Water pump control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10007274-B2
Application number	US-201514669402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a water pump having an engine that drives an impeller, a water storage tank connected to the water pump, a first water level detector that outputs an A signal when a water level is at or higher than a first height and outputs a B signal when lower than the height, a second water level detector that outputs the A signal when the water level is at or lower than a second height and outputs the B signal when higher than the height, a connection switcher that switches connection of the first and second water level detector, and an impeller controller connected to the connection switcher and adapted to control operation of the engine that drives the impeller of the water pump based on the signals outputted from the first and second water level detectors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling a water pump having an engine that drives an impeller, a water intake port and delivery port, a water storage tank and a hose connected to the water intake port or the delivery port, the water pump being adapted to discharge water sucked through the water intake port from the delivery port when the impeller is driven by the engine, and to discharge water from or supply water to the water storage tank when connection of the hose switched between the intake port and delivery port by an operator, comprising:
a first water level detector installed at an upper first height inside the water storage tank that outputs an A signal when a level of water in the water storage tank is at or higher than the first height and outputs a B signal when the level of the water in the water storage tank is lower than the first height;
a second water level detector installed at a lower second height inside the water storage tank that outputs the A signal same as the A signal outputted from the first water level detector when the level of the water in the water storage tank is at or lower than the second height and outputs the B signal same as the B signal outputted from the first water level detector when the level of the water in the water storage tank is higher than the second height;
an impeller controller adapted to control operation of the engine that drives the impeller of the water pump based on the signals outputted from the first and second water level detectors; and
a connection switcher interposed between the first and second water level detectors and the impeller controller to switch connection state between the first and second water level detectors and the impeller controller,
wherein the connection switcher has:
an input terminal a connected to the first water level detector;
an input terminal b connected to the second water level detector;
an output terminal c connected to the impeller controller;
an output terminal d connected to the impeller controller; and
a switch provided to be operable by the operator,

wherein the connection switcher switches the connection state between:
a first connection state in which the input terminal a is connected to the output terminal c, and the input terminal b is connected to the output terminal d; and
a second connection state in which the input terminal a is connected to the output terminal d, and the input terminal b is connected to the output terminal c, when the switch is operated by the operator,

wherein the impeller controller controls operation of the engine solely based on the signals outputted from the output terminals c and d, irrespective of how the connection switcher is switched and without checking whether in water discharge mode or in water supply mode.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller controller controls the operation of the engine to drive the impeller when the signal outputted from the output terminal c is the A signal and the signal outputted from the output terminal d is the B signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller controller controls the operation of the engine to stop the impeller when the signal outputted from the output terminal c is the B signal and the signal outputted from the output terminal d is the A signal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller controller controls the operation of the engine to maintain driving of the impeller when the impeller is driven and controls the operation of the engine to maintain stopping of the impeller when the impeller is stopped, if the signals outputted from the output terminals c and d are both the B signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller controller controls the operation of the engine to stop the impeller when the signals outputted from the output terminals c and d are both the A signal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the impeller controller issues a warning to the operator when the signals outputted from the output terminals c and d are both the A signal.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second water level detectors are constituted as float switches.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimamura Hideaki
• Ishikawa Atsuhisa

Classifications

• F04D29/426

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• Y10T137/73

  Manual control · CPC title

• F04D15/0218

  the condition being a liquid level or a lack of liquid supply · CPC title

• Y10T137/7303

  Control of both inflow and outflow of tank · CPC title

• F04D15/0066

  by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine · CPC title