Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COVER FOR SWIMMING POOL
The present invention relates to a flexible blanket
or cover for a swimming pool or other body of water which, with
regular use, will maintain the temperature of the water in the
pool warmer, cleaner, and more economical to maintain. The use
of the blanket will save water, chemicals, and even fuel if the
pool is heated.
The present blanket is manufactured of plastic sheet
material which is provided with flotation and reinforcement strips `
enabling the blanket to float on the surface of the water and while ~ ;
one prime object of the invention is to provide for pool heat
retention and pool heating as a result of solar heat, the pres-
ence of the blanket minimizes water evaporation and also catches
debris, leaves, and the like. Use of the blanket alsc mini- ;~
mizes water loss through evaporation and saves on the use of
pool maintenance chemicals.
The blanket of the invention may be of any desired
shape such as round, oval, or of any rectilinear configuration
and may be manufactured in sizes to suit standard pool sizes or
may be made to cover the water in pools of irregular configura-
tion.
The principal covering is plastic sheet material pre-
ferably of non-ripping plastic fabric sheeting, and flotation for
the blanket is provided by strips of foam-backed plastic sheet
material. The foam-backing on the strips is buoyant itself,
and additional buoyancy is provided by pockets of air trapped
within the foam structure. The blanket is preferably stabilized
against ultraviolet light to ensure useful and long life.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
U.S. Patent 3,872,522 granted March 25, 1975, to
Robert Bennett etal relates to a Protective Cover for Pools
consisting of a number of relatively inflexible molded panels
adapted to together cover the surface of water in a swimming
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37065
pool to reduce water evaporation and to catch debris.
u.S~ Patent 3,940,809 granted to G. A. Hughes, on
March 2, 1976, relates to a Swimming Pool Cover consisting of an
air filled loop which peripherally encloses a plastic sheet and
which is adapted to prevent evaporation and heat loss.
Although both of these U.S. Patents effectively satisfy
their objectives, the difficulty with respect to the sennett
proposal is the time and labour required to place and then to
remove the individual panels, and the panels once removed from
the pool do not lend themselves to easy storage.
The effectiveness of the proposal of Hughes is dependent
upon the buoyancy factor of the peripheral ring. In use, the ring
is subjected to numerous abrasion factors and any rupture of the
air-filled ring may result in sufficient loss of buoyancy to render
the structure ineffective. Storage is also a disadvantage.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a thermal
blan]cet for flotation on the surface of water in a swimming pool
and which is of flexible, light one-piece manufacture which sim-
plifies positioning and removal and which may be folded compactlyfor storage, and which is economical in manufacture and durable
in use.
This object is achieved by the invention which provides
a thermal cover.Lng consistin~ principally o~ Elexiblc pl~st:Lc
sheet material provided with flexible flotation and reinforcing
strips secured thereto. The strips are foam-backed flexible
plastic sheet material with flotation being provided by the foam-
backing which is not subject to loss of buoyancy as a result of
hard usage. The flexible nature of the covering also simplifies
positioning and removal and the covering may be compactly folded
for storage.
These objects are specifically accomplished by the
present invention which provides a lightweight thermal cover
:~87C~65
or blanket for swimming pools which is compactly foldable for :~
storage and which comprises thin and flexible plastic sheeting
having flexible strips of plastic sheet material secured thereto,
at least one side of the flexible strips having a flexible layer
o~ closed cell ~oam material provided thereon, the strips being
positioned at least around the peripheral edges of the cover.
In one preferred construction, flexible strips having .
the closed cell foam material provided thereon are positioned .;
over the plastic sheeting at spaced intervals. `
The present invention is also specifically directed to
a lightweight thermal cover for a swimming pool which is compact-
ly foldable for storage and which comprises panels of thin and
flexible plastic sheeting secured together by flexible strips of
plastic sheet material, at least one side of the strips having a
flexible layer of closed cell foam material provided thereon,
and with further of said strips secured around the peripheral
edges of the cover, the strips providing reinforcement and flot-
ation.
In a further preferred construction, the flexible strips
of plastic sheet material have a flexible layer of closed cell
foam material provided on one side only, with the closed cell
foam material facing the flexible plastic sheeting. ~his orien-
tation protects the foam material from abrasion and against det-
erioration by ultra-violet light. ~:
The present invention also specifically relates to a
lightweight thermal cover for a swimming pool which is compactly
foldable for storage and which comprises panels of thin and flex-
ible sheeting secured together in edgewise relationship by strips
of plastic sheet material, the strips being provided on both sides
of the panels and overlapping the edges of adjacent panels and
sides of the strips facing the panels having a thin and flexible
layer of closed cell foam material provided thereon, and further
of said strips being secured around the peripheral edges of the
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~371~65 1
cover on both sides thereof, the strips providing reinforcement
and flotation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS :~
The inventive concept will now be more specifically
discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates in plan view one embodiment of
the blanket or cover of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig-
ure l;
,. .
