The invention relates to a modular and multipurpose covering device for a pool, in particular a swimming pool or the like, comprising a first modular covering tarpaulin made of first tarpaulin elements arranged adjacently, aligned in a first plane and joined together by transverse supports in order to obtain a covering device with the desired length, said first tarpaulin elements comprising on their transverse edges joining elements arranged to cooperate with first joining zones having a complementary shape provided in said transverse supports and allowing to realize a reversible assembly of the first tarpaulin elements together.
Publication EP 0 570 311 A1 discloses a cover intended for covering a pool, designed in a modular way and allowing a simple, quick and cost-effective custom manufacture with regard to the covers manufactured traditionally in one single piece. However, the modular cover described is limited to one single tarpaulin type and can therefore only fulfill one single function, for example that of preventing algae proliferation during the winter period. Consequently, to have a cover suitable for the different seasons, it is necessary to replace the tarpaulin elements of one type with tarpaulin elements of another type to confer another function to the modular cover, for example that of promoting the greenhouse effect in the summer period. Furthermore, if one or several tarpaulin elements are removed from the modular cover, covering a pool is no longer possible. In fact, only the tarpaulin elements allow joining the transverse supports together. Moreover, this modular cover shows no lashing means and no tensioning means that would allow tensioning and fastening the cover around the pool it covers, in order to prevent any accidental fall of a person and in particular of a child. Likewise, if a tarpaulin element was to be removed from the cover while it is arranged over a pool, the pool would no longer be protected against an accidental fall. Consequently, this modular cover is not a safety cover and does not comply with the safety standards in force.
Publication EP 2 623 691 B1 of the applicant discloses a safety cover provided with a protective net held in a technical frame, which is equipped with cover tensioning and lashing means allowing tensioning and securing the cover around the pool it covers. This safety cover moreover comprises an additional tarpaulin that can be superimposed on the safety net by means of reversible joining means, to provide an additional function that can easily be adapted and interchanged according to the season. However, the technical frame and the safety net are made in one single piece and must entirely be tailor-made, which entails longer delivery times and higher costs that the previous solution.
A pool cover is also known from publication EP 1 564 347 B1, formed of a covering tarpaulin in one single piece, integral with a series of parallel and transverse stiffening bars, fastened and tensioned around the pool by means of two tensioning cables extending longitudinally and slidingly engaged in sleeves provided respectively in the stiffening bars and in the longitudinal edges of the tarpaulin. This construction method is complex, expensive and tedious to implement. Moreover, it allows no modularity that would allow manufacturing a tailor-made and multifunctional cover.
Finally, publication EP 2 374 964 A1 describes a stiffening bar for manufacturing a tailor-made cover in one single piece. The tarpaulin elements are fastened on either side of a rail having a reversed T shape, which is then fit and self-locked in a longitudinal central groove arranged in the lower section of the stiffening bar. The tarpaulin elements are consequently fastened on the stiffening bar by a non-reversible, or at least hardly reversible, assembly. The stiffening bar moreover comprises two lateral longitudinal grooves to receive by sliding fasteners for cover tensioning straps. This construction method is not sufficiently modular to allow manufacturing a multifunctional cover.
Therefore the existing solutions are not satisfactory.
The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by offering a tailor-made, modular and multipurpose covering device that can be manufactured industrially in a simple, quick and cost-effective way, this device being easily adaptable to make it versatile and suitable for every season, while ensuring the safety of persons in compliance with the standards in force.
To this purpose, the invention comprises a covering device of the kind described in the preamble, characterized in that it moreover comprises a second modular covering tarpaulin, superimposed on first modular covering tarpaulin, and made of second tarpaulin elements with a width identical or slightly smaller than that of first tarpaulin elements, arranged adjacently, aligned in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane in which said first modular covering tarpaulin is extending, and assembled to first tarpaulin elements by fastening means, said second tarpaulin elements comprising on their transverse edges joining elements arranged to cooperate with second joining zones having a complementary shape provided on said fastening means and allowing to realize a reversible assembly of second tarpaulin elements with respect to first tarpaulin elements, and in that second covering tarpaulin has technical properties different from those of first covering tarpaulin.
Optionally, the covering device can moreover comprise a third modular covering tarpaulin, superimposed on first and second modular covering tarpaulins, and made of third tarpaulin elements with a width identical or slightly smaller than that of first and/or second tarpaulin elements, arranged adjacently, aligned in a third plane substantially parallel to the first and second planes in which said first and second modular covering tarpaulin are respectively extending, and assembled to first and/or second tarpaulin elements by fastening means, said third tarpaulin elements comprising on their transverse edges joining elements arranged to cooperate with third joining zones having a complementary shape provided on said fastening means and allowing to realize a reversible assembly of the third tarpaulin elements with respect to first and second tarpaulin elements, and in that third covering tarpaulin has technical properties different from those of first and second covering tarpaulins.
In a first embodiment variant of the invention, the fastening means of second and/or third tarpaulin elements are merged with said transverse supports and form one single part.
In a second embodiment variant of the invention, the fastening means of second and/or third tarpaulin elements are distinct from said transverse supports and form separate parts.
In all cases, the transverse supports of the covering device are advantageously made each of a supporting bar having a cross-section symmetrical at least with respect to a median plane perpendicular to said first plane, said supporting bar comprising said first joining zones, arranged symmetrically with respect to said median plane and aligned in said first plane.
In the first embodiment of the invention, the supporting bar moreover comprises said second joining zones, arranged symmetrically with respect to said median plane and aligned in said second plane. It can also comprise said third joining zones, arranged symmetrically with respect to said median plane and aligned in said third plane.
In the second embodiment of the invention, the fastening means of said second tarpaulin elements comprise fastening profiles integral with said first tarpaulin elements, extending on all or on a part of their length, parallel to each of their transverse edges and comprising said second joining zones arranged in said second plane. Said fastening profiles can moreover comprise said third joining zones arranged in said third plane.
The fastening means can also comprise additional fastening profiles, integral with said second tarpaulin elements, extending on all or on a part of their length, parallel to each of their transverse edges, said additional fastening profiles comprising said third joining zones arranged in said third plane.
Optionally, said supporting bars can moreover comprise an additional joining zone arranged in said median plane and in the lower section of said supporting bars. In this case, the covering device advantageously comprises anti-wear pads arranged underneath said supporting bars and extending on all or on a part of their length, said pads comprising at least one joining element arranged to cooperate with said additional joining zone provided in said supporting bars, allowing to achieve a reversible assembly of said pads.
Said joining zones provided in the supporting bars and/or in the fastening profiles can advantageously be formed by longitudinal grooves extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said supporting bars and/or of said fastening profiles, and ending at their ends. In this case, the joining elements provided on the tarpaulin elements and/or on the pads can advantageously comprise rods or bolt ropes having a shape complementary to said longitudinal grooves.
The covering device of the invention can advantageously comprise guiding end pieces made of materials with a low friction coefficient and arranged to fit at the ends of said supporting bars to facilitate and guide the insertion of said joining elements of the tarpaulin elements in said joining zones of the supporting bars
Preferably, the first covering tarpaulin is a safety cover, and two of the transverse supports form end transverse supports assembled to the opposite ends of said first covering tarpaulin and coupled on one side with lashing means and on the other side with tensioning means arranged to secure said covering device to the ground when it is placed above a pool. Said end transverse supports can be different from the other transverse supports.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first covering tarpaulin advantageously comprises receiving means extending along its longitudinal edges to receive tensioning elements associated respectively with said lashing and tensioning means of the covering device when it is arranged above a pool, allowing holding said covering device down on the ground.
To this purpose, the first tarpaulin elements can comprise on their longitudinal edges a slide that forms said receiving means of the first covering tarpaulin, and said tensioning elements coupled with the lashing and tensioning means can be straps or rods passing in the successive slides of the first tarpaulin elements up to the two end transverse supports.
The first covering tarpaulin can moreover comprise at least one first tarpaulin end element arranged between one of the transverse supports and one of the end transverse supports, which can have a width different from that of the first tarpaulin elements and/or which can have technical properties different from those of the first tarpaulin elements. One of said first tarpaulin end elements can also have a width such that it allows covering by rolling up the whole of said covering device when it is rolled on itself in storage position.
The second covering tarpaulin and/or said third covering tarpaulin are preferably arranged to add a greenhouse effect and/or a light filter effect to the safety function of said first covering tarpaulin.
Said tarpaulin elements can moreover comprise at their four corners a buckle or an eyelet to receive a pulling strap that will facilitate the installation and removal of said tarpaulin elements with respect to said supporting bars.
For the purpose stated above, the invention also relates to a modular and interchangeable tarpaulin element for the modular and multipurpose covering device defined above, comprising on its parallel transverse edges joining elements intended for cooperating with complementary joining zones provided in transverse supports and/or fastening means of said covering device when they are joined to form a covering tarpaulin.
