This application relates to the field of spa accessory mounting assemblies.
A spa may be installed with one or more accessories. For example, one or more cover lifters may be attached to an exterior of a spa for providing assistance in moving one or more spa covers between a closed position and an open position.
In one aspect, a spa accessory mounting assembly is provided. The spa accessory mounting assembly may include an upper frame anchor, a lower frame anchor, a bridging sleeve, and an accessory mount. The upper frame anchor may be securable to an upper internal frame of a spa. The lower frame anchor may be securable to a lower internal frame of a spa. The bridging sleeve may be sized and shaped to overlie both the upper and lower frame anchors when the upper frame anchor is spaced vertically above the lower frame anchor. The accessory mount may be connected to the bridging sleeve and positionable along a height of the bridging sleeve.
In another aspect, a spa accessory mounting assembly is provided. The spa accessory mounting assembly may include an upper frame anchor, a lower anchor, a bridging sleeve, and an accessory mount. The upper frame anchor may be securable to an upper internal frame of a spa. The lower anchor may having a horizontal foot positionable under a spa. The bridging sleeve may be sized and shaped to mount to both the upper frame anchor and lower anchor when the upper frame anchor is spaced vertically above the lower anchor. The accessory mount may be connected to the bridging sleeve and moveable along a height of the bridging sleeve.
In another aspect, a spa accessory mounting assembly is provided. The spa accessory mounting assembly may include a lower anchor, an upright support, and an accessory mount. The lower anchor may have a horizontal foot positionable under a spa. The upright support may have a lower portion connected to the lower anchor, and an upper end positioned above the lower anchor. The accessory mount may be connected to the upright support. At least one of: the upright support is movable relative to the lower anchor between at least two upright support elevations, and the upright support is rigidly connectable to the lower anchor at each of the upright support elevations; and the accessory mount is movable relative to the upright support between at least two accessory mount elevations, and the accessory mount is rigidly connectable to the upright support at each of the accessory mount elevations.
Numerous embodiments are described in this application, and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not intended to be limiting in any sense. The invention is widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as is readily apparent from the disclosure herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced with modification and alteration without departing from the teachings disclosed herein. Although particular features of the present invention may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments or figures, it should be understood that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or figures with reference to which they are described.
The terms “an embodiment,” “embodiment,” “embodiments,” “the embodiment,” “the embodiments,” “one or more embodiments,” “some embodiments,” and “one embodiment” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the present invention(s),” unless expressly specified otherwise.
The terms “including,” “comprising” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to,” unless expressly specified otherwise. A listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an” and “the” mean “one or more,” unless expressly specified otherwise.
As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “affixed”, or “fastened” where the parts are joined or operate together either directly or indirectly (i.e., through one or more intermediate parts), so long as a link occurs. As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “directly coupled”, “directly connected”, “directly attached”, “directly joined”, “directly affixed”, or “directly fastened” where the parts are connected in physical contact with each other. As used herein, two or more parts are said to be “rigidly coupled”, “rigidly connected”, “rigidly attached”, “rigidly joined”, “rigidly affixed”, or “rigidly fastened” where the parts are coupled so as to move as one while maintaining a constant orientation relative to each other. None of the terms “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “affixed”, and “fastened” distinguish the manner in which two or more parts are joined together.
Further, although method steps may be described (in the disclosure and/or in the claims) in a sequential order, such methods may be configured to work in alternate orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be described does not necessarily indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of methods described herein may be performed in any order that is practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously.
As used herein and in the claims, a group of elements are said to ‘collectively’ perform an act where that act is performed by any one of the elements in the group, or performed cooperatively by two or more (or all) elements in the group.
As used herein and in the claims, a first element is said to be “received” in a second element where at least a portion of the first element is received in the second element unless specifically stated otherwise.
Some elements herein may be identified by a part number, which is composed of a base number followed by an alphabetical or subscript-numerical suffix (e.g. 112a, or 1121). Multiple elements herein may be identified by part numbers that share a base number in common and that differ by their suffixes (e.g. 1121, 1122, and 1123). All elements with a common base number may be referred to collectively or generically using the base number without a suffix (e.g. 112).
