Patent Application
20180094835
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The disclosure and prior art relates to heat exchange assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new heat exchange assembly for heating a pool.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that defines an internal space. The housing has a top that is open. A lid, which is complementary to the top and substantially transparent, is sealably couplable to the housing to cover the top. A tube is loopedly positioned in the internal space. The tube has opposing endpoints that are positioned through the housing. Each of a pair of couplers is coupled singly to the endpoints of the tube. The lid is configured to allow sunlight to pass through the lid into the internal space, wherein the internal space is heated relative to the ambient environment. The tube is configured to transfer heat from the internal space to liquid passing through the tube. The couplers are configured to couple the tube to a reservoir of liquid, such as a pool.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A lid 18, which is complementary to the top 16, is sealably couplable to the housing 12 to cover the top 16. The lid 18 is substantially transparent. The lid 18 is positioned on the housing 12 such that the lid 18 is configured to allow sunlight to pass through the lid 18 into the internal space 14. The internal space 14 is heated relative to the ambient environment. In one embodiment, the lid 18 is arcuate. In another embodiment, the lid 18 comprises glass. In yet another embodiment, the lid 18 comprises plexiglass.
A tube 20 is loopedly positioned in the internal space 14. The tube 20 has opposing endpoints 22 that are positioned through the housing 12. The tube 20 is positioned in the internal space 14 such that the tube 20 is configured to transfer heat from the internal space 14 to liquid passing through the tube 20. In one embodiment, each opposing endpoint 22 is positioned through a respective opposing end 24 of the housing 12. In another embodiment, the opposing endpoints 22 are positioned proximate to a respective opposing side 26 of the housing 12.
In one embodiment, the tube 20 comprises plastic. In another embodiment, the tube 20 comprises polyvinylchloride. In yet another embodiment, the tube 20 is black. In still yet another embodiment, the tube 20 comprises metal.
Each of a pair of couplers 28 is coupled singly to the endpoints of the tube 20. The couplers 28 are positioned on the tube 20 such that the couplers 28 are configured to couple the tube 20 to a reservoir of liquid, such as a pool.
A plurality of heat transfer blocks 30 is positioned in the internal space 14. The heat transfer blocks 30 are positioned in the internal space 14 such that the heat transfer blocks 30 are configured to absorb sunlight passing through the lid 18. The heat transfer blocks 30 are positioned to transfer heat to the tube 20. In one embodiment, the heat transfer blocks 30 are positioned between the tube 20 and a bottom 32 of the housing 12. In another embodiment, the heat transfer blocks 30 also are positioned between the tube 20 and the lid 18. In yet another embodiment, the heat transfer blocks 30 comprises lava rocks 34.
A plurality of cross supports 36 is coupled to and extends between the opposing sides 26 of the housing 12. The cross supports 36 are positioned in the internal space 14 such that the cross supports 36 are positioned to retain the tube 20 within the heat transfer blocks 30. In one embodiment, the cross supports 36 are positioned proximate to the top 16. In another embodiment, the cross supports 36 are substantially evenly spaced between the opposing ends 24 of the housing 12. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of cross supports 36 comprises three cross supports 36.
The present invention also anticipates a platform that is coupled to and extends from the bottom 32 of the housing 12.
In use, the lid 18 is configured to allow sunlight to pass through the lid 18 into the internal space 14. The internal space 14 is heated relative to the ambient environment. The heat transfer blocks 30 are positioned in the internal space 14 such that the heat transfer blocks 30 are configured to absorb sunlight passing through the lid 18. The heat transfer blocks 30 are positioned to transfer heat to the tube 20. The tube 20 is configured to transfer heat from the internal space 14 to liquid passing through the tube 20. The couplers 28 are configured to couple the tube 20 to a reservoir of liquid, such as a pool.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
