Abstract:
Remote delivery of water softener pellets into a water softener by a vacuum. By using a vacuum the delivery system allows salt to be delivered to great distances to point of use (existing brine tank). This invention will allow people to drive into their garage close to the inventive salt loading hopper and either dump a bag of salt pellets or scoop out of it into the loading hopper, which is located a convenient minimized height off the floor. The current state prior to this invention was to carry the heavy bag of salt to the location of the water softener brine tank, which in most cases is located down the stairs in a basement.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/781,832, filed Mar. 13, 2006 by Michael J. Muniak. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to water softeners or conditioners that use granulated/pelletized materials and, more particularly to a system for delivering or conveying the materials from a remote location to a loading opening of the water softener. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Water conditioners, especially those that are called “water softeners”, commonly are comprised of a conditioning tank and a brine tank. The water is “softened” as it passes through the conditioning tank where problem-causing calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced (by ion-exchange) with sodium ions. Since sodium does not precipitate out in pipes or react badly with soap, both of the problems of hard water are eliminated. To do the ion replacement, the water in the house runs through a bed of small plastic beads or through a chemical matrix called zeolite either of which fill the conditioning tank. The beads or zeolite are covered with sodium ions. As the water flows past the sodium ions, a chemical reaction occurs that exchanges the sodium ions for the calcium and magnesium ions. Eventually, the beads or zeolite contain mostly calcium and magnesium and the sodium is mostly depleted. At this point the softening process either stops or becomes very inefficient, such that the conditioning tank must be regenerated. 
     Regeneration involves soaking the beads or zeolite in a stream of sodium ions. Common salt is sodium chloride, so a very strong brine solution made by dissolving salt pellets in water is created in the brine tank and then flushed through the zeolite or beads. The brine solution displaces the calcium and magnesium that has built up in the zeolite or beads and replaces it again with sodium (ion exchange). The resulting solution of weak brine with calcium and magnesium is flushed out through a drain pipe. 
     Thus the brine tank must be refilled with salt periodically so that new brine can be created by dissolving the salt in water in the brine tank. The invention is primarily designed to address the problems associated with refilling a water softener brine tank with “salt”, which preferably is in the form of pellets which are typically about ½ inch by ¾ inch oblongs that are purchased in bags weighing 40 or 80 pounds. The salt is also available in smaller pellets that are more granular like large gauge rock salt, but the larger pellets are preferable. The brine tank is typically located in a basement area and is loaded through a removably covered opening on the top of the brine tank, which is generally at least three feet above the floor level. The bags of salt are either purchased in a store and brought home in a personal vehicle, or may be delivered by a service. In either case the bags typically are in a garage or other outside storage area until they are needed. Carrying these rather heavy bags (40 to 80 pounds each) down to the basement and then lifting them high enough to dump into the top of the brine tank can prove to be difficult for many, and nearly impossible for elderly homeowners. Some have resorted to scooping the pellets out of the bag and into a much smaller pail, then carrying the pail downstairs and dumping into the tank. This works but can be very time consuming and tiring with many trips up and down the basement stairs and possibly also a step ladder by the tank. 
     Therefore a means for conveying salt pellets from a heavy bag at a remote location (e.g., a garage or carport) and delivering the pellets into a brine tank in the house (e.g., basement) is desirable. The system should be simple to minimize cost for consumer use, and should minimize the effort (e.g., lifting, carrying) required from the user such that even elderly and/or physically challenged individuals will be able to use it. 
