Patent Publication Number: US-9903599-B2

Title: Cover with integrated funnel

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/128,350 filed Mar. 4, 2015, entitled “COVER WITH INTEGRATED FUNNEL”, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     One or more aspects of embodiments according to the present invention relate to fluid feed systems, and more particularly to a system for replenishing a reservoir of a fluid feed system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     When a system with a reservoir requires periodic refilling with fluid, the refilling process may be inconvenient and vulnerable to spills, especially if access constraints make it difficult to bring the mouth of a container of fluid close to the reservoir&#39;s fill port. The problem may be exacerbated by the presence of equipment on top of the reservoir, which may obstruct access, and which may be at risk of being damaged by any spilled fluid. Moreover, if a cover is installed over the equipment during operation, it may be necessary to remove it to fill the reservoir. A funnel may be used to fill a reservoir in such a situation, but the use of a funnel may be inconvenient. If cleanliness of the fluid is important, for example, it may be necessary to clean the funnel before each use. In some circumstances it may be necessary for a service technician replenishing the reservoir to support the funnel with one hand while pouring the fluid with the other, an operation that may be difficult if the container of fluid is large or heavy, and that may carry a risk of exposing the hand supporting the funnel to spilled fluid. Thus there is a need for a convenient system for filling a reservoir, especially in situations in which the reservoir has top-mounted equipment protected by a cover. 
     SUMMARY 
     Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward a fluid feed system cover with an integrated funnel. A fluid feed system includes a reservoir and equipment installed on a top surface of the reservoir. The top surface of the reservoir also has a fill hole for replenishing the reservoir. A system cover is installed on top of the reservoir, protecting the equipment. A funnel integrated into the system cover extends into, or to just above, the reservoir fill hole, making it possible to replenish the reservoir without removing the system cover. A funnel cover is used to cover the upper opening of the funnel when reservoir replenishment is complete. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a system cover for a reservoir of a fluid feed system, the reservoir having a fill hole, the system cover including: a funnel, the funnel having an upper opening at an upper surface of the system cover, and a lower opening, wherein the funnel mates with the fill hole to receive fluid poured through the upper opening and to guide the fluid through the fill hole. 
     In one embodiment, the system includes a funnel cover covering the upper opening of the funnel. 
     In one embodiment, the system includes a seat secured to the system cover at the upper opening of the funnel, the seat engaging and securing the funnel cover. 
     In one embodiment, the seat includes an internal thread and the funnel cover includes an external thread engaging the internal thread of the seat. 
     In one embodiment, the seat is secured to the system cover with a plurality of threaded fasteners. 
     In one embodiment, the seat is an integral part of the system cover. 
     In one embodiment, the funnel cover is a tapered plug that fits into the upper opening of the funnel. 
     In one embodiment, the funnel cover has a vent providing an air path from an upper side of the funnel cover to a lower side of the funnel cover. 
     In one embodiment, a cross-sectional area of the upper opening of the funnel is greater than a cross-sectional area of the lower opening of the funnel. 
     In one embodiment, a portion of the funnel is a hollow truncated cone. 
     In one embodiment, the funnel is an integral part of the system cover. 
     In one embodiment, the system cover includes, as a major component, a material selected from the group consisting of linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene. 
     In one embodiment, the system includes a horizontal shelf that abuts against a horizontal surface of the reservoir. 
     In one embodiment, the system includes a skirt that abuts against a side surface of the reservoir. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a fluid feed system, including: a reservoir having an upper surface and a fill hole in the upper surface; and a system cover, the system cover including a funnel, the funnel having an upper opening at an upper surface of the system cover, and a lower opening, the lower opening being above the fill hole or inside the reservoir when the cover is installed on the reservoir. 
     In one embodiment, the system includes: equipment secured to the upper surface of the reservoir, wherein the system cover has a window configured to provide access to the equipment. 
     In one embodiment, the system includes: an electrical cable or a fluid line, wherein the system cover further includes a connection channel, and the electrical cable or fluid line passes through the connection channel. 
     In one embodiment, the lower opening of the funnel is inside the reservoir. 
