Pool Hydromassage Assembly

Abstract

A hydromassage assembly for placement at pool side, and involves a housing including a horizontal section for placement on the deck of the pool and an angularly disposed or substantially vertical section of a length sufficient that its free end may be submerged in the water of the pool. A motor driven pump at the free end of the horizontal section is adapted to hydraulically drive a plurality of hydro-air jet head assemblies installed in the submersible end of the angularly disposed section, each of the hydro-air jet head assemblies being adapted to draw air through an air intake tube extending through a wall of the housing above the water level of the pool. The installation of a plurality of hydro-air jet head assemblies provides for substantially uniform hydro-air jet activity throughout a wide arc.

Description

The invention relates to a hydromassage assembly and more particularly to such an assembly adapted for swimming pool use.

The benefits of hydrotherapeutic treatment for the relief of fatigue, muscular aches and pains is well known. Of recent times, attempts have been made to associate hydro-therapeutic treatment with swimming pools, so that the users of such pools could avail themselves also of hydrotherapeutic treatment. Such attempts invariably utilize the plumbing associated with a pool installation, as part of the hydromassage system and consequently, such type of installation became an integral part of the pool system.

Among the objects of the present invention are;

1. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly adapted for swimming pool use;

2. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly adapted for use at pool side, and which is entirely independent of the pool system;

3. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly which is portable and capable of placement at pool side, and without the necessity of tying the same in with the existing pool system;

4. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly for placement at pool side, and which will provide hydromassage activity over a wide arc;

5. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly adapted for use at pool side, and which will not expose a user to maximum suctional effect of the pump forming part of such assembly.

Additional objects of the invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the pool hydromassage assembly of the present invention, in its preferred form, and as used at pool side;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the pool hydromassage assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the submersible portion of the assembly of FIG. 1, with the housing broken away to depict the hydro-air jet head assemblies and associated piping;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the hydro-air jet head assemblies and associated piping illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the pump end of the hydro-massage assembly of FIG. 1, with the cover removed to expose the pump and drive motor; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of the pump and motor of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings for a description in detail of the invention in its preferred form, the assembly involves a housing 1 including a horizontal section 3 and a section 5 angularly disposed with respect thereto, preferably in a substantially vertical position, and of a length such that, with the horizontal section resting on the deck 7 of a pool, the free end 9 of the vertical section will normally be submerged below the water level in the pool.

In such submersible end of the angularly disposed section of the housing, are installed one or more hydro-air jet head assemblies 11, a pair being adequate for a conventional type pool. The specific design and construction of each of the jet head assemblies is incidental to the present invention. Each may include the features of the various jet head assemblies illustrated and described in the patent to Candido Jacuzzi, U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,025 of Jan. 10, 1967 for HYDROTHERAPY TUB, or each may embody the features of jet head assembly forming the subject matter of the patent to Roy A. Jacuzzi U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,438 of Nov. 17, 1970 for HYDRO-AIR JET HEAD ASSEMBLY. Common to all of these, however, is the fact that each provides a water intake opening and an air intake opening.

The jet head assemblies are each supplied with water under pressure and at high velocity from a pump 17 installed in the free end 19 of the horizontal section of the housing, and driven by a motor 21, the pump discharge being connected to the water intake openings of the jet head assemblies by suitable piping located within the housing. Where more than one jet assembly is to be thus supplied, a single discharge line 23 from the pump may be utilized, with branch pipe connections 25 therefrom to each of the jet head assemblies.

Except at the location of the pump and motor in the housing, the housing may be open to the pool deck and pool wall.

The water utilized for hydromassage purpose is derived from the pool itself, the free or submerged end of the angularly disposed section of the housing being provided with a wall opening 27, preferably in the bottom, for free access of the pool water to the housing. A suction line 29 from the suction side of the pump, extends within the housing to a point below water level in the pool. In lieu of terminating in the wall opening 27, the suction line is terminated at a point which will be below water level, but yet spaced from such opening, thus to minimize the probable exposure of an individual to the full suction effect of the pump, while still making available to the pump, the pool water as a source of supply. To further protect such an individual, the opening in the housing may be spanned by a suitable grill.

The air deemed essential for hydromassage purposes, is drawn into each of the jet head assemblies through a tube 33 connected to the air intake opening of each such assembly, and emerging through a wall of the housing, at a point above the water level of the pool, where it is capped by an adjustable air valve 36 for enabling adjustment of the air supply to the associated jet head assembly. Such type of air valve adjustment is well known, and is illustrated in one form, in the patent to FLOYD M. NASH, U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,435 of Dec. 11, 1962.

