , pipe  24 , valve  32 , pipe  25 , filter  17 , pipe  26 , valve  33  and pipe  27 , back to the pool inlet  20 . Valve  34  allows water to be recirculated in whole or in part from the bottom drain  11  and valve  35  allows water to be gravity dumped through pipe  29  to the system outlet  19 . Valve  36  connects the main  18  to replenish through pipes  28  and  23 . The valves  32  and  33  may be turned to backwash the filter  17  via pipe  30 . The skimmer  14  is arranged to collect leaves and other floating debris. To prevent the plugging of pipes  21 ,  22 ,  23 , and pump  16 , the skimmer  14  has perforated basket  41  of larger diameter and strainer  15  has a strainer basket  42 . While the flow velocity of the baskets is much less than in the pipes, it is still perceptible and non-uniform so that when a container of chemical of the kind described hereafter is dropped into the perforated basket in the skimmer, or in the strainer basket, it bobs or flutters with the flow through the baskets. The feeder may be inserted at these places or a special chamber. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is representative of a practical embodiment for a dispensing container for chemicals, hereinafter termed a “feeder” (the Etani patents). The feeder comprises two plastic hemispheres  101 ,  102  which are joined together in the manner of some table tennis balls with cement. The hemisphere  101  has a filling hole  105 , which is closed by a plug  110 . For dispensing the chemical, there are a number of small holes  112  in the hemisphere  101 . Plug  110  has a porous buoyant portion  114 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  represents a construction in which two hemispheres  121  and  122  are joined at a flange. The thermo-plastic hemispheres with flanges can be made easily by the vacuum-forming process. This is the preferred construction when polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used, or when the filling chemical is compressed into a solid ball “brickette”. The flange closure is readily achieved by ultrasonic welding, and the flange assists the rotation of the feeder in the eddies of flow. It also facilitates the handling and packaging of the feeders. The body of chemical, or an added weight  127  tends to stabilize the upward orientation of the feeder holes in conditions of low flow. 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  represents an alternate closure of the feeder of  FIG. 3 . In this construction the feeder is filled by the supplier with a desired quantity of chemical  140 , leaving an empty space  141 , and sealed with a patch  144 . The empty space may be filled with inert gas for chemicals which may be degraded in the presence of air or moisture. With this construction, the user must make the proper number of dispensing holes by piercing the feeder with a needle or the like. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a cut-away drawing of the capsule configuration preferred for most swimming pool and spa uses. The sphere is blow molded of high density polyethylene. Twenty-two grams of the polymer are needed for a sphere 2¾ inches in diameter. The shell  150  varies somewhat in thickness between about one sixteenth and one eighth of an inch. The mold is made in two parts. When molding is complete the sphere is left with a small hole at  151  and a pair of stub wings  152  and  153  which serve the function of the flange in the configuration of  FIG. 3 . In preparation for filling, the blow hole  151  is closed, and the filling hole  154 , formed in the mold, is clealy cut through, both operations using an ultrasonic tool. It is desired that this capsule float with each dispensing hole  157  near the liquid levels inside  158 , and outside  159 , the capsule when it is resting in still water. To achieve this result, an air space  160  is left after filling with the emulsion, and zero-gauge buck shot  161  is swaged into the filler plug  162 . 
         [0028]    Depending on the product, the dispensing units may be formed of a translucent plastic, and in some instances a colored opaque plastic. It therefore becomes difficult for the pool or spa owner to determine of there is any efficacy left in the dispensing unit in that most of the chemical water treatment solutions are also clear or translucent. In operation, the chemical water treatment solution is gradually dispensed through the apertures in the dispensing unit to the pool and the dispensed chemical water treatment solution is replaced by normal pool water. Therefore the weight of the dispensing unit does not provide an indicia or indicate to the pool owner whether or not the chemical water treatment solution has been fully dispensed and that the dispensing unit is depleted. Placement of a water soluble colorant or dye into the chemical water treatment solution at the time of filling the dispensing unit provides the pool owner with a visual indicia as to the amount of chemical water treatment solution remaining. This can be evident to the pool or spa owner by merely examining the dispensing unit if the dispensing unit is translucent to determine if the pool or spa owner detects any color within the dispensing unit which in turn would indicate that there is chemical water treatment solution remaining in the dispensing unit. 
         [0029]    In those cases where the dispensing unit is opaque, the pool or spa owner can remove the dispensing unit from the pool or spa and shake the dispensing unit to dispense a small quantity of the contents of same. If the dispensed contents have a color, it is indicative that there is still chemical water treatment solution remaining in the dispenser. 
         [0030]    When the pool or spa owner visually observes a clear liquid within a translucent container, or a clear liquid dispensed after shaking the dispensing unit, the pool or spa owner is reasonably assured that the chemical water treatment solution has been completely dispensed and that a new dispensing unit should be prepared and positioned in the pool skimmer. 
         [0031]    The dye utilized in order to color code the water treatment chemicals may be a water soluble organic or inorganic colorant or dye such as a food grade, non-toxic, biodegradable and water soluable and may include a common food coloring. The color of the dye is one of choice, however the color may be chosen to indicate the particular chemical solution and its water quality efficacy. 
         [0032]    In the case of swimming pools and spas, the water soluble organic or inorganic colorant or dye may be food grade, non-toxic, biodegradable and water soluble such as food coloring. In this manner, as it is disbursed from its concentration in the dispensing unit, the dye is diluted due to the volume of the pool or spa such that there is no aesthetic displeasing effect. In the dispensing unit of the type described herein, it has been found that an appropriate range of organic or inorganic colorant or dye is in the range of 0.07 percent to 10.0 percent with a preferred range of 0.07 percent to 0.10 percent by volume. As an example, quantities of common water quality treatment solutions are prepared in 55 gallon batches (7,040 ounces) for filling dispensing units of the type described. It has been found that the quantity of dye required for introduction into the batch process in order to achieve a color coded water treatment solution for filling the dispensing unit can range from 5 ounces to 7 ounces per batch (55 gallons; 7,040 ounces). This quantity of dye in this type of batch process results in a color coded water treatment solution within a dispensing unit of the type described which is visible to the eye if the dispensing unit is constructed of a translucent plastic, and that it is further visible to the eye if the dispensing unit is constructed of an opaque plastic such that the pool or spa owner must remove the dispensing unit and shake the dispensing unit in order to dispense several drops of contents onto his hand. The presence of an effective amount of the select water treatment solution within the dispensing unit would be visible to the eye of the pool or spa user when the dispensing unit was so shaken. 
         [0033]    The purpose of the water soluble organic or inorganic colorant or dye is to provide a visual color coding indicia available to the user for efficacy of chemical introduction to the pool or spa. A greater amount of water soluble colorant or dye reduces the amount of effective chemical treatment. An increased amount of water soluble organic or inorganic colorant or dye provides increased visual indicia but limits the efficacy and duration of time release of the effective chemical. Therefore a range of 0.07 percent to 10.0 percent by volume of dye provides an effective volume amount of effective chemical over time and a preferred range of 0.07 percent to 1.0 percent of dye allows for a suggested maximization of effective chemical. 
         [0034]    Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.