Filtering stairway for swimming pool

Details Filtering stairway for swimming pool Filtering stairway for swimming pool

1998-10-09

2001-06-19

Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)

Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons

Pool type

Construction details

Reexamination Certificate

active

06247194

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the technical field of water filtration for swimming pools.
To date, numerous technical solutions are known which allow the water of a swimming pool to be filtered. Filtration is obtained by means of one or more filters mounted in combination with a circuit for drawing in and delivering water.
It has, for example, been proposed that the pumping or filtration means be incorporated into a compact block mounted in combination with the panels of which the pool of the swimming pool is made. One of the parts of the block is submerged in the water and houses the filtration means, while another part is situated out of the pool and has the means for drawing in and delivering the water, which means are mounted in combination with the said filtration means.
This solution emerges, for example, from the teaching of patent EP-A-0,145,619. The part submerged in the water may have arrangements acting as the treads of steps.
However, for reasons of convenience, the consumer often wants the swimming pool to be equipped with a conventional set of steps and, more generally, with steps of a rounded shape, very often located at the end of the swimming pool. These steps, given their shape, are known by the name of Roman steps.
It has also been proposed that filtering Roman steps be produced, these being based on the same principle as the one defined in the aforementioned patent EP-A-0,145,619. The part submerged in the water has a rounded overall shape, incorporating the treads of the steps and housing the filtration system. This part submerged in the water is connected to the part out of the ground, which houses the intake and delivery means. The part submerged in the water is not incorporated into the panels of the swimming pool, but is superimposed on these, which latter panels have to be shaped to delimit a rounded surface corresponding to that of the steps.
After the two parts of the steps have been attached to the swimming pool panels there remains, between the rear face of the steps and the front face of the profiled panels, an empty space which later will be filled with water. This means that leaves or other undesirables may accumulate in this space, and this may cause significant problems as far as overall pool maintenance is concerned.
Mention may also be made of the teaching of patent EP-A-0,279,140 which relates to a module made of a prefabricated assembly made of reinforced resin of the polyester kind, and which comprises a set of steps of several treads which adjoin a technical tank and a filtration tank. The technique used for manufacturing this module is not, however, rational. Watertightness problems may arise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The set objective of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks in a simple, reliable, effective and rational way.
The problem that the invention sets out to solve is that of producing a filtering set of steps shaped to be mounted directly with adjacent panels forming the pool of the swimming pool, and overcoming the problem of watertightness, the objective at the same time being that of producing steps, the cost of which is particularly low, and which can be installed quickly and easily, while at the same time retaining very high filtration efficiency with the possibility of adding additional functions thereto.
the body of the steps delimits a hollow closed volume obtained by rotational moulding in order to constitute a reservoir, the front face of which has treads,
the reservoir is in communication with the water in the pool,
the reservoir has internal arrangements to allow the fitting of a filtration system in communication with the water contained in the said reservoir,
the face of the body, which is the opposite face to the one which has the treads, has arrangements for fitting and attaching a box obtained by rotational moulding, and in which are fitted the intake and delivery means in combination with the filtration system, and
the body laterally has arrangements for the attaching of the adjacent panels which make up the pool part of the swimming pool.
It is therefore clear that the filtering steps assembly is produced by rotational moulding, a technique which is perfectly well known to those skilled in the art, but which has never been used for producing filtering steps. This rotational moulding technique proves to be particularly beneficial to the application envisaged, given that there is obtained, directly, at the time of manufacture, a reservoir which is perfectly watertight, and in which the filtration means can be mounted in combination with specific arrangements.
In order to solve the set problem of being easily able to equip the body of the steps which serves as reservoir for the filtration system, the internal arrangements for mounting the filtration system consist of ribs formed in the bottom of the reservoir directly from rotational molding, the said ribs, one of the ends of the pipe opening from the plate to be connected to the base of at least one support carrying a filter bag, the other end of the said pipe opening in the region of the arrangement for connecting the reservoir to the box containing the pumping means.
In order to solve the set problem of mounting the entire filtration system inside the reservoir of the body of the steps, the upper part of the support carrying the filter bag or bags is connected in a watertight manner into a mounting plate itself secured in a watertight fashion to a chimney formed near the top of the reservoir in communication with an access hatch closed by a removable cover.
In order to solve the set problem of allowing water to be drawn in and delivered in combination with the filtration system, the pipe mounted in the plate and connected to the filtration system, is connected to the intake connection of the pump, the delivery connection of which is connected to a pipe opening into one of the treads of the steps of the reservoir.
In order to solve the set problem of providing attachment to the reservoir, the arrangements for fitting and attaching the box containing the intake and delivery pump consist, on the one hand, of braces formed during the rotational moulding of the reservoir and on which the said box rests and, on the other hand, of a centring preform interacting with an opening formed in the box, the said preform, which constitutes a hollow body, containing the intake and delivery pipes.
Another problem that the inventions sets out to solve, is that of being able to incorporate other functions into the filtering steps.
To this end, one of the treads has, at its horizontal face, directly from rotational molding, ribs delimiting hollow spaces so that they communicate with an air intake connected by a pipe to a component located in the technical box, the said tread having a microperforated plate.
In order to solve the set problem of being able to attach the steps assembly in continuity with the panels that form the pool part of the swimming pool, the arrangements for attaching the adjacent panels consist of lateral flanges within the thickness of which metal inserts capable of accommodating fasteners are embedded.
In order to solve the set problem of mounting the steps, in combination with the liner with which the inside of the pool of the swimming pool is generally equipped, the front face of the reservoir, in the region of the treads, has a U-shaped clamp containing a screwing support covered by a gasket for attaching a liner cut to a U-shape, and attached to the support by means of screws covered with a protective strip.
According to another feature, one of the risers incorporates, from the rotational moulding operation, arrangements for positioning at least one lamp.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3755981 (1973-09-01), West
patent: 5056167 (1991-10-01), Cholley
patent: 0145619 (1985-05-01), None
patent: 0279140 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 0599666 (1994-06-01), None
Database WPI; Week 12 Apr. 984, Derwent Publications, Ltd., London, G AN 84-134030 & AU-D-8916182D.

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