US3363268A - Collapsible pool - Google Patents

Description

Jan- 16, 1968 A. P. FRIEDLANDER 3,363,268

COLLAPSIBLE POOL Filed June 8, 1965 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR ALAN P. FRIEDLANDER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,363,268 COLLAPSIBLE POOL Alan P. Friedlander, Searington, N.Y., assigner to Alvimar Manufacturing Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 8, 1965, Ser. No. 462,291 3 Claims. (Cl. L-172) ABSTRACT F 'I'HE DISCLOSURE An inflatable swimming pool which includes a flexible sheet-like floor bonded to a pneumatically inflatable peripherally extending ring above which is secured a flexible hydraulically inflatable ring having a plurality of apertures through which the inilating water may pass to produce a spray for said swimming pool.

This invention relates to the art of collapsible pools, more particularly to an improved collapsible pool structure provided with a fountain system formed integrally therewith permitting simultaneous bathing and showering of the occupants in the pool.

With increased leisure time there has been a corresponding increase in outdoor activities. Thus, home outdoor pools for use in backyards or on terraces have become increasingly commonplace. In an attempt to bring such pools down in cost so as to make them readily available to the average consumer, sheet plastics have been employed for fabrication of such pools. Among the pool structures which have been evolved is a collapsible pool particularly adapted for use by children. Such childrens pools are generally made vquite shallow for reasons of safety. The problem with such relatively shallow pool structures is that though they serve to immerse the lower extremities of the user to provide desired cooling, the upper part of the body of the user, who is normally seated in the pool, is exposed to the heat of the surrounding atmosphere.

It is with the above problems and desiderata in mind that the present improved pool structure has been evolved, a pool structure adapted for fabrication of sheet plastics which lends itself to ready collapse for storage, and assembly into an operative orientation, and serving to provide means for cooling the normally exposed upper extremities of the user of such pools.

Among the primary objects of this invention is to provide an improved collapsible pool structure which affords maximum safety to children while serving to wet both upper and lower portions of the body of the user.

- Another object of the invention is to provide an improved collapsible pool structure providing a combined bath and shower.

A further object of the invention is to provide a co1- lapsible pool structure, suitable for use in a backyard or the like, and adapted for ready setup.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved collapsible pool structure combined with a shower adapted for fabrication of sheet plastics by the use of conventional plastics forming techniques.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by forming a collapsible pool of a lower base shaped in any desired peripheral contour. The base is formed of sheet material, preferably a sheet plastic of a `circular peripheral contour. The sidewalls of the pool are formed by means of continuous airtight flexible walled tubular members. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the wall is formed with a lower tubular frame member secured to the periphery of the base, and an upper tubular cushion member 3,363,268 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 serving to provide a back rest for the user of the pool. Arranged along the top of the cushion tube is a shower tube extending peripherally around the contines of the wall. This shower tube is provided with a hose coupling adapted flor connection to a conventional garden hose so that water may be fed through the shower tube. The shower tube is formed with a plurality of spaced discharge orifices through which water may be directed over the occupants of the pool.

Among the features of the invention is the formation of the tubes used in forming the pool sidewall of a folded oversheet of thermoplastic material,A heat sealed along a line defining the different tubes.

A further important feature of the invention resides in the formation of the sidewall of the pool with a cushion tube larger than the frame tube, thereby serving to cushion the back of a user of the pool and forcing the occupant into a seated position in the pool.

Another feature resides in the use of a pressure control Washer to insure the feeding of water -below a maximum pressure to the shower tube.

The specific details of a preferred embodiment of the invention and their mode of functioning will be made most manifest and particularly pointed out in clear, concise and exact terms in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the collapsible pool shown in use; and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1 illustrating the structural relationship between the shower tube, the cushion tube and the frame tube with respect to the base; and

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating the use of the pressure control washer serving to provide desired shower pressure.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various gures will be employed to designate like parts.

As seen in the drawings, the pool 10 is shown as formed of a circular configuration. As will however be apparent to those skilled in the art, the peripheral configuration of the pool may be made of any desired shape.

The pool is formed with a base 14, as best seen in FIG. 2. The base 14 is fabricated of a flexible sheet material preferably of thermoplastic resins such as the vinyl resins or polyolefns. Polyvinyl `chloride plastisol is found particularly suitable.

A -continuous sidewall 15 is formed to extend peripherally around the edge of the base 14. Sidewall 15 comprises a lower continuous tubular frame member 17, preferably fabricated of thermoplastic material like the base 14. Tubular frame member 17 is continuous and substantially air. tight. A valved air inlet opening 18, as shown in FIG. 1, of any one of a variety of conventional types is provided to permit inflation of the tubular frame member 17. It is preferred that this valved air inlet opening 18 be of the type permitting oral inflation ofthe tube.

Arranged above lower tubular frame member 17 is a tubular cushion member 20 which as illustrated in FIG. 2 is preferably formed of a diameter greater than that of the diameter of tubular frame member 17. Cushion tubular member 20 is formed of a flexible sheet material, preferably of a thermoplastic resin like that of base 14 and lower tubular member 17. Tubular cushion member 20 is continuous and airtight, and is formed with a valved air inlet opening 21, as best seen in FIG. 1. Air inlet opening 21 is formed of a type like valved air inlet opening '18 preferably of a type permitting oral inflation of the tube 20 Secured above tubular cushion member 20, as best seen in FIG. 2, is a shower tube 25 which is formed like tubular members 20 and 17 of a flexible sheet material, preferably a thermoplastic resin. A plurality of spaced discharge orifices 26 is arranged preferably along the inner upper quadrant of the tube 25 so that any liquid discharged through the discharge orices 26 is inwardly directed toward the center of the pool area confined by the side wall 15.

Shower tube 25 is formed with a hose coupling 28, as seen in FIG. 1, to which a hose 29 is adapted for securement. The dimensioning of the hose coupling 28 is such as to accommodate a common garden hose which is employed in forming hose 29.

A hose coupling 30 as best seen in FIG. 3 is provided on the free end of hose 29, and a pressure control washer 32 having an orifice 33 is provided for insertion into the hose coupling 30 so as to reduce the ow of water through the hose 29. Orifice 33 is preferably less than half the area of washer 32.

In fabricating the pool 10, it is preferred to .form the tubular components of the sidewall 15 by folding a sheet of thermoplastic material over on itself along a medial line which would normally lie along the top edge 3S of the sidewall 15 as Viewed in FIG. 2. Thereafter, an upper heat seal 36 is formed at a distance from the top fold 35 such as to permit shower tube 25 to be formed of desired dimension. An intermediate heat seal 37 is formed along a line spaced from the line of heat seal 36 to provide proper dimensioning to cushion tube 20, and a lower heat seal 38 is formed between the folded over sheet material to form frame tube 17, leaving iaps 39 and 40. Flaps 39 and 40 permit ready securement of the sidewall 15 to the base 14 by forming a heat seal 41 between flaps 39 and 40 and the edge portion of base 14.

Operation The aforedescribed pool lends itself to use in any situation Where it is desired to provide a pool in which water may be contained, and simultaneously providing a shower sprinkler. In general use, the pool structure finds particular utility in providing a combined pool and shower for use by young children serving to permit the children to play in the cooling water with minimum supervision due to the relative shallowness of the pool, while keeping the upper part of the child wet by the shower.

The pool is set up by inating the frame tube 17 and sidewall tube 20, preferably by yblowing into the valved air inlet orifices 18 and 21 of said tubes. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the valves serve to retain any air blown into the tube. By inflation of the tubes, the eXible base 14 is distended to lie flat along the bottom of the area confined by the inated tubes. Bottom frame tube 17 acts as a frame serving to maintain the base 14 in its operative spread out condition.

The cushion tube 20, which as illustrated, is formed of a larger cross sectional diameter than that of frame tube f 17 provides a cushioning back rest for any occupants of the pool, and -by virtue of the fact that the cushioning tube 20 extends further into the confined pool area than any other portion of the sidewalls of the pool, this cushioning tube 20 acts to prevent inadvertent slipping of an occupant along the sidewalls, since an occupant leaning against the sidewall will be pushed forward into a seated position.

After setting up the pool into its operative condition by inating tube members 17 and 20, hose 29 is connected to an appropriate faucet, with washer 32 interposed inthe hose line 29. Upon opening the faucet water flows through the shower tube 25 from which it is sprayed through the discharge orifices 26. In the preferred embodiment, these discharge orifices are oriented on the upper inner quadrant of the circular cross section through the shower tube 25, as a result of which the shower spray is inwardly directed over the pool area.

During periods of non-use, when it is desired to store the pool, the hose 29 is disconnected from the hose spigot and the valves in air openings 21 and 18 are opened to permit escape of the air from the tubes 17 and 20, as a result of which the pool structure may be collapsed and folded into a relatively compact volume for storage.

It is thus seen that a simple pool structure has been provided which may readily be fabricated of sheet plastics by simple heat sealing techniques.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation, and not by way of limitation and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible pool comprising a flexible base formed of a circular sheet of thermoplastic material; a sidewall for said base comprising a sheet of thermoplastic material folded over on itself along a fold line lying along the normally upper edge of said sidewall; an upper seal along a line spaced from said fold line to define a water-inflatable shower tube between said upper line of heat sealing and said fold line, said shower tube having spaced discharge orifices therein facing inwardly over said base; an

intermediate heat seal along a line spaced from saidV upper heat seal forming an air-inflatable cushion tube beneath said shower tube; a lower heat seal along a line spaced from said intermediate line forming an airinatable frame tube; means securing said frame tube to said base; means for coupling a water hose to said shower tube; and means for coupling a source of air to said cushion tube and to said frame tube.

2. The pool of claim 1 wherein said means securing said frame tube to said base comprise aps beneath said lower heat seal, said flaps being heat sealed to said base.

3. A collapsible pool comprising: a flexible base of circular periphery; a flexible, air-inflatable circular frame tube secured to said base; a flexible, air-inflatable circular cushion tube secured to said frame tube; means for coupling a source of air to said cushion tube and to said frame tube; a flexible, water-inatable circular shower tube secured to said cushion tube, said shower tube having a plurality of spaced discharge orifices therein facing inwardly over said base; and means for coupling a water hose to said shower tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,284,139 11/1918 Ponic 4-150 2,084,236 6/1937 Babb 4--177 2,100,186 11/1937 Hagopian 4-150 2,456,703 12/ 1948 Hatchette 4-145 2,689,812 9/1954 Mollica et al. 52--2 2,829,379 4/ 1958 McGee 4-145 2,838,768 6/1958 Fischett -..i- 4-177 LAVERN-E D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner,

Images