Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
MOTOR LEAKAGE CURRENT DETECTOR, DEVICES USING SAME
AND RELATED METHODS
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus and methods
for detecting a
failure condition in an electric motor driven device and/or for addressing
heat issues related to
circuits, and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for detecting
leakage current in a
motor driven device when the motor driven device is not operating and
addressing heat
dissipation issues in a circuit, and devices using the above, and related
methods to same.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Electric motor driven devices have been used for many years and have
a wide range
of applications. Many applications require the motor to turn on automatically
and operate when
certain conditions are present. Often in these applications, the failure of
the motor to operate
when the conditions are present has undesirable effects. It thus is desirable
to know when a motor
is predisposed to or starting to fail, so the undesired effects of a motor
failure can be avoided.
While there are many different types of motor driven devices and applications
where the failure
of a motor has undesirable effects, one example is a submersible sump pump.
Many homeowners
place submersible sump pumps in the sump pits in the basement of their home.
When the water
level in the sump pit rises to a certain level (e.g., when it rains), the pump
will turn on and
transport the water to a different location. If the sump pump fails and does
not turn on, the
homeowner's basement may flood and cause damage to the things in the
homeowner's basement
such as carpet or drywall. Electric sump pumps are generally powered via an AC
power source
that plugs into a home's AC power supply (or mains electricity, domestic
power, grid power,
etc.).
[0003] Many common issues of sump pump failure are known, and many
improvements
have been made to sump pump technology. A common problem among sump pumps is
that the
mechanical float switch that detects the height of the water corrodes or
otherwise breaks down
over time and fails. This results in the pump failing to run even when the
water level rises beyond
the maximum allowable level. Some solutions to this problem have been to use a
solid-state fluid
level sensor or a pneumatic fluid level sensor rather than a mechanical float.
This reduces the
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
number of mechanical parts that are exposed to water that cause the mechanical
floats to fail.
Indeed, float switch failure is the most common problem associated with sump
pumps and reason
for their failure, however, there are other problems that can occur that are
harder to detect.
[0004] The next leading problem for pumps is motor failure caused by
difficult to detect
problems such as compromised insulation systems and/or water intrusion into
the pump. These
may be due to problems with the potting material used to encase the motor and
waterproof it, or
due to cracks in the motor housing, etc. For example, water intrusion can be
caused by the failure
of a seal which allows water to leak into the motor cavity. Once water gets to
the motor cavity,
the insulation around the motor windings begin to gradually deteriorate
causing a variety of
electrical problems for the motor, such as a short circuit or ground fault.
While the pump may
continue to run for some period of time, once water gets into the motor, the
motor of the pump
will likely fail in the near future. These types of problems are not currently
detected until the
pump fails which is too late, particularly if the failure occurs when the pump
is needed most in a
storm or flood condition.
[0005] Before discussing how the leakage current detector operates, the
cause of the
existence of leakage current will first be explained. Motors have windings
that are encased in
insulation. The insulation may be made of any material that is non-conducting,
including non-
conducting varnishes. This provides an insulative barrier between the motor
windings and the
motor housing or the cavity walls in which the motor is placed in. The
insulative barrier prevents
the motor windings from short circuiting across the windings or from leaking
current to ground
through the motor housing or other components that the motor may be near. Once
in contact with
water, the motor insulation degrades and deteriorates. This allows current to
flow through or
leak out of the motor through the degraded portion of the motor insulation.
This can not only
result in dangerous conditions, but also indicates that the motor will no
longer operate properly
once the degradation of the motor winding insulation has progressed further.
The motor
insulation may degrade due to age or other environmental conditions, not just
due to contact with
water. Thus, it has become important to know when this failure or degradation
occurs so that
action may be taken to prevent motor failure at an inopportune time.
[0006] Similarly, motors are often encased in epoxy resin to waterproof the
housing and/or
protect electronics therein. This resin can breakdown over time as well and
cause some of the
same problems as those discussed immediately above. Thus, having the ability
to detect motor
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
leakage current and to monitor other features of the motor as will be
discussed herein are very
important and useful to detect issues in advance of them becoming major
problems so that they
can be reported to a user prior to any damage being done.
[0007] Systems to detect leakage current exist, however, many systems
require the motor to
be running for leakage current to be detected. This is problematic in
applications where a motor
is only running when certain conditions are present, e.g., when water reaches
a certain level.
Using many of the existing leakage current detection systems, it could only be
discovered that a
motor exhibits failure conditions once the conditions requiring the motor to
operate are present,
which is often too late.
[0008] Another limitation of existing leakage current detection system is
that the system
must know with certainty which conductor is the Neutral and which is the Line
or Hot conductor.
Standard electrical outlets in the U.S. are designed to provide this
information, with code defining
that the big prong receptacle on an electrical outlet is Neutral and the small
prong receptacle is
Line. Normally code also requires the wiring to be color coded (e.g., line/hot
is black wire, neutral
is white wire, ground wire is plain copper wire, etc.). Unfortunately, in many
homes and
buildings in the United States, care has not been taken to ensure that the
electrical outlets are
wired properly (e.g., sometimes wires are hooked to wrong prongs, sometimes a
white wire is
marked with electrical tape to indicate it is being used as a line/hot wire
instead of neutral, etc.).
Thus, when using many of the existing leakage current detection systems with
electrical outlets
that are wired backward, leakage current is not able to be detected. This
results in motors not
being identified as exhibiting motor failure conditions, ultimately resulting
in an unexpected
motor failure.
[0009] Another problem with conventional circuits is their inability to
address or dissipate
heat in circuits, particularly those having an alternating current ("AC")
switch. In some devices,
thermal cutoff switches are used to prevent a circuit from overheating and/or
doing damage to
the circuitry (or one or more components of the circuitry). This interrupts
use of the circuit or
device associated with same which is not desirable. In alternate forms, large
heatsinks are used
to address the heat, but these can be expensive and/or require valuable space
to be taken-up with
the heatsink.
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Described herein are embodiments of systems, methods and apparatus
for
addressing shortcomings of known sump pumps.
[0011] This description includes drawings, wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram for a leakage current detector
in according with
aspects of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exemplary circuit diagram for a leakage current
detector used in
connection with a pump;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an alternate exemplary circuit diagram for a leakage
current detector in
accordance with aspects of the invention;
[0015] FIGS. 4A-C are top perspective, bottom perspective, and partial
cutaway views,
respectively, of a smart power cord assembly in accordance with aspects of the
invention
illustrating the power cord with one half of the housing removed in FIG. 1C to
show internal
components;
[0016] FIGS. 5A-B are top plan views of an alternate smart power cord in
accordance with
the invention illustrating the housing in FIG. 5A and illustrating the housing
with a detailed
overlay applied thereto in FIG. 5B;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary leakage current
detection routine in
accordance with aspects of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary conductor test
routine in accordance
with aspects of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary uses for the smart power cord disclosed
herein and
illustrates how it may be used with any motor driven device;
[0020] FIGS. 9A-C are front elevation, left-side elevation, and right-side
elevation views,
respectively, of an exemplary smart AC powered sump pump in accordance with
aspects of the
invention that utilize a leakage current detector and notifier;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a right-side elevation view of an alternate smart AC
powered sump pump
similar to that shown in FIGS. 9A-C, but illustrating an alternate way in
which the fluid level
sensor housing may be mounted to the pump;
[0022] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of an alternate battery back-up
pump system
utilizing the smart AC pump and smart power cord (or smart controller)
disclosed herein along
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
with a battery back-up DC pump, and illustrating a wireless communication
interface between
the smart controller and a smart battery;
[0023] FIG. 12 is an exemplary circuit diagram for a leakage detector of an
alternate
configuration used in connection with a pump;
[0024] FIG. 13 is top view of an alternate smart power cord in accordance
with the invention
illustrating the housing with a detailed overlay applied thereto according to
another
embodiment; and
[0025] FIGS. 14A-D are screenshots of a graphical user interface of an
example application
for remotely monitoring the pump.
[0026] Corresponding reference characters in the attached drawings indicate
corresponding
components throughout the several views of the drawings. In addition, elements
in the figures
are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn
to scale. For
example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be
exaggerated relative to
other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments. Also,
common but
well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially
feasible embodiment are
often not depicted or described in order to facilitate a less obstructed view
of the illustrated
elements and a more concise disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] This disclosure is directed to various apparatuses, systems, and
methods for leakage
current detection and applications of same including without limitation an
apparatus or device
that detects whether leakage current in an electric motor, which may indicate
to a motor operator
that the motor exhibits conditions indicating the motor is predisposed to or
starting to show signs
it is going to fail. The devices, systems and methods disclosed herein are for
identifying when a
failure condition is present in a device, such as an electric motor
driven/operated device, and
notifying a user of the failure condition. The identified failure conditions
may even be further
analyzed and categorized as indicating that failure is imminent or that
failure conditions are
present, but immediate failure is not likely. In preferred forms, the
apparatuses, systems and
methods disclosed herein can conduct the leakage current detection test while
the device is not
in operation and provide early warning as to motor failure issues well in
advance of a motor
failure actually happening.
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
[0028] The devices, systems and methods of this disclosure may come in many
forms. For
example, in FIG. 1 a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment is illustrated
and referenced
generally as smart controller 100 and includes a leakage current detector 110
and notifier 120 for
indicating to the user a resultant of the test conducted by the smart
controller 100. The smart
controller 100 is connected between a power supply 140 (e.g., domestic power
supply, grid
power, mains electricity, etc.) and a motor 150.
[0029] In a preferred form, the notifier will be one of a visual and/or
audible device for
alerting the user as to an outcome of a test conducted by the smart
controller. The alerting may
occur only if the leakage current detector 110 indicates early motor failure
is detected, but in other
preferred instances it may be configured to always provide a response (e.g.,
providing an alert of
a first type if the motor has passed the test conducted by the smart
controller 100 and an alert of
a second type different than the first if the motor has not passed the test).
For example, in a
preferred form, the smart controller 100 will include a light or series of
lights that provide a green
light when the motor has passed the test, a yellow light when early signs of
motor failure are
detected and a red light when signs of urgent or imminent motor failure are
detected. This can
be accomplished in one multi-colored LED or it can entail using separate LEDs
if desired. In other
forms a more comprehensive display, such as a digital display, may be provided
that provides
additional information (e.g., text, images or symbols, etc.) regarding test
results of the smart
controller 100.
