Patents Assigned to Pentair Water Pool & Spa, Inc.
  • Patent number: 7705240
    Abstract: A cord seal for use in an underwater niche including a main seal and a seal cap. The main seal includes a one-piece member with passages that are accessible from one side of the main seal and an opposite side of the main seal. The main seal includes at least a first split. The seal cap is placed in physical contact with the opposite side of the main seal. The first split spans from the one side of the main seal to the opposite side and the first split begins at an edge of one of the passages and ends at an outer circumferential edge of the main seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel A. Armstrong, Louis Teran
  • Patent number: 7686589
    Abstract: The present invention provides a pumping system for moving water of a swimming pool, including a water pump and a variable speed motor. In one example, a target volume amount of water and an operational time period is provided, and the operational time period is altered based upon a volume of water moved. In another example, operation of the motor is altered based upon the volume of water moved. In addition or alternatively, a target flow rate of water to be moved by the water pump is determined based upon the target volume amount and a time period. In addition or alternatively, a plurality of operations are performed on the water, and a total volume of water moved by the pump is determined. In addition or alternatively, an optimized flow rate value is determined based upon power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignees: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc., Danfoss Low Power Drives, division of Danfoss Drives A/S
    Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Lars Hoffmann Berthelsen, Ronald B. Robol, Christopher R. Yahnker, Einar Kjartan Runarsson
  • Patent number: 7628512
    Abstract: A lighting fixture includes a heat sink having a first mounting portion attached to a housing. A first circuit board containing LEDs is mounted to a first side of a second mounting portion of the heat sink. A second circuit board include an LED control circuit is mounted to a second side of the second mounting portion. A multi-layer circuit board includes a heat-dissipating core bonded to first and second dielectric substrates, which are bonded to first and second electrically conductive layers. An electrical conductor extends through a through-hole in the board to electrically connect the first and second conductive layers. An electrical insulator inside the through-hole electrically isolates the core from the conductor. A transparent cover is shaped to cause downwardly projecting light rays emitted from the LEDs to be refracted less than upwardly projecting light rays. The cover also includes vertically extending projections for horizontally refracting light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Netzel, Sr., Daniel A. Armstrong, Louis F. Teran, Jeffrey S. Barsamian, Dennis C. Dunn, Abhinay Agarwal
  • Patent number: 7575675
    Abstract: A pool cleaner debris bag is provided having an open end adapted to receive debris from the pool and a closable end defining at least one discharge passage for the bag. The pool cleaner further comprises a securing apparatus disposed along at least a portion of the closable end. For example, the securing apparatus can have at least two separable members selectively movable between an unsecured position to permit opening of the discharge passage, and a secured position having at least a portion of the first end is disposed between the at least two separable members to permit closing of the discharge passage. In addition or alternatively, the debris bag can comprise a seam disposed at a location spaced apart from the open end for defining at least one discharge passage for the bag. In addition or alternatively, the securing apparatus can comprise a clasp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventor: Suresh Cherulassery Gopalan
  • Patent number: 7553040
    Abstract: An underwater light that can include a mounting assembly attachable to a pool wall without having to make a niche in the wall, a housing coupled to the mounting assembly and including a light source cavity, a reflector in the light source cavity, a light source in front of the reflector, and a lens in front of the light source. The lens can include a plurality of contiguous parallel concave lens elements extending in a single direction to disperse light perpendicular to the single direction. The underwater light can include a removable lens cover that is at least one of red, green, yellow, and blue, in order to shine colored light into the pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Boothe, Kenneth K. Leis
  • Patent number: 7520282
    Abstract: An automatic swimming pool cleaner includes a body (18) and a wheeled undercarriage (42) for the body. The undercarriage comprises a first submerged surface (14) engaging section (50) and a normally leading second section (52). The second section is pivotable in elevation (?) relative to the first section. The pivotable second section enables the cleaner to negotiate sharp corners between a floor (14) and a wall (16) of the pool and further lengths a wheelbase provided by the first section during reverse motion of the cleaner. A surface engaging brake (81) on the second section facilitates change of direction during reverse motion of the cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventor: Herman Stoltz
  • Patent number: 7514884
    Abstract: A lighting system controller comprising a switch connected to a lighting fixture configured to be controlled by time domain switching, and a processor capable of actuating said switch so as to achieve time domain switching of the lighting fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin L. Potucek, Kevin Murphy
  • Patent number: 7513993
    Abstract: Fluid filter devices include at least one porous body. In one example, the fluid filter device can be incorporated as part of a fluid filter apparatus. The fluid filter apparatus can include a container defining an interior area wherein the filter device is positioned within the interior area. Particulate can be positioned within the interior area to cover the porous body to enhance the filter capabilities of the fluid filter apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Michael Goodwin, Christopher R. Yahnker, Robert Frank Swindell, Bret Schaller, Shirley A. Bromley, legal representative, Arthur J. Bromley
  • Patent number: 7497595
    Abstract: A lighting fixture having a color-changing mechanism, such as a color wheel, for cycling through a plurality of colors, such as by rotating, at a first speed and a second speed. The second speed is faster than the first speed. A position pulse device, such as a position sensor, generates a reference position pulse when the color-changing mechanism is at a predetermined color or position. A circuit periodically generates a master pulse. A control device causes the color-changing mechanism to cycle through the colors at the second speed when the reference position pulse is generated after the master pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael V. Mateescu, Kevin Potucek, Robert Bachman
  • Patent number: 7488084
