1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to automatic swimming pool cover systems, and, in particular to a system for sequentially supporting, opening and closing a pool-deck lid covering below-deck troughs housing with the operation of powered pool cover systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Swimming pools integrated with pool cover systems extending and retracting covers across the pool surface are safer, energy efficient, less expensive and easier to maintain. Pool covers also prevent heat and water loss through evaporation. It is also desirable to curtail other water losses from pools where water is scarce.
Water splashing over into below-deck troughs housing pool cover systems is primary source water loss from so equipped swimming pools. In particular, the bond beam topping the pool wall between the pool and trough housing are necessarily lower than the surrounding pool deck to allow retraction and extension of pool covers anchored by pool cover tracks secured in or along adjacent pool side walls. [See For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,613, Ragsdale; U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,276, Mathis; U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,990, Last; & U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,141, Epple et al.]
Below-deck troughs housing pool cover systems adjacent a sidewall of a swimming pool also present structural and design problems affecting access to the pool. In particular the housing troughs require pool deck lid structures that integrate with the deck surrounding the pool, that are capable of supporting people sitting on, standing on and diving into the pool, and that allow unencumbered, safe human ingress and egress to and from the pool. The deck lid structures also must allow repair access to the pool cover machinery housed in the trough. Skilled pool designers also recognize that pool wide slots/openings that accommodate the extending and retracting components of pool covers traveling crossing back and forth across the pool from below deck housing troughs detract from pool aesthetics, and present tripping hazards to swimmers accessing and exiting the pool. Accordingly, pool designs have evolved that integrate the leading edge structure carrying the front of the pool cover back and forth over the pool, with the trough housing pool walls, and the trough housing deck lid where the leading edge structure of the pool cover system essentially covers, and/or conceals the pool wide slots/openings when the pool cover is fully retracted. [See U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,188, Epple et al.]
Below-deck troughs housing pool cover systems necessarily encumber accessing and exiting vanishing edge pools. To explain, infinite or vanishing edge pools typically present a below-deck or lowered poolside that allows pool water to flow over into a capturing outside wall gutter below line-of-sight from the opposite side of the pool. Accordingly, the lowered pool edge seemingly extends infinitely or vanishes into the landscape, especially waterscape backgrounds. The housing trough for a pool cover system must be installed adjacent one of the remaining pool walls s affecting access and exit to and from the pool via the remaining pool walls.
Typical housing trough, deck lid structures include braces secured to structural back walls of the housing troughs with support arms cantilevered across the troughs for supporting modular lid plates/trays that in turn integrate, in appearance, with deck top and coping surfaces on, and topping the pool walls. The pool cover deploys to and from the housing trough via the pool wide openings or slots through the pool wall below the deck lid and above a lowered bond beam topping the pool wall between the pool and housing trough. Repair access to the housing trough is accomplished by lifting the modular lid plates/trays off pairs off the supporting cantilever support arms. [See U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,318,243 & 7,011,782, Smith; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,886,188, & 6,769,141 Epple et al; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,862,756 & 6,446,276, Mathis.]
Another approach described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0059614, Bouiss, (2006), provides repair access by rotating a housing trough lid to a vertical position supported on a longitudinal axle spanning the length of the trough supported at the ends by the housing trough walls and medially by one or more axle supports standing on the trough bottom. A plurality of spar ribs perpendicularly extend from the longitudinal axle that in turn support one or more longitudinal deck lid plates that span across the length and width of the housing trough.
In either case, the free, extending ends of cantilever support arms/spars, whether supported by an axle, or structurally secured at the back wall of housing troughs, tend bend or flex downward, responsive to load (weight) supported. In particular, the weight of modular deck lid structures and any people standing/sitting on any modular deck-lid, cause supporting pair(s) of cantilever braces/spars to bend/flex downward. In short, cantilever arm braces/spars alone are ‘springy’, and do not provide static (unmoving or static) support to deck-lid structures covering below-deck troughs housing pool covers systems adjacent sidewalls of swimming pools.