The shape and contour of the housing 1 is incidental to the present invention, though preferably, the horizontal section 3 terminates at its free end 19 in an enlargement to house the pump and its associated drive motor, such enlargement involving a receptacle 37 provided with a cover 39, the cover having vent screens 41 to ventilate the motor housed therein.

Likewise, the free or submersible end of the angularly disposed section of the housing is enlarged with outwardly facing vertical walls 43 for the mounting of the jet head assemblies, such walls being angularly disposed with respect to each other, whereby the jet head assemblies, when installed, will be angularly related to each other in a common plane. The discharge from each jet head assembly will fan out through an arc sufficiently to overlap the arc of jet activity created by the adjacent jet head assembly, whereby the area of overlap will represent the cumulative effect from both jet assemblies. Such cumulative effect may be substantially the same as that emerging in line from each assembly. This can be varied somewhat by changing the direction of the discharge from one or more of the jet head assemblies.

Installation of the hydromassage assembly involves nothing more than placement of the same on the deck of the pool, with the vertical portion preferable in engagement with the pool wall. When thusly installed, the weight of the pump and motor and the reactive forces of the jet discharges will stabilize the position of the entire assembly.

The pump utilized in the preferred form of the invention, is one of the centrifugal type, where the water is discharged through a volute. The pump is installed with the discharge end of the volute at an upper level in the pump, whereby the pump casing 47 may then function as a priming chamber, and when once primed, the pump should not need repriming thereafter under normal conditions of use. However, a conventional type foot valve, such as illustrated in the patent to O.M.Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,468 of June 6, 1967, may be added to the suction line 29, to advantage.

To facilitate such priming of the pump, a hose connection 49 to the pump casing may be installed, with a shut-off valve 51 in such connection. By removing the cover 39, a hose of the garden variety may be coupled to the connection 49 and the pump primed, whereupon, the hose may be disconnected and the valve shut off, and the cover replaced.

From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be apparent that the same is portable and entirely independent of the pool system, and may be placed at any point along the pool deck which one may desire. The greatest practical range of activity may be realized, however, by locating the assembly on the pool deck at approximately the four foot level of water in the pool, though where youngsters may be involved, one may prefer to locate the assembly at the more shallow end of the pool.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred form and in considerable detail, it will be apparent that the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved and, accordingly, such changes may be deemed to fall within the scope of the claims involved.

Claims

I claim:

1. A hydromassage assembly for a pool having a substantial vertical side wall and a deck bordering on said wall, said hydromassage assembly comprising a housing including a substantially horizontal section for placement on the deck of such pool, and a joining section angularly disposed with respect to said substantially horizontal section and having a wall opening at its free end for submergence in the water of such pool, said horizontal section including means for installing a pump in its free end, said angularly disposed section including means for installing in its free end, at least one hydro-air jet head assembly, a pump in the free end of said horizontal section, a hydro-air jet head assembly installed in the free end of said angularly disposed section and having a water intake opening and an air intake opening, said angularly disposed section of said housing being of sufficient length to enable submergence of said hydro-air jet head assembly below water when said horizontal section rests on such pool deck, a pressure line within said housing for connecting the discharge side of said pump to the water intake opening of said hydro-air jet head assembly, a suction line within said housing and extending from the free end of said angularly disposed section and connecting with the suction side of said pump.

2. A hydromassage assembly in accordance with claim 1 characterized by an air intake tube couples to said jet assembly at said air intake opening and extending through a wall of said housing at a location above water level, when said hydromassage assembly is installed at such pool.

3. A hydromassage assembly in accordance with claim 1 characterized by a plurality of hydro-air jet head assemblies installed in the free end of the angularly disposed section of said housing, said plurality of jet head assemblies being angularly related to each other in a substantially common plane.

4. A hydromassage assembly in accordance with claim 3 characterized by a separate air intake tube for each of said jet head assemblies.

5. A hydromassage assembly in accordance with claim 1 characterized by the horizontal section of said housing terminating in an enlarged free end for installation of said pump and a pump drive motor.

6. A hydromassage assembly in accordance with claim 5 characterized by said enlarged free end including a receptacle and a cover therefor.

7. A hydromassage assembly in accordance with claim 3 characterized by said plurality of jet head assemblies involving only two, with the pressure line from said pump being divided at said jet head assemblies.

8. A hydromassage assembly in accordance with claim 1 characterized by the intake end of said suction line being in spaced relationship to said wall opening to reduce suctional drag on an individual to close vicinity thereto, and a grill spanning said wall opening.