Historically, side wall panels on spas (e.g. hot tubs or swim spas) have been made of rigid wooden panels capable of withstanding heavy loads of attached spa accessories, such as cover lifters. This allowed such spa accessories to be fastened to the side wall panels at any location required by the spa accessory. For example, a cover lifter may require that it is attached to the side wall panel at a particular elevation (i.e. height position) so that its arcuate motion is able to carry the attached spa cover between open and closed positions without interference.
Recently, spas are more often sold with side wall panels made of thin polymers that are backed by a rigid internal frame. Such weak polymer side wall panels are often unable to support heavy loads of an attached spa accessory. Further, the rigid internal frame is typically located at the upper and lower ends of the side wall panels, and as such do not provide suitable attachment locations for many spa accessories.
One solution for mounting spa accessories to spas that have weak side wall panels is to add additional internal framing behind the side wall panels. This entails removing the spa side wall panels, installing the additional framing (e.g. wooden or metal studs), reinstalling the spa side walls, and then mounting the spa accessory over the side wall panel in alignment with the added framing. This solution has several disadvantages. It is time consuming to perform, too complicated and involved for most consumers, and the interior configuration of some spas may not accommodate additional internal framing at locations required by the spa accessory.
Embodiments herein relate to a spa accessory mounting assembly designed for compatibility with modern spas that may have weak side panels supported on internal framing. This allows the assembly to mount a spa accessory (e.g. cover lifter) at any required elevation (i.e. height position) without ever having to remove the side wall panels, and without having to add additional internal framing behind the side wall panels. As compared with processes that involve reinforcing the side wall panels with additional internal framing, the spa accessory mounting assembly disclosed herein makes the installation of a spa accessory quick, easy enough for most consumers, and compatible with spas that cannot accommodate additional internal framing at locations where the spa accessory requires fastening to the spa.
Spa covers 128 can be very heavy, often weighing 40-100 lbs (18-45 kg) depending on their size and composition. This makes moving spa covers 128 between an open position (e.g. the illustrated position of spa cover 1281) and a closed position (e.g. the illustrated position of spa cover 1282) difficult or impossible for many users. For that reason, a cover lifter 132 may be installed to assist the user in moving the cover between the open position (in which cover 128 is clear of opening 126) and the closed position (in which cover 128 overlies (e.g. closes) at least part of opening 126). As shown, a spa cover lifter 132 may be fastened to the side wall 104 of the spa 100 at a location between the lower and upper spa ends 108. In use, the cover lifter 132 may at times bear much or all of the total weight of the spa cover 128 it is used to lift. This weight may be transferred to the side wall 104 where the cover lifter 132 is anchored. Lifter 132 may be a lift assembly as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,708,823, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Still referring to
The illustrated example shows a side wall 104 that includes one or more side wall panels 120 mounted to and exterior of internal framing 124. As shown, internal framing 124 may include an upper internal frame 1361 and a lower internal frame 1362. Upper and lower internal frames 1361 and 1362 may extend laterally (e.g. horizontally) proximate the upper and lower spa ends 112 and 108 respectively (e.g. parallel to upper and lower spa ends 112 and 108, respectively). In this example, cover lifter 132 may require that it is mounted at an elevation between the upper and lower internal frames 1361 and 1362 in order to provide the articulation required to move the connected spa cover 128 between the closed position and the open position. As shown, there may be several cover lifters 132 to provide assisted movement for several spa covers 128. In many instances, there may be two cover lifters 132 connected to opposed ends of each spa cover 128.
In other spa configurations, there may be additional horizontal or vertical internal frames 136. Internal frames 136 can be discrete elements connected to each other, or integrally formed with each other. Internal frames 136 may have any configuration suitable to structurally reinforce spa side wall panels 120. For example, internal frames 136 may studs as shown, such as wooden or metal studs.
Reference is now made to
Alternatively, or in addition to securing lower anchor 208 to lower internal frame 1362, lower anchor 208 may include a foot 220 sized to extend rearwardly under spa lower end 108. A spa may have an immense weight of 1000 lbs (450 kg) or more when filled with water. By applying such weight to foot 220, foot 220 may be effectively rigidly connected to spa 100.
