BACKGROUND
Field
This application relates generally to swimming pool handrails.
Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
It is known for swimming pools and spas to be furnished with one or more railings to provide handholds for people entering and exiting such pools and spas by descending and climbing stairs or ladders. When exposed to the sun, these handrails often become hot enough to cause discomfort when touched. To prevent this, some handrails are known to be made from, or coated with, materials that are less heat conductive and/or retentive. But such solutions require additional components and/or other compromises with regard to construction material selection and aesthetics, and may only somewhat delay the time it takes for a rail to reach an uncomfortable temperature.
SUMMARY
A pool handrail assembly is provided, which comprises a handrail positionable in and/or adjacent a pool, and a channel extending through the handrail. The channel extends from a channel inlet to at least one channel exit. The channel inlet is configured to connect to and receive water from a water source.
A method is provided for cooling a pool hand handrail. The method comprises the steps of installing a handrail in and/or adjacent a pool by connecting a channel inlet of the handrail into fluid communication with a water source and actuating the water source to feed water into the handrail via the channel inlet. The water then flows through a channel extending from the channel inlet through the handrail, and out from a channel outlet in the handrail. Heat from the handrail is transferred to the water flowing through the handrail.
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 cross-sectional semi-schematic side view of a water-cooled pool handrail assembly installed adjacent a swimming pool staircase and connected to a pump and water source;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternative embodiment of a water-cooled pool handrail assembly installed adjacent a swimming pool;
FIG. 3 is a side view of another alternative embodiment of a water-cooled pool ladder handrail assembly installed adjacent a swimming pool;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the water-cooled pool ladder handrail embodiment of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an anchor feature securing a water-cooled pool handrail assembly to a pool deck and connecting the handrail assembly to a water source;
FIG. 6 is a top-down cross-sectional view of the handrail assembly of FIG. 1 including an alternative channel outlet arrangement in which a channel outlet of the assembly is aimed to eject water away from pool stairs to entrain ambient water to clear pool stairs of debris;
FIG. 7 is a top-down cross-sectional view of the handrail assembly of FIG. 1 including another alternative channel outlet arrangement in which a channel outlet of the assembly is aimed to eject water at pool stairs to the clear pool stairs of debris;
FIG. 8 is a top-down cross-sectional view of the handrail assembly of FIG. 1 including another alternative channel outlet arrangement in which a channel outlet of the assembly is aimed to eject water across pool stairs to clear the pool stairs of debris;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an alternate anchor feature for securing a water-cooled pool handrail assembly to a pool deck and connecting the handrail assembly to a water source; and
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method of cooling a pool handrail assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A water-cooled handrail assembly is generally indicated at 10 in FIG. 1. Alternative embodiments are generally indicated at 10′ in FIG. 2 and at 10″ in FIGS. 3 and 4. Where components of the alternative embodiments of FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are the same as or similar to components of the embodiment of FIG. 1, they are designated in the figures by the same reference numeral, but with the addition of a prime or double-prime, respectively. So, for example, where a component of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is designated with reference number 42, analogous components of the embodiment of FIG. 2 will be designated 42′ and analogous components of the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 will be designated 42″. Descriptions of components of the embodiment of FIG. 1 are intended to apply equally to components of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 sharing the same reference numerals, unless otherwise shown or specified.
The assembly 10 may comprise a handrail 12 positionable in and/or adjacent a pool 14 in a location suitable for use of the handrail 12 as a handhold for ingressing and egressing the pool 14. For example: this positioning may include installation of the handrail 12 adjacent stairs 16 within the pool 14 as shown in FIG. 1, or extending over a pool sidewall 18 where the handrail assembly 10 comprises a ladder 10″ in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The term “pool 14” is intended herein to refer to any basin for retaining a body of water, including any sort of swimming pool, spa, hot tub, etc.
A channel 20 extends through the handrail 12 from a channel inlet 22 to at least one channel exit 24. The channel inlet 22 connects to, and receives, water from a water source 26. The water source 26 may, for example, be (directly or indirectly) a body of water contained in the pool 14. The channel 20 allows the received water to flow through at least a portion of the handrail 12 and out through the channel exit 24 back into the pool 14 (the course of the water is shown via the arrows in FIGS. 1-4). This flowing water may serve as a heat-transfer medium, receiving heat from the handrail 12 and carrying it back into the body of water contained in the pool 14. The handrail 12 may thereby maintain a temperature near to the ambient temperature of the pool water while the water is flowing.
As shown in FIG. 1, the assembly 10 may include a pump 28 connectable in fluid communication with the channel 20 and (via any suitable plumbing means such as that shown at 30 in FIG. 1) with the water source 26. The pump 28 may be operated in such a way as to propel water from the water source 26 through the handrail channel 20. Alternatively, the pump 28 may be a component of an existing pool 14 water circulation system for distributing heated water and/or filtering pool water, and the assembly 10 may be configured to connect the handrail channel 20 into fluid communication with the existing pool 14 water circulation system pump 28.
