EP1893828B1 - Floating station for aquatic exercises - Google Patents

Abstract

A floating station for aquatic exercise comprises at least one floating frame secured to stabilizing and anchoring members with respect to the water expanse. The frame-(s) are made integral at least with one liner to constitute an immersed structure enabling at least one person to move, The at least one liner is secured to a filtering system.

Description

The invention relates to the technical field of pool pools.

More particularly, the problem to be solved by the invention is to create a delimited water zone to allow people to evolve safely. In particular, the invention finds a particularly advantageous application for diving in a lake, in the sea, ..., for leisure, learning, training or to practice swimming.

Indeed, it turns out that at certain times of the year and / or depending on climatic conditions, the waters can be particularly turbid, so it is difficult to envisage doing physical exercises including diving. The only possibility is the pool. It is conceivable that this solution is not satisfactory if we consider the reduced dimensions, especially the depth, which simply allows initiation exercises.

The aim of the invention is therefore to enable anyone to practice in deep water (lake, sea, ...) water exercises, including diving, and whatever the time of year, conditions even when the water is cloudy, even at night with underwater lighting powered by low voltage (12 volts).

To solve such a problem, it was designed and developed a floating station for aquatic exercise that includes a floating frame subject to means of stability and anchoring relative to a body of water, as is apparent, in a known manner, from the teaching of the patent DE 2222673 , which is considered to be the state of the

closest technique.

According to the invention, the problem is solved by the features of claim 1.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective du sas selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe à caractère schématique montrant la mise en place du sas dans un plan d'eau ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en plan correspondant à la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en plan de la station selon une forme de réalisation préférée ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe longitudinale considérée selon la ligne 5-5 de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est, à une échelle plus importante, une vue en coupe longitudinale de l'un des côtés du cadre de la station ;
• la figure 7 est une vue, à caractère schématique, montrant une forme de réalisation, en variante, sous forme d'une double station flottante ;
• la figure 8 est une vue, à caractère schématique, montrant la liaison entre plusieurs poches de stations flottantes différentes, au moyen d'un sas ;
• la figure 9 est une vue partielle montrant une forme de réalisation du système de filtration monté avec capacité de déplacement pour s'adapter au niveau de l'eau ;
• la figure 10 montre un exemple de réalisation pour la vidange de la poche ;
• la figure 11 montre un exemple de réalisation pour réguler le niveau d'eau de la poche et éviter sa mise en tension.

The invention is described below in more detail with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of the lock according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a sectional schematic view showing the establishment of the lock in a body of water;
• the figure 3 is a plan view corresponding to the figure 2 ;
• the figure 4 is a plan view of the station according to a preferred embodiment;
• the figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 5-5 of the figure 4 ;
• the figure 6 is, on a larger scale, a longitudinal sectional view of one of the sides of the station frame;
• the figure 7 is a schematic view showing an embodiment, alternatively, in the form of a double floating station;
• the figure 8 is a schematic view showing the connection between several pockets of different floating stations by means of an airlock;
• the figure 9 is a partial view showing an embodiment of the filtration system mounted with displacement capability to adapt to the water level;
• the figure 10 shows an exemplary embodiment for emptying the pocket;
• the figure 11 shows an embodiment to regulate the water level of the pocket and prevent its tensioning.

As indicated, the invention finds a particularly advantageous application to perform any exercises in deep water, especially in lakes, sea, ..., with the aim of delimiting a secure area to overcome the problems related to a lack visibility especially when the waters are particularly turbid. An advantageous application, which however can not be considered as limiting, is the practice of scuba diving especially to train.

For this purpose, it has been designed a floating station adapted to be temporarily installed at any point of the water considered (P). This station comprises a frame (1) made of a material and / or arranged to float on the surface of the body of water (P). The frame (1) which acts as a floating platform has any geometrical shape, for example quadrangular ( figure 1 ), without excluding other forms including octagonal ( figure 4 ).

As shown in particular figure 6 each side of the frame (1) constitutes a floating waterproof box. For example, each box may be formed by extruded rectilinear profiles (5) constituting the longitudinal edges of the box considered. Each section has arrangements for the establishment of a covering (6) in the form, for example, of a grating. The interior of the box thus produced is lined with a floating material (7), for example in the form of a foam.

Advantageously, at least one of the sides of the frame (1) has arrangements for attaching various accessories such as: ladder, parasol, barrier, .....

The frame (1) is secured, by any known and appropriate means, a PVC or other bag (2) so as to form a structure immersed in the water (P).

The dimensions of the pocket (2) are determined to allow the evolution of at least one person, and usually several people.

As a non-limiting indication, the pocket may have a height of between 1 meter and 7 meters and in the case of a square shape, a side length of 4 to 8 meters.

The pocket (2), for example made of PVC, has a stiffness reinforcement (3) in the bottom and / or on the walls.

As shown by figures 5 and 7 the pocket (2) may have a platform (8) acting as a bottom and mounted with a height-adjustable displacement capacity to concomitantly vary the depth of the pocket ( figure 5 ). For example, this platform (8) is subject to a system of pulleys (9) or other ( figure 5 ).

Note that the pocket (2), whatever its embodiment, may have a double wall for the circulation of a heat transfer fluid.

According to another characteristic, the bottom of the bag (2) is subject to a drainage system (10) connected by a flexible pipe (11) to a floating means (12) able to suck up the surface water contained in the pocket (2). Obviously the drain system (10) as such is connected to any suction means.

It also appeared important to be able to regulate the level of the water contained in the pocket (2), for example in the event of heavy rain and excessive filling, in order to be able to evacuate the overflow and to avoid tensioning. from the pocket. A solution emerges, for example, from the illustrated example figure 11 . The bottom of the pocket (2) is connected by a hose (13) to a floating block (14). This floating block (14) has a hatch of visit to be in communication with the drain hose (13) by a valve system (15).

Given the problem of allowing people to move within the pocket, including in the case of murky water, the pocket (2) is subject to a filtration system (4). The filtration system (4) is of any type known and suitable by a person skilled in the art and shaped to allow filtration of the water contained in the pocket. One can, for example, use a system using a sand filter or other, electrically powered by cable or battery or solar battery.

For example, as shown in figure 9 , this filtration system (4) is constituted by a filter assembly (4a) immersed in the water of the bag (2), and connected to a pump assembly. This pumping assembly can be outside the pocket or in the form of a submerged pump powered at low voltage. Advantageously, the filter assembly (4a) is mounted on a support (16) with displacement capacity to self-adapt to the water level.

Given these provisions and as shown in figure 2 it follows that the water inside the pocket is not cloudy in opposition to the body of water in which it is immersed with the possibility of tempering the body of water.

To ensure the stability and anchoring of the entire station, the latter can be moored to a boat, which can advantageously be used for the establishment of all at a desired location of the water considered. For this purpose, part of the frame (1), for example, may present means of mooring with the boat. We do not exclude traditional anchoring.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is possible to report, by welding or otherwise, patterns printed on the walls and / or the bottom of the PVC bag in particular. There is also the possibility of underwater projection of film or other on the walls of the pocket.

Of course, especially the pocket, can be subject to any lighting system.

As shown in figure 8 the pockets (2) of several floating statons according to the invention may be in communication by means of a lock (17).

The advantages are apparent from the description.

Claims (5)

1. Floating station for water training exercise, including at least one floating frame (1) subject to means for stabilizing and anchoring it relative to a stretch of water, characterised in that said frame (or frames) (1) is (or are) connected to a pocket (2) which has a platform (8) acting as a bottom mounted with height-adjustable movement capability so that the depth of said pocket may be varied, concomitantly, in order to form a submerged structure capable of allowing at least one person to move about therein, said pocket (2) being subject to a filtration system.
2. Floating station as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the bottom of the pocket (2) is subject to a drainage system connected by a flexible pipe to a floating means (12) capable of sucking up at the surface the water contained in said pocket.
3. Floating station as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 2, characterised in that the bottom of the pocket is subject to a level regulator unit (14) - (15) capable of discharging the overflow from said pocket avoiding the tensioning thereof.
4. Floating station as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the filtration system (4) comprises a filtration unit (4a) submerged in the water of the pocket (2) and connected to a pumping unit, said filtration unit being mounted on a support (16) with movement capability so that it can self-adapt to the level of the water.
5. Floating station as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each side of the floating frame (1) comprises a chamber formed by extruded sections (5) constituting the longitudinal edges of the chamber and having arrangements for installing cladding (6) constituting the faces of the chamber, between which is placed a floating material (7).

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