Automatic chlorine and pH control apparatus for swimming pools

Claim 1

An apparatus for automatically controlling a chlorinator supplying chlorine to water in a swimming pool, which comprises: analyzer means having a sample cell for holding a liquid sample from a swimming pool and for producing an electrical signal functionally related to the chlorine residual in said liquid sample; timing means including a counter operably connected to said analyzer means for generating a first set of timing signals to enable the operation of said analyzer means on a preselected periodic interval and a second set of timing signals; reagent control means for metering the introduction of chlorine reagent into the sample cell; controller means for defining a cycle of operation and including a multistate counter receiving said second set of timing signals from said timing means, said controller means being operably connected to a motor driven plunger for drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell and said reagent control means to: a. draw into and expel from the sample cell a quantity of liquid to wash out the cell during one phase of the cycle of operation, b. draw a liquid sample and inject chlorine reagent into the sample cell during the following phase of the cycle of operation, and c. exhaust the contents of the sample cell after a chlorine residual test has been completed; comparator means coupled to said analyzer means for detecting the existence or non-existence of a desired level of chlorine residual in the liquid sample and for providing an output signal indicative thereof; and feed control means responsive to the output signal from said comparator means for regulating a chlorinator supplying chlorine to the swimming pool water.

Claim 2

An apparatus for automatically controlling a chlorinator supplying chlorine to water in a swimming pool, which comprises: analyzer means having a sample cell for holding a liquid sample from a swimming pool and for producing an electrical signal functionally related to the chlorine residual in said liquid sample; timing means including a counter operably connected to said analyzer means for generating a first set of timing signals to enable the operation of said analyzer means on a preselected periodic interval and a second set of timing signals; reagent control means for metering the introduction of chlorine reagent into the sample cell; controller means for defining a cycle of operation and including a multistate counter receiving said second set of timing signals from said timing means, said controller means being operably connected to a motor driven plunger for drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell and said reagent control means to: a. draw into and expel from the sample cell a quantity of liquid to wash out the cell during one phase of the cycle of operation, b. draw a liquid sample and inject chlorine reagent into the sample cell during the following phase of the cycle of operation, and c. exhaust the contents of the sample cell after a chlorine residual test has been completed; comparator means coupled to said analyzer means for detecting the existence or non-existence of a desired level of chlorine residual in the liquid sample and for providing an output signal indicative thereof; and feed control means responsive to the output signal from said comparator means for regulating a chlorinator supplying chlorine to the swimming pool water.

Claim 8

An apparatus for regulating the introduction of a water purification substance and a pH compensation substance into a reservoir of water to maintain a desired residual amount of purification substance and a desired pH level therein, comprising: analyzer means including a sample cell for producing a first electrical signal functionally related to the amount of liquid purification substance present in a first liquid sample from the reservoir and for producing a second electrical signal functionally related to the pH of a second liquid sample from the reservoir; timing means including a counter operably connected to said analyzer means for generating a first set of timing signals to enable the operation of said analyzer means on a preselected periodic interval and a second set of timing signals; a motor driven plunger for drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell in said analyzer means; reagent introduction means for entering first and second reagents into said analyzer along with respective first and second liquid samples; controller means for defining a cycle of operation and including a counter receiving said second set of timing signals from said timing means, said controller means being operably connected to said motor driven plunger and said reagent introduction means to: a. activate said plunger to cause a quantity of liquid to be drawn into and expelled from said analyzer means to wash out the cell during a first phase of the cycle of operation, b. activate said plunger to draw a first liquid sample into said analyzer means and activate said reagent introduction means to release a first reagent into said analyzer means during a second phase of the cycle of operation, c. exhaust the liquid contents of the analyzer means after a test has been completed, and d. repeat the sequence in connection with the testing of the second liquid sample with the second reagent; and means responsive to each of said first and second electrical signals from said analyzer means for enabling the introduction of an additional amount of liquid purification substance and the introduction of an additional amount of pH compensation substance into the reservoir.

Claim 9

An apparatus for regulating the introduction of a water purification substance and a pH compensation substance into a reservoir of water to maintain a desired residual amount of purification substance and a desired pH level therein, comprising: analyzer means including a sample cell for producing a first electrical signal functionally related to the amount of liquid purification substance present in a first liquid sample from the reservoir and for producing a second electrical signal functionally related to the pH of a second liquid sample from the reservoir; timing means including a counter operably connected to said analyzer means for generating a first set of timing signals to enable the operation of said analyzer means on a preselected periodic interval and a second set of timing signals; a motor driven plunger for drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell in said analyzer means; reagent introduction means for entering first and second reagents into said analyzer along with respective first and second liquid samples; controller means for defining a cycle of operation and including a counter receiving said second set of timing signals from said timing means, said controller means being operably connected to said motor driven plunger and said reagent introduction means to: a. activate said plunger to cause a quantity of liquid to be drawn into and expelled from said analyzer means to wash out the cell during a first phase of the cycle of operation, b. activate said plunger to draw a first liquid sample into said analyzer means and activate said reagent introduction means to release a first reagent into said analyzer means during a second phase of the cycle of operation, c. exhaust the liquid contents of the analyzer means after a test has been completed, and d. repeat the sequence in connection with the testing of the second liquid sample with the second reagent; and means responsive to each of said first and second electrical signals from said analyzer means for enabling the introduction of an additional amount of liquid purification substance and the introduction of an additional amount of pH compensation substance into the reservoir.

