Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/14—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
  • E04H4/16—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for specially adapted for cleaning
  • E04H4/169—Pool nozzles

Definitions

• This invention relates to the cleaning of swimming pools, and is principally designed for use in relation to swimming pools installed adjacent private homes although larger pools, such as Council and Olympic type pools are also susceptible to treatment and installation according to this invention.
• This invention is based on the observation that when leaves fall or are blown into a swimming pool they will float for some time before becoming saturated and sinking. The time involved will vary
• This invention is principally concerned with providing a system which has the capacity to remove from a pool leaves and other floating debris before they with their associated dust particles or the like can sink to the pool floor.
• the invention in a preferred form, also provides means for lifting leaves and other debris including fine material from the pool floor to be removed by the principal system of this invention.
• this invention in one broad form, comprises in a swimming pool with a designed operating water level, means adapted to induce surface water movement in a general direction from one end of said pool to an opposite end, a strainer box external of and proximate the pool boundary at said opposite end, a throat communicating between said strainer box and said pool providing a common free water surface when said pool is filled to said designed water level, and a weir at the pool end of said throat, said weir including a transversely horizontal protrusion ex ⁇ tending outwardly and downwardly into the volume to be occupied by pool water, the highest transverse line of said protrusion being slightly lower than said designed water level so as to provide a gradual shallowing of pool water in the vicinity of said
• the strainer box will incorporate a filter element arranged so that with the system running normally some eighty to one hundred percent of the water will be filtered.
• the above surface water jets or throwers in fact only supplement the sub surface water jets in ' creating surface layer movement.
• the above water jets have the advantage in that they tend to aerate the water of the pool which increases the ability of the pool water to hold matter in suspension within the surface layer while it is transported to the strainer box. Further, aeration tends to inhibit growth of algae, and helps prevent discolouration at the water line.
• the weir is positioned proximate the pool side wall so as to be slightly below the designed surface level of the pool.
• the width will depend upon such parameters as pool size and required water throughput of the strainer system. Usually a width of less than one metre will be required.
• the water level height above the weir is important.
• the system provides a surface water flow to float debris over the weir rather than splashing it over as with conventional scumgutters.
• the water surface is continuous from the pool into the strainer box, so that floating debris is not trapped anywhere before it reaches the strainer.
• the shallowing of water depth is important as it accelerates the water as it enters the throat. Floating objects, and even more so objects in suspension, are less likely to sink in the accelerated water. Thus the debris, once it reaches
• One embodiment of such apparatus comprises two elements the first can be in the form of an inverted U-tube fitted at the appropriate height relative to the desired pool water surface level and arranged so that excess water is directed to waste.
• the second element can be arranged so that any loss of water from the pool is automatically made up, and can comprise a device in the nature of a float valve and cistern or other means such as a probe controlled valve or a pilot operated valve. Excess water in the pool can result from rain or from manual topping up of the water level.
• the strainer tank be arranged so that all matter therein can be removed simply for disposal. Further the strainer tank is preferably fitted at such a level that it contains a free surface at the same level as that of the pool water and therefore does not require a watertight cover or lid, and facilitates removal of rubbish and servicing of the filter element. If desired, and dependent upon pool size and shape, one or more jets or hose outlets may be arranged on or adjacent the pool floor in such a manner as to, at selected intervals, stir into sus ⁇ pension sediment deposited on the pool floor, this sediment then being removed over said weir(s) by the movement of surface water. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic section of a swimming pool together with associated apparatus for practice of the system of this invention
• Fig. 2 is a detailed section of the strainer box of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a detailed section of the pool water surface level control device of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic section of a swimming pool including a second embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 5 is a plan view of the pool of Fig. 4;
• Fig. 6 is a detailed section view of a portion of the pool of Figs. 4 and 5;
• Fig. 7 shows in detail a part of the portion of the pool shown in Fig. 6.
• pool 1 is filled with water to surface line 2.
• Water throwers (or sprayers) 3 are provided at one end of pool 1 just above and/or below pool surface level line 2 to inject water causing a movement of said pool surface water towards the opposite end of pool 1 wherein is accommodated weir 4 comprising lip 5 which is shaped and located so as to occasion an increase in the flow rate of surface water in the vicinity of weir 4.
• weir 4 comprising lip 5 which is shaped and located so as to occasion an increase in the flow rate of surface water in the vicinity of weir 4.
• the water level 16 of strainer box 7 being the same as that of pool 1 so that lid 15 of strainer box 7 need not be of any specially fitted manufacture.
• strainer box 7 is provided with a coarse strainer 13 which will arrest leaves, bark and similarly sized material, and a fine strainer, e.g., 20-200 mesh, 14 which will arrest finer material. Water passing through strainers 13 and 14 will be returned via pipe 8 to the conventional pool pump 9 and filter 10.
• Water is returned to pool 1 from pump 9 and filter 10 via pipe 11 and water throwers 3.
• Pool 1 is also provided with water level maintenance device 17 which comprises an overflow device in the form of an inverted U-tube 18 arranged so that excess pool water will exit to waste thereby.
• overflow device can be incorporated in an automatic topping up device as described above.
• Figs. 4 and 5 show diagrammatically the overall arrangement of a second embodiment of the invention.
• Surface and sub surface jets 23 provide the means to induce water surface movement along the length of pool 1.
• Bottom jets 42 create turbulence within the entire water volume of pool 1 thus stirring up any debris which may have sunk to the pool floor. This stirred up debris will finally reach the surface layer which is moving toward the pool end opposite jets 23.
• weir 24 providing clear liquid communication to strainer tank 27.
• a protruding lip 25 which extends inwardly and downwardly within the water of pool 1. Lip 25 is more fully shown in Fig. 7 where it can be seen to extend across the complete opening of weir 24.
• the profile of lip 25 is such that water approaching weir 24 gradually accelerates due to the shallowing of the surface water in this region. It has been found that a depth of 16 mm below the designed water level 2 is optimal for a weir 24 incorporating lip 25 as shown.
• the system of this invention when used in conjunction with a conventional or special filter mentioned above will clean the average pool on the basis of a one to three hour operation each morning and each evening. If desired, operation of the system can be implemented to cater for unusual conditions such as abnormal winds causing deposition of leaves and other debris on the pool surface.
• the embodiment of this invention whether used in conjunction with a conven ⁇ tional filter or not will require a sufficient daily operation to turn over pool water say one and a half times daily for cleansing purposes, especially when an automatic chlorination system is used.
• spraying water onto the pool surface combined with the general agitation will enhance aeration and thus assist in maintaining a healthy water condition which will tend to retard or inhibit algae growth. Further such aeration will reduce the tendency to discolouration at the water line.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Filtration Of Liquid (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=24235641

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (6)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1984
  • 1984-12-07 EP EP19850900394 patent/EP0164415A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1984-12-07 WO PCT/US1984/002018 patent/WO1985002643A1/en unknown
  • 1984-12-10 AU AU36453/84A patent/AU3645384A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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