Patent Publication Number: US-2013247293-A1

Title: Swimming pool automatic water leveling device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a device to adjust the water levels in a swimming pool to ensure that the water is neither too high nor too low. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Swimming pool owners know that along with the health and leisure benefits of owning a pool, there are also maintenance and safety requirements to keep the pool operational. Typical pool maintenance procedures include cleaning the pool often to ensure that molds and fungus do not accumulate, regularly checking the filters to prevent blockages and maintain continuous water flow, and checking the chemical levels to ensure the pool water is at a clean and safe for enjoyment. Additionally, the water levels must be regularly monitored to ensure that the water never drops too low or gets too high. If the water is too low swimming may be inhibited or even prevented all together until more water is added. Similarly, if the water is too high flooding is likely to occur contaminating the pool and preventing use. Flooding is especially problematic during a rainstorm, where the water level may raise so much that the area surrounding the pool floods. If the flooding is bad enough the surrounding area may have to be pumped to prevent damage to the underlying land. This is a common fear and stress when a pool owner is on vacation or otherwise away from their home/pool for an extended period of time. There is nobody home to monitor and drain the pool when necessary. 
     Today, there are water level monitors to assist a pool owner in maintaining the ideal water level within their pool. Typically, these devices utilize complex valve systems attached to the pool&#39;s drainage system to maintain the water levels. Likewise, the devices commonly contain wires to operate the electrical components associated with the device. The wires may often short or malfunction due to the abundant amount of water surrounding the device. 
     It would be beneficial in the art to provide a water level maintenance device that operates wirelessly to activate draining and filling of the pool water as necessary. It would also be desirable in the art to provide a water leveling device that easily adapts to a conventional swimming pool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic water leveling device with a manual direct wire switch as a backup activator for a swimming pool, configured to include all of the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic water leveling device that includes a set of magnets fastened to a cylinder partially submerged within a swimming pool. The magnets are positioned at various levels so that once they are triggered a wireless signal is sent to either fill or drain a swimming pool. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic water leveling device easily fastens to an edge of a swimming pool or pool return for simple installation. 
     To achieve the above objects, in an aspect of the present invention, an automatic water leveling device for a swimming pool is described comprising: a cylinder attached to an edge of the swimming pool; a float suspended from a line within the cylinder, where the float rests upon the water within the cylinder; a magnetic contact attached to the float; drain magnets attached towards the top of the cylinder; and fill magnets attached toward the bottom of the cylinder. The automatic water leveling device adjusts the water levels within the swimming pool by activating a drain at the pool pump or spigot associated with the pool. As water levels rise, the float and magnetic contact meet the drain magnets to activate a system to drain the swimming pool. As the water levels fall, the float and magnetic contact meet the fill magnets to activate the system to fill the swimming pool. The system continues to drain or fill the swimming pool until the original water level is achieved. 
     These together with other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of an automatic water leveling device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2  (A) and (B) depict an operational view of an automatic water leveling device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  depicts a system diagram of a low voltage electrical circuit in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description of several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention relates to a device to adjust the water levels in a swimming pool to ensure that the water is neither too high nor too low. The present invention provides an automatic water leveling device as well as a manual wall switch for a backup which automatically detects when water needs to be added or drained from a swimming pool. The automatic water leveling device includes a piston and a radio controlled sender both positioned within a cylinder that rests at the edge of the swimming pool. The cylinder is partially submerged in the water at a predetermined optimal level. When the water rises, the piston rises within the cylinder signaling a sensor at the pool pump drain to drain the pool. Accordingly, when the water lowers, the piston lowers signaling a spigot and a hose connected to the swimming pool to fill the water. The system continues to drain or fill the swimming pool until the water level returns to the original level or ideal water level. As a backup, the system includes a hard wired manual switch to allow a user to manually operate the system. The automatic water leveling device may be battery powered for quick and easy wireless operation, and to effectively maintain the water levels in the pool. 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, referring to  FIG. 1 , an automatic water leveling device  100  is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The automatic water leveling device  100  includes a cylinder  102  positioned within a housing  110 . The housing  110  may be a foam casing to insulate and isolate the cylinder  102 . The housing  110  may be attached to an edge of a swimming pool, and partially submerged within the water to an optimal water level within pool. Utilizing a set of fasteners  118 , the housing  110  maintains its position against the side of the pool. The fasteners  118  may be clamps, bolts, clips, suction cups or a combination thereof. 