Returning to
In use, upper and lower anchors 204 and 208 are discrete components that are vertically spaced apart and vertically aligned when secured to spa 100. Once anchors 204 and 208 are installed, bridging sleeve 212 overlies both the upper and lower anchors 204 and 208, bridging the vertical gap 224 between them. Accessory mount 216 may slideably connect to bridging sleeve 212 so that it can be moved to the height required by the spa accessory 132 being mounted to spa 100.
In one aspect, the design of spa accessory mounting assembly 200 may accommodate spas 100 of varying heights and framing configurations, without having to make modifications to the spa 100 (e.g. without having to install additional internal framing). For example, the provision of two discrete anchors 204 and 208 allows an anchor gap 224 between them to be selected based on the elevation difference between the upper and lower internal frames 1361 and 1362 or based on an elevation of upper internal frame 1361 above spa lower end 108 (e.g. in the case of lower anchor 208 including a foot 220). Bridging sleeve 212 overlies both the upper and lower anchors 204 and 208, bridging the anchor gap 224, whereby accessory mount 216 can be positioned at any required elevation, including elevations aligned with the gap between the upper and lower anchors 204 and 208.
As used herein and in the claims, a first element is said to ‘overlie’ a second element based on the position and alignment of the first element relative to the second element. For example, a first element may be said to overlie a second element where the first element is positioned forward of a front end of the second element in forward alignment with the front end. Similarly, a first element may be said to overlie a second element where the first element is positioned above an upper end of the second element in vertical alignment with the upper end. Accordingly, the term ‘overlying’ is not strictly limited to describing an element that is located above and vertically aligned with a second element, but may also refer to position and alignment in other directionalities based on the character of the second element.
Reference is now made to
Referring again to
In the illustrated example, upper frame anchor 204 has first and second front sleeve engaging portions 2401 and 2402 arranged horizontally side-by-side. This may provide a symmetry that allows for a balanced connection between front sleeve engaging portion 240 and bridging sleeve 212 (
As shown, each sleeve engaging portion 240 may extend laterally outwardly of spa mounting portion 236. In one aspect, this may provide for a relatively wider sleeve engaging portion 240, which may enhance the strength and stability of the connection between sleeve engaging portion 240 and bridging sleeve 212. In another aspect, this may permit spa mounting portion 236 to hide behind sleeve engaging portion 240, and thereby provide mounting assembly 200 (
In alternative embodiments, sleeve engaging portions 240 do not extend laterally outboard of spa mounting portion 236. For example, sleeve engaging portion 240 may collectively have the same lateral width 252 as a lateral width 256 of spa mounting portion 236, or lateral width 252 may be less than lateral width 256. This may provide upper frame anchor rear side 228 with a relatively greater surface area to better distribute compressive loads over spa side wall panel 120. This may be particularly advantageous for applications involving particularly heavy spa accessories and/or particularly weak spa side wall panels.
As an example that may be suitable for mounting spa cover lifter 132 (
Still referring to
In some embodiments, sleeve engaging portion(s) 240 may overlie the spa mounting portion 236. For example, a sleeve engaging portion 240 may overlie one or more fastener apertures 242 of spa mounting portion 236. Depending on the type of fastener, this may make activating (e.g. tightening) the associated fastener difficult when securing spa mounting portion 236 to upper internal frame 1361. In the illustrated example, each sleeve engaging portion 240 is shown including one or more access openings 262 (e.g. apertures), each of which is aligned with (e.g. overlays) a fastener aperture 242 in spa mounting portion 236. This can allow access to the associated fastener by an installation tool (e.g. screw bit) which extends through the access opening 262.
Reference is now made to
As an alternative to spa mounting portion 236, or in addition to spa mounting portion 236, lower anchor 208 may include a foot. Referring to
Turning to
Referring now to
Still referring to
As shown, bridging sleeve 212 may include an upper wall 292, which may define anchor slot upper end 288. Upper wall 292 may bound (e.g. overlie or close) some or all of anchor slot upper end 288. In use, upper wall 292 may seat atop upper frame anchor 204 to inhibit further downward movement of bridging sleeve 212. This may prevent bridging sleeve 212 from sliding downwardly past and out of engagement with upper frame anchor 204. Alternatively or in addition to upper wall 292, other travel limiting members or means may be provided limit the downward movement of bridging sleeve 212.