[0030] As mentioned above, the smart controller 100 may include an audible
notifier 120
either in addition to the visual display or instead of the visual display. In
a preferred form, the
smart controller 100 will include both audible and visual devices for
communicating test results
of smart controller 100 to the user. In the form show, the audible sound is
generated by a buzzer
or speaker and may be configured to provide one sound, such as a chirp, to
acknowledge the
depressing of inputs and another sound, such as a longer and repeated beep or
constant sound
when either an early motor failure condition is detected, or an imminent motor
failure condition
is detected by smart controller 100. In one form, the smart controller will
chirp when an early
motor failure condition is detected but change to a constant audible alert
when a more urgent
motor failure condition is detected.
[0031] In the form shown in FIG. 1, the notifier 120 of smart controller
100 may also include
a communication circuit 130 for sending alerts or test results from smart
controller 100 to a user
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
that is located remote from the smart controller 100. In some forms, this may
be a wireless
communication module that alerts the user via a local area network (LAN) or
wide area network
(WAN). In a preferred form, the communication module 130 will be a Wi-Fi
enabled circuit that
communicates the test results to the remote user via a Wi-Fi network the smart
controller 100 is
connected to so that the user may get the alerts on a mobile device, such as a
smart phone. In
alternate embodiments other forms of wireless communication may be utilized
such as radio
frequency (RF), infrared (IR), Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE),
Near Field
Communication (NFC), cellular, etc. While the preferred message will be in the
form of text or
graphics and text, in other forms an audio recorded message may be utilized as
well (or instead
of the text) advising of the test results.
[0032] In a preferred form, the smart controller 100 is utilized with a
software application
(App) and is capable of monitoring voltage (V), current (A), current leakage
to ground (leakage
current) and phase angle. The device 100 via a processor (e.g., either onboard
or remote via the
cloud, etc.) can process the data to operate like an oscilloscope capturing
both waveforms as well
as phase angle between them. By knowing and recording the V, A, leakage
current and phase
angle, the smart controller 100 will be capable of detecting any of the motor
driven device's
parameters has fallen outside of normal levels. For example, a change in phase
angle could
indicate an issue with the motor's capacitor meaning the motor capacitor may
need to be
replaced. Unusual current may indicate the motor bearing is worn or rubbing
and needs
attention, or that an obstruction is present and needs to be cleared. Leakage
current will indicate
motor issues like those discussed herein (e.g., insulation breakdown,
infiltration of fluid, etc.).
Unusual voltage input can also be detected to alert of unstable conditions
(e.g., poor power source
or power cord, surge, etc.).
[0033] In FIG. 2, an exemplary circuit is shown for smart contro1100. For
convenience, items
in this embodiment that are similar to those discussed in FIG. 1 will utilize
the same latter two-
digit reference numeral but the prefix 2 instead of 1. Thus, the smart control
of FIG. 2 is referred
to generally by reference numeral 200 (instead of 100 as was used in FIG. 1),
power supply 240
(instead of 140) and motor 250 (instead of 150). In the circuit of FIG. 2, the
smart control 200 is
connected between the power supply 240 and motor 250 of a sump pump 260
located in a sump
261. The smart control 200 is connected to power supply 208 via power cord 201
which in turn is
connected to a power resister, such as shunt resistor 211, a current
transformer 212 and triacs 213,
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
214 which collectively serve as part of the leakage current detector 210. The
smart control 200
further includes a controller 202 connected to an audible alarm 221, visual
display, such as water
level LEDs 222 and pump status LED 223 and Wi-Fi status LED 224, and
communication circuit,
such as Wi-Fi module 230. Collectively the audible alarm 221, LEDs 222, 223
and 224, and
communication circuit 230 serve as part of the notifier 220. Water level LEDs
222 illuminate to
represent how high the fluid level is in sump 261 (e.g., illuminating more
LEDs as the water level
rises). Preferably, multiple colors will be used to draw the user's attention
to the fluid level LEDs
222 when the fluid level is getting critically high or too high representing a
potential flooding
condition. For example, in a preferred form, of the five LEDs show, at least
the fifth LED will
illuminate in red while the others illuminate in another color (e.g., blue,
green, yellow, etc.) in
order to indicate that the water level is critically high. In some forms,
multiple-colored LEDs will
be used such as green or blue for low fluid level, yellow for intermediate
fluid levels and red for
high fluid level.
[0034]
Pump status LED 223 illustrates if the pump is operating correctly and in a
preferred
form will include a multi-color LED capable of glowing green to indicate the
pump is ok, glowing
yellow to indicate the pump has some problem with it (e.g., early motor
failure conditions have
been detected, or any other anomaly with the pump such as an unusual current
or voltage draw
possibly indicating an obstructed impeller, etc.) and glowing red to indicate
the pump is not
working correctly (e.g., an urgent motor failure condition has been detected
by the testing of
smart control 200, or any other anomaly with the pump such as a thermal cut-
off (TCO) switch
has been triggered, extremely high or low voltages or currents detected,
etc.). Wi-Fi status LED
224 illustrates if the smart control 200 is connected to Wi-Fi and/or the
strength of that signal. In
a preferred form Wi-Fi status LED 224 will be a multi-color LED capable of
glowing green when
the smart control 200 is connected to Wi-Fi and the signal strength is good,
will glow yellow if
the smart control 200 is connected to Wi-Fi but the signal is weak, and will
glow red if the smart
control 200 is not connected to Wi-Fi. It should be understood, that multi-
color LEDs may be
replaced by multiple single-color LEDs if desired and/or that the smart
control 200 could
alternatively be setup only to illuminate an LED when an error condition is
detected (e.g., only
illuminate a fluid level LED to indicate the fluid level is too high, only
illuminate a pump status
LED when the pump is not working or an imminent motor failure condition has
been detected,
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
only illuminate a Wi-Fi status LED to indicate the smart control 200 is not
connected to Wi-Fi,
etc.).
[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the smart control 200 includes an enclosure,
such as housing 203
and utilizes a user input 204 to allow the user to interact with the smart
control 200. In a preferred
form, the user input 204 is a multi-purpose or multi-function button that
allows the user to
manually initiate the smart control 200 to test the pump motor 250 of sump
pump 260. The input
204 may also be used by a user to mute the audible alarm 221 if it is
activated. The input 204 may
further be used to sync the smart control 200 to a local Wi-Fi network. In a
preferred form, the
smart control 200 will be setup via the user downloading an app from a
software application store
(e.g., Apple's App Store, Google Play, etc.) and the user will use the app and
the multi-function
input 204 to connect the smart control 200 to the local Wi-Fi and check the
status of the smart
control 200 remotely. In the form shown, the smart control 200 further
includes a pressure
transducer 205 for operating as the pneumatic or air switch for detecting
fluid level in sump 261.
As will be discussed in later embodiments, the pressure transducer will be
connected to an air
chamber or housing via tubing to determine pressure changes that reflect
changes in the fluid
level of sump 261.
[0036] In operation, smart controller 200 is capable of performing a
leakage current detection
test while the motor 250 is not being operated because of the uniquely
configured circuitry. As
mentioned, this has the added benefit of reducing or minimizing background
noise or
interference that the operation of the motor would cause. The controller 202
uses triacs 213, 214
to open one taiac and thus power line (e.g., hot or neutral) and see if there
is leakage to ground
and then close that taiac and open the other triac and power line (e.g.,
neutral or hot depending
on which was opened via the initial taiac) to see if there is any leakage to
ground. If leakage to
ground is detected, the smart control 200 will determine how critical the
condition is and
determine how to notify the user of same. In a preferred form, if the leakage
detected is 0.05mA
to 0.1mA, the smart control 200 will send an alert to the user via
communication circuit 230 and
change the pump status LED 223 to yellow. However, if the leakage detected is
greater than
0.1mA, the smart control 200 will not only send the user an alert via
communication circuit 230,
but it will also trigger the audible alarm 221 and change the pump status LED
223 to red
indicating a more urgent motor failure condition is present. These leakage
current
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
thresholds/ranges are exemplary and may be adjusted as desired for a
particular motor operated
device or application as desired.
[0037] As mentioned above, the inventions disclosed herein may be
implemented in
numerous different embodiments. As an example, an alternate more simplistic
circuit is
illustrated in FIG. 3 for the smart control. In keeping with prior practice,
items that are similar to
those discussed above will use the same latter two-digit reference numeral but
begin with the
prefix 3 to distinguish this embodiment form other embodiments. Thus, in FIG.
3, the smart
control is referenced generally by reference numeral 300 which is connected
between power
supply 340 and motor 350. In this form, first and second triacs, 313, 314
respectively, are again in
front of transformer 312, but the circuit also includes additional resister or
switch pairs 315, 317
and 316, 318 located behind transformer 312. This circuit operates similarly
to that of FIG. 2, but
lacks some of the functionality and additional features associated with the
notifier/communication circuit, etc. In particular, isolation transformer 312
is a dual primary
current transformer with triac 313 connecting the first primary coil (or
Primary L (PR-L)) 312a to
line or hot 340a and triac 314 connecting the second primary coil (or Primary
N (PR-N)) 312b to
neutral 340b. Again, that is assuming the wiring of the outlet the circuit is
connected to is wired
correctly. In operation the secondary coil (or SEC.) 312c is used with each
coil 312a, 312b to
conduct the leakage current detection test. First triac 313 is opened to test
leakage current on
neutral wire/line 340b and second triac 314 is opened to test leakage current
on the line/hot
wire/line 340a. This allows the leakage current detection test to be conducted
without the need
to have motor 350 operating. A benefit of this is that there is reduced or
minimal background
noise or interference when doing the test because the motor is not running.
Not shown in the
circuit is an audible alarm device (e.g., buzzer, speaker, horn, etc.), input
for user interface and
pressure transducer.
[0038] In looking at the leakage current detector of the circuit of FIG. 3
more closely, the
connection between the leakage current detector 310 and the electrical power
supply lines of the
motor 350 may be in the form of a transformer 312 placed in proximity to the
Line wire and
Neutral wire that collectively power the motor 220. The transformer 312 may
include a first
primary coil 312a, a second primary coil 312b, and one secondary coil 312c.