An approach attempting to provide static support to cantilevered structures extending over below-deck troughs housing pool cover systems along sidewalls of swimming pools is described in UK Patent GB 2370760 B, Jeffery et al, issued 26 May 2004, that teaches supporting distal flat or planiform poolside ends of a plurality cantilever structures extending across a housing trough with a vertically translatable, longitudinal I-beam, hydraulically raised or jacked-up, adjacent the wall between the trough and the pool. In Jeffery, the pool cover is clamped between the flat extending cantilevered planiform poolside ends of the deck-lid structure and the top surface of the longitudinal beam structure when it is hydraulically raised to the support position. Jeffery et al also proposes water saving membrane secured between the top of the upwardly translating beam and the wall top between the housing trough and pool for containing water pool, i.e., to prevent pool water from splashing into the housing trough when the cover is fully retracted, wound up in the housing trough. In Jeffery, the cantilever structures are joined with the surrounding deck of the pool.
The Jeffery solution presents more problems than it solves. First the beam raised by the hydraulic jacks must squarely engage simultaneously across the entire length of the poolside planiform structures cantilevered over the housing trough to preclude risk of fracture of the overlying deck. Also, objects/debris on top of the pool cover trapped in the entry slot to the trough housing between the rising support beam and one or more of the cantilevered structures precludes square engagement again creating a risk of fracture of the overlying deck and coping elements above the trapped debris. Next, the cantilevered structure and the supported pool deck also must be sufficiently rigid to support the pool deck without the raised beam, yet have sufficient flexibility and strength to allow for loading of the rising beam at its end points without risk of fracturing the overlying pool deck at the junctures of the pool deck and coping elements cantilevered over the pool cover housing. Third, the scheme does not fail safe, i.e., static support under the structures cantilevered over the trough housing fails upon loss of hydraulic support in one or more of the supporting jacks.
Finally, Applicant in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,415 issued Sep. 6, 2005 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,291 issued Apr. 17, 2007 respectively describe hydraulic/pneumatic actuation systems, and hydraulically actuated modular lid structures for covering housing troughs located below bottom pool surfaces housing buoyant-slat pool cover systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,415, the Applicant describes a hydraulic/pneumatic actuation system having a forward/extension cycle for sequentially opening a pool bottom lid covering the housing trough below the pool bottom, then resisting/driving rotation of a cover drum unwinding a buoyant-slat cover from the housing trough to cover a pool, and shutting off. In the reverse or retraction cycle, the hydraulic/pneumatic actuation system sequentially drives rotation of a cover drum in the pool bottom trough retracting the buoyant-slat cover from the pool surface completely winding it up around the cover drum, then allows the pool bottom trough lid to close responsive to gravity that shuts the system off upon lid closure. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,291 the Applicant describes a modular pool bottom lid structure for covering a housing trough below the pool bottom adapted to be opened and closed by hydraulically actuated systems.
A pool deck-lid lift system for below-deck troughs housing pool cover systems for pools features:
a, 1b, 1c & 1d are schematic sketches illustrating the elements of the deck-lid lift system for covering below-deck troughs housing pool cover systems and exemplary hydraulic and/or pneumatic actuation control schemes for synchronizing raising and closing the deck-lid lift system with operation of hydraulically actuated pool cover systems.
a, 4b, 5a & 5b, are sketches illustrating different features of the modular deck-lid top plates supported between pairs of the extending support arms of the cantilever bracket structure and the structural features of the front, poolside, longitudinal seating structure fastened to the distal ends of the extending support arms.
c is an image depicting the underside of the modular deck-lid top plates.
a) illustrates a stop block fastened to the traveling leading edge beam of the pool cover system for positively stopping pool cover retraction upon contact against the base section of the bond-beam of the adjacent pool wall between the pool and housing trough.
