Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B17/00—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups
  • B05B17/08—Fountains
• • 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
  • E04H4/06—Safety devices; Coverings for baths
  • E04H4/065—Floors adjustable in height

Definitions

• the invention relates to a pool with a height-adjustable floor.
• the invention provides a pool with a height-adjustable floor by means of which the pool is convertible between a swimming pool and a spray park.
• pools such as swimming pools, diving pools and therapeutic pools, both indoors and outdoors.
• Pools generally comprise a basin of a particular depth chosen for the particular purpose of the pool when in use as such.
• pools present a large use of space.
• pools designed for a particular purpose can not easily be used for another purpose.
• Known pools thus have the disadvantage of limited versatility.
• WO 2012/003951 A2 describes a play fountain that is modularly assembled from tiles each having a nozzle and an associated pump. These tiles are mounted into a frame to form a floor.
• the frame is provided with legs that are height adjustable over a limited height to allow the floor to be levelled, i.e. set accurately horizontal.
• the play fountain may be positioned over a water reservoir from which each pump can take in water via an associated supply conduit, hanging down from the pump below the floor into the water reservoir, to produce a water jet via the nozzle associated with the pump.
• the play fountain In order to convert an existing water reservoir into a play fountain, the play fountain has to be assembled and placed on its legs in the water reservoir. To make the water reservoir available again, for example for other use, the play fountain has to be disassembled and taken out of the water reservoir. This is time-consuming and labour-intensive.
• This pool comprises:
• the invention relates to a pool comprising a basin configured to be filled with water to a water level and a height-adjustable floor comprising at least one fountain nozzle configured to produce a fountain having a component normal to a top surface of the floor.
• the floor is arranged in the basin and is height-adjustable along sidewalls of the basin between a lower position defining a swimming pool and an elevated position defining a spray park.
• the at least one fountain nozzle may be configured to spray a fountain in a height direction, wherein the fountain preferably sprays a height out of said basin.
• the space in the basin above said floor may comprise a water body of a sufficient depth allowing people to swim, thus defining the swimming pool.
• the water body is still present in the basin, yet the elevated floor prevents it from being used as a swimming pool because the level of water above the elevated floor is too limited for swimming.
• the elevated floor itself may be used as a platform for people to walk on, while enjoying one or more than one fountain produced by the spray park.
• the pool is convertible between a swimming pool and a spray park.
• the height-adjustable floor of the pool comprises at least one fountain nozzle configured to produce a fountain having a component normal to a top surface of the pool
• the pool has the advantages of being convertible from a pool to a fountain installation or spray park.
• Such pool has an increased versatility and can be converted between swimming pool and spray park functions with reduced time and effort.
• the floor is in the lower position to define the pool as the swimming pool in which users may swim.
• the height-adjustable floor is in the elevated position to define the pool as the spray park, when users may walk on the floor.
• the floor is retracted into the pool towards the lower position, whereby the basin of the pool is made available to a greater depth for swimming activities.
• the floor is elevated towards the elevated position so that a smaller depth of the basin is made available and users may walk over the floor. Because the floor is retracted into the pool when not in use as part of the spray park, disassembly of the floor or separate storage of the floor is not required.
• the water body may remain in the basin, allowing for a shift conversion between swimming pool and spray park, and vice versa.
• this conversion may be controlled by an operator, such as a lifeguard supervising the pool, by a press of a button, after which actuators may lower or lift the floor.
• the top surface of the floor refers to the surface of the floor that is exposed to the top of the basin of the pool when the floor is arranged in the basin.
• the top of the basin is related to the direction of gravity and is generally open.
• the basin typically comprises sidewalls and a fixed bottom.
• the floor may fully or partly overlap the fixed bottom.
• the floor may be configured to be adjustable in height along the sidewalls of the basin in contact or spaced from one or more than one of these sidewalls. Water may flow around and/or through the floor when it is adjusted in height. Thus, any water in the basis may flow below and above the floor, depending on the water level of the basin and the height of the floor.
• the elevated position of the floor defines the spray park relative to the swimming pool in which the floor is in the lower position.
• the spray park may be formed with the floor at various depths in the basin which can be adjusted for specific users (e.g. children or adults), including depths that involve submerging the floor in water in the basin.
• the pool can also be formed into the spray park with the floor at the top of the basin to be flush with any surrounding flooring or pavement.
• the pool may further comprise an actuator configured to adjust the floor in height between the lower position and the elevated position.
• the floor may further comprise a non-slip top surface.
• the pool may further comprise a securing device configured to mechanically couple the floor to the basin.
• the securing device may be configured to engage the floor with the basin in at least the elevated position of the floor and/or may comprise a guide configured to slide along at least one of the sidewalls of the basin.
• the guide may comprise rollers.
• the floor comprising the at least one fountain nozzle is configured to produce a fountain above the water level in the elevated position of the floor.
• the at least one fountain nozzle is embedded in the floor.
• the at least one fountain nozzle of the floor may be directed upwards relative to the top surface of the floor.
• the elevated position may be at or near (i.e. above or below) the water level.
• the pool may further comprise tubing configured to guide pressurised water to the at least one fountain nozzle.
• the tubing may be at least partly comprised in and/or arranged along the floor.
• the tubing comprises one or more flexible regions configured to allow height-adjusting of the floor.
• the tubing preferably comprises a branched structure configured to guide pressurised water to each of the plurality of fountain nozzles.
• the pool may further comprise a pump configured to supply the at least one fountain nozzle with pressurised water.
• the pump has an inlet suspended in the basin.
• the inlet of the pump may be arranged at a lower level than the floor when the floor is in the elevated position. More preferably, the inlet is arranged in a sidewall of the basin, allowing the floor to move past the inlet when it moves from the lower position to the upper position, and vice versa.
• the pool may further comprise one or more than one light source.
• the one or some of these light sources may be arranged in the floor.
• the floor may further comprise at least one of the one or more than one light source.
• the pool may further comprise a controller configured to control at least one of: the pool, the floor, the at least one fountain nozzle, the pump, the one or more than one light source, the actuator of the floor.
• the controller may thus be configured to control all or some of the pool components.
• the spray park comprises at least one fountain 6 formed by pressurised water coming out of the at least one fountain nozzle 5.
• the at least one fountain 6 may propagate above the water level 3 of the basin 2 of the pool 1.
• FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of the pool 1 of FIG. 1 in which the basin 2 is illustrated as filled to the water level 3, which is merely an example. Higher as well as lower water levels may be employed, including not filling the basin at all. Note that both the water level 3 and the elevation of the floor 4 may be adjusted so that the pool 1 can also form the spray park at the lower position of the floor 4 when the water level 3 is correspondingly lowered. However, the at least one fountain nozzle 5 may equally be operated in the lower position of the floor 4 and not propagate beyond the water level 3. In such a case, underwater flows are generated by the at least one fountain nozzle 5 rather than fountains 6.
• the at least one fountain nozzle 5 may be configured to produce one or more than one of: a water jet, a water pressure pulse, a wave, a water feature, a stream.
• the direction of the water flow out of each fountain nozzle 5 has a component normal to the top surface 7 of the floor 4 at the location of each fountain nozzle 5.
• the floor 4 comprising the at least one fountain nozzle 5 is here configured to produce the fountains 6 above the water level 3 and in particular in the elevated position of the floor 4.
• the fountain nozzles 5 of the floor 4 are here directed upwards relative to the top surface 7 of the floor 4.
• the elevated position is here illustrated as just below the water level 3, but may equally be at or just above the water level 3. In other words, the elevated position may be at or near the water level 3, which comprises both below and above the surface of the water in the basin 2.
• FIG. 3 shows the same view as FIG. 2 but with the floor 4 in the lower position.
• the pool 1 is configured as a swimming pool.
• the at least one fountain nozzles 5 are not operational and do not produce the fountains 6.
• three fountains 6 are illustrated, though any number or other water features may be implemented with the floor 4.
