US20230141176A1

US20230141176A1 - Siphon assembly and method of use thereof

Info

Publication number: US20230141176A1
Application number: US17/942,350
Authority: US
Inventors: William Karales
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-11-10
Filing date: 2022-09-12
Publication date: 2023-05-11

Abstract

Siphon assembly and method of use thereof to drain water from a pool cover. The siphon assembly includes a pad of fibrous threads surrounded by air spaces. An intake member embedded in the pad includes multiple inlets and one outlet. A hose is engaged with the intake member. When the pad is submerged in the water, a siphoning action set up in the hose sucks water through the pad’s air spaces, into the intake member’s inlets, through the outlet, and into the hose’s bore. The fibrous threads prevent debris in the water from reaching the inlets and clogging them. Water is sucked into the pad’s interior from multiple directions and providing at least one pad surface is not exposed to air or blocked by debris, the siphon assembly will continue to drain water therethrough until all of the inlets of the intake member are exposed to air.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial Number 63/360,923 filed on Nov. 10, 2021 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is directed to pool equipment. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to equipment for draining accumulated water from a pool cover. Specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a siphon assembly having a pad with an open-weave structure which allows water to flow therethrough from multiple directions to an intake member. The pad’s structure and multiple inlet openings defined in the intake member provide for improved drainage of the accumulated water without the siphoning assembly becoming clogged by leaves, algae or other debris in the water.

BACKGROUND

Swimming pools and other man-made bodies of water such as fish ponds are often covered with a pool cover during winter. Covers are typically made from sheet materials and are anchored in a suitable manner to the coping or other structures that encircle the pool. The cover will prevent leaves and other debris from entering the pool water during the winter months while the pump and filtration equipment are switched off and are no longer circulating and filtering the pool water.
Since pool covers are typically fabricated from plastic sheet materials, they tend not to allow much of the rainwater and/or snowmelt which falls on the cover to drain therethrough and into the pool. As a result it is not uncommon for a volume of water and debris, such as leaves and twigs, to accumulate on the upper surface of the cover. All of this water and debris must be removed from time to time or, at the very least, prior to removing the cover in the spring.
Various devices have been proposed in the art to drain this accumulated water from pool covers. For example, West (U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,764) discloses a cover having an integral drainage port located near the cover’s center. A drainage hose may be connected to the drainage port and the end of the hose is positioned outside of the pool. Water accumulating on the upper surface of the cover will tend to flow through the drainage port, through the hose, and be directed away from the pool and onto the ground. In order to prevent the drainage port from becoming clogged with leaves, twigs, algae and other materials in the accumulated water on the pool cover, West discloses that the cover includes a screen positioned vertically above the drainage port. The screen is integral with the material that forms the cover and is fabricated from a mesh material that allows water to drain through it but prevents most debris from passing through the screen.
It should be noted that in order to cause water to drain off the pool cover through the hose, it is necessary to either engage a pump with the hose to either suction water into the hose or drive water through the hose. Alternatively, the pump may be omitted and the drainage hose may be set up so that it will act as a siphon. A siphon is essentially a hollow tube that is initially charged (i.e., filled with water) and is then arranged so that a first end of the charged hose is submerged in water accumulated on the pool cover, and the second end of the hose is placed at a lower elevation, possibly a distance away from the pool cover. Charging the hose sets up a naturally occurring flow of water through the hose, i.e., a siphon. The siphon action will continue until the first end of the hose is exposed to the air and the siphon action is broken. The only way to set up the siphon action again is to recharge the hose, submerge the first end, etc. The West patent mentioned above and various other references mentioned below rely on utilizing siphoning action in a drainage hose to remove accumulated water from a pool cover.
Another device proposed by the prior art to drain accumulated water from pool covers is that disclosed by Dellasso (U.S. 4,834,138). Dellasso teaches a device which includes a housing that is selectively placed on an upper surface of the pool cover when it is desired to drain accumulated water therefrom. The housing is constructed so as to form two interior chambers which are covered by way of a hinged lid. A plurality of through-holes is defined in a region of the lid which overlays one of the chambers. A first of the chambers is provided to receive some type of material to add weight to the device, such as gravel. The second chamber, which is overlayed with the region of the lid having through-holes, is provided to allow water to drain into the same. A drainage port is provided in the second chamber. A drainage hose is connected to the drainage port, extends over the side of the pool, and is placed on the ground at a lower elevation relative to the pool. A hand-operable pump is engaged with the hose to set up a siphon action in the hose. The pump causes water to be suctioned into the hose to fill the same. In other words, the pump “charges” the hose. Once the hose is charged, water will automatically flow through the hose without the pump being further operated. Leaves and other debris in the water on the pool cover will be prevented from flowing into the second chamber by the lid. One of the problems with this particular device is that the flow rate through the hose is proportionate to the number of through-holes defined in the cover. Another problem is that eventually, leaves and other debris will tend to be suctioned onto the lid’s flat upper surface, blocking some or all of the through-holes, further diminishing water flow into the second chamber and thereby out of the hose. Yet another problem with this device is that the level of accumulated water on the pool has to be sufficient to cover at least the upper surface of the housing so that water can drain into the second chamber. As soon as the level of water on the cover drops below the upper surface of the housing, the device becomes inoperative. Consequently, there is always a volume of water remaining on the upper surface of the cover after use of the Dellasso device. Additionally, when more water accumulates on the cover, the user has to reengage the pump with the hose and activate the same in order to charge the hose and set up the siphon action once again.
Yet another device proposed by the prior art is that disclosed by Tedona (U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,267). Tedona’s device is similar to that of Dellasso discussed above. Tedona’s device includes a housing having a hinged lid with through-holes defined therein and through which water drains into an interior chamber. Tedona, however, does not provide two chambers within the housing like Dellasso. Instead, Tedona provides a base on the housing which includes a material that adds weight to the housing. The weight allows the housing to sink to the bottom of a volume of accumulated water on a pool cover. There is a single chamber defined in the housing. Water drains through the through-holes into the single chamber, leaving debris on the upper surface of the lid. A drainage port is provided in the single chamber and a hose is connected to the drainage port. Tedona teaches to create a fixed loop in the hose a distance from the drainage port. The loop ensures that after the hose is initially charged (i.e., filled with water to set up a siphon action) by way of a pump, the hose will remain charged even after the level of water on the pool cover drops below the upper surface of the housing. Then when additional water accumulates on the pool cover and the level of water surpasses the upper surface of the housing once again, the siphon action will automatically be reinitiated without the need for a user to engage a pump with the hose. As a result water will tend to automatically flow through the through-holes, through the hose, and onto the ground until the water level on the pool cover once again drops below the level of the upper surface of the housing. Like Dellasso’s device, the Tedona device tends to get clogged as leaves and debris accumulates on the lid blocking the through-holes. Additionally, like Dellasso’s device, the Tedona device tends to leave a volume of undrained water on the pool cover.