For context, and a clearer understanding of the features of Applicant's A
In more detail, as schematically illustrated in cross-section in
In, more detail, looking at
Alternatively, each vertical actuator arm 34 of the cantilever bracket structure 31 may be movably secured and supported on a downwardly extending, inclined track structures 42 fastened at the top the back wall 32 of the trough 11, and statically supported on the trough bottom.
The front longitudinal seating structure(s) 27 of the pool-deck lid 28 are mechanically fastened proximate to, and hanging from the extending distal ends 43 of the plurality of extending support arms 33 of the cantilever structure 31. Removable modular deck-lid top plates 44 are statically supported on top of, and, at least, between each pair of the extending support arms 33. The modular deck-lid top plates 44 comprise a bottom ¼″ steel plate 46 spanning between at least two of the extending support arms 33 and extending from the back wall 32 of the trough over and just beyond the front longitudinal seating structure 27 having a depending, front L-lip 47 that both stiffens the front edge of the plate 46 and supports coping material integrating the poolside edge of the pool-deck lid 28 with the above water sides of the pool 16. (See
As shown in
In the embodiment illustrated in
The steel plate 46, rear edge L-lips 49 of the modular deck-lid top plate 44 shown in
Turning now to
Further, pool cover systems typical include pulley systems for directing cabling along the back wall 32 of the housing trough 11 connecting between on or more cable reels housed within the trough 11 and sliders 19 carrying the leading edge beam 17 anchored to the front corners of the pool cover 14, sliding in pool cover tracks 21 along opposite pool sidewalls 18 that exit the pool cover tracks 21 at opposite ends into the housing trough 11 along the back wall 32 of the trough 11. [See Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,798,
Looking at
Equivalently, the adjustment assembly 83 could comprise a threaded adjustment rod or bolt 84 screwing coaxially into and out of the piston 85 of any particular single action, short thrust, hydraulic cylinder 81 that engages the opposing face/wall of the actuator box beam 36.
In particular, as described and shown in
Looking at
In more detail, each adjustment assembly 83 includes a threaded adjustment rod or bolt 84 with a head 86 axially aligned with the head 82 of the piston 85 of a particular single action, short thrust, hydraulic actuator cylinder 81. The threaded adjustment rod/bolts 84 extend via an adjustment port 87 drilled through wall side of the box beam 36 helically screwing through a nut 87 welded on the outside wall surface of the beam 36 opposite the hydraulic actuators 81. The adjustment port ideally should have a diameter greater than both the diameter of rod/bolt head 86 and piston head 82 of the hydraulic actuator cylinder 81 to increase the range of possible adjustment. Lock nuts are screwed onto the emerging shanks of the adjustment rod/bolts 84 for setting the adjustment for each particular single action, short thrust, hydraulic actuator cylinders 81.
In particular, the object is to only ‘tilt-and-hold’ pool-deck lid 28 supported by the cantilever bracket structure 31 tilted upward, lifting the depending front seating structure(s) 27 off the receiving top surface 26 of the end wall 24 sufficiently to assure release and, free, unencumbered, extension and retraction travel of the pool cover and any other traveling pool cover elements that may be clamped, sandwiched or held between the front longitudinal seating structure(s) 27 of the resting pool-deck lid 28 and the underlying top surface 26 of the end wall 24. However, remember and appreciate, as with most in field constructions, spacing between the housing trough back wall 32 and the actuator box beam 36 will invariably be different at different points along the length of the actuator beam 36 despite efforts to achieve precision. Also the throws or reach of hydraulic actuators even from a common manufacturer are never precisely the same. Also it can advantageous to be able to use hydraulic actuators with different throws and from different manufacturers. The described adjustment assemblies 83 preferably are adjusted to permit full extension of each of the piston heads of the single action, hydraulic actuators 81 tilting the cantilever bracket structure 31. Full extension of hydraulically and pneumatically single action pistons within actuating cylinders increases pressure within such powered systems. If the hydraulic/pneumatic power source provides fluid pressure greater than that necessary to effect full extension of the particular, or set of such particular piston actuators, the change in pressure provides a means for holding extension of the particular or set of such particular piston actuators, e.g., those tilting the pool deck lid 28, while driving other component in the involved system requiring higher hydraulic or pneumatic pressure. Discussion and description of implementations of hydraulic/pneumatic systems using such pressure parameters for sequentially tilting the pool-deck lid 28 and extending and retracting the pool cover 14 with reversible hydraulic/pneumatic powered pool cover system are presented below.
