GB2031273A

GB2031273A - Swimming pool covers

Info

Publication number: GB2031273A
Application number: GB7932100A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-09-22
Filing date: 1979-09-17
Publication date: 1980-04-23
Also published as: GB2031273B

Abstract

A swimming pool cover is provided which has negative buoyancy to lie on the bottom of the pool but can be air-inflated to cause it to float, the cover being made of rectangular panels that consist of shells either with hollow interiors that can be inflated with air to float or filled with water to sink, or which each contain a light-weight, heat-insulating core material 12 and a chamber 13 filled with a heavy material such as sand and have a peripheral inflatable collar or air sac 16. If the upper surface of the cover is a heat- absorbing surface and means is provided for lifting water from the bottom of the pool and distributing it over the cover while it is floating, an effective way of heating the pool water is also provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Submersible swimming pool cover This invention relates to covers for swimming pools and like bodies of water.

At the present time there are a number of swimming pool covers used to help retain heat, keep the water clean and provide protection against drowning. These, however, generally havethe disadvantage of having to be removed from the pool and stored when the pool is in use. An object of the present invention is to enable a nonremovable pool cover to be employed that does not interfere in any way with swimming and has other important advantages.

According to the present invention, a floating cover is imployed that is arranged for sinking to the bottom of the pool when not in use.

Advantageously, such a cover can not only provide a high degree of thermai insulation to prevent heat, loss but also it can be readily adapted to provide heating of the pool water by solar energy.

Arrangements according to the invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 a and 1 b are, respectively, a plan and side elevation of a panel of swimming pool cover according to the invention, Figure 1 c is a view in section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, Figure 2 is a longitudinal view of a swimming pool showing the cover in use, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing an adaption of the pool cover to give solar heating of the pool water.

In the drawings, a'floating cover is manufactured either in one piece or in panels 11 (Figure 1) preferably rectangular in shape and measuring 12ft x 2ft x 1ft in depth. The panels are of composite hollow construction with framing as necessary to maintain rigidity and each has a buoyant and heat-insulating core 12, preferably of expanded polystyrene foam and chambers 13 filled with sand or other ballast to give the panel as a whole marginally negative buoyancy. The skin 14 of each panel may consist of glass-fibrereinforced synthetic resin material and may, in addition, be surfaced at the top, as at 1 5, for special decorative effect or wearing qualities.

The panels 11 are joined together to form either a flexible or rigid cover depending on requirements. Thus, flexible connections may, for example, be incorporated between certain panels in order that the cover can follow the contours of the pool floor when resting on the bottom. Each panel has around its periphery, either at its exterior or just inside the panel, an inflatable collar or air sac 1 6 which is interconnected with the air sacs of other panels and can be inflated by an airline connection from an air pump via a control valve.

When a set of panels have been connected together on the pool floorto cover the whole area of the pool, the pool is filled with water and the cover will remain on the floor because of the overall negative buoyancy of the cover assembly, as at 17 in Figure 2. Now if the air pump is operated the collars or air sacs of the panels arse inflated thus making the cover assembly buoyant and causing it to riF to the surface of the water as at 1 8 in Figure 2. Once a predetermined pressure is achieved, as determined by the control valve, a physical seal may be created between adjacent panels by the inflated collars. The pool water is thus very effectively insulated from the ambient air.

People and animals can be prevented from falling into the water if sufficient buoyancy is built into the cover. A further benefit is that any debris which would normally fall into the water can be removed from the cover prior to it being submerged.

When the pool is required for use a changeover valve in the air line is operated so that the air pump can act as an exhauster to extract air from the cover which then will sink slowly until it rests on the bottom. It is therefore unnecessary for the floor of the pool to have a decorative or wearing surface.

To achieve the heating of the pool water by solar energy, the cover is suitably coloured or surfaced with metal and is left floating on or just below the surface of the water, as at 19 in Figure 3. Cooler water from the bottom of the pool is pumped or drawn up tubes by air lifts, as at 20, to the top of the cover where it is distributed over the cover surface. The water thus distributed in a more or less thin film over the cover is warmed by the cover surface, which is continually gaining heat from the sun, and then trickles back into the main body of pool water below. Heat sensors controlling the pump or pumps are positioned to allow the process to continue for so long as the water in circulation is gaining heat above the cover. The heat gain in the water below is sustained by the insulating effect of the cover.

Another possibility is the incorporation of solar panels into the surface of he cover, i.e. by the provision of circulating pipes under translucent sheeting.

Instead of each panel being filled with foam material and having a surrounding air collar, it can simply be left with an empty interior and either filled with air to cause it to float or flooded with water to cause it to sink. In this case, since the external skin or shell of the panel has no internal foam support, it may be necessary for it to be made thicker or braced internally if it is to maintain a hollow beam configuration.

1. A floating cover for a swimming pool that is arranged for sinking to the bottom of the pool when not in use.

2. A cover according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of panels rigidly or flexibly joined to one another at their edges, each panel having negative buoyancy and incorporating inflatable means to cause it to float when inflated.

