US-12623936-B2 - Chemical dispensers for prolonged water treatment

Abstract

Chemical dispensers are provided that include a hollow body member including a bottom end configured to be disposed below a waterline and a top end configured to be disposed above the waterline. The hollow body member defines an interior space disposed between the bottom end and the top end that is configured to accept, through the top end, and hold therein a dissolvable chemical. The dispenser includes a buoyancy member surrounding the hollow body member and configured to provide buoyancy to the dispenser when placed in a body of water such that a first portion of the interior space remains above the waterline and a second portion of the interior space submerges below the waterline. An opening in the hollow body member allows sufficient water flow into the interior space below the waterline such that dissolution or partial dissolution of the dissolvable chemical below the waterline occurs.

Inventors

• Touraj ROWHANI

Assignees

• INNOVATIVE WATER CARE, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20220923

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A chemical dispenser comprising: a hollow body member including a bottom end configured to be disposed below a waterline and a top end configured to be disposed above the waterline, the hollow body member defining an interior space disposed between the bottom end and the top end, the interior space configured to accept, through the top end, and hold therein a dissolvable chemical; and a buoyancy member surrounding the hollow body member and configured to provide buoyancy to the chemical dispenser when the chemical dispenser is placed in a body of water such that a first portion of the interior space remains above the waterline, a second portion of the interior space submerges below the waterline, and a third portion of the interior space submerges below the waterline, wherein the hollow body member is configured such that when the interior space is filled with the dissolvable chemical, prior to dissolution, at least some of the dissolvable chemical is above the waterline in the first portion of the interior space, where an opening in the hollow body member allows sufficient water flow into the interior space below the waterline such that dissolution or partial dissolution of the dissolvable chemical below the waterline occurs, wherein the hollow body member is configured to, when the chemical dispenser is in the body of water, provide a reduced water flow to the third portion of the interior space relative to the second portion of the interior space.
2. 2 . The chemical dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the bottom end comprises an interior surface defining a bottom of the interior space, the interior surface comprising one or more protrusions extending therefrom on which the dissolvable chemical is supported, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured such that water can flow underneath portions of the dissolvable chemical that is in contact with the one or more protrusions when the dissolvable chemical is in the interior space.
3. 3 . The chemical dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the hollow body member has a central axis, the buoyancy member surrounds the top end of the hollow body member around the central axis, and the bottom end of the hollow body member extends below the buoyancy member along the central axis and remains submerged when the chemical dispenser is placed in the body of water.
4. 4 . The chemical dispenser of claim 3 , wherein at least 30% of the second portion is open space defined by the opening.
5. 5 . The chemical dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the interior space is configured to receive a stack of two or more tablets of the dissolvable chemical.
6. 6 . The chemical dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the hollow body member and/or the buoyancy member comprise a thermoplastic elastomer.
7. 7 . The chemical dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable chemical includes a water treating material releasing chemical.
8. 8 . The chemical dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising an opening in the top end of the hollow body member configured to allow access to the interior space and a cap adapted to cover the opening in the top end and form a watertight connection, wherein the cap is removable from the top end of the hollow body member to provide the access to the interior space.
9. 9 . The chemical dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a catch cup portion adjacent the bottom end of the hollow body member that does not include the opening, the catch cup portion configured to retain undissolved solids within the hollow body member.
10. 10 . A chemical dispenser comprising: a tubular container including a sidewall, a bottom end configured to be disposed below a waterline, and an open top end configured to be disposed above the waterline; an interior space defined by the tubular container between the bottom end and top end, the interior space configured to accept through the open top end a dissolvable chemical, wherein the tubular container is configured such that when the interior space is filled with the dissolvable chemical, prior to dissolution, at least some of the dissolvable chemical is above the waterline in the first portion of the interior space, an annular buoyancy member surrounding the tubular container to provide buoyancy to the chemical dispenser such that when placed on a body of water a first portion of the interior space proximal to the open top remains above the waterline, a second portion of the interior space proximal to the first portion remains below the water line, and a third portion of the interior space proximal to the bottom end remains below the waterline; and apertures defined in the sidewall surrounding the second portion of the interior space and configured to allow water flow into the interior space below the waterline, and to allow dissolution or partial dissolution of the dissolvable chemical below the waterline, wherein the apertures are not defined in the sidewall surrounding the third portion of the interior space, and wherein the hollow body member is configured to, when the chemical dispenser is in the body of water, provide a reduced water flow to the third portion of the interior space relative to the second portion of the interior space such that any of the dissolvable chemical disposed in the third portion dissolves at a reduced rate relative to any of the dissolvable chemical disposed in the second portion.
