WO2010054970A1 - Dispositif permettant de recouvrir une surface - Google Patents

Dispositif permettant de recouvrir une surface Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010054970A1
WO2010054970A1 PCT/EP2009/064622 EP2009064622W WO2010054970A1 WO 2010054970 A1 WO2010054970 A1 WO 2010054970A1 EP 2009064622 W EP2009064622 W EP 2009064622W WO 2010054970 A1 WO2010054970 A1 WO 2010054970A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
rail
rack
pinion
drum
rails
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2009/064622
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Benoît Coenraets
Original Assignee
Becoflex S.A.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Becoflex S.A. filed Critical Becoflex S.A.
Publication of WO2010054970A1 publication Critical patent/WO2010054970A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
    • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
    • E04H4/06—Safety devices; Coverings for baths
    • E04H4/10—Coverings of flexible material
    • E04H4/101—Coverings of flexible material wound-up on a fixed axis
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
    • A63C19/00—Design or layout of playing courts, rinks, bowling greens or areas for water-skiing; Covers therefor
    • A63C19/12—Removable protective covers for courts, rinks, or game pitches or the like
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63C—SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE
    • A63C9/00—Ski bindings
    • A63C9/12—Non-self-releasing elastic heel-straps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60J—WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
    • B60J7/00—Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels, e.g. rotary sunroofs
    • B60J7/02—Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels, e.g. rotary sunroofs of sliding type, e.g. comprising guide shoes
    • B60J7/06—Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels, e.g. rotary sunroofs of sliding type, e.g. comprising guide shoes with non-rigid element or elements
    • B60J7/067—Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels, e.g. rotary sunroofs of sliding type, e.g. comprising guide shoes with non-rigid element or elements sliding and winding up
    • B60J7/068—Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels, e.g. rotary sunroofs of sliding type, e.g. comprising guide shoes with non-rigid element or elements sliding and winding up for utility vehicles, e.g. of tarpaulin or roller-blind type