In some embodiments, bridging sleeve 212 may define an anchor slot 276 that is bounded by a sleeve front wall 296, and at least one sleeve rear wall 304. Rear wall(s) 304 may engage anchor(s) 204 and/or 208 received in vertical slot 276 to inhibit bridging sleeve 212 from pulling away from spa 100 (
Referring to
It will be appreciated that a relatively tall lower anchor height 324 may allow for a correspondingly wide range of anchor gaps 224. As anchor gap 224 increases (e.g. to accommodate a taller spa 100), the overlap 328 between lower anchor 208 and bridging sleeve 212 may be reduced accordingly. As shown, bridging sleeve height 316 may be 1.25 to 4 times the lower anchor height 324. For example, bridging sleeve height 316 may be between 20 inches and 60 inches (e.g. between 25 inches to 40 inches), and lower anchor height 324 may be between 15 inches and 40 inches (e.g. between 20 inches to 35 inches). These height ranges may allow mounting assembly 200 to accommodate many, most, or all common spa sizes.
Referring to
As shown, spa accessory mount 216 may include a sleeve engaging portion 332 that attaches to bridging sleeve 212. In some embodiments, sleeve engaging portion 332 may be slideably connectable to bridging sleeve 212 whereby accessory mount 216 can slide vertically along bridging sleeve 212 between bridging sleeve upper and lower ends 336 and 340 (
Once sleeve engaging portion 332 is moved to a targeted position on bridging sleeve 212, sleeve engaging portion 332 may be locked into position (i.e. rigidly connected to bridging sleeve 212) in any manner. For example, sleeve engaging portion 332 may be rigidly connected to bridging sleeve 212 by welds, or by fasteners 376 (e.g. screws as shown, bolts, or rivets).
Still referring to
In other embodiments, bracket 368 may have another configuration compatible with a particular spa accessory, such as cover lifter 132 (
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
The illustrated embodiment may permit spa accessory mounting assembly 200 to be mounted to a spa 100 without any fasteners connecting assembly 200 to the spa. Instead, the weight of spa 100 (particularly when filled with water) on foot 220 may effectively provide a rigid connection between assembly 200 and the spa, and upright support 424 may be freestanding above lower anchor 208 (e.g. no use of destructive fasteners or destructive fastening techniques). This allows mounting assembly 200 to be used in connection with a spa 100, without a user having to drill holes in their spa. This design may eliminate user's concerns with drilled holes damaging their spa, which may have cost many thousands of dollars. This design may also eliminate user's anxiety over drilling holes into their spa in the wrong location, which may be expensive to repair. Moreover, this design may allow assembly 200 to be used with spas in which the sidewall panels or internal framing are not suitable for supporting an accessory mounting assembly.
Foot 220 may have any configuration suitable to bear the weight of a spa and to thereby effectively provide a rigid connection with the spa. For example, foot 220 may be formed as a planar element, such as a thin plate. Preferably, foot 220 does not interfere with the stable positioning of the spa on a ground surface. For example, foot 220 is preferably sized so as not to substantially (or at all) tilt the spa away from the ground surface. In some embodiments, foot 220 has a thickness 480 of less than 1 inch, such as between 0.03 and 0.5 inches.
As shown, foot 220 may extend rearwardly of upright support 424. This allows foot 220 to extend under a spa 100 while upright support 424 abuts the spa sidewall. Foot 220 may extend rearwardly by a distance 484 suitable for receiving sufficient weight from the spa to form a rigid connection. For example, foot 220 may extend rearwardly of upright support 424 by a distance 484 of at least 5 inches (e.g. 5 to 50 inches).
As shown, spa accessory mounting assembly 200 may be free of fastener apertures positioned to accommodate fasteners that would penetrate a spa (e.g. penetrate a spa sidewall panel). For example, neither lower anchor 208 nor upright support 424 may include a fastener aperture in a rear wall thereof.
