US3834535A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Swimming pool filtering system
Assignee: Diaclear Inc
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Filing: 1972-08-09
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Granted: 1974-09-10
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Expires: 1992-08-09
Abstract
Abstract A filtering system is disclosed including a filter tank, a pump for directing liquid through an inlet into the tank and a liquid outlet formed for directing liquid from the tank to a swimming pool, or the like. A particulate filter may be disposed between the inlet and outlet of the tank and may generally comprise a layer of filter particles disposed on an upstream side of a porous, filter substrate member. Apparatus is included for automatically homogenizing the filter particles with the dirt deposits, captured on and within the filter. The automatic apparatus may include an expansible/compressible member disposed adjacent the filter substrate on a downstream side thereof. A valve may be disposed within the outlet of the tank and, upon closing the valve and operating the pump to force water through the inlet, the expansible/compressible member may be compressed to within a fraction of its original volume. The pump may then be suddenly shut off so as to cause the expansible/compressible member to suddenly expand, to force water in an upstream direction through the filter substrate, so as to knock the filter particles off the substrate and to generally evenly mix (homogenized) filter particles with the captured dirt. A waste outlet may be provided, and, upon the completion of a desired number of automatic homogenizing cycles, the waste outlet may be opened and the pump used to pump all the dirt carrying filter particles out through the waste outlet. Thereafter, new filter particles may be transmitted through the pump to the upstream side of the filter substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 R Portyrata
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 01:08
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D29/00; B01D29/11; B01D29/13; B01D29/15; B01D29/60; B01D29/606; B01D29/62; B01D29/66; B01D29/663; B01D29/88; B01D29/92
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
A method for homogenizing particles of a particulate filter with captured particles of dirt deposited on and within the filter, said filter being of the type having a spaced-apart inlet and outlet and a filter substrate dividing the space therebetween into one area at the upstream side of the substrate communicating with the inlet and another area at its downstream side communicating with the outlet, comprising the steps of: disposing a layer of the particles on said porous filter substrate at the upstream side thereof; disposing a compressible/expandable element, in the form of a hollow body the wall of which is flexible and impervious to fluids, downstream from the substrate at a location between the substrate and the outlet; sealing said body against the admission of fluids; preventing outlet fluid flow from the filter, while maintaining the inlet open and the filter and the element substantially immersed within the fluid; suddenly expanding the element to temporarily reduce the volume of the fluid-filled area on the downstream side of the substrate in respect to the area at the upstream side thereof, then increasing the volume of said area on the downstream side; whereby at least some of the fluid, surrounding the element, is forced back through the filter substrate in an upstream direction so as to ''''bump'''' the layer of particles off the filter substrate; and as a final step removing from the filter the particles bumped from the substrate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
239 words
A method for homogenizing particles of a particulate filter with captured particles of dirt deposited on and within the filter, said filter being of the type having a spaced-apart inlet and outlet and a filter substrate dividing the space therebetween into one area at the upstream side of the substrate communicating with the inlet and another area at its downstream side communicating with the outlet, comprising the steps of: disposing a layer of the particles on said porous filter substrate at the upstream side thereof; disposing a compressible/expandable element, in the form of a hollow body the wall of which is flexible and impervious to fluids, downstream from the substrate at a location between the substrate and the outlet; sealing said body against the admission of fluids; preventing outlet fluid flow from the filter, while maintaining the inlet open and the filter and the element substantially immersed within the fluid; suddenly expanding the element to temporarily reduce the volume of the fluid-filled area on the downstream side of the substrate in respect to the area at the upstream side thereof, then increasing the volume of said area on the downstream side; whereby at least some of the fluid, surrounding the element, is forced back through the filter substrate in an upstream direction so as to ''''bump'''' the layer of particles off the filter substrate; and as a final step removing from the filter the particles bumped from the substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1, with the additional step of compressing the element, before suddenly expanding the element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of compressing the element comprises the step of increasing pressure throughout said areas, and specifically in a space in which said element is confined, above that within the element; and the step of expanding the element comprises the step of suddenly lowering the pressure within said element-confining space below that wIthin the element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
238 words
In a filtering system including a filter tank, a pump for directing liquid through an inlet into the tank, a liquid outlet formed in the tank, and a particulate filter disposed between the inlet and outlet to define inlet and outlet chambers between the substrate and the inlet and outlet respectively, said particulate filter comprising a layer of particles disposed on an upstream side of a porous filter substrate member, an apparatus for homogenizing the filter particles with particles of captured dirt deposited on and within the filter, comprising: an expandable/compressible member disposed within said outlet chamber, said member being in the form of a hollow body having a flexible wall impervious to the passage of the liquid pumped through the tank, said member being sealed against the admission of said liquid; means for closing off outlet liquid flow from the filter tank, while leaving the inlet open to the flow of liquid into the tank for compressing said expandable/compressible member to within a fraction of its original volume; means for suddenly expanding said expandable/compressible member for temporarily reducing, to the extent said member is expanded, the volume of the outlet chamber; whereby at least some of the liquid surrounding the element is forced back through the filter substrate in an upstream direction so as to bump the layer of particles off the filter substrate; and means for removing from the filter the particles bumped from the member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