It can form at choice a tarpaulin element having a safety function, made of a net whose meshes show a free area/mesh size ratio larger than 50%, a tarpaulin element having a greenhouse effect function, made of a flexible, transparent or translucent material, reinforced or not, with a solar factor g comprised between 60% and 100%, or a tarpaulin element having a light filter function, made of a flexible, opaque or semi-opaque material, reinforced or not, said material can be chosen to stop the wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm and/or the wavelengths between 280 and 310 nm.
It can moreover comprise two fastening profiles extending on all or on a part of its length, parallel to each of its transverse edges, said fastening profiles comprising at least one joining zone extending in a plane parallel to said tarpaulin element, facing each other, intended for receiving the joining element of another tarpaulin element when they are assembled together in order to be superimposed.
Optionally, said fastening profiles can comprise two superimposed joining zones extending in two planes parallel to said tarpaulin element, facing each other, intended for receiving the joining element of two other tarpaulin elements when they are assembled together in order to be superimposed.
The invention finally relates to a transverse support for the modular and multipurpose covering device described above, made of a supporting bar with a cross-section symmetrical at least with respect to a median plane perpendicular to a first plane, comprising first joining zones, arranged symmetrically with respect to said median plane and aligned in said first plane, and second mounting zones, arranged symmetrically with respect to said median plane and aligned in a second plane parallel to said first plane.
Optionally, said supporting bar can comprise third joining zones, arranged symmetrically with respect to said median plane and aligned in a third plane parallel to said first plane. It can also comprise an additional joining zone arranged in said median plane and in the lower section of said supporting bar, intended for cooperating with a additional joining element provided on anti-wear pads.
The present invention and its advantages will be better revealed in the following description of several embodiments given as non-limiting examples, in reference to the drawings in appendix, in which:
Referring to the figures, modular and multipurpose covering device 10 according to the invention is arranged to cover a pool 1 by extending above and substantially parallel to the surface of said pool 1. Pool 1 concerned by the invention can be, as a non-limiting example, a swimming pool or any other basin type requiring a cover to obturate and/or secure its access. This pool 1 can moreover have any possible contour shape, geometrical or not, parallelogram-shaped or not and, as a non-limiting example, a bean shape visible by transparency in
Referring more specifically to
The plurality of transverse supports 30, 30a, 30b forms a frame that allows supporting and stiffening covering device 10. From this results increased safety. This configuration also allows increasing the tension of covering device 10. It is thus possible to prevent it from being in contact with the water of pool 1 when it is placed above a pool 1. Covering device 10 fully forms a safety cover that complies with the safety standards in force, that is to say that permanently guarantees the safety of pool 1 by preventing any accidental fall in the water. To this purpose, it comprises lashing means 50 and tensioning means 60 that cooperate on one hand with the two end transverse supports 30a, 30b and on the other hand with eyebolts (not represented) anchored in the ground or in platform 2 and facing said ends to secure to the ground or on platform 2 that surrounds pool 1 covering device 10 tensioned and held down on the ground, as described below. Lashing means 50 are coupled to one of the end transverse supports 30a on the side generally intended for storing covering device 10, and tensioning means 60 are coupled to the other end transverse support 30b on the side generally intended for rolling up covering device 10.
First tarpaulin elements 21 making up first covering tarpaulin 20 are made from a strip of reinforced or not reinforced net, a reinforced or not reinforced openwork or non-openwork fabric, a flexible material such as an extruded film, a calendered fabric, a non-woven material, transparent or translucent and reinforced or not reinforced, or the like. According to an embodiment variant, first tarpaulin elements 21 are made of a net, for example out of polyester, whose mesh shows a free area/mesh size ratio larger than 50%. The net can be coated for example with polyvinyl chloride or any other thermoplastic material suitable for allowing assembly by welding. The construction of the mesh of the net must preferably be made so that the warp of the net cannot slide on the weft of the net if an obstacle was to get caught in a mesh of the net. One therefore will prefer a net whose warp/weft junctions are fixed, for example by means of a knot, a welding point, fastening means or by knitting or weaving the meshes, before coating with polyvinyl chloride. First tarpaulin end elements 22 can be made in another material than that of the other first tarpaulin elements 21, such as a polyvinyl chloride, reinforced or not, to provide additional functions such as a good mechanical strength, long lifetime, with a more or less high solar reflection index. Of course, these examples are not limiting.
