This specification relates to an adjustable mount for a spa cover lifting device. More particularly, this specification relates to providing a spa cover lifting device that can be fitted to a variety of shapes of spa housings.
Covers for spas (spas are also known as “hot tubs”) are used to minimize escape of heat from the spa when the spa is not in use. A typical cover can be formed from thick rigid insulating sheets that are covered with fabric. The spa cover is typically displaceable so that the cover can be removed from the spa when the spa is in use. This is often achieved by dividing the cover into portions, folding one portion of the cover onto at least another cover portion, then lifting the folded cover from the spa, usually by swinging the folded cover about a pivot.
The following summary is intended to introduce the reader to the applicant's teaching disclosed herein but not to define any invention. In general, disclosed are one or more methods or apparatuses for an adjustable mount for a spa cover lifting device, enabling the spa cover lifting device to be used with a variety of shapes of spa housings and, for certain examples, to also accommodate a variety of materials used in the construction of spa housings.
In one aspect of the applicant's teaching disclosed herein, an adjustable mount is provided for fitting the frame of a spa cover lifting device to a spa. In another aspect, an adjustable lifting device for a spa cover is provided. The lifting device has a frame for securing the device to the spa cover, and at least one adjustable mount for fitting the lifting device to a spa.
The adjustable mount has a bracket adapted to fit the spa, and an extendible member adjustably coupled to the bracket and adapted to attach to the frame of the spa cover lifting device. In a preferred example disclosed, the extendible member attaches to the frame of the spa cover lifting device through a displaceable connection, such as, for example, a pivotal joint.
The bracket can have a hollow channel for slideably receiving at least a portion of the extendible member. A locking means can also be provided to fix the position of the extendible member relative to the bracket.
In one example of the specification the bracket is secured to the spa housing through suitable fasteners, such as, for example, but not limited to, screws.
A spacer block can be provided adjacent the bracket of the adjustable mount, the spacer block having one face adapted to match the surface of a suitable mounting location on the spa housing, and another face adapted to support the bracket. This can further assist in fitting the adjustable mount to a variety of shapes of spa housings.
In another aspect, the bracket for the adjustable mount can be adapted to rest on a surface that the spa sits or rests on. The bracket can be provided with at least one extended flange upon which the spa can rest. For this example, the bracket is held in place by the weight of the spa on the flange. If desired, the flange of the bracket could be secured through suitable fasteners to the underside of the spa.
In further alternative examples, the bracket could be secured to a suitable support with fasteners, such as, for example, but not limited to, screws. The bracket is positioned with respect to the spa to enable the spa cover lifting device displace the cover so that it can be removed when the spa is in use.
For these examples, however, the bracket does not need to be secured to the spa housing, which is useful where the spa housing is manufactured from, for example, a composite plastic, or other material that might not have sufficient strength to support the spa cover lifting device.
Other aspects and features of the present teaching will become apparent, to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of specific examples.
The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples of articles, methods, and apparatuses of the present specification and are not intended to limit the scope of what is taught in any way. In the drawings:
Various apparatuses or processes will be described below to provide an example of an embodiment of each claimed invention. No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover processes or apparatuses that are not described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an embodiment of any claimed invention. The applicants, inventors or owners reserve all rights that they may have in any invention disclosed in an apparatus or process described below that is not claimed in this document, for example the right to claim such an invention in a continuing application and do not intend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document.
A spa cover lifting device that can be fitted to a variety of shapes of spa housings is generally shown at 10 in
The spa 14 generally comprises a housing 16. The spa 14 can feature a housing in a variety of shapes. For the example illustrated in
The spa cover 12 can be formed from a thick rigid insulating sheet covered with a fabric. The spa cover 12 is divided into portions, and, for the example illustrated, is divided into two portions 34, 36. To remove the spa cover 12 from the spa 14, the spa cover portion 34 is typically folded onto the spa cover portion 36, as illustrated in
In the example illustrated, the spa cover lifting device 10 generally comprises a U-shaped frame 38 that comprises a cross-member 40 and support arms 42 and 44. Alternate frame configurations can also be used, such as, for example, L-shaped frames having a cross-member and a single arm. The cross-member 40 is secured to the spa cover 12 as illustrated in
For the example illustrated, the U-shaped frame 38 comprises two corner elements 48, 50. As shown in
The corner elements 48, 50 may be constructed of tubular material having a generally circular cross-section, with the material of one of the cross-member portions 40a having a slightly smaller diameter than the other cross-member portion 40b. This permits one of the corner elements to fit within the other in a snug telescoping arrangement as at 52. The telescoping arrangement of the two corner elements 48, 50 allows the cross member 40 to be sized to fit generally across the width of the spa cover 12.