Turning now
The leading edge beam 17 also carries bumper stops 97 fastened below the back C-channel 22 preferably at the respective ends of the beam 17. Bumpers stops 97 may also be similarly mounted at various points along the leading edge beam 17 between the ends. As shown the bumper stops 97 should extend out from the tubular beam body to just beyond the front edge of the back C-channel edge 22 of the leading edge beam 17 to prevent deformation of the C-channel due to impacts against the front top edge of the longitudinal seating block 93 that the pool cover 14 slides over as it winds and unwinds from around the cover drum 12 in the housing trough 11. Suitable bumper stops 97 should be composed of a relatively stiff, resilient inert material like silicone rubber or POM.
Additionally, the above described right-angle, leading edge beams 17a eliminate the necessity for connecting plates 37 between the beam structure and the sliders 19 per the teachings of Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,798, [See
Pool decks 41 vary significantly in thickness depending on the surface desired, e.g. coping stone or tile. Also pools 16, housing troughs 11 are constructed and components of pool cover systems are assembled in the field. Variations in elevation between cooperating elements of the constructed pool and housing trough, and components of the pool cover system assembled/installed in the constructed pool and housing trough will invariably occur. The thickness of the longitudinal 93 seating block mounted on top of the end wall 24 can not be easily adjusted, just changed. However, the elevation of the front seating structure(s) 27 supported depending from the support arms 33 of the cantilever bracket structure 31 can be adjusted as illustrated in
In particular,
As illustrated the heads 113 of the adjustment allen screws 112 extend above the top surface 109 of the shimming blocks 106 and are received seated in stepped holes 114 drilled into the bottom surface 114 of the overlying POM planks 27i & 27ii. The heads 112 of the adjustment allen screws 112 seat on the annular shoulder of the stepped holes 114. Access to the heads 112 of the adjustment allen screws 111 is afforded by drilling access ports 116 through the overlying L-beam 76. Equivalently, the stepped holes 114 receiving and seating the heads 113 of the adjustment allen screws 112 could be provided by drilling a holes completely through the overlying POM planks 27i & 27ii sized to receive the heads 112 of the adjustment allen screws 111 extending up from the shimming block 106 and drilling access ports 114 through the overlying L-beam 76 sized smaller than the heads 112 of the adjustment allen screws 111.
In either case, the elevation and angular orientation of the planer bottom surface 111 of the shimming block 106 can be adjusted by:
It is well recognized by engineers and designers that designs for hydraulic or pneumatic actuation systems typically have hydraulic or pneumatic components are equivalent in that components in pneumatic systems will perform substantially the same functions, in substantially the same ways to achieve substantially the same results as the hydraulic counterparts of those components in hydraulic systems with essential one fundamental difference. Hydraulic fluid is liquid thus incompressible, while pneumatic fluids are gas thus compressible. In context of the Applicant's present A
a schematically illustrates a dual, reversible hydraulic motor system described in Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,184,357, 5,327,590 and his pending patent application published at US2008/0178587. The reversible hydraulic motors 12m and 13m respectively power and resist rotation of the cover drum 12 and the cable reel(s) 13 as indicated by lines connecting to the cover drum 12 and cable reel(s) 13. As indicated, the reversible hydraulic motors 12m and 13m and associated anti-cavitation manifold 121 are housed in the housing trough 11 with the hydraulic actuator cylinders 81 tilting the pool-deck lid 28 covering the housing trough 11. The hydraulic power source (a pump) 122, the associated fluid reservoir 123, a momentary electrical control 132, a directional control valve 124, pressure sequencing valves 126 and 127 are each remotely located, not in the housing trough but rather at a power pack location and control station. Hydraulic lines 128, 129, and 131 respective connect between the remote hydraulic power source 122 and the motors 12m, 13m, powering the cover drum 12 and cable reel(s) and hydraulic actuator cylinders 81 tilting the pool-deck lid 28.