The first primary coil
312a is what should be the Line conductor wound into a coil and the second
primary coil 312b,
which is the Neutral conductor, wound into a coil. While it should only be
necessary for the Line
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
conductor to be the only primary coil, both the Line and Neutral conductors,
are used as primary
coils, because it cannot be known with certainty whether the electrical outlet
the motor has been
plugged into was wired correctly, i.e., that the Line is wired to the small
prong receptacle and the
Neutral is wired to the large prong receptacle. Using two primary coils allows
the leakage current
detector 310 to be indifferent to which power supply conductor is Line or
Neutral (e.g., polarity
agnostic). The secondary coil 312c is in close proximity to the first and
second primary coils 312a,
312b so that current flowing in either the first or second primary coil 312a,
312b induces current
flow in the secondary coil 312c. The secondary coil 312c has leads on either
end of the coil that
connect to the rest of the leakage current detection circuit 310.
[0039] The leakage current detector 310 is capable of detecting small
currents, specifically,
currents below those which a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) or ground
fault interrupter
(GFI) will detect and interrupt the circuit. Many GFCl/GFI devices will not
allow current to flow
to a device when the leakage to ground is greater than 6 mA. The leakage
current detector 310
may be designed and configured to detect current flow below that which a
GFCl/GFI will
interrupt the circuit, to detect the early signs of motor failure, before the
leakage current gets
above 6 mA. It should be understood that in other regions of the world
GFCl/GFI are referred to
as residual-current devices (RCD) or residual-current circuit breakers (RCCB).
[0040] The Line and Neutral conductors (or wires) may be connected to the
Line and Neutral
terminals of an electric outlet, through a power cord. The leakage current
detection circuitry 310
further includes a first switch 313 on the first conductor and a second switch
314 on the second
conductor. These switches 313, 314 are controlled by the leakage current
detection circuitry 310
and allow the leakage current detection circuitry 310 to control whether each
conductor is open
or closed. These switches 313,314 may be switched to open or closed
independently of each other.
[0041] The leakage current detector 310 may test the condition of the motor
350 at set
intervals. The condition of the motor 350 may also be detected by the leakage
current detector 310
at any period of time or when prompted to do so (such as by the user
requesting such through an
App or via actuation of a physical button (like input 204). In one example,
the leakage current
detector 310 performs its test periodically, for example, once a week, every
24 hours, every hour,
every minute, every 30 seconds, every second, etc., although other periods of
time are
contemplated. In another example, the leakage current detector 310 is
configured to test the motor
350 when another system of the motor driven device performs a diagnostic test.
The leakage
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Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
current detector 310 may be configured to automatically perform a test on the
motor 350 when
the motor (or in the preferred case pump) is connected to a power supply 340,
e.g., when plugged
into an outlet or power is restored.
[0042] In one embodiment, the leakage current detector 310 is configured to
test the motor
350 immediately before the motor 350 is commanded to run. This could be in
pump applications,
for example, when water rises above a predetermined level. This may be done to
ensure the
GFCl/GFI will not trip and interrupt the circuit.
[0043] In another embodiment, the motor or pump system includes a push-
button like input
204 in the circuit of FIG. 2, which can be pressed, for example, by a user to
run the leakage current
detection test. The push-button may also be used for any other test the system
may be configured
to run, for example, the push-button or another push-button may be pressed to
determine
whether the battery is sufficiently charged. The push-button can also be used
for one or more
other functions, including, for example, to silence an alarm, deactivate a
notification, re-set
warning signals, start a test cycle, or the like.
[0044] As mentioned, one benefit of the leakage current detector disclosed
herein (e.g., 110,
210, 310, etc.) is that the motor does not have to be running to do the test.
Another benefit is that
it is configured to be polarity agnostic so that it can make-up for situations
where the wiring of
the electrical socket the motor is connected to was not done correctly. To use
such a tool, the
motor need only be connected to the power source and then, without needing to
operate the
motor, the leakage current detector can test the circuit to see if there are
signs of motor failure
(e.g., motor insulation breakdown, fluid breach into the motor, etc.). For
example, in FIG. 3, the
electric motor driven device and motor 350 are connected to the power supply
340. The leakage
current detector 310 receives a signal to test for leakage. This may be a
signal prompted by the
passing of a certain amount of time or initiated by the user as discussed
above. The leakage
current detector 310 then closes switch 313 and opens switch 314. This allows
electricity to freely
flow over the closed first switch 313 and to the Line conductor. If the
insulation of the motor 350
is still in good condition, there is no leakage current, and no current will
flow because the second
switch 314 is open and the circuit is not complete. If the insulation of the
motor has degraded or
deteriorated to the point it has a low resistance through which current may
flow, current will leak
to the ground through the motor's insulation. This means that current will be
flowing in the
conductor coupled to the first switch. If the first switch 313 is connected to
the Neutral conductor
12
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
instead of Line conductor (not what is shown in the circuit of FIG. 3 but
possible due to improper
wiring in the outlet), then no current will flow regardless of the condition
of the insulation of the
motor. The leakage current detection circuitry 310 measures the amount of
current that is flowing
and may even record this amount.
[0045] After measuring and recording the current flow, the leakage current
detection
circuitry 310 then opens the first switch 313 and closes the second switch
314. The leakage current
detection circuit 310 then measures and, if desired, records the flow of
current. If the second
switch 314 connects to the Line conductor (instead of Neutral conductor
because of improper
wiring), then current will flow if the insulation of the motor had degraded
such that it has low
enough resistance for current to flow to ground. The leakage current detection
circuit 310 then
determines whether the current flowing in the first or second test was an
acceptable amount.
Some current may flow when the motor 350 is connected to the Line conductor
even if the motor
insulation is in good condition. This can be because the motor insulation
resistance is not infinite,
so some current will flow through the insulation to ground. Small amounts of
this leakage current
may be acceptable, and not indicate any immediate concern of the condition of
the motor 350. If
the current flowing was greater than an acceptable amount, the leakage current
detection
circuitry 310 may communicate this to a notifier circuit (not shown but see
120 and 220). In
another example, the leakage current detection circuit 310 communicates the
amount of current
flow detected to another circuit, such as the notifier circuit, which will
then determine if the
amount of current flow is not acceptable.
[0046] In a preferred form, the circuit of FIG. 3 would also include a
notifier such as that
discussed with respect to FIG. 2. In a preferred form, the notifier would
provide a user with an
alert when a failure condition has been detected in the one or more devices
plugged into the
accessory or, in instances where the smart controller is integrated into an
OEM product, the single
device itself. The notifier is a notification system to alert a user or
another portion of the system
that a leakage current has been detected or that some other fault has been
detected with respect
to the pump (e.g., anomaly relating to current draw, voltage draw, phase
shift, etc.). The notifier
circuit may be a separate circuit or a portion of the leakage current detector
310. The notifier may
be configured to alert a user in response to a determination by the motor
leakage current detector
310 that a leakage amount greater than a predetermined amount has been
detected, for example,
greater than 0.05 mA. For example, the notifier may alert a user when an
impermissible leakage
13
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
current is detected by sending an alert to notify the user or operator. To
alert the user when
leakage current has been detected, there may be a light or multiple lights
disposed on the top
surface of the smart controller that light up when a failure condition has
been detected. In another
example, there are two lights, each being a different color. The lights may be
LEDs and may even
be a single multi-colored LED. The first color light may be configured to
illuminate when a failure
condition is present, for example, the leakage current detection circuit 310
detected a current flow
of 0.01-0.05 mA. The second color light may be configured to illuminate when
an imminent motor
failure condition has been detected, for example, when a leakage current in
the range of 0.05-0.6
mA has been detected. The smart controller may also include an audible device,
such as a speaker
or a buzzer, to alert the user to either of the two conditions, for example,
by a sound such as a
beeping or alarm noise. The speaker or buzzer may be used in combination with
a light
illuminating to alert users to a failure condition or may be used by itself.
[0047] In another example, the notifier includes communication circuitry
like 130 discussed
above in FIG. 1 configured to transmit a notification to a user. This may be
performed using, as
examples, one or more of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Cellular, radio frequency
(RF), infrared (IR),
Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee and near field
communication (NFC). Other
wireless protocols may also be used. In one example the alert produced by the
notifier is
transmitted to a display screen viewable by an operator. This may be, as
example, a computer or
smartphone screen.
[0048] The notifier may be configured to use more than one method of
communication to a
user. In one embodiment, the wireless communication circuitry is configured to
communicate via
an internet connection as the primary way of notifying a user of a failure
condition, but, if the
internet connection is not available, the communication circuitry may be
configured to
communicate via a direct wireless connection, such as NFC as an example. In
another
embodiment, the notifier both sounds an alarm through a speaker and sends a
notification to a
user's smartphone through the internet over Wi-Fi when a failure condition has
been detected.
[0049] The notifier may be configured to categorize the degree of the motor
failure condition.
For example, the notifier may send an alert when it detects the leakage
current is within a certain
range, for example, less than 0.05 milliamps and configured to send an alarm
when the current is
detected to be between 0.05 milliamps and 6 milliamps. The alert would notify
a user when a
motor failure condition exists that does not require immediate attention, and
the alarm would
14
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
notify a user that an imminent motor failure condition exists upon hearing or
seeing the notifier
alarm. As examples, the alert may be a flashing LED, while the alarm may be an
alarm sound
playing through a speaker.
[0050] The categorization of the degree of seriousness of the motor failure
condition may be
determined at least based in part on the amount of leakage current flow. The
amount of leakage
current can be used to categorize the leakage current to mean either a failure
condition is present,
or a failure is imminent. In a preferred form, the audible device will be a
piezo alarm that goes
off when a certain or first leakage current threshold is met or exceeded. For
example, if the leakage
current detected is below 0.1mA the piezo buzzer or alarm may chirp at a
consistent interval to
alert he user to the condition. If the leakage current detected exceeds a
second threshold (e.g.,
over 0.1mA) the chirp may get louder and/or more frequent or may even become a
constant
sound to alert the user more urgently. In other forms, the audible device may
be configured to
actuate only after a period of time has passed since the fault or error
condition was first detected
and reported. For example, the system may be configured to alert the user via
the App initially
and then use the audible device to escalate the matter by sounding an alarm
after a period of time
has expired since the first notice without any corrective action or measures
being taken.