Optionally, spa accessory mounting assembly 200 may include one or more non-destructive (e.g. non-penetrating) fasteners 492 to provide some transverse stability (e.g. in the forward/rearward direction). Fastener(s) 492 may help prevent mounting assembly 200 moving forwardly away from spa (e.g. away from spa sidewall). However, fastener(s) 492 provide no meaningful load bearing (e.g. in the vertical and side directions) for supporting a connected spa accessory (e.g. cover lifter and cover). Fastener(s) 492 may include adhesive, hook-and-loop panels as shown, or magnetic panels. In the illustrated example, hook-and-loop panels 492 include one panel 4921 adhesively connected to mounting assembly 200 (e.g. to upright support 424), and one panel 4922 adhesively connected to the spa (e.g. to the spa sidewall). Panels 4921 and 4922 have mating hooks and loops, or similar, that when moved together resist separation. In other embodiments, spa accessory mounting assembly 200 does not include fasteners 492.
In alternative embodiments, spa accessory mounting assembly 200 may include one or more fastener apertures (e.g. such as fastener apertures 242,
Upright support 424 may be movable relative to lower anchor 208 between two or more elevations, and rigidly connectable to lower anchor 208 at each of the elevations. Alternatively or in addition, accessory mount 216 may be movable relative to upright support 424 between at least two elevations, and rigidly connectable to upright support 424 at each of the elevations. By allowing one or both of upright support 424 and accessory mount 216 to be rigidly connectable at different elevations, respectively, spa accessory mounting assembly 200 may be adaptable to many different configurations of spa (e.g. spas of many different makes and models). This can reduce the cost and complexity of manufacturing a great number of SKUs for providing compatibility with a wide range of different spas.
Still referring to
When upright support lower portion 436 is rigidly connected to lower anchor 208, upright support 424 may extend upwardly away from lower anchor 208 (e.g. away from foot 220). For example, upright support 424 may extend substantially vertically (e.g. within 15 degrees of vertical) or exactly vertically (e.g. within 3 degrees of vertical) from upright support lower end 428 to or towards upright support upper end 432. Alternatively or in addition, upright support 424 may extend substantially perpendicular to (e.g. within 15 degrees of perpendicular) or exactly perpendicular (e.g. within 3 degrees of perpendicular) to lower anchor foot 220. By extending upwardly (e.g. vertically and/or perpendicular to foot 220), upright support 424 may extend parallel to the sidewalls of most spas to which assembly 200 is designed to be mounted. By closely conforming to the spa sidewall, the degree to which assembly 200 protrudes from the spa may be reduced, which may minimize interference by assembly 200 with the visual appearance of the spa, and the usage of space around the spa.
In alternative embodiments, upright support 424 may extend non-vertically (e.g. at an angle greater than 15 degrees of vertical) and/or non-perpendicularly to foot 220 (e.g. at an angle of greater than 15 degrees of perpendicular). This may permit upright support 424 to conform to spa bottoms and sidewalls of various irregular shapes/configurations.
Still referring to
In some embodiments, lower anchor 208 and upright support 424 may have any configuration suitable to allow upright support 424 to be rigidly connected to lower anchor 208 at two or more elevations (which may be referred to as “upright support elevations”). In the illustrated example, lower anchor 208 includes an upstanding bracket 444. As shown, upstanding bracket 444 may extend in height from bracket lower end 448 to bracket upper end 452. Upright support lower portion 436 may be rigidly connected to upstanding bracket 444. Upright support lower portion 436 and upstanding bracket 444 may overlap in height when rigidly connected. For example, there may be greater degree of overlap when upright support 424 is at a lower upright support elevation than when upright support 424 is at a higher upright support elevation.