First tarpaulin elements 21, 22 comprise on their transverse edges joining elements 23 arranged to cooperate with first joining zones 34 having a complementary shape provided in transverse supports 30 and allowing to realize a reversible assembly of first tarpaulin elements 21, 22 with each other. This reversible assembly facilitates their joining and allows their removal in case of repair or replacement of one or several first tarpaulin elements 21, 22. Joining elements 23 are fastened along the transverse edges of every first tarpaulin element 21, 22 by any suitable method such as welding, gluing, sewing, etc.
Referring more specifically to
This second covering tarpaulin 40 is made of second tarpaulin elements 41 arranged adjacently, aligned in a second plane P2 substantially parallel to first plane P1, and joined to first tarpaulin elements 21 by fastening means 80. These second tarpaulin elements 41 are made of rectangular panels, of a width identical or slightly smaller than the width of first tarpaulin elements 21, depending on their joining method. Second tarpaulin elements 41 comprise on their transverse edges joining elements 42 arranged to cooperate with second joining zones 82 having a complementary shape provided in fastening means 80 and allowing to realize a reversible assembly of second tarpaulin elements 41 with respect to first tarpaulin elements 21. This reversible assembly facilitates their joining and allows their removal in case of repair or replacement of second tarpaulin elements 41 of one type with second tarpaulin elements 41 of another type, allowing modulating the structure of second covering tarpaulin 40 according to the needs and/or the seasons. Joining elements 42 are fastened along the transverse edges of every second tarpaulin element 41 by any suitable method such as welding, gluing, sewing, etc.
Second tarpaulin elements 41 are preferably made out of a flexible material whose nature is chosen according to the needs and/or the seasons. For summer use, the material of second tarpaulin elements 41 will be chosen among a flexible material, transparent or translucent, reinforced or not. For example, they can have a solar factor g comprised between 60% and 100%. The weight of a second tarpaulin element 41 is preferably comprised between 50 and 300 g/m2. They can be made out of a polymer, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyethylene-vinyl acetate or the like. They can also be made out of a fluoropolymer such as polyethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or the like. Such second tarpaulin elements 41 allow letting the sun rays pass to contribute heating the water contained in pool 1 by greenhouse effect. They can also filter certain wavelengths. As an example, one can choose a material intended for stopping the 280 and 310 nm wavelengths, which are responsible for chlorine destruction and/or the 400 to 700 nm wavelengths, which are responsible for algae development (through the choice of the material, treatment, coating and/or additives such as pigments). For winter use, the material of second tarpaulin elements 41 will be chosen among a flexible material, opaque or semi-opaque, reinforced or not. They can be made out of polyvinyl chloride, reinforced or not, polyethylene, polypropylene or the like. Such a choice allows stopping the sun rays and preventing algae proliferation. As an example, one can choose a material intended for stopping the 400 to 700 nm wavelengths, which are responsible for algae development. Of course, the mentioned examples are not limiting.
The modular construction of first and second covering tarpaulins 20, 40 allows widening the possible material combinations and joining tarpaulin elements 21, 41 of the same nature or of different natures together.
Transverse supports 30, 30a, 30b comprise each a supporting bar 31, 32, 33 of a length at least equal to the length of first tarpaulin elements 21, 22, and preferably equal to this length, to prevent them from protruding from the longitudinal edges of covering device 10. Supporting bars 31, 32, 33 are preferably identical for a same covering device 10, but they could also be different. In particular, the supporting bars intended to form end transverse supports 30a, 30b can be different in their dimension and/or their cross-section. They advantageously have a cross-section symmetrical with respect to a first median plane P perpendicular to planes P1 and P2 in which respectively first and second covering tarpaulins 20, 40 are extending above a pool 1. Thus, supporting bars 31, 32, 33 are reversible and can be used independently in one direction and in the other. Moreover, their symmetrical cross-section favors the even distribution of the traction efforts undergone when tensioning covering device 10. They could however have a non-symmetrical cross-section without departing from the invention. In the examples illustrated in
In the embodiment examples illustrated in
In the embodiment example illustrated in
In the illustrated examples, first and second joining zones 34, 82 provided in supporting bars 31, 32, 33 and fastening profiles 81 are formed by longitudinal grooves, for example with a circular cross-section, which extend on the whole length of supporting bars 31, 32, 33 and of fastening profiles 81, and end at their ends. Joining elements 23, 42 provided on the transverse edges respectively of first tarpaulin elements 21, 22 and of second tarpaulin elements 41 are made of rods, of bolt ropes, or the like, for example with a circular cross-section complementary to the longitudinal grooves, which extend over all or a part of the length of said tarpaulin elements 21, 22, 41. They preferably end before the end of tarpaulin elements 21, 22, 41 to allow these ends to rest naturally on the ground or on platform 2 surrounding pool 1. Of course, any other shape may be suitable for the joining zones and the complementary joining elements. These joining zones 34, 82 and these complementary joining elements 23, 42 allow a sliding connection between tarpaulin elements 21, 22, 41 and supporting bars 31, 32, 33 or fastening profiles 81 in the respective plane P1, P2 of covering tarpaulins 20, 40. This arrangement allows moving tarpaulin elements 21, 22, 41 by means of a simple translation movement in the corresponding plane P1, P2. From this results that tarpaulin elements 21, 22, 41 can be detached from each other. When covering device 10 is placed above a pool 1 and is lashed to the ground, it is thus possible to remove one or several second tarpaulin elements 41 from the edge of pool 1 by pulling the corresponding longitudinal edge, as shown in
In the embodiment represented in
On the other hand, for supporting bar 31 of
In covering device 10 according to the invention, first covering tarpaulin 20 comprises receiving means 24 that extend along its longitudinal edges to receive tensioning elements 65 associated with the tensioning means 60 of covering device 10. More specifically and referring to
Lashing means 50 of
Tensioning means 60 of
End flaps 25 provided to form the longitudinal edges of first tarpaulin elements 21, 22 can be formed in one piece with the panels, or attached at the corresponding ends of the panels by any suitable method such as welding, gluing, sewing, etc. Second tarpaulin elements 41 can also comprise end flaps 45 (see
Covering device 10 according to the invention can be completed with a third modular covering tarpaulin 400, superimposed and substantially parallel to first and second covering tarpaulins 20, 40, to improve further its modularity and simplify the handling of the tarpaulin elements. Third joining zones can be added on supporting bars 31, 32, 33 to define a third parallel plane P3 above planes P1 and P2, or offset on tarpaulin elements 21, 41 to avoid increasing the cross-section of the supporting bars and consequently their weight.
Referring to
Possibilities for Industrial Application:
All elements making up modular and multipurpose covering device 10 of the invention can be produced by known manufacturing methods or use parts already existing on the market. Tarpaulin elements 21, 22, 41, 410 can in particular be cut to the desired length from one or several strips of material rolled up on a coil and whose width corresponds to the desired standard width. It is possible, when manufacturing the material strips and before preparing them in coils, to integrate joining elements 23, 42, 420 by attaching them on the longitudinal edges of every material strip, for example by thermowelding. The material panels obtained after cutting can easily be customized by adding flaps 25 at their ends according to the needs, these flaps 25 can have a chosen color different from the color of the material strip. For the joining methods illustrated in
This description shows clearly that the invention allows reaching the goals defined, that is to say offer a totally modular, versatile covering device that complies with the safety standards, obtained from simple, easily industrializable modules, which are joined by reversible sliding connections requiring no specific tooling. So, this covering device has a simple design, is easy to produce, package and store, cost-effective and rapid to implement.
Its modular design allows offering it for sale as a kit. In fact, covering device 10 can be supplied in modules comprising a number N of first tarpaulin elements 21 according to the desired length, a number N of second tarpaulin elements 41 chosen for a season or two sets of a number N of second tarpaulin elements 41 for the two seasons, or also a number N of second and third tarpaulin elements 41, 410 respectively for the summer season and for the winter season, a number N+1 of supporting bars 31, 32, 33, with or without pads 70, and the necessary number of lashing means 50 and tensioning means 60 according to the total width of covering device 10. If the desired length is not a multiple of the standard width of tarpaulin elements 21, 41, 410, this kit is completed with at least one end tarpaulin element 22 with the desired width.
The present invention is not restricted to the examples of embodiment described, but extends to any modification and variant which is obvious to a person skilled in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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16 57787 | Aug 2016 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2017/069730 | 8/3/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/033407 | 2/22/2018 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20030177570 | St-Hilaire | Sep 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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0570311 | Nov 1993 | EP |
0570311 | Nov 1993 | EP |
1564347 | Aug 2005 | EP |
2374964 | Oct 2011 | EP |
2623691 | Aug 2013 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190169868 A1 | Jun 2019 | US |