Apparatus for holding and storing swimming pool maintenance equipment

An apparatus for retaining and storing swimming pool maintenance equipment such as brushes, net scoops, tubular handles and extensions, bottom vacuum heads, flexible hoses and the like when not in use. The apparatus is releasibly connectable, preferably by spaced suction cups, to a top surface of a horizontal frame member of a swimming pool cage or screened enclosure, the frame member being elongated above the pool deck and typically having a rectangular tubular cross section of thin wall aluminum. A plurality of spaced brackets of various configurations are connected to the elongated support bar to which the suction cups are also connected, whereby the maintenance equipment is supported and stored. By attachment of the apparatus to a horizontal frame member of an out-of-the-way area of the pool cage, the maintenance equipment is readily accessible and will dry quickly when stored.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Scope of Invention 
This invention relates generally to swimming pool maintenance equipment and 
implements, and more particularly to an apparatus for storing such items 
onto an apparatus which is attachable to a frame member of a screened 
swimming pool cage. 
2. Prior Art 
A wide variety of pieces of swimming pool maintenance equipment and 
implements are typically required to maintain the cleanliness and 
conditioning of swimming pools and water contained therein. Such items 
include deck brushes, pool wall scrubbers and vacuums, tubular handle 
extensions and flexible hose and nets for scooping debris from the surface 
and bottom areas of the pool. 
After the equipment is used on a regular basis, drying and storage of such 
cleaning implements is typically at best an annoyance. Cabinets of the 
size sufficient to retain these cumbersome cleaning implements have to be 
quite large. Flexible hoses are sometimes hung from temporary wires 
attached to a ceiling area overhanging the pool or simply laid atop the 
pool deck without storage. When stored without being dried, mildew is 
likely. 
Applicant is aware of a swimming pool equipment carrying case invented by 
Spooner as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,103. This carrying case, 
however, will typically accommodate only the smaller cleaning items such 
as brushes and small hand cleaning implements. 
Killingsworth, in U.S. Pat. No. 253,638 describes a pool equipment cart 
which appears to be directed to carrying a chest or the like and is only 
remotely related to the present invention. 
Many swimming pools are enclosed by a screened swimming pool cage which is 
structurally formed of box or rectangular section aluminum tubing. This 
application discloses an apparatus which will receive, retain and store 
virtually all of the implements associated with cleaning and maintaining a 
typical swimming pool and deck area associated with the screened swimming 
pool cage attached to home or building structures. The apparatus takes 
advantage of one of the horizontal frame members of the pool cage which is 
elevated above the deck area to about waist height. These frame members of 
the cage are typically tubular rectangular sections having a flat upper or 
top surface onto which the apparatus releasibly attaches preferably 
through suction cup means. By selecting a remote area of the pool cage and 
deck area, the maintenance implements may be easily stored and retrieved 
and conveniently dried after storage by being exposed to both sun and 
circulating air or breeze through the screened pool cage. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to an apparatus for retaining and storing 
swimming pool maintenance equipment such as brushes, net scoops, tubular 
handles and extensions, bottom vacuum heads, flexible hoses and the like 
when not in use. The apparatus is preferably releasibly connectable, 
preferably by spaced suction cups, to a top surface of a horizontal frame 
member of a swimming pool cage or screened enclosure, the frame member 
being elongated above the pool deck and typically having a rectangular 
tubular cross section of thin wall aluminum. A plurality of spaced 
brackets of various configurations are connected along the length of the 
elongated support bar to which the suction cups are also connected, 
whereby the maintenance equipment is supported and stored. By attachment 
of the apparatus to a horizontal frame member of an out-of-the-way area of 
the pool cage, the maintenance equipment is readily accessible and will 
dry quickly when stored. 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which 
will conveniently store a broad range of swimming pool cleaning and 
maintenance implements in at out-of-the-way location around a caged 
swimming pool. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a releasibly attachable 
apparatus for drying and storing implements for caged swimming pool 
maintenance without the need for installation or construction of 
additional cabinetry or swimming pool cage structure. 
It is still another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for 
storing and drying swimming pool cleaning and maintenance implements, the 
apparatus itself receiving releasible attaching support from a horizontal 
frame member of a screened swimming pool cage. 
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent 
hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to 
the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 7, one 
embodiment of the invention is shown generally at numeral 10 and includes 
an elongated support bar 12 which is formed of a series of edgewise 
orthogonally oriented flat sections 16, 18, 19 and 20 of thin aluminum 
channel or angle bar stock. Having somewhat of a "W" shaped cross section, 
the support bar 12 has attached to an underside of its upper horizontal 
section 16 a plurality of spaced apart soft flexible molded plastic 
suction cups 24 as best seen in FIG. 7. These suction cups 24 are 
downwardly facing and sized and positioned with respect to an upright flat 
section 18 of support bar 12 for convenient engagement on a top surface D 
of a thin wall rectangular aluminum section frame member A of a screened 
pool cage (not shown in entirety). These horizontal frame members shown 
typically at A in the Figures, span between upright pool cage members B 
and are supportively positioned with respect to screen material shown 
typically at C. 