• the pool 1 as illustrated in the configuration of FIG. 3 may serve as swimming pool, while it may serve as a spray park in the configuration of FIG. 2 .
• the pool 1 of FIG. 1-3 is thus convertible from swimming pool to spray park and vice versa.
• the floor 4 is adjustable in height along the sidewalls of the basis 2 to convert the pool 1 between its configurations of swimming pool and spray park.
• FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 further show tubing 8 configured to guide pressurised water to the at least one fountain nozzle 5.
• the tubing 8 is at least partly comprised in and/or arranged along the floor 4.
• the tubing 8 comprises flexible regions 9 configured to allow height-adjusting of the floor 4.
• the flexible regions 9 of the tubing 8 are implemented with extendible flex tubing.
• the pool 1 may further comprise one or more than one light source 12.
• the light sources 12 are preferably configured to illuminate the fountains 6 produced by the fountain nozzles 5.
• the at least one fountain nozzle 5 and the one or more than one light source 12 may thus be configured to produce a spray park in mutual cooperation.
• the one or more than one light source 12 may be arranged in the basin 2, the floor 4 or another part of the pool 1, such as an external lighting element. Multiple light sources 12 may be arranged in each of the various parts of the pool 1.
• the one or more than one light source 12 may be operational at any elevation of the floor 4 and independent from the operation of the at least one fountain nozzle 5.
• the one or more than one light source 12 may be configured to produce visible, infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet radiation may be advantageous for disinfection the water in the basin 2 of the pool 1.
• the pool 1 may further comprise power cables 13 configured to power the at least one fountain nozzle 5, for example in case of electrically-actuated fountain nozzles, such as movable fountain nozzles.
• the power cables 13 may be configured to power the one or more than one light source 12.
• the power cables 13 may thus power both the at least one fountain nozzle 5 and the one or more than one light source 12, though any of these may also be battery-powered.
• all electrical circuitry is to be insulated from the water.
• the power cables 13 are partly comprised in the floor 4 and comprise flexible regions 14 configured to allow height-adjusting of the floor 4.
• the power cables 13 and their flexible regions 14 are illustrated as running parallel with the tubing 8 and its flexible regions 9.
• Both the tubing 8 and the power cables 13 may thus comprise respective flexible regions 9, 14 configured to allow adjusting the floor 4 in height.
• the flexible regions 9, 14 may be at least partly comprised in and/or arranged along the floor 4, for example when the floor 4 is in the lower position.
• the flexible regions 14 of the power cables 13 are implemented with a twist in the power cables 13 so that these form a coil on the bottom of the basin 2 when the floor 4 is lowered.
• the flexible regions 14 of the power cables 13 may comprise a flexible cable gutter that accommodates the power cables 13.
• the power cables 13 may be sorted next to each other and/or move along with a scissoring mechanism. Note that in any embodiment, the power cables 13 may carry power as well as control signals to the at least one fountain nozzle 5 and/or to the one or more than one light source 12.
• the power cables 13 may be arranged in a branched structure, which may correspond to that of the tubing 8 (e.g. as illustrated in FIG. 4 ). Further, the power cables 13 may comprise one or more flexible regions 14. Preferably, a single flexible region 14 of the power cables 13 defines a main branch or bundle of the power cables 13 before the power cables 13 branch out towards the at least one fountain nozzle 5 and/or the one or more than one light source 12.
• the height-adjustability of the floor 4 can be realised in various ways.
• the floor 4 may be configured as buoyant with a system for pulling the floor 4 down the basin or releasing the floor 4 to float higher in the basin.
• the floor 4 may be supported in the basin by adjustable stands, levers or pillars.
• the pool 1 may further comprises an actuator 15 configured to adjust the floor 4 in height between the lower position and the elevated position. The actuator 15 may move the floor 4 from the lower position to the elevated position and vice versa as well as to any intermediate position in between the lower position and the elevated position.
• the actuator 15 is illustrated as comprising a hydraulic cylinder, preferably implemented as described by the applicant in GB 2507496 A .
• the floor 4 is made buoyant by means of four buoyant chambers 16.
