Patent Grant
12084883
This application relates to the field of lift assemblies for assisting the lifting of spa covers between a cover on position and a cover off position.
The following is not an admission that anything discussed below is part of the prior art or part of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art.
A spa, also referred to as a whirlpool or hot tub, is a large vessel for holding a volume of liquid (e.g., water or mud) and one or more user occupants. Typically, a user occupant sits or lies down in the spa while at least partially submerged in the liquid. This may provide a user occupant with, for example relaxation or therapy. In other examples, the spa may be elongated and configured to produce a current to allow a user to swim therein. This type of spa is commonly referred to as a swim spa.
A spa may contain hundreds or even thousands of liters of liquid. Often, the liquid in the spa is heated to a temperature well above ambient, which may require considerable energy consumption. Accordingly, some spas may include an insulated cover, at least in part for preventing the escape of heat from the liquid when the spa is not in use.
The following introduction is provided to introduce the reader to the more detailed discussion to follow. The introduction is not intended to limit or define any claimed or as yet unclaimed invention. One or more inventions may reside in any combination or sub-combination of the elements or process steps disclosed in any part of this document including its claims and figures.
In accordance with one aspect of this disclosure, which may be used alone or in combination with any other aspect, there is provided a lift assembly for assisting a user to move a spa cover off of a spa, the lift assembly comprising:
In accordance with another aspect of this disclosure, which may be used alone or in combination with any other aspects, there is provided a lift assembly for assisting a user to move a spa cover off of a spa, the lift assembly comprising:
In accordance with another aspect of this disclosure, which may be used alone or in combination with any other aspects, there is provided a lift assembly for assisting a user to move a spa cover of a spa, the lift assembly comprising:
These and other aspects and features of various embodiments will be described in greater detail below.
For a better understanding of the described embodiments and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:
The drawings, described below, are provided for purposes of illustration, and not of limitation, of the aspects and features of various examples of embodiments described herein. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. The dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps.
Numerous embodiments are described in this application, and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not intended to be limiting in any sense. The invention is widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as is readily apparent from the disclosure herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced with modification and alteration without departing from the teachings disclosed herein. Although particular features of the present invention may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments or figures, it should be understood that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or figures with reference to which they are described.
The terms “an embodiment,” “embodiment,” “embodiments,” “the embodiment,” “the embodiments,” “one or more embodiments,” “some embodiments,” and “one embodiment” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the present invention(s),” unless expressly specified otherwise.
The terms “including,” “comprising” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to,” unless expressly specified otherwise. A listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an” and “the” mean “one or more,” unless expressly specified otherwise.
As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “affixed”, or “fastened” where the parts are joined or operate together either directly or indirectly (i.e., through one or more intermediate parts), so long as a link occurs. As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “directly coupled”, “directly connected”, “directly attached”, “directly joined”, “directly affixed”, or “directly fastened” where the parts are connected in physical contact with each other. As used herein, two or more parts are said to be “rigidly coupled”, “rigidly connected”, “rigidly attached”, “rigidly joined”, “rigidly affixed”, or “rigidly fastened” where the parts are coupled so as to move as one while maintaining a constant orientation relative to each other. None of the terms “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “affixed”, and “fastened” distinguish the manner in which two or more parts are joined together.
Some elements herein may be identified by a part number, which is composed of a base number followed by an alphabetical or subscript-numerical suffix (e.g. 112a, or 1121). Multiple elements herein may be identified by part numbers that share a base number in common and that differ by their suffixes (e.g. 1121, 1122, and 1123). All elements with a common base number may be referred to collectively or generically using the base number without a suffix (e.g. 112).
General Description of a Spa
As shown in
As shown in the illustrated example, the interior chamber 112 may include an inner tub 118 positioned above the bottom 110 and between the sidewalls 108. The inner tub 118 may be contoured to provide seating for user occupants of the spa 100, as is known in the art. Further, the spa 100 may include one or more jets positioned to direct air and/or water into the spa interior chamber 112 below a water level inside the spa 100. Optionally, when configured as a swim spa, the one or more jets may produce a current within the inner tub 118 for a user to swim against. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the inner tub 118 may be integrally formed with one or more (or all) of the sidewalls 108 and the bottom 110.
As shown in
In alternative embodiments, one or more (or all of) cover portions 120 may be differently sized and/or shaped to cover differently sized and/or shaped portions of the spa upper end 114. In some embodiments, the spa 100 may include two discrete covers 102, which are not connected by a seam 122. In some embodiments, the spa 100 may include a spa cover 102 having only one spa cover portion 120, which is not foldable.
