LANDSCAPE POOL SLIDE

Abstract

A method for installing a modular swimming pool slide for integration with landscaping elements. The method includes joining upper, lower, and intermediate slide shell segments in series and installing the joined segments adjacent a pool with a support kit supporting the upper slide segment on a surface adjacent the pool at a higher elevation than the lower slide shell segment. The intermediate slide shell segment is suspended above the surface adjacent the pool by the upper and lower slide shell segments. The joined slide shell segments define a single flume for receiving and guiding a human rider into the pool.

Description

BACKGROUND

Field

This application relates generally to pool slides.

Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

Some swimming pools incorporate landscaping elements such as waterfalls, rock walls, gardens, etc. Occasionally, these landscaping elements incorporate a pool slide. Unlike more common pool slides, these landscaping-integrated slides are generally not freestanding structures supported at their upper ends by a built-in ladder section. Instead, numerous supports are generally attached at intervals along the underside of the slide to hold it up, while earth and stone are piled up to reach the sides of the slide. Steps are generally built into the landscaping to form a pathway leading up to the top of the slide. The result is a slide that appears to be built into or onto a hillside next to the pool.

SUMMARY

A method for installing a modular swimming pool slide for integration into landscaping elements. The method comprises the following steps: providing an upper slide shell segment, a lower slide shell segment, and at least one intermediate slide shell segment; joining the upper, lower, and intermediate slide shell segments in series so that the intermediate slide shell segment is connected between the lower slide shell segment and the upper slide shell segment; and installing the connected slide shell segments adjacent a pool by attaching a support kit between the upper slide segment and a surface adjacent the pool such that the upper slide shell segment is supported at a higher elevation than the lower slide shell segment, and such that the intermediate slide shell segment is suspended above the surface adjacent the pool, by the upper and lower slide shell segments, and such that all the slide shell segments are positioned and aligned in such a way as to define a single flume for receiving a human rider at an upper section of the flume formed in the upper slide shell segment and guiding the rider along an intermediate section of the flume formed into the intermediate slide shell segment, and into the adjacent pool via a lower section of the flume formed in the lower slide shell segment.

DRAWING DESCRIPTIONS

These and other features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art in connection with the following detailed description and drawings of one or more embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular swimming pool slide;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a left-turn embodiment of the slide of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the slide of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the slide of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the slide of FIG. 1 embedded in landscaping elements adjacent a pool;

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded view of separated segments of the slide of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of alternative ladder segments replaceable by an upper segment of the slides of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of a modular swimming pool slide for integration into landscaping elements are shown in the Figures at 10 and 10′. While only left and right turn embodiments are shown in the Figures, the following description may apply to embodiments having many other slide shapes. While the left turn embodiment is indicated in the Figures by numbers carrying a prime (′) symbol, any number used in this description may be assumed to apply to all embodiments unless explicitly contradicted by the Figures, or by the description itself.

