Patent Grant
7969303
The instant invention relates generally to safety barriers for outdoor use and more particularly to a removable safety barrier with an integrated alarm.
Related to the use of a residential swimming pool, spa or Jacuzzi is the risk that someone who is unable to swim, often times an infant, will, without the knowledge of the individual responsible for their supervision, enter into the area surrounding the residential swimming pool, spa or Jacuzzi and fall into the water and drown. Indeed, drowning is a leading cause of death among children under the age of five (5) in many states including Florida, Arizona, and California, just to name a few. Moreover, according to government statistics, for every drowning there are eleven (11) near drowning incidents, many of which result in brain damage or other severe and potentially debilitating injuries.
Drowning typically happens quickly and without warning. There is often no cry for help from the drowning victim. Indeed, a recent study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that 77% of the children who drown were seen within five (5) minutes before they were noticed missing and were subsequently discovered in the pool.
Previous efforts to prevent those who are unable to swim from accidentally falling into a residential swimming pool, spa or Jacuzzi and drowning have generally involved the use of either (1) a barrier to prevent access to the residential swimming pool, spa or Jacuzzi, or (2) an alarm which sounds in when one enters the water. Indeed, according to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 69% of the drowning incidents occurred when parental supervision failed and there were not other safety measures in use. Accordingly, many states and municipalities have enacted legislation which requires persons who construct and/or own swimming pools, spas or Jacuzzis to use some type of protective measure in an effort to prevent children or other individuals who are unable to swim from accidentally falling into the water and drowning.
Pool fences or safety barriers are typically constructed of flexible material which is mounted on aluminum or fiberglass support poles. The support poles are placed into aluminum or plastic sleeves which are installed into the deck surface surrounding the swimming pool, spa, or Jacuzzi. The bottom border of the fence material is typically flush with the deck surface surrounding the swimming pool, spa, or Jacuzzi so as to prevent a child from going under the fence. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,327 to Fish describes such a fence.
A standard pool fence is removable in approximately twelve foot sections. Each section can easily be rolled up and is relatively light in weight. The average one hundred foot fence can be removed in less than fifteen (15) minutes and be put back up in approximately the same amount of time.
There are several types of alarms designed for outdoor swimming pools, spas and Jacuzzis. One type of alarm designed for outdoor swimming pools, spas, and Jacuzzis is an alarm which utilizes wave sensors. These types of alarms are essentially floating devices which have remote alarms which are designed sound if someone falls into the water. These alarms are typically mounted on the edge of the swimming pool, spa or Jacuzzi. Generally, these types of alarms sense water displacement when an object weighing more than a certain threshold weight enters the pool. In order to detect a disturbance to the surface of the water, these types of alarms utilize a sensor incorporates an electrical circuit that includes two contacts. One contact rests in the water; the second contact (above-surface contact) is adjusted so that it is resting above the water. When the above-surface contact is touched by water (from a surface wave), the electrical circuit is completed and an alarm sounds. The sensitivity of the device can be adjusted by positioning the above-surface contact closer or further away from the water surface. Sensitivity increases as the contact is positioned closer to the water surface (see
Another type of alarm designed for outdoor swimming pools, spas, and Jacuzzis are those which use laser or infra red light to form an unbroken beam of light around the perimeter of the swimming pool, spa or Jacuzzi. When someone entering the perimeter breaks the beam the alarm sounds.
The present invention combines certain desirable features of perimeter barriers and alarms to provide a portable, removable, lightweight device that promotes safety in a manner heretofore unknown.
According to the present invention, a new safety barrier with an integrated alarm is provided. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
In that drowning typically happens quickly and without warning the device of the instant invention aims to prevent a crisis, rather than to manage a crisis once it's occurred. Accordingly, the device of the instant invention is a removable, self-supporting perimeter fence which contains a plurality of sensors which are connected to a standard closed-system alarm system. In short, the device of the instant invention is designed to sound an alarm to alert an individual if the fence is knocked over, which would likely indicate either that someone outside the perimeter of the fence gained unauthorized access inside the perimeter of the fence or that someone within the perimeter of the fence went outside the perimeter of the fence without authorization.
The device of the instant invention contains the basic elements of a perimeter fence, to with, a plurality of fence posts and fencing material. Fence posts are mounted vertically in the ground or other surface, and consecutively connected horizontally by fencing material to create a barrier the height of the fencing material the distance from fence post to fence post. Fence posts may be arranged in a variety of manners depending on the intended use of the fence.