     Pneumatic conveyors are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,743 (Rainville et al.; 2006) discloses a vacuum receiver ( 10  in Rainville&#39;s FIG. 1) for a pneumatic conveyor for conveying, e.g., plastic pellets, having a receiving vessel ( 12 ) with a material inlet ( 14 ), a material outlet ( 20 ) and a conveying gas outlet ( 36 ). A conveying gas source ( 40 ), such as a vacuum pump, is connected via a connecting tube ( 38 ) to the conveying gas outlet. Material inlet ( 14 ) is connected to a granular material source ( 16 ) via a connecting tube ( 18 ). A mounting flange ( 32 ) is secured to the receiving vessel to facilitate mounting the receiving vessel in a desired position above a receiving hopper ( 24 ), which may, for example, be a supply hopper for a plastic molding machine. As seen more clearly in Rainville&#39;s FIG. 2, which is a sectional view of the vacuum receiver ( 10 ), a screen ( 34 ) is provided in front of the conveying gas outlet, the screen serving to separate conveyed particles, e.g. plastic pellets, from a stream of conveying gas, e.g. air, inside the vacuum receiver. A lid seal ( 28 ), is disposed between the receiving vessel ( 12 ) and the receiver lid ( 26 ) in order to provide a gas-tight closure. A powered discharge valve ( 52 ) is disposed in the material outlet ( 20 ). In operation, the material is drawn through the connecting tube from the material source to the receiver. When the receiver is sufficiently full with a batch of material, the vacuum pump is turned off and the discharge valve is opened to dump the material into the hopper. 
     The Rainville &#39;743 patent describes a fairly sophisticated commercial apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive system for home use, particularly for conveying pellets of salt to a water softener brine tank. The inventive device must convey relatively large oblong pellets (e.g., ½″ by ¾″). It is an object that the pellets be loadable into the system from bags in a location remote from the brine tank, and furthermore that the loading process requires only a minimum of effort (e.g., lifting, carrying) from the user. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention a water softener salt loading system is described, the water softener comprising a brine tank into the top of which salt must be periodically loaded, the salt being supplied in the form of pellets, the system comprising: a loading hopper having a loading opening no more than about 2.5 feet above the ground level by the loading opening; a pneumatic tube connected at a loading end to a discharge opening in the loading hopper, and at a receiving end to a tube discharge opening in a lid on top of the brine tank; a vacuum pump with an inlet opening in the brine tank lid and an outlet outside of the brine tank; a level controller configured to limit liquid in the brine tank to a maximum liquid level, thereby maintaining an air space between the maximum liquid level and the lid&#39;s pump inlet opening; an air-tight seal between the brine tank and the lid; and controls for turning the system “on” for salt conveying and “off” to stop conveying. 
     Other aspects of the invention include the following:
         loading hopper is located remotely from the brine tank, the remote location being convenient for receiving bags of the salt.   screen over pump inlet   filter bag on pump outlet   hopper loading opening is less than 2.5 feet high   entraining air inlet at loading end of pneumatic tube   the salt pellets are oblong, having a length and a width
           a dispenser positioned in the hopper discharge opening extending upward therefrom, the dispenser comprising:
               cylindrical tube with OD˜opening ID, rotatable on it&#39;s cylindrical axis, closed top, open bottom, longitudinal slot through the dispenser cylinder wall   motor rotates dispenser when system is on for salt conveying
                   controls configured to delay turning on the dispenser motor for a predetermined time period after the vacuum pump is started   
                   cyl ID is greater than pellet width
                   circumferential slot width is greater than pellet width   
                   
               
           drop door in tank lid with spring biased closed upward
           controls include a dump switch configured to detect when the lid above the drop door is full of conveyed salt, and to turn off the vacuum pump, thereby allowing the lid to dump the salt into the brine tank.   
           controls include a sensor configured to detect when the brine tank has been filled, and use the sensor&#39;s output to stop the salt conveying.   controls include a timer switch configured to turn off the power to a conveying element.       

     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in light of the following description thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference will be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. The figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in the context of these preferred embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention to these particular embodiments. 
       Certain elements in selected ones of the drawings may be illustrated not-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The cross-sectional views, if any, presented herein may be in the form of “slices”, or “near-sighted” cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines which would otherwise be visible in a true cross-sectional view, for illustrative clarity. 
