WO2012095264A1

WO2012095264A1 - Device for covering a surface with a drum mounted on a spherical bearing

Info

Publication number: WO2012095264A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/074088
Authority: WO
Inventors: Benoît Coenraets
Original assignee: Becoflex S.A.
Priority date: 2011-01-11
Filing date: 2011-12-27
Publication date: 2012-07-19
Also published as: BE1019762A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for covering a surface (3) comprising a drum (2) overhanging said surface and able to wind up or unwind a cover (10), said drum (2) being mounted so that it can rotate on a shaft and comprising a longitudinal-translation mechanism, said longitudinal-translation mechanism comprising (a) rails (6) positioned one on each side of said surface (3), and (b) a first and a second running systems (9A-B, 33A-B), the running systems being connected by a mechanical connection (11, 21A, 21B) to each end of the rotation shaft of the drum (2) and resting directly on each of said corresponding rails (6A, 6B), thus allowing the drum (2) a longitudinal translational movement along the rails; characterized in that said mechanical connection of the first or of the second running system (9B, 33B) comprises a spherical bearing (11) allowing said running system to adjust automatically to any deviations in parallelism and any variations between the length of the shaft of the drum (2) and the distance between the two rails (6).

Description

DEVICE FOR COVERING A SURFACE WITH A DRUM MOUNTED ON A BALL BEARING Field of the invention

The invention relates to a device for covering a surface such as a pool, easy to implement and best meets the requirements of the application concerned. In particular, it relates to a covering device comprising a drum adapted to wind and unroll a blanket by moving along rails. The device is adapted to compensate for irregularities in the parallelism of the distances and variations of distance therebetween.

Technological background

Covers are applied to surfaces for reasons that depend on the nature of these surfaces. Thus, in the case of a pool such as a pool the cover can prevent pollution by leaves or animals, can save energy, water and reagents and can or should ensure the safety of people especially children. In a desalination tank or other fluid treatment, a blanket prevents liquid dilution due to rain or excessive evaporation from heat.

When it comes to a sports field such as an outdoor clay or turf tennis court, a blanket protects it from the elements, especially intermittent rain.

In addition, a vehicle body is covered in particular to ensure the stability of the load to the depression caused by the movement of the vehicle and protect it against the weather. Blankets are also used as blinds for greenhouses, winter gardens or vehicle windows to avoid overheating indoors and as sunscreen for awnings. In all cases, an economic cover device is generally sought which makes it easy and safe to open and uncover, safe, reproducible and rapid, and requiring a minimum of human intervention.

A first absolutely basic device used in the case of a swimming pool includes an inflatable blanket or not that is unrolled, spreads and manually fixed on the edges of the pool. This type of device is illustrated for example in US 6,691, 334, GB 2 379 1 63 and FR 2 652 373. It is clear that here in view of the man utention and storage, only pools of relatively small size are concerned.

For surfaces of larger dimensions, it is possible to use cover devices which furthermore have a drum attached to one of the transverse ends of the surface to be protected. The cover is manually unfolded by pulling from the drum to cover the surface. The weight and dimensions of the cover require the intervention of several people to put it in place properly. The cover is removed by wrapping it around the drum by rotation: the cover then withdraws from the surface by sliding on it. The rotation of the drum to remove the cover is done manually or by means of an electric motor having sufficient power to pull the cover fully extended. It should be noted that easy deployment of the cover, especially in the case of a swimming pool, contributes to its safety, as painful handling would hinder its use and discourage users from deploying it regularly. In the present application, the terms "longitudinal""transverse" and their derivatives refer respectively to the direction of movement of the drum and the direction of the axis of revolution thereof, which is normal to the first. In order to suppress human intervention (fully) automatic devices have been proposed. The cover is wrapped around a motorized drum allowing its removal, the drum being attached to one of the transverse ends of the surface to be protected. The cover is deployed by pulling it at its apparent end with automatic traction means of the rack or chain type or traction cable with or without a return pulley, the cover possibly being able to be guided by slides arranged on the longitudinal ends of the the surface to be covered; the blanket then slides on the surface by covering it. Similarly, when removing the cover, it slides on the surface to be covered by wrapping around the drum. Examples of such a type of automatic cover devices are illustrated in particular in the documents US 3, 574.979, GB 2 1 99 741, US 2005/0097834, CA 2, 1 1 5, 1 1 3, US 2001/0023506, US 5,930,848, US 4,001,900 and and on the website www.aquatop.be.