     In one embodiment, the system includes rubber edge trim on the edge of the fill hole of the reservoir. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a system cover for a reservoir of a fluid feed system, the reservoir having a fill hole, the system cover including: a funnel, the funnel having an upper opening at an upper surface of the system cover, and a lower opening, the lower opening being above the fill hole or inside the reservoir when the cover is installed on the reservoir. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood with reference to the specification, claims and appended drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fluid feed system with the system cover removed, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a fluid feed system, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a fluid feed system cover, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a fluid feed system cover, taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 3 , according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a fluid feed system cover, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     The drawings are to scale for one embodiment. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments of a cover with integrated funnel provided in accordance with the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the features of the present invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and structures may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. As denoted elsewhere herein, like element numbers are intended to indicate like elements or features. 
     Hydronic systems may be used for various residential and commercial purposes, including, for example, for heating or cooling buildings, or for melting snow. A hydronic system for heating a building, and for removing snow from a surface, may be a closed-loop system containing a fluid, with a heat exchanger for heating the fluid, a serpentine pipe under the surface from which snow is to be removed, heat exchangers for heating the building, a circulation pump, and additional pipes for carrying the fluid between the other components of the system. The fluid may be ethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol (referred to collectively as “glycol”). 
     The fluid pressure may be kept within a working pressure range, to prevent air from leaking into the system and to prevent the fluid from boiling. Small leaks may result in a gradual loss of fluid from the system, or the internal volume of the system may change if the pipes expand or contract with changes in temperature; in either case a deficit of fluid in the system may result. Such a deficit may be remedied by adding fluid with a fluid feed system. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment a fluid feed system (which may be a glycol feed system or a “glycol feeder”) includes a reservoir  210 , a pump  215 , an electrical junction box  220 , a pressure gauge  225 , and a mode-select valve  230 . The pump  215  may have an integrated pressure switch in fluid communication with the outlet of the pump  215 . In normal operation, the pump outlet is connected to the hydronic system, and the pump inlet is connected to a pickup tube extending into the reservoir  210 . When the system pressure drops to the lower threshold of the pressure switch, the pressure switch closes, energizing the pump  215 , which pumps fluid from the reservoir  210  into the hydronic system. The pump  215  operates until the system pressure reaches the upper threshold of the pressure switch, at which point the pressure switch opens and the pump  215  shuts off. The pump  215  may be a low-flow, high-pressure pump such as a gear pump. The system may include a three-way mode-select valve  230  that may be used to select between normal operation, a feed system shut-off mode, and a mixing mode, in which the pump outlet is connected to a reservoir return pipe so that when the pump  215  operates, fluid is drawn up the pickup tube and returned to the reservoir  210 , causing the fluid to be mixed. 
     The reservoir  210  may be a plastic container substantially in the shape of a box (i.e., a rectangular parallelepiped) with a top surface that is square or rectangular. In other embodiments, the reservoir  210  has a different shape, e.g., it may be cylindrical, with a circular top surface. Equipment, such as the pump  215 , electrical junction box  220 , pressure gauge  225 , and mode-select valve  230 , is mounted on top of, and secured to the top surface of, the reservoir  210 . The top surface of the reservoir  210  also has a fill hole  235  for replenishing the fluid in the reservoir  210 . 
     A system cover  240  protects the equipment on the reservoir  210  during operation. The system cover  240  has the shape of a shallow box with an open bottom, and a lip  245  extending along the lower edge of each wall, the lip  245  including a shelf  250  that abuts against the top surface of the reservoir  210  to support the weight of the system cover  240 , and a skirt  255  that serves to align the system cover  240  with the reservoir  210  when the system cover  240  is installed. The system cover  240  has a window  260  providing access to the pressure gauge  225  and the mode-select valve  230 , two connection channels  265  ( FIG. 2 ), and an integrated funnel  270  covered by a funnel cover, or “manway”  275  ( FIG. 2 ) that fits into a manway seat  280  secured, with threaded fasteners  290 , to the system cover  240 . The reservoir  210  may be replenished, while the system cover  240  is installed on the reservoir  210 , by removing the manway  275  and pouring fluid into the integrated funnel  270 , which guides fluid into the reservoir  210  through the fill hole  235  during the replenishment process. In  FIG. 1  the manway  275  has been removed and is not shown. 
       FIG. 2  shows the fluid feed system, including the reservoir  210  and the system cover  240 , which is installed on the reservoir  210 , covering and protecting equipment mounted on the reservoir  210 . The connection channels  265  provide access for a power wire  267  to be connected to the electrical equipment under the system cover  240 , and for a flexible line to be connected from the hydronic system to the fluid-handling equipment under the system cover  240 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2  the flexible line is not connected and is not shown. The perspective view of  FIG. 2  is taken from a different angle than that of  FIG. 1 , so that, for example, the connection channels  265  that are hidden from view in  FIG. 1  are visible in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 5  show the system cover  240 , with the manway  275  removed.  FIG. 4  shows a cross section of the system cover  240 , with the manway  275 , the manway seat  280 , and the threaded fasteners  290  removed. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 , the funnel  270  has the shape of a vertically-oriented truncated cone, with the narrow end of the cone at the bottom, and with a short cylindrical section at each of the top and the bottom of the truncated cone. In other embodiments, the funnel  270  may have a different shape; for example, it may be tubular, it may have a cross section that is not circular, it may be sloped, or it may have the shape of a chute or sloping channel. As used herein, the term “funnel” refers to any sloping or vertical conduit for fluid. The funnel  270  may be an integral element formed as part of the system cover  240  when the system cover  240  is fabricated (as in the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 ) or it may be a separately fabricated or purchased component secured to the system cover  240  after the system cover  240  is fabricated. In some embodiments the manway seat  280  is an integral part of the system cover  240 , or the manway seat  280  is an integral part of the funnel  270 , and the integrated funnel  270  and manway  275  are fabricated separately from the system cover  240  and subsequently secured to the system cover  240 , e.g., with a weld or with adhesive. 
     When the replenishment of the reservoir  210  is complete, the manway  275  is reinstalled. The manway  275  keeps dirt or other contaminants out of the reservoir  210  and off of the interior surface of the funnel  270 . The outer diameter of the funnel  270  may be selected to be a close fit to the fill hole  235  when the system cover  240  is installed on the reservoir  210  (i.e., the gap between the funnel  270  and the edge of the fill hole  235  may be relatively small), to reduce the risk of contaminants, such as dust, debris, or water, entering the reservoir  210  through the gap between the funnel  270  and the fill hole  235 . In one embodiment rubber edge trim is installed on the edge of the fill hole  235  to provide a seal against the outer surface of the funnel  270  when the system cover  240  is installed. 
     The system cover  240  may be made of any of a variety of materials that are compatible with the fluid (e.g., glycol) for which the feed system is to be used and from which the system cover  240  may be fabricated by a cost-effective process. Linear low-density polyethylene (LLPE or LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, or another polymer may be used. LLPE may be compatible with (i.e., resistant to) a variety of chemicals and may have less of a tendency to become brittle than polypropylene. The system cover  240  is fabricated by any of a number of processes suitable for forming the material into the shape of the system cover  240 . In one embodiment, the system cover is formed out of LLPE by rotational molding; in this embodiment a recess in the shape of the window  260  may be formed during the rotational molding process and subsequently used to align a cutting tool that creates the window  260 . Other candidate fabrication processes include thermal forming (which may also be referred to as vacuum forming), or thermal welding. In one embodiment the overall height of the system cover  240  (excluding the manway seat  280  and the manway  275 ) is 6.63 inches; the overall width of the system cover  240  is 14.50 inches, and the overall depth of the system cover  240  is 14.50 inches. 
     The lower end of the funnel  270  extends slightly into the fill hole  235  when the system cover  240  is installed on the reservoir  210 . In other embodiments, the lower end of the funnel  270  is just above the fill hole  235  when the system cover  240  is installed. A tapered funnel  270 , like the one of  FIGS. 3-5 , may be used with a fill hole  235  that is smaller than the upper opening of the funnel  270 , and that consequently leaves a larger area on the top surface of the reservoir  210  for the equipment. 