[0051] In FIGS. 4A-C, a smart power cord is shown with the smart control
circuit illustrated
in FIG. 3 above (meaning it is a more simplistic version). In keeping with
prior practice, features
of this embodiment that are similar to those discussed above will include the
same latter two-
digit reference numerals but use the prefix 4 to distinguish this embodiment
from others. Thus,
the power cord is referenced general as power cord 401 and smart control 400.
The smart control
400 of power cord 401 has an enclosure or body 403, and the power cord 401 has
an electrical plug
406 to connect the power cord 401 to a power supply (obviously the plug types
will differ
depending on the region of the world this power cord 401 will be used). The
enclosure or body
403 includes a speaker opening 403a and has a user input 404 for allowing the
user to interact
with the smart control 400. The power cord continues on from the smart control
400 to the motor
(not shown) on the opposite side of smart control housing 403 as the plug 406
is on, along with
an air tube 405a which is connected to the pressure transducer (not visible).
[0052] As can best be seen in FIG. 4C, the body or enclosure 403 encloses a
circuit board 407
containing the audible device 421, power circuitry 408 which drops the AC
power down to DC
for use by smart control 400, current transformer 412, pressure transducer
405, first triac 413 and
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
second triac 414 and heatsink 409 which is connected to the power circuitry
408 and triacs 413,
414 and, in a preferred form, also serves as the earth ground for a portion of
the circuit. Thus, the
line/hot wire 401a and neutral wire 401b of electrical power cord 401 come in
from the plug end
406 of the power cord 401 and connect to the printed circuit board (PCB) 407,
then are connected
to the power circuitry 408, transformer 412 and exit the PCB 407 at an
opposite end thereof. The
ground wire 401c comes in and connects to one end of heatsink 409 and exits
the opposite end of
the heatsink 409 before exiting the housing/enclosure 403 and back into the
power cord 401. The
pressure transducer tubing or air tube 405a may connect to pressure transducer
405 and exit the
house adjacent or proximate the power cord 401 and, preferably, substantially
or generally
parallel thereto. In the form shown, the smart controller housing or enclosure
403 includes a
receiver sleeve 405b to align the air tube 405a passing through the enclosure
403. In a preferred
form, the receiver sleeve 405b will actually serve a strain relief role
hindering the air tubing 405a
from being pulled out of the smart controller 400 or disconnecting from
transducer 405. In
alternate forms, however, it should be understood that the air tube receiver
405b could
alternatively be a tube coupling that allows a segment of air tubing to be
connected between the
transducer 405 to the coupling and another segment of air tubing to be
connected externally to
the smart control from the external portion of the coupling to the air tube
housing located on the
pump.
[0053] While FIGS. 4A-C illustrate the smart power cord 401, it should be
understood that
this power cord could be sold as an accessory to connect to existing
electrical motor driven
products to detect early motor failure via leakage current detection.
Alternatively, the smart
power cord 401 may be a permanent or integrated feature included on the power
cord of the
motor driven devices, for example, manufactured as part of the power cord from
the factory
(instead of as a standalone component or accessory, that may be attached by a
user to their motor
driven device).
[0054] In FIGS. 5A-B, an alternate form of the smart power cord is
illustrated that is
configured for the circuit discussed above in FIG. 2. In keeping with prior
practice, features of
this embodiment that are common to earlier ones will use the same latter two-
digit reference
numeral but use the prefix 5 to distinguish this embodiment from others. Thus,
the smart power
cord is referred to general by reference numeral 501 and includes smart
control 500. The power
cord 501 enters the power control housing or enclosure 503 on one end and
exits on another and
16
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
preferably opposite end with the air tube 505a positioned proximate to the
exiting portion of the
power cord 501. The housing or enclosure 503 includes an audible device
opening, such as
buzzer, speaker or horning opening 503a. Unlike the prior embodiment of FIGS.
4A-C, however,
the embodiment of FIGS. 5A-B has the user input 504 positioned proximate the
audible device
opening 503. Below that (as illustrated in FIGS. 5A-B), is located the fluid
level LEDs 522. In the
form shown, those LEDs 522 are positioned off to a side of housing 503 so that
a graphical overlay
522a can be placed showing what the water level LEDs 522 are indicating as
illustrated in FIG.
5B. As shown, the graphical overlay 522a displays an inverted pyramid
indicating the detected
water level. As the water level rises, the LEDs associated with a level
indicated by the graphical
overlay 522a may light up. For example, when the water level is low, only the
lowest LED is lit.
As the water level increases, the LEDs may sequentially light up until the
water level is high, at
which point the uppermost LED illuminates. The LEDs 522 may be multi-color
LEDs that
illuminate a color indicating a severity associated with the detected water
level. As one example,
if the water level is low, the LEDs that are lit may be green. When the water
level is high, the
LEDs may be red and may be flashing to indicate to the user that the water
level is high. When
the water level is in between low and high levels the LEDs may be yellow or
orange as examples.
In one form, the LEDs are configured to illuminate only a single color. For
example, the
uppermost LED associated with a high water level may illuminate red when lit.
The lower LEDs
may illuminate a color indicating a lower level of severity such as blue or
green.
[0055]
Next, the pump status LED 523 is positioned preferably centered on the housing
and
with room for graphical information 523a below or above the LED 523 as
illustrated in FIG. 5B.
As one example, the graphical information may display "Pump Status," "Green -
OK", Yellow -
Failing," and "Red - Replace." The pump status LED 523 may accordingly be a
multi-color LED
configured to illuminate a certain color to indicate to the user the status of
the pump. The pump
status may be determined by evaluating and weighing a plurality of inputs. For
example, the
pump status may be based on one or more of a water level, elapsed time, pump
run time, current
draw, supply voltage, inrush current, power factor, and detected amount of
leakage current. The
smart power cord processes the data and presents a status of the pump based on
one or more
measured conditions to provide the end user with a simple indication of the
status of their pump.
In some forms, the smart power cord may communicate the data to a remote
processing device
such as a server computer for processing and a determination of the pump
status. The smart
17
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
power cord may receive the pump status from the remote processing device and
display the
pump status via the pump status LED 523 to the end user.
[0056] The Wi-Fi status LED 524 is located next and preferably centered
with room to
provide graphical information 524a below or above as well (like illustrated in
FIG. 5B). As one
example, the graphical information 524a may display "Wi-Fi Status," "Green -
OK," "Yellow -
Connecting," and "Red - No Connection." The Wi-Fi status LED 524 may
accordingly be a multi-
color LED configured to illuminate a certain color to indicate to the user the
Wi-Fi connectivity
status. The power cord 501 then exits the smart control housing 503 along with
air tube 505a. In
this way, the power cord 501 and air tube 505a can easily be coupled to one
another via a
connector, such as a cable tie/zip tie if desired, so as to maintain a clean
looking configuration.
[0057] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate flow charts for a preferred form of
operation of the smart
controls illustrated herein. In FIG. 6, a leakage current test routine starts
at step 680 and a leakage
current test is performed on the first and second conductors (e.g., Line and
Neutral wires) in step
681. In step 682, the routine asks if a leakage current issue exists. If not,
the routine returns to
start 680. If so, the routine alerts the user in step 683 and then ends in
step 684 until the next
leakage current test is to be conducted at which time the routine starts back
over at step 680. In
FIG. 7, an exemplary test sub-routine is shown that may be used by the routine
of Fig. 6 to detect
if a leakage current issue exists. In the subroutine of FIG. 7, the routine
starts at step 690 and asks
if the leakage current on either conductor tested is equal to or greater than
0.05mA. If not, the
routine ends at step 695. If so, however, the routine then checks to see if
the leakage current
detected on either conductor is greater than 0.1mA. If not, the routine alerts
the user in step 693
and ends via step 695. If it is greater than 0.1mA, the routine not only
alerts the user, but also
actuates an alarm in step 694 as a more critical motor failure has been
detected and ends in step
695. As mentioned above, these threshold figures of 0.05mA and 0.1mA are
preferred for a pump
application but may be adjusted depending on the application the test is to be
used for (e.g.,
thresholds may differ depending on type of motor being tested, type of product
being tested, if
higher or lower thresholds are desired for initiating alerts and/or alarms,
etc.).
[0058] While the above embodiments show the smart control having power
cords extending
from opposite ends, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the
smart control could
alternatively have a power cord on one end and an electrical socket located
elsewhere on the
smart control housing that the power cord of an electric motor operated device
would simply be
18
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
plugged into in order to get the benefit of the smart control. In this way,
the smart power cord
would be more of an accessory for attaching to existing electric motor
operated devices.
[0059] In some forms, the smart power cord would have numerous such
electrical sockets
that electrical devices can be plugged into so that it operates like a smart
power strip capable of
detecting early motor failure or critical motor failure issues for all devices
plugged into the strip.
The power strip would be able to detect when one of the electric motor
operated devices plugged
into it is exhibiting early or imminent motor failure conditions and notify
the user of same so that
the user can test the devices individually to determine which was exhibiting
the motor failure
condition detected. Alternatively, LEDs may be provided by each outlet to
indicate which
device/power cord has exhibited the early or imminent/urgent motor failure
concerns.
[0060] As mentioned above, however, in alternate forms the smart control
would simply be
integrated into OEM products instead of being an accessory for same. As also
mentioned above,
the smart controller may be used with any type of electric motor operated
device. For example,
in FIG. 8 applications for such a smart control 800 with power cord 801
include numerous
different appliances such as washers or dryers 870 or blenders 871, vehicles
872 (e.g., electric
vehicles), and other pumps 873. Thus, it should be understood that any motor
operated device
that could benefit from such a leakage current detection to detect early or
imminent motor failure
is intended to be covered by the disclosure herein.
[0061] As an example of an original OEM product having a smart control
integrated therein
(rather than as an accessory capable of being connected and disconnected
therefrom), FIGS. 9A-
C illustrate a submersible pump having such a smart control. In keeping with
prior practice, the
same latter two-digit reference numerals will be used for items similar to
those discussed above
with the prefix 9. Thus, in these figures, the pump is referenced generally by
reference numeral
960 and includes a motor housing 962, cap 963, water handler, such as volute
964, with a discharge
outlet 964a having an air switch mount or bracket 965 for supporting an air
switch housing 905c
and an outlet coupling 966 to which a discharge pipe may be coupled. The pump
960 can be any
type of pump as mentioned above and may be a top suction type pump, a bottom
suction type
pump or a combination of both as shown in Applicant's U.S. Patent Application
Publication
2018/0128272, published, May 10, 2018, entitled Dual Inlet Volute, Impeller
and Pump Housing
for Same, and Related Methods, which is incorporated by reference herein in
its entirety. The
pump illustrated is a top suction pump with a filter 967 located above the
volute 964. The motor
19
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
is sealed in the housing 962 by epoxy resin and cap 963, however, it is these
sealing features that
can breakdown and lead to motor leakage current that ultimately leads to motor
failure. Hence,
by pairing pump 960 with a smart controller 900 affords the pump 960 the
ability to provide early
motor failure detection and even imminent motor failure warnings.
