FR2855432A1 - Swimming pool filtering and maintaining unit, has component with plug part preventing communication between inlet opening and filtration assembly and connecting part assuring direct communication between flexible tube and assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The unit has a component with a plug part (52) that prevents direct communication between an inlet opening (20) and a filtration assembly. The component has a connecting part (54) assuring direct communication between a flexible tube and the filtration assembly. A derivation pipe connects a position at upstream of the assembly to another position at downstream of the assembly and upstream of a pumping assembly.

Description

The present invention relates to a filtration unit

and maintenance for swimming pools.

  There are already known assemblies intended to filter swimming pool water. These assemblies usually include a pump, the discharge of which is connected to a sand filter.

  This type of assembly has drawbacks, in particular for the maintenance of the filter, and a more elaborate filtration system has therefore already been proposed.

  French patent application No. 01.05556 describes a filtration process in which a flow multiplier is incorporated in a pumping assembly arranged downstream of the filtration assembly. In this way, the filtration assembly operates by suction, unlike a sand filter which operates under pressure.

  In this embodiment, valves and pipes connected to the pumping assembly allow, for the maintenance of a swimming pool, the use of a robot, requiring a low flow rate at high pressure, and a brush intended to pick up debris and dirt.

  The use of a pool maintenance brush in known systems requires closing the filtration and pumping circuit by operating at least one valve, and opening a brush circuit by opening at minus another valve. However, the brush is not a simple device, since it must include a collection unit for the collected debris and dirt so that they do not reach the associated pumping assembly. We also know the drawbacks associated with defusing pumping systems due to the almost inevitable introduction of air during the commissioning of the brush.

  The use of the broom in a swimming pool is therefore inconvenient, since it requires relatively complex operations and relatively large specialized equipment.

  Also known, according to French patent application 35 no. 02.13384, a pump for swimming pool maintenance which comprises a single electric motor which drives two pumps, a first low pressure and high flow pump, used for filtration, and a high pressure, low flow pump for driving a pool cleaning robot.

  The invention relates to a filtration and maintenance group for swimming pools in which the use of a brush is extremely simple. It does not require the operation of any valve and is only carried out with an accessory of simple production, thanks to the use of the resources of a filtration group having particular characteristics.

  More specifically, according to the invention, a small section conduit is incorporated in the filtration unit so that it allows use of the brush without interrupting the operation of the filtration unit due inter alia to a risk of defusing the pumping assembly. , and preferably with the use of part of the filtration resources of the filtration unit itself.

  More specifically, the invention relates to a filtration and maintenance group for swimming pools intended to be filled to a nominal level, of the type which comprises an inlet opening arranged partially above and below the nominal level, and an outlet opening. disposed at or near the nominal level, a pumping assembly intended to draw water from the pool through the inlet opening and to discharge it through the outlet opening, and a filtration assembly arranged between the inlet opening and the pumping assembly; according to the invention, the group further comprises a shutter and fitting element, the shutter part being intended to be placed upstream of the filtration assembly to prevent direct communication between the inlet opening and the filtration assembly, and the connection part ensuring direct communication between a flexible tube and the filtration assembly, and a bypass duct connecting a first location, disposed upstream of at least part 35 of the filtration assembly , at a second location, arranged downstream of the filtration assembly but upstream of at least part of the pumping assembly, and to which there is a suction, the flexible tube having a length sufficient for its end opposite to the end connected to the obturator and connector element can be moved to any point in the pool, and a section sufficient to suck the debris and dirt present, by sucking 5 possibly a large amount of air without causing a malfunction.

  In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the pumping assembly comprises a circulation pump and a flow multiplier, the flow multiplier comprises a converging nozzle followed by a diverging nozzle, at least part of the flow of the pump circulation is transmitted to the flow multiplier, for example upstream of the converging nozzle, and the second location at which is located towards the flow multiplier, for example upstream of the converging nozzle, so that suction is ensured.

  According to an advantageous improvement, the filtration assembly comprises at least two stages, a first coarse filtration stage and a second fine filtration stage, the element forming a shutter and fitting is arranged upstream of the coarse filtration stage, and the first location to which the bypass conduit is connected is between the two stages. In an exemplary embodiment, the first filtration stage consists of a removable basket having a large useful surface with orifices of dimension between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.

  The section of the bypass duct is preferably much less than the inlet section of the converging nozzle of the flow multiplier. Preferably, the ratio 30 of the sections of the bypass duct and the inlet section of the converging nozzle of the flow intensifier is less than 1/15.