SUMMARY

A siphon assembly and a method of use thereof to drain accumulated water from a pool cover are disclosed herein. The siphon assembly includes a pad that is made of a plurality of fibrous threads which are formed into an open-mesh or open-weave structure where the threads are surrounded by air spaces. An intake member is embedded at least partially in the pad. The intake member is a pipe fitting which includes one or more inlets and one outlet. Preferably, the pipe fitting includes multiple inlets and out outlet. A hose is engaged with the intake member. In particular, the hose is engaged with part of the intake member which defines the one outlet opening. When the pad is submerged in the water which has accumulated on a pool cover, a siphoning action is set up in the hose. The siphoning action causes some of the accumulated water which surrounds the pad to be sucked into the pad’s interior through the pad’s air spaces. The water moves from the air spaces in the pad into the intake member’s inlets. A passageway defined in the intake member directs the water from the inlet openings to the outlet opening. Since the hose bore is in fluid communication with the passageway in the intake member, water flows out of the outlet opening and into the hose bore. The fibrous threads of the pad prevent leaves, twigs, algae, soil or other debris in the water accumulated on the pool cover from reaching the inlets and clogging them. The multiple inlets also help to ensure water keeps flowing into the intake member even if one of the inlets does, accidentally, become clogged with this debris in the water. Because of the open-weave nature of the fibrous threads and air spaces of the pad, water is able to be sucked into the pad’s interior from multiple directions. Providing at least one pad surface remains at least partially submerged in the water and is not exposed to air or blocked by debris, the siphon assembly will continue to drain water therethrough until all of the inlets of the intake member are exposed to air and the siphoning action through the hose automatically stops.
In one aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a siphon assembly for draining accumulated water from a pool cover, wherein the siphon assembly comprises a pad made from a water and air pervious material; an intake member partially surrounded by the pad; a passageway defined by the intake member, and a hose operably engaged with the intake member, wherein a bore of the hose is placed in fluid communication with the passageway, and wherein the hose is configured to enable a siphoning action to drain the accumulated water from the pool cover through the pad, the passageway, and the bore.
In one embodiment the water and air pervious material may be an open-mesh or open-weave material. In one embodiment, the material of the pad may comprise a plurality of fibrous material threads and a plurality of air spaces between the threads, wherein the plurality of air spaces permit air and water to move through the pad. In one embodiment, the plurality of fibrous material threads may be formed of a waterproof material. In one embodiment, the intake member may be a pipe fitting. In one embodiment, the pipe fitting may define at least one inlet opening to the passageway and one outlet opening to the passageway. In one embodiment, a first portion of the pipe fitting which includes the at least one inlet opening may be located within an interior of the pad, and a second portion of the pipe fitting which includes the outlet opening may be located outside of the pad. In one embodiment, the pipe fitting may be a 4-way cross fitting having a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, and a fourth arm, wherein the at least one inlet opening includes an inlet opening defined by each of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm, and wherein the one outlet opening is defined by the fourth arm. In one embodiment, the pad may define an aperture which extends between an interior surface and an exterior surface of the pad, and wherein at least part of the fourth arm extends through the aperture such that the one outlet opening is located outside of the pad.
In another aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a method of draining accumulated water off a pool cover, said method comprising submerging a siphon assembly in the accumulated water to be drained from the pool cover; providing a pad as part of the siphon assembly, wherein the pad is comprised of a water and air pervious material; embedding an intake member at least partially within the pad; engaging a first end of a hose with the intake member; placing a bore of the hose in fluid communication with a passageway defined through the intake member and thereby placing the bore of the hose in fluid communication with air spaces defined in the pad; causing accumulated water from the pool cover to flow from outside the pad into an interior of the pad; and causing water in the interior of the pad to flow through the passageway and subsequently through the bore of the hose.
In one embodiment, the method may further comprise providing more than one inlet opening in the intake member and through which water flows from the interior of the pad to the passageway of the intake member. In one embodiment, the method may further comprise providing only one outlet opening in the intake member and through which water flows from the passageway and into the bore of the hose. In one embodiment, providing the pad may include manufacturing the pad from an open-mesh or open-weave of a plurality of fibrous threads and wherein the air spaces are interspersed between the plurality of fibrous threads. In one embodiment the method may further comprise surrounding the intake member with the plurality of fibrous threads of the pad; and preventing debris in the accumulated water from clogging the intake member with the plurality of fibrous threads. In one embodiment the submerged pad may have an upper surface, a lower surface, and a perimeter side surface extending between the upper surface and lower surface, and the method may further comprise causing water to flow from outside the pad to the interior of the pad through one or more of the upper surface, the lower surface and the perimeter side surface. In one embodiment the method may further comprise initiating a siphoning action in the hose to cause accumulated water from the pool cover to flow from outside of the pad into the interior of the pad. In one embodiment, the siphoning action continues even when an upper surface of the pad is exposed to air or when the upper surface becomes clogged with debris located in the accumulated water. In one embodiment, initiating the siphoning action may be preceded by charging the hose. In one embodiment charging the hose may be followed by placing a second end of the hose at an elevation vertically below the first end of the hose.
In another aspect, and exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a siphon assembly comprising a pad made of a plurality of fibrous threads, wherein air spaces are interspersed among the fibrous threads; an intake member comprising a pipe fitting having a passage defined therethrough, wherein the passageway is in fluid communication with the air spaces in the pad; an aperture defined in the pad, wherein a first portion of the intake member is surrounded by the pad and a second portion of the intake member extends through the aperture; and at least one securement member engaged with the pad, said at least one securement member maintaining the pad in place around the first portion of the intake member.
In one embodiment, the pipe fitting may be a 4-way cross pipe fitting which defines three inlet openings to the passageway and one outlet opening to the passageway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Sample embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the following description, are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is top, isometric perspective view of an above-ground swimming pool with a pool cover engaged therewith and showing a siphon assembly in accordance with the present disclosure positioned to drain off liquid which has accumulated on the upper surface of the pool cover;