Figure 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig-
ure l; and
Figure 4 is a perspective partially sectioned view
showing the cover of the invention in position and floating on
the water in a swimming pool.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DR~WINGS
Figure 1 shows the present cover or blanket shown
generally at 2 in top view, and Figure 4 illustrates in perspect-
ive view the cover in position floating on the water 4 in a swimming
pool shown generally by numeral 6.
The blanket consists of plastic sheet material 8 hav-
ing strips 10 of foam-backed plastic sheet secured thereto at
least around the periphery oE the blanket to provide flotation.
The peripherAlly positioned strips 10 of foam-backed plastic sheet
are preEerably stitchecl to the sheet mater:ial 8 in a m~nner as
shown at 12 in Figure 3.
Preferably, and around the periphery of the blanket
upper and lower strips 10 and 10' are provided as shown in Fig-
ure 3. The foam-backing 14 of the upper strips 10 preferably
faces the plastic sheet material 8 whereas the foam-backing 12'
on the lower strips 10' also preferably faces the plastic sheet
material 8 as shown. These strips 10 and 10' are preferably
secured to the plastic sheet material 8 by parallel rows of stitch-
ing as shown at 12.
o~
Securement could be by adhesives or by heat sealing
along the edges of the strips but securement by stitching is
preferred.
Depending upon the size of the pool, strips of foam- ; .
backe~ plastic material 16 may also be provided extending across :
the plastic from edge to edge as shown in Figures 1 and 4.
These strips 16, if the pool blanket is made from a
single piece of plastic material may be simply stitched to the
material or alternatively the strips 16 may be used to secure ...
longitudinal strips of material 8 together in a suitable manner.
Similarly, with the peripheral strips 10, upper and lower interior
strips 16 and 16' are preferably provided and these latter strips ;~
are secured to the blanket sections by parallel rows of stitching .
as shown at 12 in Figure 2.
In addition to providing flotation to the blanket the
strips 10, 10' of foam-backed material provide reinforcement to
the blanket around the periphery thereof. The interior strips
16, 16' provide interior flotation and reinforcement and also act
to secure adjacent blanket sections 8 together.
The sheet material 8 and the strips 10, 10' 16, 16' are
preferably of tear resistant woven and laminated plastic sheet of
the variety available under the registered trade mark RIP-STOP, ,.
and the material also pre~erably is stabilized against deteriora-
tion by ultra-violet li~ht rays :Erom the sun. The preEcrred
material is ultra-violet light stabilized woven and laminated
polyethylene sheet.
It has been Eound that stri.ps 10 and 16, and in pref-
erred manufacture, strips 10, 10' and 16 and 16', provide the
necessary buoyancy. However, if additional buoyancy is desired
30- additional peripheral and interior strips can be added. By way
of example, the periphery of the covering could have four thick-
nesses of foam-backed peripheral strips and the interior strips
could be of multiple thickness.
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As inaicated above, the pool blanket can be of any
size or shape. However, the manufacture of one blanket will
now be described.
Sheets of tear resistant ultra-violet stabilized plas-
tic sheet material of a size 12 feet long by 72 inches wide are
positioned side by side in a manner as shown in Figure 1. Three -
such sheets are used to provide a pool 12 feet long with a width
of 18 feet. `
The sheet sections so positioned are then secured to-
gether utilizing interior strips 16, 16' which may be attachedto the sheet sections by stitching 12 as clearly shown in Fig-
ure 2.
Peripheral strips 10, 10' are then secured by stitching
as shown at 12 in Figure 3 to complete the cover. The strips 10,
10', 16, 16' can conveniently be secured to the sections 8 using
a two-needle machine.
It will be apprecited that the width of the reinforce-
ment and flotation strips can be of any suitable size but it has
been found that the use of two inch strips of foam-backed mater-
ial arranged in the manner as shown in Figure 1 provides the re-
quired flotation and reinforcement.
In use one or more buckets of water may be poured on
the blanket to hold it down against the water of the pool sur-
Eace, ancl prevent movement oE the pool blanket. ~s shown in Fig-
ure 1, grommets 18 may be provided around the blanket so that the
pool cover can be secured fastened if desired.
As suggested earlier, suitable plastic material for the
pool blanket is woven and laminated polyethylene sheet material
which is resistant to tearing. The panels 8 and the strips 10, ~,-
10' 16, and 16' may suitably be made of this woven and laminated
polyethylene material and in the case of the strips foam-backing ~ ;~
is provided thereon. It will be appreciated, however, that other
plastic sheet material could be used in accordance with the pre-
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sent invention. "~
To provide for greater length, the sheet sections may
be laid end-to-end and secured together using interior flotation !;'
strips 20 shown in broken lines in Figure 1.
The foam backing 14, 14' provided on the strips need
only be a thin layering to provide the required flotation. In -
this connection, it will be appreciated that the present cover : `
is not intended as a buoyancy device or a safety restraint and .
should not be used nor intended for use in any such capacity.
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