  In an advantageous embodiment, the bypass duct is connected to the filtration assembly and to the pumping assembly near the nominal filling level of the swimming pool, and the pumping assembly sucks the water coming out of the filtration unit at a level far below the nominal filling level of the pool. It is advantageous that this level much lower than the nominal level of filling of the swimming pool at which the pumping assembly sucks the water is practically the lowest point of water circulation in the filtration and maintenance group.

  According to an improvement, the filtration unit further comprises a duct having a first end intended to be connected to a bottom drain of the swimming pool, and a second end connected upstream of the flow multiplier 10, the duct being provided with a valve arranged near its second end.

  According to another improvement, the filtration unit further comprises a shutter of the inlet opening which allows the evacuation of all the water from the filtration and maintenance unit by the pumping assembly, for place the group in wintering conditions.

  According to another improvement, the pump which sucks the water leaving the filtration unit is a double pump driven by a single electric motor, and comprising a low pressure and high flow pump which feeds the flow intensifier and a pump. at high pressure and low flow. Preferably, the high pressure and low flow pump is intended to supply a robot for maintaining the swimming pool or other games, fountains. In an advantageous embodiment, the outlet opening, disposed below the nominal level or at near this, has an axis inclined with respect to a normal to the wall of the pool at its location, so that the resulting force of the projected water has a component causing a revolving circulation or gyration in the pool.

  The angle of inclination is preferably between 15 and 50.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, referring to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a group of filtration and maintenance in one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, but shows the group in the position of use of the brush; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of part of a filtration group, provided with an additional improvement.

  FIG. 1 shows in general a group of filtration and maintenance for swimming pools in an embodiment of the invention. This group 10 is intended to be placed essentially below the nominal level of the water in the swimming pool, this level being identified by the reference 12 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

  The main elements of this filtration group are, on the one hand, a filtration assembly 14 and, on the other hand, a pumping assembly 16.

  More specifically, the filtration assembly 14 is connected at its upper part to a space which opens into the swimming pool basin by an inlet opening 18, formed by an element known in the art under the name of "skimmer" and which can be closed by a plug or a shutter, not shown. The upper space also has an upper opening 20 which is normally at ground level around the pool and which is closed by a hatch.

  The filtration assembly 14 preferably comprises at least two stages, a first stage 22 for coarse filtration and a second stage 24 for fine filtration.

  Preferably, the coarse filtration stage 22 lets particles of dimension less than a fraction of a millimeter pass through on a screen filter principle. For example, this first filtration stage 22 consists of a basket advantageously formed from a fabric with orifices from 0.1 to 0.5 mm, for example 0.3 mm, molded between ribs of injected plastic.

  The second fine filtration stage 24 preferably comprises a cylindrical filter consisting of a sheet of an accordion-pleated nonwoven, held between two circular flanges and surrounded by an external nonwoven. This second filtration stage 24 therefore in reality constitutes a double stage, on the one hand formed by the outer nonwoven, having the role of a depth filter, and on the other hand by the nonwoven pleated in accordion, having the role of a surface filter, the fineness of filtration of which is clearly greater than that of the outer nonwoven.

  An advantageous characteristic of the filtration assembly shown in FIG. 1 is that the outlet of the filter 24 is at the lowest point of the group and is connected by a conduit 26 which rises to the nominal level of the water in the swimming pool.

  The pumping assembly 16 comprises a pump 28 and a flow multiplier 30. The pump 28 is advantageously of the type described generally in the aforementioned application of French patent No. 02.13 384. This pump comprises a motor 32, advantageously of the type electric, which drives the rotor of a first pump 34 at high flow rate (for example 20 14 m3 / h) and low pressure (for example 1.4 bar) whose inlet is connected to conduit 26 at the lowest part of the filtration group, that is to say near the outlet of the filtration assembly 14. The total flow rate of the pump 34 (for example 14 m 3 / h) is distributed between a first outlet 25 36 (for example 12 m3 / h) which is connected to the flow intensifier 30 and a second outlet 38 (for example 2 m3 / h) which is connected to the second pump 40. This pump 40 raises the pressure of the liquid received (for example 1.4 bar) and feeds a line 42, fitted with a valve, which allows the operation of a robo t cleaning (working for example at 2.5 bar).

  The outlet 38 shown in the form of a separate pipe, however, preferably consists of an assembly placed all around the electric motor 32 to cool the latter.

  The flow multiplier 30 is of the type described in the aforementioned French patent application No. 01.05 556. However, in the example shown, this is a variant in which the flow multiplier 30, comprising a convergent nozzle then a divergent nozzle, is not fed into the central part narrowed by a peripheral slot, but by an injector 44 placed just upstream 5 of the convergent nozzle. Thus, for a flow of 12 m3 / h transmitted by the injector 44, the flow at the outlet of the flow multiplier 30 is of the order of 36 m3 / h, this flow being transmitted to the basin through the outlet opening 48.