FIG. 2A is a top, isometric perspective view of components used to assemble the siphon assembly of the present disclosure, with the components shown in an initial position;

FIG. 2B is a top, isometric perspective view of an intermediate position in the assembly of the siphon assembly, where a pad of the siphon assembly is folded to form an L-shape and showing a four-way intake member placed on an upper surface of one of the legs of the L-shaped pad;

FIG. 2C is a top, isometric perspective view of the siphon assembly in a fully-assembled final position where the pad’s legs are vertically aligned with one another, burying the intake member therebetween, and further showing an outlet hose engaged with the intake,

FIG. 3A is a right side elevation view of the siphon assembly sitting on the upper surface of the pool cover and positioned to drain the accumulated water off the pool cover;

FIG. 3B is right side elevation view of the siphon assembly sitting on the upper surface of the pool cover and showing the level of the accumulated water substantially reduced, and showing leaves and other debris collecting on an upper surface of the siphon assembly but not blocking the flow of water therefrom; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the siphon assembly submerged in a volume of water accumulated on the pool cover; wherein the siphon assembly is shown with the first section of the pad removed for clarity of illustration and showing the intake member and part of the hose shown in horizontal cross section.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated an above ground swimming pool 10 which is covered with a pool cover 12 that is secured to the above ground pool 10 in any suitable fashion. Pool cover 12 has an upper surface 12 a and a lower surface 12 b (FIG. 3A). When pool cover 12 is engaged with the pool 10, lower surface 12 b is located adjacent any water (not shown) that is in the interior of the pool 10. FIGS. 1 and 3A show a volume of water 14 has accumulated on the upper surface 12 a of the pool cover 12.
FIGS. 1 through 3B show a siphon assembly in accordance with the present disclosure, generally indicated at 100. Siphon assembly 100 comprises a pad 102, an intake member 104, securement members 106, and a hose 108. These components will be described in greater detail hereafter.
Pad 102 may be formed from a material which is air and water pervious. In other words, pad 102 is made from a material which is permeable and allows air and water to move through it. The material of pad 102 has an open-weave or open-mesh type of structure formed from a loose and random weave of waterproof fibers. As such, the material comprises a plurality of fibrous material threads 110 and a plurality of air spaces 112 between the threads 110. The air spaces 112 allow air and water to move through the pad 102. Suitable materials for pad 102 include various types of plastics including but not limited to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Recycled plastics may also be suitable materials for formation of the fibrous material. Additionally, pad 102 may be infused with ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers and antimicrobial substances. The UV stabilizers will aid in resisting sun damage to the pad 102. The antimicrobials will resist bacterial and fungal growth within pad 102. Any other substances which will help pad 102 to stand up to harsh environments such as snow, ice, rain, and intense heat may be incorporated into the material of pad 102. It will be understood that materials other than plastics may be used in the fabrication of pad 102.
The loose weave of the fibers 110 interspersed with air spaces 112 enables pad 102 to breathe and also permits water to flow through the air spaces 112 between the fibers 110. The woven nature of pad 102 is such that the fibers 110 tend to prevent the passage of leaves and other debris into or through the pad 102. In particular, any solid objects which are not small enough to move through the air spaces 112 will be prevented from moving through pad 102 by the fibers 110.
Referring to FIGS. 2A through 2C, pad 102 is an elongate strip which is generally rectangular in shape. Pad 102 has first surface 102 a, a second surface 102 b that is opposed to the first surface 102 a. Pad 102 further includes a first end 102 c and a second end that is opposed to the first end 102 c. Pad 102 further includes a first side 102 e, and a second side 102 f that is opposed to the first side 102 e. Pad 102 has a thickness “T” measured between first surface 102 a and second surface 102 b, a length “L” measured between first end 102 c and second end 102 d, and a width “W” measured between first side 102 e and second side 102 f. Thickness “T” of pad 102 may be from about 1/16″ up to about ¾ inch. It will be understood, however, that the thickness “T” may be less than 1/16″ or greater than ¾ inch. The length “L” of pad 102 may be from about 12 inches long up to about 4 feet long. It will be understood, however, that the length “L” may be less than 12 inches long or greater than 4 feet long. The width “W” of pad 102 may be from about 6 inches wide up to about 2 feet wide. It will be understood, however, that the width “W” may be less than 6 inches or greater than 2 feet. In one embodiment pad 102 may be 1/16^th of an inch thick, 2 feet long, and 1 foot wide.
It will be understood that while pad 102 is described herein and illustrated in the attached drawings as being rectangular in shape, any desired shape of the material of pad 102 may be utilized in accordance with the present disclosure. For example, pad 102 may be cut to be circular in shape and then folded in half to form a generally semi-circular pad member of siphon assembly 100. The rectangular shape of pad 102 as described and illustrated herein should not be considered to unnecessarily limit the scope of the pad which may be utilized in siphon assembly 100.
FIG. 2A shows that an aperture 102 g is defined in pad 102. Aperture 102 g extends between first surface 102 a and second surface 102 b. Aperture 102 g is preferably formed in a central location of both the width “W” and length “L” of pad 102, i.e., midway between first end 102 c and second end 102 d, as well as midway between first side 102 e and second side 102 f. The purpose of aperture 102 g will be described later herein.
Intake member 104 comprises a standard plumbing pipe fitting. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, intake member 104 comprises a 4-way cross fitting. The cross fitting includes a first arm 104 a, a second arm 104 b, a third arm 104 c, and a fourth arm 104 d. Adjacent arms of the four arms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, and 104 d are arranged at ninety degrees relative to one another. The four arms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, 104 d all are arranged in substantially a same plane.