The cover devices where the drum is attached to one of the transverse ends of the surface to be protected mentioned above have the major disadvantage of sliding the blanket which is dragged on the surface to be protected during its deployment and removal. which causes its premature wear and a higher work engine due to friction generated. In order to overcome this disadvantage, a new type of drum cover has been developed with the motorized or manual drum now mounted on a longitudinal translation mechanism. The latter moves the drum over the surface to be covered, which literally allows the blanket to be "laid" on the surface when it is deployed, while simultaneously unrolling it from the drum during its longitudinal movement. then to raise it, when it is withdrawn, by hoisting it so much on the drum. The cover does not slip on the surface either during its deployment or during its withdrawal. The cover device also includes a cover attachment system at a transverse end of the surface to be covered so that translation and rotation of the drum causes the cover to unwind or roll up over the surface to be covered. .

Examples of automatic devices of this type are disclosed for example in the documents WO2005 / 026473, FR 2 900 95 1, DE 2 257 231, FR 2 893 65 1, FR 2 789 425, FR 2 803 769, FR 2 743. 502, EP 1 71 9 858, BEI 01 8229, BEI 01 8230, WO201 0/01 01 52, WO201 0/054960, WO201 0/054970 and on the website www.kimbay.fr. Moreover, a completely manual variant of the drum mounted in longitudinal translation is illustrated in the documents WO2007 / 036625 and US 4, 1 95, 370. In order to reproducibly control the trajectory of the longitudinal translation of the drum during deployments and withdrawals of the cover, the longitudinal translation mechanism may comprise parallel rails arranged on either side of the surface to be covered along which the drum moves by means of wheels or any other means of translation. The translation of the drum along the rails can be activated by a system of toothed gears meshing in a rack located on the rails as described for example in WO201 001 01 52. Alternately, a device comprising two crenellated belts fixed to the four corners of the surface along the rails and capping sprockets connected to the drum is described in WO201 0054960. When the drum is placed on rails, it is then essential to ensure alignment between the translation means and the rails to avoid that the drum does not go wrong and hangs. However, the distance between the rails and the length of the structure supporting the drum can vary considerably with time as a function of temperature, displacement of rails or support or land on which they are laid, deformation of the structure by wear or blows, etc.

Indeed, the surface to be covered can be important as in the case of a swimming pool or a sports field, and the drum can have a length of up to 1 0 m or more, and can be subject to important temperature variations between day and night, in summer and winter, resulting in length variations of the drum supporting structure which may be significant. In addition, the periphery of the surface to be covered is not necessarily stable; for example in the case of sports fields or swimming pools, the rails can be placed on top of the ground (grass, gravel) or a wooden coping, which move with time. As it is not possible to maintain the parallelism of the rails by the use of sleepers that cross the sports field or the pool, the parallelism of the rails is often difficult or impossible to ensure in the long run. It has been proposed in WO201 0054970 to mount a pinion at one end of the drum so as to allow it freedom of translation in an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. Such a system effectively solves the problem of loss of parallelism between the rails, but it remains complex to implement, creates considerable friction forces and requires many moving parts that complicate the structure and are detrimental to its rigidity, an important parameter when the drum takes important dimensions as well as for its longevity and price.

There remains, therefore, a problem to be solved in order to ensure the long-term operation of automated overlay systems including a guide rail, while keeping production costs as low as possible. Summary of the invention

The object of the invention is in particular to provide a device for covering a surface which is easy to implement and ensures its good functioning independently of external parameters such as the thermal expansion of the elements constituting it, the loss of parallelism of the rays, etc. The invention is as defined in the main claims. Preferred variants are defined in the dependent claims. The present invention relates to a device for covering a surface comprising a drum overhanging said surface and capable of winding or unwinding a blanket, said drum being mounted to rotate on an axis, and comprising a longitudinal translation mechanism, said longitudinal translation mechanism. comprising

(a) rails placed on either side of said surface, and

(b) first and second bearing systems (9A-B, 33A-B) connected by a mechanical connection (1 1, 2 1 A, 2 1 B) at each end of the axis of rotation of the drum ( 2) and resting directly on each of said corresponding rails (6A, 6B), thereby allowing longitudinal translation of the drum (2) along the rails;

characterized in that said mechanical connection of the first or second rolling system (9B, 33B) comprises a ball bearing (1 1) enabling said rolling system to automatically adjust any deviations in the parallelism and any variations between the length of the drum axis

(2) and the distance between the two rails.