[0062] In the form shown, the power controller 900 is configured on the
circuit of FIG. 2 and
layout of FIGS. 5A-B and the air switch housing 905c is mounted to the pump
960 via a bracket
that fits into the discharge 964a of water handler or volute 964. In a
preferred form, the air switch
housing 905c fastens to the mount or bracket 965 via depressible clips or
hooks that can easily be
squeezed together to release the housing 905c from mount or bracket 965 if
desired such as for
assembly, repair or replacement. The clips engage mating surfaces formed by
recesses in the air
housing mount or bracket 965 to secure the air switch housing 905c to the
bracket 965. Coupling
966 has male threading that allows it to be inserted through an opening in the
air housing mount
or bracket 965 and threaded into mating female threading in outlet 964a of
water handler/volute
964 to secure (e.g., sandwich or clamp) the air housing mount bracket 965
between the coupling
966 and outlet 964a of volute 964.
[0063] As best seen in FIG. 9C, the air switch housing further includes a
spacer 905d that is
used to ensure the air switch housing 905c will maintain adequate spacing from
pump housing
962 regardless of what size pump and pump housing is used. In alternate
embodiments,
however, the air switch housing 905c may be connected to the pump in different
manners. For
example, in FIG. 10, an alternate pump is illustrated and referenced as 1060.
In this embodiment,
the pump includes a capacitive fluid level sensor where the sensor housing
1005c is connected to
the pump 1060 via a fastener, such as one of the assembly bolts 1068 that is
used to connect and
secure the pump cap 1063, housing 1062, filter 1067 and volute 1064 together.
In the form shown,
the sensor housing 1005c has three protrusions or arms extending from the
housing that define
coaxial openings through with the motor assembly bolt 1068 to capture the air
switch housing
1005c on the bolt 1068 and preferably between the motor cap 1063 and filter
1067. While the
embodiment of FIG. 10 shows a capacitive fluid level sensor, it should be
understood that in
alternate embodiments a pneumatic pressure sensor could be mounted to the pump
1060 in a
similar way, e.g., the air switch housing of the pneumatic pressure sensor
could be similarly
mounted to an exposed bolt 1068 of the pump housing 1062.
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
[0064] In the form shown in FIGS. 9A-C and as best seen in FIG. 9B, the
smart controller 900
will preferably have additional heatsinks 903a, 903b that are visible on the
exterior of housing 903
of the smart controller 900. These additional heatsinks allow the electronics
located within
housing 903 to further dissipate heat generated from the power circuitry and
mainly the
transformer and triacs on the PCB. In alternate forms, external heatsinks such
as 903a, 903b may
not be used, however, in the instant circuit they are in order to reduce heat
associated with the
product.
[0065] While the pump embodiments discussed up to now have been single pump
systems,
it should be understood that the smart controller disclosed herein may be used
in multiple pump
systems as well. For example, in FIG. 11 there is illustrated a battery back-
up sump pump system.
In keeping with practice, similar items in this figure will be marked with
similar latter two-digit
reference numerals and the prefix 11 will be added to distinguish this
embodiment from others.
As shown, the system includes a first smart AC pump 1160 having a smart
controller 1100 and a
battery backup DC pump 1169 that is powered by a battery 1174 when power is
lost to the main
AC pump 1160, such as due to a power outage, tripped breaker/fuse or ground
fault circuit
interrupter (GFCI) or ground fault interrupter (GFI) (also known as a residual-
current device
(RCD) or residual-current circuit breaker (RCCB)).
[0066] In the form shown, battery 1174 is a smart battery such as a Lithium
Ion battery (Li-
ion battery) with a wireless communication circuit capable of communicating
with smart control
1100 of AC pump 1160. In a preferred form, the wireless communication
technique used is
Bluetooth (BT) communication, but in alternate forms it may be any other
communication
technique like those discussed above (e.g., radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth
low energy (BLE), near
field communication (NFC), Wi-Fi, cellular, or other communication technique
used by Internet
of Things (IoT) devices, etc.). In this way, the smart battery 1174 is capable
of communicating to
smart controller 1100 pertinent information relating to the smart battery to
alert the user to any
anomaly detected with same and vice versa (smart control 1100 is capable of
communicating its
data back to smart battery 1174). For example, the smart battery 1160 is
capable of
communicating to smart control 1100 information regarding the battery's
voltage, amperage,
state of battery health or state of health (SOH), state of battery charge or
state of charge (SOC),
etc., so that this information may be conveyed to the user via the app used in
connection with the
smart control 1100. Thus, during normal operation (e.g., not a power outage or
the like) the smart
21
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
control 1100 can not only relay information to the user regarding smart AC
pump 1160, but also
relating to the battery back-up system.
[0067] In some forms, the smart control 1100 may have its own internal
battery to power
itself even during a power outage so that it can continue to provide
information relating to the
pump system or sump 1161. In such instances, the smart control 1100 could
convey the
information back to the smart battery 1174 and allow the smart battery 1174 to
relay that
information to the user via the app due to the ability of the back-up system
to run off the battery
power of smart battery 1174.
[0068] One benefit to the setup illustrated in FIG. 11 is that a simple
battery charger 1175
may be used with the system instead of needing something more complex (more
expensive, more
energy consuming, etc.). Another benefit is that Li-ion batteries are very
easy to monitor in this
way and, thus, would be preferred for such applications. However, it should be
understood that
in alternate embodiments, the battery charger could be battery backed-up smart
charger as well
and capable of communicating with any one or more of the AC pump 1160, DC pump
1169
and/or battery 1174. In some embodiments, all the system components (e.g., AC
pump/smart
controller, DC pump, battery and battery charger) may be smart, however, that
would be for a
very high-end system. Normally, it would be preferred to have smart controller
1100 and only
one of the battery 1174 or battery charger 1175 be "smart" as well (or
equipped with
reporting/communication capabilities) in order to keep the cost down and of
those, it would
make most sense to have the smart battery as the battery charger is not an
essential component
and would simply use-up more battery that could otherwise be focused on the
operation of the
DC pump 1169.
[0069] In the above pump examples, the pumps include a fluid level detector
to control the
pumping of fluid by the system. The fluid level detector monitors the level of
the fluid. When the
fluid rises to or beyond a predetermined level, the fluid level detector is
configured to detect the
rise in fluid and cause the power cord accessory 100 to turn on and/or deliver
power to the pump
motor. The fluid level detector may be a pneumatic pressure tube or switch.
More details of such
a switch may be found in Applicant's U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos.
2017/0175746,
published June 22, 2017, entitled Integrated Sump Pump Controller With Status
Notifications;
and 2018/0163730, published June 14, 2018, entitled Pump Communication Module,
Pump
System Using Same and Methods Relating Thereto, which are hereby incorporated
by reference
22
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
in their entirety. In the forms shown, a tube may be connected to the
transducer and pass through
the air tube receiver and down into a sump pit. Use of a pneumatic pressure
switch reduces (if
not eliminates) the number of moving mechanical parts, which can result in an
increase in system
reliability. The pressure tube has a pressure tube inlet, and is connected to
a switch device (e.g.,
the transducer), which may be contained within the smart controller as shown
previously.
[0070] Such systems may evoke additional steps to ensure that the air tube
is back to
atmospheric pressure. For example, the pneumatic pressure switch system can be
configured to
flush air after a predetermined period to recalibrate and eliminate problems
with condensation
build-up or tube leakage. The pneumatic pressure fluid level detection system
may alternatively
employ sensors that are adapted to operate so that the water level is held
below an opening. In
this manner the fluid level in the sump pit maintains a certain level with
respect to the fluid level
in the tube (e.g., the pit and tube fluid levels do not have to be equal or
level with one another,
but rather simply correlate with one another so that the level in the tube can
be used to calculate
a corresponding level of fluid within the pit). Further, in some examples, the
systems will be
configured to turn on after a predetermined time so that the air in the tube
returns to atmospheric
pressure. In a preferred form, the system will be configured to detect when
the pressure reading
from the air switch indicates a high fluid level has been reached, will
operate the pump to draw
fluid down and then will stop the pump once a substantially constant pressure
reading has been
reached as that will mean the air switch has returned to atmospheric pressure.
The reason a
particular pressure value is not looked for in determining when to stop the
pump but rather a
constant pressure is that looking for a particular pressure value would
require the pump to be
calibrated (possibly often) and would require knowledge of where the pump will
be used or in
what type of application as the particular pressure value might be different
based on elevation or
application (e.g., is it used on a regular sump pump application, is it being
used in a sealed radon
sump system, etc.). By not requiring a specific or particular pressure value
to be looked for and
rather just a generally or substantially constant pressure value to be seen,
the system does not
have to worry about these other details/factors and simply knows this means to
shut the pump
off when this condition is detected.
[0071] In still other forms, a solid state fluid level switch may be used
such as those disclosed
in Applicant's U.S. Patent No. 8,380,355, U.S. Patent Application Publication
No. 2013/0156605,
published June 20, 2013, entitled Capacitive Sensor and Method and Apparatus
for Controlling a
23
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
Pump Using Same, and U.S. App. No. 13/768,899 (Mayleben et. al.), which are
hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0072] While various example pump embodiments have been disclosed, it
should be
understood that the disclosed subject matter may be broadly applied to other
forms of pumps,
for example, single flow or discharge utility pumps, well pumps, lawn pumps,
sewage pumps,
pool pumps, etc. For example, pumps such as Applicant's utility pumps
illustrated in U.S. Patent
Application Publication Nos. 2017/0030371, published February 2, 2017,
entitled Multi-Outlet
Utility Pump, and 2019/0048875, published February 14, 2019, entitled
Thermally Controlled
Utility Pump and Methods Relating to Same, which are incorporated herein by
reference in their
entirety.
[0073] Again, while a pump has been primarily used as an example
application for the
disclosed invention, it should not be assumed that the disclosure is limited
to submersible pump
applications, but rather can be broadly applied to any motor driven device.
The above principles
may be used to detect when motor driven machinery will fail or that it
exhibits signs indicating
a failure will occur in the near future or that failure is imminent. The
machinery may be plugged
into a power cord accessory which is plugged into the wall outlet or a power
strip with such
technology. Alternatively, the machinery may be built to include a leakage
current detector and
notifier discussed in this disclosure within the machinery. In either example,
the leakage current
detector tests the machinery's motor before the motor is run. The leakage
current detector
determines if any leakage current exists and to what extent. If the leakage
current falls within the
range that indicates any type of failure condition is present, then the
notifier of the machinery or
the power cord accessory will alert the machinery operator of this failure
condition, so they may
be aware that the machinery may fail, allowing the operator to take
appropriate action. The
machinery may include a warning system that the notifier circuit communicates
with to alert or
notify the operator or machinery supervisor that a machinery failure condition
has been detected.
[0074] In an alternative embodiment, a smart control including circuitry as
illustrated in FIG.
12 may be used. The smart control 1200 of this embodiment is similar to the
smart control 200
discussed above in regard to FIG. 2, the differences of which are highlighted
in the following
description. In keeping with prior practice, items that are similar to those
discussed above will
use the same latter two-digit reference numeral but begin with the prefix 12
to distinguish this
embodiment from other embodiments. Thus, in FIG. 12, the smart control is
referenced generally
24
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
by reference numeral 1200 which is connected between power supply 1240 and
motor 1250. In
this embodiment, the smart control 1200 includes an AC switch, such as triac
1252, in parallel
with a normally open relay on the Line wire after the transformer 1212. The
triac 1252 may be
controlled by the controller 1202 to provide power the pump 1260 when the
controller 1202
determines that the pump 1260 must be run, for example, when the water level
within the sump
pit 1261 is above a threshold. Since the pump 1260 often will only operate for
a few seconds at a
time, the heat generated by the triac 1252 that delivers power to the pump
1260 is able to be
dissipated without the need for a heat sink attached to the triac 1252. In a
preferred form, triac
1252 will be an optotriac or solid-state relay (SSR) which allows a low-power
DC control circuit
to switch on AC power to an AC device like pump 1260 while preventing the low-
power DC
components from being exposed to the AC power and without the need for a more
expensive
transformer.
[0075] In situations where the pump 1260 needs to run for a longer period
of time, the triac
1252 may generate too much heat to be adequately dissipated between run
cycles. Instead of using
a large and/ or expensive heat sink to aid in heat dissipation for these
situations, the smart control
1200 of this embodiment includes a relay 1254 in parallel with the triac 1252.
The controller 1202
may be in communication with a temperature sensor 1256 that monitors the
temperature of the
triac 1252. When the temperature of the triac 1252 is above a threshold
temperature (e.g., 60
degrees Celsius) and/or the triac 1252 is powered on by the controller 1202
for a certain period
of time, the controller 1202 may turn off the triac 1252 and close the
normally open relay 1254.
Power is then supplied to the pump 1260 via the relay 1254 while the triac
1252 is off, thus
allowing the triac 1252 to cool.
[0076] In some forms, rather than turning off the triac 1252, the
controller 1202 simply closes
the relay 1254 with the triac 1252 still on. This reduces the heat generated
by the triac 1252 while
allowing the triac 1252 to serve as the main conduit for powering the pump
1260. This reduces
the burden on the relay 1254 as power (e.g., 120VAC) is provided to the pump
1260 via the both
the relay 1254 and the triac 1252. This aids in increasing the life of the
relay 1254. In still other
forms, however, the relay provides a path of least resistance and, thus, the
current passes through
the relay rather than the triac 1252 because of the resistance associated with
the triac 1252. This
still offers significant benefits, however, in that the relay 1254 is not
exposed to direct line voltage
at start-up, but rather a reduced start-up voltage associated with the
internal resistance of the
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
triac 1252. Thus, the relay 1254 is turned-on or activated much more gradually
than if it was
exposed to direct alternating current ("AC") line voltage at start-up. This
protects the relay and
prolongs the life by not exposing it to the higher start-up line voltage it
would otherwise be
exposed to but for the triac. For example, the more gradual or manageable
start-up prevents
damage to the relay such as pitting that can cause relays to die earlier than
their desired life
expectancy.
[0077] In another form, the controller 1202 turns on the triac 1252 to
power the pump 1260
and then shortly after, closes the relay 1254 to provide power to the pump
1260. For instance,
where the triac 1252 is above a certain temperature (e.g., 60 degrees Celsius)
and the controller
1202 determines that the pump 1260 must be powered, the controller 1202 may
first turn on the
triac 1252 to provide power to the motor of the pump 1260 and after a certain
period of time (e.g.,
20ms) close the relay 1254. Under this approach, the triac 1252 bears the
brunt of the 120 VAC
power that is used to turn on the motor 1250 of the pump 1260. Then the relay
1254 may be closed,
which, being connected in parallel to the triac 1252, aids in providing the
power to the pump 1260
and reduces the amount of heat generated by the triac 1252. Turning the relay
1254 on after the
triac 1252 initially powers the pump 1260 aids in reducing the wear placed on
the relay 1254 (e.g.,
pitting of the relay contact, extreme relay parameter operation, etc.) that
would occur under the
high current draw associated with initially powering the pump 1260 and
specifically motor 1250.
[0078] Providing a relay 1254 in parallel with the triac 1252 also adds
redundancy into the
smart contro11200. For instance, if the triac 1252 should fail, the controller
1202 may use the relay
1254 to deliver power to the pump 1260. Thus, even if the triac 1252 fails,
the pump 1260 may be
operated via the relay 1254. The smart control 1200 may be configured to
provide an error signal
or notification indicating that the triac 1252 of the smart contro11200 has
failed and that the smart
control 1200 is in need of maintenance or replacement while still allowing the
unit to operate in
the meantime (e.g., if not a full redundant operation, at least a limp-home
feature that provides
for some operability). The opposite is true as well in that the triac 1252
provides redundancy for
the relay 1254. Thus, if the relay fails, the triac will continue to allow the
system to operate,
however, it may have to shutdown from time to time if heat build-up becomes a
problem since
the relay is no longer available to help address that issue. In practice, the
relay 1254 will not be
needed until the pump has been running for an excessive period of time. In
some forms this may
26
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
be greater than ten seconds (10s), however, in other forms it may be a lower
threshold such as six
seconds (6s).
[0079] In view of the above, it should be understood that numerous
apparatus, systems and
methods are disclosed herein. For example, in some forms, apparatus, systems
and methods are
disclosed for detecting motor leakage current indicative of a failing motor so
that early warning
of this situation may be provided without a pump owner or user experiencing
failure that might
otherwise lead to further damage (e.g., flooding of an area, the cessation of
a motor driven device
during a critical time of operations, etc.). In a preferred form, the
apparatus, systems and methods
disclosed herein will alert the user to the problem with sufficient time to
address same before it
becomes a bigger problem. In this regard, one form of the apparatus, systems
and methods
disclosed herein involves monitoring leakage current to ground without needing
the motor to be
operated (or turned on) so that the line and neutral wires can be checked for
leaking to ground
and alerting the user to that situation when it is detected well in advance of
motor failure. In
some forms, the apparatus, system and methods can alert the user when the
polarity of the outlet
the motor is connected to is wired incorrectly (or the polarity the motor is
exposed to is incorrect).
In some forms the apparatus, system and method will alert the user to the
improper polarity,
such as by way of an audible alert and/or a visual alert (e.g., a buzzer, an
illuminated light, etc.).
In a preferred form, the alert will be provided via a message sent to the
user's mobile device
alerting him/her to the early failure detection prior to it becoming a more
serious issue.
[0080] In other forms, the apparatus, systems and methods disclosed herein
address heat
issues circuitry may be exposed to due to operation of the motor driven
device. For example, in
one form, an AC switch is used to allow the motor driven device to operate off
conventional AC
line voltage or power. Such switches can be exposed to excessive heat
generation that can cause
protective components or circuitry like thermal cutoffs (TC0s) to kick in to
prevent the circuitry
or motor driven device from overheating. For example, in the sump pump
embodiment disclosed
above, a triac is used to serve as the AC switch. The triac is capable of
operating the pump for a
reasonable period of time without generating excessive heat (e.g., six
seconds, ten seconds, etc.).
When excessive heat is generated, the apparatus, system and method disclosed
herein could
simply use a thermal cutoff or TS0 switch to shutdown the motor driven device,
however, in a
preferred form, the circuit will include a relay in parallel to the AC switch
to allow the relay to
close such that it diverts (or largely diverts) the current and power from the
triac to the relay to
27
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
allow the triac to cool. This configuration allows the heat generation issue
associated with the
triac to be addressed while also allowing the relay to be powered-up or
started more gently by
not exposing it to the brunt of the AC line voltage at start-up and instead
subjecting it only to the
much lower start-up voltage associated with the resistive drop over the triac.
This protects and
prolongs the life of the relay by preventing it from the damage or wear and
tear that a relay
normally sees when exposed directly to AC line voltage (e.g., pitting, relay
contact and/or
terminal damage, etc.). Thus, the circuit has a first switch in combination
with a second switch
wired generally in parallel with the first switch so that the second switch
may be used to address
heat issues associate with the first switch when necessary and doing so in a
way that protects or
prolongs the life of the second switch during its operation. The terms first
and second switch may
be used generically to refer to either the triac or relay. In some forms
discussed herein, the triac
is simply called-out as the triac with the relay being referred to as the
first switch wired in parallel
with the triac to take over operation of the powering of the motor driven
device when the triac
needs a break due to heat build-up.
[0081]
While the above embodiments have primarily described the current leakage
detector
(110, 210, 310, etc.) detecting current below which a GFCI outlet will trip to
preemptively detect
failure of the pump, in some embodiments, the current leakage detector (110,
210, 310, etc.) may
serve as and/or be used in place of a GFCI outlet. For instance, the outlet to
which the pump is
plugged into may not include a GFCI. Instead, the current leakage detector
monitors the amount
of current leaking to ground and prevents power from being provided to the
pump when the
amount of leakage current rises to a level at which a GFCI outlet would
typically trip or interrupt
the circuit (e.g., 4-6 mA). This enables a pump with a smart controller (100,
200, 300, etc.) to be
used with either a GFCI outlet and non-GFCI outlets with the pump being shut
off and prevented
from running when an electrical fault is detected. Use of the leakage current
detector provides
the safety benefits of a GFCI outlet even where the pump is plugged into a non-
GFCI outlet. It
also makes it possible to give electronic motor driven devices the benefits of
a GFCI when the
surrounding environment (e.g., building wiring (e.g., residential, commercial
or industrial),
surrounding area, etc.) does not lend itself to such features. While a pump is
discussed herein, it
should be understood this motor leakage current detector could be used with
any electric motor
driven device and this disclosure is intended to cover same.
28
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
[0082] One problem with the use of GFCI outlets for sump pumps is that once
the GFCI
trips, the sump pump will not be able to run unless reset which may result in
a homeowner's
basement being flooded. Many electrical codes require sump pumps to be plugged
into a GFCI
outlet so that power provided to the pump is cut when the leakage current
exceeds a threshold
to prevent a potential hazardous situation from arising. While the GFCI outlet
may trip due to an
actual electrical fault with the pump, occasional nuisance trips may occur,
for example, during a
brief power interruption, where the GFCI outlet opens preventing the pump to
run even when
there is nothing wrong with the pump. As a result, a homeowner's basement may
be flooded
even when their pump is in a good condition due to the GFCI cutting power to
the pump. The
current leakage detector solves this problem, because the current leakage
detector cuts the power
to the pump when an electrical fault is detected (e.g., high leakage current)
preventing a
potentially hazardous condition, but further may periodically test the leakage
current after the
electrical fault has been detected to check if the electrical fault is still
present or was only a
temporary situation (e.g., due to a power interruption) and not a problem with
the pump. For
example, with reference to the smart controller 300 of FIG. 3, the leakage
current detector 310 may
open the triacs 313, 314 to prevent power from being provided to the motor
350. The leakage
current detector 310 may then periodically test the leakage current (with or
without running the
pump) as described above to determine whether the leakage current remains
above a threshold
(e.g., 4-6 mA) such that power should be prevented from being provided to the
motor 350. Thus,
use of the current leakage detector may provide the benefits of a GFCI outlet
while preventing a
homeowner's basement from being unnecessarily flooded due to a nuisance trip
of the GFCI
outlet.
[0083] Furthermore, because the power outlet has not tripped, the smart
controller may
remain powered even when a problem is detected with the pump. The smart
controller may
notify the user as described above when an actual electrical fault has
occurred and alert the user
that the sump pump will not run. This alerts the homeowner of the problem with
their pump and
may provide the homeowner with the opportunity to remedy the situation and/or
minimize the
damage to their home.
[0084] In FIG. 13, an alternate form of a graphical overlay for the smart
power cord is
illustrated that is configured for the smart control devices discussed above,
for example, in FIGA.
5-B. In keeping with prior practice, features of this embodiment that are
common to earlier ones
29
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
will use the same latter two-digit reference numeral but use the prefix 13 to
distinguish this
embodiment from others. The graphical overlay 1322a may be affixed to the
housing or enclosure
1302 and used to provide information to the user. The graphical overlay 1322a
may, for example,
be a formed of a paper and/or plastic material that is affixed to the housing
1303 by an adhesive.
Similar to the graphical overlay 522a of FIG. 5B, the graphical overlay 1322a
includes an inverted
pyramid adjacent LEDs 1322 to indicate the water level. The graphical overlay
1322a may have
holes for each LED 1322 through which the LEDs 1322 are visible. In another
form, the portions
of the graphical overlay 1322a that are positioned above the LEDs 1322 are
transparent or
translucent to permit a user to view which LEDs 1322 are illuminated.
[0085] The graphical overlay 1322 similarly may include a hole or
transparent portion
aligned with the pump status LED 1323 and WiFi status LED 1324 for viewing the
pump status
LED 1323 and WiFi status LED 1524 through the graphical overlay 1322a. The
graphical overlay
1322a further includes graphical information 1123a below or above the pump
status LED 523 as
illustrated in FIG. 13. As one example, the graphical information may display
"Pump Status,"
"Green - OK", Yellow - Failing," and "Red - Replace." Similar to the
embodiments above, the
pump status LED 1123 may be a multi-color LED configured to illuminate a
certain color to
indicate to the user the status of the pump. The pump status, and thus the
color of the LED 1123,
may be determined based on an evaluation and weighing of a plurality of inputs
to provide a
single overall health status of the pump for the user to quickly assess the
health of the pump. The
graphical overlay 1322a may also include graphical information 1124a below or
above the WiFi
status LED 1124 as well. As one example, the graphical information 1124a may
display "Wi-Fi
Status," "Green - OK," "Yellow - Connecting," and "Red - No Connection." The
Wi-Fi status
LED 1124 may accordingly be a multi-color LED configured to illuminate a
certain color to
indicate to the user the Wi-Fi connectivity status.
[0086] The graphical overlay 1322a may further include a computer
recognizable code 1325
for use during setup of the pump or for use in troubleshooting the pump. As
one example, the
code 1325 is a scannable QR code that a user may use or scan for use in
setting up their pump.
When scanned by a user device (e.g., a smartphone, computer tablet, etc.), the
QR code may
provide the user with a link or automatically direct a user to instructions
for setting up or
troubleshooting their pump. For instance, by scanning the QR code the user may
be able to access
a webpage, download an owner's manual/troubleshooting manual, and/or open
instructions on
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
a smartphone application associated with the pump, such as that shown in FIGS.
14A-D. As other
examples, the code 1325 may be a Microsoft Tag or a NFC chip a user may
interact with to access
instructions for setup and/or troubleshooting the pump. Thus, it should be
understood that any
machine readable or recognizable item may be used for this purpose, such as
bar codes, RFID
sensors, or just comprise a machine detectable image or shape. For example, in
some forms, the
instrument marker includes a bar code identifying the leakage current detector
and/or the motor
driven electrical device connected thereto (e.g., electronic device), such as
a UPC, EAN, GTIN or
other trade identification for identifying an item. In some forms, the machine
detectable or
readable marking may be two- or three-dimensional (2D, 3D) barcodes. In a
preferred form, the
barcodes may be hydrophobic (e.g, fluid resistant, waterproof, etc.) and angle
and/or orientation
agnostic (meaning they can be read from any angle and/or orientation). In some
forms, however,
the machine detectable or readable marking/item may only be detectable at
angles that are
between +-.30° off normal (or from normal), but in preferred forms they
will be readable
over a range of angles that are at least between ±30° off normal
(and preferably larger
ranges of angles). As mentioned above, however, in a preferred form the
machine detectable or
readable marking or item will be a scannable QR code.
[0087]
In some forms, a user may link the pump 1360 to their user account on their
smartphone application by scanning the QR code. For example, a user may create
a user account
in the smartphone application associated with the pump 1360. To link their
particular pump with
their user account to view diagnostic data and receive updates associated with
the health of the
pump 1360, the user may scan the QR code 1325 within the application. The
smartphone
application may then automatically configure or register the scanned pump 1360
with their user
account. In a preferred form, the scanning of the QR code 1325 by a user's
mobile device (e.g.,
smart phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) automatically launches on the user's mobile
device the setup
and registration for the electric motor driven device (e.g., taking the user
to an application
provider to download the required app, stepping the user through the setup of
the app and/or
the electric motor driven device (e.g., the pump), stepping the user through
warranty registration
or even simply completing the warranty registration process for the user based
on the data
already collected through setup). Setup may include obtaining the necessary
software app,
determining geographically where the user and electronic device is located,
the user's contact
info, the particulars with respect to the actual electronic device the user
has (e.g., what part
31
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
number, model number, batch number, etc.), usage information for the
electronic device (e.g., is
it a utility pump, sump pump, effluent pump, lawn pump, pool cover pump, pool
pump, well
pump, battery backup system, etc.), setting-up push notifications (e.g., one
way or two way
notifications such as texts, etc.), allowing the user to setup additional
features they can sign onto
if they want (e.g., tracking, notifications, alerts, additional contacts to be
reached out to, product
milestone reminders to remind the user about such as number of cycles, battery
condition, motor
condition, efficiency of unit, etc.). Again, in the main form disclosed herein
a pump is discussed,
but it should be understood that the electric motor driven device could be
numerous other electric
or electronic devices.
[0088] As mentioned above, and with reference again to FIGS. 9A-C, a
smartphone
application may be associated with the pump 960 and/or smart controller 900.
The smart
controller 900 may collect data pertaining to the health or a condition of the
pump 960 and
communicate data via the communication circuit 930 to a remote server
computer. The smart
controller 900 may include several sensors and/or be in communication with
sensors of the pump
960 to collect data relating to the pump 960 to make the pump health
determination. The collected
data may include data such as, for example, how long the pump has been
running, the supply
voltage level, the amount of detected leakage current, the current draw of the
pump, inrush
current, the water level, power supply power factor, whether the air switch
water level sensor is
functioning, reverse polarity of power outlet, the number of relay cycles
(e.g., relay 1254), the
number of pump cycles, the temperature of the pump or component thereof, and
the temperature
of smart controller or component thereof. The collected data may be used to
determine various
conditions of the pump 960 and/or smart controller 900, such as when a problem
or abnormal
condition is present.
[0089] In some forms, the smart controller 900 processes the collected data
to determine the
pump health status and/or whether any monitored conditions are present. The
smart controller
900 may communicate the determined pump health status and associated collected
data to the
remote server computer. The remote server computer may be a server computer of
a smartphone
application associated with the smart controller 900 and/or pump 960. The pump
health status,
detected condition, and/or associated data may be displayed or viewed within
the smartphone
application. In some forms, the remote server computer processes all or a
portion of the data to
determine the health of the pump and/or detect the presence of a monitored
condition based on
32
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
the data collected by and received from the smart controller 900. The remote
server may
determine the health of the pump 960 and/or whether any monitored conditions
are present and
communicate a signal to the smart controller 900 causing the smart controller
900 to illuminate
the pump health status LED 923 a color to indicate the determined status.