With reference to
In the cover on position, the spa cover 102 may seal the interior chamber 112, and the water contained therein, from the external environment to mitigate entry of dirt/debris and loss of heat. A spa 100 may be sized to hold hundreds or even thousands of liters of water (or other liquid, e.g., mud). Further, the water inside the spa 100 may be heated to temperatures of up to 100° F. or higher. The energy consumption required to heat such volumes of water is significant. Therefore, the spa cover 102 may be configured to provide insulation against heat loss. In this way, the spa cover 102 may reduce the time required to heat the water inside interior chamber 112 and may conserve the water temperature for future usage. In the illustrated example, the spa cover 102 may be from several inches to a foot or more thick (e.g., 4-20 inches) to provide the desired insulating properties. Further, the spa cover 102 may weigh from tens of pounds to a hundred pounds or more (e.g., 20-150 lbs). The size and weight of the spa cover 102 may make moving the spa cover 102 between the cover on and off positions difficult for a user, if not assisted.
General Description of a Lift Assembly
Referring to
In the illustrated example, the lift assembly 104 has an active (i.e., reduces or eliminates the effective weight of the spa cover for the user) spa cover mount 106 (i.e., 106a, 106b) at each end thereof. As shown, the first active mount 106a may be positioned proximate spa front end 132, and the second active mount 106b may be positioned proximate spa rear end 134. As shown, both active mounts 106a, 106b may act upon the same spa cover 102. This may provide balance in the application of force by the lift assembly 104 to the spa cover 102, which may mitigate the spa cover 102 twisting.
In alternative embodiments, only one active spa cover mount 106 may be positioned at one of spa front end 132 and spa rear end 134. That is, a lift assembly 104 may have a single active spa cover mount 106 that is solely responsible for supplementing user applied force to move the spa cover 102, while a simple linkage/support (i.e., non-active mount, not shown) may be provided on an opposite end of the spa 100.
As shown in
Lever Arm Mount
As shown in
It may be desirable to provide a lever arm mount 140 having a ground support leg 148 so that the position of the lever arm 142 relative to the spa 100 may be readily adjustable. In addition, providing a lever arm mount 140 having a ground support leg 148 allows for the weight of the spa cover 102 supported by the lift assembly 104 to be transferred directly to the ground surface, as opposed to, for example, to the sidewall 108 in examples where the lever arm mount 140 is directly secured to the spa 100.
Further, the ground support leg 148 of the lever arm mount 140 may form a non-destructive rigid support for the lever arm 142. That is, using a ground support leg 148 may avoid drilling any holes into spa 100 (e.g., to accommodate fasteners) to position the lever arm 142 relative to the spa 100.
In the example illustrated, the ground support leg 148 includes a foot 150 (e.g., bearing plate) that extends underneath the spa 100 and that relies upon the weight of spa 100 (particularly when filled with water) to provide an effective rigid connection to spa 100. In other words, the weight of spa 100 upon foot 150 may inhibit the lever arm mount 140 from moving relative to the spa 100 while operating lift assembly 104 to move the spa cover 102 between the cover on and off positions.
In the example illustrated, lever arm mount 140 has a lever arm pivot joint 152 (described in more detail below) where the lever arm mount 140 may be coupled to the lever arm 142. The lever arm pivot joint 152 may be movable in one or more directions (e.g., laterally and/or vertically) relative the foot 150 between at least two positions (e.g., lateral and/or vertical positions), and selectively rigidly connectable to the foot 150 at each position (e.g., using set screw(s)). This can allow for the lifting assembly 104 to be compatible with a wide range of spa configurations (shapes and sizes).
More specifically, in the example shown, the lever arm mount 140 includes an upright support 156 and a lateral positioning arm 158. The upright support 156 may be movable vertically relative to the foot 150 between at least two vertical positions, and rigidly connectable to the foot 150 at each location (e.g., using set screw(s)). In the example shown, the lateral positioning arm 158 may be laterally movable relative to the upright support 156 between at least two lateral positions, and selectively rigidly connectable to upright support 156 at each position (e.g., using set screw(s)). Together, the vertical position of the upright support 156 and the lateral position of the lateral positioning arm 158 may control the vertical and lateral position of the lever arm pivot joint 152. This may permit lever arm pivot joint 152 to be easily positioned to accommodate spas of many sizes and shapes.