In particular, the first and second rolling systems of a device of the present invention preferably comprise a first and second driving gear wheels mounted co-axially to the axis of the drum and integral in rotation with each other. other. The translation of the drum can be activated manually by a crank connected to the first toothed gear or, more advantageously, the latter is connected to an engine, such as an electric motor, al imentated for example by a solar battery, allowing the rotation of said pinion in both directions. In another variant of the invention, the translation of the drum can be provided by a pair of cables or chains coupled to the rolling systems forming a loop between the two ends of the longitudinal edge of the surface to be covered.

In a preferred embodiment, the drum is mounted on a carriage which comprises a first and a second pair of rollers placed at each end of the drum, the rollers of each pair being disposed on either side of the first and second toothed gears, respectively , said first and second pairs of rollers being connected to the axis of rotation of the drum via a rigid structure forming part of the carriage, characterized in that the rigid structure corresponding to at least one of the first and second pairs Roller is connected to the axis of rotation of the drum via said ball bearing.

In this variant of the invention, the rotational movement of the pinions is mechanically transmitted to at least one wheel of each pai re (33A, 33B) via:

(i) a gear and / or friction transmission system, or

(ii) first and second flexible and crenellated belts each fixed only at their ends to the four corners of the surface; the latter capping and meshing in the upper part of the pinions and passing under each of the wheels on either side of the pinions and thus engaging in the rails from the wheels to the respective points of attachment.

In a second variant of the invention, the first and second pig nons each rest directly on a rail, said rails comprising a rack in wherein said toothed gears and where at least the first or second toothed gear is mounted co-axially to the axis of rotation of the drum via said ball bearing. In this variant, the translation of the drum is preferably driven by a pair of cables or chains mounted in loops on a motorized gear, or simply by hand pulling a cable connected to the drum.

The advantage of the spherical bearing is that it allows an angular movement, a, of the bearing system or the mechanical connection to which it is connected, relative to the axis of the drum on which it is mounted with an amplitude of ± 30 deg on each side of the normal to the axis.

The rails are preferably each constituted by a profile G or C having an outward opening on one of its faces and comprising wings partially closing on either side of said opening and in which can be slipped a toothed pinion , a roulette, and / or a skate. Indeed it is advantageous that a first and second sliding shoes integral in translation with the first and second bearing systems and comprising a profile complementary to that of the rails are mounted on them so that they can slide easily along of these, but can not be extracted from the opening by a force normal to the plane defined by said opening.

The profile of the rails also has the advantage of being able to introduce and block the longitudinal edges of the cover in the opening of each rail as the drum unrolls the cover.

The device of the present invention is particularly suitable for covering surfaces such as a pool or other tank, a truck body or trailer, or a sports field, especially a tennis court. Brief description of the figures

These and other aspects of the invention will be clarified in the detailed description of particular embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the figures, in which:

Fig. 1 is a representation of a swimming pool equipped with a device according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of various mounting variants of a bearing system to the drum axis by means of a spherical bearing.

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the system for reversible attachment to the rail of the edge of the cover as the drum moves forward or backward along the rails.

Fig. 4 is a representation of a preferred variant of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows a sliding shoe introduced into a rail formed by a C-section.

Detailed description of particular embodiments

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic covering device (1) of a surface (3) according to the invention comprises a cover (1 0) for protecting said surface (3). The device (1) makes it possible to cover in particular surfaces defined by the contour of a water basin such as a swimming pool, water treatment pond, sewage treatment plant, retention basin, water treatment station, desalinization etc. However, the invention can be implemented in any field requiring the coverage of a surface, such as a clay tennis court or sod, a vehicle or trailer body, a greenhouse glass surface, vehicle window as train or bus, or winter garden, etc. In general terms, therefore, the term "surface" is used in the present application to mean any zone delimited by a perimeter.

