Patent Application
20170227256
The field of the invention generally relates to systems for heating swimming pools and retaining heat in swimming pools
With the high cost of oil, gas and electricity, the heating of swimming pools is expensive. Various types of inventions have been proposed to use solar radiation to heat the water. Some solar heaters require permanent installation of coils of pipe and which require pumps to circulate the heated water, and which are expensive.
Other proposed to use a sheet of cover to cover the swimming pools. The sheet of cover may utilize light weight thermoplastic film layers, having features like reflective integral air-pockets (U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,536). The cover must be removed from the pool before the pool can be used. The cover is expensive as it must be custom made for each pool. The cover requires large storage space, when it is not used.
The Lockshaw U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,368 illustrates a pool cover having solar energy heating capability is provided comprising sheet material adapted to furl about a reel less locus in a storage position and to be deployed in an extended position. The cover must be removed from the pool before the pool can be used. The cover is expensive as it must be custom made for each pool. The cover requires large space to store, when it is not used.
The Pelehach U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,095 illustrates a solar heating device for swimming pools comprising an inflatable raft having a thermally reflective bottom surface and a thermally transparent top surface, and means for elevating at least a fraction of said reflective surface above the swimming pool surface during periods of diminished solar radiation to reduce heat loss from the water. The Pelehach structure requires a pump to circulate the water. It is expensive, hard to use and suffers from other shortcomings.
The Acker U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,366 illustrates a solar pool heater which has a submersible tubular ring attached to the perimeter of a transparent or translucent sheet. The Acker structure does not provide for efficient heat collection. The Acker structure is expensive to construct, store, shipping and maintain.
The McCluskey U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,060 illustrates a floating solar heater which includes a top cover; a vertical outer side wall with inclined inner side wall segments connected thereto, an outside rim and a bottom wall. The inner side wall segments are octagonal, coated with light reflective material, and aid in reflecting the sun's rays to heat the space inside the walls formed by the cover which dead air space also provides for floatation of the heater. The bottom wall is heated by direct sun impingement and by the air in contact with it and is formed of a material having high heat conductivity. The McCluskey structure is expensive to manufacture, store, shipping and maintain. It does not require removal from the pool for pool use. However it is expensive to construct, store, shipping and maintain.
The Rosene U.S. Pat. No. 7,093,593 illustrates a solar pool heater for floating on water which uses an inflatable ring to support the pool heater, which has a center hole serves to permit egress of air from under the heater. Rosene's heaters hold together by the magnets on the edge. Heaters must be removed entirely or partially before use. The hole in the center does not efficiently permit egress of air. The Rosene's structure is soft in the ring with valves, which is easy to cause air leakage. When deploy on water, the rings are easy to overlap to each other and are easy to be blown off by wind.
The pool heater of my invention does not require removal before the pool is used. It has a hard frame. It is inexpensive, easy to construct, shipping and store and it is energy efficient.
These and other objects of the invention to become apparent hereinafter are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by the provision of the cover structure hereinafter to be described.
The invention is a solar heater for floating on water and it comprises a flexible pipe or a plurality of pipes, a coupling or a plurality of couplings and a multi layers cover, which has a dark color to absorb solar radiation, and which has layer to preserve heat, and which has a reflective film at the bottom side to reflect heat radiates from swimming pool.
The pipes and couplings can construct a closed shape. In the preferred embodiment of design, the solar heater is a ring shape, which is constructed of one pipe and one coupling. In another embodiment of design, the solar heater is a square shape, which is constructed of four pipes and four couplings, with each coupling having ninety degrees angle. In another embodiment of design, the solar heater is a hexagon shape, which requires six pipes and six couplings, with each coupling having one hundred and twenty degrees angle.
The bottom cover has multi layers films. In one embodiment of design, the bottom cover has one transparent upper film and one dark color lower film. The upper film and lower film form a thermo sheet with a plurality of bubble chambers in between. The embodiment of design allows solar radiation to pass through upper film, while the lower film absorbs the radiation to heat water. Air bubble chambers between upper film and lower film provide an effective and enhanced insulation barrier against heat loss from the pool.
The holes on the multi layers cover permit flow of rain from above the cover and egress of air from under the cover, when the heater is placed on the surface of water.
The object of the invention is to provide a durable low cost floating solar pool heater that is energy efficient, easy to store, easy to construct and require low maintenance.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included herein within the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:
Throughout the several Figures, identical call outs are used to identify identical structure.