To retract the pool cover 14 from across the pool, a normally open momentary electrical control switch 132 that activates at either a left or right position is activated left and held (see arrows at 132) turning on the hydraulic power source (pump) 122, and shifts directional control valve 124 left 122 via electrical lines 134 and 135 connecting between the control station and the power pack locations for simultaneously supplying fluid and pressure to the single acting hydraulic cylinders 81 via hydraulic line 131 for tilting the pool-deck lid 28 up, and to reversible hydraulic motor 12m via hydraulic line 129 through power sequence valve 126 that blocks flow temporarily until a preset pressure level is reached. Accordingly the actuating pistons 85 of the single acting hydraulic cylinders 81 fully extend tilting the pool-deck lid 28 upward lifting its depending front seating structure(s) 27 off the receiving top surface 26 of the pool end wall 24 sufficiently to assure release and free, unencumbered, retraction travel of the pool cover before reversible hydraulic motor 12m is actuated.
Upon full extension of the actuating pistons 85 of the single acting hydraulic cylinders 81 there is a consequent increase of pressure within the hydraulic system. At the preset pressure, power sequence valve 126 releases allowing fluid flow and pressure to actuate (drive) reversible hydraulic motor 12m for rotating the cover drum 12 winding up the pool cover 14 retracting it and the leading edge beam 17 from across, uncovering the pool.
For extension of the pool cover 14, the momentary electrical control switching 132 is held at the right position turning on the hydraulic power source (pump) 122 and shifts directional control valve 124 left via electrical lines 134 & 135 for simultaneously supplying fluid and pressure to the single acting hydraulic cylinders 81 via hydraulic line 131 again for tilting the pool-deck lid 28 up, and then to reversible hydraulic motor 13m via hydraulic line 130 through power sequence valve 127 that blocks flow temporarily until the preset pressure level is reached, allowing the single acting hydraulic cylinders 81 to first, fully tilt the pool-deck lid 28 back up lifting its depending front seating structure(s) 27 off the receiving top surface 26 of the pool end wall 24 sufficiently to assure release and free, unencumbered, extension travel of the pool cover 14 across the pool 16. Upon full extension of the actuating pistons 85 of the single acting hydraulic cylinders 81 there is again a consequent increase of pressure within hydraulic the hydraulic system. At the preset pressure, power sequence valve 127 releases and fluid flow and pressure for actuating and driving reversible hydraulic motor 13m rotating the cable reel(s) unwinding the pool cover 14 from around the cover drum 12 extending the cover and the leading edge beam 17 back across the pool 16 to, the opposite end wall covering the pool 16.
Release of the momentary electrical control switch 132 held at either the left or right position, cuts electrical power to the hydraulic power source (pump) 122 turning it off, and to the directional control valve 124 which returns to its normally center position permitting fluid flow from actuated components of system to the fluid reservoir 123 via hydraulic lines 129, 130 and 131. Accordingly, the fluid in actuated ingle acting hydraulic cylinders 81 statically resisting the force of gravity and mass (weight) of the tilted pool-deck lid 28 is drains to reservoir 123 from the hydraulic cylinders 81 and the actuating pistons 85 sink back into the hydraulic cylinders 81 at a rate determined the flow rates allowed by hydraulic line 131 connecting through the directional control valve 124 to reservoir 133. As the hydraulic fluid exhausts from the hydraulic cylinders 81, the pool-deck lid 28 gradually tilts back to a down position where the front longitudinal seating structures 27 seats on the pool cover 14 and the underlying longitudinal seating block 93 on top of the pool end wall 24. In the down position, the pool-deck lid 28 statically rests solidly on the pool end wall 24 and the hinge pin assemblies anchored on the back wall 32 of the housing trough 11. The pool cover 15, whether at the fully retracted position, or at the fully extended position, or anywhere in between is clamped, sandwiched between seating block 27 on top of the pool end wall 24 and the depending poolside front longitudinal seating structures(s) 27 of the pool-deck lid 28 statically resting solidly on that end wall 24.