In the illustrated example, upright support lower portion 436 is received in upstanding bracket 444 when rigidly connected to upright support 424. As shown, upstanding bracket 444 may define a U-channel having a U-shaped cross-section when sectioned by a horizontal plane. In alternative embodiments, upstanding bracket 444 may define a differently shaped channel, or may have a closed cross-sectional shape (e.g. as in a pipe). In other embodiments, upstanding bracket 444 may be formed neither as a channel nor a pipe. For example, upstanding bracket 444 may include one or many spaced apart upstanding walls (e.g. similar to mounting tabs 272 of
As shown, upright support 424 and upstanding bracket 444 may include a plurality of fastener apertures 242, which may align at two or more upright support elevations relative to lower anchor 208. This may permit fasteners 268 (e.g. threaded fasteners, such as bolts or screws, or rivets) to be extended through aligned fastener apertures 242 to rigidly connect upright support 424 to upstanding bracket 444 at an upright support elevation selected to accommodate the dimensions of the spa and a given spa accessory.
Upstanding bracket 444 may have any height that can accommodate a rigid connection with upright support 424 at two or more elevations. In some embodiments, lower anchor 208 (or upstanding bracket 444) may have a height 456 of at least 4 inches (e.g. 4 to 24 inches). Alternatively or in addition, height 456 may be at least 15% (e.g. 15% to 50%) of upright support height 460. Such heights 456, as expressed in inches or as a percentage of upright support height 460, may be sufficient to accommodate rigid connections at a meaningfully range of upright support elevations. This may permit spa accessory mounting assembly 200 to be compatible with a wide variety of spas and spa accessories.
Optionally, upstanding bracket 444 may include lateral ribs 464. Ribs 464 may reinforce upstanding bracket 444 to provide greater torsional stability, particularly as the weight of a connected accessory (e.g. spa cover) shifts laterally of spa accessory mounting assembly 200. For example, where mounting assembly 200 is connected to a spa cover lifter 132 (e.g. a lift assembly as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,708,823, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference) and spa cover 128, moving the spa cover 128 between closed and open positions may exert torsional loads upon upstanding bracket 444, and lateral ribs 464 may help lower anchor 208 support such torsional loads without breaking.
Upright support 424 may have any configuration suitable for rigid connections with lower anchor 208 and accessory mount 216, and for supporting the load of an accessory carried by accessory mount 216 (e.g. a cover lifter and spa cover). For example, upright support 424 may be a solid or hollow member (also referred to as a “post”, “strut”, or “stud”). Upright support 424 may have any cross-sectional shape, such as rectangular, circular, or another regular or irregular shape. In the illustrated example, upright support 424 is formed as a rectangular, hollow member having a lateral width 468, greater than a rearward depth 472. This design may reduce the degree to which upright support 424 protrudes from a spa sidewall against which it is positioned. For example, width 468 may be 1.5 to 10 times rearward depth 472.
As shown, upright support 424 may include a rear side 476 that is substantially planar. As most spa sidewalls are planar, this design may permit upright support rear side 476 to better conform with the profile of most spa sidewalls. In alternative embodiments, rear side 476 may be substantially curved or have another profile, such as to conform with correspondingly shaped spa sidewalls.
Upright support 424 may have any height 460 suitable to accommodate a rigid connection with accessory mount 216 at an elevation (also referred to as an “accessory mount elevation”) required by the accessory (e.g. cover lifter 132) carried by accessory mount 216. Further, height 460 should not be so tall as to interfere with the use of spa 100. For example, depending on the accessory being carried by accessory mount 216, height 460 may not extend above spa upper end 112 when at the lowest upright support elevation so as not to interfere with user's ingress into, egress out of, and view from spa 100. For example, upright support 424 may have a height 460 of at least 12 inches (e.g. 12-36 inches). In other cases, accessory mount 216 may have a height 460 that allows accessory mount 216 to rigidly connect to accessory mount 216 at an accessory mount elevation above spa upper end 112. For example, upright support 424 may have a height 460 of at least 24 inches (e.g. 24-60 inches).
Still referring to
The rigid connectivity of accessory mount 216 to upright support 424, and upright support 424 to lower anchor 208 should allow an elevation of accessory mount 216 above anchor foot 220 to be selectable to accommodate the elevation required by the accessory (e.g. spa cover lifter 132) carried by accessory mount 216. In some embodiments, upright support 424 is upwardly (e.g. vertically) movable relative to lower anchor 208 between at least two elevations, and rigidly securable to lower anchor 208 at each elevation. Alternatively or in addition, accessory mount 216 may be upwardly (e.g. vertically) movable relative to upright support 424 between at least two elevations, and rigidly securable to upright support 424 at each elevation. Where both of upright support 424 and accessory mount 216 are upwardly movable between at least two respective elevations, and rigidly securable at each respective elevation, assembly 200 may provide greatest flexibility and precision in positioning a connected accessory at a required elevation relative to spa 100. For some accessories (e.g. cover lifters), the mounting elevation is critical to the proper functioning of the accessory.
Still referring to
In some embodiments, upright support 424 and accessory mount 216 may have any configuration suitable to allow accessory mount 216 to be rigidly connected to upright support 424 at two or more elevations (which may be referred to as “accessory mount elevations”). In the illustrated example, accessory mount 216 is positionable (e.g. movable, such as slideable) relative to upright support 424 along upright support height 460 (e.g. along upright support upper portion 440) to a plurality of elevations, and rigidly connectable to accessory mount 216 at each location. For example, accessory mount 216 may be rigidly connected to upright support 424 by fasteners 376, which may be permanent fasteners (e.g. rivets) or removable fasteners (e.g. screws or bolts).
In the illustrated example, accessory mount 216 is slideably movable along upright support 424, and rigidly connectable to upright support 424 in the same manner as described above with respect to how an upright support 424 may be movable along and rigidly connectable to a bridging sleeve in connection with other embodiments. For example, accessory mount 216 may overlay upright support 424 when moving along and/or rigidly connected to upright support 424. As shown, accessory mount 216 may include an upright support engaging portion 332 that can receive upright support upper portion 440 and slide upwardly/downwardly (e.g. vertically) along upright support height 460 to a selected accessory mount elevation, and then upright support engaging portion 332 may be rigidly connected to upright support 424 (e.g. by fasteners 376) at the selected accessory mount elevation. In the illustrated example, fasteners 376 may extend through aligned accessory mount fastener apertures 488 and upright support fastener apertures 242. Alternatively, fasteners 376 may extend through accessory mount fastener apertures 488 and bear against upright support (e.g. instead of penetrating an upright support fastener aperture). As shown, accessory engaging portion 364 may extend forwardly of upright support engaging portion 332.
Reference is now made to
In the illustrated example, each cover lifter 132 includes a mounting beam 140, a lever arm 144, and a pneumatic spring 148 (e.g. gas strut). Cover lifters 132 are connected to spa cover 128 by a connecting portion 152. As shown, connecting portion 152 may extend across spa cover 128. Lever arm 144 includes a proximal portion 160 (e.g. proximal end) that is rotatably (e.g. pivotably) connected to mounting beam 140, and a distal portion 164 (e.g. distal end) that is joined to connecting portion 152. Lever arm distal portion 164 may include a handle 176 for a user to grasp when rotating lever arm 144. Pneumatic spring 148 includes a proximal end 168 rotatably (e.g. pivotably) connected to spa sidewall 104, and a distal end 172 (
Each mounting beam 140 is connected to the accessory mount 216 (i.e. to accessory engaging portion 364) of a respective mounting assembly 200. Optionally, mounting beam 140 may be horizontally movable (e.g. slideable) relative to accessory mount 216 between at least two horizontal positions, and rigidly connectable to accessory mount 216 at each of the horizontal positions. In combination with the adjustable vertical positioning of accessory mounting assembly 216, as described in detail above, the adjustable horizontal positioning of mounting beam 140 allows the cover lifter 132 to be precisely mounted in two-dimensions (i.e. vertical and horizontal).
To open spa cover 128, i.e. to move spa cover 128 from the closed position (
To close spa cover 128, the reverse process is followed, as illustrated in the transitions from
While the above description provides examples of the embodiments, it will be appreciated that some features and/or functions of the described embodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments. Accordingly, what has been described above has been intended to be illustrative of the invention and non-limiting and it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments and examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.