3. A cover according to claim 2, wherein each panel is rectangular and of hollow construction,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Submersible swimming pool cover This invention relates to covers for swimming pools and like bodies of water. At the present time there are a number of swimming pool covers used to help retain heat, keep the water clean and provide protection against drowning. These, however, generally havethe disadvantage of having to be removed from the pool and stored when the pool is in use. An object of the present invention is to enable a nonremovable pool cover to be employed that does not interfere in any way with swimming and has other important advantages. According to the present invention, a floating cover is imployed that is arranged for sinking to the bottom of the pool when not in use. Advantageously, such a cover can not only provide a high degree of thermai insulation to prevent heat, loss but also it can be readily adapted to provide heating of the pool water by solar energy. Arrangements according to the invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 a and 1 b are, respectively, a plan and side elevation of a panel of swimming pool cover according to the invention, Figure 1 c is a view in section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, Figure 2 is a longitudinal view of a swimming pool showing the cover in use, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing an adaption of the pool cover to give solar heating of the pool water. In the drawings, a'floating cover is manufactured either in one piece or in panels 11 (Figure 1) preferably rectangular in shape and measuring 12ft x 2ft x 1ft in depth. The panels are of composite hollow construction with framing as necessary to maintain rigidity and each has a buoyant and heat-insulating core 12, preferably of expanded polystyrene foam and chambers 13 filled with sand or other ballast to give the panel as a whole marginally negative buoyancy. The skin 14 of each panel may consist of glass-fibrereinforced synthetic resin material and may, in addition, be surfaced at the top, as at 1 5, for special decorative effect or wearing qualities. The panels 11 are joined together to form either a flexible or rigid cover depending on requirements. Thus, flexible connections may, for example, be incorporated between certain panels in order that the cover can follow the contours of the pool floor when resting on the bottom. Each panel has around its periphery, either at its exterior or just inside the panel, an inflatable collar or air sac 1 6 which is interconnected with the air sacs of other panels and can be inflated by an airline connection from an air pump via a control valve. When a set of panels have been connected together on the pool floorto cover the whole area of the pool, the pool is filled with water and the cover will remain on the floor because of the overall negative buoyancy of the cover assembly, as at 17 in Figure 2. Now if the air pump is operated the collars or air sacs of the panels arse inflated thus making the cover assembly buoyant and causing it to riF to the surface of the water as at 1 8 in Figure 2. Once a predetermined pressure is achieved, as determined by the control valve, a physical seal may be created between adjacent panels by the inflated collars. The pool water is thus very effectively insulated from the ambient air. People and animals can be prevented from falling into the water if sufficient buoyancy is built into the cover. A further benefit is that any debris which would normally fall into the water can be removed from the cover prior to it being submerged. When the pool is required for use a changeover valve in the air line is operated so that the air pump can act as an exhauster to extract air from the cover which then will sink slowly until it rests on the bottom. It is therefore unnecessary for the floor of the pool to have a decorative or wearing surface. To achieve the heating of the pool water by solar energy, the cover is suitably coloured or surfaced with metal and is left floating on or just below the surface of the water, as at 19 in Figure 3. Cooler water from the bottom of the pool is pumped or drawn up tubes by air lifts, as at 20, to the top of the cover where it is distributed over the cover surface. The water thus distributed in a more or less thin film over the cover is warmed by the cover surface, which is continually gaining heat from the sun, and then trickles back into the main body of pool water below. Heat sensors controlling the pump or pumps are positioned to allow the process to continue for so long as the water in circulation is gaining heat above the cover. The heat gain in the water below is sustained by the insulating effect of the cover. Another possibility is the incorporation of solar panels into the surface of he cover, i.e. by the provision of circulating pipes under translucent sheeting. Instead of each panel being filled with foam material and having a surrounding air collar, it can simply be left with an empty interior and either filled with air to cause it to float or flooded with water to cause it to sink. In this case, since the external skin or shell of the panel has no internal foam support, it may be necessary for it to be made thicker or braced internally if it is to maintain a hollow beam configuration. CLAIMS

3. A cover according to claim 2, wherein each panel is rectangular and of hollow construction, containing a buoyant heat-insulating core material and chambers for filling with a material such as sand which is heavier than water to give negative buoyancy.

4. A cover according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each panel has around its periphery an inflatable collar or air sac which is interconnected with the air sacs of the other panels.

5. A cover according to claim 2 or claim 3 or claim 4, wherein each panel has a shell or skin of reinforced plastics material containing a foamed plastics core material.

6. A cover according to claim 4, or claims 4 and 5, wherein the inflatable collars or air sacs form seals between the panels when inflated.

7. A cover according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of panels rigidly or flexibly joined to one another at their edges and each consisting of a hollow shell which can be filled with airto cause it to float or with water to cause it to sink.

8. A cover according to claim 7, wherein the hollow shell of each panel is internally braced to maintain its shape.

9. A cover according to any one of the preceding claims, including means for raising water from near the bottom of the pool and distributing it over the cover when it is floating.

10. A cover according to claim 9, wherein a heat-absorbing coloured or metal upper surface.

11. A cover according to any one of the preceding claims, incorporating solar heating panels in its upper surface.

12. A swimming pool cover substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings or as modified according to Figure 3.