Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~D I 5 C L O ~ (J R E 211 6 9 3 3
SPECIF~CATION
(1) This invention relates to the submersible power device installed in the home or public
pool which purpose is to protect against accidental falling into the pool when in the upper
(surface) position but enabling the use of the pool and becomming the rescue device in
emergency when in the lowest (bottom) position.
(2) There have been generally two types of the pool cover so far:
a) Piece of canvass, plastic or laminate foil cut according to the shape of the pool. Spread
manually over the water surface, and attached to the pool banks when the pool is not in use.
b) Canvass or foil rolled on pulley at one side of the pool, unrolled manually or mechanically
over the water surface and then attached to the other three sides of the pool.
As a concequence:
1) Covers of the first category are very difficult to spread if the size of the pool is large or the
weather is windy. In order to use the pool the cover has to be removed and then, after the next
use, put back in place. The inconvenience of such operation often makes people to give it up
completely and it sometimes leads to tragic consequences.
2) Covers of both categories islolate the pool completely from its primary use i.e. SWimming
once they are installed and secured. In oder to use the pool again the covers have to be removed
or rolled back and then, after the use, put back in place.
3) They are useless when removed from the pool.
(3) Inventive idea:
I have found out that all the three main disadvantages of the existing covers ( i.e. tedious
installation, pool isolation from the user when installed, uselessness when removed) can be
overcome by the device called The Pool Safety Submersible Power Device, or simply called later
in the text The Device which can completely cover the surface of the unused pool but instead of
being removed when the pool is about to be used simply submersed and brought to the position
at the very bottom of the pool. In this position The Device not only releases the pool for its
normal purpose, but additionally becomes a powerful rescuing instrument which by returning to
the surface can bring the rescued person to the safety. Special, modular construction of the
device allows for easy installation in pools of odd shapes, bottom profiles, and different sizes
without any changes done on the pool design and structure. This device is then superior to the so
far exlsting pool covers .
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(4) Description
The Device consists of:
1. The Submersible Platform (SP) the frame of which is made of sturdy polymer (polyca-
rbonate, l~min~te, fibrous composite, etc) and the area bounded by the frame is filled with the
polymeric grate or the mesh (Fig. 1). Size of the eye will determine the speed of the platform in
the water - with big eyes, the platform can be moved faster because the water resistance is lower.
The faster the platform travels to the surface of the pool the more a rescue element the Device
carries. With the mesh platform the speed will be really slow but less objects will fall to the
bottom of the pool. In this case it is more like an ordinary pool cover but much more convenient
in use. The frame can be tailored to the shape of the pool. It does not matter then if the pool is of
the square, oval or kidney shape (Fig.2).
2. A number of Platform Elevating Modules (PEM) which can move the platform up or
down (Fig.3). Each module consists of: a) worm or cone gear, b) Vertical Bolt wit square thread
on it (VB) c), Platform Leading Nut (PLN), d) Casing (CS) in which all the former elements are
encased (bearings are used to secure the bolt and gears in the casing)(Details a,b,c,d in Fig 3). As
the driving shaft (DS) rotates, the worm or cone gear passes the rotation to the Vertical Bolt. The
Platform Leading Nut is limited in its horizontal moves by the walls of the Casing (cannot rotate)
but is free to move vertically up or down depending on the speed and direction of the rotation of
the Vertical Shaft. The frame of the Platform is attached to one side of the Platform Leading Nut
so it follows its movements (Fig.4). The walls of the Casing can be lubricated with water
resistant grease on inside to facilitate the vertical movement of the Platform Leading Nut.
3. System of Driving Shafts (Fig.5) which passes rotation from the central electric motor
placed outside the pool for safety reasons to the gears in all PEM's. If the bottom of the pool is
flat the Driving Shafts are straight and placed horizontally at the bottom.
Principle of operation (Fig.6)
The electric motor (a) drives the Shafts (b) which rotate the Vertical Bolts of all Platform
Elevating Modules (via cone or worm gears)(c). PEM's move the Platform Leading Nuts (d)
vertically and they, in turn, move the Platform (e), which is attached to them by means of
pivoting or sliding rivets. The speed and direction of moving Platform depends on the speed and
direction of the rotation of the driving motor. If all the Platform Leading Nuts are at their upper
positions the submersible platform is slightly above the surface of the water and is protecting the
people, animals, and objects from falling into the pool.
