U.S. patent application number 10/078151 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-21 for above ground pool with reinforcing member.
Invention is credited to Song, Rong-Jyh, Yen, Tsung-Ping.
Application Number | 20030154665 10/078151 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29404169 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030154665 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Song, Rong-Jyh ; et
al. |
August 21, 2003 |
Above ground pool with reinforcing member
Abstract
An above ground pool includes a pool body, an air inflatable
ring member, and a reinforcing member. The pool body has a bottom
wall and a surrounding wall that extends upwardly and integrally
from a periphery of the bottom wall and that has a distal top edge.
The air inflatable ring member has a lower ring part connected
integrally to the distal top edge of the surrounding wall. The
reinforcing member is mounted in the ring member, and ensures that
a central ring axis of the ring member is generally concentric with
and does not extend outside a circular area bounded by the distal
top edge of the surrounding wall.
Inventors: |
Song, Rong-Jyh; (Taipei,
TW) ; Yen, Tsung-Ping; (Taipei, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROP, PRUNER & HU P.C.
Suite 100
8554 Katy Freeway
Houston
TX
77024
US
|
Family ID: |
29404169 |
Appl. No.: |
10/078151 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/169.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 4/0025
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/169.7 |
International
Class: |
E02D 027/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An above ground pool comprising: a pool body formed from a
unitary sheet of pliable water-impermeable material and having a
bottom wall and a surrounding wall that extends upwardly and
integrally from a periphery of said bottom wall, that has a distal
top edge distal to said bottom wall, and that further has a
diameter that decreases gradually in a direction from said
periphery of said bottom wall to said distal top edge of said
surrounding wall; an air inflatable ring member having an upper
ring part, a lower ring part that is connected integrally to said
distal top edge of said surrounding wall, and a central ring axis;
and a reinforcing member mounted in said ring member to ensure that
said central ring axis is generally concentric with and does not
extend outside a circular area bounded by said distal top edge of
said surrounding wall.
2. The above ground pool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
reinforcing member includes an annular strip bonded to and
extending along said ring member.
3. The above ground pool as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
annular strip is bonded to and extends along said upper ring part
of said ring member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to an above ground pool, more
particularly to an above ground pool with a reinforcing member.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a conventional above ground pool
9 is shown to comprise a pool body 91 and an air inflatable ring
member 92. The pool body 91 is formed from a unitary sheet of
water-impermeable material, and has a bottom wall 911 and a
surrounding wall 912 that extends upwardly and integrally from a
periphery of the bottom wall 911. The surrounding wall 912 has a
diameter that decreases gradually from the periphery of the bottom
wall 911 to a distal top edge of the surrounding wall 912. The air
inflatable ring member 92 is integrally connected to the distal top
edge of the surrounding wall 92 of the pool body 91. In view of its
simple configuration, the conventional above ground pool 9 is
commonly found in households.
[0005] During assembly, after the bottom wall 911 of the above
ground pool 9 is spread flat on a ground surface (see FIG. 2), and
air is inflated into the air inflatable ring member 92, water can
then be filled into the pool body 91 (see FIG. 3). As the water
starts to fill the pool body 91, the surrounding wall 912 of the
pool body 91 is pulled upwardly by the buoyancy of the air
inflatable ring member 92, thereby gradually stretching the
surrounding wall 912 until the water fills up the pool body 91
completely, as shown in FIG. 4. However, if the above ground pool 9
is spread unevenly on the ground surface, and when water starts to
fill the pool body 91, a stronger outward pressure is present on
one side 912' of the surrounding wall 912, thereby causing a
central ring axis of the ring member 92 to extend outside a
circular area bounded by the distal top edge of the surrounding
wall 912, and thereby spilling the water inside the pool 9 (see
FIG. 5). Furthermore, manufacturers often use a material having
poor tensile force for the conventional above ground pool 9 so as
to lower costs. Thus, when water in the pool 9 reaches the upper
part of the air inflatable ring member 92, the distal top edge of
the surrounding wall 912 will have a tendency to fold outwardly due
to the weaker tensile strength such that the central ring axis of
the ring member 92 is disposed outside the circular area bounded by
the distal top edge of the surrounding wall 912, thereby spilling
the water inside the pool 9 (see FIG. 6).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to
provide an above ground pool with a reinforcing member so as to
overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.