• the volume of the buoyant chamber 16 can be configured to satisfy an intended weight-bearing capacity of the floor 4. This is particularly advantageous in the elevated position of the floor 4, when the floor 4 may carry more weight, due to people being present on the floor 4, compared to the lower position. For example, in the lower position, people float in the water of the pool 1 while in the elevated position, people may walk upon the floor 4.
• the hydraulic cylinder retracts its piston, a cable 17 is pulled in. This action pulls the floor 4 down by a series of pulleys 18.
• the floor 4 may comprise foam and/or ballast tanks configured to be filled and emptied to adjust buoyancy of the floor 4.
• the actuator 15 may comprise a rack and pinion system, for example a circular gear comprised in the floor combined with a linear gear comprised in the basin of the pool, or other lifting mechanism.
• the pool 1 of FIG. 1 and 2 further comprises a controller 20 configured to control the pool 1, in particular the floor 4, the at least one fountain nozzle 5 of the floor 4, the pump 10, the one or more than one light source 12 and/or the actuator 15.
• the controller 20 may control an electrical supply to pump 10 and, via the power cables 13, also to the fountain nozzles 5 and/or the light sources 12.
• the pool 1 of FIG. 1 and 2 further comprises a dry chamber 21 in which the pump 10 and the controller 20 are placed.
• the tubing 8 and/or power cables 13 pass through sealed openings which separate the basin and any water contained therein from the dry chamber 21.
• the pump 10 may be mounted below the floor 4, preferably attached to the floor 4.
• the controller 20 may be mounted external to the basin 2 so that an operator can adjust settings of the controller 20, for example via a user interface such as a touch screen. These settings may comprise activation of a program for the pump 10, the at least one fountain nozzle 5 and/or the one or more than one light source 12.
• the pool 1 in its configuration as the spray park may be operated via a physical user interface and/or by remote control of the controller 20.
• FIG. 4 Additional details of a height-adjustable floor 4 of the pool 1 of the invention are illustrated in FIG. 4 .
• FIG. 4 presents a perspective view of a height-adjustable floor 4, which comprises at least one fountain nozzle 5.
• Each fountain nozzle 5 is configured to produce a fountain 6 having a component normal to a top surface 7 of the floor 4.
• each fountain nozzle 5 is embedded in the floor 4.
• the fountain nozzles 5 of the illustrated floor 4 are further arranged in rows that correspond to lane markings 22 of the floor 4. With this arrangement, the fountain nozzles 5 may be less conspicuous, especially when not in use. Openings 23, allowing water to flow through the floor 4 when it is adjusted in height, are also preferably arranged in these lane markings 22.
• the floor 4 may comprise the one or more than one light source 12 without the at least one fountain nozzle 5. Such floor 4 may still be used in a pool 1 to form a spray park, for example by arranging the at least one fountain nozzle 5 in or on the basin 2. Even without any fountain nozzle 5, a height-adjustable floor 4 comprising one or more than one light source 12 may be advantageous, for example by improving illumination, safety and/or hygiene (for example by disinfection with ultraviolet light) below the water level 3 of the pool 1.
• the tubing 8 may be configured to run along the floor.
• the flexible region 9 of the tubing 8 is preferably arranged at an offset from moving parts (e.g. cable 17 and pulley 18) of the height-adjustability mechanism or actuator 15 of the floor 4 to prevent the tubing 8 or parts thereof from obstructing this mechanism.
• the pool 1 is configured to accommodate the flexible region 9 of the tubing 8 and/or the flexible region 14 of the power cables 13 in the lower position of the floor 4.
• the flexible regions 9, 14 may curl up on the bottom of the basin 2 of the pool 1, which may comprise an accommodation space to that end.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Special Spraying Apparatus (AREA)

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• 2020
  • 2020-06-24 NL NL2025897A patent/NL2025897B1/en active
• 2021
  • 2021-06-24 EP EP21181501.4A patent/EP3933144B1/de active Active
  • 2021-06-24 EP EP25179573.8A patent/EP4585313A3/de active Pending
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