If all the Leading Nuts are in the lowest position the Platform is at the bottom of the pool. In this
location of the Platform a) the pool is ready for use (for swimming), b) in case of emergency
(person drowning, etc.) by turning on the motor the Platform can be brought back to the surface
along with the rescued person. The Device is then multipurpose. It protects, rescues, and can be
quickly transformed from performing one function to another. No fastening, removing, folding,
ullwl~pping, etc. is ever involved. Installation of the device is easy as only Platform Elevating
Modules have to be attached to the wall of the pool (Detail "e" in Fig 3). The construction allows
the electric engine moving the Driving Shafts to be installed outside of the pool, far from the
water. The rotation of the engine is passed to the Driving Shaft by set of cone gears (Fig.~).
If the pool bottom is flat and square, the Platform is also flat and square and it might be attached
to the Nuts of four Platform Elevating Modules (Fig.7) The Driving Shafts pass the same
movement to all worm or cone gears (all gears have the same ratio) and the Platform is
uniformly moved up and down from the very bottom to the top and vice versa. Even at the very
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bottom the Platform covers all the moving parts (driving shafts and gears) preventing from
touching them. The number of Elevating Modules depends on the shape and the size of the pool.
The more complicated the shape or the bigger the pool the more PEM's are necessary.
In most of the pools the level of the bottom is far from being uniform. The most popular is
that allowing gradual entry on the one side and abrupt (for jumping into the water) on the other.
The Fig 8. shows an example of a small, square pool with part of its bottom being flat and
another part sloped. The Device can be constructed in the way which overcomes the problem of
different bottom levels. In this situation the Platform consists of as many separate pieces as many
levels the bottom has. Gear ratio of the Elevating Modules allows the Platform to be flat at the
surface but to assume the bottom profile when in the bottom position (Fig.8 a,b). Because the
overall surface of the Platform is bigger at the bottom then at the surface, when the tray
approaches the surface its uneven part (non - horizontal) slides under the horizontal part in this
way reducing the area. The sloped part of the Platform can slide under the even one thanks to the
special sliding rivet connecting th Platform with the Leading Nut of the Elevating Module
(fig.9). The Driving Shafts can be sloped thanks to the universal joints installed on them close to
the gear boxes of the Elevating Modules (driving shafts always enter the gear box of the
elevating module at the straight angle). Because the tray travels more at the deeper part of the
pool then at the more shallow one there must be the differences in gear ratios of the relevant
devices - the tray has to move faster at (a,b,c,d) and slower at (e,f) (Fig 10 a,b).
(5) Even when the grates of the Platform are large (rescuing aspect of the Device empha-
sized) and cannot stop the objects like stones or leaves from falling to the bottom, the light
plastic foil cover can be spread on top of it and attached to its edges in order to seal the unused
pool. Such cover, unlike the existing ones does not have to be strong and resistant as it is
supported by the sturdy Platform in this case.
CONDITIONS: a) The platform can be moved upward or downward only when no people use
the pool exept for the emergency situation.
b) The Platform can be stopped only either when completely over the surface or if at the bottom
position. For the safety reasons the construction of the power mechanism must prevent from
stopping It in halfway positons.(eventual jump on the platform submersed only a few feet under
the water surface can have tragic consequences)
LIST OF FIGURES:
1) Submersible Platform.
2) Submersible Platform installed in the pools of various shape.
3) Platform Elevating Module.
detail: a) Gear box,
b) Threaded Vertical Bolt,
c) Platform Leading Nut,
d) Module's Casing.
e) Screw Supporter (for attaching the Module to the pool wall).
4) Connection of the Platform with the Leading Nut.
5) Driving Shafts.
6) Drawing ilustrating the principle of operation.
7) The Device installed in the simple square, flat bottom pool.
8) The Device installed in the square pool of the not uniform bottom profile.
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a) Platform position at the top.
b) Platform position at the bottom.
9) The sloped part of the Platform sliding under the horizontal part at the surface position.
a) detail: sliding rivet - variable connection of the nut to the platform allowing the sloped part
of the platform to slide under the horizontal part at the surface position.
10) Driving Shafts with universal joints and snap-on extension mechanism.
11) Spreading a light plastic cover over the platform in the surface position.