Lever Arm
In the example illustrated in
With reference to
The lever arm pivot joint 152 may have any design suitable to allow lever arm 142 to rotate relative to lever arm mount 140 between the cover closed and open positions. For example, the lever arm pivot joint 152 may be provided by a hinge that rotatably connects the lever arm 142 to the lever arm mount 140.
The lever arm 142 may rotate any angular distance between the cover closed and open positions. For example, the lever arm 142 may rotate at least 90 degrees (e.g., 90 to 270 degrees). In the illustrated example, lever arm 142 is shown rotating approximately 135 degrees between the cover closed and open positions.
The lever arm first end 160 may be movable (i.e., telescope) relative to the lever arm second end 162 to increase or decrease a length of the lever arm 142. It may be desirable to provide a lever arm 142 having a variable length so that a longitudinal distance 176 between the spa cover crossbar 144 and lever arm pivot axis 164 may be adjustable. This can allow the lever arm 142 to accommodate spa covers of different dimensions. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the longitudinal distance 176 between the spa cover crossbar 144 and the lever arm pivot axis 164 may be adjustable without increasing or decreasing the length of the lever arm 142 (e.g., by providing multiple attachment points along the lever arm 142 for the spa cover crossbar 144).
As shown, lever arm second end 162 may be movable relative to the lever arm first end 160 between two or more longitudinal positions, and selectively rigidly connectable to lever arm first end 160 at each longitudinal position. With reference to
In alternative embodiments, lever arm first end 160 may not be movably connected to the lever arm second end 162.
Referring to
Spa Cover Crossbar
Still referring to
The spa cover crossbar 144 may have at least one cover engagement region 121, and the spa cover 102 may be secured to the spa cover crossbar 144 at the cover engagement region(s) 121. In some examples, the cover engagement regions 121 of the spa cover crossbar 144 may only extend across a portion of the spa cover crossbar 144 in the forward-rearward direction 154. In the illustrated example, the spa cover crossbar 144 has cover engagement regions 121 where the spa cover straps 172 connect the spa cover 102 to the spa cover crossbar 144 (see, e.g.,
The spa cover crossbar 144 may be connected to lever arm 142 in any manner that allows the spa cover crossbar 144 to move with the lever arm 142, as the user rotates the lever arm 142 between the cover closed and open positions. In some embodiments, the spa cover crossbar 144 may be rigidly connected (e.g., integrally formed with, or welded to) the lever arm 142. In other embodiments, the spa cover crossbar 144 may be connected to lever arm 142 in a manner that allows spa cover crossbar 144 to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the spa cover crossbar 144. This may mitigate or eliminate frictional wear that can occur when spa cover crossbar 144 rotates relative to spa cover 102 (
To further and/or otherwise mitigate or eliminate frictional wear that can occur at the cover engagement region(s) 121, at least a portion of the spa cover crossbar 144, which includes at least the cover engagement region(s) 121, may have a cross-sectional shape, defined by an outer surface 177 of the spa cover crossbar 144, that is curved, specifically, convexly curved. That is, at least a portion of the outer surface 177 of the spa cover crossbar 144 when looking at a cross-section taken through the cover engagement region 121 may be curved. In some examples, the entire outer surface 177 of the spa cover crossbar 144 may be convexly curved (e.g., the spa cover crossbar 144 may have a circular and/or oval shaped cross-sectional shape at least at the cover engagement regions 121). As described in more detail below, only a portion of the cross-sectional shape defined by the outer surface 177 of the spa cover crossbar 144 when looking at a cross-section taken through the cover engagement region 121 may be convexly curved. In some embodiments, no portion of the cross-sectional shape defined by the outer surface 177 of the spa cover crossbar 144 when looking at a cross-section taken through the cover engagement region 121 may be convexly curved. For example, the spa cover crossbar may have a square cross-sectional shape.
