US3559215A

US3559215A - Prefabricated covered swimming pool

Info

Publication number: US3559215A
Application number: US831385A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred Kormann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-06-09
Filing date: 1969-06-09
Publication date: 1971-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-02

Abstract

A COVERED STEEL SHELL SWIMMING POOL HAS CORRUGATED SIDES. A TRANSPARENT COVER HAS A DOMED AND HINGED OVERHEAD ACCESS OVER A DIVING AREA. A DECK IS PROVIDED AT ONE END OF THE POOL FORMING AN ANTEROOM WITH HIGH HEAD CLEARANCE. THE ROOF SLOPES DOWNWARD OVER THE POOL AREA WHERE HEAD CLEARANCE IS NOT IMPORTANT.

Description

Feb. 2, 19 71 A. KORMANN 3,559,215

' PREFABRICATEDY COVERED SWIMMING POOL Filed June 9, 1969 Fig. 2

INVENTOR.

A Li /QED KO/Q/VIA/V/V United States Patent M 3,559,215 PREFABRICATED COVERED SWIMMING POOL Alfred Kormann, 8011 Eglharting, near Munich, Germany Filed June 9, 1969, Ser. No. 831,385 Int. Cl. E04h 3/16 U.S. Cl. 4-172.12 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A covered steel shell swimming pool has corrugated sides. A transparent cover has a domed and hinged overhead access over a diving area. A deck is provided at one end of the pool forming an anteroom With high head clearance. The roof slopes downward over the pool area where head clearance is not important.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION existing cellars are usually insufficient for the construc-' tion of pools big enough to permit free swimming.

Indoor swimming pools should have an excellent thermal insulation and should be heatable in the simplest way possible without additional heating elements. Furthermore, pool structures should definitely prevent the formation of condensed water. While being of relatively small overall dimensions, the pool buildings should provide great space comfort for the swimmer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention serves the purpose of constructing compact indoor swimming pools which possess high stability, with the smallest possible use of materials, so that even prefabricated pool buildings of over meters can be transported in one piece. The present swimming pool building for the indoor swimming pool consists in part of the pool proper, which is preferably of rectangular shape. Another part of the construction shell surrounds the pool proper. Three of the outer walls serve simultaneously as walls of the pool proper and as walls of the hall. The material used for these walls is wide ribbed or corrugated steel sections covered with a synthetic material. Outer walls support a hollow double walled ceiling, which slipes towards a rear end wall of the pool which corresponds with a building side wall. The ceiling carries a support for a light-diifusing transparent cupola, which is located just above the front end wall of the pool proper. In that area, the hollow ceiling forms a water jacket by means of which the support of the cupola is heated.

The front wall of the poolconstructed as the other three walls of corrugated sectional steel coated with a synthetic materialis placed right under the cupola, and the cupola height permits a person to stand along the edge of the water. The front wall of the pool simultaneously forms one wall of a compartment which houses water purification equipment anda water heater, as well as underwater floodlights.

Above that, a deck compartment, at a level higher than the pool bottom, forms an anteroom, preferably even to the basement floor. This anteroom is also constructed of a sectional steel-synthetic combination. It has a ceil- 3,559,215 Patented Feb. 2,, 1971 ing, which is connected with the support of the light cupola.

It is advantageous if the sectional steel synthetic coating combination consists of sectional sheet steel, coated on the inside with waterproof chlorinated-rubber paint or a similar material and on the outside with a hard foam insulating matter, which is applied over an etch primer. In the preferred more developed form of the invention, the pool shell is transportable by means of lifting eyes fixed on the outside and so that the shell can be immersed into a basin provided for the structure.

A further advantageous development of the invention is characterized by a rectangular dom-shaped, double walled transparent cupola, which has pivots on one of its longitudinal sides. That permits the cupola to be lifted by means of well known mechanical, electrical and/or hydraulic devices. The preferred embodiment further is characterized by vent holes located in the neckhaped support of the light cupola opposite the longitudinal side which is provided with the pivots. Depending on the relative humidity of the air in the inner room of the swimming pool hall, these vent holes can blow hot air onto the inner wall of the light cupola. A fresh air blower, which is regulated in a well known manner by a hydrostat equipped with a heat exchanger, blows air through these vent holes and the side slit between the edge of the transparent cupola and its neck-shaped support. The ventilation slit is adjustable by the mechanical, electrical or hydraulic device that serves to raise the cupola. In the area of the cupola support, it is preferable that the hollow ceiling construction contains some heat radiating surfaces in inclined arrangement; those surfaces radiate heat towards the entry of the pool, and towards a large part of the water surface.

The drawings show a preferred example for the realization of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS They show: FIG. 1 a vertical longitudinal cross section. FIG. 2 a top plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The entire hall body consists of a pool 1 and an anteroom 9. Pool 1 is bounded by a part of the sidewalls 2 and 3, the rear wall 4 and the front wall 6. Simultaneously, the latter wall 6 partially bounds compartment 8, containing the water treatment and heating plants. The pool room has a hollow ceiling construction 5, which is sloped downward towards rear wall 4, and which bears hollow neck-shaped support 10 for the light cupola 7 above the pool wall 6 and the water treatment plant compartment 8.

The hollow support is at the same time constructed as a heating element. The hollow area in neck 10, which forms a water jacket serving to heat the pool room 1 and the anteroom, is connected to an existing central heating system. Those heat radiating surfaces in neck 10 radiate heat in the direction of the entry of the pool, and towards a large part of the water Surface. Heat from neck 10 also causes a stratification of the air in the pool room, which substantially inhibits the ascension of water vapors to the light cupola. Simultaneously, the pool water is slightly heated. If the room temperature is kept a few degrees, say 3 C., above the desired water temperature, that is normally sufficient to offset eventual thermal losses of the pool water, so no additional heating is required, in case, however, water jacket 10 in the light cupola support turns out to be inadequate to heat the pool, additional hollow sections of the cupola roof can be converted into heat radiating elements; or an additional inner wall can be attached to the outside Wall and can serve as a heat radiating surface for a heating element.

As seen in FIG. 2, the transparent cupola 7 has on one of its longitudinal sides two pivots 12, and therefore can be lifted by means of any conventional mechanical or hydraulic device. At the side where the pivots are located, warm air can be blown on the inner surface of the cupola by means of ventilation openings which are not shown in the figures. Warm air is supplied by a fresh air fan, provided with a heat exchanger and regulated in the known manner by a hydrostat. That side of the light cupola 7 which lies opposite pivots 12 and the air vents is provided with a ventilator slit 11, which is located between the edge of the light cupola 7 and its neck-shaped support 10. The ventilation slit 11 can be regulated by the mechanical, electrical and/or hydraulic mechanisms, which lift light cupola 7.

The pool construction contains an anteroom 9 adjacent the pool compartment 1 and above the water treatment plant compartment 8.

The floor of the anteroom preferably lies higher than the pool bottom, namely on the same level as a basement floor of a house, so that after construction of a matching opening in a side wall of anteroom 9, the pool is accessible through a door in an outer basement wall of a house.

If, therefore, the indoor swimming pool is immersed into a basin adjacent to the basement wall of a house, only junctions with the water supply, warm water heating, sewer system and electrical circuit of the house need to be established, and the swimming pool can be used soon after delivery.

What is claimed is:

1. A covered swimming pool shell intended for use with a major portion underground comprising a pool formed with interconnected sides and a bottom made of sheet material, at least some of the sides extending upward from the pool, a roof overlying the pool, integrally connected to and supported by the upwardly extending sides and an entrance in the shell providing access to the pool.

2. The covered swimming pool shell of claim 1 wherein the roof defines an opening having a rim and wherein there is a transparent cover disposed on and supported by the rim.

3. The covered swimming pool shell of claim 1 wherein a deck extends horizontally from one side of the swimming pool.

4. The covered swimming pool shell of claim 3 wherein other sides of the pool extend upward and wherein walls extend upward from the deck and wherein the roof is supported on the upward extending deck walls and pool sides.

5. The shell of claim 4 wherein the pool sides, deck walls and roof form a continuous enclosure for the swimming pool.

6. The shell of claim 5 wherein the roof defines an opening having a continuous rim and wherein a transparent cupola is supported on the rim.

7. The shell of claim 6 wherein the rim is hollow whereby fiuid is circulated through the rim.

8. The shell of claim 7 wherein the rim is sloped inward and upward from the roof to the cupola and wherein the circulating fluid in the rim is heated.

9. The shell of claim 5 wherein the cupola is hollow, whereby air is circulated in the cupola.

10. The shell of claim 9 wherein the cupola has openings along a first edge thereof for receiving air and wherein openings are provided in a second edge opposite the first edge for expelling air therefrom, wherein the cupola is hinged by connecting the first edge to a corresponding portion of the rim, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means connected to the cupola and to the rim for raising the second edge of the cupola from the rim.

11. The covered swimming pool shell of claim 1 wherein the sides are constructed of wide ribbed metallic sheet material coated with polymeric material.

12. The covered swimming pool shell of claim 1 wherein the roof defines an opening having a rim and further comprising a transparent cover disposed on the rim, hinge means connected to the rim and to the cover along an edge thereof, lifting means connected to the cover and to the roof and spaced from the hinge means, whereby the cover may be raised forming a ventilation slit between the cover and the rim opposite the hinge means, and means for introducing air along a bottom face of the cover adjacent the hinge means, whereby air passes along the bottom face of the cover and out through the ventilation slit.

13. A swimming pool shell intended for use with a major portion underground comprising a pool formed with interconnected sides and a bottom made of sheet material, a deck connected to an upper edge of at least one side and extending outward therefrom laterally away from the pool, at least one of the sides extending upward from the pool, a roof overlying the pool integrally connected to and supported by the upwardly extending sides and an entrance in the shell providing access to the pool.

14. A swimming pool enclosure comprising continuous interconnected sides extending upward from a lower. surface of a swimming pool and a roof integrally connected to the sides, thereby forming an enclosure, said roof having an opening and having a rim surrounding said opening and a movable transparent cover disposed on the rim over the opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,015,191 1/1962 Lucchesi 4l72.l9X 3,094,708 6/ 1963 Caldwell 4l72.l2X 3,214,872 11/1965 Vogelgesang 52169X 3,353,309 11/1967 Kwake 522 3,395,407 8/1968 Teschner 52169X 3,427,662 2/1969 Jacuzzi et al. 4l72.l9 3,443,265 5/1969 Hauck 4-172.12 3,443,263 5/1969 Minasy 4l72.l9 3,475,768 11/1969 Burton 4172. 12

FOREIGN PATENTS 4,294 10/ 1890 Great Britain 4l72.l2 216,681 6/1924 Great Britain 4l72.l2 175,938 9/1935 Switzerland 4l72.l2

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 4l72.l9; 52169 'zg gg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,559,215 Dated Feb. 2, 1.971

Invent A fred Kor nn It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 13, "dom-shaped", should read dome-shaped Column 2, line 66, after "required cancel the comma and insert a period: cancel "in", insert In Column 2, line 69.

after "cupola" insert or Column 4. claim 13, line 6 thereof, "one" should read some Signed and sealed this 6th day of April 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD I LFLETCHERJR. WILLIAM SCHUYLER, J1 Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patent: