Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/06—Safety devices; Coverings for baths
  • E04H4/10—Coverings of flexible material
  • E04H4/108—Coverings of flexible material supported by frames

Definitions

• Device for covering a surface to be protected such as a swimming pool, basin or other.
• the present invention relates to a device for covering a surface to be protected such as a swimming pool, basin or the like.
• a first type belongs to the family of rollable covering devices consisting of a covering sheet formed by one or more covering elements. This cover sheet is supported by supports in the form of bars capable of being wound simultaneously during the winding of said cover.
• a second type of much more bulky covering device affects the shape of a shelter whose structure rests on the edges of said basin.
• This second type of device has the disadvantage of being expensive and particularly bulky in the disassembled state.
• This second type of covering device is made up of a structure composed of at least two arches, the free ends of which form a base resting on the edges of said tank and of at least one cover element of rigid cellular plastic material held at the structure. by means of connecting members fitted on the one hand to the so-called transverse edges of said covering element and on the other hand to the so-called longitudinal edges of said covering element.
• the concept of transverse and longitudinal edges follows from the fact that, generally, the arches rest on the opposite longitudinal edges of the surface to be protected and are oriented transversely with respect to the length thereof.
• the fixing of the device and the relative immobilization of the latter with respect to the pelvis is carried out by fixing the hoops to anchoring means formed in the edges of said tank called, in the case of a swimming pool, copings.
• Such fastening means require the use of specific removable parts, such as knurled head screws or the like, to ensure the securing of fastening members generally constituted by metal tabs comprising an anchoring hole.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to facilitate the mounting of a device for covering the surface to be protected, in particular by eliminating any use of a fixing tool and by limiting the physical effort to supplied by the people who have to carry out this assembly while obtaining a final structure whose cover elements are perfectly tensioned.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a covering device which, in addition, facilitates the mounting of the cover element on said arches by allowing said arches to be kept in vertical position without additional fixing means.
• the invention relates to a device for covering a surface to be protected such as a basin, swimming pool or the like, of the type comprising a structure composed of at least two arches whose free ends forming a base rest on the edges of the surface to be protected, at least one covering element held stretched between two arches by means of connecting members equipping on the one hand the so-called transverse edges of said covering element and cooperating with complementary connecting members 0 equipping said arches to ensure a removable attachment between hoops and cover element, on the other hand the so-called longitudinal edges of said cover element and cooperating with anchoring means disposed on the edges of said surface to be protected and / or on the base of the 5 hoops to ensure a tensioning of said cover element, characterized in that the cover element is mounted, in the vicinity of its long edges tudinals, overlapping on at least one spacer, the ends of which are mounted to interlock by frontal 0 insertion inside housings arranged opposite in the frame of two arches arranged side by side, this covering element being arranged
• said spacer is mounted with play in the hoop housing so as to be able to pivot about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said hoop so that, when is introduced into a hoop housing, it constitutes a leg serving as bracing elements ensuring the maintenance of the hoop in a substantially vertical position when mounting the connecting members equipping the transverse edges of the cover element on the complementary connecting members of said arches.
• Figure 1 shows an exploded position view of the various components of a covering device according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of a spacer mounted on a hoop with a view of a detail of the mounting of a cover element 3 on 1 hoop 1;
• FIG. 3 represents a partial side view of the cover in the stretched state on said spacer
• FIG. 4 shows another partial side view of the cover in the stretched state on said spacer.
• This device for covering a basin comprises a structure composed of at least two arches 1 whose free ends forming a base 2 rest on the edges 13, preferably the longitudinal edges, of a reservoir or a basin.
• This reservoir is preferably a swimming pool.
• Each arch 1 generally consists of one or more tubular profiles, preferably made of aluminum. In the case of a hoop formed by several tubular elements, said elements are preferably fitted to each other, as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, it can be seen in this case that the base constitutes one of the elements of the hoop.
• Figure 4 provides another embodiment of the invention in which the elements corresponding to those of Figure 2 are shown with the same references. In this FIG. 4, only the shape of the arch differs from that shown in FIG. 3. In this case, an additional spacer is placed in the junction zone between the apex and the substantially vertical branch of the arch.
• the arch can have any shape: curved, straight, polygonal, with two slopes or with several slopes, etc. In all cases, however, it is shaped so as to have inclined surfaces in the direction of the edges of the surface to be protected, in this case a basin, in particular to promote the flow of rainwater.
• the number of arches is variable depending on the dimensions of the pool. Due to the modular nature of the structure, it can be easy to add one or more hoops and to adapt the dimensions of the hoop and / or the dimensions of the spacer which will be described below in the dudj t basin profile.
• the base of the arch generally affects the shape of an L-shaped leg, one of the branches of the L resting on the ground on one of the edges of the pelvis, the other branch of the L preferably being inclined in the direction from the top of. the arch (figure 2).
• This other limb of the L may be not variable length and extend in some cases j ntil the top of the hoop component in both the foot and leg of said yoke.
• the base must therefore be understood by the foot and leg assembly of the arch.
• this base can be fitted with castors as shown in figure 3.
• This covering device also comprises at least one covering element 3 kept stretched between two arches 1 in particular by means of connecting members 4 equipart the so-called transverse edges of said covering member and cooperating with complementary connecting members 6 equipping said arches 1
• transverse edges is taken with reference to the longitudinal axis of the pelvis. Indeed, as it was specified above, because the hoops 1 are generally placed on the longitudinal edges of said pelvis, they are therefore oriented transversely with respect thereto. We therefore speak, with regard to the edges of the covering element coming to be fixed on the edges of said arch 1, of transverse edges.