The spa cover crossbar 144 may have any configuration that allows the spa cover crossbar 144 to carry spa cover 102 between the cover on and off positions. As shown in
The spa cover crossbar 144 may be formed from a number of interconnecting portions. For example, the spa cover crossbar 144 may have at least two crossbar portions 174 that telescopically connect to each other (see, e.g.,
The spa cover crossbar 144 may be made of any number of interconnecting (e.g., telescopically connected) portions 174. For example, the spa cover crossbar 144 may have two to ten portions, such as two portions, three portions, four portions, etc. In the example illustrated in
It may be desirable to provide a spa cover crossbar 144 having interconnecting portions to improve the portability of the spa cover crossbar 144 and the compatibility of the spa cover crossbar with spas of different lengths. For example, a swim spa may be 21 feet in length (whereas a non-swim spa (i.e., a seated spa) is typically 8 feet in length) and therefore, as described above, the spa cover crossbar 144 may be at least 21 feet in length as well. Shipping a 21-foot-long spa cover crossbar 144 may be undesirable/unfeasible. Further, even among swim spas, the width may vary considerably. Therefore, providing a spa cover crossbar 144 having interconnecting portions that are connectable to form a spa cover crossbar 144 of various lengths can be beneficial.
In examples of spa cover crossbars 144 that are formed from multiple interconnecting portions 174, a first portion 174a may connect to an adjacent second portion 174b by any connecting mechanism known in the art. Optionally, as shown, adjacent portions 174 may be telescopically connected, and may be rigidly connectable at one of a plurality of connection points 178. This allows the length 184 of the spa cover crossbar 144 to be adjustable. The connection points 178 may be threaded for receiving a threaded fastener (not shown). Optionally, as shown in
As is known in the art, in some examples the cross-sectional shape of each portion 174 of the spa cover crossbar 144 may be circular. As described above, it may be desirable for the cross-sectional shape of at least a portion of the spa cover crossbar 144 to be circular to reduce wear caused by relative rotation between the spa cover crossbar 144 and the spa cover 102 when moving the spa cover 102 between the cover on and off positions. However, for reasons described in more detail below, it may be desirable for the cross-sectional shape of at least a portion of the spa cover crossbar 144 to be non-circular.
For the purposes of this disclosure, it is to be understood that when describing a cross-sectional shape of the spa cover crossbar 144, the cross-section is not taken through a connection point 178 (i.e., a bore in the spa cover crossbar 144) which may be used to secure a first portion 174a to a second portion 174b. That is, the term “cross-sectional shape” refers to a closed shape and therefore does not include the bored region of the spa cover crossbar 144 where the cross-section is discontinuous (i.e. a non-closed shape) due to the bore.
When spa cover crossbars 144 having interconnecting portions 174 have circular cross-sectional shapes, it has been found that adjacent portions 174 are prone to twisting relative to each other. Adjacent portions 174 may twist relative to each other because the fastener (e.g., set screw) securing the adjacent portions 174 together may solely be responsible for inhibiting rotation of the adjacent portions 174 relative to each other. Over time, it has been found that the fasteners may break or deform (i.e., bend or e.g., deform the set screw hole) which may allow for adjacent portions 174 of the spa cover crossbar 144 to twist relative to each other. This problem is worsened in the case of swim spas because the spa cover 102 is significantly heavier and the spa cover crossbar 144 is significantly longer.
It is undesirable for adjacent portions of a spa cover crossbar 144 to twist relative to each other because, when in use, twisting of the spa cover crossbar 144 may result in one end of the spa cover 102 to rotating further and/or at a different speed from the cover closed position to the cover open position than the opposite end. This twisting and nonuniform movement may damage the lift assembly 104 and/or the spa cover 102.
Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a spa cover crossbar 144 with a circular cross-sectional shape to reduce wear on the spa cover 102; however, a spa cover crossbar 144 with a circular cross-sectional shape may be undesirable when providing a spa cover crossbar 144 having multiple interconnecting portions 174.
Systems known in the art, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,196 to LaHay, have attempted to provide a spa cover remover that limits twisting by providing a rigid rectangular frame. In particular, LaHay teaches that the upper and lower ends of sidebars must be rigidly connected to one another to resist twisting of the crossbars. To provide lower ends of sidebars that are rigidly connected to one another, LaHay describes a spa having a bore that extends through the spa, across the entire width thereof. Accordingly, a lower crossbar (“pivot shaft”) extends through the spa and rigidly connect the lower ends of the sidebars. However, providing a lower crossbar extending through the full width of the spa as required by LaHay greatly limits the compatibility of the lifter with spas of shapes, sizes, and configurations. Many spas will have an empty void within their outer housing which is suitable for accommodating a lower crossbar at the location where a rotation axis is needed for the lifter to function. Instead, embodiments described herein include separate lever arm mounts 140 for each lever arm 142, which are located proximate (i.e., on or outside) the spa sidewall 108 and to which the lever arms 142 are rotatably mounted.
