Mobile-Automatic Power Supply for Sump Pump

Abstract

A mobile power supply device and method for energizing a sump pump in a sump pit during a power outage, and a mobile power supply device and method for energizing a sump pump secured to a bottom portion of the device. The device includes an enclosure similar to a dolly that is manufactured from plastic or similar non-electrically conductive material to minimize weight to enable the manual lifting and pulling of the mobile power supply device, and to promote safety by reducing the chance of an electrical short circuit when supplying electrical power to a sump pump. The enclosure includes a carrying handle and a relatively large dolly handle that cooperate with castors attached to a bottom portion or bottom surface of the enclosure. The castors promote manual movement of the device upon a substantially horizontal surface or up and/or down stairs leading to a sump pump in a sump pump well or pit in a basement.

An alternative mobile-automatic start and stop power supply for a sump pump includes a mobile enclosure that a person can lift with a battery, a battery charger an electrical inverter disposed in said enclosure. The electrical inverter is sized to energize the sump pump in the sump pump well and to charge the battery. The inverter includes an internal transfer switch for disconnecting electrical power from an existing electrical receptacle that supplies power to the sump pump, and connecting the electrical inverter to the sump pump after disconnecting the existing electrical receptacle from the sump pump; whereupon, the inverter continually lowers the water level in the sump pump well until power to the existing electrical receptacle is restored or until the battery is discharged to voltage levels incapable of energizing the sump pump.

Description

[0001]This is a Continuation-In-Part Application of parent application Ser. No. 16 / 194,275, filed on Nov. 16, 2018, which is based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 587,637, filed on Nov. 17, 2017.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to back-up power supplies for sump pumps, and more particularly, to a manually portable or mobile power supply that can be disposed to automatically energize an existing sump pump motor to remove water from an existing sump well. The present invention includes a sump pump in the mobile power supply enclosure that enables the mobile power supply to remove water from a flooded area by manually position the mobile power supply in the flood water and closing a switch that energize the sump pump in the enclosure.2. Background of the Prior Art[0003]A myriad of prior art back-up power supply designs for sump pumps are commercially available. Prior art power supplies are installed adjacent to the sump pump...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]It is an object of the present invention to overcome many of the disadvantages associated with prior art back-up power supply devices for a sump pump. A principal object of the present invention is to provide a back-up power supply for sump pumps that is capable of automatically starting a sump pump when a main power source is interrupted and a high water level exists. Another object of the present invention is to include a back-up power supply with automatic starting capability and a manually movable enclosure containing a sump pump and a battery power source; the manually movable enclosure ultimately being disposed in water in a flooded area, thereby enabling the sump pump in the mobile enclosure to be energized by the battery power source and remove the surrounding flood water to another location. A feature of the power supply is handles and castors secured to an enclosure containing electrical components and a sump pump. Another feature of the power supply is an enclosure having upper and lower portions with electrical components in the upper portion and a sump pump in the lower portion. An advantage of the power supply is that the enclosure is mobile. Another advantage of the power supply is that electrical components are isolated from flood water in the upper portion of the enclosure and the sump pump disposed in a lower portion of the enclosure disposed in flood water, thereby promoting the removal of flood water via the sump pump in the enclosure.

Problems solved by technology

Prior art power supplies are installed adjacent to the sump pump for automatic starting of the sump pump in the event that the main power source is interrupted and a high water level is detected in the sump well, but these power supplies are not mobile.

Other back-up power supply designs are mobile and can be manually disposed at flooded areas, but these mobile power supplies do no automatically energize an existing sump pump motor when the main power source to that sump pump motor is interrupted.

In addition, prior art back-up power supplies do not include a sump pump in the enclosure containing the batteries to enable the enclosure to be manually disposed in flood waters, then energizing the sump pump in the enclosure by manually moving a switch to an “on” position to remove flood water.

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