The device of the instant invention, in addition to a typical perimeter fence as described above, also contains a base support which is mounted directly into the ground surface or a sleeve via a downward extending support assembly in order to provide support for the fence posts, to which the fencing material is attached. When the safety barrier of the instant invention is completely assembled, the fence posts extend vertically and are connected via fencing material. The preferred embodiment of the instant invention includes apertures on the exterior surface of both the fence posts and base support in order to allow the fencing material to be attached from the top of each fence post to the bottom of each base support, which prevents the likelihood that someone or something would be able to slip underneath the fence.
It is recognized that the fencing material of the instant invention may be made of both natural and synthetic materials, such as wood, chain-link or plastic mesh. The preferred embodiment of the instant invention is constructed of lightweight flexible synthetic material.
In order to maintain the fence posts in a vertical position, the base support of the instant invention is a substantially hollow structure which is wider in diameter at its base than at the top thereof. Said fence posts are each mounted inside the hollow portion of a base support. When the fence posts are in a vertical or upright position, the fence posts only contact the bottom portion of the base support, in the center of the base support. More specifically, when the fence posts are in a vertical or upright position, the fence posts do not contact the upper rim of the base support. When force causes the fence posts to become removed from their vertical or upright position however, the fence posts will contact both the inside of the upper rim as well as the bottom portion of the base support. It should be recognized that even when the fence posts are removed from their vertical or upright position, their contact with the inside of the upper rim and the bottom portion of the base support will prevent the fence posts from falling to the ground.
The preferred embodiment of the instant invention contains base supports which are weighted at the bottom portion thereof, in order to prevent the base supports from tipping over and, at the same time, maintain the fence posts in a vertical position.
Moreover, the preferred embodiment of the instant invention contains a horizontal support channel running horizontally through the midsection of said base support through which an object can be inserted, also in an effort to maintain the fence posts in a vertical position. Notably, said horizontal support channel and the object inserted therein are positioned so as to be parallel to the fencing material so as not to prevent the fence from being knocked over should someone or something contact the planar surface of said fencing material.
Alarm contacts or sensors are embedded in both the bottom of each fence post, referred to as fence posts alarm contacts, and the top portion of each downward extending support assembly, referred to as base support alarm contacts. Connected to the fence post alarm contacts and the base support alarm contacts is a transmitter. When the fence posts are in their vertical or upright position, the fence post alarm contact and the base support alarm contact are connected to a transmitter. The transmitter is connected, via a hard wire or wireless connection, to a receiver which is itself connected to a siren capable of sounding an alarm. When the fence posts are in a vertical or upright position, the fence post alarm contact and the base support alarm contact are connected, the electric circuit is closed between the transmitter, the fence post alarm contact and the base support alarm contact, which prevents a siren from sounding. When force causes the fence posts to become removed from their vertical or upright position however, the fence post alarm contact and the base support alarm contact become disconnected, the circuit is opened, thus causing the transmitter to send a signal to the receiver to trigger the siren to sound.
The device of the instant invention is also intended for use for those without residential swimming pools, spas or Jacuzzis. Indeed, the device of the instant invention is duly useful as a portable playpen or kennel, which would sound an alarm if an animal or child knocked over the fence in order to gain access to areas outside the perimeter or, alternatively, if someone or something entered the perimeter.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.
In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements through several views:
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to
Referring to
Referring to
It is recognized that the fence posts of the instant invention may be made of various materials, including both natural and synthetic materials. It is further recognized that using a fence post made of a glow-in-the-dark or other illuminating material in the instant invention provides for increased visibility thereof post-sunset.
Embedded in the bottom of fence post 8 is fence post alarm contact 10. Embedded in the top portion of downward extending support assembly 6, is support alarm contact 12. Fence post alarm contact 10 and support alarm contact 12 are designed so as to co-engage one another and complete the circuit therebetween.
Referring to
As shown in
While there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention, therefore, is limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4450434 | Nielsen et al. | May 1984 | A |
| 4829287 | Kerr et al. | May 1989 | A |
| 5438316 | Motsinger et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
| 6911900 | Deuss et al. | Jun 2005 | B1 |
| 7419140 | Perry | Sep 2008 | B2 |
| 7508340 | Orler et al. | Mar 2009 | B2 |
| 7675417 | Eastwood | Mar 2010 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100026488 A1 | Feb 2010 | US |