In view of the problem of relative twisting between adjacent portions 174 of a spa cover crossbar 144, it has been determined that providing a spa cover crossbar 144 wherein a first portion 174a has an inner bore 195 shaped to receive a second portion 174b having an outer surface 177 with cross-sectional shape that (a) nests within the inner bore 195 of the first portion 174a; and (b) restricts rotation of the first portion 174a relative to the second portion 174b, even without a fastener (e.g., set screw), may reduce twisting between adjacent portions.
Put another way, with reference to
Put in yet another way, with reference to
For the purposes of this disclosure, when the second portion 174b has a cross-sectional shape that engages the bore 195 of the first portion 174a to transfer a rotational force applied to the first portion 174a to the second portion 174b, and vice versa, the second portion 174b is considered to have “an engaging cross-sectional shape”. It is to be understood that to transfer a rotational force, the second portion 174b may rotate between 0 degrees and 10 degrees within the bore 195 of the first portion 174a. That is, an engaging cross-sectional shape may not completely inhibit relative rotation between the first portion 174a and the second portion 174b.
With reference to
While the entire length of the second crossbar portion 174b may have an engaging cross-sectional shape, it has been found that twisting may be reduced when only a portion of the second portion 174b of the spa cover crossbar 144 where adjacent crossbar portions 174 telescopically connect has an engaging cross-sectional shape.
As described above, in view of the problem of wear to the spa cover 102 from relative movement between the spa cover 102 and the spa cover crossbar 144, the cover engagement region 121 of the spa cover crossbar 144 may have a cross-sectional shape and at least a portion of the cross-sectional shape may be curved.
Accordingly, it may be desirable for the second portion 174b to have an engaging cross-sectional shape and at least a portion of the perimeter of the engaging cross-sectional shape may be a curved portion 180. That is, in some examples, the second portion 174b may include at least a portion of the cover engagement region 121 and therefore, it may be desirable for at least the portion of the second portion 174b that includes the cover engagement region 121 to have a cross-sectional shape that has a curved portion 180. In some examples, the second portion 174b may not include any of the cover engagement region 121 and therefore no portion of the second portion 174b may have a cross-section shape having a curved portion 180 (see e.g.,
Likewise, the first portion 174a may include at least a portion of the cover engagement region 121. Therefore, it may be desirable for at least the portion of the first portion 174a that includes the cover engagement region 121 to have a cross-sectional shape that has a curved portion 180. However, in some examples, the first portion 174a may not include a portion of the cover engagement region 121 and may therefore not have a cross-sectional shape having a curved portion 180.
In some examples, at least 30%, such as 30% to 80%, of the perimeter of the cross-sectional shape of the first and/or second portion 174a, 174b that includes the cover engagement region 121 may be curved. Optionally, the curved portion 180 may have a constant radius of curvature. In other examples, the curved portion 180 may not have a constant radius of curvature.
At opposite distal ends 197, 199 of the curved portion 180, the cross-sectional shape may have deflection points 201, 203. As shown in
In some examples, at least a portion of the second portion 174b may have a cross-sectional shape with a curved portion 180 and the bore 195 of the first portion 174a may be shaped to match the cross-sectional shape of that portion of the second portion 174b. In this example, the average radius of curvature of the curved portion 180 of the cross-sectional shape of the second portion 174b may be at least 90%, such as 95% to 99%, the average radius of curvature of the curved portion 180 of the bore 195 of the first portion 174a. That is, for example, if the curved portion 180 of the bore of the first portion 174a has a radius of curvature of 0.5625 inches, the radius of curvature of the curved portion 180 of the second portion 174b may be 0.5475 inches.
In some examples, the surface area defined by the cross-sectional shape of the second portion 174b to be received by the bore of the first portion may be at least 90%, such as 94% to 99%, the surface area defined by the bore 195 of the first portion 174a. When the surface area defined by the cross-sectional shape of the second portion 174b is at least 90% of the surface area defined by bore 195 of the first portion 174a, the outer surface 177 of the second portion 174b may be more likely to engage the inner surface 179 (i.e., bore 195) of the first portion 174a to transfer a rotational force applied to the first portion 174a to the second portion 174b (and vice versa). When the surface area defined by the cross-sectional shape of the second portion 174b is less than 90% of the surface area defined by the bore 195 of the first portion 174a, the shape of the first portion 174a relative to the second portion 174b may not be sufficiently similar to transfer a significant amount of rotational force between the first portion 174a and the second portion 174b, and a fastener which secures the first portion 174a to the second portion 174b may be overly relied upon to transfer the rotational force between adjacent portions 174a, 174b. Still, in other embodiments, the surface area defined by the cross-sectional shape of the second portion 174b is less than 90% of the surface area defined by the bore 195 of the first portion 174a.