  FIG. 2 represents the same filtration group, 10 but provided with an element forming a shutter and fitting 50 according to the invention.

  The element 50 comprises, on the one hand, a part forming a shutter 52 and, on the other hand, a part forming a fitting 54. This part forming a fitting is intended for the connection of a flexible tube 56 used as a broom for the swimming pool. .

  The shutter portion 52 is preferably applied upstream of the filtration assembly and in particular of the first stage 22. For example, this shutter portion 52 is a circular plate provided with lugs allowing it to be locked by rotation, by an effect bayonet.

  Consequently, most of the suction from the pump 28 passes through the flexible tube 56. When the tube essentially sucks water, leaves and other debris, the water 25 circulates normally in the filter, and the leaves and other debris sucked up are stopped by the basket 22 forming the first filtration stage. When the broom is working, it basically sucks up water.

  According to a characteristic of the invention, when air manages to be introduced into the filtration assembly, by means of the element forming a shutter and fitting, this air can circulate only in the coarse filtration part. 22 and not in the fine filtration part 24. In fact, a bypass conduit 58 of small section is placed between the filtration assembly, at a location between the two filtration stages, and the conduit 26 which joins the flow multiplier.

  Thanks to this bypass duct 58, the air sucked in by the flexible tube 56 does not circulate in the fine filtration stage 24, but passes through the duct 58 and is evacuated directly by the flow multiplier.

  In the extreme, if the water flow rate passing through the filtration stage 24 is lower than the nominal flow rate of the pump 28, the filtration unit tends to almost certain defusing.

  The bypass conduit 58 therefore has the essential advantage of allowing switching to the brush function 10 by simple positioning of the shutter and connector element 50 according to the invention. More specifically, the use of the "brush" function given by the tube 56 simply requires the removal of the hatch which closes the opening 20 and the installation of the shutter 52 on the filtration assembly. From this moment, the suction is ensured by the flexible tube 56 and continues until the element 50 is removed. At this time, the filtration unit resumes normal operation, with multiplication of the flow.

  The bypass duct 58 has the auxiliary advantage of allowing the use of the filtration basket 22 to retain debris and dirt, without disturbing the fine filtration stage 24.

  The filtration unit 10 shown in Figures 25 1 and 2 has many other advantages.

  First, the inlet opening 18 and the outlet opening 48 are very close to the nominal level 12 of the water in the pool.

  Another advantage of the filtration unit is that the pumping assembly is connected to the lower part of the filtration assembly, at the lowest point of the installation. Consequently, when the inlet opening 18 is properly blocked, the pumping assembly allows the group to be emptied, for example for wintering.

  The section of the bypass duct is very small compared to that of the duct 26. In this way, during normal operation, the flow of water passing through this bypass duct having undergone only the primary filtration is extremely reduced when 'it is water. The ratio of the sections of the conduits 58 and 26 is preferably less than 1/15, for example of the order of 1/25.

  According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the outlet 48 which opens out towards the swimming pool, either directly or through a nozzle, has an axis which is preferably inclined relative to a normal to the wall of the swimming pool. This inclination of the axis of the outlet 48 of the water stream is indicated in FIG. 3. In this way, the water stream 10 of high flow also has a high kinetic energy, transmitted to the water of the pool. with a movement component that promotes closed loop flow on the surface of the pool, and also a mixing of the entire volume of the pool. This flow in closed loop 15 allows circulation of debris and dirt, promoting their capture by suction through the opening 18 of the skimmer.

  The significant energy transmitted to the basin water ultimately makes it possible to limit, or even eliminate, the stagnation zones.

  This circulation component causing a rotating flow also has the advantage of ensuring excellent mixing of the pool water, so that there is no longer any stagnant area.

  This stirring effect is demonstrated by turbidity determination tests. In these tests, extremely fine clay is introduced into the pool water, at a rate of 50 g / m3 of water. The water is then extremely cloudy. The test consists in determining the efficiency of the filtration by determining the time necessary for the water to return to a clarity threshold which corresponds to a turbidity index four times lower, using a turbidimeter.

  It is thus determined that the return to the acceptable turbidity threshold requires less than a day, generally of the order of ten hours, while several days are usually necessary with conventional filtration. This result is obtained, on the one hand, thanks to the high flow rate obtained with the flow rate multiplier, for a moderate power of the pump, and, on the other hand, thanks to the stirring effect obtained by the gyration induced by the resulting from the outlet water stream and its orientation. Figure 3 shows the major part of a filtration unit according to the invention, in perspective view, with in addition a certain number of advantageous characteristics. In particular, it should be noted that the housing of the filtration assembly and of the conduit 26 consists of an assembly produced by a blowing technique, the body containing the filter preferably being ribbed to have good mechanical strength.