    Abstract: A lens for a wet environment lighting device that has a fixture with an interior that has an opening, and at least one light source located within the fixture interior. Light from the light source proceeds out through the opening. The lens is for location in front of the fixture and the light source located therein and the lens encloses the opening from the wet environment. The lens has a first light-directing area for directing light in a first beam pattern. The lens also has a second light-directing area, distinct from the first light-directing area, for directing light in a second beam pattern, distinct from the first beam pattern. The lens is positioned relative to fixture and light source therein to select from the distinct beam patterns based on the alignment of the light-directing areas relative to the light source resulting from a positioning of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Potucek, Dennis Dunn
  • Patent number: 7464429
    Abstract: A mechanism (106) for selecting one of a first gear (102) and a second gear (104) for driving an automatic swimming pool cleaner (10) includes a bi-stable oscillating gear change assembly (100). The assembly is moveable between a first position wherein the first gear is engaged and a second position wherein the second gear is engaged. A first magnet (142) is carried by the assembly. A second magnet (138, 140) is carried externally of the assembly on the cleaner body (18). A cam arrangement (152, 160) initiates movement of the assembly (100) from one of the first and second positions to enable mutually repelling forces between like poles of the first and second magnets (142, 138, 140) to cause the assembly to settle in another of the first position and the second positions, thereby to change between the first and second gears quickly and cleanly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventor: Herman Stoltz
  • Patent number: 7462064
    Abstract: A strain relief device can include at least one mounting tab including a first mounting surface facing a first mounting surface direction and a second mounting surface facing a second mounting surface direction opposite the first mounting surface direction. The strain relief device can further include first and second clamping surfaces that face in diverging directions and extend along a substantially V-shaped profile. Apparatus are also provided that include a first strain relief device and a second strain relief device configured to be selectively mounted with respect to the first strain relief device in a first orientation to provide a first clamping area and a second orientation to provide a second clamping area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventor: John M Vasarhelyi
  • Publication number: 20080207043
    Abstract: A strain relief device can include at least one mounting tab including a first mounting surface facing a first mounting surface direction and a second mounting surface facing a second mounting surface direction opposite the first mounting surface direction. The strain relief device can further include first and second clamping surfaces that face in diverging directions and extend along a substantially V-shaped profile. Apparatus are also provided that include a first strain relief device and a second strain relief device configured to be selectively mounted with respect to the first strain relief device in a first orientation to provide a first clamping area and a second orientation to provide a second clamping area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Vasarhelyi
  • Patent number: 7373948
    Abstract: A backup valve for use with a pool cleaner coupled to a source of water under pressure. The valve includes a housing having an inlet and at least a first outlet and a second outlet. The valve further includes a timing apparatus directing water from said inlet to the first outlet or the second outlet. In addition, an adjustable flow controller over the second outlet is provided to increase the flow speed of fluid exiting the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanford F. Campbell, Suresh C. Gopalan
  • Publication number: 20070289906
    Abstract: A pool cleaner debris bag is provided having an open end adapted to receive debris from the pool and a closable end defining at least one discharge passage for the bag. The pool cleaner further comprises a securing apparatus disposed along at least a portion of the closable end. For example, the securing apparatus can have at least two separable members selectively movable between an unsecured position to permit opening of the discharge passage, and a secured position having at least a portion of the first end is disposed between the at least two separable members to permit closing of the discharge passage. In addition or alternatively, the debris bag can comprise a seam disposed at a location spaced apart from the open end for defining at least one discharge passage for the bag. In addition or alternatively, the securing apparatus can comprise a clasp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventor: Suresh Cherulassery Gopalan
  • Publication number: 20070289075
    Abstract: An adjustable hose clip is provided for use with a pool cleaner debris bag, including a first member having a retaining arm and a second member having a retaining arm. The hose clip also includes means for connecting the hose clip to a pool cleaner debris bag and resilient means for resiliently biasing the retaining arms towards each other such that at least a portion of a pool hose can be retained between the retaining arms. In one example, the resilient means is adapted to automatically adjust the distance between the retaining arms to accommodate various pool hoses having various diameters within the range of a minimum diameter to a maximum diameter at least 50% larger than the minimum diameter. In addition or alternatively, an arrangement for cleaning a swimming pool can include an automatic pool cleaner, a debris bag, a hose and an adjustable hose clip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventor: Suresh Cherulassery Gopalan
  • Patent number: D567189
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignees: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc., Danfoss Low Power Drives, a division of Danfoss Drive A/S
    Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Lars Hoffmann Berthelsen, Gert Kjaer, Arne Fink Hansen
  • Patent number: D568340
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignees: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc., Danfoss Low Power Drives, a division of Danfoss Drive A/S
    Inventors: Robert W Stiles, Jr., Lars Hoffmann Berthelsen, Ronald B Robol, Christopher R Yahnker, John Gary Bulluck, Gert Kjaer, Arne Fink Hansen
  • Patent number: D606562
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Lars Hoffmann Berthelsen, Ronald B. Robol, Christopher R. Yahnker, John Gary Bullock, Gert Kjaer, Arne Fink Hansen
  • Patent number: D611430
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignees: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc., Danfoss Low Power Drives, a division of Danfoss Drives A/S
    Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Lars Hoffmann Berthelsen, Gert Kjaer, Arne Fink Hansen