Referring to
The outer perimeter 187 of the first portion 174a may have the same cross-sectional shape as inner perimeter 185 of the first portion 174a (as shown) (e.g., a sidewall 191 of the first portion 174a of the spa cover crossbar 144 may have a uniform thickness 193); however, in other examples, the outer perimeter 187 of the first portion 174a may be different in shape from that of the inner perimeter 185. That is, for example, the outer perimeter 187 of the first portion 174a may be circular in shape and the inner perimeter 185 of the first portion 174a may have a non-curved portion 182. Likewise, the inner perimeter 185 of the second portion 174b may or may not have the same cross-sectional shape as the outer perimeter 187 of the second portion 174b. In the example shown in
In the example shown in
As shown in
In the description above, reference is made to the figures in which the first portion 174a with an inner bore 195 for receiving the adjacent second portion 174b is connected directly to the lever arm 142. In other examples, see for example
Referring now to
As shown in
Linear Driver
Referring to
In the example illustrated, each active spa cover mount 106 of the lift assembly 104 includes two linear drivers 190a, 190b. However, it is to be understood that in other examples, an active mount 106 of the lift assembly 104 may include just one linear driver 190 or more than two linear drivers 190.
As shown, each linear driver 190 has a linear driver first end 192 and a linear driver second end 194. It will be appreciated that the distance between the linear driver first end 192 and the linear driver second end 194 is variable in that the linear driver is designed to extend and/or retract to assist with the movement of the spa cover 102 between the cover-on and cover-off positions. Optionally, as shown, in the example of linear driver 190 being a passive linear driver, such as a pneumatic or coil spring, the passive linear driver 190 may be single acting, and configured to exert only extensive force. For example, gas pressure within a pneumatic cylinder 196 of the pneumatic spring 190 may urge a piston rod 198 of the pneumatic spring 190 outwardly, whereby the pneumatic spring 190 is biased towards an extended position. In the example illustrated in
The bias of the linear driver 190 may be used to assist a user to move the spa cover on and/or off the upper end 114 of the spa 100. To use the bias of the linear driver 190 to assist a user to move the spa cover 102 off the upper end 114 of the spa 100, the passive linear driver 190 may be anchored at the linear driver second end 194, be coupled at the linear driver first end 192 to the lever arm 142, be retracted (e.g. compressed) when the lever arm 142 is in the cover closed position, and provide extensive force as the lever arm 142 moves from the cover closed position towards the cover open position. To use the bias of the linear driver 190 to assist a user to move the spa cover 102 on the upper end 114 of the spa 100, the linear driver 190 may be anchored at the linear driver second end 194, be coupled at the linear driver first end 192 to the lever arm 142, be retracted (e.g. compressed) when in the cover open position, and extend as the lever arm 142 moves from the cover closed position towards the cover open position. Optionally, as shown in
In the example of a passive linear driver 190, such as a pneumatic spring as shown, the angular orientation of pneumatic spring 190 in the cover closed and open positions contributes to the capacity of pneumatic spring 190 to assist with moving the spa cover 102 both (i) from the cover on position to the cover off position, and (ii) from the cover off position to the cover on position. As shown in
The linear driver second end 194 must be carefully positioned in order to provide the angular relationships that allow the passive linear driver 190 to assist with both closing and opening spa cover 102. In some examples, the linear driver second end 194 may be secured directly to the sidewall 108. Alternatively, as shown in the example illustrated in
In the illustrated example, the driver mounting portion 206 is configured as an arm that extends away from lever arm pivot joint 160. Accordingly, the driver mounting portion 206 may extend longitudinally from a driver mounting portion first end 208 proximate the lever arm pivot joint, to a driver mounting portion second end 210. The pivoting connection of linear driver second end 194 may be located proximate the driver mounting portion second end 210.
In the example illustrated, the driver mounting portion 206 is configured as an integral component of the lever arm mount 140. However, it is to be understood that in other examples the entire lever arm mount 140, including the driver mounting portion 206, may be configured as individual components.