       Elements of the figures can be numbered such that similar (including identical) elements may be referred to with similar numbers in a single drawing. For example, each of a plurality of elements collectively referred to as  199  may be referred to individually as  199   a ,  199   b ,  199   c , etc. Such relationships, if any, between similar elements in the same or different figures will become apparent throughout the specification, including, if applicable, in the claims and abstract. 
       The structure, operation, and advantages of the present preferred embodiment of the invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side cross sectional view of an exemplary installation of a salt loading system embodiment according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an illustrative view of bags of salt being poured into a loading hopper of the salt loading system according to the invention. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are side cross sectional and top views, respectively of the loading hopper end of the salt loading system according to the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a side cross sectional view of the hopper partially filled with oblong pellets of salt, all according to the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom cross sectional view, taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3A , of a dispenser and two oblong pellets of salt, all according to the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a brine tank with added inventive controls and lid, the tank and lid being illustrated as transparent, all according to the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a brine tank with added inventive controls and a drop box embodiment of the lid, the tank and lid being illustrated as transparent, all according to the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic of an exemplary embodiment of a control system for the salt loading system according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The problem addressed by the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , which also shows an embodiment of the inventive solution, the water softener salt loading system  100  (system  100  for short). Generally speaking, two digit reference numbers are used to indicate environmental elements, while three digit reference numbers are used to indicate elements of the inventive system  100 . On the left is a garage  40  within which the user  10  has at least one bag  12  of water softener “salt” pellets  14 , the bag typically weighing at least 40 pounds. The salt bag(s)  12  may have been delivered there by a service, or purchased and brought there in the user&#39;s car. Since the user&#39;s water softener is in a basement  44  of the user&#39;s house  42 , the user  10  must carry the heavy bag  12  from the garage  40  to the house  42 , in through at least one door and down at least one stairway. Once in the basement the user must then carry the bag  12  to a brine tank  20  of the water softener, and then lift the heavy bag  12  enough to pour the salt pellets  14  into an open top of the brine tank  20 . If the user  10  is not strong enough to lift the bag  12  high enough, he may use a step stool—an action that is potentially dangerous. The inventive system  100  allows the user  10  to load the brine tank  20  by simply pouring the bag  12  into a low-lying loading hopper  102  that is located in the garage  40 , thereby minimizing the lifting effort and practically eliminating the bag  12  carrying. 
     A generic water softener is illustrated in the basement  44 . It includes a conditioning tank  24 , topped by a flush valve  26  through which unconditioned water inlet and conditioned (softened) water outlet pipes  28  pass. A flushing hose  22  extends between the flush valve  26  and the brine tank  20 . In this illustration, the flush valve  24  directs unconditioned water to the brine tank  20  when it is to be filled, and directs brine solution from the brine tank  20  through the flush hose  22  and through the conditioning tank  24  for regeneration. This process may be automated or manually controlled. For example, a metering valve (not shown) in the flush valve  24  could be used to control the amount of water filled into the brine tank  20 , such that the brine tank  20  will not overflow. 
     The generic brine tank  20  has an open top that is covered or closed by a removable lid (not shown). In  FIG. 1 , the generic lid has been replaced by an inventive lid  110  that is connected to the brine tank  20  by an air-tight seal (e.g., a gasket)  111 . A vacuum pump  112  and a pneumatic tube  108  are connected to, and extend out of, the lid  110 . An outlet  114  of the vacuum pump  112  is preferably covered by a filter bag  116  to control dust dispersal. Alternatively, the outlet  114  can be piped outdoors (not shown). A secondary control box  118  has electrical controls and power (described hereinbelow) that communicate with other system elements such as the vacuum pump  112 . The pneumatic tube  108  is, for example, 2″ PVC pipe that is plumbed to pass through an exterior house wall  34  and to extend to the remotely located loading hopper  102  that is, for example, located in the garage  40 . Bends in the tube  108  are preferably rounded and/or gradually curved rather than squared-off. For protection, the tube  108  is preferably buried in the ground  32 . A main control box  106  for the system  100  is located near by, and in electrical communication with, the loading hopper  102 . 
