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  Covered swimming pool and frameUSPTO Application #: 20070199141Title: Covered swimming pool and frame Abstract: A covered swimming pool is comprised of an aboveground swimming pool, two spine brackets, a plurality of pairs of rib brackets, a flexible spine, a plurality of flexible rib pairs and a cover. The spine brackets are mounted to opposing ends of the rail of the pool. The rib bracket pairs are each mounted to opposing ends of the rail. The flexible spine is attached to the spine brackets such that the spine is bowed above the pool. Each flexible rib pair is transversely attached to the spine and a pair of rib brackets. The cover is draped over the spine, ribs and rail. The cover is secured to the rail with cover clips. Each cover clip is comprised of a tubular body having a lengthwise slit defining a pair of clamping surfaces. A flexible protective membrane is inserted between the clamping surfaces. (end of abstract)
Agent: Gregory T. Zalecki - Sterling Heights, MI, US Inventor: John C. Johnston USPTO Applicaton #: 20070199141 - Class: 004498000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Baths, Closets, Sinks, And Spittoons, Pool Type, Accessory, Covering The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070199141. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND [0001] Numerous swimming pools exist. They provide a means for recreation and enjoyment to many people. However, they require regular maintenance. Pool use is often seasonal. During the off-season it is desirable to retain water within the pool. This avoids draining and refilling a pool. In order to avoid draining and refilling a pool, the pool must be covered during the off-season. This will prevent contamination caused by insects, leaves, animals, debris and the like. [0002] Typically, a pool is covered with a plastic tarp. Under the tarp cover one or more air filled balls or pillows are usually placed. They provide support for the cover and reduce the possibility of damage caused by expanding ice. Traditional pool covers are secured to the pool by a rope or cable securing the cover edge to the pool or by weights hung from eyelets near the edge of the cover. The resulting cover surface usually contains valleys which accumulate water and debris. The debris often tends to rot the cover. When it is desired to remove the cover substantial amounts of water usually need to be pumped out of the valleys and the cover surface usually needs to be power washed to remove accumulated debris and algae. While the cover is on the pool it is often subjected to damaging wind gusts at the edges. The edges of the cover usually remain open to wind. The wind gusts can easily damage or destroy the cover. [0003] Current pool covers are relatively expensive to manufacture. They require substantial time to install. They require substantial time to remove. Once removed, swimmers can again enjoy use of the pool. Unfortunately, during hot weather swimmers are often attacked by numerous insects. It would be desirable to replace the pool cover with a screen bowed above the pool surface to protect swimmers from insects. [0004] There is a need for a covered swimming pool, including a frame structure, having the following features. The cover would be cambered over the pool to avoid accumulation of water, debris and other contaminants upon the surface of the cover. The cover and frame would be easily and quickly installable and removable. The cover would not be subject to wind damage or rot. The cover would avoid the need to pump water out of its upper surface and to power wash it at the time of removal. The cover and frame would not have a tendency to fall into the pool during installation and removal. The cover and frame would be usable upon pools having multiple shapes such as round, oval, square, rectangular and S. shaped shapes. The cover and frame should be able to be manufactured at a relatively low-cost by using commonly available low-cost parts. SUMMARY [0005] These needs are satisfied by the covered swimming pool, the swimming pool cover frame and the method for covering an aboveground swimming pool described herein. [0006] An aboveground swimming pool is defined by one or more walls. One wall may define a circular, elliptical or oval pool. Multiple walls may define a square or rectangular pool. There are also other shapes to aboveground swimming pools such as kidney shapes and S. shapes. Aboveground pools have a rail fixed to their upper periphery. The rail and pool walls are supported by vertically oriented pillars. [0007] A covered swimming pool is comprised of an aboveground swimming pool, two spine brackets, a plurality of pairs of rib brackets, a flexible spine, a plurality of flexible rib pairs and a cover. The spine brackets are mounted to opposing ends of the rail. They should be mounted along the longest dimension of the pool. The brackets of each respective rib pair are mounted to opposing ends of the rail. The length of the flexible spine is greater than the distance between the spine brackets. The spine is attached to the spine brackets. The extra length of the spine compared to the distance between the brackets allows the spine to be bowed above the pool. Each rib of each rib pair is transversely attached at one end to the spine and at the other end to a rib bracket. Each of the ribs forming a rib pair is linearly aligned with each other. The combined length of each rib pair is greater than the distance between the pair of opposing rib brackets to which the rib pair is attached. This allows the rib pair to be bowed above the pool. The cover is draped over the spine, ribs and rail. [0008] A plurality of cover clips are used to attach the cover to the rail. Each cover clip is comprised of a tubular body and a flexible protective membrane. The tubular body has a lengthwise slit defining a pair of clamping surfaces. The flexible protective membrane is fixed to the clamping surfaces. The optimum length of a cover clip is the distance between two adjoining pillars between which the clip is to be positioned. The cover is secured to the rail between the clamping surfaces of the clips. By using clips with the optimum length the cover edges are protected from wind gusts. [0009] In order to minimize manufacturing cost commonly available parts may be used. The ribs and spine should be fabricated from plastic pipe. The brackets may be common rain gutter brackets. The cover clips may be fabricated from plastic pipe also. [0010] The optimal number of rib pairs for maximum wind protection has been found to be five. A centrally positioned inner rib pair should have a longer length then the other rib pairs. The difference between the length of the centrally positioned inner rib pair and the distance between the rib brackets attaching that rib pair to the rail should be greater than the differences between the respective lengths of the other rib pairs and the distances between the rib brackets to which they are attached. This will cause a centrally positioned high point of the rib and spine assembly to be formed along the centrally positioned inner rib pair. [0011] The spine should be formed from a plurality of plastic