[0007] Accordingly, an above ground pool of the present invention
comprises a pool body, an air inflatable ring member, and a
reinforcing member. The pool body is formed from a unitary sheet of
pliable water-impermeable material, and has a bottom wall and a
surrounding wall. The surrounding wall extends upwardly and
integrally from a periphery of the bottom wall, has a distal top
edge distal to the bottom wall, and further has a diameter that
decreases gradually in a direction from the periphery of the bottom
wall to the distal top edge of the surrounding wall. The air
inflatable ring member has an upper ring part, a lower ring part
that is connected integrally to the distal top edge of the
surrounding wall, and a central ring axis. The reinforcing member
is mounted in the ring member to ensure that the central ring axis
is generally concentric with and does not extend outside a circular
area bounded by the distal top edge of the surrounding wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional above ground
pool;
[0010] FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic views illustrating the
consecutive steps for preparing the above ground pool of FIG. 1 in
a condition for use;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating how spilling of
water occurs when a bottom wall of the conventional above ground
pool is spread unevenly on a ground surface;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating how spilling of
water occurs when water is filled up to the upper part of an air
inflatable ring member of the conventional above ground pool;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of
an above ground pool according to the present invention; and
[0014] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional schematic view of the
preferred embodiment taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0015] Referring to FIG. 7, the preferred embodiment of an above
ground pool 10 according to the present invention is shown to
comprise a pool body 1, an air inflatable ring member 2, and a
reinforcing member 3. The pool body 1 is formed from a unitary
sheet of pliable water-impermeable material, and has a bottom wall
11 and a surrounding wall 12. The surrounding wall 12 extends
upwardly and integrally from a periphery 111 of the bottom wall 11,
and has a distal top edge 121 distal to the bottom wall 11. The
surrounding wall 12 further has a diameter that decreases gradually
in a direction from the periphery 111 of the bottom wall 11 to the
distal top edge 121 of the surrounding wall 12.
[0016] The air inflatable ring member 2 has an upper ring part 21,
a lower ring part 22 that is connected integrally to the distal top
edge 121 of the surrounding wall 12, and a central ring axis.
[0017] The reinforcing member 3 is mounted in the ring member 2,
and includes an annular strip bonded to and extending along the
upper ring part 21 of the ring member 2, thereby increasing the
tensile strength of the above ground pool 10. The reinforcing
member 3 ensures that the central ring axis is generally concentric
with and does not extend outside a circular area bounded by the
distal top edge 121 of the surrounding wall 12, as best illustrated
in FIG. 8.
[0018] The consecutive steps for preparing the above ground pool 10
in a condition for use is substantially similar to the
aforementioned steps of the conventional pool. Particularly, water
is filled into the pool body 1 after the air inflatable ring member
2 is inflated. The surrounding wall 12 of the pool body 1 is pulled
upwardly by the buoyancy of the ring member 2, thereby gradually
stretching the surrounding wall 12. Regardless of whether or not
the bottom wall 11 of the pool body 1 is spread evenly on the
ground, and even when water is filled up to the upper ring part 21
of the ring member 2, the presence of the reinforcing member 3 can
ensure that the central ring axis of the ring member 2 is
concentric with and does not extend outside a circular area bounded
by the distal top edge 121 of the surrounding wall 12. Thus,
spilling of the water can be prevented. Furthermore, since the
reinforcing member 3 is disposed in the ring member 2, it does not
affect the appearance of the above ground pool 10.
[0019] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *