Patent Abstract:
Indicators especially (although not necessarily exclusively) useful for assessing effectiveness of pool or spa water-treatment materials are described. The indicators may provide effectiveness information visually or otherwise, with certain versions including a numerical or graphical display with or without a warning light. Various versions additionally may connect directly to housings containing the water-treatment materials and be removable therefrom as desired.

Full Description:
[0001]    REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION 
         [0002]    This application is based on, claims priority to, and hereby refers to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/275,036, filed Aug. 25, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention relates to indicators and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to devices adapted to provide information relevant to determining whether water-treatment materials for pools and spas should be replaced. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Recreational and therapeutic vessels such as pools and spas typically contain water susceptible to growth of bacteria or other microorganisms potentially harmful to human health. As a consequence of this susceptibility, pool and spa owners are counseled to treat the water with chemicals intended to kill certain microorganisms or render them less harmful to humans. Adding chlorine directly to pool and spa water, for example, has long been an accepted method of treating the water. 
         [0005]    More recently, flow-through canisters or cartridges have been developed for use in pools and spas. Some of these cartridges may be placed in housings plumbed in-line as part of the water-circulation systems of the pools and spas. When no longer effective, the cartridges may be removed from the housings and replaced. 
         [0006]    Commercially marketed by the assignee of the application under the “Nature2” name are silver-containing materials useful in addition to, or as replacement for part of, the chlorine conventionally added to the water. The silver-containing materials may be placed within flow-through cartridges, which in turn are positioned within housings plumbed into (or otherwise connected to) the water-circulation systems. Accordingly, circulating pool or spa water may enter a housing, flow through its associated cartridge in contact with the silver-containing material, and exit the housing for eventual return to the pool or spa. U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,777 to Bachand, et al., describes various of many examples of these cartridges and housings. 
         [0007]    Irrespective of the type of chemicals used to treat the water, the chemicals within (or created by) the cartridge eventually dissolve, erode, or otherwise are removed from the cartridge. At some time the cartridge becomes insufficiently effective to accomplish its intended purpose and thus should be replaced. Frequently, though, the cartridge is not immediately visible to the pool or spa owner (because positioned within a housing, for example) or, even if visible, is not immediately recognizable as requiring replacement. Further, because “Nature2”-type cartridges of the assignee may be useful for extended periods (on the order of six months), consumers have time to forget about the existence of the cartridges and their need for eventual replacement. Need thus exists to indicate to pool and spa owners, or their employees or agents, when water-treatment materials should be replaced. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention provides indicators useful for this purpose. The indicators may provide information visually, aurally, tactilely, or otherwise as desired. Preferably, however, the indicators provide at least some information visually, with certain versions including both a graphical or numerical display and a warning light. Other embodiments of the invention provide a weekly countdown starting, for example, at twenty-six weeks; when the countdown is complete, the warning light illuminates and begins to blink. Persons skilled in the art will, of course, recognize that any numerical display may provide information other than or in addition to a weekly countdown and any warning light (if present) may activate prior to or after the countdown is complete or, when activated, illuminate continuously rather than in a flashing manner. 
         [0009]    Likewise, any visual display need not necessarily be numerical. As one example, such a non-numerical visual display may comprise a multi-element bar graph, with bars either appearing or disappearing as a function of time. A six-element bar graph may be especially useful for indicating remaining useful life of a six-month product such as the cartridge mentioned above, as each bar may represent one month of product life. As another example, a graphical display may include a representation of a pointer and multiple areas signifying remaining useful life, with the pointer pointing to different areas as a function of elapsed time. 
         [0010]    Versions of the invention may connect directly to the cartridge-containing housings. This connection is useful both to avoid loss or misplacement of an indicator and to identify to persons maintaining pools or spas that cartridge placement may then or soon be required. However, these versions additionally may be disconnected from the housings and moved to alternate locations if desired. Indeed, some persons having outdoor pools may prefer to move the indicators indoors so as to be able to ascertain effectiveness information without needing to venture outside. Whether the indicators are indoors or outdoors, though, optional mounting plates or other structures may permit attachment of the indicators to numerous other objects via magnets, tape, hooks, or other devices. 