The device (1) comprises a drum (2) which has a length at least equal to the width of the cover (1 0), which must be of sufficient width and length to cover the entire surface to be protected (3). ) when deployed. The drum (2) is able to wind or unwind a cover (1 0) and is rotatably mounted on an axis. In addition, the drum (2) is mounted on a longitudinal translation mechanism comprising rails (6) placed on either side of said surface (3), defining the lengths or longitudinal direction of the surface. The drum (2) has two directions of translation and also of rotation: the first direction of translation (= go) corresponding to the first direction of rotation allowing it to unroll the cover (1 0) to deploy it and cover the surface to be protected ( 3), and the second direction of translation (= return) corresponding to the second direction of rotation allowing it to wind the cover (1 0) in order to remove it and to give access to said surface (3).

A first toothed gear (9A) is mounted at a first end of the drum (2) and a second toothed gear (9B) is mounted at the second end of the drum. The first and second toothed pins (9A, 9B) are integral with each other in rotation. They can be secured in rotation with the drum in the direction of winding of the cover (ie, removal of the cover from the surface). The toothed gears (9A, 9B) may be replaced by toothless wheels but with adequate surfaces (eg, sufficiently roughened) to allow the transmission of their rotational frictional movement to another element. The toothed gears (9A, 9B) can be plugged directly into each of said rails (6), thus allowing said gears to rotate longitudinally by translating the drum (2) along the rails or, in another variant, the drum is mounted on a cart (21) relying on each end of the drum to a pair of rollers (33A, 33B) via a rigid structure (21A, 21B).

The longitudinal translation of the drum can be carried out in different ways. A cable system can be used to pull the drum in the first and second direction of longitudinal translations. The bearing system comprises at least one toothed gear that engages in a rack. The rotation of the first toothed gear (9A) by the cables, by rotation of a crank or, advantageously, by a motor, makes it possible to activate the longitudinal translation of the drum (2). The rack can be placed in, on, or next to the rail corresponding to the first pinion (9A) resting on the rail (6A) as illustrated similarly for the second wheel (9B) in Figure 2 (b). In the variants of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 (a) & (b), the translation of the drum is preferably provided by a pair of cables or chains, the two ends of each of which are connected on either side of the cable. each of the first and second rolling systems, and extending along the rails on each side of the surface to be covered to the four corners thereof, where they pass through a pig not to form a loop, a pair at least said gears being motorized. In a simpler system, suitable for smaller surfaces to cover, the bearing systems may be connected to a cable that a person can pull by hand from the opposite end of the surface to be covered. The toothed gears and the racks ensure the rotation of the drum driven by its translation.

In another variant of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2 (c), the drum is mounted on rollers (33A, 33B) whose movement of the toothed pins is transmitted via:

(i) a gear and / or friction transmission system, or (ii) first and second flexible and crenellated belts (31A, 31B) each secured only at their ends to the four corners of the surface (35A, 35B); the latter capping and meshing in the upper part of the toothed gears (9A, 9B) and passing under each of the wheels (33A, 33 B) on both sides of the pig nons and engaging nsi in the rails since the rollers (33A, 33B) up to the respective fastening points (35A, 35B).

In this latter variant (ii) illustrated in Figs 1, 2 (c) and 4, the drum (2) is mounted on a carriage (21) resting on the rails (6A, 6B) via two pairs of rollers (33A, 33B), the rollers of each pair being disposed on either side of the first and second gears (9A, 9B). The belt (31 A) thus extends from its first point of attachment (35A) along the corresponding rail (6A), passes under a first wheel (33A), cap the first undigested pig (9A) and passes between the rail (6A) and the second wheel (33A) for extending along the rail (6A) to its second attachment point (35A). In this variant of the invention, the first and second bearing systems each comprise a toothed pinion (9A, 9B) and a pair of rollers (33A, 33B), these latter resting directly on the first and second rails (6A, 6B). ). A first transverse edge of the cover is attached to a width of the surface to be covered, while the second transverse edge of the cover is attached to the length of the drum. Any type of fastening system known and suitable for the requirements of constraints and security according to the application can be used for this purpose. For example, the system for fixing the cover on a transverse edge of the surface and / or on the drum may comprise a plurality of straps secured to the apparent transverse end of the cover (1 0), said straps being for example provided with anchoring hooks which attach to the transverse portion of the contour delimiting the surface to be covered (3) and / or the drum (2). Alternatively, we may provide the end to be fixed with the cover of eyelets which are attached to the transverse edge of the surface by means of a series of studs, screws, a cable or any other means. These anchoring means keep immobilized the apparent transverse end of the cover (1 0)

Thus, when the surface is uncovered and the blanket wrapped around the drum (2), it is adjacent to the first transverse edge of the blanket which is attached to a width of the perimeter of the surface to be covered. To cover the surface, the drum is moved along the rails (6A, 6B). As the first transverse edge of the cover is fixed, the translation of the drum creates a tension on the cover which causes the rotation of the drum which then unrolls the cover, by placing it literally as it moves forward. If the translation of the drum is driven by a motor, it is preferably mounted on the first toothed gear (9A) and is electrically powered, for example by a photovoltaic cell. The motor may be coupled directly to the first pinion (9A) or through another gear connected to the first gear, blood or chain, or any other means well known to those skilled in the art. When the drum (2) reaches the second transverse end of the surface, it is completely covered by the cover (1 0). To find the surface, simply move the drum (2) in the opposite direction (return). The rotation of the drum (2) must, however, be activated in order to allow the wrapping of the blanket around the drum. Activation of the rotation of the drum in its return journey can be provided by an auxiliary motor or by a decoupling system. Alternatively, an effective, simpler and more economical means is to mount a spring system in the rotation mechanism of the drum. For example, a spiral spring whose one end is connected to the axis of rotation connecting the two toothed gears (9A, 9B) and whose second end is connected to the drum itself, makes it possible to compensate for the differences in speeds of rotation between the sprockets (9A, 9B) and the outer perimeter formed by the cover wrapped around the drum, said perimeter varying according to the degree of winding / unfolding of the cover on the drum.

The cover can be any material suitable for the application in question: synthetic or natural textile materials, polymeric films, polymer slats, metal or wood, etc., as long as it can be rolled and unrolled around a drum. It can be transparent, opaque or translucent and can form a barrier to fluids or, on the contrary, be porous, or even include mesh such as in a net.

Longitudinal tension may be applied to the cover during deployment simply by ensuring that the unwinding speed of the cover by the rotation of the drum is less than the longitudinal translation speed of the drum, or by means of a brake or a spring in the rotation system of the drum, either by a differentiated motorized control of the movements of rotation and translation of the drum. If these two speeds are synchronous, the cover will be deployed without other tensions than those generated by its own weight in the case of the cover of a surface comprising a cavity such as a swimming pool. The cover may further be provided with drainage means allowing the evacuation of any fluid having deposited on its surface thereby facilitating handling.

The device (1) object of the invention is remarkable in that it allows to automatically correct any deviation between, on the one hand, the distance between the two rails (6A, 6B) and, on the other hand, the length of the drum (2) or the carriage (21) caused either by a variation of the span of the drum or a carriage supporting it by thermal expansion, or by a loss of parallelism of the rails caused by a blow or a movement of the base on which they are fixed (for example if the rails are placed on the ground or inserted into a wooden structure, two bases which are quick to movements over time may be important). Such a deviation causes friction between wheels and rails (9A-B, 33A-B, 6A-B), increasing the work necessary for the translation of the drum (2) and if the deviation exceeds the tolerances of the device, it can cause the pure and simple blocking of the device.

The deviations of the alignment between the position of a bearing system and that of a rail with which it must collaborate may be of the order of a few millimeters to several centimeters depending on the applications. The larger the area to be covered and the base on which the rails are laid is prompt for dimensional variations, the more important these deviations will be. For example in the case of swimming pools, where the drum may have a span of 10 m and more, and where the rails which are often placed on earth or wooden floor are subject to significant constraints by the self weight of the blanket that overhangs the pool cavity, misalignments up to 50 to 100 mm or more are not exceptional and can be corrected by the device object of the present invention. For smaller surfaces, such as window blinds, the deviations can be of the order of 5 to 10 mm, or even 20 mm for large windows.