To mount the frame 38 of the spa cover lifting device 10 to the spa 14 an adjustable mount 54 is provided. For the example illustrated, the adjustable mount 54 comprises a bracket 56 adapted to be fixed adjacent the spa 14, and an extendible member 58 that is adjustably coupled to the bracket 56.
As best illustrated in
The body portion 60 of the bracket 56 generally comprises a hollow channel 64 of a slightly larger cross-section of the extendible member 58 so that the extendible member 58 can be slideably received within the hollow channel 64.
As mentioned, the extendable member 58 is, for the example illustrated, sized to fit slideably through the hollow channel 64 of the body portion 60 of the mounting bracket 56. In this way, the extendible member 58 is displacedly coupled to the bracket 56. For the example shown, the extendible member 58 also has a square cross section, though of a slightly smaller dimension than the cross section of the hollow channel 64 of the body portion 60 of the mounting bracket 56. It can be appreciated that other configurations of the extendible member 58 and the body portion 60 can be used. For example, but not to be considered limiting, the extendible member could be a sleeve that is slideably disposed over the body portion 60, or an externally threaded rod adapted to engage an internally threaded bore in body portion 60.
Once the extendible member 58 is adjusted in relation to the body portion 60 of the bracket 56, as will hereinafter be described, suitable locking means 66, such as, for example, but not limited to, bolts, screws, pins, and stop collars, can be used to secure the position of the extendible member 58 relative to the body portion 60 of the bracket 56.
For the example shown in
The extendible member 58 includes at one end thereof a connection portion (also called connection means 68) for connecting the frame 38 to the extendible mount 54. The connection means 68 can comprise, for example, but without limitation, a hole, a pin, or merely a portion of the surface of the extendible member 58. For the example illustrated, the connection means 68 comprises a pivot connection 71 (also referred to herein as pivotal connection 71) provided between a respective support arm 42, 44 of the frame 38 and secured to the corresponding extendible member 58. The pivotal connection 71 defines a pivot axis 71a, and allows the spa cover 12 to be removed from the spa 14 by swinging the frame 38, with the attached spa cover 12, upward and away from the spa 14, about the pivot axis 71a of the pivotal connection 71. As seen from
In use, an L-shaped frame having a single arm can be mounted adjacent the spa 14 using a single bracket 56. For the U-shaped frame 38 of the example illustrated, a pair of brackets 56 can be used. Each one of the pair of brackets 56 can be secured to opposed regions of the spa 14. In general, this would be on opposed sidewall portions of the housing 16 of the spa 14, such as sides 18, 26 of the spa 14 illustrated in
For certain shapes of housing 16a of spa 14a it might be necessary to provide a spacing block 57. For example, if side 32a were not parallel to side 28a for the spa illustrated in
Once the adjustable brackets 56 are in place, the extendible members 58 can be fitted into the hollow channel 64 presented by the body portions 60 of the brackets 56. The extendible members 58, and hence the pivotal connections 71, are displaceable relative to the brackets 56, and can be adjusted so that the respective pivotal connections 71 (for connection to the support arms 42, 44) are directly opposite to one another. Moreover, the extendible members 58 can be adjusted so that the pivotal connections 71 are located sufficiently away from the sides of the housing 16 of the spa 14, so that the spa cover 12 is free to swing about the pivotal connection 71 away from the spa 14. Typically the spa cover 12 is folded so that portion 34 overlies portion 36. A user can then grasp one of both of the support arms 42, 44 and swing the folded cover 12 about the pivotal connections 71 to the position illustrated in
In particular, spa housings are increasingly being made of materials other than wood, such as, for example, composite plastic. Such material will not support, for example, screws that can be used to secure a bracket to the spa housing.
Accordingly, an alternative bracket has been designed which is identical to the bracket disclosed in the first example with the exception that, at least one of the attachment elements 62a, is an extended flange 78, as best illustrated in
In further alternative examples, the bracket could be secured to other suitable supports through fasteners, so long as the adjustable mounts position the spa cover lifting device in a manner that the spa cover can be displaced so as to be removed from the spa when the spa is in use.
While the above description provides examples of one or more processes or apparatuses, it will be appreciated that other processes or apparatuses may be within the scope of the accompanying claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S. application Ser. No. 10/465,784, filed Jun. 20, 2003, now abandoned, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/389,923, filed Jun. 20, 2002, each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060230513 A1 | Oct 2006 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60389923 | Jun 2002 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10465784 | Jun 2003 | US |
Child | 11425614 | US |