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for covering a surface that is easy to use and better meets the requirements of the application concerned.
  • the cover may prevent contamination by leaves or by animals, may save energy, water and reagents, and may or needs to ensure the safety of people, especially children.
  • a cover prevents dilution of liquid due to rainwater or excessive evaporation due to heat.
  • a cover protects the court against inclement weather, particularly intermittent rain.
  • a vehicle body is covered particularly to ensure the stability of the load in the face of the suction caused by the movement of the vehicle and to protect this load against inclement weather.
  • Covers are also used as blinds for greenhouses, conservatories or vehicle windows to prevent any overheating inside, and as protection against the sun for patio awnings.
  • a very basic first device used in the case of a swimming pool comprises a cover which may or may not be inflatable which is unrolled, stretched out and fixed manually to the edges of the swimming pool.
  • This type of device is illustrated for example in documents US 6 691 334, GB 2 379 163 and FR 2 652 373. It is clear that in this instance, given the handling and storage required, only fairly small-sized swimming pools are involved.
  • cover devices which also have a drum fixed to one of the transverse ends of the surface that is to be protected.
  • the cover is deployed manually by pulling, being unrolled from the drum, to cover the surface.
  • the weight and the dimensions of the cover require the intervention of a number of individuals in order to fit it correctly.
  • the cover is removed by winding it up around the drum by rotation: the cover is thus removed from the surface by sliding along it.
  • the rotation of the drum in order to remove the cover is performed manually or using an electric motor that is powerful enough to be able to pull the fully deployed cover. It should be emphasized that ease of deployment of the cover, particularly in the case of a swimming pool, is a contributory factor in the safety thereof, because any handling that is awkward discourages its use.
  • the cover is wound around a motorized drum that can be used for removing it, the drum being fixed to one of the transverse ends of the surface that is to be protected.
  • the cover is deployed by pulling it from its visible end, using automatic pulling means of the rack or chain or hauling cable type, with or without a return pulley, the cover perhaps being guided by guideways arranged at the longitudinal ends of the surface that is to be covered; the cover then slides over the surface, covering it. Likewise, as the cover is removed, it slides over the surface that is to be covered as it winds up around the drum.
  • This automatic cover device is illustrated notably in documents US 3 574 979, GB 2 199 741, US 2005/0097834, CA 2 115 113, US 2001/0023506, US 5 930 848, US 4 001 900 and on the website www.aquatop.be.
  • cover devices mentioned hereinabove in which the drum is fixed at one of the transverse ends of the surface that is to be protected, have the main disadvantage of making the cover slide, which cover is dragged along the surface that is to be protected as it is being deployed and as it is being removed, thus causing premature wear of this cover together with additional work due to the friction thus generated.
  • cover device with a drum, the motorized or manual drum now being mounted on a longitudinal-translation mechanism.
  • the cover device also comprises a system for fixing the cover to a transverse end of the surface that is to be covered such that the translational and rotational movements of the drum cause the cover to be unwound or wound up above the surface that is to be covered.
  • the longitudinal- translation mechanism In order repeatably to control the path of the longitudinal translational movement of the drum during deployments and removals of the cover, the longitudinal- translation mechanism generally comprises parallel rails positioned on each side of the surface that is to be covered and along which the drum travels via wheels or any other translation means. It is therefore essential to ensure alignment between the translation means and the rails, failing which the system would become jammed. This is a particularly sensitive issue in instances where the translational movement of the drum is activated by the rotation of a pinion meshing in a rack placed on or near the rails. Now, the distance between the rails and the length of the structure supporting the drum may vary considerably over time as a function of temperature, the shifting of the rails, the deformation of the structure through wear or knocks, etc.
  • GB2410473 proposes a system for covering a surface, notably the roof of the loading bed of a truck, comprising a segment of rack capable of moving longitudinally and driving the rotation of a pinion and of a first arm, which rotates as one with the pinion, and to the end of which there is attached a tarpaulin as depicted in the attached figure 7 (the reference numerals between parentheses correspond to the numbering used in GB2410473) .
  • the rotation of the first arm opens the roof of the loading bed of the truck.
  • a drum is mounted at a first end of a second arm, the second end of this arm being mounted for rotation approximately at the middle of the first arm.
  • the surface to be covered may be large as in the case of a swimming pool or sports ground, and the drum may have a length ranging up to 10 m, or even more, and may be subjected to significant variations in temperature between day and night, in the summer and in the winter, leading to variations in the length of the structure supporting the drum which may be great.
  • the periphery of the surface that is to be covered is not necessarily stable; for example, in the case of sports grounds or swimming pools, the rails may be laid on the ground (grass, gravel) or on a wooden edging deck, which move over time.
  • the present invention relates to a device for covering a surface comprising a drum mounted to rotate and able to wind up or unwind a cover, said drum being mounted on a longitudinal-translation mechanism, said longitudinal- translation mechanism comprising
  • the longitudinal-translation mechanism is such that it allows a transverse movement of the pinion and/or of the rack and/or of the rail, allowing the alignment between the pinion and the corresponding rack to be automatically adjusted.