     In one embodiment, a manway seat  280  is secured to the system cover  240 , at the junction between the top surface of the system cover  240  and the funnel  270 , with threaded fasteners  290 . For example, each of four machine screws  290  may be inserted through a respective pair of aligned clearance holes in the manway seat  280  and in the system cover  240 , and may engage a nut on the underside of the system cover  240 . Other methods may be used to secure the manway seat  280  to the system cover  240 , including solvent welding, or fastening with adhesive. The use of solvent welding or fastening with adhesive may be difficult with some materials, and, for example, a low-energy material such as LLPE may not be well suited for use with either of these processes. 
     The manway  275  may thread into the manway seat  280 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 , the interior surface of the manway seat  280  has two threads, in the form of two opposing helical ridges each extending about one-quarter of the way around the circumference of the manway seat  280 . The manway  275  has corresponding threads or ridges for engaging the threads of the manway seat  280 . The manway  275  is installed by turning it to engage the threads, until the manway  275  bottoms out on the manway seat  280 . In other embodiments, the manway  275  may be secured to the manway seat  280  by a bayonet lock, by friction, or by gravity. A commercially available manway, such as a 4-inch manway available from Ronco Plastics, of Tustin, Calif., may be used. 
     The use of a manway  275  procured together with a corresponding manway seat  280  may simplify the interface between the system cover  240  and the manway  275 , e.g., to four clearance holes. As a result, the manufacturer of the manway  275  and manway seat  280  may change the design of the interface between the manway  275  and manway seat  280  without requiring a change in the design of the system cover  240 , if the hole pattern in the manway seat  280  remains unchanged. 
     In another embodiment, a tapered plug such as a WW-1064 tapered plug or a WWX-1063 tapered plug, both available from Caplugs of Buffalo, N.Y., may be used to plug the top of the funnel. Such a plug may engage the interior surface of the funnel directly, and be held in place by friction, without requiring a separate seat. A friction fit plug, however, may be more vulnerable to being accidentally dislodged than a manway secured in place by threads engaging a manway seat. 
     The manway  275  may be vented so that the withdrawal, by the pump  215 , of fluid from the reservoir  210  does not produce a partial vacuum in the space above the fluid. In one embodiment the manway  275  has two positions, a partially closed “vent” position in which it is partially threaded into the manway seat  280 , and a fully closed position in which it forms a seal against the manway seat  280 . The manway  275  may also have a baffled internal passage that acts as a vent while providing a barrier to debris. The interface between the outer surface of the funnel  270  and the perimeter of the fill hole  235  (which may be a small gap or rubber edge trim) may form a loose seal that, although it reduces the risk of contaminants entering the reservoir, is not perfectly hermetic and thus may also function as a reservoir vent. 
     A feed system having a system cover  240  with an integrated funnel  270  may be suitable for use in other applications than as a glycol feed system, or as a feed system for a closed-loop fluid system. For example, a biocide feed system may be used for feeding biocide into a hydronic system. As another example, a chlorine metering system for supplying chlorine solution to a swimming pool may employ the same or a similar design. If the reservoir  210  is used to hold a toxic or corrosive chemical, the integrated funnel  270  may reduce the risk of exposure to the chemical that may otherwise exist, if a service technician holds a funnel  270  with one hand while pouring chemical into the funnel  270  with the other. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the inventive concept. As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. As used herein, the term “major component” means a component constituting at least half, by weight, of a composition, and the term “major portion”, when applied to a plurality of items, means at least half of the items. 
     As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the inventive concept refers to “one or more embodiments of the present invention”. Also, the term “exemplary” is intended to refer to an example or illustration. As used herein, the terms “use,” “using,” and “used” may be considered synonymous with the terms “utilize,” “utilizing,” and “utilized,” respectively. 
     It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “connected to”, “coupled to”, or “adjacent to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected to, coupled to, or adjacent to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element or layer is referred to as being “directly on”, “directly connected to”, “directly coupled to”, or “immediately adjacent to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. 
     Although exemplary embodiments of a cover with integrated funnel have been specifically described and illustrated herein, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is to be understood that a cover with integrated funnel constructed according to principles of this invention may be embodied other than as specifically described herein. The invention is also defined in the following claims, and equivalents thereof.