According to the present invention, the adjustment of the alignment between the first and second bearing systems (9A-B, 33A-B) with the rails (6A, 6B) is ensured by mounting at least one of the two bearing systems ( 9A-B, 33A-B) to the axis of the drum (2) via a mechanical fastening comprising a ball bearing (1 1). It is preferred that only one of the first and second bearing systems (9A-B, 33A-B) be mounted on such a ball bearing, to increase the stability of the device (1). Thus, if a motor is coupled to the first pinion (9A), it is preferable to apply the ball bearing to the end of the drum opposite to that where the motor is, to facilitate coupling. Although only the first wheel (9A) coupled to an engine may be a toothed gear meshing in a rack, it is preferred that the two bearings (9A, 9B) are sprockets integral in rotation with each other.

As schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 (a), a ball bearing (1 1) is a connection between two parts, on the one hand, the axis of the drum (2) and, on the other hand, a second part which can be a toothed pinion (9B) or a rigid structure connected to a second pair of rollers (33A, 33B). The ball bearing comprises a spherical element (or part spherical) fitting into a complementary housing. Such a bearing allows a pivotal movement in almost all directions between the sphere and the housing, whose amplitude is limited only by the geometry of the housing. Bearings with balls adapted to the present invention are available on the market and do not require special features that the skilled person can not determine according to the dimensions and weight of the device. According to a preferred variant of the present invention, an end of the axis of the drum (2) is provided with a sphere fitting into a cavity located either in the center of the second toothed pinion (9B), for example when the latter is placed directly on the corresponding rail, is located on a rigid structure (21 B) forming part of a carriage (2 1) and rel iant the axis of rotation of the drum to the second pair of wheels (33A, 33B). With this configuration, the second bearing system (9B, 33B) can rotate in all directions at an angle, a. In practice, it is preferable to limit the degree of freedom, a, to an amplitude not exceeding ± 30 deg on either side of the plane normal to the axis of the drum (2) (see Figure 2 (a)). Preferably, the angular amplitude, a, of pivoting does not exceed 25 deg, preferably not more than 20 deg, more particularly not more than 10 deg. The shift, δ, maxi mui m possible between the inter-rail distance and the length of the drum or carriage is thus li mit D / 2 sin a, where D is the distance between the pinion of the corresponding rail. In the case where the pinion is placed directly on the rail, D is the diameter of the pinion (9B) (see Fig. 2 (b)). For a distance, D, of 30 cm, Table 1 gives the values of deviation, δ, between the distance between the rails and the length of the drum that the device is able to adjust depending on the angle, a, of pivoting. As the pivoting can be done on both sides of the plane normal to the axis of the drum, the maximum amplitude of the offset that can be adjusted by the device is 2 x δ (see right column of Table 1). Thus, with an amplitude, a, maximum pivoting of ± 1 5 deg, the device can adjust a deviation, δ, of almost 8 cm. The dimensioning of the distance, D, of the axis of rotation to the corresponding rail and the angular amplitude, a, ad by the ball bearing (1 1) are to be determined by those skilled in the art according to the type the dimensions of the surface to be covered, etc.

Table 1: correspondences between the values of a and of δ for a diameter D = 30 cm of the second wheel (9B)

D = 30 cm

In the case of variations of the offset, 2δ, of large amplitude, resulting in pivoting, a significant bearing systems, there is a risk that they interfere with the edges of the rails and thus create significant friction. To overcome this disadvantage, the first and second pairs of rollers (33A, 33B) can be mounted on the rigid structure (21A, 21B) so that the rotational axes of the rollers can substantially maintain their orientation (horizontal ) independently of the inclination of said metal structure connected to the ball bearing. In practice it is sufficient to provide the end portions of the carriage, where are fixed the rollers (33A, 33B), a hinge system, which is preferably resilient, for example through a hinge. This one can be provided a system of springs that tends to maintain the angular opening of the hinge at 1 80 ° and which nevertheless allows the partial closure of the hinge in case of strong deviations. Alternatively, a portion of said end of the carriage may comprise a coil spring in the axis of said end. The function of such a spring can also be filled by a diabolo of elastomeric material.