238 words
In a filtering system including a filter tank, a pump for directing liquid through an inlet into the tank, a liquid outlet formed in the tank, and a particulate filter disposed between the inlet and outlet to define inlet and outlet chambers between the substrate and the inlet and outlet respectively, said particulate filter comprising a layer of particles disposed on an upstream side of a porous filter substrate member, an apparatus for homogenizing the filter particles with particles of captured dirt deposited on and within the filter, comprising: an expandable/compressible member disposed within said outlet chamber, said member being in the form of a hollow body having a flexible wall impervious to the passage of the liquid pumped through the tank, said member being sealed against the admission of said liquid; means for closing off outlet liquid flow from the filter tank, while leaving the inlet open to the flow of liquid into the tank for compressing said expandable/compressible member to within a fraction of its original volume; means for suddenly expanding said expandable/compressible member for temporarily reducing, to the extent said member is expanded, the volume of the outlet chamber; whereby at least some of the liquid surrounding the element is forced back through the filter substrate in an upstream direction so as to bump the layer of particles off the filter substrate; and means for removing from the filter the particles bumped from the member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said expansible/compressible member comprises an inflatable air bag.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
99 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said means for closing off outlet liquid flow from the filter tank comprises automatic outlet valve means, operable to close said outlet in response to a back pressure caused by said filter having a high dirt content, said means for suddenly expanding said member after compression thereof comprising a linkage of the dashpot type and a pump switch, controlled thereby, said linkage responding to operation of said automatic outlet valve means to actuate the pump switch for shutting down the pump following lapse of a predetermined time interval after closure of said outlet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pump is operable to pressurize the liquid in the tank, after said outlet valve means is closed; and pump shut off means is provided for shutting off said pump, after a predetermined time lapse, in response to the movement of said outlet valve means; whereby said expansible/compressible member is compressed to within a fraction of its original volume during said time lapse by the pump means until said pump shut off means is actuated; whereupon, a sudden liquid pressure drop, caused by shutting off the pump, is operable to suddenly expand said expansible/compressible member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
233 words
A filtering device connectable to a pump and adapted for filtering a liquid forced therethrough by said pump, comprising: a filter tank having an inlet through which a liquid to be filtered is forced responsive to operation of said pump, said tank having an outlet for the filtered liquid; a filter pervious to the passage of liquids, said filter being mounted within the tank and partitioning the same into inlet and outlet chambers communicating with the inlet and outlet respectively, said filter having a surface faced toward the inlet chamber upon which particulates incapable of passing through the filter accumulate within the inlet chamber; a bag disposed wholly within the outlet chamber, said bag confining a gas and being compressible and expansible responsive to increase and decrease, respectively, of the pressure exerted thereagainst by the liquid within the tank in respect to the pressure of the gas confined within the bag; means for temporarily increasing the liquid pressure against the bag to compress the same; means for suddenly reducing the liquid pressure against the Compressed bag to expand the same and thereby reduce temporarily the outlet chamber volume, for flow of the liquid through the filter from the outlet to the inlet chambers with consequent bumping of said particulates from the filter surface upon which they have accumulated and means for removing from the filter tank the particulates bumped from the filter surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
233 words
A filtering device connectable to a pump and adapted for filtering a liquid forced therethrough by said pump, comprising: a filter tank having an inlet through which a liquid to be filtered is forced responsive to operation of said pump, said tank having an outlet for the filtered liquid; a filter pervious to the passage of liquids, said filter being mounted within the tank and partitioning the same into inlet and outlet chambers communicating with the inlet and outlet respectively, said filter having a surface faced toward the inlet chamber upon which particulates incapable of passing through the filter accumulate within the inlet chamber; a bag disposed wholly within the outlet chamber, said bag confining a gas and being compressible and expansible responsive to increase and decrease, respectively, of the pressure exerted thereagainst by the liquid within the tank in respect to the pressure of the gas confined within the bag; means for temporarily increasing the liquid pressure against the bag to compress the same; means for suddenly reducing the liquid pressure against the Compressed bag to expand the same and thereby reduce temporarily the outlet chamber volume, for flow of the liquid through the filter from the outlet to the inlet chambers with consequent bumping of said particulates from the filter surface upon which they have accumulated and means for removing from the filter tank the particulates bumped from the filter surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A filtering device as in claim 8 wherein said means for compressing the bag comprises a valve controlling flow of the liquid through the outlet and operable to close the outlet while liquid is still being pumped into the tank.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A filtering device as in claim 9 in which said valve is sensitive to the accumulation of particulates on said surface to an extent predetermined as excessive and responds to said excessive accumulation to close the outlet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A filtering device as in claim 10 wherein the means for suddenly decreasing the pressure of liquid against the bag includes a dashpot linkage responding to closure of said valve to stop operation of the pump after a predetermined lapse of time following closure of the outlet valve.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-09 | 1978-03-11 | 1978-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-09 | 1982-03-11 | 1982-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-09 | 1986-03-11 | 1986-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |