EP1614832A1

EP1614832A1 - Device to confine dirt from a swimming pool

Info

Publication number: EP1614832A1
Application number: EP04103174A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andre Vanlerberghe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-07-05
Filing date: 2004-07-05
Publication date: 2006-01-11

Abstract

Device to confine dirt from a swimming pool formed by a series of transversal profiles (1), a support structure (3) placed upon the floor of said swimmnig pool, adapted to support said series of profiles (1) and to form at least a cavity under said series of said profiles and transversally separating means (4) situated between each profile of said series, provided to form a space between two adjacent profiles when lying upon said support structure (3).

Description

The invention relates to a device to confine dirt from a swimming pool.
A typical device used for that purpose is found in the known cleaning device for swimming pools. Such a cleaning device comprises generally an external pump and an external sand filter. When operating, water is aspired by the pump (around the level of the water surface) and travels to and through the sand filter before returning to the swimming pool (at middle deep of the pool). In the sand filter, some dirt is retained but not small particles. The device to confine dirt is thus formed by the pool filter system.
Most of small particles of dirt sediments on the floor of the swimming pool and causes a substantial amount of dirt that is not retained and which circulates with the water and the swimmer movement, thereby creating troubled water.
Most swimming pools are equipped by common cleaning devices which are generally insufficient to clean sedimented dirt upon the floor of the swimming pool compelling the owner or the technician to vacuum the dirt lying on the floor in addition of common cleaning operations as pump inversion to eject dirt from the sand filter out of the filter system.
Such a maintenance by vacuum dirt from a swimming pool is typically done around from once to several times a week because of the presence of lots of small particles like dust entering with the swimmer or with object like earth, green grass, etc. This can be done by a very expensive robot, by the owner or by a technician. This latter is heavy in terms of worker costs, water costs and time.
It is an object of the invention to encounter the drawbacks aforementioned by providing a device that allows to clean the pool less often, while still maintaining water clean.
To this end, the device according to the invention is formed by :

a series of transversal profiles, of substantially rectangular shape and relatively rigid,
a support structure placed upon the floor of said swimming pool, adapted to support said series of profiles and to form at least a cavity under said series of said profiles,
transversally separating means situated between each profile of said series, provided to form a space between two adjacent profiles when lying upon said support structure.