The slide 10 comprises several slide shell segments configured to be connected end-to-end in series, and a support kit configured to support at least one of the slide shell segments at a higher elevation than the others. The slide shell segments may include a lower slide shell segment 12, one or more intermediate slide shell segments 14, and an upper slide shell segment 16 configured to be supported by the support kit at an elevation higher than the lower slide shell segment 12. When connected in series, the intermediate slide shells 14 connect the lower slide shell 12 to the upper slide shell 16, and all the slide shell segments are positioned and aligned to define a single flume for receiving a human rider at an upper end of the flume 18 formed in the upper slide shell segment 16, and guiding the rider along an intermediate section of the flume 20 formed into the intermediate slide shell segments 14, and into an adjacent pool 60 via a lower end of the flume 22 formed in the lower slide shell segment 12.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the support kit may be attached between the upper slide segment 16 and a surface 24 adjacent the pool 60 so that the upper slide shell segment 16 is supported at a higher elevation than the lower slide shell segment 12. The support kit may comprise metal tubes 26, and sockets 28 for receiving upper ends of the tubes 26 may be formed in a bottom surface 30 of the upper slide shell segment 16. The sockets 28 and tubes 26 may also include fastener holes 32 aligned to permit fasteners 34 to secure the tubes 26 in the sockets 28. The tubes 26 may be sized to support the upper slide shell segment 16 at a higher level than the lower slide shell segment 12 when the pool slide 10 is placed upright on the surface 24. The tubes 26 may include feet 36, and the feet 36 may comprise sheet metal structures attached to respective lower ends of the tubes 26 and oriented to lie flat against the pool-adjacent surface 24. As shown in FIG. 1, one or more of the feet 36 may join multiple tubes 26 to improve rigidity. The feet 36 may also include fastener holes 38 to allow the feet 36 to be secured by fasteners 40 to the pool-adjacent surface 24. While the support kit supports the upper slide shell segment 16, the lower slide shell segment 12 may include its own fastener-hole-equipped foot 42 configured to support the lower slide shell segment 12 closer to the level of the pool-adjacent surface. In the Figures, this lower segment foot 42 is shown as a molded structure that is not part of the support kit, however, in other embodiments, the lower segment's foot 42 may be constructed differently, for example, it might comprise a tube and sheet metal foot configuration similar to that used by the support kit.

The intermediate slide shell segments 14 are supported above the pool-adjacent surface 24 (such as the ground or a pool deck) by the upper 16 and lower 12 slide shell segments. Connections 44 between the intermediate slide shell segments 14 and the upper 16 and lower 12 slide shell segments may be strong enough to suspend the intermediate slide shell segments 14 above the ground without requiring struts or other supports to be positioned between the ground and one or more of the intermediate slide shell segments 14. To add rigidity to the interconnected slide shell segments the slide shell segments may be fabricated as enclosed hollow shells via a process such as rotomolding.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the connections 44 between slide shell segments may comprise stepped interfaces formed at upper and lower segment ends 46 of each intermediate slide shell segment 14—as well as on one end 46 of each of the upper 16 and lower 12 slide shell segments. The stepped interfaces 44 may be shaped to positively align with adjacent slide shell segments, and each interface 44 may include fastener holes 48 that align with fastener holes 48 in adjacent slide shell segments when the stepped interfaces 44 are aligned.

As shown in FIG. 6, flexible gaskets 50 may be inserted between the slide shell segments to prevent water from leaking between the slide shell segments. The gaskets 50 may be made of foam rubber, or any other suitable gasket material. Once alignment between fastener holes 48 is achieved, all the slide shell segments may be fixed together by securing fasteners 52 through the aligned fastener holes 48 of the slide shell segments, compressing the gaskets 50 and rendering the flume 18-22 watertight.

The strength of the joint provided by these rotomolded stepped interfaces 44 provides the strength necessary for the slide 10 to support its intermediate segments 14 via the upper 16 and lower 12 segments prior to installation of landscaping elements 54 around the slide 10. The simple support structure and modular interfaces also enable a much faster construction of the slide 10. Rotomolding also provides a finished look to the slide shell segments' exteriors, which may be left partly exposed, obviating any aesthetic need for landscaping to precisely cover all but finished upper surfaces and the flume 18-22 of the slide 10.

Once the slide 10 is installed adjacent the pool 60, landscaping elements 54 may be provided around the slide 10, as shown in FIG. 5. This may include forming or installing a path 56 or steps leading to the upper slide shell segment 16 to provide access for slide riders. Landscape elements 54 may also be built up around and/or over the feet 36 of the support kit so that at least one of the upper 16, intermediate 14, and lower 12, slide shell segments is given additional support by the built landscape elements 54, and/or so that the support kit is hidden from view. This may include moving earth to build features such as a hill, retaining wall, artificial cliff, or waterfall around or adjacent the slide 10.

The standardized slide shell segments described above may also be sold with one or more ladder segments 58, shown in FIG. 7, in place of the upper slide shell segment 16, and the upper slide shell segment 16 and support kit may be provided as a retrofit option to customers that wish to convert between slide configurations. Accordingly, an interface 44 of at least one of the ladder segments 58, may be shaped to fit an interface 44 of at least one type of intermediate slide shell segment 14. As a result, many different optional shapes of intermediate 14 or lower 12 slide shell segments may be selected and combined to wind through landscaping adjacent a pool 60, according to the aesthetic and practical limitations of the owner's desired landscaping.

