EP0736650B1 - Demountable swimming pool - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a removable swimming pool which can indifferently be placed on the ground or embedded in a more or less measure in an appropriate part soil, according to the preamble of claim 1.

A swimming pool of this type is described in the document CH-A-465 802. In this well-known swimming pool, the trays are directly fixed by screws on the faces top of the beams of ridge and the edge upper skin is also attached to these faces by being inserted between the planks and the trays, the if not, these same screws.

This method of fixing the plates has the disadvantage that these trays are practically not removable because of the fact that the screws are anchored in the wood of ridge planks, each dismantling and installation a new plateau leads to a decrease in the mechanical resistance of the assembly. This disadvantage is further aggravated by the fact that the skin is attached to the upper side of the planks and certain works of skin replacement or repair could require disassembly and reassembly of at least some trays.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of known pools, which have just been described.

To achieve this goal, the swimming pool according to the invention has the features that are set out in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Other advantageous features of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.

Various other features of the invention appear moreover from the detailed description which follows.

Embodiments of the object of the invention are shown, by way of nonlimiting examples, in the drawing Annex.

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the removable pool of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view, on a larger scale, illustrating particular features of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a very enlarged section seen along the line III-III of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a very enlarged section seen along the line IV-IV of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation illustrating a special feature of the pool.

Fig. 6 is a partial perspective of a large side of the swimming pool in a particular realization.

Fig. 7 is a section seen along line VII-VII of the fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section similar to FIG. 7 illustrating additional features of the invention.

The swimming pool shown in the drawing is octagonal in shape for illustrate the possibility of making shaped pools varied and complex by the process of the invention. Very many other forms can be obtained by putting uses means similar to those described in the following, for example a rectangular shape.

Each side 1, 2, 3 has a sole 4 formed by a plank with a tongue on its upper edge 5 intended to be engaged in a groove 6 of a plank according to 7. Other similar planks are assembled in the same way way one above the other to a beam of ridge 8 whose upper edge 9 is smooth.

Logs from different sides 1, 2, 3 are joined between them by suitable assemblies, for example half-timbered or mitered, forked or other assemblies known in the art to allow the meeting of the planks without there being a day between them and so that the forces applied to one of the planks are suitably transmitted to that or those of the planks to which it is assembled in order to constitute walls rigid.

Ridge planks 8 have supports on the outside 10, for example cleats, which preferably extend continuously outside said planks 8 to whatever distance from the upper edge 9. The battens 10 are fixed by any suitable means, for example by screws or lag screws 11, by bonding or combination of several assembly means ensuring a solid connection with the log front, which is preferably executed in the factory.

The planks 4 can be made in different species of wood but, preferably, they are made of fir or pine treated to become rot-proof. The technique made know different treatment methods that can be implemented in the context of the invention but these methods , however, are not described as they belong in the technical field known to those skilled in the art.

The assembly of the planks described above means that the edge upper 9 on each side 1, 2, 3 is at same horizontal level.

Logs 8 and battens 10 are intended to support panels or trays 12 each having a groove 13 covering the upper edge 9 of the beams 8 in embedding, which increases resistance to bending of the sides 1, 2, 3 subjected to the push of the water.

The depth of the groove 13 is chosen so that the below the plates 12 also rests on the cleats 10 and it is planned to manufacture holes 14 and 15 respectively drilled in coincidence in the plates 12 and cleats 10 for the installation of round head screws 16 passing through each time a tray and a cleat and on which are screwed nuts 17, preferably with ears, to allow manual screwing and unscrewing.

The ends of the plates 12 are cut at an angle, by example tab, so that their assembly constitutes a border or coping continues at the top of the pool.

Fig. 3 shows that parts of the plates 12 have advantageously grooves 18 to make them non-slip without risking injury to the feet of users.

The trays 12, which are intended to remain visible, are advantageously made from wood grain varieties tight. Woods, such as the famous Virginia red cedar under the name of red cedar, teak or other species analogues, are suitable because of their aesthetic appearance and their rot-proofness in the presence of moisture, these wood withstands well, in addition, frequent brushing without require complex treatment.

