U.S. patent application number 11/899839 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-13 for debris collection accessory for swimming pool covers.
Invention is credited to Gary Palmer Blackman, Kent Brian Zilliox.
Application Number | 20080060124 11/899839 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39168068 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080060124 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blackman; Gary Palmer ; et
al. |
March 13, 2008 |
Debris collection accessory for swimming pool covers
Abstract
A floating debris capture device and method which can be
employed by those who have a normal pool cover which does not have
a debris capture system. The device is located under the side
regions of a floating pool cover, where debris is either washed or
swept from the cover as it's reeled onto a spool during the cover
removal operation. The device comprises a floating frame and a mesh
screen. Extending from the side of the device adjacent to the pool
wall is a positioning wing flap, which serves to anchor the device
to the corner edge of a pool, and retain the device in proper
position to catch debris as a pool cover is rolled up onto a
spool.
Inventors: |
Blackman; Gary Palmer;
(Carmel Valley, CA) ; Zilliox; Kent Brian; (Carmel
Valley, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Gary Blackman
316 Mid-Valley Center
Carmel
CA
93923
US
|
Family ID: |
39168068 |
Appl. No.: |
11/899839 |
Filed: |
September 7, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60843468 |
Sep 7, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/498 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 4/1263
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/498 |
International
Class: |
E04H 4/16 20060101
E04H004/16 |
Claims
1) A debris capture device for swimming pools, comprising a water
permeable fabric mesh screen, attached to a perimeter frame, where
said frame further comprises perimeter floatation, and where said
frame is attached to a positioning wing flap on at least one side
of the perimeter frame.
2) A debris capture device as in claim 1, where said perimeter
frame comprises strips of foam to provide floatation.
3) A debris capture device as in claim 2, where at least some of
said strips of foam are contained within a protective fabric
casing.
4) A debris capture device as in claim 1, where said perimeter
frame is constructed so as to allow the device to be folded upon
itself to enclose captured debris.
5) A debris capture device as in claim 1, where said perimeter wing
flap further comprises weighted anchoring material.
Description
[0001] The applicant for utility patent coverage in the U.S. for
the invention taught, enabled, and claimed in this application for
Patent, hereby incorporates by reference herein, and under 37 CFR
119(e) claims the benefit of priority of the respective filing date
accorded the following provisional patent application earlier filed
with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, namely: [0002] U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/843,468 filed Sep. 7, 2006
and entitled "Debris Collection Accessory for Swimming Pool
Covers"
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to a device to provide an
economical and efficient means for capturing and removing fallen
debris scattered atop a floating swimming pool cover, as it's
rolled up and removed from the surface of the pool.
BACKGROUND
[0004] Many floating swimming pool covers are rolled onto a spool
as a convenient means to remove and temporarily store them each
time the pool is used. One person can easily remove and deploy a
large cover in this manner. Debris that has fallen and scattered
over the surface of the cover while it is deployed has to be
addressed during the cover removal process. At the spool end of the
pool, as the cover makes the transition to a near-vertical
orientation when it is rolled up onto the spool, the debris tumbles
downward and accumulates at the curve in the cover where it leaves
the surface of the pool. As the last few feet of the cover approach
the spool and turn upward, away from the pool surface, the
accumulated debris falls off the end of the cover and into the
water. This debris must then be manually removed quickly, as
portions of it may sink to the bottom or float farther out onto the
pool surface. Alternatively, if the operator wishes to prevent
debris from being rolled up with the cover, he may use a garden
hose to wash debris downward from the vertical portion of the
cover, as it's rolled up. This accumulation of water on the surface
of the cover has a tendency to run off the sides of the cover as
it's rolled up, carrying debris with it onto the pool surface near
each side of the pool. The route of this water/debris runoff is
largely unpredictable, as it finds its own path among the changing
contour of the moving cover. The runoff path does, however, remain
mostly within a few feet of the spool end of the pool.
[0005] Previously, pool covers have been described which include a
mesh material as a part of the cover to capture debris, as
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,286 by Foster, and U.S. Pat. No.