Normally open, momentary, control switching systems, whether electrical, hydraulic pneumatic, or a combination thereof for activating and interrupting extension and retraction of powered pool cover systems is a prescribed best pool safety practice that requires an observing human presence for manually initiating, and for controlling extension and retraction travel of a pool cover over a pool.
b) is a schematic of a dual, reversible hydraulic motor system described in Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,184,357, 5,327,590 and his pending patent application published at US2008/0178587 with a shuttle valve 136 located in the housing trough 11 that eliminates the hydraulic line 131 connecting between the remote power pack location and the hydraulic actuator cylinders 81. Upon pressurizing either line 129 or 130, either line 138 or line 139 connecting to shuttle valve 136 are respectively pressurized, shifting the shuttle ball 137 respectively to the right or left to block flow to the right or left side of the hydraulic circuit energizing the reversible hydraulic motors 12m & 13m, but allows flow to line 8 to actuate the cylinder 20. Sequence valve 11 does not allow flow to the pool cover drive motor 15 until the cylinder 20 reaches full extension and causes the system pressure to rise to the preset point where flow is allowed to the pool cover drive motor 15.
c) schematically presents a hydraulic system essentially the same as that show in
d) is schematic illustrating the elements of a suitable hydraulic system powered by a single reversible hydraulic pool cover drive motor 146 coupled to a reversing clutch device 147 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,613, Ragsdale et al, for alternatively rotating the cover drum 12 or the cable reel(s) 13 for retracting and extending the pool cover 14. As with the dual, reversible hydraulic motor systems described above, flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid is initially directed by one or the other the pressure sequencing valves 126 and 127 to the hydraulic actuators 81 tilting the deck lid up that then open at a preset pressure to directing the higher pressure hydraulically fluid to appropriately drive the reversible hydraulic motor 146 for rotating the cover drum 12 or the cable reel(s) 13 for retracting or extending the pool cover 14 back and forth across the pool 16.
In each the hydraulic system schematically illustrated in
From the above discussion, it should be further noted that each schematically illustrated hydraulic system is designed to power or drive a complete actuating action of first set of actuator components from a resting state to an actuated state at a first low pressure, then to power or drive a second set of actuator components at a higher pressure in the system induced by the completion of the actuating action of first set of actuator components, where the induced higher pressure holds or maintains the first set of actuator components at the actuated state action until the system is turned off, allowing the first set of actuator components to return to a resting state responsive to an external force. In this context, a hydraulic designer should consider, that in specifying components for hydraulic system for sequentially supporting, opening and closing a pool-deck lid covering below-deck troughs housing coordinated with operation of a powered pool cover system as described herein to:
This Application claims all benefits applicable under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/120,822 filed on behalf of the Applicant on 8 Dec. 2008 entitled “AUTOMATED HINGED LID FOR POOL COVER RECESS”, and incorporates U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/120,822 in its entirety herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2009/067224 | 12/8/2009 | WO | 00 | 3/23/2011 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2010/077695 | 7/8/2010 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20020046817 | Last | Apr 2002 | A1 |
20020073486 | Bertoni | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20030084502 | Epple et al. | May 2003 | A1 |
20060059614 | Bouiss | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060070377 | Last | Apr 2006 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110167553 A1 | Jul 2011 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61120822 | Dec 2008 | US |