[0090] As described above, a user may view the pump health status LED 923
to receive a
simple indication of the overall health of the pump 960. In some forms, the
user may also use the
associated smartphone application to view the pump health status. The
smartphone application
may also be used to access further details regarding the status of the pump
960. For example, a
user may use the smartphone application to determine a specific reason the
pump health status
LED 923 is yellow or red. The smartphone application may include a field
indicating the overall
health of the pump 960 similar to the pump health status LED 923 to provide a
simple, concise
indication of the health of the pump based on a plurality of monitored factors
within the
application. The smartphone application may permit the user to further access,
or display to the
user, a status for various monitored conditions or states of the pump 960. The
smartphone
application may indicate which conditions are determined to be present that
may be impacting
the overall pump health status determination. Where a monitored condition is
determined to be
present (e.g., an abnormal condition), the smartphone application may provide
instructions for
how to troubleshoot, fix, and/or remedy the detected condition. For example,
if the input voltage
is too low, the smartphone application may present a message instructing the
user to consult an
electrician. As another example, where a high leakage current is detected, the
smartphone
application may indicate to the user to replace the pump 960 immediately.
[0091] The following table provides a list of example conditions that may
be monitored by
the smart controller 900, along with the color that may be displayed by the
pump health status
LED 923 as a result of the presence of the condition, and an example of a
message that may be
displayed in the application when the condition is determined to be present.
[0092]
Monitored Condition Pump Health Status Message Provided by Smartphone
LED Displayed Color Application
No Pump Health
Green
Faults Detected
33
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
Your pump is running longer than usual.
Please check your system to ensure no
Abnormal Run Time Yellow
debris is blocking your pump inlet or pump
discharge
Too High Supply Incompatible voltage detected. Please
have
Voltage (pump off) Yellow an electrician correct outlet to
extend the
(e.g., >128V @ OA) life of your pump
Too Low Supply Incompatible voltage detected. Please
have
Voltage (pump off) Yellow an electrician correct outlet to
extend the
(e.g., <104V @OA) life of your pump
High Leakage Current We have detected a critical issue with your
Red
(e.g., > 0.1mA) pump. Replace your pump immediately!
High Current
Your motor is showing signs of aging.
(e.g., >7.2A @ 127V;
Yellow Consider replacing your pump soon to
stay
>7.2A @ 115V;
protected.
>7.8A @ 104V)
Exceed High Current
Limit
We have detected a critical issue with your
(e.g., >7.7A @ 127V; Red
pump. Replace your pump immediately!
>7.7A @ 115V;
>8.3A @ 104V)
Locked Rotor We have detected a critical issue with your
Red
(e.g., >15A) pump. Replace your pump immediately!
Your motor is showing signs of aging.
Too Low Current Yellow Consider replacing your pump soon to
stay
protected.
Exceed Low Current We have detected a critical issue with your
Red
Limit pump. Replace your pump immediately!
Water level is not dropping! Incoming
Water Level not
Yellow flowrate exceeds pumping capability.
dropping while pump
Immediate attention is required.
34
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
running; Normal
Current
Water level is not dropping! Please verify
Water Level not
there are no obstructions in your system
dropping while pump Yellow
discharge piping or damaged/incorrectly
running; Low Current
installed check valve.
Low Power Supply
We have detected a critical issue with your
Power Factor Red
pump. Replace your pump immediately!
(e.g., <0.93 PF)
Non-functioning air switch detected! Please
check the following:
-Verify air hose is properly connected to
controller and air switch.
Non-functioning Air
Red -Verify air hose is not damaged, bent
or
Switch
twisted.
-Verify air switch is not damaged.
-Contact customer service for further
troubleshooting.
Outlet Wired Outlet wired incorrectly. Please have
an
Incorrectly (reverse Yellow electrician correct outlet to allow
full
polarity) functionality of your device.
Relay exceeds cycle We have detected a critical issue with your
Red
limit pump. Replace your pump immediately!
Warning! Your pump is running
Continuous Run Yellow continuously. Immediate attention is
required.
Warning! The thermal protector of your
Thermal Protector
Yellow pump has tripped. Immediate attention
is
Trip
required.
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
[This is an experimental data point that
Abnormal Duty Cycle Collect data will be collected on for possible
use in
future warnings/alerts.]
[This is an experimental data point that
High Inrush Current Collect data will be collected on for possible
use in
future warnings/alerts.]
Table 1. Monitored Conditions and Associated Output
[0093] The smart controller 900 and/or remote server computer may determine
that a
condition is present based on one or more categories of the collected data.
For instance, by
monitoring the current draw of the pump and the water level within the sump
pit, a
determination may be made that the pump 960 is clogged and that debris may
need to be
removed. As another example, the determination of whether a monitored
condition is present
may be based on whether the pump is operating and a current or voltage level.
A locked rotor
may be detected based on a very high current draw by the pump 960, for
example, greater than
15A. While examples of monitored data (e.g., voltages, currents, etc.) are
provided as indicative
of the presence of the exemplary monitored conditions listed above, those
having skill in the art
will appreciate that these limits and ranges indicative of various conditions
may vary based on
the specifications (e.g., size, recommended input voltage level, etc.) and
application of the pump
960.
[0094] The smart controller 900 may also monitor the number of pump cycles
the pump 960
has performed. Pumps are often expected to perform a certain threshold number
of pump cycles
before breaking down or needing to be replaced. Thus, as the number of pump
cycles are
monitored, the estimated number of pump cycles remaining and/or the life
expectancy of the
pump 960 can be predicted and presented to the user via the smartphone
application. The
smartphone application may notify or alert the user when the pump is nearing
the end of its life
expectancy and recommend the user replace the pump. The smartphone application
may provide
the user with a link to one or more pumps for the user to consider purchasing.
After exceeding a
certain number of pump cycles, the owner may be notified via the application
that their pump
has exceeded a threshold number of cycles and/or reached the end of its life
expectancy and
should be replaced. Similarly, for smart controller 1200 including a relay
1254, the number or
36
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
relay cycles may be monitored, and the user alerted when the number of relay
cycles nears or
exceeds a threshold number of cycles that the relay 1254 is expected to
perform in a lifetime before
needing replacement. The smart controller 900 and/or associated server
computer may monitor
the warranty of the pump 960 and alert or notify the user when the warranty of
their pump is
nearing expiration or has expired. The user may be notified via the smartphone
application and
provided with a recommendation to replace their pump to stay protected by
warranty.
[0095] In some embodiments, when a monitored condition is determined to be
present
and/or a health status of the pump 960 is determined to change, the smartphone
application may
present or push a notification to the user. The notification may present the
user with a message
alerting them of the problem and/or a message of the recommended action to
address any
problems detected by the smart controller 900.
[0096] An example of a graphical user interface (GUI) 1400 displayed by
such a smartphone
application described above for use in remotely monitoring a pump (or other
motor driven
devices) is shown in FIGS. 14A-D. With respect to FIG. 14A-B, the smartphone
application may
provide a dashboard display providing the user with a summary of data
collected for the pump
associated with a user account of the smartphone application. For instance,
the GUI may include
a chart 1402 showing the water level detected by a sensor of the pump or smart
controller (e.g., a
float sensor). The chart 1042 may also include a line indicating the water
level at which the pump
will run. As the water level rises, the graphical display of the water level
on the chart may rise
illustrating to the user how close the pump is to running based on the water
level.
[0097] The GUI may include a health status indicator 1404 indicating the
overall health of
the pump that provides the user with a simple indication of the overall health
of the pump similar
to the pump health LED of the smart controller described above. With reference
to FIG. 14C, the
application may include a screen with a legend that the user can reference to
determine the
meaning of the health status indicator 1404 displayed within the application.
The health status
indicator 1404 may be green when there are no problems with the pump. When
there are no
problems with the pump and the pump is new (e.g., based on the number of pump
cycles) the
health status indicator 1404 may display that the pump is in excellent
condition. Where the pump
is older, but no problems are detected, the health status indicator 1404 may
be green and display
that the pump is in good condition. Where the health status indicator 1404 is
orange or yellow, as
shown in FIG. 14B, the system has detected an issue that requires attention.
With reference to FIG.
37
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
14B, where an issue or fault has been detected, the GUI of the application may
display a message
1408 on the dashboard display screen of the application indicating that the
pump needs attention
along with a notification 1410 indicating what the detected issue or fault is.
Where the system
has detected a critical fault or issue such that the user needs to take
immediate action, such as
replacing the pump, the health status indicator 1404 may be a red color and
display a message to
the user to replace the pump.
[0098] The application may include a system test button 1406 that the user
may select or
press to cause the system to perform a test on the pump, similar to the tests
performed on the
pump system in response to receiving user input via the user input 204 of
smart controller
embodiments described above. The application may also display pump data 1412
to the user
including the pumps activity that day, that week, that month, and/or that year
including the
number of pump cycles and the runtime. With respect to FIG. 14D, the
application may further
display data including a graph 1414 illustrating the pumps activity over time
along with a history
1416 of the times at which the pump was run and the length of time the pump
ran.
[0099] In addition to the above, in some forms, the electronic device the
leakage current
detection technology is paired with may be equipped to work as an Internet of
Things (IoT) device
and utilize other smart home technology. For example, in one form, the pump
illustrated herein
may be used to pair with a smart home attendant (e.g., Amazon's ALE)(A brand
items, Apple's
SIRI brand items, Google Assistant brand items, etc.) so that the user may ask
the smart home
attendant to report on the status of the electronic device. In instances where
the device is a pump,
for example, the user may ask their smart home attendant what is the status of
the pump. In
response, the smart home attendant will provide data on the pump. In some
forms the data
provided will be a rundown of the main software app dashboard, e.g., it may
provide current
status or state of pump, any detected malfunctions, number of cycles (e.g.,
during a specific
period like 24 hours, or this week, or this month or over the product's
lifetime), run time data
(e.g., again over a specific period or over the lifetime, whichever the user
desires or sets-up), etc.
In addition to the above exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that
numerous
methods are disclosed and contemplated herein as well. For example, a method
of providing
GFCI benefits to a non-GFCI component or a non-GFCI environment is disclosed
herein. In
addition, a method of triggering an electronic device before triggering a GFCI
so as to prevent a
tripped GFCI from causing further damage before being reset is also disclosed.
While GFCI is
38
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
reference herein, it should be understood that includes a GFI device, a
Residual Current Device
(RCD), or any such interrupter regardless of name. Further to the above, a
method of protecting
electronic devices is also disclosed herein including a method of protecting
electronic devices
without the use or triggering of a GFCI.
39
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-08-24