The handrail 12 may be fabricated from stainless-steel tubing, and may be formed into a desired shape using any suitable bending process and equipment. Where aesthetic or functional requirements so require, an end of the tube may be fitted with a plug 34 to prevent water from escaping from the channel 20 in unwanted directions, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
Multiple channel exits 24 may be positioned in different and/or multiple locations relative to the handrail 12 and/or the pool 14. For example, the channel exits 24 may be positioned to allow water to leave the handrail 12 above and/or below the water level of the pool 14.
One or more above-water-level channel exits 24′ may be arranged for aesthetic appeal, aeration, and/or to return water to the pool 14. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, one end of the handrail 12′ extends over, but not into, the water of the pool 14. In such arrangements a nozzle 32′ may be fitted to the end of the handrail 12′ to modify the shape, pressure, and/or direction of the ejected water for aesthetic effect.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the channel exit 24 may alternatively be formed through a handrail wall that defines the handrail channel 20 and may be positioned in any suitable position along the handrail 12.
As shown in FIGS. 6-8, where one or more channel exits 24 are positioned underwater, the underwater channel exits 24 may be aimed and/or shaped to direct water to clear pool stairs 16 of debris. This may be accomplished by aiming jets of water from the channel exits 24 at the stairs 16 as shown in FIG. 7, across the stairs 16 as shown in FIG. 8, or by aiming the channel exits 24 to indirectly direct and/or entrain water into a current that will clear the stairs 16 as shown in FIG. 6. (The arrows in FIGS. 6-8 indicate direction of water flow.) Underwater channel exits 24 may also be preferable where users wish to minimize evaporation losses. However, other embodiments may comprise a handrail 12 combining a mix of channel exits 24 located both above and below the water level of the pool 14.
The pool handrail assembly 10 may include an anchor feature connectable to or carried by the handrail 12. This anchor feature may comprise any suitable attachment means, such as a flange 36 formed or connected onto a lower end of the handrail 12 and configured to receive fasteners 38 that secure the flange 36 and handrail 12 to a pool deck 40 adjacent the pool 14, as shown in FIG. 5. The flange 36 may be secured to the pool deck 40 around an opening 42 in the pool deck 40 and/or a pipe that leads to and provided fluid communication with the water source 26, so that water from the water source 26 may flow from the pool deck opening 42 or pipe into the handrail channel 20.
The pool deck opening 42 may comprise any suitable interface configured to receive or be received by the rail anchor feature 36. The interface may, for example, include compatible fastener holes 44 to receive the fasteners 38, which extend through the flange-type anchor feature 36 and into the pool deck 40 as shown in FIG. 5.
The anchor feature 36 may additionally or alternatively include a spout tube 46 that is in fluid communication with the water source 26 and that extends upward from the pool deck opening 42 and over which the handrail 12 may be placed. The anchor feature 36 may also include a compression cap 50 configured to threadedly engage spout tube 46 as shown in FIG. 9. As shown in both FIGS. 5 and 9, at least portions of the handrail 12 and spout tube 46 may be configured to telescope, i.e., overlap one within the other, so that the handrail 12 may be slipped over (or inside), and held upright, at least in part, by the spout tube 46. One or more seals 48 may be disposed between the handrail 12 and spout tube 46 (e.g., annular ring seals, as shown in FIG. 5, or a beveled compression ring seal configured to be compressed against the handrail 12 by engagement of the threaded compression cap 50 and spout tube, as shown in FIG. 9) in the overlapping portion between the handrail 12 and the spout tube, to prevent or at least mitigate water leakage once the handrail 12 is fitted onto the spout tube 46.
This spout tube 46 may further serve as an additional or alternative means of aligning compatible interface features of the flange 36 to the interface for the pool deck opening 42 so that fasteners 38 or other attachment means may be easily engaged to secure the handrail 12 to the pool deck 40.
In practice, and as shown in FIG. 10 a pool handrail 12 may be cooled by connecting the internal channel 20 of the handrail 12 into fluid communication with a water source 26, and transferring heat from the handrail 12 by running water from the water source 26 into the channel 20 through a channel inlet 22 and allowing the water to flow out from the channel through a channel exit 24. Specifically, the handrail 12 may be installed by passing a compression cap 50 and ring seal 48 over the channel inlet 22 end of the handrail 12 as shown in action steps 52 and 54. The channel inlet 22 of the handrail 12 may be positioned over a water source outlet (such as spout tube 46) in a pool deck 40 as shown in action step 56. The channel inlet 22 may then be fitted over or into the water source outlet 46 as shown in action step 58. The handrail may then be sealed in place by, for example, passing fasteners 38 through aligned holes 44 in the flange 36 and pool deck 40 surrounding the channel inlet 22 as shown in FIG. 5, or by threading the compression cap 50 onto the spout tube 46 until the compression ring seal 48 seals the handrail 12 and the spout tube 46 as shown in FIG. 9 and action step 60 of FIG. 10. A pump 28 may then be actuated to move water through the handrail 12 to transfer heat from the handrail to the running water as shown in action step 62.
A pool handrail constructed and operated as described above should be able to maintain a surface temperature near the ambient temperature of the pool water. This should prevent sun from heating the rail to levels that could cause pain or injury.
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. Obviously, it's possible to modify this invention from what the description teaches. Within the scope of the claims, one may practice the invention other than as described above.
Patent Application
20230407660