         [0011]    It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide indicators configured to provide information visually, aurally, tactilely, or otherwise as desired. 
         [0012]    It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide indicators useful in identifying when materials used to treat pool or spa water should be replaced. 
         [0013]    It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide indicators having either numerical displays adapted to provide countdowns of the effectiveness of materials or graphical displays (or both). 
         [0014]    It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide indicators having warning lights. 
         [0015]    It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide indicators configured for connection to housings containing water-treatment cartridges. 
         [0016]    It is yet another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide indicators which may be disconnected from the housings and either used as freestanding objects or mounted to other objects (either indoors or outdoors). 
         [0017]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the remaining text and drawings of this application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of an exemplary indicator of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 2A-B  are perspective views of the indicator of  FIG. 1  with an optional mounting plate attached. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 3A-B  are exploded perspective views of the indicator and mounting plate of  FIGS. 2A-B . 
           [0021]      FIGS. 4A-C  are various views of the indicator of  FIG. 1  as attached to a housing. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the indicator of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the indicator and mounting plate of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of a display or an alternate exemplary indicator of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of an alternate exemplary indicator of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    Illustrated in  FIG. 1  is exemplary indicator  10  of the present invention. Indicator  10  may include a front, or face  12  through which numerical (or other) display  14  and optional warning light  18  are visible. Indicator  10  additionally may include body  22  of any appropriate shape and size. In at least one version of the invention, indicator  10  is designed to provide a weekly countdown from approximately twenty-six to zero, with light  18  illuminating discontinuously (i.e. blinking) when the countdown reaches zero.  FIG. 2A  depicts indicator  10  part-way through the countdown (at twenty-three weeks as shown on display  14 ), whereas  FIGS. 1 and 2B  illustrate a completed countdown (with “00” appearing on display  14 ). Indicator  10  may, however, be configured differently than as shown in FIGS.  1  and  2 A-B and may provide information other than a weekly countdown or via a warning light. Nevertheless, for at least certain of the assignee&#39;s “Nature2” products, configuring indicator  10  to count down weekly from “26” to “00” is beneficial, as the assignee typically recommends replacing the cartridges containing the products every approximately twenty-six weeks. 
         [0027]    Shown in  FIGS. 2A-B  and  3 A-B is optional mounting plate  26 . Mounting plate  26  may attach to rear section  30  of body  22  in any appropriate way. Alternatively, mounting plate  26  may be formed integrally with body  22 . As detailed in  FIGS. 5-6 , one or more flanged tabs  31  may extend from internal face  32  of plate  26  into suitable recesses  33  of rear section  30 . 
         [0028]    Mounting plate  26  may comprise hook  34  including opening  38 . Opening  38  may receive a protruding object, such as a nail or peg, to connect indicator  10  to another structure (e.g. an interior wall of a house). External face  42  of plate  26  additionally may, if desired, include first recess  46  into which magnet  50  may be fitted and second recess  54  into which double-sided tape  58  may be inserted. Either or both of magnet  50  and tape  58  may function to connect indicator  10  to another structure (either in addition to or in lieu of hook  34 ). 
         [0029]      FIGS. 4A-C  depict portions of an exemplary housing H with which indicator  10  may be used. Housing H preferably contains a removable cartridge which in turn contains water-treatment material such as (but not limited to) a mineral sanitizer, chlorine, or bromine. Because effectiveness of the water-treatment material diminishes as a function of time, eventually the cartridge will need to be removed for replacement. 
         [0030]    By appropriately configuring mating surfaces of indicator  10  and housing H, the indicator  10  may be attached to the housing H.  FIGS. 4A-C  show indicator  10  connected to cover C of housing H, with one or more flanges  62  snap-fitting into channel  66  of rear section  30 . Other attachment means may be used instead, however. If cover C is removable, when the countdown of display  14  reaches zero and warning light  18  activates, someone may simply remove cover C, remove and replace the cartridge within housing H, replace cover C, and attach a new indicator  10  to the cover C. These steps need not proceed in the recited order, though, and removal of the cartridge may occur either before or after the countdown reaches zero. Alternatively, if cover C is permanently attached to housing H and the cartridge need be replaced, indicator  10  may be disconnected from cover C before the combination of cover C, housing H, and the cartridge is discarded, thus allowing reuse of indicator  10  even when cover C and housing H are disposable. 