The device according to the invention is a very simple device, which is able to confine dirt under the series of transversal profiles. The device indeed comprises a series of transversal profiles placed upon a support structure.
The support structure is covered by the series of profiles, thereby creating a cavity in which dirt will be confined. In fact, dirt will sediment on the floor of the swimming pool upon which the device is placed. The dirt will, thanks to the water movement created by any common cleaning device, be directed into the space between two adjacent profiles and will fall into said cavity formed by the device. With the device according to the invention, a false floor comprising a cavity is created, in which cavity most of the dirt is confined. Dirt no longer circulates in the swimming pool and water remains clean longer, thereby spacing all cleaning operations one from each other. Effectively, pump inversion should be done less often and more surprisingly, pool vacuum should only be done once or twice a year while maintaining water clean.
Advantageously, the support structure comprises beams, preferably longitudinal beams to give more stability to the support structure and to the series of profiles. For example, beams have a square section of 10 mm X 10 mm.
Advantageously, the device according to the invention further comprises coupling means provided to longitudinally connect said profiles abutted one to each other, said coupling means being possibly releasable coupling means. In the case of a swimming pool of very large size, it will be difficult to place very long profiles. To simplify the placement of the device, the profiles could be shorter than the width of the swimming pool, they could be abutted to each other and coupled together. The coupling means can connect two terminal ends of abutted profiles exactly one to each other or can let a space between the two terminal ends.
In a particular embodiment, the space between two adjacent profiles of said series is at least 1 mm and at most 10 mm, preferably from 1 to 5 mm and is most preferably 3 mm. It is important to adjust the space between two adjacent profiles of the series for allowing dirt to glide upon sedimentation into the cavity and to prevent dirt to come back up even under the effect of water movement due to the water circulation caused by the pumping action of the common cleaning device. Moreover, a spacing between two adjacent beams of around 3 mm is more comfortable for the feet.
In a preferred embodiment, the distance between two adjacent beams is comprised between 20 cm and 100 cm, preferably between 20 cm and 60 cm and most preferably around 40 cm. It should be envisaged that the cavity size is defined by the spacing between two adjacent beams and by the length of the swimming pool. The cavity size in this embodiment is thus defined by the minimal space required to not cause turbulence when water is circulating and by the maximal size allowed to ensure an effective pool vacuum without removing the profiles. Indeed the circulating movement of the water can generate chocks between the water mass and the beams area which chocks can in their turn cause turbulence and carry the dirt upwards. In other words, the cavity size is also defined by the power of the pool vacuum machine used herein.
In a particular embodiment, the support structure further comprises transversal beams connected to said longitudinal beams. It can be appropriate in some cases of very large swimming pool to add transversal beams to improve the resistance of the support structure, in particular, when the profiles are very long are narrow.
In the most preferred embodiment, L-shaped profiles are placed on terminal ends of said series of profiles or each profile is terminated by removable cap consisting in particular of a L-shaped cap. The L-shaped terminal cap or L-shaped profile should be placed with the base lying upon an upper surface of a profile and the extending part of the L-shaped cap or profile should be directed downwards. In fact, it should be understood that if the L-shaped terminal cap extends over several adjacent profiles, it is considered as being an L-shaped profile. This prevent dirt to enter into the profiles of the series, but this capping should not be waterproof, in order to allow water to penetrate into the profile. Indeed, a profile comprising air within will be buoyancy and the invention required profiles which can be placed and which should stay under the water, slightly above the floor. An additional advantage of the placement of terminal L-shaped profiles is that the length of the profiles of said series should not be perfectly adjusted. It can be said that the terminal L-shaped profile acts as a "finish moulding".
Other embodiments of the device according to the invention are mentioned in the annexed claims.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly in the light of the following description of a particular non-limiting embodiment of the invention, while referring to the figures.
Figure 1 a and 1b are exploded views showing a profile of said series of profiles with two different possible terminal caps.
Figure 1c is a top view of the terminal L-shaped profile according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment, showing an exemplary series of profiles placed upon the support structure made by longitudinal beams.
Figure 3 is a top view of the same preferred embodiment as illustrated in figure 2.
Figure 4 is a top view of a variant according to the invention in which the support structure is made by longitudinal and transversal beams.
Figure 5 is a cross section of a swimming pool comprising the device according to the invention.
In the drawings, a same reference sign has been allotted to a same or analogous element of the device to confine dirt according to the invention.
Figure 1a, 1b and 1c show a profile 1 that can be for example an extruded profile 1 or an aluminium profile, specially with a coating of a desired colour.
An example of such a profile is an extruded profile comprising two or three portions herein, the profile being 2 cm high and having a material thickness of around 2 mm. Preferably, the profile 1 is hollow and made in a material resistant to water. The hollow profile according to the invention will be filled with water when immersed while placement upon the floor of the swimming pool.
In the illustrated preferred embodiment on Fig. 1a, the profile is ended with a cap 2 that is a removable cap 2 consisting in particular of a L-shaped cap 2. The L-shaped terminal cap 2 should be placed with the base lying upon an upper surface of a profile and the extending part of the L-shaped cap should be directed downwards. This prevent dirt to enter into the profiles 1 of the series, but this capping should not be waterproof, in order to allow water 5 to penetrate into the profile 1. Indeed, a profile 1 comprising air within will be buoyancy and the invention required profiles 1 which can be placed and which should stay under the water 5, slightly above the floor 6. The L-shaped terminal cap 2 can also extend over several profiles 1 (figure 1c) and becomes thus a terminal L-shaped profile 1. This simplifies the placement of the device and the manufacture steps. An L-shaped terminal cap for several profiles asks also less precision, i.e., the end of the profiles should not be perfectly aligned as the terminal profile masks the differences in length.