Items
Item 1: A spa accessory mounting assembly comprising:
an upper frame anchor securable to an upper internal frame of a spa;
a lower frame anchor securable to a lower internal frame of a spa;
a bridging sleeve sized and shaped to overlie both the upper and lower frame anchors when the upper frame anchor is spaced vertically above the lower frame anchor; and
an accessory mount connected to the bridging sleeve and positionable along a height of the bridging sleeve.
Item 2: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein the bridging sleeve defines a vertical slot sized to receive both the upper and lower frame anchors when the upper frame anchor is spaced vertically above the lower frame anchor.
Item 3: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein
each of the upper and lower frame anchors has a spa-facing rear side and an outward-facing front side, and
the bridging sleeve engages at least the spa-facing rear sides of the upper and lower frame anchors when overlying the upper and lower frame anchors.
Item 4: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein
when the bridging sleeve is overlying the upper and lower frame anchors, the bridging sleeve is substantially constrained to vertical movement.
Item 5: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, further comprising:
a horizontal foot, the lower frame anchor extending upwardly from the horizontal foot, the horizontal foot sized to extend under the spa when the lower frame anchor is secured to the lower internal frame of the spa.
Item 6: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
each of the upper and lower frame anchors has a spa-facing rear side and an outward-facing front side, and
each of the upper and lower frame anchors comprises a spa-mounting portion and at least one sleeve engaging portion, the spa-mounting portion extending rearwardly of each sleeve engaging portion.
Item 7: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the at least one sleeve engaging portion of each of the upper and lower frame anchors includes first and second sleeve engaging portions that extend laterally outwardly of the spa-mounting portion.
Item 8: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the at least one sleeve engaging portion of the upper and lower frame anchors defines a vertically extending track that is received in the bridging sleeve when the bridging sleeve overlays the upper and lower frame anchors.
Item 9: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the bridging sleeve defines a vertically extending anchor slot bounded by an outward facing front wall and at least one spa-facing rear walls, and when the bridging sleeve is overlying the upper and lower frame anchors, the upper and lower frame anchors are received in the anchor slot.
Item 10: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the bridging sleeve further comprises an upper wall that bounds the anchor slot, the upper wall seating atop the upper frame anchor when the bridging sleeve is overlying the upper and lower frame anchors.
Item 11: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the bridging sleeve has an outward facing front wall, and the bridging sleeve has two laterally spaced apart, vertically extending C-channels, each C-channel defined by the front wall, a respective lateral sidewall, and a respective spa-facing rear wall.
Item 12: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the accessory mount comprises a sleeve engaging portion, and an accessory engaging portion, the accessory engaging portion extending forward of the sleeve engaging portion.
Item 13: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the accessory engaging portion comprises a mounting bracket for a spa cover lifter.
Item 14: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the accessory engaging portion comprises a horizontal mounting channel.
Item 15: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the accessory engaging portion comprises an umbrella mount.
Item 16: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the accessory mount comprises a sleeve engaging portion, and a towel rack extending forwardly of the sleeve engaging portion.
Item 17: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the accessory mount comprises a sleeve engaging portion, and a spa accessory extending forwardly of the sleeve engaging portion.
Item 18: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the sleeve engaging portion comprises first and second laterally spaced apart C-channels that receive the bridging sleeve as the accessory mount slides vertically along the bridging sleeve.
Item 19: The spa accessory mounting assembly of any preceding item, wherein:
the lower frame anchor has a height of between 25% and 75% of a height of the bridging sleeve.
Item 20: A spa accessory mounting assembly comprising:
an upper frame anchor securable to an upper internal frame of a spa;
a lower anchor having a horizontal foot positionable under a spa;
a bridging sleeve sized and shaped to mount to both the upper frame anchor and lower anchor when the upper frame anchor is spaced vertically above the lower anchor; and
an accessory mount connected to the bridging sleeve and moveable along a height of the bridging sleeve.
Item 21: A spa accessory mounting assembly comprising:
a lower anchor having a horizontal foot positionable under a spa;
an upright support having a lower portion connected to the lower anchor, and an upper end positioned above the lower anchor; and
an accessory mount connected to the upright support,
wherein at least one of:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/751,195, filed Oct. 26, 2018, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200129373 A1 | Apr 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62751195 | Oct 2018 | US |