FOUNTAIN ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A fountain assembly, such as a play fountain, comprising one or more rechargeable power packs, each power pack comprising at least one power storage element, such as one or more supercapacitors. The fountain assembly further comprises a controller configured to continuously maintain the stored power of the power storage elements at or above a predefined level during operation.

Claims

1. A fountain assembly comprising one or more rechargeable power packs, each power pack comprising at least one power storage element, wherein the fountain assembly further comprises a controller configured to continuously maintain stored power of one or more power storage elements at or above a predefined level during operation.

2. The fountain assembly according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of power packs interconnected so as to allow direct power exchange between the power packs.

3. The fountain assembly according to claim 1, wherein each power pack feeds a plurality of electric motors for controlling water jets, valves for controlling water jets and/or light sources.

4. The fountain assembly according to claim 3, comprising a load bearing floor comprising interchangeable floor modules, each floor module comprising a tile with a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle being operatively connected to a pump or valve, powered by one of the power packs.

5. The fountain assembly according to claim 4, wherein each power pack is operatively connected to an auxiliary controller controlling activation of electric motors and/or valves of the associated floor module.

6. The fountain assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the power packs comprises at least one power storage element storing electric charges.

7. The fountain assembly according to claim 6, wherein the power storage elements include at least one capacitor.

8. The fountain assembly according to claim 7, wherein the at least one capacitor includes at least one supercapacitor or ultracapacitor, such as a double layer capacitor, pseudo-capacitor and/or hybrid capacitor, such as a lithium-ion capacitor, or combinations thereof.

9. A method of operating a fountain assembly comprising one or more rechargeable power packs, wherein the power packs are charged to a level which is continuously maintained during operation.

10. The fountain assembly according to claim 2, wherein each power pack feeds a plurality of electric motors for controlling water jets, valves for controlling water jets and/or light sources.

11. The fountain assembly according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the power packs comprises at least one power storage element storing electric charges.

12. The fountain assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the power packs comprises at least one power storage element storing electric charges.

13. The fountain assembly according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the power packs comprises at least one power storage element storing electric charges.

14. The fountain assembly according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the power packs comprises at least one power storage element storing electric charges.

15. The fountain assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the power packs comprises at least one power storage element storing electric charges.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 1: shows schematically a play fountain assembly;

[0023] FIG. 2A: shows in bottom view a floor module of the play fountain assembly of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 2B: shows the floor module of FIG. 2A in side view;

[0025] FIG. 3: shows in more detail a power pack of the floor module of FIG. 2A, with the casing partly broken away;

[0026] FIG. 4: shows the control unit and the junction cabinet of the play fountain in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a play fountain 1 comprising a walkable floor 2 covering a reservoir 3. The floor 2 has a modular set-up and comprises connecting interchangeable floor modules 4. Each one of the floor modules 4 comprises a tile 5 with a walkable upper surface provided with an array of nozzles 6. The floor 2 is designed for carrying a weight load by multiple playing and running people.

[0028] The play fountain 1 also comprises a plant room 7 containing a main controller 8, a junction cabinet 9 (see FIG. 4) and a filter system (not shown) for recirculating, filtering water to be recycled to the reservoir 3, and for dosing a sanitizing agent, such as for example hydrogen peroxide or chlorine.

[0029] FIG. 2A shows the bottom side of an individual floor module 4, shown in side view in FIG. 2B. The floor module 4 comprises a power pack 10 in a water tight casing and a series of pumps 11 arranged on beams 12 spacing the pumps 11 from the lower side of the tile 4. In the shown embodiment, the floor module comprises eight pumps 11, each pump 11 communicating with four nozzles 6. Alternative embodiments may comprise different. arrangements of nozzles 6 and pumps 11. The pumps 11 have a suction side arranged to suck water from the reservoir 3 and to jet it via one or more of the associated nozzles 6. The jetted water falls down onto the floor 2 where it is recollected in the reservoir 3 via openings and open joints in the floor 2.

[0030] The outer ends 4A of the tiles 4 are supported by a frame or supports (not shown) at such a level that the power pack 10 is below water level W of a regularly filled reservoir, while the beams 12 with the pumps 11 are below water level W but still at a distance above ground level G.

[0031] The floor modules 4 can be mounted on a frame (not shown) above the reservoir 3, such that the suction side of the individual pumps 11 is able to suck water from the reservoir 3.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows the power pack 10 in more detail, with a part of the water tight housing broken away. The power pack 10 contains five power storage elements, in this exemplary embodiment supercapacitors 13, in a serial arrangement on a circuit board 14. Alternative embodiments may comprise more or less supercapacitors 13 and/or other types of power storage elements and/or may use different arrangements. A central feeding cable 15 comprises a power line 16 and a data line 17. The power line 16 feeds the five supercapacitors 13.

[0033] The watertight casing of the power pack also encases a local auxiliary controller 18 on the circuit board 14 connected to the data line 17 of the feeding cable 15. The main controller 8 communicates via the data line 17 with the auxiliary controller 18 of the power pack 10. The auxiliary controller 18 directly controls the connected pumps 11 of the floor module 4 in accordance with instructions from the main controller 8. This way the play fountain 1 is controlled on two levels: the main controller 8 determines the pattern and activates the auxiliary controller 18 of selected floor modules 4. In turn, the auxiliary controller 18 of the floor module 4 activates the pumps 11 or nozzles 6 of that floor module 4 to produce jets of the desired intensity and pulse lengths.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows the elements located in the plant room 7. These include the main controller 8, which is connected via a first power cable 19 to the mains or another power source, such as a local power generator. A second power cable 20 runs from the main controller 8 to a power supply unit 21 and subsequently to a junction cabinet 22. The power supply unit 21 reduces the voltage to an operational voltage of the junction cabinet 22, for instance to 12 Volt. A data line 23 runs parallel to the second power cable 20 from the main controller 8 to the junction cabinet 22.

[0035] The junction cabinet 22 comprises a series of connection ports configured to receive matching connectors 24 of feeding cables 15 combining power and data lines to the power packs 10 of the individual floor modules 4. All connection ports are operatively connected to the power cable 20 coming from the power supply unit 21 and to the data line 23 coming from the main controller 8, e.g., via a common conductor such as a rails, allowing the power packs to transfer electric energy to each other, bypassing the power supply unit 21.

[0036] The junction cabinet 22 comprises a casing 25 with doors 26 shielding the connection ports when the doors 26 are closed off. The casing 25 comprises a security lock 27 locking the casing 25 when the connected power packs 10 are still wholly or partly charged. For example, the assembly may comprise sensors for monitoring if the doors of the junction cabinet are opened or closed. The controller may be programmed to initiate external power supply from the mains or a generator only if the sensors signal that the doors are closed. If the controller receives a signal from the sensors that the doors are open, the controller will block external power supply. The controller can also be configured to monitor the stored energy. Only of the stored energy e.g., the voltage or charge is below a predefined level the controller allows opening of the doors.

[0037] Each power pack 10 feeds an indicator lamp 28, which may for example be located on the casing 25. If the junction cabinet 22 is disconnected from the mains the indicator lamp 28 will very slowly exhaust the associated power pack 10. When the indicator lamp 28 goes out, the power pack 10 is sufficiently discharged and the casing 25 of the junction cabinet 22 can be opened safely, e.g., to plug-in a connector of a new or uncharged power pack 10.

[0038] The main controller 8 controls recharging of the power packs 10 via the power supply unit 21. Recharging of the supercapacitors can take place during discharging of the supercapacitors. The recharging cycle is of about the same time length as the discharge cycle. Since the supercapacitors are connected via the junction cabinet 22, they will also power each other, like a system of communicating vessels. This way, a very flexible power system is obtained.

[0039] The main controller 8 can also be used for controlling lights, sound systems, the water recycling and conditioning system and other possible facilities.

[0040] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims.