Patent Publication Number: US-2005133088-A1

Title: Solar-powered water features with submersible solar cells

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/531,411, filed on Dec. 19, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The disclosed technology relates generally to water features/effects, such as water fountains incorporated into bird baths, and more particularly to water features/effects powered by submersible solar cells.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Bird baths, ponds, swimming pools, and other types of naturally-occurring or man-made water features provide an aesthetically pleasing environment that can enhance the value of the property on which they are located by providing a more inviting area for social interaction and/or relaxation. Water fountains, waterfalls, whirlpools, wave-generating devices and/or other types of water movement effects that are incorporated into such water features can further increase their aesthetic and economic value. Unfortunately, traditional implementations of water movement effects into water features typically involve after-purchase electrical wiring and/or plumbing tasks that can significantly increase the costs of installing, maintaining, and operating the water features. Further, the additional electrical wiring and plumbing can detract from the aesthetic value of the water feature (e.g., hoses and/or wires draped along the ground) and may present trip hazards, shock hazards, and/or otherwise prove problematic. Accordingly, entities that make, purchase, maintain, and/or operate water movement effects in water features have a continuing interest in reducing the expense and complexity of such systems while concurrently improving their safety features and aesthetic appearance.  
     SUMMARY  
      The disclosed technology can be used to implement one or more water movement effects into a water feature in a self-contained manner such that a renewable energy source (e.g., solar energy convertible to electricity using one or more solar cells, solar-charged batteries, etc.) powers one or more pumps that are instrumental in providing such water movement effects, without the complexity, expense, and/or other negative effects of additional/external electrical wiring and/or plumbing.  
      In one illustrative embodiment, the disclosed technology can be used to develop systems (e.g., a solar-powered water fountain in a birdbath) and perform methods in which one or more photovoltaic sources (e.g., solar cells), capable of converting light energy into electrical energy, are positioned at a desired depth (e.g., less than, equal to, or greater than about 1.5 inches) below a water surface using one or more support members and the electrical energy produced by such photovoltaic sources can provide the basis for operating a pump (by, for example, directly providing electrical energy to the pump, charging a battery that powers the pump, etc.) that forms a desired water movement effect (e.g., a spray pattern) that affects the surface of the water. The support members may include one or more flotation elements and/or be included as part of a housing (e.g., a bird bath, water fountain) that contains a body of water associated with the water surface. The entire pump or parts thereof may also be positioned below the water surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The foregoing discussion will be understood more readily from the following detailed description of the disclosed technology, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1A  schematically illustrates a cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of a water feature incorporating solar-powered water movement effects, in accordance with at least some aspects of the disclosed technology; and  
       FIG. 1B  illustrates a 3-dimensional perspective of an exemplary embodiment of a water feature incorporating solar-powered water movement effects, in accordance with at least some aspects of the disclosed technology. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated embodiments can be understood as providing exemplary features of varying detail of certain embodiments, and therefore, unless otherwise specified, features, components, modules, elements, and/or aspects of the illustrations can be otherwise combined, interconnected, sequenced, separated, interchanged, positioned, and/or rearranged without materially departing from the disclosed systems or methods. Additionally, the shapes and sizes of components are also exemplary and unless otherwise specified, can be altered without materially affecting or limiting the disclosed technology.  
      For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “substantially” can be broadly construed to indicate a precise relationship, condition, arrangement, orientation, and/or other characteristic, as well as, deviations thereof as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, to the extent that such deviations do not materially affect the disclosed methods and systems.  
      In brief overview, the disclosed technology can be used to implement water movement effects in a water feature by, for example, submersing a photovoltaic source (e.g., one or more solar cells) below a surface of the water in the water feature to convert light energy received thereby into electrical energy sufficient to drive a pump (which may also, but need not, be submersible below the water surface) that provides a hydraulic pressure/suction, which forces water through a nozzle and/or other type of apparatus to form a desired water movement effect. The depth at which the solar cells can be submersed below the water surface can be selected to i) increase (relative to solar cells that are not submersed) the light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells by, at least in part, optically concentrating refracted and/or reflected light in the water onto the solar cells (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,583,349, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference), ii) improve the aesthetic appearance of the water feature by partially, if not entirely, obscuring an observer&#39;s view of the solar cells, iii) reduce the amount of debris that may otherwise obstruct the receipt of light energy by the solar cells, and/or iv) facilitate the transfer of heat from the solar cells to the surrounding water. In one particularly advantageous embodiment, the solar cells are submersed at a depth of about 1.5 inches below the water surface.  
      In one embodiment, the disclosed technology uses flotation elements and/or other types of dynamic or static support members to maintain a desired depth of the solar cells relative to the water surface. For example, one or more floats can be physically attached to a frame that supports the solar cells so as to maintain a desired depth regardless of changing water levels (due to, for example, adding more water to the water feature, water spills, evaporation, etc.), the solar cells can be supported by protrubances (e.g., a ledge) and/or other types of support members formed on a side and/or bottom surface of a housing of the water feature to statically maintain a particular position within the water feature, and/or in any other manner that reliably maintains a desired depth below the water surface. The support members may also serve to position the solar cells at a desired angle relative to one or more sources of light energy.  
      In one embodiment, the disclosed technology uses one or more water resistant or water proof connectors (made of, for example, a plastic material) to electrically and/or physically couple the solar cells to the pump and/or to the housing of the water feature so as to enable the removal of the solar cells from the water feature for repair, replacement, and/or storage.  
      In one illustrative embodiment and with reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the disclosed technology can be used to develop a water feature  100  (e.g., a bird bath) exhibiting a water movement effect  102  (e.g., a water fountain) that is powered by one or more solar cells  104  submersed below a water surface  106 , which provides an electric current sufficient to drive a pump  108  that is also submersed below the water surface  106 . A water resistant or waterproof housing  110  (e.g., made of plastic, ceramic, etc.) of the water feature  100  can be formed into substantially any shape, such as a bird bath, pottery, floating device, and/or any other type of shape or configuration that enables the solar cells  104  to be fixedly, and preferably removably, positioned below a water surface  106 . In one embodiment, the water feature&#39;s housing  110  can include protrubances, ledges, notches, indentations, and/or any other type of support member/structure  112  capable of supporting one or more solar cells  104  at a desired depth  114  below a water surface  106 . The depth  114  of the solar cells  104  below the water surface  106  can be at substantially any depth that enables the solar cells  104  to receive and convert light energy to electric energy, such as at a depth up to or beyond 1.5 inches. The disclosed technology can also use a frame  116  (e.g., made of plastic) to support the solar cells  104 , pump  108 , and/or other elements of the water feature  100  and the frame  116  can be positioned on other support members/structures  112  of the housing  110 .  
      In one illustrative operation, one or more solar cells  104  submersed below a water surface  106  can receive and convert light energy into electric energy and such electric energy can be provided to a pump  108  using a water-resistant or water-proof connector  118  and associated electrical wires. Upon being energized by the electric energy provided by the solar cells  104  and/or by electric energy provided by a rechargeable battery that has been charged by such solar cells  104 , the pump  108  pumps water from a pump intake orifice (not shown) to a pump outlet orifice  120  that is preferably coupled to and/or is integrated with a nozzle  122  or other type of device capable of forming a desired water movement effect  102  (e.g., a desired spray pattern of a water fountain). In order to ensure a safe operation of the pump  108 , the disclosed technology can also include a sensor (which may, but need not be, integrated into the pump  108 ) that turns the pump  108  off in response to detecting a low water or restricted flow condition and/or turns the pump  108  on in response to detecting a sufficient water level/flow condition.  
      Although the disclosed technology has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention. For example, and although the disclosed technology is primarily described herein as pertaining to water, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed technology can also be applied to any other type of liquid, liquid-liquid combination, liquid-solid combination (e.g., suspensions), and/or liquid-gas combination (e.g., carbonated drinks, champagne, etc.). The particular housing and/or other support structures of the water features described herein are also exemplary and a wide variety of alternatives exist, for example, in embodiments in which the solar cells are submersed below the water surface of a swimming pool and/or pond, the housing of the water feature may not exist and/or be in a form that may include flotation supporting elements that maintain a desired depth of the solar cells relative to the water surface. Further the solar cells may be integrated into at least one surface of a water feature&#39;s housing, for example, the solar cells may form at least part of the bottom and/or side surfaces of that portion of the housing that is in physical contact with the water.