As illustrated in fig. 3, the plates 12 protrude at 12 a towards the interior of the swimming pool to constitute an internal peripheral border intended to produce a breakwater. The protruding part 12 a further covers a profile 19 made of synthetic material or of non-corrodible metal in which is fixed the upper edge of a skin 20 made of synthetic material known in the swimming pool industry under the term "liner".

As shown in fig. 3, the sides 1, 2, 3 of the swimming pool as well as the bottom 20 has skin or liner 20 preferably rest on a bed 21 made of sand or by a carpet serving as an insulator with respect to the ground 22.

In addition to the above, to ensure the rigidity of the parts bevelled plates 12, it is advantageous, as well as illustrated in fig. 2, to provide plates 23 below angles of said plates, these plates 23 being fixed by screws 16 identical to those described in the above, that is to say provided with nuts 17, preferably with ears. We thus avoids any relative movement of a plate relative to another when a person moves on the coping formed by the plates 12, in particular on the part of its trays which is cantilevered from the outside of sides 1, 2, 3.

Fig. 3 shows that at least one of the plates 12 has a hole 24 for the passage of a sleeve 25 provided with a plate 26 fixed by means of screws 16 and nuts 17, preferably of the type with ears.

The head of the screws 16 is covered by a cover 27 only placed on the plate 12 and which has a collar 28 for centering an upright 29 of a scale 30.

Although only one sleeve assembly is shown in FIG. 3, it is obvious that the scale comprises, as well as illustrated in figs. 1 and 2, two uprights each resting on a cover 27 with flange 28. The amounts of the ladder supports rungs 31.

The free end of the ladder 30 is provided with stops 32, in suitable material, preferably flexible, intended to rest against the skin or liner 20 without risk of damaging it.

It is advantageous, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, that at least one of the uprights 29 of the ladder 30 is used for the passage of a conductive cable 33 passing through the plate 26 and exiting inside the swimming pool by the side of the upright or the stop 32 The conductor 33 is used to supply low-voltage electric current to a purifier assembly 34 (FIG. 5) which is suspended by lugs 35 below the protruding part 12 a of a plate 12.

The purifier assembly 34 contains a motor, a filter and, possibly a doser of disinfectants, for example example of chlorine. This set suspended from a plate 12 is found below level 36 of the water contained in the swimming pool so that this water circulates according to the arrows shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 3 also shows that a branch 33 a of the conductor 33 is advantageously used for supplying a lighting device 41 carried by the ladder 30.

It is advantageous, as illustrated in the drawing, to set up between the uprights of the ladder 30, near the stops 32, a cross member, for example a rung 31 a similar to the rungs 31. This rung 31 a is thus arranged so that its plane is substantially vertical, which appears in FIG. 5 as well as in FIG. 3.

Other accessories can also be worn by the scale 30 which thus avoids any piercing of the skin 20 and which also prevents conductors from passing over the plate 12 forming the coping.

Since the skin 20 is not pierced, this avoids all risk of damage during assembly and disassembly possible successive of the swimming pool.

In addition to the above, when the swimming pool is intended to be placed directly on the ground, it is advantageous to provide it an easily removable access ladder 37. The scale access comprises uprights which are provided internally skids 38, for example formed by U-shaped profiles, these pads being guided in guide profiles 39 screwed below the cantilever part of a tray 12, for example below that which supports the ladder 30.

Wing screws 40 are provided to pass through each guide profile 39 and each shoe 38. Two screws 40 are generally sufficient since they are used only locking elements, which allows mounting and extremely quick dismantling of the access ladder 37.

The above description shows that the access ladder 37 is very easily removable. It is the same with the bathing ladder 30, the cable 33 of which leads to a junction box 33 a arranged on the outside of one of the sides (fig. 3), junction box which can also be fixed by thumb screws.

After removing the bathing ladder, the manual unscrewing advantageously wing nuts 17 allows the removal of all the trays 12 for their storage. The skin, or liner, 20 is then released from profile 19 and the planks components on each side are then dislodged themselves so that they can be bundled and stored.

The subsequent reassembly of the swimming pool is carried out in the same way way as described in the above.

When certain sides of the pool are very long, planks 4, 7, 8, which constitute the sides, are subjected, by the body of water contained, with considerable efforts that can cause them to sag. To limit this decline and to make it evenly distributed over full height of sides 1, 2, 3, while pressure is exerted more on the lowest 7 planks, we put in place reinforcement uprights 42 which are connected to the planks 7 by tie rods 43.

Fig. 7 shows that the head 43 has tie rods 43 is arranged in a cell 44 of the planks 7 so as not to protrude inside the pool so as not to mark or obliterate in any way the skin 20.

Furthermore, the tightening nut 45 of each tie rod is also arranged inside a cell 46 which is advantageously closed by a removable plug 47.

To avoid having to use specific tools for tightening the nuts 45, it is advantageous to provide these so that their dimensions correspond to that of a automotive spark plug wrench or crankshaft for nuts wheel.

When the risk of bending of the planks exceeds a certain threshold, we have on the floor 22 or on the carpet 21, when this is provided, a ribbon 48 made of metal, for example in stainless steel or non-stretchable synthetic fibers woven or braided, for example carbon fibers, or a suitable resin, this ribbon having a width of a few centimeters and a thin thickness of the order of a few millimeters. The ends of the ribbon are folded over the outside of the lowest 7 plank to be maintained by one or more tie rods 43.

A recess 49 can be provided in the amount 42 for the housing the folded end of the ribbon 48 which clips advantageously but not necessarily the ribbon.

The length of the ribbon 48, which is inextensible or whose elongation measure is known given the efforts it is intended to support, is chosen so that the 7 planks on which it is folded can undergo a arrow equivalent to that of the planks lying in part high on the sides of the pool.

In this way, the arrow that the sides can take remains invisible to the eye and the skin 20 is not subject stresses or deformations that could make it wrinkle.

The 7 planks being made of wood can, whatever either the prior processing to which they are subjected, play somewhat relative to each other. In particular, they can swell when wet and shrink when the atmosphere is dry.

In climates with strong hydrometric variations of the atmosphere it could happen that the tongue 5 of a plank escapes from the groove 6 of an adjacent plank.

It is thus important that the nesting of successive planks 7 be checked and constantly insured.

For this, fig. 8 shows that some of the round head screws 16 which pass through the cleat 10 are connected by a turnbuckle or other tensioner 50 to a rod 51 which is passed through a gusset 52 of a shoe 53 enveloping the floor plank 4. The gusset 52 is advantageously made of stainless steel as is the rod 51 which is provided with a stop head 51 a .

By ensuring that the turnbuckle 50 is always correctly screwed on the screw 16 and on the rod 51 having a thread appropriate pressure is exerted which can be high between the plate 12 and the sole 4, so that all the planks 7 are kept firmly pressed against each other.

The above rigging device 50 can be placed in different places outside the swimming pool and it can possibly be hidden in a groove of an upright 42 a .

Fig. 8 also shows that a filter 54 forming part of a water treatment plant can be mounted to a any location of the pool.

The filter 54 is provided with a flexible support stop 55 so as not to not damage the skin 20. A suction duct and a discharge conduit are, moreover, connected to filter 54, these pipes being bent to partially envelop the plate 12 and cross it through holes 56 of which only one is shown for conduit 57 while conduit 58 passes by another similar hole provided at a distance from hole 56.

The conduits 57, 58 lead to a pump and to an installation any treatment outside the pool.

So that the conduits 56, 57 partly pass over the plate 12, there is a cover cap 59, for example stainless steel or plastic, which fits the plate 12 by resting on its top, this cover being substantially square to support against the skin 20. The cover 59 can be simply placed on the plate 12 thereby covering the visible parts of the conduits 56, 57 which it protects.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments, shown and described in detail, because various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims (23)

1. Demontable swimming pool of the type comprising an outer casing that is internally coated with a so-called liner skin (20), the outer casing is constituted by pre-cut timbers (4, 7, 8) for delimiting assemblings enabling the mutual connection thereof the one above the other and the fixation thereof near their ends by a mere encasing, plates (12) are arranged on the top timbers (8) and so shaped for constituting a border or lip having an overhung portion that protrudes on this side thereof by the outside of the top timber (8), characterized in that each top timber (8) is provided at the outside of the swimming pool with a support (10), for example a cleat (10), for the plates (12), and in that said plates (12) are fixed by means of screws (16) and nuts (17) on said support (10) and cover a structural element (19) for fixing the skin (20).
2. Swimming pool according to claim 1, characterized in that the timbers (7) of the sides (1, 2, 3) of the casing are made of pre-treated wood, the top timber (8) protruding above the cleat (10) for being encased into a groove (13) of the lip forming plates (12).
3. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the timbers (7, 8, 9) are longitudinally connected by tongue-and-groove joints, and transversaly connected by halved mitre joints, slit-and-tongue joints or similar.
4. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lip forming plates (12) are in addition connected together by means of platens (23) that are fixed by screws (16) and nuts (17).
5. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that one of the plates (12) has holes (24) for the positioning of sleeves (25) having a platen (26) that is fixed by means of screws (16) and nuts (17) arranged around each sleeve covered by an upright (29) of a ladder (30) the free end of which bears on the skin (20) by an abutment (32).
6. Swimming pool according to claim 5, characterized in that one at least of the uprights of the ladder (30) is used for passing a cable (33) to supply at least one purifying lighting and similar unit (34) arranged at the outside of the skin (20) and suspended to the ladder.
7. Swimming pool according to claim 5, characterized by a lighting device (41) supported by a cross-member or a round (31a) arranged near the abutments (32) of the ladder (30).
8. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the structural members (19) for maintaining the skin is fixed to the top timber (8) above the protruding portion (12a) of the plates (12).
9. Swimming pool according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized by a cover (27) arranged above heads of screws maintaining the platen (26) of the sleeve (25), said cover forming a collar (28) for centering each upright (29) of the ladder (30) and being maintained in place by said upright (29).
10. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by guiding structural members (39) fixed beneath a plate (12) for the guiding of shoes (38) that are part of the uprights of an access ladder (39), each of said guiding structural members (39) being maintained by a screw (40).
11. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the fixing screws (16) are provided with butterfly nuts (17) for a manual fixation without any tool.
12. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by stiffening uprights (42) arranged at the outside of the sides, in particular of the greater sides of the swimming pool and connected to the timbers (7), forming them, by means of ties (43).
13. Swimming pool according to claim 12, characterized in that both the head and the nuts of the ties are encased into cells (44, 46) of the timbers and of the upright, and are of a size that is adapted to tools of the type of a spark-plug spanner or a wheel nut crack-wrench.
14. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by a tape (48) extended between the lower timbers (4) of the sides for balancing the deflexion that may be taken by the sides of the swimming pool on all the height of its sides.
15. Swimming pool according to claim 14, characterized in that the length on the tape (48) is chosen for making possible a deflexion of the lower timbers (4).
16. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it comprises in addition, at least one shoe (53) encasing the lower sole timber (4) of the swimming pool, this shoe being connected at the outside of the swimming pool to a rod (51) connected to one of the screws (16) passing through the plate (12) and the cleat (10) by means of a stretching device or other tensioner (50) by making that a pressure is generated on the stacked timbers (7).
17. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized by ducts (54, 58) passing, by means of holes (56), through the plate (12), these ducts being folded above said plate and leading to a filter (54) of a treating arrangement, which filter bears on the skin (20) by means of an abutment (55).
18. Swimming pool according to claim 17, characterized in that the ducts (57, 58) are covered by a embellisher hood (59).
19. Swimming pool according to one of the precedings claims, characterized in that the plates (12) that form an upper border all around the swimming pool are connected at the level of the junction of two adjacents plates by means of metal platens (23).
20. Swimming pool according to claim 19, characterized in that the platens (23) are arranged beneath the plates on the lower base thereof, in the outer overhung portion.
21. Swimming pool according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the ends of the tape (48) are fixed on the outer face of the lower timbers (7) between which the tape is extended.
22. Swimming pool according to claim 21, characterized in that a stiffening upright (42) covers each fixation end of the tape.
23. Swimming pool according to claim 22, characterized in that the fixation of the end of the tape (48) to the lower timber (7) is provided by a tie (43) connecting also the stiffening upright (42) to the lower timber (7).

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