It will be understood that any suitable 4-way cross fitting 104 may be utilized as intake member 104. As such, the four arms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, 104 d may be tapered moving in a direction from a central meeting point to the outer ends of the respective arms. The exterior surfaces may be provided with barbs or quick connect features.
In other embodiments, pipe fittings other than 4-way cross fittings may be utilized as intake member 104. For example, pipe fittings that include less than four arms may be utilized as intake member 104. In other embodiments, pipe fittings with more than four arms may be utilized as intake member 104.
As illustrated in the attached figures, in the present embodiment, first arm 104 a, second arm 104 b, and third arm 104 c are utilized as water intakes. Fourth arm 104 d is utilized as a water outlet.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, when siphon assembly 100 is to be assembled utilizing pad 102 and intake member 104, the rectangular pad 102 is initially folded from an initial position shown in FIG. 2A to an intermediate position shown in FIG. 2B. Pad 102 is folded about a fold line which extends from first side 102 e to second side 102 f. Preferably, the fold line extends along a midline between first end 102 c and second end 102 d.
In the intermediate position shown in FIG. 2B, pad 102 generally has an L-shape when viewed from a left side. The L-shape comprises a first section 102 h and a second section 102 j which meet along the fold line (or midline between first end 102 c and second end 102 d). The aperture 102 g is located in the fold line or midline. Intake member 104 is placed on the first surface 102 a of the second section 102 j and the fourth arm 104 d is inserted through the aperture 102 g so that a portion of the fourth arm 104 d extends outwardly beyond the second surface 102 b of pad 102. The first arm 102 a, second arm 102 b, and third arm 102 c rest upon the first surface 102 of the second section 102 j. The first and third arms 104 a, 104 c extend along the inner surface of the fold line and the second arm 104 b extends outwardly from the fold line and generally at ninety degrees relative thereto.
First section 102 h of pad 102 is then folded completely over second section 102 j of pad 102 such that the first surface 102 a of first section 102 h abuts the first surface 102 a of second section 102 j. The intake member 104 is captured between the two portions of the first surface 102 a. Preferably, first end 102 c is vertically aligned with second end 102 d, the portions of the first side 102 e on first section 102 h and second section 102 j are vertically aligned with one another, and the portions of the second side 102 f on first section 102 h and second section 102 are vertically aligned with one another.
When pad 102 is completely folded in half such that the first section 102 h is located vertically above second section 102 j as illustrated in FIG. 2C, then one or more securement members 106 are engaged with pad 102 to retain pad 102 in the folded position. Securement members 106 may be plastic cable ties as illustrated in FIG. 2C. Each cable tie 106 is threaded through one or more air spaces 112 in one of the first section 102 h and second section 102 j and then through one or more air spaces 112 in the other of first section 102 h and second section 102 j. Each cable tie 106 is then secured to itself as is well known in the art and is drawn tight enough to hold first section 102 h and second section 102 j in abutting contact with one another. Cable ties 106 are then permanently fixed to pad 102 and cannot be accidentally removed therefrom. The only way to remove cable ties 106 from their engagement with pad 102 is to cut them.
A plurality of cable ties 106 are shown as being engaged with a portion of a perimeter of the folded pad 102. The cable ties 106 are positioned at intervals from one another around the portion of the perimeter of the pad 102. The intervals are sufficiently close enough to hold the first section 102 h and second section 102 j in abutting engagement and without leaving large enough openings between adjacent cable ties 106 that the intake member 104 could accidentally slide out from between the first section 102 h and second section 102 j.
FIG. 2C shows that only three sides of the substantially square-shaped folded pad 102 has cable ties 106 engaged therewith. The fold 102 k which extends between first side 102 e and second side 102 f is free of cable ties 106. It will be understood, however, that in other instances, one or more cable ties 106 may be engaged with pad 102 along fold 102 k to aid in keeping first section 102 h and second section 102 j in a substantially fixed relationship with one another. Placing a cable tie 106 on either side of the fourth arm 104 d of intake member 104 may also help keep intake member 104 seated in substantially a fixed position between first section 102 h and second section 102 j.
It will be understood that while the securement members 106 have been illustrated in the drawings and described herein as being cable ties, in other embodiments other types of securement devices may be utilized instead. For example, securement members 106 may comprise clips, clamps, snaps, or any other suitable device or mechanism which will keep first section 102 h and second section 102 j of pad 102 in abutting contact with one another and intake member 104 sandwiched between them.
Referring now to FIGS. 2C, 3A and 3B, a hose 108 is secured to a free end of fourth arm 104 d which extends outwardly from aperture 102 g defined in pad and beyond fold 102 k. (The free end of fourth arm 104 d is indicated in FIG. 2A by the reference character 104d′.) Hose 108 is flexible tubular member that has an outer wall 108 a with a first end 108 b and a second end 108 c. The hose 108 defines a bore 108 d (FIG. 4 ) which extends from an opening in first end 108 b to an opening in second end 108 c. As mentioned earlier herein, the free ends of the first, second, third, and fourth arm 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, 104 d may be tapered or provided with barbs or quick connect features. Any of these features may be utilized to aid an installer to slide a first end of the flexible hose 108 onto free end 104d′ of fourth arm 104 d so that the free end 104d′ enters the bore of hose 108. A hose clamp 116 is shown as being used to secure hose onto fourth arm 104 d. It will be understood, however, that in other embodiments, a zip tie or any other type of securing mechanism may be used to secure hose 108 to fourth arm 104 d of intake member 104. In other embodiments, fourth arm 104 may be provided with a quick connect mechanism at its free end 104 d and hose 108 may be provided with a complementary quick connect at first end 108 b. The complementary quick connect mechanisms may then be utilized to secure hose 108 to intake member 104. In yet other embodiments, hose 108 may simply be retained on intake member 104 by friction. It should be understood that the hose clamp 116 is representative of any desired suitable manner of connecting hose 108 to intake member 104 so that hose 108 does not accidentally become disengaged from intake member 104.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through the assembled siphon assembly 100. As can be seen from this figure, the central region and four arms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, 104 d of intake member 104 define an passageway 104 e that extends from openings in each of the free end of the four arms 104 a through 104 d and through the central region. When hose 108 is engaged with free end 104 d′ of fourth arm 104 d then passageway 104 e is placed in fluid communication with bore 108 d of hose 108.
Siphon assembly 100 is used in the following manner. Pad 102 and intake member 104 are engaged with one another as described earlier herein with reference to FIGS. 2A through 2C. Securement members 106 are engaged with pad 102 as earlier described herein in order to secure the two pad sections 102 h, 102 j to one another and to trap the intake member 104 in a sandwiched position between the two pad sections 102 h, 102 j. Hose 108 is then engaged with the free end 104 d′ of fourth arm 104 d which projects outwardly from the aperture 102 g defined in the pad 102, and hose clamp 116 is utilized to secure hose 108 to fourth arm 104 d.
Siphon assembly 100 is then submerged into a volume of water 14 accumulated on the upper surface 12 a of pool cover 12 as is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3A, 3B, and 4 . FIG. 4 shows that when siphon assembly 100 is submerged water will tend to flow through the air spaces 112 in the woven mesh material of pad 102. The water flow from the accumulated volume of water 14 and into the air spaces 112 of pad 102 is indicated in FIGS. 3A through 4 by arrows “A”. Because pad 102 is fabricated entirely from a woven mesh material, water will tend to flow in substantially every direction from outside the pad 102 toward the first surface 102 a thereof. Any portion of the pad 102 that is even partially submerged will experience water flow the direction of arrows “A” from outside the pad 102 and towards the inside of the pad 102.
Ultimately, water that has flowed into the air spaces 112 of pad 102 will make its way into the openings (unnumbered) defined in the free ends of the three arms 104 a, 104 b, and 104 c of the intake member 104 and subsequently into the passageway 104 e of intake member 104. The flow of water into the passageway 104 e is indicated by arrows “B” in FIG. 4 . Because there are three arms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c with openings thereto within the interior of the pad 102, water will flow into the passageway 104 e from three different directions. Water does not flow into the opening defined in the free end 104 d′ of fourth arm 104 d from the volume of accumulated water 14 on the pool cover 12 since the free end 104 d′ of the fourth arm 104 d is enveloped within the bore 108 d of hose 108. Since water is flowing in the direction of arrows “B” into the passageway 104 e, the only escape for that water is to flow along the portion of the interior cavity defined by fourth arm 104 d. The water will flow through fourth arm 104 d and subsequently into bore 108 d of hose 108. The flow of water through fourth arm 104 d and into and through bore 108 d of hose 108 is indicated by arrow “D” in FIGS. 3B, and 4 .
FIGS. 3A and 3B show siphon assembly 100 submerged in a volume of water 14 accumulated on the upper surface 12 a of pool cover 12. FIG. 3A shows a first instance prior to siphon assembly 100 being activated to drain water 14 from pool cover 12. The figure shows water 14 is of a first depth “L1” and some leaves 16 are floating on the upper surface of water 14. The first depth “L1” is measured from the uppermost surface 14 a (FIGS. 1 and 3A) of the water 14 to upper surface 12 a of pool cover 12.
FIG. 3B shows a situation after siphon assembly 100 has been activated and has been working for some time. Siphon assembly 100 is shown siphoning water from the pool cover 12 through the hose 108, as indicated by arrow “D”. FIG. 3B also shows that the level of water 14 on pool cover 12 is dropping, as indicated by arrows “E”. In particular, FIG. 3B shows a situation when the water level is now at a depth “L2”. The second depth “L2” is measured from the uppermost surface 14 a of the water 14 to the upper surface 12 a of pool cover 12. The level “L2” is less than the level “L1” shown in FIG. 3A.
It should be noted that FIG. 3B shows that the water level “L2” is marginally below the uppermost surface of pad 102. This uppermost surface based on the illustrated orientation of siphon assembly 100 is indicated by the reference character 102 m. Some of the leaves 16 are illustrated as resting on the uppermost surface 102 m, thereby potentially blocking some of the air spaces 112 in uppermost surface 102 m. In addition to these blockage of air spaces 112 by leaves 16, since the uppermost surface 102 m is no longer submerged beneath the water 14, water cannot flow into the pad 102 and subsequently into the intake member 104 through uppermost surface 102 m. Because of these two factors, little to no water 14 will flow into pad 102 through the uppermost surface 102 m. However, because pad 102 is capable of taking in water through any of the other surfaces of pad 102, including the first and second ends 102 c, 102 d, the first and second sides 102 e, 102 f, the fold 102 k, and even portions of the lowermost surface of the pad, indicated in FIG. 3B by the reference character 102 n. As a consequence and unlike prior art devices, water 14 continues to drain off pool cover 12, even though the uppermost surface 102 m of siphon assembly 102 is above the upper level of the water 14 and/or is blocked by leaves 16 and other debris.
Since water 14 is able to continue to flow into pad 102 and into intake member 104 even as the uppermost regions of pad 102 is exposed to the air and/or becomes blocked by leaves 16 and other debris that cannot move past the threads 110 of pad 102, more water 14 will be drained from off the pool cover 12 than was possible with prior art devices. Water 14 will continued to be drained off the pool cover 12 until one or more of the three openings to the passageway 104 e of first, second, and third arms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c is exposed to the air and the siphoning action of intake member 104 is halted.
After use of siphon assembly 100, pad 102 may be cleaned by simply hosing it off. Because the woven fibers 110 are loosely engaged with one another, after hosing off the pad 102 air will flow through the air spaces 112 and the airflow will dry the pad 102. This will substantially reduce the chances that mold will grow within the interior of the pad 102.