Claim 14

An apparatus for automatically controlling the introduction of chlorine into a swimming pool by a chlorinator and controlling the introduction of an acid substance into the pool water to maintain a desired residual amount of purification substance and a desired pH level therein, comprising: a colorimetric analyzer having a light source and first and second photocells connected to said supply of electrical power and including a sample cell disposed between the light source and photocells into which first and second liquid samples from a swimming pool are introduced; said analyzer producing a first electrical signal proportional to the chlorine residual present in said first liquid sample and a second electrical signal functionally related to the pH level of the second liquid sample; timing means including an oscillator circuit driving a counter to provide first and second clock signals having different periods of repetition with said second clock signal being used to enable the operation of said analyzer means on a preselected periodic interval; a motor driven plunger for drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell, said motor being activated by a solenoid; a bottle of chlorine reagent in fluid communication with the sample cell via a duct with a solenoid valve metering reagent flow; a bottle of pH reagent in fluid communication with the sample cell via a duct with a solenoid valve metering reagent flow; a controller connected to the solenoid activating said motor driven plunger and to the solenoid valves of said bottle of chlorine reagent and said bottle of pH reagent, said controller comprising a counter receiving the first of said clock signals from said timing means for defining a cycle of operation that involves: a. drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell to wash it out prior to the making of a first liquid sample analysis, b. simultaneously drawing in a first liquid sample for analysis along with chlorine reagent and expelling the contents of the sample cell at the conclusion of a chlorine residual analysis, c. drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell to wash it out prior to the making of a second liquid sample analysis, and d. simultaneously drawing in a second liquid sample for analysis along with the pH reagent and exhausting the contents of the sample cell at the conclusion of the analysis; first and second comparators coupled to the first and second photocells of said analyzer for detecting the presence of a desired amount of chlorine residual in the first liquid sample and a desired pH level of the second liquid sample; said first comparator producing an electrical signal indicative of the existence or non-existence of a desired chlorine residual by comparing the electrical signal from the first photocell with a first reference signal and said second comparator producing an electrical signal indicative of the existence of non-existence of a desired pH level by comparing the electrical signal from the second photocell with a second reference signal; first and second storage elements receiving the signals from said first and second comparator, respectively, and retaining the values thereof over the period of time between the periodic operation of said analyzer means initiated by said timing means; a chlorinator feed control responsive to the signal value stored in said first storage element for enabling the operation of a chlorinator supplying chlorine to the swimming pool water; and an acidifier feed control responsive to the signal value stored in said second storage element for enabling the operation of an acidifier supplying an acid substance to the swimming pool water.

Claim 15

An apparatus for automatically controlling the introduction of chlorine into a swimming pool by a chlorinator and controlling the introduction of an acid substance into the pool water to maintain a desired residual amount of purification substance and a desired pH level therein, comprising: a colorimetric analyzer having a light source and first and second photocells connected to said supply of electrical power and including a sample cell disposed between the light source and photocells into which first and second liquid samples from a swimming pool are introduced; said analyzer producing a first electrical signal proportional to the chlorine residual present in said first liquid sample and a second electrical signal functionally related to the pH level of the second liquid sample; timing means including an oscillator circuit driving a counter to provide first and second clock signals having different periods of repetition with said second clock signal being used to enable the operation of said analyzer means on a preselected periodic interval; a motor driven plunger for drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell, said motor being activated by a solenoid; a bottle of chlorine reagent in fluid communication with the sample cell via a duct with a solenoid valve metering reagent flow; a bottle of pH reagent in fluid communication with the sample cell via a duct with a solenoid valve metering reagent flow; a controller connected to the solenoid activating said motor driven plunger and to the solenoid valves of said bottle of chlorine reagent and said bottle of pH reagent, said controller comprising a counter receiving the first of said clock signals from said timing means for defining a cycle of operation that involves: a. drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell to wash it out prior to the making of a first liquid sample analysis, b. simultaneously drawing in a first liquid sample for analysis along with chlorine reagent and expelling the contents of the sample cell at the conclusion of a chlorine residual analysis, c. drawing in and expelling liquid from the sample cell to wash it out prior to the making of a second liquid sample analysis, and d. simultaneously drawing in a second liquid sample for analysis along with the pH reagent and exhausting the contents of the sample cell at the conclusion of the analysis; first and second comparators coupled to the first and second photocells of said analyzer for detecting the presence of a desired amount of chlorine residual in the first liquid sample and a desired pH level of the second liquid sample; said first comparator producing an electrical signal indicative of the existence or non-existence of a desired chlorine residual by comparing the electrical signal from the first photocell with a first reference signal and said second comparator producing an electrical signal indicative of the existence of non-existence of a desired pH level by comparing the electrical signal from the second photocell with a second reference signal; first and second storage elements receiving the signals from said first and second comparator, respectively, and retaining the values thereof over the period of time between the periodic operation of said analyzer means initiated by said timing means; a chlorinator feed control responsive to the signal value stored in said first storage element for enabling the operation of a chlorinator supplying chlorine to the swimming pool water; and an acidifier feed control responsive to the signal value stored in said second storage element for enabling the operation of an acidifier supplying an acid substance to the swimming pool water.