Providing a lever arm mount 140 with a driver mounting portion 206 avoids the need for a separate mount (e.g., fastened to the spa sidewall 108) at the location of linear driver second end 194. It may be desirable to provide a lever arm mount 140 having a driver mounting portion 206, because this allows for the angular configuration of linear driver 190 (e.g., pneumatic spring) to be predetermined for the user (mitigating user error during installation), so that lift assembly 104 may provide assistance in both the cover closed and open positions.
As shown, the pivoting connection of linear driver second end 194 may be located at an elevation below lever arm pivot axis 164. This allows most of linear driver 190 to remain below lever arm pivot axis 164 in both the spa cover closed position and the spa cover open position. Preferably, lever arm pivot axis 164 is located below spa upper end 114. In this case, the linear driver 190 may provide little or no interference with users' entry into and exit from spa interior chamber 112.
As shown, an active mount 106 of lifting assembly 104 may include two linear drivers 190a, 190b. It may be desirable to provide two linear drivers 190a, 190b to increase the assistance provided by the linear drivers 190a, 190b to the user. In addition, providing two linear drivers 190a, 190b allows for a first linear driver 190a to be positioned on a forward side 188 of the lever arm 142 and a second linear driver 190b to be position on a rearward side 189 of the lever arm 142. It has been determined that providing one linear driver 190 with a higher biasing force only on one side of the lever arm 142 may create torque that causes the lever arm 142 to twist relative to the lever arm mount 140 (which can be particularly problematic on large spas, such as swim spas which have long arm lengths and heavy covers). By providing two linear driver 190a, 190b, each opposing forward and rearward sides 188, 189 of the lever arm 142, the linear drivers 190a, 190b may balance the torsional force exerted by the linear drivers 190a, 190b on the lever arm pivot joint 152. This may reduce or eliminate the aforementioned twisting of lever arm 142.
In the example of a passive linear driver 190, such as a pneumatic spring as shown, to balance the torsional force at the lever arm pivot joint 152, a force profile of the first pneumatic spring 190a and the second pneumatic spring 190b may be the same. A force profile of a pneumatic spring 190 is the amount of force the pneumatic spring 190 exerts on the lever arm 142 at a certain angular position of the lever arm 142 relative to the lever arm mount 140. It is to be understood that a force profile of a first pneumatic spring 190a is the same as the force profile of a second pneumatic spring 190b if the magnitude of the force the pneumatic springs 190a, 190b exert on the lever arm 142 at a certain angular position of the lever arm 142 relative to the lever arm mount is within plus or minus 10% of each other.
Optionally, to provide pneumatic springs 190 with the same force profile, pneumatic springs 190 having the same characteristics may be provided. For example, an extended length and a retracted length of the first and second pneumatics springs 190a, 190b may be the same (i.e., plus or minus 10%) and/or the spring force exerted by pneumatic springs 190a, 190b as they move from their extended length to their retracted length may be the same (plus or minus 10%). Likewise, in the example of an active linear driver 190, the extended length and the retracted length of the first and second linear driver 190a, 190b may be the same (i.e., plus or minus 10%).
As shown in
With reference to
Overrotation Inhibiter
In some examples, the lifting assembly 104 may include an overrotation inhibiter 218. The overrotation inhibiter 218 limits the amount the lever arm 142 can rotate relative to the lever arm mount 142 away from cover closed position.
Reference is now made to
Referring now to
In the example shown, the overrotation inhibiter 218 is mounted to the lever arm 142. The overrotation inhibiter 218 may be positioned at any location along the lever arm 142. As shown, the overrotation inhibiter 218 may be positioned such that the lever arm pivot axis 164 extends through the overrotation inhibiter 218. Specifically, in the example illustrated, the lever arm pivot axis 164 extends through each of the forward plate 220 and the rearward plate 222 of the overrotation inhibiter 218.
Optionally, as shown, the linear driver first end 192 of the linear driver 190 may also be pivotally coupled to the overrotation inhibiter 218. In the example shown, the linear driver first end of each of the first and second linear driver 190a, 190b is coupled to each of the forward plate 220 and the rearward plate 222 of the overrotation inhibiter 218.
In other examples, the overrotation inhibiter 218 may be secured to the lever arm mount 140. It will be appreciated that when mounted to the lever arm mount 140, the overrotation inhibiter 218 may limit rotation of the lever arm 142 in a similar manner to that described above but remain stationary as opposed to pivot with the lever arm 142. It may be desirable for the overrotation inhibiter 218 to connect to both the forward and rearward sides 188, 189 of the lever arm 142 so that a force applied to the lever arm 142 via the overrotation inhibiter 218 may be applied to the lever arm 142 on either side of the lever arm 142 in a balanced way that reduces or eliminates torquing the lever arm 142 in the forward-rearward direction 154.
While the above description provides examples of the embodiments, it will be appreciated that some features and/or functions of the described embodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments. Accordingly, what has been described above has been intended to be illustrative of the invention and non-limiting and it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments and examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.
Items:
Item 1. A lift assembly for assisting a user to move a spa cover off of a spa, the lift assembly comprising:
Item 2. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein in the cover open position the first and second linear drivers urge the lever arm to rotate toward the cover closed position.
Item 3. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the linear driver second ends of the first and second linear drivers are pivotally coupled to the lever arm mount.
Item 4. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein
Item 5. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the linear driver first ends of the first and second linear drivers have a common first linear driver end pivot axis.
Item 6. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the linear driver second ends of the first and second linear drivers have a common second linear driver end pivot axis.
Item 7. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the first and a second linear drivers are passive linear drivers.
Item 8. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the first linear driver is a first pneumatic spring and the second linear driver is a second pneumatic spring and the first pneumatic spring and the second pneumatic spring have the same spring force profile.
Item 9. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein
Item 10. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein
Item 11. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein at least a portion of the spa cover crossbar has a cross-sectional shape defined at least in part by a curved portion and a flat portion.
Item 12. The lift assembly of any preceding item further comprising an overrotation inhibiter coupled to the lever arm, the overrotation inhibiter is pivotable about the pivot axis with the lever arm
Item 13. The lift assembly of any preceding item, further comprising:
Item 14. A lift assembly for assisting a user to move a spa cover off of a spa, the lift assembly comprising:
Item 15. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the lever arm pivot axis extends through the forward plate and the rearward plate of the overrotation inhibiter.
Item 16. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the first linear driver end of each linear driver of the at least one linear driver is pivotally coupled to at least one of the forward plate and the rearward plate of the overrotation inhibiter.
Item 17. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the forward plate and the rearward plate extend perpendicular to the lever arm pivot axis.
Item 18. A lift assembly for assisting a user to move a spa cover of a spa, the lift assembly comprising:
Item 19. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein a smallest width dimension of the bore of the first crossbar portion is smaller than a largest width dimension of the end of the second crossbar portion.
Item 20. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein at least a portion of the second crossbar portion end cross-sectional shape is convexly curved.
Item 21. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the first crossbar portion is convexly curved.
Item 22. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein at least a portion of the bore of the first crossbar portion is concave.
Item 23. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the end of the second crossbar portion has an engaging cross-sectional shape and no portion of the engaging cross-sectional shape is convexly curved.
Item 24. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein
Item 25. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the at least two crossbar portions of the spa cover crossbar comprises:
Item 26. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein
Item 27. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein at least a portion of the convexly curved portion of the spa cover crossbar faces away from the lever arm pivot axis when the first and second lever arms are the cover closed position and when the first and second lever arms are in the cover open position.
Item 28. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the crossbar has a length extending between the first lever arm and the second lever arm and the convexly curved portion extends the entire length of the crossbar.
Item 29. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the portion of the spa cover crossbar that has the cross-sectional shape defined at least in part by the convexly curved portion has a outer perimeter and at least 30% of the perimeter is formed by the convexly curved portion.
Item 30. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the portion of the spa cover crossbar that has the cross-sectional shape defined at least in part by the convexly curved portion has a largest outer width and an outer perimeter of the curved portion has a radius of curvature that is between 35% and 75% a magnitude of the largest outer width.
Item 31. The lift assembly of any preceding item, wherein the first length is greater than 12 feet and the second length is less than 21 feet.
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| Installation Instructions for the Cover-Up!, 4 pgs., no date given. |
| Cover Caddy advertisement, 1 pg., no date given. |
| Cover Caddy Assembly & Mounting instructions, 3 pgs., no date given. |
| Superlift2 Installation Guide, 7 pgs., no date given. |
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| Installation Instructions for the Covermate I, 4 pgs., no date given. |
| Covermate II advertisement, 2 pgs., no date given. |
| Installation Instructions for the Covermaste II, 7 pgs., no date given. |
| Installation Instructions for the Covermate III, 4 pgs., no date given. |
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| “Ultralift HM Cover Lifter Hydraulic Mount”, Parts List, Byron Originals dated Oct. 1, 2012. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 18139420 | Apr 2023 | US |
| Child | 18232462 | US |