       FIGS. 2 ,  3 A and  3 B illustrate the loading end of the system  100 . The loading hopper  102  has a loading opening l 04  that is located a height H above the garage floor  30  nearby the loading opening  104 . Thus the height H is the minimum height that the salt bag  12  must be raised in order to pour the salt pellets  14  through the loading opening  104  into the loading hopper  102 ; therefore a key element of the inventive system  100  is a loading height H that is low enough to enable the average person  10  to pour the bag  12  with a minimum of lifting effort. Therefore the loading opening  104  should be no higher than a loading height H of about 2.5 feet. 
     The loading hopper  102  is preferably covered by a dust cover  184  having a fixed portion  184   b  and an openable portion  184   a , for example connected by a hinge  186 . A lifting handle  188  may be supplied as well. Mounted above the loading hopper  102 , preferably on the cover  184 , is a dispenser motor  120  that is powered by a cord  150  extending to the main control box  106 , e.g., plugged into a dispenser motor receptacle  158 . The main control box  106  also has a main power switch  160 , a timer  156 , an “on” light  152  and a “tank full/stop” light  154 . 
     The loading hopper  102  is generally round with a tapered bottom leading to a round discharge opening  130  at the bottom. The discharge opening  130  opens into the pneumatic tube  108 , which extends in one direction to the brine tank lid  110 , and in another direction to an entraining air inlet  132 , the opening of which is preferably directed away from the floor  30  to avoid picking up dirt and/or moisture from the floor  30 . If the entraining air inlet  132  is located fairly close to the discharge opening  130 , then an upward turn as shown will help contain any salt pellets  14  that might fall out of the discharge opening  130  when the air is not flowing. Such a close location also permits using a rod to clear the pneumatic tube  108  of a blockage below the discharge opening  130 . 
     It can be seen that when the vacuum pump  112  is pulling air through the pneumatic tube  108  the strong flow of air entering the air inlet  132  will entrain and carry pellets  14  with it through the pneumatic tube  108 . This entraining process is most effective if the pellets  14  do not drop out of the hopper  102  so fast that they pile up. To meter the pellets  14  through the discharge opening  130  an inventive dispenser  126  is turned in the opening  130  by the dispenser motor  120 . A turning shaft  124  is coupled  122  to the motor  120  and the dispenser  126 . The dispenser motor has sufficient horse power to rotate the dispenser  126  when the loading hopper  102  is full of pellets  14  as shown in  FIG. 4 . It is preferred that the dispenser  126  rotate at a speed that will not damage the salt pellets  14 , but still fast enough to effectively dispense a steady metered flow of the pellets  14 . Preferred revolution rates of the dispenser  126  would range between about 4 and 15 RPM. Referring especially to  FIG. 5 , a feature of the dispenser  126  is that it has one or more longitudinal slots  128  through the dispenser cylinder wall that are sized relative to the pellet size and shape. The salt pellets are typically oblong, having a length L and a width W that is smaller than the length L. The dispenser  126  is positioned in the hopper discharge opening  130  and extends upward therefrom. The dispenser  126  is a cylindrical tube with an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the discharge opening  130 , is rotatable on it&#39;s cylindrical axis, has a closed top and an open bottom. The longitudinal slots  128  have a slot width SW that is larger than the pellet width W but smaller than the pellet length L. Thus the pellets  14  will tend to lie across the slots  128  except when the dispenser  126  is rotating. Edges of a moving slot  128  tend to turn the pellets in a way that they can pass through the slot  128 . Thus the slots  128  are, for example, about 0.75″ by 2.0″ rectangular openings for “large pellets” that are about 0.50″ by 0.75″, and much smaller for more granular pellets. 
