GB2379163A

GB2379163A - Swimming pool cover

Info

Publication number: GB2379163A
Application number: GB0121081A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Borrill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-31
Filing date: 2001-08-31
Publication date: 2003-03-05
Also published as: GB0121081D0

Abstract

An inflatable swimming pool cover which when inflated by an air-pump unrolls over the pool to form an air-tight envelope 4 that floats on the water. The top layer of the cover overlaps the pool edges 6 and is secured permanently along one edge of the pool and by either spring or elastic ties 7 to deck anchors on the remaining pool edges. The convex surface of the cover allows water and debris to fall away from the pool onto the deck, the bottom layer of the cover snugly fits the side of the pool, preventing contamination of the water. The cover prevents a person from falling in and insulates the water in the pool. The cover may be stored by rotating bar 9 to roll up the cover into the housing 3 which may also be used as a bench. When the pool is not in use the cover may be adapted into a play facility by fixing an inflatable ring to the perimeter of the cover (8, Fig 4).

Description

Description SWIMMING POOL COVER The majority of pools are out-door and need two types of cover, one for summer use and one for winter use. My idea is for a cover to replace these two and improve the required performance of each markedly A summer cover is required to seal the water surface against its biggest loss of energy, latent heat of evaporation, secondly radiated heat and be easy to install and remove, these requirements are more or less met with a 6mm thick floating sheet of'bubble wrap'material.

A winter cover made of a medium polypropylene woven fabric and pulled taught across the pool is required to present a dry surface to air-borne leaves and winter debris, effectively straining pollutants entering the pool down to fine particles and water-borne pollution.

The summer cover is a poor heat insulator due to its thickness and presents a solid dry appearance to the unwary child or pets that may try to walk on it with disastrous results.

Because the winter debris cover allows water to pass through, the pool level is lowered in the dormant winter period to counteract rainfall raising it to overflow levels; this has at least three major drawbacks. (1) The lowered pool water level combined with raised ground water levels in the winter can and does cause pools to float. (2) The rain-water entering the pool in winter alters its chemical balance which has to be corrected every spring at some cost (3) the ingress of dilute carbonic acid and pollutants requires the remaining pool water to be treated with quite aggressive copper based algaecides in order so maintain reasonable water clarity for a swift restart in the spring.

My cover when not in use rolls up inside housing 3 in figure 1, the housing also contains an air pump connected to the cover. When the cover is required the pump expands the deflated envelope 4 in fig. 3 and it unrolls into and over the pool, this unrolling can be assisted by pulling on the webbing tape rolled into the cover roll 5 in fig. 3. The cover is inflated until its lower layer makes a snug fit with the pool wall and a slightly convex shape is formed on the top surface, the pump is then stopped and a non return valve makes the envelope 4 air-tight. The top layer of the cover overlaps the pool edges 6 in Fig. 3 to allow water to shed off the pool cover directly onto the deck and the cover is anchored at intervals to the pool deck by this overlap via. spring or elastic ties 7 infig. 2 & 3. The overlap within the housing is permanently fixed to the pool deck.

The cover can now accept a falling person with a soft landing and maintain them dry and secure due to the buoyancy and deck anchors. When the pool is not used the cover can be adapted to'play mode'when an inflatable ring is fixed to the cover perimeter 8 fig. 4 and a bouncy castle or ball crèche can be created.

The cover is removed by first unfixing the deck anchors then reversing the air pump flow to vacuum the cover flat, in this mode the non-return valve is depressed against the internal air pressure. The bar fixed to the extreme edge of the cover 9 figs. 3 & 5 is now caused to rotate either mechanically of manually to roll the cover into its housing with tape 5 fig. 3 being rolled in also, ready for its next use. The cover housing will double as a seating bench.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A swimming pool cover that can counter a fall by a person with a soft landing
2 The ability claimed inl is achieved by a bouyancy envelope and deck anchors.
3. The cover as claimed in 1 presents a yielding convex surface which will shed rainwater, snow and debris off the pool.
4 The cover as claimed in 1 & 3 overlaps the pool edges with it's top surface to seal off wind-borne debris.
5 The cover as claimed in 1 & 2 makes a snug fit against the pool walls when inflated because the lower layer is tailored to suit each pool.
6. The cover as claimed in 1,2 & 3 will provide additional recreational use.
7. The cover housing will also become a poolside seating bench.
8. The cover as claimed in I can easily be removed and re-installed.
9 The cover as claimed in 1 allows the pool to remain full during the winter dormant period.
10. The cover as claimed in 1 will save the loss of valuable heat from the pool surface.