As seen in FIG. 7, a plurality of spaced rubber pads 26 attached to one 
surface of the upright flat section 18 of support bar 12 contact against 
one upright surface of horizontal frame member A when each suction cup 24 
is attached to surface D as shown. 
Permanently attached by fasteners to the support bar 12 are a plurality of 
molded plastic brackets 14 and 22 which are positioned and adapted to 
support a broad variety of implements as shown in FIG. 4 used for cleaning 
and maintaining the swimming pool and deck area. Spaced brackets 14 
supportively receive a cleaning handle E or other straight elongated 
implement, while looped brackets 22 supportively receive the handle or 
tubular attaching extension portions of such implements as a net F, a 
scrubber G, a vacuum head H, and brushes J in their upright orientation. 
Note importantly that these swimming pool cleaning implements, when stored 
as in FIG. 4, are exposed to sunlight and breeze so that in the stored 
position, they will thoroughly dry without developing mildew or remaining 
wet or damp in any fashion. 
Note also that the apparatus 10 may easily be removable by releasing the 
attaching vacuum within these suction cups 24 and that installation is 
accomplished without the need for any tools or disfigurement or alteration 
of any portion of the swimming pool cage frame members A or B. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, another embodiment of the invention is 
shown generally at numeral 30 which also includes an elongated support bar 
32 which is generally L-shaped in cross section and formed of a thin wall 
aluminum channel angle iron. This embodiment 30 also includes a plurality 
of suction cups 38 which are disposed on the lower surface of the upper 
horizontal portion 42 of the support bar 32 as seen in FIG. 6. 
When attached to the horizontal frame member A by suction cups 38, a rubber 
spacer 40 prevents the upright leg or support bar portion 36 from 
connecting against the frame member A and provides additional 
anti-friction support against movement of the apparatus 30 as cleaning and 
maintenance implements are stored and removed. 
This embodiment 10 includes a plurality of spaced U-shaped brackets 34 
which open upwardly and are sized and positioned so as to support and 
store an elongated flexible hose K which is associated with the cleaning 
implements of all swimming pools. Typically, this flexible hose is 
attached at one end to a swimming pool pump inlet which draws water from 
the swimming pool into a filtration unit. The other end of the flexible 
hose K is then attached to such implements as a vacuum head H shown in 
FIG. 4, sometimes utilized in conjunction with an intermediate elongated 
extension tube therebetween. 
Again, with respect to this embodiment 30, no alteration of the horizontal 
frame member A or upright frame member B of the swimming pool cage is 
required and the apparatus 30 may be easily attached and removed as 
desired by appropriate manipulation of the spaced suction cups 38. 
Referring now to FIG. 8, another embodiment of the invention is there shown 
at numeral 50 and represents a combination of the embodiments 10 and 30. 
This embodiment 50 includes an elongated thin-walled aluminum support bar 
52 having a plurality of flat sections 56, 62, 70, 74 and 76 which are 
oriented and coextensive one to another in a generally sawtooth cross 
section arrangement shown. The plurality of spaced suction cups 60 are 
downwardly disposed from the lower or under surface of flat section 66 in 
relation to a plurality of spaced rubber spacers 62 attached to flat 
upright section 68 which is orthogonally oriented to flat section 66 as 
shown. By the interaction between suction cups 60 and rubber spacers 62, 
the apparatus 10 is attachable to the horizontal frame member A of the 
swimming pool cage without alteration to any frame member A whatsoever. 
Spaced brackets 58 are similar to brackets 14 of embodiment 10 and are 
adapted to support elongated tubular members such as handle E in FIG. 4. 
Brackets 64 are similar to brackets 22 of embodiment 10 and are connected 
in spaced fashion along flat section 70 for supporting the various handles 
and connecting tubular extensions of the remainder of the cleaning 
implements shown in FIG. 4. Bracket 72 is similar to bracket 34 in 
embodiment 10 and a plurality of these brackets 72 are connected in spaced 
fashion along flat section 76 for supporting the flexible hose K as in 
FIG. 5. 
Should the weight of the flexible hose K resting upon spaced bracket 72 
place too much of a strain upon the releasible attaching suction cup means 
60, flat section 74 may extend in the opposite direction (shown in 
phantom) from upright flat section 70 so that brackets 72 will then 
generally be positioned directly below brackets 58. 
While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what are 
conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is 
recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the 
invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed 
herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the claims so as to 
embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.