This description, rather than describing limitations of an invention, only illustrates embodiments of the invention recited in the claims. The language of this description is therefore exclusively descriptive and is non-limiting. It is possible to modify this invention from what the description teaches, and within the scope of the claims, one may practice the invention other than as described above.

Claims

1. A method for installing a modular swimming pool slide for integration with landscaping elements, the method comprising the steps of: providing an upper slide shell segment, a lower slide shell segment, and at least one intermediate slide shell segment;joining the upper, lower, and intermediate slide shell segments in series so that the intermediate slide shell segment is connected between the lower slide shell segment and the upper slide shell segment; andinstalling the joined slide shell segments adjacent a pool by disposing a support kit between the upper slide segment and a surface adjacent the pool such that the upper slide shell segment is supported at a higher elevation than the lower slide shell segment, and such that the intermediate slide shell segment is suspended above the surface adjacent the pool, by the upper and lower slide shell segments, and such that all the slide shell segments are positioned and aligned in such a way as to define a single flume for receiving and guiding a human rider along an upper section of the flume formed in the upper slide shell segment and guiding the rider along an intermediate section of the flume formed into the intermediate slide shell segment, and into the adjacent pool via a lower section of the flume formed in the lower slide shell segment.

2. The method of claim 1 including the additional step of providing landscape elements adjacent the upper slide shell segment, and above the level of a bottom end of the support kit.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the step of providing landscaping includes building landscape elements shaped and positioned to provide additional support to at least one of the upper, intermediate, and lower, slide shell segments.

4. The method of claim 2 in which the step of providing landscaping includes building landscape elements shaped and positioned to hide the support kit from view.

5. The method of claim 2 in which the step of providing landscaping includes building a path leading from the pool to the upper slide shell to provide access for slide riders.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the installing step additionally comprises supporting the one or more intermediate slide shell segments above the surface adjacent the pool via the lower slide shell segment and the upper slide shell segment.

7. The method of claim 3 in which the installing step includes; before the step of building landscape elements shaped and positioned to provide additional support to at least one of the upper, intermediate, and lower, slide shell segments; the step of supporting the one or more intermediate slide shell segments above the surface adjacent the pool by only the lower slide shell segment and the upper slide shell segment.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the support kit comprises metal tubes, and the installation step of claim 1 includes installing the support kit by inserting the metal tubes into sockets in a bottom surface of the upper slide shell segment so that the tubes will support the upper slide shell segment at a higher level than the lower slide shell segment when the pool slide is placed upright on the surface adjacent the pool.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the installing step additionally comprises anchoring the slide to the surface adjacent the pool by driving fasteners through fastener holes in feet located on the bottom of the support kit.

10. The method of claim 1 in which: the providing step comprises providing intermediate slide shell segments that: comprise rotomolded hollow shells formed with stepped interfaces at upper and lower segment ends, the stepped interfaces being shaped to positively align with adjacent slide shell segments; andinclude fastener holes that align with fastener holes in adjacent slide shell segments when the stepped interfaces are aligned; andthe step of joining the slide shell segments includes: aligning the stepped interfaces and fastener holes of the upper, lower, and intermediate slide shell segments; and thensecuring all the slide shell segments together by securing fasteners through the aligned fastener holes of the slide shell segments.

11. The method of claim 10 in which: the stepped interface of the upper slide shell segment is shaped to match a stepped interface of a ladder module of a pre-existing modular pool slide; andthe step of joining the slide shell segments additionally comprises retrofitting an intermediate module of the pre-existing pool slide with the upper slide shell module in place of the ladder module.

12. The method of claim 10 in which the step of joining the slide shell segments additionally comprises providing gaskets between the slide shell segments and compressing the gaskets by securing the slide shell segments together.