EP3617426A1

EP3617426A1 - Element for forming swimming pool overflow gratins and grating incorporating this element

Info

Publication number: EP3617426A1
Application number: EP18382628.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: José Miguel ISABEL ORTEGA; Georges MOANACK RIPLEY
Original assignee: Cepex SA
Current assignee: Cepex SA
Priority date: 2018-08-28
Filing date: 2018-08-28
Publication date: 2020-03-04

Abstract

The present invention relates both to an element of the type used for forming gratings that serve as overflows in swimming pools and to the grating thus formed, where the element basically comprises two surfaces, an upper surface (1) and another lower surface (2), located at different heights, antislip means (4), and at least one suction channel (5) through which water flowing over from the swimming pool is discharged, as well as adjustable attachment means (7, 7') to allow varying both the distance and the angular position between contiguous elements in a coplanar manner between contiguous elements, where it can be used as an information channel as a result of the variation in color or shape of the antislip means.

Description

Object of the Invention

As indicated by its title, the present invention relates to an element of the type used for forming gratings that serve as overflows in swimming pools, as well as to the grating formed by coupling a series of these elements.
Specifically, the element of the present invention is structured such that a grating is formed by attaching a plurality of said elements, which grating enables the formation of curved segments that assure the simultaneous compliance of regulations relating to the users getting trapped and sliding, while at the same time it makes suctioning of water or draining easier in order to comply with the technical function of an overflow.

Background of the Invention

The use of swimming pools, including large swimming pools installed in sports centers, or public or private areas for sports, hotels, etc., as well as smaller swimming pools installed in neighborhood communities, or even swimming pools for private use at home, are known to be on the rise across the world.
As a result, swimming pools of this type have different typologies as it is not limited, dimension- or shape-wise, to swimming pools in which official competitions or championships take place, i.e., to typical rectangular shape, Olympic-size pools. Therefore, depending on the characteristics of the place where they are to be installed or on the owner's preferences, swimming pools have a plethora of different shapes, which include a rectilinear and curved contour or even alternating straight and curved portions with a fixed or variable radius.
Furthermore, for many years now another further variant which has to do with the position of the surface of the water with respect to the surrounding floor has been taken into account in addition to the different shapes or contours and sizes mentioned. Specifically, there are swimming pools in which there is a difference in height between the edge of the swimming pool and the surface of the water, and other swimming pools in which the surface of the water is at the same height as the surrounding floor.
The latter type is also known as overflow swimming pools, i.e., pools having an overflow, i.e., pools in which the sheet of water flows over the perimetral surround. This arrangement or structure is in very high demand today as a result of its advantages both from the safety viewpoint (so as not to lose sight of users who are smaller in size as there is no difference in height or blind spots, among other reasons) and from the aesthetic view point by achieving an optical effect of continuity between water and floor that has become very highly valued as of lately.
In this sense, there are also different typologies of swimming pools depending on the number of sides thereof having said overflow, where Munich-type pools have an overflow on all sides, Finnish-type pools have an overflow only on one side, etc.
In any case, the use of swimming pools of this type requires installing a grating on those overflowing sides thereof for the purpose of collecting water that flows out through said sides.
Nevertheless, said gratings must perform two functions because, in addition to being a drain or suction area for the overflowing water, they are also a transit area for users who must be able to walk on them in a safe and easy manner.
Therefore, to be able to install the gratings, said second function requires the gratings to be strong enough, on one hand, to withstand the weight of the users, and to comply, on the other hand, with specific swimming pool regulations regulating both the minimum distances between elements to prevent any part of the user's body from getting trapped, particularly the toes, and the surface characteristics which prevent sliding and/or slipping (UNE Standards EN 13451 -1:2012 and UNE-ENV 12633:2003).
However, although gratings existing on the market often comply with these regulatory requirements when the swimming pool has a straight edge, in the case of swimming pools having curved edges the existing gratings fail to assure the minimum distance between elements to prevent trapping incidents given that they have to allow, at the same time, the passage of water therethrough in order to comply with the technical function for which they were designed.
Specifically, this occurs because since the gratings are formed by a plurality of elements arranged one after another, said elements tend to be arranged close together on the inner side of the curve, and separated from one another on the opposite side, i.e., the outer side of the curve, the latter being the most affected when it comes to compliance with the regulation relating to trapping incidents, stipulating that the distance between elements cannot be greater than 8 mm.
This problem, which is well-known in the state of the art and has been dealt with from different approaches, for example the one shown in patent document ES2641729 , is still very hard to solve because the test to be performed to check if the mentioned regulation is complied with is not limited to measuring if the gaps formed between the elements is larger or smaller than said distance, but rather to whether a punch 8 mm in diameter with specific weight, morphology, and material characteristics launched from a certain height is capable of going through said gaps.
This problem relating to trapping incidents could be solved if elements were designed such that, when they are attached together to form the gratings in the curved segments, the separation between them is very small, significantly smaller than the separation established as minimum separation to prevent the thrust of the punch as it descends from moving the elements, passing through same, during testing. However, this has two even greater drawbacks which have hindered suitable compliance with the mentioned regulation relating to trapping incidents, specifically:

i. it is impossible to form curved grating segments for overflows with a small radius of curvature because the elements do not allow "drawing" a very sharp curve as they are arranged very close together; and
ii. the suctions channels are too small, and therefore the draining function is not performed properly, causing part of the water to flow over, invading the surround area.

For this reason, there is still a need in the state of the art to have gratings of the type assembled from elements connected in series to one another and capable of forming curves in order to be able to adapt to any typology of swimming pool which strictly complies with the regulation relating to trapping incidents at all the points where the overflow runs, not just in the straight portions or in the inner portion of the curves.
Furthermore, another problem of current gratings relates to compliance with the aforementioned regulation relating to slipping, which requires providing the different elements forming the grating with ridges, projections, or corrugations which prevent users from slipping. This also leads to various problems, such as the fact that many of the provided solutions are uncomfortable or bothersome for users who step on them with their bare feet, or that dirt builds up in said corrugations or ridges the subsequent cleaning of which proves to be difficult without disassembling them completely.
In addition to the foregoing gratings of this type have a limitation that could not be surpassed until now. Specifically, it relates to the low or zero customizability of the gratings, which is at most limited to being able to be made in different colors, either entirely or by combining segments, given that due to cost constraints, the elements are made as a single part by means of the plastic injection technique.
Finally, as is evident, for the gratings to be economically competitive the elements forming them must be easy to assemble and disassemble so that they can be installed or changed when necessary, while at the same time be manufactured at a low cost.

Description of the Invention

The element for forming the gratings that serve as overflows in swimming pools of the present invention, as well as the grating formed by the attachment of several of these elements constitutes a simple, easy-to-install, versatile, and low-cost solution which solves all the problems of the state of the art mentioned above.
Specifically, the element of the present invention is structured from an elongated body having a rectangular configuration comprising two surfaces, an upper surface and another lower surface, located at different heights and attached to one another through at least one step having a small height, where the upper surface in turn comprises antislip means, on which the user will step when he or she walks on the surface, and the suction channel or channels.
On the other hand, both the upper surface and the lower surface have complementary attachment means intended for cooperating with the attachment means of the element placed thereafter to form the grating. In other words, the attachment means located on the upper surface will cooperate with the complementary attachment means present on the lower surface of the contiguous element and vice versa.
Furthermore, said attachment means are arranged such that the distance between contiguous elements is adjustable to allow varying the relative coplanar position between them not only in a rectilinear manner, but also in an angular manner. In other words, the attachment means allow adjustable movement between contiguous elements such that they can be moved within the same plane, parallel to one another if they have to be installed to form a grating of a rectilinear overflow, or inclined with respect to one another forming an angle between said elements, such that for the case in which there is a need to form a grating for an overflow with a curved shape, the smaller sides thereof closer to the swimming pool are arranged closer to one another than the smaller opposite sides thereof farther away from the swimming pool.
Therefore, as a result of the particular configuration of the elements of the invention and of the possibility of relative movement between them, regulations relating to trapping incidents and slipping are complied with.
Specifically, the first regulation relating to trapping incidents can be complied with as a result of the distance existing between the upper surface and lower surface and of the existence of said lower surface, which prevents the user from being able to insert his or her toes between two gratings when they are separated.
Even more specifically, two different situations may arise in relation to the possibility of trapping incidents, namely:

a) Two elements located one after another are positioned without separation between them because the attachment means have been adjusted such that said separation does not exist or is minimum.

In this case, since there is barely any separation between continuous elements no part of the user's body will ever get trapped.

b) Two contiguous elements are separated from one another in a parallel manner or forming an angle between them if a curved segment is to be formed.

In this case, even with the separation between both being the maximum separation allowed by the adjustable attachment means, the gap created by that separation is closed by the lower surface, which prevents the downward insertion of the user's toe causing it to get trapped.
Therefore, said trapping incidents are prevented in all the situations, even in the most unfavorable one with a maximum separation between the elements.
On the other hand, optimal water discharge occurs in both situations a) and b) given that the suction channels do not depend on the separation between elements as said channels are present on the upper surface.
Therefore, making the discharge of water independent of/not depending on the separation between contiguous elements eliminates the negative influence that having a good water discharge capacity had on the risk of trapping incidents in the state of the art.

Description of the Drawings

To complement the description that is being made and for the purpose of helping to better understand the features of the invention according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description in which the following has been depicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

Figure 1 shows elevational plan and profile views of the element of the invention.
Figure 2 shows a top perspective view of the element of the invention.
Figure 3 shows respective bottom perspective view of the element of the invention.
Figure 4 shows a top perspective view of three of the elements of the invention coupled to one another to form a straight grating.
Figure 5 shows a top perspective view of three of the elements of the invention coupled to one another to form a curved grating.
Figure 6 shows a top perspective view of an element of the invention in which a possible embodiment of the antislip means is shown.
Figure 7 shows a plan view of a grating according to the present invention which is coupled to a straight swimming pool overflow and in which the antislip means have been customized.
Figure 8 shows a plan view of a grating according to the present invention which is coupled to a curved swimming pool overflow and in which the antislip means have been customized.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In view of the mentioned drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention both of the elements and of the grating (11) formed by said elements can be seen.
Specifically, the element of the present invention is structured from an elongated body having a rectangular configuration comprising two surfaces, an upper surface (1) and another lower surface (2), located at different heights and attached to one another through at least one step (3) having a small height.
On the other hand, the upper surface (1) in turn comprises antislip means (4) and at least one suction channel (5) through which water flowing over from the swimming pool is discharged.
According to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, particularly Figure 6, the antislip means (4) are formed by at least one portion of anti-slip material, such as rubber or the like, for example in the form of a continuous strip, taking up the entire length of the upper surface (1) and about half the width thereof, and where said anti-slip material is fixed by removable means which, on one hand, secure its position and therefore do not compromise the antislip function, but on the other hand allow the easy installation and removal.
Said figure shows how said continuous strip is attached to the upper surface (1) by means of lugs (7) that are inserted into complementary holes (7') located on said surface. Furthermore, it is observed that, for the upper surface (1) to have surface continuity, the area to which said continuous strip is fixed is recessed a distance equivalent to the thickness of the strip, such that when it is installed the strip is flush with the rest of the upper surface (1).
Nevertheless, according to other possible embodiments, the antislip means (4) may be formed by several smaller strips or portions instead of a continuous strip or they may even have a circular or fanciful shape provided that they occupy enough surface so as to assure gripping and preventing the users from slipping when they walk on them.
On the other hand, the antislip means (4) may furthermore also be fixed to the upper surface using any other equivalent technique, such as, for example, gluing, tongue-and-groove joint, riveting, clipping, or even overmolding on an intermediate part which is in turn fixed to the upper surface (1) of the element.
Likewise, according to a possible embodiment, the antislip means (4) may be formed by at least one portion of anti-slip material attached to the element by means of injection or bi-injection molding processes.
On the other hand, as a result of being constituted by elements independent of the element, i.e., of not being produced in the same injection process, the antislip means (4) can furthermore be used for customizing the elements, and therefore the grating (11), and the installation where it is installed.
Specifically, said means may be manufactured in different colors, textures, depicting different motifs or figures, logos, marks, etc., for the purpose of customizing the gratings (11) of an installation, constituting a visual message or an information or advertisement channel that has a high potential and is not in use today. An example of this can be seen in Figures 7 and 8.
Furthermore, given that said antislip means (4) may be removed without having to disassemble, to that end, the elements or the grating (11), and much less discarding said elements (depending on the typology of the attachment), there are more possibilities for customization at a minimum cost, which allows, for example, indicating different areas of the swimming pool to mark different depths or areas of usage in sports competitions such as water polo, incorporating legends or figures for informational purposes or from sponsors that can be seen from the stands, or even to change the appearance every season.
On the other hand, with respect to the suction channel (5) through which water flowing over from the swimming pool is discharged, it can be formed, as shown in the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, by a single opening having a length slightly smaller than the length of the element and a width such that it complies with the regulation relating to trapping incidents mentioned above, i.e., such that it does not allow the passage of the 8 mm punch.
Said longitudinal arrangement of the suction channel (5), which involves the utilization of almost the entire length of the element, has the advantage of offering a larger surface for the entry of water in the direction in which it is driven from the swimming pool, so it is particularly useful in this sense, more than if said channel, even with the same surface for the entry of water, were arranged in a shorter but wider area of said element.
Nevertheless, though not shown in the drawings, other embodiments in which said suction channel (5) is formed by several openings, also arranged in a longitudinal position, or even embodiments in which there is more than one suction channel (5) each formed in turn by one or more openings, cannot be ruled out.
Likewise, the drawings also do not show a possible embodiment in which the suction channel (5) is located in the area farthest away from the step (3) instead of in the adjacent area as shown in the drawings.
Continuing with the rest of the components comprised in the element of the invention, and as can be seen in the drawings, in a preferred embodiment the element has respective legs (6) located at the ends of its two smaller sides and below the upper surface (1) and lower surface (2), which allow it to be supported on the corresponding rail or profile of the overflow to be covered with the grating (11) formed in the attachment thereof with the rest of the elements.
Said legs may be located below the upper surface (1) as shown in the drawings, or according to other possible embodiments below the lower surface (2), completely or partially below both surfaces, etc.
On the other hand, as stated, both the upper surface (1) and the lower surface (2) respectively have attachment means (7, 7') which are adjustable and complementary to one another such that they are intended for cooperating with the attachment means of the element placed thereafter to form the grating (11), as can be seen in the drawings, particularly in Figures 1 to 5.
Specifically, said attachment means (7, 7') are such that it is possible to adjust the distance between contiguous elements to allow varying the relative position between them within the same plane, not only in a rectilinear manner, but also in an angular manner, i.e., allowing not only the parallel separation between said elements, as can be seen in Figure 4, but also forming an angle like in the case shown in Figure 5.
More specifically, according to the embodiment shown in said drawings, the attachment means (7) present on the upper surface (1) comprise a rod or lug at each end of said upper surface (1), whereas the attachment means (7') present on the lower surface (2) comprise a runner guide or groove at each end of said lower surface (2) intended for the insertion of the respective lugs such that these lugs can run along said guide or groove, allowing different positions and distances between the elements.
Therefore, according to said preferred embodiment, if the elements are to adopt a position parallel to one another, once the lugs (7) of an element are inserted into the grooves (7') of the contiguous element, moving both lugs (7) the same distance along both runner guides (7') will suffice.
If, in contrast, the elements are to adopt a position in which they are inclined with respect to one another, i.e., forming an angle between them, once the lugs (7) of an element are inserted into the grooves (7') of the continuous element, leaving one of the lugs fixed in its corresponding groove and moving the other lug along the other groove will suffice, describing in this manner an arc of circumference, or in other words, achieving the close arrangement of the elements at one of its ends and the separated arrangement thereof at the other end, forming an angle between 0° and 6°, optimally between 0° and 3°.
On the other hand, this symmetrical arrangement of the attachment means (7, 7') allows the elements to be assembled either in one direction or another given that since runners or grooves are arranged at both ends it is possible for them to adopt said angular configuration, i.e., it is possible to assemble a grating (11) for a curved overflow both in a position and rotated 180°.
Nevertheless, the attachment means (7, 7') are such that there is no ruling out that they only allow the angular opening at one of the ends, such case being the case in which, at one of the ends, the attachment means (7') present on the lower surface are not a groove but a simple through hole, so the corresponding lug (7) can only adopt one position. With this configuration, two consecutive elements would form an attachment similar to the attachment of two consecutive slats of a fan, where only the separation of the end at which said groove or runner is present is allowed.
In this last case, the elements of the invention could therefore only be placed in a position such that the end which can be separated is located at the point farthest away from the water if they were to be used to form gratings (11) for curved overflow segments.
Finally, in order to provide rigidity and structural strength to the elements, each of them incorporates a series of reinforcements located on the non-visible face, i.e., in the portion of the elements facing the overflow, below the surfaces where the users' legs are supported, according to a preferred embodiment shown in the drawings.
Specifically, as can be seen in Figure 3, the element of the invention preferably has a partition (8) formed by the extension of the legs (6), said partition having brackets or squares (9) located on both sides thereof, some of them being intended for reinforcing or assuring the strength of the upper surface (2) and others for reinforcing or assuring the strength of the lower surface (1) such that they both withstand the weight of the user.
Furthermore, any of the surfaces (1, 2) may optionally be provided with ribs (10) that further add to the rigidity and strength, as can be seen in the shown example, in which said ribs are present on the upper surface (1) and arranged transversely with respect to said upper surface.

Claims

Element for forming swimming pool overflow gratings, characterized in that it comprises two surfaces, an upper surface (1) and another lower surface (2), located at different heights and attached to one another through at least one step (3), where
- the upper surface (1) comprises antislip means (4) and at least one suction channel (5) through which water flowing over from the swimming pool is discharged, and where

- the upper surface (1) and the lower surface (2) comprise attachment means (7, 7') complementary to one another, said attachment means (7, 7') being adjustable to allow varying both the distance and the angular position between contiguous elements in a coplanar manner between contiguous elements.
Element according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustable attachment means (7, 7') are such that, in the position of maximum separation between the elements, the gap created by that separation is closed by the lower surface, which prevents the downward insertion of the user's toe causing it to get trapped.
Element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the attachment means (7, 7') comprise:
- a rod or lug at each end of said upper surface (1), and

- at least one runner guide or groove at at least one of the ends of the lower surface (2) along which said rod can run.
Element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the antislip means (4) are formed by at least one portion of anti-slip material.
Element according to claim 4, characterized in that the antislip means (4) are attached to the upper surface (1) by removable means.
Element according to claim 5, characterized in that the antislip means (4) are attached to the upper surface (1) by means of lugs (7) that are inserted into complementary holes (7') located on said surface.
Element according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the antislip means (4) are formed by at least one portion of anti-slip material which is attached by means of injection or bi-injection molding processes.
Element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction channel (5) through which water flowing over from the swimming pool is discharged has a length slightly smaller than the length of the element itself and comprises at least one opening having a width equal to or less than 8 mm.
Element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises respective legs (6) located below the upper surface (1) and lower surface (2), which allow it to be supported on the corresponding rail or profile of the overflow to be covered with the grating (11) formed in the attachment thereof with the rest of the elements.
Element according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a partition (8) formed by the extension of the legs (6) and in that said partition (8) in turn comprises brackets or squares (9) located on both sides thereof, some of them being intended for reinforcing or assuring the strength of the upper surface (2) and others for reinforcing or assuring the strength of the lower surface (1).
Swimming pool grating (11) including at least two elements according to one of the preceding claims attached to one another as a result of adjustable attachment means (7, 7') which allow varying in a coplanar manner both the distance and the angular position between said elements.
Swimming pool grating according to claim 9, wherein the assembly of the elements generates a visual message for the user.