초록 ▼

A system and method for selecting one of a plurality of liquid supply receptacles as a source of supply for a liquid dispensing apparatus is disclosed. As liquid is withdrawn from the supply receptacle the dielectric constant of the liquid is sensed in order to detect any undissolved gases (i.e., bu

A system and method for selecting one of a plurality of liquid supply receptacles as a source of supply for a liquid dispensing apparatus is disclosed. As liquid is withdrawn from the supply receptacle the dielectric constant of the liquid is sensed in order to detect any undissolved gases (i.e., bubbles) which are present in the liquid. The presence of bubbles within the liquid indicates that a supply receptacle has become empty or indicates a failure of components associated with one of the supply receptacles. Upon the detection of undissolved gases within the liquid withdrawn from a supply receptacle, the present invention causes another liquid supply receptacle to be selected as a source of supply for the liquid dispensing apparatus. Embodiments of the present invention desirably also include switches for manually inputting when a liquid supply receptacle has been refilled or replaced, indicators for visually showing the status of the system, and a remote annunciator for communicating the status of the system to a point remote from the liquid supply receptacles.

대표청구항 ▼

A swimming pool maintenance system for selecting one of a plurality of supply receptacles as a source of a liquid flow of chemicals to the water of the swimming pool, each of the liquid supply receptacles containing both a liquid and an undissolved gas, the system comprising; (a) a nonmetallic condu

A swimming pool maintenance system for selecting one of a plurality of supply receptacles as a source of a liquid flow of chemicals to the water of the swimming pool, each of the liquid supply receptacles containing both a liquid and an undissolved gas, the system comprising; (a) a nonmetallic conduit adapted to accommodate a liquid flow of chemicals from a selected one of the liquid supply receptacles to a fluid output line, said conduit being placed in fluid communication at a first end thereof with the fluid output line and commonly connected at a second end thereof to the liquid supply receptacles; (b) sensing means located on the exterior of the conduit for sensing the dielectric constant of the liquid and any undissolved gas present in the flow of the liquid through the conduit; (c) detection means for detecting a threshold change in the dielectric constant of the contents of the flow of the liquid through the conduit, said threshold change corresponding to an amount of undissolved gasses contained in the flow of the liquid in the conduit reflecting that the selected one of the liquid supply receptacles is substantially empty of the liquid; and (d) selection means for selecting a non-empty supply receptacle as a source of supply of the liquid to flow through the conduit to the fluid output line when the detection means detects the threshold change in the dielectric constant of the contents of the conduit, thereby maintaining a source of liquid for the flow through the conduit to the fluid output line.