Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Pool type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-05-22
Eloshway, Charles R. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Pool type
C004S507000, C004S509000, C004S512000, C004S904000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233754
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a compact swimming pool, which is designed to have a size that is enough large for swimming. More particularly, the present invention relates to a circulation type of swimming pool, in which water flows at an optimum speed. The stream (water current) along the surface of the water is well regulated to have a uniform flow rate throughout in the width direction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of types of streaming swimming-pools have been invented. In most conventional streaming swimming-pools, water current is generated with screw blades. For example, in Japanese Patent Laying Open Kokai No. H05-340117, a screw type of water current generator is arranged at one end of the swimming pool.
According to such a water current generator, water is pushed out by rotation of the screw blades. For that reason, the generated water current becomes to be a turbulent flow; and therefore, it is difficult to provide a uniform flow rate along the width direction, which is orthogonal to the flowing direction. That is, the water current is a spiral stream, so that a different type of water current is generated in the bottom-to-surface direction. It looks like the water is agitated in the swimming pool. It is difficult to regulate the water current well around the surface of the water.
Further, according to the conventional technology, a large amount of frictional drag is made between the screw blades and the water. As a result, it is required to use a large capacity of motor in order to provide enough energy of water current. In addition, to provide much energy of water current, the screw blades are rotated at a high speed. Such a high-speed rotation of screw blades results in cavitation, which makes noise and vibration.
In order to well regulate the water current in a swimming pool, another type of invention is described in Japanese Patent Laying Open Kokai No. H09-78865. According to the invention, partition walls are arranged at a water supply opening to regulate the water current. However, the water current is still generated using screw blades, therefore above mentioned problems can not be solved yet. If the partition walls are arranged to have a narrower distance between each two adjacent walls, the resistance against the water is increased.
According to the conventional technology, a streaming type of swimming pool includes a drain opening or receiving opening at the downstream end, facing a water supply opening at the upstream end. In the conventional swimming pool, the water travels from the upstream and to the downstream end, and a part of the water is reflected at an end wall of the downstream end. The reflected water current interferes with the forward water current, so that complicated water current may be generated in the swimming pool (swimming tank).
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool, in which the optimum flow rate can be obtained with a small power of driving device, such as a pump.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool, which generates a well regulated water current having a uniform flow rate along the width direction.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool that generates a water current (forward stream), which is not interfered with a reflected water current (backward stream).
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a swimming pool includes a swimming tank, which stores water for swimming; an upstream tank, which stores water to be supplied into the swimming tank; a downstream tank, which stores the water streamed from the upstream tank through the swimming tank; and a pump, which forces the water stored in the downstream tank to the upstream tank. The water in the upstream tank has an energy head that is higher than the water in the swimming tank so as to generate water current in the swimming tank.
In operation, enough amount of water is stored each in the swimming tank, upstream tank and downstream tank, in advance of use. Then, the pump is driven to circulate the water in those three tanks. According to the present invention, the water in the upstream tank has an energy head that is higher than the water in the swimming tank, so that the water in the upstream tank is injected into the swimming tank in accordance with the difference of energy head between those two tanks. The injected water makes water current that is not in a spiral state but in a laminar flow (streamline flow) state. In the swimming tank, the water current (laminar flow) travels along the surface of the water toward the downstream tank.
The energy head of the water in the upstream tank may include position head and pressure head.
The swimming pool may further include a supply opening, which is arranged between the upstream tank and swimming tank, so that the water stored in the upstream tank is injected through the supply opening to around the surface of the water in the swimming tank.
The swimming pool may further include a weir, which is arranged at the downstream end of the swimming tank. The downstream tank stores the water streamed over the weir. The weir may be shaped to have a top, which is curved upwardly. With such a curved top of weir, the water current reached there is smoothly guided toward the downstream tank but not reflected much. Therefore, the water current in the swimming tank is prevented from being disturbed by reflection current.
The swimming pool may further include a protector, which is arranged at the upstream end of the weir, so that the user in the swimming tank is protected from being accidentally flowed over the weir toward the downstream tank.
The swimming pool may further include a filter arranged on the water way between the downstream tank and the upstream tank to clean up the circulated water; a sterilizer arranged on the water way between the downstream tank and the upstream tank to sterilize the circulated water; and a heater arranged on the water way between the downstream tank and the upstream tank to control the temperature of the circulated water.
The upstream tank is of closed type and is controlled to add pressure to the water therein.
The supply opening may include a plurality of openings, which are arranged horizontally to have an optimum distance between two adjacent openings, the distance being not uniform throughout. Preferably, the distance is determined, in the horizontal direction, to be wider around the center of the swimming tank and be narrower around the sides of the swimming tank. Further, each of the openings may be designed to have an optimum area, which is not uniform throughout all the openings. The area of each opening may be determined, in the horizontal direction, to be larger around the center of the swimming tank and be smaller around the sides of the swimming tank.
When the distance of the openings is determined to be wider around the center of the swimming tank and be narrower around the sides, more amount of water flows around the sides of the swimming tank. As a result, frictional drag made around the side walls of the swimming tank is cancelled; and therefore, the water current runs at a uniform speed throughout the swimming tank.
On the other hand, when the area of each opening is determined to be larger around the center of the swimming tank and be smaller around the sides of the swimming tank, the water current tends to run at a higher speed around the sides of the swimming tank as compared to around the center. As a result, frictional drag made around the side walls
Baker & Daniels
Eloshway Charles R.
Rika Kogyo, Inc.
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