A preferred variant of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 1. The surface to be covered is a swimming pool or other pool. Two parallel rails (6A, 6B) run along the two lengths of the pool. A drum (2), overhanging the basin cavity and provided with a first and second toothed pinion (9A, 9B) at each of its ends is rotatably mounted along its axis of revolution on a carriage (21). The carriage is mounted on the rails (6A, 6B) is connected to two pairs of rollers (33A, 33B) through a rigid structure (21A, 21B), each wheel (33A, 33B) of each pair being disposed on either side of the first and second toothed gears (9A, 9B). A crenellated belt (31A, 31B) is attached at both ends (35A, 35B) to both ends of each spoke (6A, 6B), each belt extending along the corresponding rail (6A, 6B). with its teeth pointing downwards, on the length (31 out) extending from its point of attachment (35A, 35B) to the first wheel (33A, 33B) which it meets and below from which it passes on each side of the carriage (21). The rails comprise an opening (1 4) facing upwards and allowing the belts (31 A, 31 B) to be accommodated on the portions (31 out) thereof between the point of attachment (35A, 35B). ) and the carriage (21). The belts on each side of the drum (2) rise from the wheel (33A, 33B) under which it is wedged in the opening (1 4) of the rail to come to cap and mesh in the upper part of the first and second toothed gears (9A, 9B) to descend to the second wheel (33A, 33B) and re-enter the opening (1 4) of the rail. The first pinion (9A) is provided with a motor (or a crank), which allows to activate the rotation thereof which, meshing with the teeth of the belt (31A) fixed to its two ends (35A) causes translation of the carriage (21). The belts being fixed, do not move, but the wave formed in the area (31 in) between a pair of rollers (33A, 33B) and capping the toothed gear (9A, 9B) of the drum moves with the carriage like a wave. This variant is advantageous with respect to a meshing of a toothed pinion on a rack placed in the rails in that a greater number of teeth are engaged between the pinion and the rack which makes it possible to avoid slippage. Skidding of the pinion gear (9A) is to be avoided at all costs as it may put the drum across and block the operation of the device. As illustrated in Figures 2 (c) and 4 corresponding to the variant described above, we see that the toothed pinion (9B) is not in direct contact with the rail (6B), and the drum rests on the rails through wheels (33B) connected to the axis of rotation of the drum (2) by the intermediary of a rigid structure (2 1 B) which may be two beams as shown in Figure 1 or a As this variant, it is therefore the rigid structure (2 1 B) which is free of the movements allowed by the ball bearing and resulting in a lateral displacement, δ, possible by the rollers. which depends on the height of said structure which determines the magnitude of the distance, D (see Table 1). As seen in FIG. 2 (c), whose horizontal distances are exaggerated with respect to the vertical distances for clarity, the belt (31 B) is slightly twisted to connect the pinion (9B) to the rollers (33B) which are offset, which poses no problem since the belts are flexible.

It is clear that the present invention can also be applied to different translation systems, for example where the rack is on, or in the rail (6A, 6B) and the toothed gears (9A, 9B) rest directly or by means of one or more toothed gears on the rails and mesh with the racks (see Fig. 2 (b)). As explained above, the number of "teeth" meshed between a toothed gear and rack flat is much lower than in the variant with the belts (31 A, 31 B) described above. Another alternative where the present invention is advantageous is a system where the drum is pulled along rails (6A, 6B) by a cable system.

In any case, if the rails (6A, 6B) are provided with an opening (1 4), it is advantageous if, as illustrated in Figure 3, the longitudinal edges of the cover (1 0) are provided with a rubber ring (1 3) comprising a profile (1 6) such that it can be reversibly engaged in the opening (1 4) of the rails (6A, 6B). Such a system is described in WO201 0/01 01 52, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In the belt system (31A, 31B), the belt (31A, 31B) placed in the corresponding rail (6A, 6B) in the portions (31 out) thereof can advantageously serve to wedge the rod (1 3) in the rail (6A, 6B) by suitable means (not shown in Figure 3). When removing the cover, while the belt (31 A, 31 B) leaves the rail (6A, 6B), the ring is released from the rail and can be wound around the drum (2).

To increase the stability of the system and, in particular, to prevent the drum from separating from the rails which would cause the device to lock, it may be advantageous to provide the device with sliding shoes (36) whose profile comprises a groove. to accommodate the lateral wings defining the opening (1 4) of the rail and thus the "caller" in the rail (see Figure 5). The pads are integral in translation with the drum and can slide along the rails, but without coming out because of the rail wings engaged in the groove of the patient n. The pads therefore prevent one side of the drum disengages from its rail. They also allow, to some extent, cleaning the inside of the rail in case a stone or other foreign object has fallen into the opening (1 4).

Claims

claims

1. Device (1) for covering a surface (3) comprising a drum (2) overhanging said surface and capable of winding or unrolling a cover (1 0), said drum (2) being rotatably mounted on an axis, and comprising a longitudinal translation mechanism, said longitudinal translation mechanism comprising

(a) rails (6) placed on either side of said surface (3), and

characterized in that said mechanical connection of the first or the second rolling system (9B, 33B) comprises a ball bearing (1 1) enabling said rolling system to automatically adjust any deviations in the parallelism and any variations between the length of the bearing system. the axis of the drum (2) and the distance between the two rails (6).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the rolling system comprises a first and second drive sprockets (9A, 9B) mounted coaxially with the axis of the drum and integral in rotation with each other. other.

3. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the first and second rolling systems (33A, 33B) comprise a first and second pairs of rollers (33A, 33B) placed at each end of the drum (2), the wheels of each pair being disposed on either side of the first and second toothed gears (9A, 9B), respectively, said first and second pairs of rollers (33A, 33B) being connected to the axis of rotation of the drum (2) by the intermediate of a rigid structure (2 1 A, 21 B), characterized in that the rigid structure (21 A, 2 1 B) corresponding to at least one of the first and second pairs of rollers (33A, 33B) is connected to the axis of rotation of the drum via said ball bearing (1 1).

4. Device according to the preceding claim wherein the rotational movement of the toothed gears (9A, 9B) is transmitted mechanically to at least one wheel of each pair (33A, 33B) via:

(iii) a gear and / or friction transmission system, or

(iv) a first and a second flexible and crenellated belt (31A, 31B) each fixed only at their ends to the four corners of the surface

(35A, 35B); the latter capping and meshing in the upper part of the toothed gears (9A, 9B) and passing under each of the wheels (33A, 33 B) on both sides of the pig nons and engaging nsi in the rails since the rollers (33A, 33B) up to the respective fastening points (35A, 35B).

5. Device according to one q uelconque of claims 3 or 4, wherein the first and second pair of rollers (33A, 33B) are mounted on the rigid structure (21 A, 21 B) so that the axis of rotation casters can substantially maintain their orientation regardless of the inclination of said metal structure connected to the ball bearing, preferably resiliently via a hinge, a spring, or a diabolo of elastomeric material.

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ball bearing (1 1) allows angular movement, a, the rolling system (9A-B) or the mechanical connection (21 A, 21 B). to which it is connected, with respect to the axis of the drum on which it is mounted with an amplitude of ± 30 deg on each side of the normal to the axis.

7. Covering device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rails (6A, 6B) each consist of a profile having an opening (1 4) outwardly on one of its faces and comprising wings partially closing on both sides said opening (1 4).

8. Device according to the preceding claim, comprising a first and second sliding shoes (36) integral in translation with the first and second rolling systems (9A-B, 33A-B), said pads (36) comprising a complementary profile to that of the rails and being mounted on them so that they can easily slide along them, but can not be extracted from the opening (1 4) by a force normal to the plane defined by said opening.

9. Device according to claims 7 or 8, wherein the longitudinal edges of the cover are introduced and locked in the opening (1 4) of each rail as the drum unrolls the cover.

1 0. Device according to one q uelconque claims 2 to 9, wherein a motor is connected to the first gear pinion (9A) allowing the rotation of the latter in both directions.

1 1. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein only the second bearing system (9B, 33B), opposite the motor, comprises a ball bearing (1 1) allowing it to compensate for variations in distance between the two rails.

2. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein a cable or a chain whose two ends are relé on each side of each of the first and second rolling systems, and extending the along the rails on each side to the four corners of the surface to be covered, where they pass through a bearing to form a loop, at least one pair of said corner bearings being motorized.

3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface is a swimming pool or other reservoir, a truck or trailer body, a sports field, in particular a tennis court.