Electronically controlled valve actuator in a pool or spa water line system

Abstract

An electronically controlled pool or spa actuator plumbed in a water line within a water system, having an at least one valve with a valve stem in the plumbed water line within the water system, an at least one actuator, an at least one actuator housing, an at least one electronic controller in communication with the actuator, an at least one shaft coupled to the actuator and said valve; an at least one shaft encoding device; and an at least one user interface with multiple indicator elements indicating the position of valve. A controller controlling the actuator and allowing for the programming of a custom set point. The custom set point being used to define a safe area, the valve operating within the safe area and requiring that an override input be depressed to operate the valve outside of the safe area.

1 . An electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator plumbed in a pool or spa water line system, comprising:
 a housing;   at least one control input;   at least one shaft coupled to the valve;   at least one motor coupled to and turning the shaft;   at least one shaft encoding device reading the position of the at least one shaft;   at least one user interface accessible to the user indicating the incremental positions of the valve based on the turning of the shaft and the readings of the at least one shaft encoding device indicating the position of the at least one shaft and thereby the valve, the user interface displaying same with an at least two indicators and having an at least one user input;   a controller, wherein said controller activates the motor to turn the electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator based on an input from the at least one control input to direct water within the pool or spa water line system, wherein the pool or spa water line system includes an at least one water input line and at least two outputs, where the controller activates the motor to turn the electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator and switch between a first of the at least two outputs and a second of the at least two outputs within the pool or spa water line system based on the input from the at least one control input.   
     
     
         2 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises at least two programmed set points and the user interface further comprises an at least one set mode input, wherein the at least two programmed set points are programmed into the controller via the user interface after actuating the at least one set mode input on the user interface. 
     
     
         3 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 2 , wherein the at least two set points programmed on the controller are represented on the user interface, the at least two set points together representing a specific programmed arc of travel for the valve wherein the passage of the valve beyond a first of the at least two set points requires a further input from the user interface to override a restriction of the movement beyond the position of the first of the at least two set points. 
     
     
         4 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 3 , further comprising an override input, wherein the further input from the user input is an override input which, once depressed, overrides the controller and allows for manual control of the controller and the valve through the user input from the user interface to move beyond the first of the at least two set points. 
     
     
         5 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 1 , further comprising a further indicator element on the user interface indicating when the electronically controlled pool or spa plumber water line valve actuator is being automatically controlled, wherein through the user input on the user interface the user controls the position of the valve manually when not being automatically controlled and the user interface displays the direction and position of the valve on the user interface. 
     
     
         6 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one indicator element further comprises an indicator element indicating a direction of traverse for the valve, an indicator element indicating when the controller is communicating with external controllers or sensors and an indicating element indicating the operating mode of the actuator in at least one of an automatic, manual, set point, and programming mode. 
     
     
         7 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 6 , wherein the at least two indicator elements further comprises a series of indicator elements displaying the position of the valve through a circle, the indicator elements changing a display condition to indicate the position of the valve. 
     
     
         8 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 7 , wherein the indicator elements are light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the indication of the position of the valve further comprises the controller turning the LEDs on or off or blinking to indicate the position of the valve or changes in direction of the travel of the valve. 
     
     
         9 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the control input is from an at least one pressure switch, flow switch, valve condition sensor, water condition sensor, temperature sensor, ph sensors, salinity sensor, chemical sensor, pressure sensor, overall pool or spa water chemical makeup sensor, and flow speed sensor measuring a variable within the pool or spa plumbed water line. 
     
     
         10 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator in a pool or spa plumbed water line of  claim 1 , wherein the first of the at least two outputs being coupled to a salt dispensing system having a chlorinator and a brine tank. 
     
     
         11 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 10 , the actuator switches the valve position to divert water to the brine tank within the salt dispensing system based on data input from the controller. 
     
     
         12 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 10 , wherein the actuator switches the valve position to withdraw brine from the brine tank within the salt dispensing system. 
     
     
         13 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one indicator element is an at least two LEDs arranged in a circular pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one user input includes an at least one mode button, an at least one directional button, and an at least one set button. 
     
     
         15 . The electronically controlled pool or spa valve actuator of  claim 1 , further comprising an input line for data and a five pin programming port for a user interface device for reprogramming the controller.