pipes joined together. One joint should be formed near what will be the center of the pool with a socketed connector. Socketed connectors include pipe unions and four-way socketed pipe connectors. The pool center joint should be formed with a four-way socketed pipe connector. Two of the four sockets are used to combine spine pipes. The other two of the four sockets are used to transversely attach a central rib pair. The four-way socketed connectors should be attached to the spine pipes with screws rather than glue. This permits disassembly into components which are not extraordinarily long. However, the joint formed is not as strong as a contiguous piece of pipe would be. Four-way socketed connectors may also be positioned along the spine, by forming the spine from pieces of pipe attached to the sockets, such that the unused socketed connectors may be used to transversely attach the rib pairs to the spine. [0012] The use of four-way socketed connectors for attaching ribs to the spine does not result in the strongest available rib-spine structure. This is because separate rib and spine pieces would be screwed into the sockets of the four-way socketed connectors. Thus, the spine does not have maximum strength because it consists of several pieces screwed together rather than one continuous piece of plastic pipe. To enhance spine strength rib receptacles should be attached to unbroken spine elements and the rib receptacles should be employed to attach the ribs to a continuous piece spine element. [0013] Each rib receptacle is comprised of a semi cylindrical shell and a socket. The semi cylindrical shell is formed to mate with the spine. The socket is adapted to receive a rib. The rib fits into the socket. The socket projects from the semi cylindrical shell. The shell may be glued to a spine element thereby providing a socket for attaching a rib without interrupting the integrity of the spine element. A rib receptacle may be easily fabricated from a plastic four-way socketed pipe connector. The four-way connector is cut in half along a longitudinal axis. This provides the described the geometry for a rib receptacle. [0014] The upper surface of the rib-spine assembly should be smooth. This can be accomplished by attaching the spine elements and ribs to connectors with screws positioned on the underside, relative to the ultimate positioning over the pool, of the connectors. A smooth upper surface of the rib-spine assembly is needed in order to minimize damage to the cover during use. Often the cover is subjected to high wind gusts causing it to shift with extreme force. Exposed hardware on the top surface of the spine-rib assembly may easily damaged the cover. [0015] Optimum stability is achieved by mounting the brackets over the pillars. The pillars are usually covered by a cap. The cap is usually easily removable. The cap should be removed and the bracket mounted in the vacated position. On the other hand, the caps may be left in place and the brackets mounted offset from the pillars for quicker and easier installation and removal of the swimming pool cover frame formed by the ribs and spine. [0016] Several different types of brackets may be used. One type is or is similar to a common rain gutter bracket. Such a bracket is comprised of a hook member and a head member. The hook member is adapted to be secured to an inner aspect of the rail. The head member extends from the hook member. The hook member is adapted to be secured to an inner aspect of the rail. The head member is adapted to fit to and secure a pool cover assembly structural member. The term pool cover assembly structural member includes ribs, spines, spine elements, four-way socketed pipe connectors, pipe unions and elbows. The hook member is secured to the rail. The head member is attached to a pool cover assembly structural member. [0017] A second type of bracket is comprised of a horizontal bracket member and a vertical bracket member. The horizontal bracket member is adapted to be secured to a top surface of the rail. The vertical bracket member forms an acute angle with the horizontal bracket member. The vertical bracket member is adapted to fit to and secure a pool cover assembly structural member. The horizontal bracket member is mounted to the top surface of the rail. The vertical bracket member is attached to a pool cover assembly structural member. This type of bracket provides the strongest pool cover frame wind protection when the bracket is positioned over a pillar. [0018] Another type of bracket is comprised of a flexible strap and a socketed elbow. The flexible strap is adapted to be secured to the rail. The socketed elbow is attached to the flexible strap. The socketed elbow is adapted to fit to and secure a pool cover assembly structural member. To use this type of bracket the flexible strap is mounted to the rail and the socketed elbow is attached to a pool cover assembly structural member. In order to achieve optimal cambered bowing the spine and ribs may terminate with an optional pipe elbow connected to a bracket. [0019] During the swimming season the off-season cover may be replaced by a screen. The screen would form a protective enclosure over the pool. This protective screen enclosure would prevent insects and debris from contacting swimmers within the pool. It would also be able to withstand substantial wind gusting. [0020] The structure described may be used for covering an aboveground swimming pool defined by one or more walls, wherein the pool has a rail fixed to the upper periphery of the one or more walls. Two spine brackets are mounted to opposing ends of the rail. A plurality of pairs of rib brackets are mounted to the rail such that the brackets of each respective rib pair are mounted to opposing ends of the rail. A flexible spine fabricated from plastic pipes joined together by a socketed connector is attached to the spine brackets. The length of the flexible spine is greater than the distance between spine brackets. This allows the spine to be bowed above the pool. A plurality of flexible rib pairs fabricated from plastic pipe are transversely attached at one end to the spine and at the other end to a rib bracket. The combined length of each rib pair is greater than the distance between the pair of opposing rib brackets to which the rib pair is attached. Each of the ribs forming a rib pair is linearly aligned with each other. This configuration allows the rib pair to be bowed above the pool. A cover is draped over the spine, ribs and rail. [0021] Optionally, after the cover is draped over the spine, ribs and rail a plurality of cover clips, as previously described, are selected. The cover is secured to the rail between the clamping surfaces of the cover clips. [0022] The quickest and most economical way of implementing this method for covering a swimming pool is to use common rain gutter brackets used to secure rain gutters to buildings as the spine and rib brackets. Continue reading... Full patent description for Covered swimming pool and frame Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Covered swimming pool and frame patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. 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