In a variant illustrated on Fig. 1 b, the terminal cap 2 can be a terminal cap comprising lateral wall 7 for a better adherence to the end of the profile 1 while being not waterproof. The lateral wall 7 will be preferably oblique to confer resistance to the cap by maintaining substantially perpendicular the two parts of the L-shaped terminal cap 2 and to render more easy its placement.
Figure 2 shows an exemplary series of profiles 1 placed upon the support structure made by longitudinal beams 3. The longitudinal beams 3 are placed upon the floor 6 of the swimming pool in a substantially parallel manner and are preferably spaced apart from around 30 cm to 50 cm. The values of the spacing between two beams are indicative, those skilled in the art should understand that this depends on lots of factor like resistance of the profiles to flexion, swimming pool size, minimal space required to not cause turbulence when water 5 is circulating. Indeed the circulating movement of the water 5 can generate chocks between the water mass and the beams 3 area which chocks can in their turn cause turbulence and carry the dirt 12 upwards. Such a beam is, for example, 10 mm high and 10 mm wide.
The profiles are spaced apart from each other by separating means 4 which only acts as separating means or as separating and attaching means. The separating means are preferably spaced one from each other of 1 meter. The terms separating means 4 comprise screws, pins, any protrusion allowing a predefined spacing between each profile 1.
In the particularly preferred embodiment, a profile 1 has a length of approximately 2 meter and at approximately 50 cm from a terminal end a separating means is placed. This separating means is spaced from the other one of about 1 meter, and this other separating means is thus situated from the other terminal end at around 50 cm. When profiles are abutted one from each other, the separating means are regularly spaced one from each other of approximately 1 meter.
As mentioned before, dirt 12 will penetrate into the cavity 9 by this created space between two adjacent profiles 1. The spacing between two profiles 1 ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm, preferably from 1 mm to 5mm and most preferably around 3 mm. Very good results were obtained with a spacing of 3 mm. As dirt 12 must fall through the water 5, into the cavity 9, via the spacing between two adjacent profiles 1, the spacing between profiles 1 is calculated to avoid the come back up of the dirt 12 to the water 5 under the profiles 1. The circulating movement due to the common cleaning device is not sufficient to created turbulence into the cavity 9 via the spacing between two adjacent profiles 1 as this latter is dimensioned to render said turbulence difficult and nearly impossible. When the owner of the swimming pool or the technician should clean the swimming pool, a head of a pool vacuum machine is oriented towards the spacing between two adjacent profiles 1 and all the dirt 12 is vacuumed while staying confined into the cavity 9 during the cleaning step.
Figure 3 shows an exemplary arrangement of said series of profiles 1 between 2 long walls 10 of a swimming pool. Longitudinal beams 3 are placed upon the floor 6 of the swimming pool and are covered by a series of profiles 1, which join the 2 lateral walls 10 of the swimming pool. The width of the cavity 9 in this exemplary case is thus defined by the spacing between to longitudinal beams and the length by the spacing between the 2 lateral walls 10 of the swimming pool.
Figure 4 shows a variant according to the invention in which the support structure is made by longitudinal beams 3 connected together by means of transversal beams 8 in order to avoid a gliding movement of the longitudinal beams 3. The width of the cavity 9 in this exemplary case is thus defined by the spacing between to longitudinal beams and the length of said cavity 9 thereby created by the spacing between two adjacent transversal beams 8.
Figure 5 shows a cross section of a swimming pool comprising the device according to the embodiment shown at Fig 3 placed upon the floor 6 of the swimming pool. As dirt 12 must fall through the water 5, into the cavity 9, via the spacing between two adjacent profiles 1, the size of the cavity and the spacing between profiles is calculated to avoid the come back up of the dirt 12 to the water 5 under the profiles 1. The circulating movement due to the common cleaning device is not sufficient to created turbulence into the cavity 9 as this latter is dimensioned to render said turbulence difficult and nearly impossible. When the owner of the swimming pool or the technician should clean the swimming pool, a head of a pool vacuum machine is oriented towards the spacing between two adjacent profiles 1 and all the dirt 12 is vacuumed while staying confined into the cavity 9 during the cleaning step.
Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for illustrative purpose, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions or substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool characterised in that said device is formed by
- a series of transversal profiles (1), of substantially rectangular shape and relatively rigid,

- a support structure (3) placed upon the floor (6) of said swimming pool, adapted to support said series of profiles (1) and to form at least a cavity (9) under said series of said profiles (1),

- transversally separating means (4) situated between each profile (1) of said series, provided to form a space between two adjacent profiles (1) when lying upon said support structure (3).
Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool according to claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises beams (3), preferably longitudinal beams (3).
Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising coupling means provided to longitudinally connect said profile (1) abutted one to each other, said coupling means being possibly releasable coupling means.
Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the space between two adjacent profiles (1) of said series is at least 1 mm and at most 10 mm, preferably from 1 to 5 mm and is most preferably 3 mm.
Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between two adjacent beams (3) is comprised between 20 cm and 100 cm, preferably between 20 cm and 60 cm and most preferably around 40 cm.
Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure further comprises transversal beams (8) connected to said longitudinal beams (3).
Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein L-shaped profiles (2) are placed on terminal ends of said series of profiles (1).
Device to confine dirt (12) from a swimming pool according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein each profile (1) is terminated by a removable cap (2) consisting in particular of an L shaped cap (2).