  • the cover device is suitable for covering a multitude of surfaces such as, for example, a basin that may or may not be filled with a liquid, such as a swimming pool, a water desalination, treatment or retention basin; a sports ground, such as a tennis court or a cricket pitch; a body of a vehicle such as a truck or a truck trailer; a glazed surface such as a greenhouse, a conservatory or a window of a vehicle (train, bus, etc.) .
  • a basin that may or may not be filled with a liquid, such as a swimming pool, a water desalination, treatment or retention basin
  • a sports ground such as a tennis court or a cricket pitch
  • a body of a vehicle such as a truck or a truck trailer
  • a glazed surface such as a greenhouse, a conservatory or a window of a vehicle (train, bus, etc.) .
  • a centering shoe that, on the one hand, moves in longitudinal translation as one with the drum, and, on the other hand, fits into one of the rails and envelops the corresponding rack, so that it can move freely along said rail and which additionally comprises a longitudinal opening partially enveloping the pinion.
  • the drum is advantageous for the drum to be mounted on a carriage and/or to provide a motor to effect the longitudinal translational movement of the drum.
  • Fig.l is a perspective overview of a surface with a moving drum and the rails extending on each side of the surface;
  • Fig.2 is a perspective view of a rail mounted on a support fixed to the periphery of a surface so as to allow said rail a transverse movement with respect to said support;
  • Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a variant of the invention, showing a pinion meshing in a rack through a centering shoe;
  • Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a centering shoe fitting into a rail
  • Fig. 5 is a cross section through a centering shoe fitting into a rail and enveloping the rack with (a) little or no clearance between the shoe and the rail and (b) a certain amount of clearance between the shoe and the rail.
  • Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a carriage one of the ends of which is mounted on hinges.
  • Fig.7 Three steps (a) to (c) , illustrating the system for opening/covering a surface as disclosed in GB2410473.
  • the automatic device (1) for covering a surface (3) comprises a cover (10) intended to protect said surface (3) .
  • the device (1) makes it possible to cover notably surfaces defined by the contour of a basin of water such as a swimming pool, a water treatment basin, a waste water purification station, a retention basin, a desalination plant, etc.
  • the invention may be used in any field that requires the covering of a surface, for example a clay court or grass court tennis court, the body of a vehicle, a glazed surface of a greenhouse, a window of a vehicle such as a train or bus, or a conservatory, etc.
  • "surface” therefore means any area delineated by a perimeter.
  • the device (1) comprises a drum (2) which has a length at least equal to the width of the cover (10), the latter having to be sufficient in width and in length to cover the entire surface (3) that is to be protected, when it is deployed.
  • the drum (2) is mounted on a longitudinal-translation mechanism comprising rails (6) positioned on each side of said surface (3) .
  • the drum (2) has two directions of rotation: the first direction of rotation allows it to unwind the cover (10) to deploy it and cover the surface (3) that is to be protected, and the second direction of rotation allows it to wind the cover (10) up in order to remove it and provide access to said surface (3) .
  • the longitudinal translation of the drum is afforded by the rotation of a pinion (9) meshing in a rack (7) positioned on or near a rail (6) .
  • the pinion may be rotated manually using, for example, a cranking handle, or by a motor connected to the shaft of the pinion.
  • the device (1) further comprises a fixing system (8) situated at a transverse end of the surface that is to be covered and allowing the cover to be unwound/wound above the surface (3) that is to be covered during the translat ional and rotational movement of the drum (2) .
  • a fixing system (8) may comprise a plurality of straps secured to the visible transverse end of the cover (10), said straps being, for example, equipped with anchoring hooks which fix onto the transverse part of the contour delimiting the surface (3) that is to be covered.
  • the end of the cover that is to be fixed may be equipped with eyelets which fix onto the transverse edge of the surface via a series of eyebolts, screws, a cable or any other means.
  • These anchoring means keep the visible transverse end of the cover (10) immobilized allowing longitudinal tension to be applied thereto and allowing it to be unwound, if necessary without a motor, when the drum (2) moves to cover the surface (3) .
  • the cover may be made of any material suited to the application in question: synthetic or natural textile materials, polymer films, slats made of polymer, metal or wood, etc. It may be transparent, opaque or translucent and may form a barrier to fluids or, on the other hand, be porous, or may even have mesh structures like in a net . Longitudinal tension may be applied to the cover as it is being deployed simply by ensuring that the speed at which the cover is unwound by the rotation of the drum is lower than the speed of longitudinal translation of the drum, or by using a brake or spring in the drum rotation system, or by differential motorized control of the rotational and translat ional movements of the drum. If these two speeds are synchronized, the cover will be deployed with no tension other than the tension generated by its self weight in the case of the covering of a surface comprising a cavity such as a swimming pool.
  • the cover may additionally be equipped with drainage means allowing any fluid that settles on its surface to be removed, thus making it easier to handle.
  • the device (1) that forms the subject of the invention is notable in that it allows automatic correction for any lateral deviation between the rails and the pinions which may be caused either by a variation in the span of the drum or of a carriage supporting it as a result of thermal expansion, or by a loss of parallelism of the rails brought about by a knock or by a movement of the base on which they are fixed (for example if the rails are laid on the ground or inserted in a wooden structure, two bases which are subject to potentially substantial movements over time) .
  • Deviations in the alignment between a pinion and the rack in which it meshes may be of the order of a few millimeters to a few centimeters depending on the application. The larger the surface that is to be covered and the more subject the base on which the rails are laid is to dimensional variations, the greater these deviations may be.
  • the drum may have a span of 10 m or more
  • the rails, which are often laid on the ground or on a wooden floor are subject to substantial stress under the self weight of the cover which overhangs the cavity of the swimming pool
  • deviations in alignment of as much as 50 to 100 mm or even more are not exceptional and may be corrected for by the device that forms the subject of the present invention.
  • For more modest surfaces, such as window blinds they may be of the order of 5 to 10 mm, or even 20 mm for large glazed openings .
  • the alignment between the pinion and the rack is advantageously adjusted using a centering shoe (20) that, on the one hand, moves in longitudinal translation as one with the drum (2) and, on the other hand, fits into one of the rails (6) and envelops the corresponding rack (7), so that it can move freely along said rail and which additionally comprises a longitudinal opening (23) partially enveloping the pinion (9) .
  • the shoe it is preferable for the shoe to have little or no clearance with respect to the pinion (9) and the rack (7) in order to best provide alignment between these two elements. What is meant by “little or no clearance” is that the tolerance between these components allows them to rotate or slide freely, but does not allow any substantial transverse movement.
  • the clearance between the centering shoe (20) and the rail (6) into which it fits, on the other hand depends on the variant selected from among solutions (a) to (d) listed hereinabove.
  • the drum is mounted on a carriage (21) .
  • the carriage comprises a structure of metal, composite or the like beams, which supports various elements such as the drum (2), the centering shoe
  • centering shoe is fixed to an end of the carriage that is connected to the remainder of the carriage structure by a system of hinges (22) (see figure 6) and/or of telescopic tubes (not depicted) allowing the shoe to follow the transverse deviations of the rail into which it is fitted.
  • the rotation shaft of the pinion may itself be telescopic so that it never protrudes beyond the structure of the carriage and at the same time gives the pinion a degree of freedom in the direction transverse to the rails in accordance with a preferred variant of the present invention.
  • the geometry of the rails (6) and of the racks (7) may vary with the application. Figures 2 to 6 depict a geometry considered to be particularly advantageous.
  • the rails consist of a C-section having an opening (14) toward the outside on one of their faces and comprising flanges which partially close said opening (14) on each side, leaving enough space to accommodate the pinion (9) and, where appropriate, the shoe (20) .
  • the rack (7) is positioned "inside" the section, facing the opening (14) to allow the pinion (9) to mesh therein.
  • this shoe fits into the section of the rail as depicted in figure 5, enveloping the rack (7) and the pinion (9) , thus ensuring alignment of both.
  • the geometry of the systems depicted in figure 5 allows the drum or the carriage on which this drum is mounted to be attached to the rails thus preventing any risk of derailment.
  • the geometry depicted in the figures has the advantage that it can be embedded in the base that forms the perimeter of the surface (3) that is to be covered, thus making it possible to have no projecting parts. If such an approach is not needed, other geometries are also possible, for example a rail (6) consisting of a substantially T-shaped section with a shoe (20) which envelops the horizontal bar of the "T" from the outside; or, more simply, a C-section as depicted in the figures, but the opening of which is partially closed by just one rather than by two flanglets. It may be seen that there are numerous possible rail geometries which impose no restriction on the present invention.
  • the cover device of the invention may comprise, for each rail, a system comprising a rail closure strip which is inserted in the rail and thus closes off its opening, as the cover is gradually wound up onto the drum.
  • the purpose of this strip is to prevent, for example in the case of an uncovered swimming pool, a swimmer from sustaining injury from contact with the rails.
  • the closing off of the rails by said strip when the swimming pool is uncovered keeps the rails and racks clean.
  • the shoe (20) may additionally be fitted with brushes at each of its ends so as to clean off any dust or debris that has become deposited on the rack (7) downstream of the pinion (9) .
  • the longitudinal-translation mechanism may be actuated manually, according to another embodiment it comprises at least one motor so that the system can be at least partially automated, something which is particularly advantageous in the case of a cover of relatively large size.
  • the system can be at least partially automated, something which is particularly advantageous in the case of a cover of relatively large size.
  • safety is dependent on this because awkward handling operations would soon discourage users from deploying the cover every time they should.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Tents Or Canopies (AREA)
  • Storing, Repeated Paying-Out, And Re-Storing Of Elongated Articles (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif (1) permettant de recouvrir une surface (3) comportant un tambour (2) monté à des fins de rotation et en mesure d'enrouler et de dérouler un revêtement (10), ledit tambour (2) étant monté sur un mécanisme de translation longitudinale, ledit mécanisme de translation longitudinale comportant (a) des rails placés des deux côtés de ladite surface (3), au moins l'un desdits rails (6) comportant une crémaillère (7) ; et (b) au moins un pignon (9) s’engrenant avec ladite crémaillère (7) et dont la rotation permet la translation longitudinale du tambour (2) ; caractérisé en ce que le mécanisme de translation longitudinale permet un mouvement transversal du pignon (9) et/ou de la crémaillère (7) et/ou du rail (6), permettant le réglage automatique de l'alignement entre le pignon (9) et la crémaillère correspondante (7).
PCT/EP2009/064622 2008-11-12 2009-11-04 Dispositif permettant de recouvrir une surface WO2010054970A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE2008/0615 2008-11-12
BE2008/0615A BE1018498A3 (fr) 2008-11-12 2008-11-12 Dispositif de couverture d'une surface.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2010054970A1 true WO2010054970A1 (fr) 2010-05-20

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ID=40801759

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2009/064622 WO2010054970A1 (fr) 2008-11-12 2009-11-04 Dispositif permettant de recouvrir une surface

Country Status (2)

Country Link
BE (1) BE1018498A3 (fr)
WO (1) WO2010054970A1 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2012095264A1 (fr) 2011-01-11 2012-07-19 Becoflex S.A. Dispositif de couverture d'une surface avec tambour monte sur un palier a rotule
EP2377707A3 (fr) * 2010-04-15 2013-07-10 Franz Xaver Meiller Fahrzeug- und Maschinenfabrik-GmbH & Co KG Agencement de recouvrement pour récipients
FR3046805A1 (fr) * 2016-01-18 2017-07-21 Carvalho Emmanuel Germano De Enrouleur-derouleur pour une couverture de piscine
EP2497876A3 (fr) * 2011-03-07 2018-07-18 Bachmann Engineering AG Dispositif de recouvrement d'un jacuzzi

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR3063047A1 (fr) * 2017-02-17 2018-08-24 Jean Claude Michel Dispositif pour deployer et retracter differents types de bâches

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0678148A1 (fr) * 1992-10-02 1995-10-25 MARTENSSON, Olof Ensemble de tente extensible et retractable entraine par bande
WO2005005186A1 (fr) * 2003-07-09 2005-01-20 Transcover Engineering Limited Appareil de protection pour un contenant
GB2410473A (en) * 2004-01-30 2005-08-03 Wilcox Commercial Vehicles Ltd A cover sheet for a load compartment

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0678148A1 (fr) * 1992-10-02 1995-10-25 MARTENSSON, Olof Ensemble de tente extensible et retractable entraine par bande
WO2005005186A1 (fr) * 2003-07-09 2005-01-20 Transcover Engineering Limited Appareil de protection pour un contenant
GB2410473A (en) * 2004-01-30 2005-08-03 Wilcox Commercial Vehicles Ltd A cover sheet for a load compartment

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2377707A3 (fr) * 2010-04-15 2013-07-10 Franz Xaver Meiller Fahrzeug- und Maschinenfabrik-GmbH & Co KG Agencement de recouvrement pour récipients
WO2012095264A1 (fr) 2011-01-11 2012-07-19 Becoflex S.A. Dispositif de couverture d'une surface avec tambour monte sur un palier a rotule
BE1019762A4 (fr) * 2011-01-11 2012-12-04 Becoflex S A Dispositif de couverture d'une surface avec tambour monte sur un palier a rotule.
EP2497876A3 (fr) * 2011-03-07 2018-07-18 Bachmann Engineering AG Dispositif de recouvrement d'un jacuzzi
FR3046805A1 (fr) * 2016-01-18 2017-07-21 Carvalho Emmanuel Germano De Enrouleur-derouleur pour une couverture de piscine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
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