Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Pool type – Construction details
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-02
2003-09-09
Huson, Gregory (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Pool type
Construction details
C004S504000, C004S509000, C004S498000, C004S292000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615417
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to swimming pool and wading pool drains and, more particularly, to a drain cover which is of universal character useful for providing anti-entrapment, anti-vortex protection in a wide variety of swimming pools and wading pools.
Water circulation systems used in swimming pools and wading pools necessarily circulate and filter relatively large volumes of water, with water at many gallons per minute being pumped into these pools and simultaneously being drawn from these pools through one or more drain sumps and/or pool suction (all referred to herein for convenience simply as “drains”) which may be located in the pool floor or a pool side wall. Conventional drain covers used in swimming pools and wading pools have been found to create a danger and potential hazard for pool users, and in particular, children, because the high volume of water flowing into drains beneath conventional drain tend to create a vortex (with its characteristic cyclonic flow) and/or such concentrated areas of flow that a child, for example, can literally be unable to remove a hand, foot or other body member from the drain cover with which the child has come into contact. Thus, there have been tragic drownings and other serious injuries, including the most hideous injury of disembowelment, of children in swimming pools and wading pools. These risks are not limited to children, but extend also to all persons who use pools having drains.
There have accordingly been demands in many regions and localities and jurisdictions throughout the United States of America and elsewhere in the world for protection against entrapment and injury at drains of swimming pools and wading pools. This has resulted, for example, in proposals, regulations or laws to require multiple drains in swimming pools and wading pools. Multiple drains are, however, not a good solution to the problems and resultant dangers of existing drains in swimming pools and wading pools, because it overlooks the fact that water pressure, dependent upon pool depth, exerts a force proportional to the cross-sectional area of a drain. The mere provision of one or more additional main drains of comparable area does not reduce the force of water pressure across the area of a drain, and does not solve a problem of entrapment resulting from suction developed in the pool circulation system which draws water in through the drain, from which pool users must be protected from entrapment.
What is required, as provided by the new drain, is altering of the way in which water enters the drain by providing for the drain widely dispersed water entrance passages, each of small cross-sectional area, and each preferably designed so as to be inherently non-entrapping, and from which water entering the drain is channeled. It is also desired to avoid of the usual vortex which may develop as water enters an unprotected drain. But it is also required that a protective drain cover must be extremely strong, with capability to support nearly 400 pounds of weight without cracking or damage.
Newhard U.S. Des. Pat. No. Des. 333,342 was issued to the present inventor in 1993 Anti-Vortex Safety Cover For A Drain, and included ornamental features useful in drain covers for anti-vortex but was configured so that it could extend into a drain opening, i.e., sump, of a swimming pool and including ribs, which were tapered, angled, and, therefore, not of constant height. Additionally, the ribs of the present invention are of sufficient height that at a predetermined drain cover diameter, the flow rate of water into the inlet is about 1.5 cubic feet per second. Typically, the height is in the range of about 0.25 to 0.75 inches. Further, the drain cover shown in that patent did not disclose various information such as relative dimensions and relationships or flow characteristics, nor did it disclose specific securement to a drain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, among the several objects, features and advantages of the invention may be noted the provision of drain cover for swimming pool and/or wading pool drains (suction fittings) which is anti-entrapment, anti-vortex, and injury-preventing and method of drain protection for users of such pools; and which thus is a safety device and method; which avoids any danger or potential hazard for pool users, and in particular, children, even when a high volume of water flows into a drain with which the new device is used; which is inherently non-entrapping, as well as avoiding development of the usual vortex which may develop as water enters the drain which it covers protectively; which alters of the way in which water enters the drain it protects by providing widely dispersed water entrance passages, each of small cross-sectional area, and each preferably designed so as themselves to be inherently non-entrapping; which accordingly does not have any dangerous concentrated areas of flow that might entrap the hand, foot, hair, other body member or clothing of a child even when a child comes into contact with the new device; which can prevent drain-related drownings and other serious injuries; and which protects not only children but all persons of small size, low weight, and relatively low strength; which is easy to install in connection with a wide range of sizes of conventional drains and yet does not extend into a drain opening; which does not require modification of existing drains; which does not require installation of additional drains; which is extremely easily and rapidly installed in place of existing drain covers; which is simple, reliable, inexpensive and highly durable in construction; and which is aesthetically pleasing.
Briefly, the drain cover is of wheel-like configuration, formed by a disk, i.e., a round flat plate, having a relatively large radius, substantially larger than the radius of any pool sump or suction inlet (“drain”) which the drain cover is intended to cover, so that the disk extends out over the pool floor or other surface having the drain radially beyond the drain, the disk carrying beneath it a plurality of evenly spaced radial ribs which define between them channels opening at the periphery, such that there is a side inlet between each pair of ribs. The ribs support the cover on the surface in which the drain is located so that the disk periphery stands off that surface for water flow intake beneath through the side inlets. The disk periphery is provided with multiple arcuate recesses, at least one such recess being between each rib pair, so that each arcuate recess also opens into the channel between each rib pair. The ribs and channels control water flow beneath the disk so that water flows relatively evenly in the channels from the periphery and then into the drain without potential for pool user entrapment and substantially without vortex creation. The arcuate recesses further preclude entrapment by allowing flow to enter the channels beneath the disk even when any of the sides is blocked by the body of a pool user or other object. The disk has screw-receiving openings, preferably in the forms of screw-receiving slots, for accommodating attachment to various sizes of drains.
The drain cover is accordingly of universal character useful for providing anti-entrapment, anti-vortex protection in the widest possible variety of swimming pools and wading pools. A method of protecting users of a swimming pool or wading pool from entrapment in a drain of such a pool by the use of such a drain cover, so configured, is disclosed accordingly.
Other objects and features will be apparent or are pointed out more particular hereinbelow.
REFERENCES:
patent: 780341 (1905-01-01), Horner
patent: 3321080 (1967-05-01), Pasini et al.
patent: 3378858 (1968-04-01), Jacuzzi
patent: 3667611 (1972-06-01), Pansini
patent: D233434 (1974-10-01), Ehmke
patent: 3940807 (1976-03-01), Baker et al.
patent: 4115878 (1978-09-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4170047 (1979-10-01), Corsette et al.
patent: D254928 (1980-05-01), Mathis
patent: D261419 (1981-10-01), Moreland
patent: 4359190 (1982-11-01), Paga
Gilster Peter S.
Greensfelder Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Huson Gregory
Kokabi Azadeh
Lewis Linda L.
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