4,379,351 by Hinsperger. However, in each of these prior attempts,
the debris capture is performed by an integrated portion of a
specialized pool cover, which does not provide any help for those
who already have a pool cover which does not include an integrated
debris capture system. Currently, no separate, after-market device
is available to mitigate this problem of debris from the top of a
pool cover falling into the pool water when the cover is roller up
onto it's spool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The principal object of the present invention is to provide
a floating debris capture device and method which can be employed
by those who have a normal pool cover which does not have a debris
capture system, and wish to also have a debris capture system. The
inventive device can be used in conjunction with many types of
standard pool covers.
[0007] The device presents a debris capture basin to be located
under the side regions of a floating pool cover, where debris is
either washed or swept from the cover as it's reeled onto a spool
during the cover removal operation.
[0008] In operation one or more devices are employed, either at one
end of a pool cover, or with a device under both ends of a pool
cover. Each comprises a floating frame and a mesh screen. The frame
is preferably comprised of a relatively stiff, floating material,
such as a buoyant type of foam, which defines and maintains the
overall shape of the device, holds screen mesh material in proper
orientation, and keeps the device afloat.
[0009] Extending from the side of the device adjacent to the pool
wall and beyond the frame is a wing flap, such as an anchoring
flap, which serves to anchor the device to a desired location at
the corner edge of a pool, and retain the device in proper position
to catch debris from a pool cover when it is rolled up onto a
spool. Attached to the outer region of this wine flap is a weighted
anchoring material to help keep the device in position relative to
the sidewall of the pool and the floating pool cover.
[0010] In use a device is placed in the water in each corner of a
pool ender the spool end of a deployed, floating pool cover. The
wing or flap of screen is then flopped up, onto the pool deck and
held in place on the pool deck by the attached weighted material.
With the device(s) deployed in this manner, the cover is then
cranked onto the spool, as it's removed from the pool surface.
[0011] If water is being used to wash debris from the cover as it's
reeled from the pool surface, the wash water will travel downward
and outward towards the pool edges, picking up debris along its
path toward the edge of the cover. As the cover is reeled from the
pool surface, the continuous flow of water and debris moves toward
and off the side edge of the cover, where it's captured and
contained by the device. The function of the wing or flap deployed
onto the pool deck is to prevent this debris-laden water from
escaping beyond the outer edge of the device and into the pool.
[0012] If water is not used to wash debris from the cover, as it's
reeled from the pool surface, most of the debris will tumble down
and collect in a line in the region of the cover, where it makes
the transition from horizontal to vertical. If the cranking
operation is temporarily stopped with approximately two feet of the
cover remaining on the pool surface, the accumulated debris can be
swept with a broom along the surface of the cover and off its edge
into the device. The flap on the pool deck prevents debris swept
along the surface of the pool cover from escaping beyond the outer
edge of the device and into the pool.
[0013] Upon completion of the debris collection process, the flap
is flopped onto the main body of the device partially covering the
captured debris; the front end of the device is lifted upward, over
and dropped down upon the opposite end adjacent to the spool. The
operator can then grasp the two sections of the device and lift and
remove the debris-laden device from the pool.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 depicts a debris capture device in the corner of a
pool.
[0015] FIG. 2 depicts the cover in its deployed orientation with
the debris capture device inserted under the side edge of the
floating cover, in the corner of the pool adjacent to one end of
the cover spool.
[0016] FIG. 3 depicts the floating pool cover rolled up on the
spool except for the final two or three feet and with accumulated
debris washed laterally across the surface of the floating cover
into the corner of the cover. The flap deployed on the adjacent
pool deck captures debris that otherwise could have overshot the
edge of the device and landed in the water.
[0017] FIG. 4 depicts the floating pool cover rolled up on the
spool except for the final two or three feet and with accumulated
debris being swept from the pool cover into the debris capture
device. Also shown, is a combination of flaps deployed onto the
pool deck along one side and into the corner area of the pool.
[0018] FIG. 5 depicts the debris capture device deployed in the
corner of the pool, floating adjacent to one end of the cover spool
in its rolled up orientation. All the debris from the pool cover is
shown transferred onto the debris capture device
[0019] FIG. 6 depicts the first step in removing the debris-laden
capture device from the surface of the pool, with the wing flap
flopped back over onto the device and partially covering the
captured debris.
[0020] FIG. 7 depicts the second step in removing the debris-laden
device from the surface of the pool, with the outer end of the
device being flopped or folded toward the back wall over the inner
end of the device, further covering and containing the captured
debris.