     Within the cylinder  102  may be a float  106  which is suspended from a line  104 . The float  106  rests atop a water level  130 , and raises and lowers accordingly like a piston moving on the water  130 . The line  104  is not tight, but rather taut providing slack to the float  106  allowing the float  106  to freely move upon the water surface  130 . Positioned next to the float  106  may be a magnetic contact  108 . As illustrated, the magnetic contact  108  may be attached above the float  106 , but various positions, for example below, on the side or even within, may be available. The magnetic contact  108  may trigger a radio controlled sender to activate the filling or draining of a swimming pool, where the operation of the system is further explained below. 
     At a bottom portion of the cylinder  102  may be an opening  112  that allows water  130  to enter and exit. The water  130  moves in and out of the cylinder  130  as the water level changes within the swimming pool. As the water level within the pool raises so does the water level  130  within the cylinder  102 , and likewise as the water evaporates or drains from the pool the water level  130  lowers within the cylinder  102 . Accordingly, the float  106  moves with the changing water level  130  within the cylinder  102 . 
     Attached to the cylinder  102  are a set of magnets  114  and  116 . Attached to each magnet  114  and  116  may be a low voltage wire connected to a radio controlled sender. The radio controlled sender wirelessly operates a system, to either drain or fill the swimming pool. The magnets  114  and  116  are triggered by the magnetic contact  108  to activate a drain or a spigot associated with the swimming pool. At an upper portion of the cylinder may be one or more drain magnets  114 . When wire within the drain magnets  114  is triggered by the magnetic contact  108 , the drain is activated, thereby draining water from the swimming pool. At a bottom portion of the cylinder  102  may be one or more fill magnets  116 . When the wire within the fill magnets  116  is triggered by the magnetic contact  108  the valve is activated, which in turn turns on a spigot via a solenoid to fill the water within the swimming pool. The magnets  114  and  116  may be adjustable to a heights preferred by a user. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , an operational view of the automatic water leveling device  100  is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2(A)  illustrates the automatic water leveling device in a drain scenario. As shown, when the water level rises above the ideal water level  130  within the cylinder  102  to a drain water level  132 , the float  106  and magnetic contact  108  rise to meet the drain magnets  114  creating a first connection. At this point, the wire within the drain magnet  114  is triggered, and a signal is sent by the radio controlled sender from the drain magnet  114  to a remote servo on the pool pump drain cock, thus opening the drain until the float  106  returns to the ideal water level  130 . A fill scenario is shown in  FIG. 2(B) , where when the water level drops below the ideal water level  130  to a fill water level  134 , the float  106  and the magnetic contact  108  reach the fill magnets  116 , and a second connection is made. Once the fill magnet  116  wire is triggered, the radio controlled sender activates a servo or solenoid associated with a spigot, in a default closed position, which starts water to fill the pool. The spigot maybe fastened to a hose that runs into the pool or faucet attached with the pool for automatic filling. The spigot allows water the fill the pool until the float  106  returns to the ideal water level  130 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a system diagram of a low voltage electrical circuit  150  associated with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The diagram illustrates the electrical flow through the system of the automatic water leveling device. The circuit  150  may include a 120 V wall outlet  152  and a 24 V transformer  154 . The circuit  150  includes an on/off switch  156  coupled to a black ground wire  158  and a red wire  160 . The wires  158  and  160  and a power wire  164  may activate an electric sprinkler fill valve  162  connected to the faucet, or an electric sprinkler drain valve  166  connected to a faucet drain as necessary to either fill or drain the pool. 
     By automatically leveling the water levels within the pool, the user is able to enjoy other activities instead of continuously monitoring their pool. This may be especially useful during storms when the water levels rise and often flood the pool. With the automatic water leveling device, the pool automatically drains without requiring the user to come out and actively release the drain. Similarly, when the water levels drop typically due to evaporation and use, the user does not have to come out and fill the pool by hand, actively waiting until the ideal water level is reached to turn off the hose. As an additional precaution, there may be a manual switch hard wired to the spigot and the drain as a backup to operate filling or draining the pool when necessary. Therefore, the automatic water leveling device is a generally hands off pool maintenance device, allowing the user to leave the pool unattended and have peace of mind that the water levels will be maintained. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.