Evaporative cooler with submersible pump system

Abstract

Evaporative coolers are disclosed. The evaporative cooler includes a cooler housing, a pump, a float, and a magnetic switch. The cooler housing defines a receptacle for receiving water. The pump is disposed at least partially within the receptacle defined by the cooler housing. The pump is configured to pump water received in the receptacle defined by the cooler housing. The float is disposed within the cooler housing and positioned to float on the water received in the receptacle defined by the cooler housing. The float includes a magnet. The magnetic switch is mounted on the cooler housing and configured for activation when the magnet is proximal to the magnetic switch. The magnetic switch is electrically coupled to the pump such that the pump is deactivated when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet.

1 . An evaporative cooler comprising:
 a cooler housing defining a receptacle for receiving water;   a pump disposed at least partially within the receptacle defined by the cooler housing, the pump being configured to pump water from the receptacle defined by the cooler housing;   a float disposed within the cooler housing and positioned to float on water received in the receptacle defined by the cooler housing, the float having a magnet;   a magnetic switch mounted on the cooler housing and configured for activation when the magnet of the float is proximal to the magnetic switch, the magnetic switch being electrically coupled to the pump such that the pump is deactivated when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet of the float.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the pump is disposed within the receptacle such that the pump is at least partially submerged when the water is received in the receptacle. 
     
     
         3 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the float moves in a substantially vertical direction responsive to a change in a level of the water received in the receptacle. 
     
     
         4 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 3 , wherein the cooler housing includes a float guide configured to confine the movement of the float in the substantially vertical direction. 
     
     
         5 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic switch is mounted proximal to the float guide and the float guide is configured to confine the movement of the float such that the magnet of the float is proximal to the magnetic switch when a level of the water received by the receptacle is low. 
     
     
         6 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the float includes a water level indicator for visually indicating a level of the water received in the receptacle. 
     
     
         7 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 6 , wherein the cooler housing defines a port, the float being positioned such that the water level indicator of the float is visible through the port defined in the cooler housing. 
     
     
         8 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the magnet of the float is positioned at a top end of the float. 
     
     
         9 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the magnet of the float is proximal to the magnetic switch when a level of water received in the receptacle is low. 
     
     
         10 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 9 , the level of water received in the receptacle being low when the pump is less than completely submerged in the water received in the receptacle. 
     
     
         11 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller electrically coupled to the pump, the controller being configured to activate and deactivate the pump to pump the water from the receptacle,   wherein the magnetic switch is electrically coupled to the controller such that the controller deactivates the pump when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet of the float.   
     
     
         12 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1  further comprising an alarm, the magnetic switch being electrically coupled to the alarm such that the alarm is activated when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet of the float. 
     
     
         13 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 12 , the alarm providing at least one of a visual or audible indication when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet of the float. 
     
     
         14 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the float pivots along an arcuate path responsive to a change in a level of the water received in the receptacle. 
     
     
         15 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 14 , wherein the cooler housing includes a float pivot configured to confine the movement of the float in the arcuate path. 
     
     
         16 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 15 , wherein the magnetic switch is mounted proximal to the float pivot and the float pivot is configured to confine the movement of the float such that the magnet of the float is proximal to the magnetic switch when a level of the water received by the receptacle is low. 
     
     
         17 . In an evaporative cooler having a pump configured to pump water to evaporative media, a method for configuring the evaporative cooler to deactivate the pump when a level of the water is low comprises:
 positioning a float in the evaporative cooler to float on water received by the evaporative cooler;   mounting a magnetic switch on the evaporative cooler, the magnetic switch being configured for activation when a magnet of the float is proximal to the magnetic switch; and   electrically coupling the magnetic switch to the pump such that the pump is deactivated when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet of the float.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of electrically coupling comprises:
 electrically coupling the magnetic switch to a controller; and   electrically coupling the controller to the pump such that the controller deactivates the pump when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet of the float.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 electrically coupling the magnetic switch to an alarm such that the alarm is activated when the magnetic switch is activated by the magnet of the float.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of positioning comprises positioning a portion of the float in a float guide of the evaporative cooler such that the float guide confines the movement of the float in the substantially vertical direction.