[0021] FIG. 8 depicts the carrying handles and shows where an
operator would pick up the device to remove it from the pool.
[0022] FIG. 9 depicts a detail in the frame area of the device,
showing the frame material contained within a sleeve of the screen
material and further showing a break or space in the frame material
which facilitates folding one part of the device back upon
itself.
[0023] FIG. 10 depicts a cross section of a portion of the device,
showing the frame material sewn, bonded, or otherwise contained
with a pocket formed by the screen material.
[0024] FIG. 11 depicts a cross section of a portion of the device,
showing the frame material sewn, bonded, or otherwise contained
with a pocket formed by the screen material, and also shows the
cross section of the wing flap and weighting material.
[0025] FIG. 12 depicts a top view of the device, showing the frame
around the perimeter, the portion of the screen within the frame,
the side flap, handles, along with approximate dimensions.
[0026] FIG. 13 depicts another embodiment of the device having an
enlarged version with two parts spanning the end of the pool
adjacent to the cover spool and overlapping in the center area.
With this embodiment, accumulated debris need not be swept or
washed into the corner areas, as it can fall off anywhere along the
width of the cover and be captured by the enlarged device, as the
end of the cover exits the water.
[0027] FIG. 14 depicts a further embodiment of the device, where
flaps extend beyond two sides of the device and are deployed onto
the pool deck at the sides and along the spool end of the pool,
where they overlap.
[0028] FIG. 15 depicts an embodiment of the device containing two
folds, one along each axis of the device.
[0029] FIG. 16 depicts how the device could be used in a kidney
shaped pool.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Provided is an inventive debris capture device 10 which is
shown in FIG. 1, primarily for use in capturing debris which falls
from a swimming pool cover when such cover is retracted. The
capture device 10 comprises a water permeable fabric mesh screen
12. The mesh screen 12 is made of a flexible fabric through which
water can flow, yet which has a tight enough mesh size so that
leaves, grass clippings and most debris found on a swimming pool
cover cannot pass through. Common nylon or fiberglass bug screen
such as used in household window screens has most of the qualities
desired and could be used for the water permeable fabric of the
screen mesh 12. In a preferred embodiment a water permeable fabric
mesh screen could be made from one or more layers of perforated
fabric such as the types of nylon fabric used for athletic sports
equipment and athletic shirts and jerseys.
[0031] The capture device 10 is made to float on the pool water
surface. In a preferred embodiment, capture device 10 is made in a
rectangular shape, such that the screen mesh 12 is attached to a
frame 14 and supported on three or more sides by perimeter
floatation 16, such as with elongated pieces of buoyant foam. Such
foam used for perimeter floatation 16 can be made of strips of
durable floating foam such as used in common swimming pool floating
tubes known in the arts as "noodles". Many types of floatation 16
could work although one preferred type of material for floatation
16 would be high density expanded polyethylene. Such foam strips
for floatation 16 can be preferably 3/4'' in cross section,
although this dimension is not critical. The important factor in
preferred embodiments of the perimeter floatation 16, is that such
floatation 16 is water resistant, durable, safe for usage and
storage in vicinity of swimming pools, inexpensive, and possesses
sufficient buoyancy to support the weight of the screen mesh and
debris collected in usage such that the debris is not allowed to
become loose into the pool.
[0032] The perimeter floatation can be made in a variety of
embodiments including continuous elongated shapes, or independent
segments of buoyant material. In some preferred embodiments the
entire frame 14 can be comprised of elongated strips of perimeter
floatation 16, to encompass most all of the full perimeter of the
screen mesh 12. In some such embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the
screen mesh 12 can be attached to the frame 14 by folding the edges
of the screen mesh 12 around the frame 14, and securing such as by
stitching with a durable water resistant and sunlight resistant
thread 18.
[0033] In another, preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the
perimeter floatation 16 can be contained within a separate piece of
fabric casing 20, made of a tough material like nylon. This nylon
casing 20 protects the floatation 16 from degradation from exposure
to sunlight.
[0034] Extending from the side of the device 10, attached to the
frame 14 on the pool adjacent side 22 as shown in FIG. 1, is
positioning wing flap 24 which is used to connect to the edge of
the pool in such a way as to keep the device 10 in proper position
to capture debris as it falls from the pool cover when the cover is
rolled onto a spool. The positioning wing flap 24 comprises a
vertical position 26 which rises up the vertical edge of the pool,
and a horizontal portion 28 which flops up onto the nominally
horizontal edge of the pool deck. The vertical portion 26 is
attached to the perimeter frame 14 such as by stitching, as shown
in FIG. 11.
[0035] The horizontal portion 28 of the positioning wing flap 24
preferably further comprises a weighted anchoring material 30 which
further helps keep the device 10 in proper position. The weighted
anchoring material 30 can be made using any number of dense
materials as known by those skilled in the arts, such as a sand
bag, a water bladder, or any such dense material sufficient to
properly weight the positioning wing flap 24.
[0036] FIGS. 2-7 show a sequence of how the device 10 can be used.
In use a device 10 is placed in the water in each corner of a pool
ender the spool end of a deployed, floating pool cover. A schematic
of such a corner placement is shown in FIG. 2. The positioning wing
flap 24 is then flopped up, onto the pool deck and held in place on
the pool deck by the weighted anchoring material 30. With the
device 10 deployed in this manner, the pool cover is then cranked
onto the spool, shown in FIG. 2, as the pool cover is removed from
the pool surface.
[0037] If water is being used to wash debris from the cover as it's
reeled from the pool surface, the wash water will travel downward
and outward towards the pool edges, picking up debris along its
path toward the edge of the cover. As the cover is reeled from the
pool surface, the continuous flow of water and debris moves toward
and off the side edge of the cover, where it's captured and
contained by the screen mesh 12 portion of the device 10. The
function of the positioning wing flap 24 deployed onto the pool
deck is to prevent this debris-laden water from escaping beyond the
outer edge of the device and into the pool.
[0038] If water is not used to wash debris from the cover, as it's
reeled from the pool surface, most of the debris will tumble down
and collect in a line in the region of the cover, where it makes
the transition from horizontal to vertical as shown in FIG. 4. If
the cranking operation is temporarily stopped with approximately
two feet of the cover remaining on the pool surface, the
accumulated debris can be swept with a broom along the surface of
the cover and off its edge into the device 10 as shown in FIG. 4.
The positioning wing flap 24 on the pool deck prevents debris swept
along the surface of the pool cover from escaping beyond the outer
edge of the device and into the pool. Thusly the debris is
transferred from on top of the pool cover, into the screen mesh
portion 12 of the device 10 as shown in FIG. 5
[0039] Upon completion of the debris collection process, the
positioning wing flap 24 is flopped down onto the screen mesh
portion 12 of the device 10, partially covering the captured
debris, as in FIG. 6. The front end of the device 10 is lifted
upward, over and dropped down upon the opposite end adjacent to the
spool as shown in FIG. 7. The operator can then grasp the two
sections of the device 10 and lift and remove the debris-laden
device 10 from the pool, as shown in FIG. 8. A debris capture
device 10 can be made further comprising one or more handles to
facilitate ease of removal from a pool.
[0040] The capture device 10 is made such that it can be folded up
as described above, and as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 8 shows how
the perimeter frame 14 can be made with a gap 32 in the floatation
16, so that the device 10 is easy to fold up.
[0041] FIG. 12 shows that a good size for a basic embodiment of
device 10 would be approx. 18 inches by 36 inches. FIGS. 13 and 14
show how two of said device 10 can be made in a larger sized
format, such as to overlap and fit across the width of a pool. FIG.
15 shows how in one embodiment, a device 10 can be made to fold in
a first direction and then in a second direction, which is useful
when a device 10 is made in a large sized format. FIG. 16 shows how
a plurality of devices 10 can be deployed, such as to work with odd
shaped pools such as kidney shapes
[0042] The device can have numerous embodiments and can be
manufactured in various sizes and can function as described in
various configurations and shapes. Materials used to manufacture
this inventive device can be metal, plastic, rubber, screen, fabric
or any material suitable for construction of the device. In a
currently preferred embodiment described for example herein the
components can be made using flexible screen, molded plastic, foam
and fabric as are well known in the industry. Additional methods of
manufacture can include molding, welding, milling, screwing,
bonding, gluing, friction or any method suitable for construction
of the device. The device may contain other attached or attachable
devices or pieces. Any applicable feature of any version of the
device may be employed on any other version.
* * * * *