Furthermore, if the pad 102 wears out or for some reason the intake member 104 becomes clogged, siphon assembly 100 may easily be cleaned or parts thereof replaced by simply opening the securement members 106 and disassembling the pad 102 and intake member 104. For example, if the pad 102 has become worn, a replacement pad may be selected, engaged with the intake member 104 as previously described herein, and then new securement members 106 (or the previously-used securement members if they are clamps, clips etc.) will be reengaged with the folded replacement pad to reassemble the siphon assembly 100.
It will be understood that instead of pad 102 being fabricated from a loosely woven or fibrous material which has air spaces formed therein, pad 102 may be fabricated out of a generally solid material with a plurality of air-flow channels therein which allow water to flow from an exterior surface of the pad to an interior surface of the pad and a plurality of air-flow channels originate in each of the first surface, second surface, first end, second end, first side, and second side. A pad fabricated in this manner will be designed to work in substantially the same manner as the pad 102 disclosed herein.
Siphon assembly 100 as disclosed and illustrated herein enables a homeowner or pool maintenance worker to quickly and easily assemble the siphon assembly 100 from its component parts, i.e., the pad 102, intake member 104, securement members 106 and hose 108. The disclosed siphon assembly 100 also enables the home owner or pool maintenance worker to quickly and easily replace worn component parts. In other embodiments, the siphon assembly 100 may be a factory-assembled device that is sold to the home owner or pool maintenance worker in a fully-assembled condition. In these embodiments the securement members may be replaced with a more permanent mechanism of securing the first section 102 h and second section 102 j to one another. For example, an adhesive or heat welding may be used to permanent bond the first and second pad sections 102 h, 102 j to one another. Any other suitable mechanism for permanently securing the pad 102 in the configuration shown in FIG. 2C may be utilized. In these embodiments, if the pad 102 wears out over time then the home owner or pool maintenance worker may cut the pad 102 free from around the intake member 104 and then purchase a replacement pad and securement members 106 to assemble a replacement siphon assembly 100.
Siphon assembly 100 may be sold as a kit comprising a pad 102, an intake member 104, and securements 106. The hose 108 and hose clamp 116 may be sold as part of the kit or the home owner or pool maintenance worker may utilize a hose and hose clamp that they already own. The kit may additionally include a hand pump or any other type of pump which can be operated by a user to initiate the siphoning action within hose 108.
Weights do not form part of siphon assembly 100. However, when siphon assembly is sold to the consumer, the consumer may be instructed that if they want to, rocks or some other suitable weighting material may be placed between the first section 102 h and second section 102 j, either above or below the intake member 104 prior to first section 102 h and second section 102 j being secured to one another with securements 108.
A method of using siphon assembly 100 may be summarized as a method of draining accumulated water 14 off a pool cover 12 which includes submerging a siphon assembly 100 in the accumulated water 14 to be drained from the pool cover 12 (as illustrated in FIG. 3A); providing a pad 102 as part of the siphon assembly 100, wherein the pad 102 is comprised of a water and air pervious material; embedding an intake member 104 at least partially within the pad 104; engaging a first end 108 b of a hose 108 with the intake member 104; placing a bore 108 d of the hose 108 in fluid communication with a passageway 104 e defined through the intake member 104 and thereby placing the bore 108 d of the hose 108 in fluid communication with air spaces 112 defined in the pad 102. The method further includes causing accumulated water 14 from the pool cover 12 to flow from outside the pad 102 into an interior of the pad 102; and causing water in the interior of the pad 102 to flow through the passageway 104 e and subsequently through the bore 108 d of the hose 108.
The method includes providing more than one inlet opening in the intake member 102, i.e., the openings to the passageway 104 e defined in first arm 104 a, second arm 104 b, and third arm 104 c. Water flows from the interior of the pad to the passageway 104 e of the intake member through these openings in the first, second, and third arms 104 a, 104 b, and 104 c. The method further includes providing only one outlet opening in the intake member 104 and through which water flows from the passageway 104 e and into the bore 108 d of the hose 108. The only one outlet opening is the opening defined in the end region 104d′ of the fourth arm 104 d of the intake member 104.
The method further includes manufacturing the pad 102 from an open-mesh or open-weave material comprising a plurality of fibrous threads 110 and having air spaces 112 interspersed between and around the plurality of fibrous threads 110. The method includes surrounding at least a portion of the intake member 104 with the plurality of fibrous threads 110 of the pad 102 and preventing debris in the accumulated water 14, such as the leaves 16 from clogging the inlet openings of the intake member 104 with the plurality of fibrous threads 110. The pad 102, when submerged as illustrated in FIG. 3A has a lower surface which contacts the pool cover 12 and an upper surface which is located remote from the pool cover 12. Both the lower surface and the upper surface comprise regions of the second surface 102 b of the pad as can be seen in FIG. 2C. The submerged pad 102 also has a perimeter side surface which extends between the upper surface and the lower surface of the pad. The perimeter side surface is comprised of the first end 102 c and second end 102 d of the pad illustrated in FIG. 2A along with the first side 102 e and second side 102 f. The fold 102 k (FIG. 2C) of pad 102 also forms part of the perimeter side surface which extends between the upper surface and lower surface. When pad 102 is submerged, water 14 is able to flow into the interior of the pad 102 through air spaces 112 which are accessible in one or more of the upper surface, the perimeter side surface, and the lower surface of the pad. So, even if leaves 16 or other debris accumulate against one of the upper surface, lower surface or perimeter side surface of pad 102, water 14 is still able to be drawn into the interior of pad 102 through others of the upper surface, lower surface or perimeter side surface. The fibrous threads 110 of the pad 102 prevent the debris, such as leaves 16, from coming into contact with intake member 104 and blocking or clogging intake member 104. However, even if some smaller debris is sucked into the interior of pad 102 and does clog one of the inlet openings to the intake member, e.g., the opening in the first arm 104 a, the inlet opening in the second arm 104 b and or the inlet opening 104 c in the third arm 104 c will remain open and water 14 will continue to be drained through the intake member 104 and hose 108. The method further includes initiating a siphoning action in the hose 108 to cause accumulated water 14 from the pool cover 12 to flow from outside of the pad into the interior of the pad, as indicated by the arrows “A”, “B”, and “C” (FIG. 4 ). Initiating the siphoning action is preceded by charging the hose 108, i.e., filling the hose with water. This can be accomplished in any way known in the art such as engaging a pump (not shown) with the hose 108 and drawing some of the water 14 into the hose 108. In other instances, hose 108 may be filled with water before being engaged with the fourth arm 104 d of intake member 104. After charging the hose 108, a second end 108 c of the hose 108 is placed at an elevation vertically below the first end 108 b of the hose 108 as illustrated in FIG. 1 . Positioning the second end 108 c of the hose 108 vertically below the first end 108 b thereof naturally sets up the siphoning action which will continue until the water 14 is drained from the pool cover. The siphoning action in the hose 108 continues even when an upper surface of the submerged pad is exposed to air or when the upper surface becomes clogged with debris 16 located in the accumulated water. The siphoning action in the hose 108 will continue until all of the inlet openings in the intake member are exposed to air.
It will be understood that in other embodiments, not shown herein, a pump may be provided in the interior of pad 102 and may be used in conjunction with intake member 104 or instead of intake member 104. In the former situation, the pump may be positioned between intake members 104 and hose 108. In the latter situation, hose 108 may be directly engaged with pump. Pump will preferably be provided with more than one inlet through which water may be caused to flow from the water 14 collected on pool cover 12, through the fibrous threads 110 of pad 102 and subsequently into hose 108.
Various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.
The articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims (if at all), should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc. As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the term “effecting” or a phrase or claim element beginning with the term “effecting” should be understood to mean to cause something to happen or to bring something about. For example, effecting an event to occur may be caused by actions of a first party even though a second party actually performed the event or had the event occur to the second party. Stated otherwise, effecting refers to one party giving another party the tools, objects, or resources to cause an event to occur. Thus, in this example a claim element of “effecting an event to occur” would mean that a first party is giving a second party the tools or resources needed for the second party to perform the event, however the affirmative single action is the responsibility of the first party to provide the tools or resources to cause said event to occur.
When a feature or element is herein referred to as being “on” another feature or element, it can be directly on the other feature or element or intervening features and/or elements may also be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly on” another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. It will also be understood that, when a feature or element is referred to as being “connected”, “attached” or “coupled” to another feature or element, it can be directly connected, attached or coupled to the other feature or element or intervening features or elements may be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly connected”, “directly attached” or “directly coupled” to another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. Although described or shown with respect to one embodiment, the features and elements so described or shown can apply to other embodiments. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.
Spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, “above”, “behind”, “in front of”, and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “lateral”, “transverse”, “longitudinal”, and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicated otherwise.
Although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various features/elements, these features/elements should not be limited by these terms, unless the context indicates otherwise. These terms may be used to distinguish one feature/element from another feature/element. Thus, a first feature/element discussed herein could be termed a second feature/element, and similarly, a second feature/element discussed herein could be termed a first feature/element without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
An embodiment is an implementation or example of the present disclosure. Reference in the specification to “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “one particular embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” or “other embodiments,” or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the invention. The various appearances “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “one particular embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” or “other embodiments,” or the like, are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiments.
If this specification states a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included. If the specification or claim refers to “a” or “an” element, that does not mean there is only one of the element. If the specification or claims refer to “an additional” element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.
As used herein in the specification and claims, including as used in the examples and unless otherwise expressly specified, all numbers may be read as if prefaced by the word “about” or “approximately,” even if the term does not expressly appear. The phrase “about” or “approximately” may be used when describing magnitude and/or position to indicate that the value and/or position described is within a reasonable expected range of values and/or positions. For example, a numeric value may have a value that is +/-0.1% of the stated value (or range of values), +/-1% of the stated value (or range of values), +/-2% of the stated value (or range of values), +/-5% of the stated value (or range of values), +/-10% of the stated value (or range of values), etc. Any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein.
Additionally, the method of performing the present disclosure may occur in a sequence different than those described herein. Accordingly, no sequence of the method should be read as a limitation unless explicitly stated. It is recognizable that performing some of the steps of the method in a different order could achieve a similar result.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of various embodiments of the disclosure are examples and the disclosure is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Claims

1. A siphon assembly for draining accumulated water from a pool cover, wherein the siphon assembly comprises:

a pad having a first layer and a second layer opposed to the first layer, wherein both the first laver and the second laver are made from a water and air pervious material;

an intake member extending through an interior of the pad defined between the first layer and the second layer;

wherein a first surface of the intake member is in direct contact with an interior surface of the first layer and an opposed second surface of the intake member is in direct contact with an interior surface of the second layer;

a passageway defined by the intake member, and

a hose operably engaged with the intake member, wherein a bore of the hose is placed in fluid communication with the passageway, and wherein the hose is configured to enable a siphoning action to drain the accumulated water from the pool cover through the pad, the passageway, and the bore.

2. The siphon assembly according to claim 1, wherein the water and air pervious material is an open-mesh or open-weave material.

3. The siphon assembly according to claim 1, wherein the material of the pad comprises a plurality of fibrous material threads and a plurality of air spaces between the threads, wherein the plurality of air spaces permit air and water to move through the pad.

4. The siphon assembly according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of fibrous material threads are formed of a waterproof material.

5. The siphon assembly according to claim 1, wherein the intake member is a pipe fitting.

6. The siphon assembly according to claim 5, wherein the pipe fitting defines at least one inlet opening to the passageway and one outlet opening to the passageway.

7. The siphon assembly according to claim 6, wherein a first portion of the pipe fitting which includes the at least one inlet opening is located within an interior of the pad between the interior surface of the first layer and the interior surface of the second layer, and wherein a second portion of the pipe fitting which includes the outlet opening is located outside of the pad.

8. The siphon assembly according to claim 6, wherein the pipe fitting is a 4-way cross fitting having a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, and a fourth arm, wherein the at least one inlet opening includes an inlet opening defined by each of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm, and wherein the one outlet opening is defined by the fourth arm.

9. The siphon assembly according to claim 8, wherein the pad defines an aperture which extends between the interior of the pad and outside the pad, and wherein at least part of the fourth arm extends through the aperture such that the one outlet opening is located outside of the pad.

10. A method of draining accumulated water off a pool cover, said method comprising:

forming a siphon assembly by providing a pad having a first layer and a second layer opposed to the first layer, wherein both the first layer and the second layer are made from a water and air pervious material;

placing an intake member into an interior of the pad such that an exterior surface of the intake member contacts the first pad and the second pad;

extending part of the intake member outwardly from between the first layer and the second layer;

engaging a first end of a hose with the part of the intake member;

placing the second layer of the pad of the siphon assembly onto an upper surface of the pool cover;

submerging at least a portion of the siphon assembly in the accumulated water to be drained from the pool cover;

placing a bore of the hose in fluid communication with a passageway defined through the intake member and thereby placing the bore of the hose in fluid communication with air spaces defined in the pad;

causing accumulated water from the pool cover to flow from outside the pad into interior of the pad; and

causing water in the interior of the pad to flow through the passageway and subsequently through the bore of the hose.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing more than one inlet opening in the intake member and through which water flows from the interior of the pad to the passageway of the intake member.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing only one outlet opening in the intake member and through which water flows from the passageway and into the bore of the hose.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein providing the pad includes manufacturing the pad from an open-mesh or open-weave of a plurality of fibrous threads and wherein the air spaces are interspersed between the plurality of fibrous threads.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

surrounding the intake member with the plurality of fibrous threads of the pad; and

preventing debris in the accumulated water from clogging the intake member with the plurality of fibrous threads.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising causing water to flow from outside the pad to the interior of the pad through both of the first layer and the second layer.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

initiating a siphoning action in the hose to cause accumulated water from the pool cover to flow from outside of the pad into the interior of the pad.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the siphoning action continues even when the first laver of the pad is exposed to air or when the first laver becomes clogged with debris in the accumulated water.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising providing more than one inlet opening in the intake member and through which water flows from the interior of the pad to the passageway of the intake member; and wherein the siphoning action in the hose continues until all of the more than one inlet openings in the intake member are exposed to air.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. The siphon assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pad includes a three-dimensional exterior surface that faces an external environment which completely surrounds the pad, and wherein the entire exterior surface permits accumulated water from the pool cover to flow from the external environment through the pad and into the interior.

22. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

draining accumulated water from off the pool cover and into the interior of the pad through a three-dimensional exterior surface of the pad, where the exterior surface is entirely surrounded by an environment external to the pad.

23. A siphon assembly comprising:

a length of material comprising a plurality of fibrous threads with air spaces located therebetween;

wherein the length of material is folded back upon itself to form a pad having a first layer and a second layer;

a pipe fitting located in an interior of the pad which is defined between the first layer and the second layer;

at least one securement member securing the first layer and the second layer to one another;

wherein an exterior surface of the pad is completely surrounded by an environment external to the pad and the air spaces place the external environment and the interior of the pad in fluid communication with one another; and

wherein the entire exterior surface of the pad enables water accumulated on a pool cover to flow through the air spaces and into the interior.

24. The siphon assembly according to claim 23, wherein the pipe fitting defines a passage therethrough which extends from more than one inlet opening to an outlet opening, and wherein the passage is placed in fluid communication with the interior of the pad through the more than one inlet opening.

25. The siphon assembly according to claim 24, wherein the outlet opening is located outside of the exterior surface of the pad.