Pool cover

[57] ABSTRACT a pool cover for keeping soot and other particles out of a pool and for preventing unwanted usage of the pool. The pool cover is made of a flexible, durable material and has a central cover portion adapted to rest on the surface of the pool. A border region is secured to the outer edge of the central cover portion including a plurality of separate and independent liquid containers capable of being filled with a suitable liquid, such as water. The border region of the pool cover rests on the peripheral edge of the pool and is too heavy to be removed by a child of tender years. If one of the liquid containers inadvertently ruptures, the others will not be affected and the pool cover will be maintained in place.

Claims, 4 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED^ 6 1972

3,667,070

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3,667,070 ¹ 2

POOL COVER _{1N THE DRAW}i_NGS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a swimming pool cover and, more particularly, to an improved pool cover.

Pool covers serve many extremely useful functions and are enjoying widespread use. When pools are not in use, they are attractive nuisances for children. Many of these children are unable to swim and unfortunately, tragic accidents occur where the unused pool is left uncovered.

Many pool covers are relatively light in construction and are easy to remove. Unfortunately, such pool covers, while serving to keep the pool free from dust and soot, do not prevent unwanted intruders in the pool. Still other pool covers are constructed of a cover which is sealed at its ends to a continuous flexible hollow border which is filled with a suitable liquid, such as water. Unfortunately, such pool cover borders are frequently inadvertently ruptured or punctured allowing the liquid to empty therefrom, thereby eliminating the usefulness of the cover. Still other pool covers are unsatisfactory in performance requiring time-consuming staking and the like to secure the cover to the border or frame of the pool.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved swimming pool cover.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which effectively keeps dust and other particles out of the pool.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which is relatively easy to use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which is relatively securely held in place.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which is relatively easy to manufacture and inexpensive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which is adaptable to cover a variety of pool sizes and shapes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which prevents unwanted intruders from entering the pool when it is not in use.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the above objects are accomplished by providing a pool cover made of a suitable inexpensive flexible material, such as a plastic, resting on the water with the cover having a hollow border at its periphery. A plurality of flexible, separate liquid containers or receptacles are retained in place by the hollow border. The plurality of tanks or containers are independent of each other and water or other suitable liquids are placed in each independent container so as to act as sealing weights about the pool periphery. The pool cover is positioned in place on the water’s surface and the plurality of containers housed in the border region or area are rested on or may be anchored to the peripheral surface of the pool, if desired. The composite pool cover assembly is too heavy for a child to lift, and if unfortunately one of the containers is ruptured or springs a leak, only the fluid contained in such independent container will be evacuated. The remaining containers will remain filled and will therefore stay firmly in place preventing the removal of the cover from the pool.

Preferably, the cover and containers are made of a flexible, liquid impervious, plastic-type material minimizing weight and cost while maximizing durability. Due to the cover portion laying directly on the water’s surface and the contiguous containers resting flat about the pool’s periphery, dust and particles are prevented from blowing beneath the containers and cover.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pool cover of the present invention covering a pool.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along lines 2—2 of FIG. 1 showing the pool cover resting on the peripheral edges of the pool.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3—3 of FIG. 1 illustrating some of the separate containers housed in the border region of the pool cover.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4—4 of FIG. 1 illustrating one such container housed in the outer border region of the pool cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the Figures, FIG. 1 illustrates the pool cover 10 in place over a pool 12. FIG, 2 which is a cross-sectional view of the pool and cover shows the pool 12 and a peripheral pool edge 14. The pool is filled with a fluid, such as water 16, and when the cover 10 is in place, a central cover portion 18, which is a sheet of flexible plastic material, rests on top of the surface of the water 16. A border region 20 bordering the cover portion 18 is generally tubular or hollow in shape and encloses a plurality of independent liquid bags or containers 22. The border region of the cover is adapted to rest on the peripheral edge of the pool maintaining the cover in a fixed position and the bags or containers containing a liquid, such as water, are positioned about the pool’s edge but are retained in place by the border region 20.

The pool cover 10 of the present invention includes the central cover portion and means bordering the central cover portion for retaining independent liquid bags or containers in place. The central cover portion, preferably, is made of a waterproof, durable, light and flexible material, such as a plastic. The central cover portion is capable of being easily manipulated and set in place.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the border region of the pool cover is shown in more detail. The border region 20 is generally tubular or hollow in shape, as described above, and has a plurality of openings disposed generally equally spaced about the pool’s peripheral edge. The openings are large enough for a single liquid bag to be placed within the hollow border when the bag is empty and also large enough for the inlet means to protrude clear of the border tube. The hollow border tube 20 is preferably secured to the border edge or periphery of the central cover portion 18 along its bottom portion thereof by suitable heat sealing means. Of course, the border tube is also made of a flexible, durable, waterproof material which is relatively easy to handle.

Each of the liquid bags or units 22 is an independent unit separately filled through a suitable valve 26, which may be of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,490. Such a valve construction is well suited for this purpose. Each of the bags is also made of a flexible material formed as a closed container. The valves 26 project through the openings 23 in the border tube or region so as to be easily accessible for filling and/or draining the bags.

Each of the water bags or containers is filled through its respective valve with a suitable liquid, such as water and the filling process is begun after the central cover portion is in place over the surface of the water 16 in the pool. The weight of the filled water bags preclude the pool cover from being removed by wind, children, etc. In fact, the arrangement is such that one can even walk across the pool cover without causing same to sink into the water. The border region 20 rests on the peripheral edge 14 of the pool preventing soot or other particles from blowing onto the pool surface. As may be clearly seen, if one of the water containers inadvertently ruptures, the liquid contained therein will empty, but the liquid contained in the other containers 22 will prevent the pool cover 10 from being removed from covering the pool 12. When such a container or bag becomes defective, it is simply pulled out of its counterpart opening 23 and either replaced with another new bag or simply repaired by sealing the hole or rupture which caused the fluid to leak from the bag.

3,667,070 ₄

The pool cover of the present invention lends itself to be easily and quickly manufactured of relatively inexpensive materials. Further, the pool cover may be readily adapted to a plurality of pool shapes and sizes. In addition, the present pool cover is relatively easy to use, being free of complex and confusing manipulations.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.