• the number of covering elements used is a function of the configuration of the structure.
• This or these cover elements can be made of any material. They will preferably be made of PVC. Depending on the period of use of said covering element 3, the composition of the materials constituting the covering element may be modified. Thus, this covering element 3 can be opaque or transparent. Indeed, this cover element plays an important filter role, in particular with regard to ultraviolet light and therefore participates in one of the functions of the covering device, namely in particular to prevent degradation of the contents of the basin. This covering element can also be used as a thermal insulator.
• the connecting members 4 equipping the transverse edges of the covering element 3 can also be various and varied.
• connecting members such as clip, rod, rope, rivet, welded fabric, etc.
• These fixing members can therefore be point fixing members or be constituted by a continuous connecting member such as a rod.
• These connecting members 4 cooperate with complementary connecting members 6 equipping the hoop 1. Again, these complementary connecting members 6 are a function of the connecting member 4 fitted to the cover element 3.
• These complementary connecting members 6 could therefore be constituted simply by a rail, a slide or by the profile constituting the arch itself, in particular in the case of clipping.
• the hoop 1 comprises a rail affecting in cross section the shape of an aircraft, this rail which constitutes a connecting member 6 cooperating with two strips of canvas welded on the upper faces and lower of the transverse edges of the cover element, these fabric strips being shaped so as to provide two lips capable of coming to lock inside the rail of the roll bar during a frontal engagement of the bands in said rail .
• This first fixing of the cover element 3 makes it possible to obtain a tension of said cover element 3 in a first direction called the longitudinal direction.
• the tension of the covering element in the other direction will be obtained by means of other connecting elements 5, these connecting elements equipping the longitudinal edges 8 of the covering element 3.
• These connecting elements 5 S can also affect a large number of ornaments.
• tensioners or press stud eyelets Such an example is shown in Figure 1.
• These connecting members 5 are intended to cooperate with anchoring means 7 arranged on the edges of said basin and / or on the base 2 of the arch 1.
• These anchoring means 7 are, in their simplest embodiment, constituted either of a plate anchored in the edge of said basin and equipped with a projection allowing the reception of said connecting member, or of a press button arranged on the base 2 of the arch 1 and cooperating with the eyelet equipping the longitudinal edge 8 of the cover element 3.
• this tension of the covering element 3 in the transverse or longitudinal direction can only be obtained if the hoops 1 are maintained in a vertical position and at an appropriate spacing distance.
• This maintenance is obtained thanks to at least two spacers 9 which complete the structure of the device.
• These spacers are respectively arranged at each end of said arches 1 or in the vicinity of the latter and are mounted to interlock by frontal insertion inside housings 10 arranged opposite in the base 2 of two arches arranged side by side.
• the housing 10 for receiving the spacer 9 comprises, in addition to its front opening 11, a lateral opening 12, said openings 11, 12 communicating with each other to allow the insertion of said spacer 9 through the front opening.
• the front opening 11 is dimensioned in such a way with respect to the rest of the housing 10 that, in the nested position of the ends of the spacer 9 in the housings 10 arranged opposite two arches 1 arranged side by side, any outlet from the spacer 9 through said front opening 11 is prevented.
• the housing 10 assumes in profile the shape of a C closed laterally by a flange 1 4 disposed substantially in the vertical median plane of the base 2 of said arch 1.
• the opening of the C is oriented outward of the pelvis. This opening corresponds to the front opening 11.
• a similar housing is formed on the other side of said flange 14.
• the housing 10 in the form of C is shaped to delimit , in the lower part of its front opening 11, a shoulder 15 forming a stop preventing any intemoestive exit of the spacer 9 from said housing 10. This stop is not however compulsory due to the mounting of the longitudinal edges 8 of the element cover 3 on said spacer 9, assembly which will be described below.
• the operation of mounting the cover element 3 on the structure generally takes place in two stages. Firstly, the connecting members 4 equipping the so-called transverse edges of the covering element 3 are fixed to the complementary connecting members 6 equipping said arches 1. To facilitate this mounting, it is necessary that the arches 1 are maintained in vertical position on their base 2. To maintain the arch 1 in this position, use the spacers 9.
• said spacer 9 is mounted with play in the housing 10 of arch 1 so as to be able to pivot around d an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said hoop so that, when it is introduced into a hoop housing 10, it constitutes a leg serving as bracing elements ensuring the maintenance of the hoop 1 in substantially vertical position when mounting the connecting members 4 fitted to the transverse edges of the cover element 3 on the complementary connecting members 6 of said arches 1.
• the rigidity of the structure is maintained thanks to the cooperation between spacer 9 and hoop 1, the spacer serving to maintain a minimum spacing between hoops and for the vertical positioning of these hoops.
• This rigidity is obtained while neither the arch, nor the spacer, or possibly the cover element 3 are fixed to the ground by any fixing orqanes.
• This rigidity ensures perfect tension of the cover element 3. It is therefore not necessary to have suitable tools such as a wrench, screwdriver or the like for mounting or dismounting said structure. Indeed, the only separation of the connecting members 5 equipping the longitudinal edges 8 of the cover element 3 of the anchoring means 7 will allow rapid disassembly and removal of the entire structure.
• the cover element 3 comprises, at its longitudinal edges 8, a reinforcing element , such as II welded plastic strip, this reinforcing element being fitted with connecting members 5 intended to cooperate with the anchoring means 7 arranged along the edges of the surface to be protected and / or on the base 2 of each hoop 1.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)
• Tents Or Canopies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9494358

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1996
  • 1996-07-23 FR FR9609230A patent/FR2751686B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1997
  • 1997-07-18 AU AU37731/97A patent/AU3773197A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-07-18 EP EP97934574A patent/EP0914532A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1997-07-18 WO PCT/FR1997/001321 patent/WO1998003752A1/fr not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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