Patent Application
20230235585
The present subject matter generally relates to construction of a fountain or a waterfall in a body of water. More specifically, the present subject matter relates to a kit containing all parts formed of prefabricated water feature or containment structures necessary for constructing a yard fountain.
Waterfalls and fountains provide aesthetic and pleasant sounds, help to regulate the temperature of the water, etc. The enduring popularity of both waterfalls and fountains make them desirable for artistic, recreational and commercial uses. There are numerous prefabricated modular water containment structures that homeowners, residential and commercial builders, landscape architects can use for a water feature, fountain base, or water reservoir. The water containment structures include, but not limited to, roughs, galvanized and plastic water basins, concrete prefabricated fountain basins. Most water containment structures are made on-site with formed poured concrete bottoms and walls and gunite or shotcrete surfacing. Landscape architects and engineers utilize various techniques for backyard ponds and stream creation using different liner materials.
There is a continuing and growing need for homeowners and commercial buildings to have water features. Small spaces require innovative techniques to provide water containment structures with moving water.
Several techniques have been disclosed in the past to provide water containment structures. One such example is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,420, entitled, “Portable Fountain for Pools or Spas” (“the '420 patent”). The '420 patent discloses a pool or spa portable fountain which comprises a pedestal, an upright tube supported by the pedestal, a duct which is supported by the pedestal to extend upwardly within the tube, a discharge head which is connected to the upper end of the duct and is capable of discharging water under pressure to form a fountain spray pattern, and a hose extending from a lower portion of the duct and via the interior of the pedestal to the exterior thereof, to receive a pressurized stream of water for delivery to the duct. The pedestal and tube are dimensioned so as to have the top portion of the tube project above the water surface level when the fountain is positioned on the bottom of the pool.
Another example is disclosed in a Chinese Patent Publication No. 112718364, entitled, “Controllable Multi-Functional Fountain Water Type Device of Water Type And Water Yield” (“the '364 Publication”). The '364 Publication discloses a water type and controllable multi-functional fountain water type device of water yield, including: the base, all bolted connections have fixed frame around the base top, the central department bolted connection at base top has fixed pipe. The water pump is used for conveying the purified water into the fan-shaped spray heads, so that the water type is molded into a fan shape, the ornamental value of the fountain is improved. A user can conveniently convey the purified water into the drain pipe by using the water pump through the matching of the water pipe, the connecting pipe, the drain pipe, the pipeline and the spray heads, the ornamental value of the fountain is further improved.
The above-discussed devices have few problems. For example, fountains routinely require that the water pumps remain in clear sight. The designs are functional; however, they are visually unappealing. Premanufactured fountains commonly hide water pumps within the structure's construction, making it difficult to repair or replace water pumps. In addition, the premanufactured fountains themselves are typically uniform and lack creative variation.
Therefore, there is a need for a kit containing all parts necessary for erecting a prefabricated water feature or containment structures that homeowners, residential and commercial builders, landscape architects can use for a water feature, fountain base, or water reservoir. In addition, there is a need for creative spirit to expand, allowing for innovative designs and an inexpensive economic alternative to the prefabricated water features.
It is an object of the present subject matter to provide a kit containing all parts necessary for erecting a prefabricated water feature or containment structures and that avoids the drawbacks of known water containment structures or premanufactured fountains.
It is another object of the present subject matter to provide a prefabricated submersible hollow concrete water pump pedestal for water containment structures.
In order to achieve one or more objects, the present subject matter presents a kit containing all parts necessary for erecting a prefabricated water feature or containment enclosure that homeowners, residential and commercial builders, landscape architects can use for a water feature, fountain base, or water reservoir.
In one aspect of the present subject matter, the kit includes a prefabricated three-inch structural steel channels of various lengths, steel support struts, corner sections, steel corner support gussets, a centre steel support band, eight steel attachment plates, four airplane cord channel joining devices, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) liners, concrete board inner and outer wall panels, containing all the necessary cut-outs to accommodate prefabricated plumbing and electrical assemblies. The kit further includes rivets, stainless steel screws, lock washers and nuts, and liner metal terminating strip required for erecting the prefabricated water feature. The kit also includes all the required piping and wiring needed to connect plumbing and electrical assemblies to external sources. In addition, the kit includes instructions for footer placement and levelling the structure on location.
In one advantageous feature of the present subject matter, the kit allows for excellent utility and expands choices when designing water features for home and commercial use.
In another advantageous feature of the present subject matter, the kit allows for constructing a water containment structure that is simple and permanent. The kit can be easily deconstructed and moved with minimal effort.
In another aspect, the present subject matter discloses a prefabricated submersible hollow concrete water pump pedestal for water containment structures that homeowners, residential and commercial builders, landscape architects can use for a water feature or fountain. The hollow pedestal is made from poured concrete stabilized with a steel rebar inner frame i.e., from a concrete panel riveted to a cage of tubular steel. The pump housing accommodates most commercially available water pumps. The pump housing incorporates debris filtering water return without skimmer boxes. The pedestal contains all the necessary cut-outs to accommodate prefabricated plumbing and electrical assemblies for fountain construction. The pump housing also includes all the required piping and wiring needed to connect polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plumbing and electrical assemblies to external sources. The pump housing includes a plurality of adjustable supporting techniques for levelling the pedestal on location within the water containment structure.
In one advantageous feature of the present subject matter, the pump housing allows the creative spirit to expand, allowing for innovative designs and an inexpensive economic alternative to the prefabricated water features.
In another advantageous feature of the present subject matter, the kit helps to construct a yard structure that is unique with each use. The kit including prefabricated components can be sold and shipped for ease of construction and use.
Features and advantages of the subject matter hereof will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of selected embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying FIGUREs. As will be realised, the subject matter disclosed is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject matter. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature.
Further features and advantages of the present subject matter will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:
It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.
Before the present features and working principle of a kit is described, it is to be understood that this subject matter is not limited to the particular device as described, since it may vary within the specification indicated. Various features of a kit might be provided by introducing variations within the components/subcomponents disclosed herein. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present subject matter, which will be limited only by the appended claims. The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.
The present subject matter discloses a kit including water containment structures and prefabricated submersible pump housing. The kit includes all parts necessary for erecting a prefabricated water feature or containment enclosure that homeowners, residential and commercial builders, landscape architects can use for a water feature, fountain base, or water reservoir. The kit includes a prefabricated three-inch structural steel channel of various lengths, steel support struts, corner sections, steel corner support gussets, a centre steel support band, eight steel attachment plates, four airplane cord channel joining devices, concrete board inner and outer wall panels, containing all the necessary cut-outs to accommodate prefabricated plumbing and electrical assemblies. The kit further includes rivets, stainless steel bolts, lock washers and nuts. The kit also includes all the required piping and wiring needed to connect such plumbing and electrical assemblies to external sources.
Various features and embodiments of a kit are explained in conjunction with the description of
In accordance with the present subject matter, the kit includes components required for constructing a water containment structure such as a fountain, for example. The user can select the parts depending on the need and construct the water containment structure by installing the components available in the kit.
In one embodiment, the kit presents a prefabricated submersible hollow concrete water pump pedestal (hollow pedestal or pump housing) for water containment structures. The hollow pedestal is made from poured concrete stabilized with a steel rebar inner frame. The hollow pedestal accommodates water pumps. Here, the pump housing incorporates debris filtering water return without skimmer boxes. The hollow pedestal contains all the necessary cut-outs to accommodate prefabricated plumbing and electrical assemblies for fountain construction. The kit also includes all the required piping and wiring needed to connect PVC plumbing and electrical assemblies to external sources. The kit will also contain a plurality of adjustable supporting techniques for levelling the pedestal on location within the water containment structure.
In accordance with the present subject matter, a user such as a homeowner, residential or commercial builder, or landscape architect can use the kit and construct a yard fountain that looks like a custom construction. Here, the kit includes pre-constructed parts which the user can utilise as a do-it-yourself (DIY) method without the need for others. The kit comes with instructions for attaching the prefabricated three-inch structural steel channels of various lengths, steel support struts, corner sections, steel corner support gussets, a centre steel support band, eight steel attachment plates, four airplane cord channel joining devices, concrete board inner and outer wall panels. In addition, the kit also includes piping and wiring needed to connect the plumbing and electrical assemblies to external sources. This way, a manufacturer can ship the kit, which the user can use to construct the yard structure. The user can construct a unique yard structure depending on the need and space available. As such, the presently disclosed kit provides excellent utility and expands the choices for the user when designing water features for home and commercial use. The user can use the kit to construct a water feature, fountain base, water reservoir and the like.
The kit can be used to construct water containment structures easily as temporary or permanent structures. Further, if required, the user can uninstall the water containment structure and transport the parts with minimal effort to another location.
A person skilled in the art appreciates that the kit containing prefabricated components may come in a variety of sizes depending on the need and comfort of the user. Further, different materials in addition to or instead of materials described herein may also be used and such implementations may be construed to be within the scope of the present subject matter. Further, many changes in the design and placement of components may take place without deviating from the scope of the presently disclosed kit.
In the above description, numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of some embodiments, specific components, devices, methods, in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present subject matter. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that these specific details need not be employed, and should not be construed to limit the scope of the subject matter.
In the development of any actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints. Such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but may nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill. Hence as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the subject matter, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
The foregoing description of embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel principles and subject matter disclosed herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use of the innovative faculty. It is contemplated that additional embodiments are within the spirit and true scope of the disclosed subject matter.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/303,328, filed Jan. 26, 2022; all of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63303328 | Jan 2022 | US |
