Patent ID: 11946277
Assignee: nan
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E  A | IPC A  E

Claim 0:
1. An exercise pool with circulating water flow, comprising:
a) an exercise pool having a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall, each wall having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first wall and the first end of the second wall forming a first corner of the exercise pool, the second end of the first wall and the first end of the third wall forming a second corner of the exercise pool, the first and second corners forming a head end of the exercise pool, the second end of the second wall and the first end of the fourth wall forming a third corner of the exercise pool, the second end of the third wall and the second end of the fourth wall forming a fourth corner of the exercise pool, the third and fourth corners forming the foot end of the exercise pool;
b) an exercise pool floor positioned below and connected to a bottom of the first wall, the second wall, the third wall and the fourth wall, wherein the exercise pool floor is non-sloped;
c) a self-contained drop-in propulsion unit, the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit configured to be positioned on the exercise pool floor between the first and second corners of the exercise pool, the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit having a front side, a back side, a top side, a left end, a right end and a bottom side enclosing an interior, wherein the bottom side is configured to rest on the exercise pool floor, wherein the back side is configured to be positioned against the first wall, wherein a plenum arrangement is positioned therein, the plenum arrangement further comprising:
i. a pair of propellers positioned in the interior of the plenum arrangement, the pair of propellers positioned adjacent each other and in a common horizontal plane, each propeller of the pair of propellers configured for rotation towards the adjacent propeller in the horizontal plane;
ii. a plurality of water inlets positioned in the front side of the plenum arrangement to allow a circulating water flow to enter the interior of the self- contained drop-in propulsion unit for communication with the pair of propellers;
iii. an equalization wall positioned in the plenum arrangement, the equalization wall positioned between the plurality of water inlets and the pair of propellers, the equalization wall configured to balance the quantity of the circulating water flow to and between the pair of propellers and wherein the equalization wall is positioned below the pair of propellers positioned in the interior of the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit and extends from the front side to the back side of the plenum arrangement;
iv. a set of curved vanes located in the interior of the plenum arrangement and positioned above the pair of propellers, the set of curved vanes configured to engage with and turn the circulating water flow from the pair of propellers in a vertical direction to a horizontal direction;
v. a common outlet positioned in the front side of the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit and in fluid communication with the set of curved vanes, the common outlet configured as a grate to allow discharge of the circulating water flow from the plenum arrangement of the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit wherein the circulating water flow forms a pair of circuitous water flow paths in the exercise pool, a first water flow path flowing from the head end to the foot end of the exercise pool, the first water flow path useful for swimming, and a second water flow path from the foot end to the head end of the exercise pool for recirculation through the plenum arrangement by the pair of propellers via the plurality of water inlets in the front side of the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit;

d) a self-contained hydraulic system positioned exterior of the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit and connected to the pair of propellers to drive the pair of propellers;
e) an electric motor coupled to the self-contained hydraulic system, the electric motor configured with a variable frequency drive which allows control of the speed of the pair of propellers and volume of circulating water;
f) an inner water containment area located anterior of the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit and further defined by the second wall, the third wall and the fourth wall of the exercise pool, wherein the inner water containment area has an absence of a separate return flow structure to aid in delivery of the circulating water flow to the pair of propellers via the plurality of inlets in the plenum arrangement of the self-contained drop-in propulsion unit.