11. 11 . The chemical dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the bottom end comprises an interior surface defining a bottom of the interior space, the interior surface comprises one or more protrusions extending therefrom, wherein the one or more protrusions are configured such that water flows underneath and dissolves portions of the dissolvable chemical in contact with the one or more protrusions.
12. 12 . The chemical dispenser of claim 11 , wherein the tubular container has a central axis, the annular buoyancy member surrounds the top end of the tubular container around the central axis, and the bottom end of the tubular container extends below the annular buoyancy member along the central axis and remains submerged when the chemical dispenser is placed in the body of water.
13. 13 . The chemical dispenser of claim 12 , wherein at least 30% of the sidewall below the annular buoyancy member is open space defined by the apertures.
14. 14 . The chemical dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the interior space is configured to receive a stack of two or more tablets of the dissolvable chemical.
15. 15 . The chemical dispenser of claim 10 , wherein when the chemical dispenser is placed in water with the dissolvable chemical, a total weight of the dissolvable chemical completely dissolves after at least six days.
16. 16 . The chemical dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the dissolvable chemical includes a water treating material releasing chemical.
17. 17 . The chemical dispenser of claim 10 , further comprising a cap adapted to cover the open top of the tubular container and form a watertight connection, wherein the cap is removable from the tubular container to reveal an opening into the interior space.
18. 18 . The chemical dispenser of claim 10 , further comprising a catch cup portion adjacent the bottom end of the tubular container that does not include the apertures, the catch cup portion configured to retain undissolved solids within the tubular container.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/248,084, filed Sep. 24, 2021. INTRODUCTION The present invention generally relates to water treatment, and more particularly relates to a chemical dispenser for preparing a chemical solution and dispersing the chemical solution in a body of water over a prolonged period of time. The water in pools, spas, and other managed bodies of water often require applications of chemicals, such as disinfectants and conditioners, to keep the water safe and conducive for use. This is particularly true in bodies of water such as pools and spas in which people swim and otherwise come in direct contact with the water. However, adding disinfecting chemicals, such as chlorine, to a swimming pool requires a careful balance. The concentration of disinfecting chemicals should remain largely harmless and non-irritating to those using the water. Thus, ideally, the disinfecting chemicals must produce sufficient disinfecting effects when present in small concentrations. Concurrently, the water must retain an adequate concentration of chemicals over time to counter newly added pathogens, e.g., viruses and bacteria brought in by swimmers, and to stave off biological growth, such as that from algae blooms. Chlorine- and/or bromine-based disinfectants are the most frequently applied disinfectants and oxidizers for pool and spa treatment. These chemicals largely disable harmful pathogens and limit the growth of undesirable organisms, such as algae, bacteria, mold, fungi, and viruses. When used to maintain disinfected water, the concentration of chlorine/bromine should remain fairly stable, as levels that are too high or low may lead to issues. For example. if the concentration of chlorine falls too low, the water will not be adequately sterilized. However, if the concentration of chlorine is too high, the excess disinfectant may cause, for example, irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes of anyone entering the water. One popular means for dispersing chemicals into, for example, pools and spas involves the use of chlorine/bromine in tablet form. Often, these tablets are placed into a floating chemical disperser. These devices include a number of apertures or openings in the body of the device into which water enters and contacts the tablets. This causes the tablets to dissolve and release disinfecting chemicals into the surrounding water. Many of these floating chemical dispensers include no provision to control the rate at which the tablets dissolve and release chemicals into the surrounding water. More sophisticated versions include a means for opening or closing the apertures to limit the amount of water that flow into the device, and thus the rate at which the chemical disperses. Thus, at best, the only existing way to prolong dissolution of the tablets, and the corresponding chemical release, is to limit the flow of water contacting the tablets. This means a necessary reduction in the rate at which chemical is dispersed from the device, which causes a corresponding decrease in the concentration in the body of water. This can lead to an inadequate concentration to sufficiently disinfect a pool or spa. Alternatively, the apertures can be opened to allow more water flow, but this requires frequent tablet changes. These chemicals must be replenished manually by the pool owner or pool maintenance service. This can be time consuming and/or a large expense to the pool owner. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a device that can maintain an adequate release of chemicals over a prolonged period relative to existing, floating chemical dispensers. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. SUMMARY This summary is provided to describe select concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. A chemical dispenser is provided for preparing a chemical solution. The dispenser includes a hollow body member including a bottom end configured to be disposed below a waterline and a top end configured to be disposed above the waterline. The hollow body member defines an interior space disposed between the bottom end and the top end. The interior space is configured to accept, through the top end, and hold therein a dissolvable chemical. The dispenser also includes a buoyancy member surrounding the hollow body member and configured to provide buoyancy to the chemical dispenser when the chemical dispenser is placed in a body of water such that a first portion of the interior space remain