Pump using multi voltage electronics with run dry and over current protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745974-B2
Application number	US-201414265587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 7, 2011
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A pump system features a power adapter and a pump having a signal processor. The power adapter includes voltage settings that respond to a voltage setting by a user and provide a selected voltage. The signal processor receives signaling containing information about the selected voltage supplied to a motor to run the pump, and also containing information about whether a current draw of the pump is lower than a predetermined low current level or is higher than a predetermined high current level; and determines whether to shut off the pump after a predetermined time, based on the signaling received.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pump system comprising:
a power adapter having voltage settings, each voltage setting configured to be set by a user to provide a selected voltage corresponding to a different flow rate selected by the user for a particular application, the power adapter configured to respond to a voltage setting selected and provide the selected voltage corresponding to the voltage setting selected by the user; and
a pump configured to accept various input voltages corresponding to the voltage setting selected and operate the pump at the different flow rate for the particular application based upon the selected voltage received, the pump having a signal processor, including where the signal processor forms part of a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), the signal processor configured to:
receive signaling containing information about the selected voltage being supplied to a motor to run the pump, and also containing information about whether a current draw of the pump is lower than a first predetermined current level corresponding to the selected voltage or is higher than a second predetermined current level corresponding to the selected voltage, the first predetermined current level being lower than the second predetermined current level to determine a range corresponding to the voltage setting selected; and
determine corresponding signaling containing information about whether to shut off the pump after a predetermined time for providing run dry and over current protection controller functionality, based at least partly on the signaling received.

2. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein each voltage setting corresponds to a respective flow rate of the pump.

3. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage settings include at least two voltage settings selected from a group that includes a 6 volt setting, a 9 volt setting, a 12 volt setting, an 18 volt setting and a 24 volt setting.

4. A system pump according to claim 1 , wherein the PCBA is configured to receive sensed signaling from a fluid supply sensor, or a pressure sensor, or a fluid level sensor, and determine whether to shut off the pump after the predetermined time, based at least partly on the sensed signaling received, including when the fluid supply sensor, the pressure sensor or the fluid level sensor is activated.

5. A pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the fluid supply sensor is configured to sense a fluid supply, and provide a fluid supply signal containing information about the fluid supply, including when the fluid supply is empty.

6. A pump system according to claim 5 , wherein the integrated light is configured to receive light control signaling and either turn on when the pump is running or blink when the pump shuts off.

7. A pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to sense a fluid pressure, and provide a fluid pressure signal containing information about the fluid pressure.

8. A pump system according to claim 7 , wherein the signal processor is configured to provide the light control signaling.

9. A pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the fluid level sensor is configured to sense a fluid level, and provide a fluid level signal containing information about the fluid level.

10. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to implement a start-up process comprising:
detecting the selected voltage being supplied from the power adapter to the motor.

11. A pump system according to claim 10 , wherein the start-up process comprises:
priming the pump at the selected voltage; and
either shutting off the pump after the predetermined time if the pump does not prime, or running the pump if the pump does prime.

12. A pump system according to claim 10 , wherein the signal processor is configured to implement a normal operating mode process comprising:
determining if the pump experiences a first current draw by comparing a sensed current being drawn by the pump to a respective first predetermined current value corresponding to the selected voltage detected; and
shutting off the pump after the predetermined time if the sensed current is less than the respective first predetermined current value.

13. A pump system according to claim 12 , wherein the normal operating mode process includes:
determining if the pump experiences a second current draw by comparing the sensed current being drawn by the pump to a predetermined second current value; and
shutting off the pump after the predetermined time if the sensed current is greater than the predetermined second current value.

14. A pump system according to claim 10 , wherein the normal operating mode process includes:
determining if the pump experiences a second current draw by comparing a sensed current being drawn by the pump to a predetermined second current value; and
shutting off the pump after the predetermined time if the sensed current is greater than the predetermined second current value.

15. A pump system according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined second current value is a respective predetermined second current value corresponding to the selected voltage detected.

16. A pump system according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined second current value is a single second current value for any selected voltage detected.

17. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to implement a normal operating mode process comprising:
determining if the pump experiences a first current draw by comparing a sensed current being drawn by the pump to a respective first predetermined current value corresponding to the selected voltage; and
shutting off the pump after the predetermined time if the sensed current is less than the respective first predetermined current value.

18. A pump system according to claim 17 , wherein the normal operating mode process includes:
determining if the pump experiences a second current draw by comparing the sensed current being drawn by the pump to a predetermined second current value; and
shutting off the pump after the predetermined time if the sensed current is greater than the respective predetermined second current value.

19. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the normal operating mode process includes:
determining if the pump experiences a second current draw by comparing a sensed current being drawn by the pump to a predetermined second current value; and
shutting off the pump after the predetermined time if the sensed current is greater than the respective predetermined second current value.

20. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises an on/off switch having an integrated light.

21. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump system is configured as an integral pump system so that the pump contains the power adapter.

22. A pump system according to claim 21 , wherein the pump comprises a housing, including a motor housing; and the voltage settings are adapted to extend outside and external to the housing of the pump to be selected by the user.

23. A pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal process is configured to provide the corresponding signaling as control signaling to shut off the pump after the predetermined time for providing the run dry and over current protection controller functionality.

Assignees

• Flow Control LLC

Inventors

• Phillips David L
• Meza Humberto V
• Tran Derrick T

Classifications

• F04B2203/0202

  Voltage · CPC title

• F04B49/06 Primary

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• F04B17/03 Primary

  driven by electric motors · CPC title

• F04B2201/0207

  Number of pumping strokes in unit time · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title