Patent Application
20230121322
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of water filters of existing art and more specifically relates to pool water filter devices.
We go swimming not just for recreation, but also for health. We swim in our own backyards in our own above-ground pools not just for convenience, but also to escape the dirty water in lakes and oceans. This is why above ground pools are popular, with approximately 170,000 new units being sold every year to a market that already has over 4 million above-ground pools. Unfortunately, though, swimming pool water can be just as dirty, which can defeat our goals of healthy exercise and recreation. That dirtiness in pool water can lead to illness, which further defeats those goals. Even worse, incidents of sickness derived from pool water are growing in frequency. Ordinary traditional pool filters may not be effective all by themselves.
Consider this, 17 percent of the population openly admits they pee in the pool. Also, dirt, leaves and other unwanted items quickly decompose, which generates undesirable bacteria, along with mold and algae growing on the floors and walls of swimming pools. As a result of these shortcomings, disease-causing germs, including cryptosporidium, giardia and hepatitis A, are frequently found in pool water. The above-mentioned are chlorine tolerant, too which is concerning. This leaves swimmers at high risk of illness, especially gastroenteritis. These risks are very common, too. If health inspections were done, over half of U.S. pools wouldn't pass, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and over 10 percent would be immediately shut down due to high risks. The CDC knows this from results of testing hotel pools, which are usually maintained with higher frequency than home pools are. The risks are also growing. Reports show annual increases of 13 percent in illnesses derived from infected pool water in recent years. A suitable solution is desired to provide additional filtration needed to allow consumers to achieve their fun and healthy swimming goals.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,435,902 to Leonard Ray Taylor relates to a portable pool filter system. The described portable pool filter system is fully immersible and self-contained. Water is suction fed through the filter before entering the pump and being discharged. The device decontaminates water from all contaminations to include algae, iron, red clay, and oils.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known pool water filter device art, the present disclosure provides a novel secondary pool filter device. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a secondary pool filter device that may be attached to water jets of above-ground pools and capture any dirt, debris, particles, algae, bacteria, and pathogens that are not trapped by a primary pump filter. The secondary pool filter device eliminates the need for manual collection of dirt, debris, and other particles that escape primary filters.
A secondary pool filter device is disclosed herein. The secondary pool filter device includes a secondary filter configured to fit over and removably attach to a return jet of a swimming pool and provide secondary filtration for swimming pools. The secondary filter includes a filter pad and a filter sleeve. The filter pad encases a mesh screen and includes a plurality of layers of filtering material. The filter sleeve includes an open end and a closed end. The open end is configured to receive the filter pad for hosting the filter pad within the filter sleeve. The mesh screen may comprise a rectangular profile and a series of evenly spaced apertures. The mesh screen preferably comprises a plastic material and is pliable allowing for the filter pad to be folded and rolled into a cylindrical, rolled-condition.
The plurality of layers of filtering material of the filter pad preferably include an inner-lining and an outer-lining. The inner-lining may comprise a cotton lining and the outer-lining may comprise a felt lining. The mesh screen is encased within the inner-lining and the outer-lining. The filter sleeve may be comprised of a polyester material and the open end of the filter sleeve features a cinch tie. The filter sleeve may be secured around the filter pad for an assembled condition. The filter sleeve may be placed over a return jet within an aboveground pool, and the cinch tie may be used to secure the filter sleeve to the return jet. Additionally, the secondary pool filter device may be fastened to a pool vacuum.
According to one embodiment, the secondary pool filter device may be arranged as a kit. In particular, the secondary pool filter device may further include a set of instructions. The instructions may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the secondary pool filter device such that the secondary pool filter device can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a secondary pool filter device, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a pool water filter device and more particularly to a secondary pool filter device as used to improve the filtration of pools. The secondary pool filter device is configured to capture any dirt, debris, particles, algae, bacteria, and pathogens that are not trapped by a primary pump filter.
Generally, the secondary pool filter device is a secondary water filter that attaches to water jets of above-ground pools. As water moves through the primary pump filter of a swimming pool and then back to the pool through the water jets, the secondary pool filter device captures any dirt, debris, particles, algae, bacteria, and pathogens that were not trapped by the primary pump filter. This additional filtration provides improved water cleansing that is of recognized need, reducing the frequency in which manual cleaning of a swimming pool is required, and saves in both time and cost of such manual cleaning. The secondary pool filter device captures dirt, debris, and other particles that bypass filtration by a primary filter of a swimming pool water pump. The secondary pool filter device helps swimming pools maintain a pleasant, recreational image and use.
The secondary pool filter device comprises a mesh screen, a filter pad and a filter sleeve. The filter pad of the device consists of an interior layer of cotton encased withing a felt fabric. The meshed screen is completely encased within the filter pad. The filter sleeve may be comprised of a polyester material and the open end of the sleeve features a cinch tie. The filter sleeve may be secured around the filter pad during an assembled condition. The filter sleeve may be placed over a return jet within an aboveground pool, and the cinch tie is used to secure the filter sleeve to the return jet. Additionally, the device may be fastened to a pool vacuum. The secondary pool filter device may be reusable and can be easily washed to remove any substances trapped within the filter pad and filter sleeve. The secondary pool filter device makes swimming pool water cleaner than is ordinarily achieved by current filtration systems. The secondary pool filter device eliminates the time and labor cost of manual collection of dirt, debris, and other particles that escape primary filters. Additionally, the secondary pool filter device can help prevent growth of algae on swimming pool walls and floors.
In a most preferred embodiment, the mesh screen of the secondary pool filter device is made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Molded in a rectangular shape with evenly spaced apertures through its structure, the mesh screen measures approximately thirteen and one-half inches in length by seven and one-half inches in width by a sixteenth of an inch in thickness (13½″×7½″× 1/16″). The mesh screen is encased within a filter pad preferably comprising two-layers. The filter pad is approximately fourteen inches in length by eight inches in width, and approximately one-quarter of inch thick (14″×8″×¼). The inner-lining of the filter pad is made of cotton foam material contained within an outer-lining of felt. For containment of the filter pad is a filter sleeve with one (1) closed end, measuring approximately nine inches in length by six inches in width by two inches in depth (9″×6″×2″). A securing cinch tie is featured at the open end of the filter sleeve. The filter sleeve also provides additional filtering capabilities.
A method of use may be as follows: a user may roll the filter pad of the secondary pool filter device into a cylinder, and then place the filter pad within the filter sleeve. The cinch tie (or other suitable means) from the filter sleeve may then be used to secure the secondary pool filter device over a return jet of an above-ground swimming pool. After application, the secondary pool filter device provides additional filtering when water is returned to a swimming pool. With this additional filtration, all undesirable dirt, debris, and particles that were not removed by the primary filter will be kept from returning to the water, and so will algae along with many bacteria and pathogens. As a result of this secondary filtration, the user of the secondary pool filter device will not have to manually clean the pool as often, and will not have to purchase pool-cleaning materials as often, too.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
As shown, the filter pad 112 encases the mesh screen 114 and includes the plurality of layers of filtering material. The mesh screen 114 comprises a rectangular profile and a series of evenly spaced apertures 116 allowing water to flow therethrough and restrict larger particles from passing therethrough. The mesh screen 114 may comprise a plastic material and is pliable allowing for the filter pad 112 to be folded and rolled into a cylindrical, rolled-condition. The plurality of layers of filtering material of the filter pad 112 include an inner-lining 118 and an outer-lining 120. The inner-lining 118 preferably comprises a cotton lining and the outer-lining 120 comprises a felt lining. The mesh screen 114 is encased within the inner-lining 118 and the outer-lining 120. The mesh screen 114 may or may not be removable from the filter pad 112. In a removable variation, the mesh screen 114 may be removable from one edge of the filter pad 112. The filter pad 112 may be releasably sealable by hook-and-loop material, snaps, buttons, and/or ties. The secondary pool filter device 100 may be made in variations that include materials that provide additional filtering, such as but not limited to activated charcoal.
It should be noted that step five 605 and step six 606 are optional steps and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use 600 are illustrated using dotted lines in
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/360,591 filed Oct. 19, 2021, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63360591 | Oct 2021 | US |