  We also note in Figure 3 an improvement that a conduit 60 has an upper end on the one hand which opens to the atmosphere and on the other hand which is connected by a valve 62 to a location which is upstream of the flow multiplier. Its lower end is intended to be connected to a drain at the bottom of the pool.

  In this way, it is possible to circulate water 20 by vacuum in this conduit at a flow rate of approximately 4 m3 / h and thus to obtain circulation by a bottom drain of the swimming pool.

  Although it has been indicated that the bypass duct is connected between the first and second filtration stages, it can also be placed entirely upstream of this filtration assembly. In this case, debris can pass through the bypass pipe, but as it has a small section, this debris is not very annoying, as long as they do not block this pipe. Any device sufficient to prevent clogging of the bypass pipe is therefore sufficient. In addition, the second end of the duct can be connected at any location where there is a suction, for example at any point upstream of the converging nozzle of the flow multiplier.

  Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to the filtration groups which have just been described solely by way of non-limiting example without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

  1. Filtration and maintenance group for swimming pools intended to be filled to a nominal level, of the type which comprises an inlet opening (20) partially disposed above and below the nominal level, and an opening of outlet (48) disposed at or near the nominal level, a pumping assembly (16) intended to draw water from the pool through the inlet opening (20) and to discharge it 10 through the outlet opening (48), and a filtration assembly (14) disposed between the inlet opening (20) and the pumping assembly (16), characterized in that it further comprises an element (50) forming a shutter and fitting, the shutter portion (52) forming a shutter being intended to be placed upstream of the filtration assembly (14) to prevent direct communication between the inlet opening (20) and the filtration assembly (14), and the part (54) forming a connection ensuring direct communication between a flexible tube (56) and the filter assembly ration (14), and a bypass conduit (58) connecting a first location, disposed upstream of at least part of the filtration assembly (14), to a second location, arranged downstream of the assembly filtration (14) but upstream of at least part of the pumping assembly (16), and to which there is a suction, the flexible tube having a length sufficient for its end opposite to the end connected to the element (50) forming a shutter and connector can be moved to any point of the pool, and a section sufficient to suck the debris and dirt present, possibly sucking a large amount of air without causing malfunction.   2. Filtration and maintenance unit according to reven35 dication 1, characterized in that the pumping assembly (16) comprises a circulation pump (28) and a flow multiplier (30), the multiplier (30) of flow includes a converging nozzle followed by a diverging nozzle, at least part of the flow of the circulation pump (28) is transmitted upstream of the diverging nozzle, and the second location to which the bypass conduit (58) is connected upstream of the divergent nozzle.   3. filtration and maintenance unit according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the filtration assembly (14) comprises at least two stages, a first stage (22) of coarse filtration and a second stage (24) for fine filtration, the element (50) forming a shutter and a connector is arranged upstream of the stage (22) of coarse filtration, and the first location to which the bypass conduit (58) is connected is located the two floors.   4. Filtration and maintenance group according to claim 3, characterized in that the first filtration stage (22) is constituted by a removable basket having a large useful surface with orifices of dimension between 0.1 and 0, 5 mm.   5. Filtration and maintenance unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the section of the bypass duct (58) is much less than the inlet section of the converging nozzle of the multiplier ( 30) debit.   6. Filtration and maintenance unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the bypass duct (58) is connected to the filtration assembly (14) and to the pumping assembly (16) near the nominal level (12) of filling the swimming pool, and the pumping assembly (16) sucks the water leaving the filtration assembly (14) at a level much lower than the nominal level of filling the pool.   7. Filtration and maintenance unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it further comprises a duct (60) having a first end intended to be connected to a bottom drain of the 35 swimming pool, and a second end connected upstream of the flow multiplier (30), the duct being provided with a valve (62) disposed near its second end.   8. Filtration and maintenance unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it further comprises a shutter of the inlet opening (20) which allows the evacuation of all of the water from the 5 filtration and maintenance group by the pumping assembly (16), to place the group in wintering condition.   9. Filtration and maintenance unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the pump (28) which sucks the water leaving the filtration assembly (14) is a double driven pump by a single electric motor (32), and comprising a low pressure and high flow pump (34) which supplies the flow intensifier (30) and a high pressure and low flow pump (40).   10. Filtration and maintenance unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the outlet opening (48) disposed at or near the nominal level has an axis inclined relative to to a normal to the wall of the pool at its location, so that the projected water has a component causing a rotating circulation in the pool.