       FIG. 6  shows a first, simplified embodiment of a receiving end of the inventive system  100  at the brine tank  20 . This embodiment is especially appropriate for “building in” to the brine tank  20 . The pneumatic tube  108  ends at a tube discharge opening  134  in the inventive lid  110  on top of the brine tank  20 . The vacuum pump  112  has an inlet opening  113  also in the lid  110 . A protective screen  136  preferably covers the inlet opening  113  to prevent larger pellet debris from entering and possibly damaging the vacuum pump  112 . A liquid level controller  168  is configured to limit liquid in the brine tank  20  to a maximum liquid level  142 , thereby maintaining an air space  144  between the maximum liquid level  142  and at least the lid&#39;s vacuum pump inlet opening  113 . Preferably this also maintains an air space  144  between the maximum liquid level  142  and the tube discharge opening  134 . It may be noted that an equivalent of the liquid level controller  168 , shown as a physical detector in  FIG. 6 , can also be a timer or other control that limits the liquid filling level (e.g., the flush valve  26 ). In addition, an optional “full” sensor/switch  162 ,  163  will work with the controls to limit the filling height of the salt pellets  14 . It can be seen that, given the air space  144  (for at least the inlet opening  113 ) the vacuum pump  112  will draw air out of the air space  144  in the lid  110 , thereby creating a negative pressure in that area which is air-tight sealed  111  except for the tube discharge opening  134  into the pneumatic tube  108 . Thus air is pulled through the pneumatic tube  108  from the loading hopper  102  and, entrained with it, salt pellets  14 , which are too heavy to be raised into the inlet opening  113  and thus fall down into the brine tank  20 . The secondary control box  118  receives wires from sensors  162 ,  168 ,  164  and supplies 110 VAC power to the vacuum pump  112  via a cord  148  that is, for example, plugged into the pump receptacle  159 . A “pump on” indicator light  155  is optionally provided. 
     A tank empty sensor/switch  164  has a feeler arm  165  that is depressed whenever pellets  14  are filled high enough in the brine tank  20  to do so, thereby indicating that the tank is not empty, as in  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a second embodiment of the receiving end of the system  100 ; in this case incorporating a form of drop box. In addition to the already described elements, a drop door  140  is spring biased  141  to close upward against the lid  110 , the spring  141  being sufficiently strong to seal the door  140  closed when there is no weight on it. The controls include a dump switch  166  with a feeler to detect when pellets  14  are piled to a predetermined height above the drop door  140 . This assumes, of course, that the vacuum pump  112  is specified to create a negative pressure in the lid  110  that is sufficient to pull the drop door  140  upward in its sealed position. When the dump switch  166  is triggered it turns off the vacuum pump  112 , thereby releasing the drop door  140  so that it falls open downward under the weight of the accumulated pellets  14 . Once the pellets  14  slide off, the spring  141  closes the door  140  and the vacuum pump  112  has been turned back on by the now un-triggered dump switch  166 . The cycle is repeated until the full sensor  162  turns off the vacuum pump  112 . If the optional full sensor  162  is not used, then the timer  156  can be set to a time known to fill the brine tank  20  with pellets  14 . 
     In order to assist in moving and leveling the salt pellets  14  (especially the granular form), an optional vibrator (not shown) can be attached to or incorporated within either or both of the loading hopper  102  and the drop box portion of the brine tank lid  110 . 
     A schematic of an exemplary control system is shown in  FIG. 8 . A 24 volt control line  176  runs between the main control box  106  at the loading hopper  102  and the secondary control box  118  at the brine tank  20 . Such a low voltage control line can easily be run along with the pneumatic tube  108 . The controls utilize 110 VAC power for the two motors fed by the dispenser power outlet  158  and the pump power outlet  159 . From there, power is stepped down to a 24 VAC control voltage by means of a transformer  172 . The 110 VAC can be controlled by a master timer/relay  156  as shown. The dispenser motor  120  is controlled by a dispenser relay  170  that is turned off when the full switch  162  is triggered. When a dump switch  166  is utilized, then it controls a pump relay  174  which in turn switches the vacuum pump power on/off. 
     Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character—it being understood that only preferred embodiments have been shown and described, and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. Undoubtedly, many other “variations” on the “themes” set forth hereinabove will occur to one having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention most nearly pertains, and such variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention, as disclosed herein.