         [0031]    Indicator  10  may be activated in any suitable manner. Presently envisioned is a pushbutton switch which, when depressed for a period of time, will activate the indicator  10 . Also envisioned in some embodiments is that, once activated, indicator  10  cannot be reset. In alternate embodiments, though, indicator  10  may include a reset mechanism—which may or may not be hidden from the user. In at least some of these alternate embodiments, the same pushbutton switch may, when depressed for a longer period of time, effect resetting of the indicator  10 . In yet other alternate embodiments, an insulating film or sheet may be placed between a terminal of a battery of indicator  10  and its corresponding electrical contact. To activate the indicator  10 , a user may simply remove the insulating sheet, thereby allowing physical contact between the battery terminal and electrical contact so as to complete an electrical circuit. 
         [0032]    As is apparent from the foregoing description, indicator  10  resolves the long-standing problem in the industry of identifying to consumers when pool and spa water-treatment cartridges need replacement. It does so, furthermore, in a simple, inexpensive way. Although conceivably the indicator could be coupled to more complex electronic circuitry, computational devices, or wired or wireless transmitters or transceivers, preferred versions maintain the simplicity of indicator  10 . Because low-cost, an indicator  10  may be included with each housing H sold to consumers and with each replacement cartridge; indicator  10  also may be sold as a standalone item. Similarly, consumers need not hesitate for cost considerations before discarding an indicator  10  when its associated cartridge is discarded. 
         [0033]    Depicted in  FIG. 7  is an alternate display  14 ′, preferably a liquid crystal display (LCD), as well as pushbutton switch  180 . Rather than providing a countdown or other numerical information, display  14 ′ may provide representations of a pointer  68  and one or more regions  70 , which may be colored differently. Three such regions are shown in  FIG. 7 : first region  70 A (which may be colored green); second region  70 B (which may be colored yellow); and third region  70 C (which may be colored red). Adjacent region  70 C the word “REPLACE” optionally appears. 
         [0034]    Upon activation of the indicator  10  by depressing switch  180 , pointer  68  is shown at or adjacent first region  70 A. Thereafter, as time elapses, pointer  68  is depicted in second region  70 B and then in third region  70 C (including any intermediate depictions), alerting a consumer to the limited useful life of the indicator  10 . Displacement of pointer  68  preferably is constant as a function of time (at least until the pointer  68  indicates “REPLACE”), although variable movement of pointer  68  may occur instead. 
         [0035]      FIG. 8 , finally, illustrates alternate indicator  10 ′ of the present invention. Indicator  10 ′ may include a display, such as (LCD) display  14 ′ (with or without a warning light), visible through an appropriate window or opening (not shown) of face  12 ′. Face  12 ′ may comprise another opening  72  through which pushbutton switch  180  may protrude. In use, display  14 ′ and timer assembly  76  may be fitted between body  22 ′ and rear section  30 ′. Optional ring  80 , if present, likewise may be fitted between body  22 ′ and rear section  30 ′ for sealing or orientation purposes (or both). Screws  84  or any other appropriate fasteners may connect various components of indicator  10 ′. 
         [0036]    Interior surface  88  of rear section  30 ′ may comprise recess  92 . Such recess  92  may be designed to receive magnet  96 ; hence, when indicator  10 ′ is assembled, magnet  96  will be secured therein. Using magnet  96 , indicator  10 ′ may be attached to metal surfaces. Alternatively or additionally, double-sided tape or other adhesive may connect exterior surface  100  of rear section  30 ′ to other (non-metallic or metallic) surfaces. 
         [0037]    The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Additionally, the contents of the Bachand patent are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference.

Technology Classification (CPC): 2