Two piece corner framing element for swimming pool extrusions with pool-liner anchor channels

An two-piece, corner framing element is described for connecting two longitudinal swimming pool extrusions having longitudinal pool-liner channels that utilizes the conventional upward projecting liner-anchoring land along a bottom front edge of the pool-liner channels for angularly orienting and securing the longitudinal extrusions together in the field for framing a corner structure for pool walls as a pool is being constructed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Corner framing structures are described for connecting two longitudinal swimming pool extrusions having longitudinal pool-liner anchor channels and, in particular an improved two-piece corner framing element for receiving, angularly orienting, and securing longitudinal extruded pool liner-cover track extrusions for framing square corners in the field during pool construction.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Joining pool coping, pool-liner and combined pool-liner cover track extrusions at the corners of pools in the field is notoriously tricky to accomplish. Because of this difficulty in field construction, the pool construction industry has resorted to prefabricating pool corners with extrusions legs in the shop, and then supplying both prefabricated corner pieces and longitudinal extrusions pieces for assembly and incorporation into the pool walls. Such prefabricating pool corner extrusion pieces are relatively expensive compared to the cost of longitudinal extrusions pieces.

In addition, prefabrication of corner pieces in many instances is accomplished by bending existing extrusion using specially designed bending machines and/or notching to avoid deformation of the extrusion channels and curved coping elements as the extrusions are bent.

In U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,297, Mathis et al suggest a method for installing a modular corner piece (actually a plate with cornering side edges and a curved, pool side-edge for joining the side edges having a pool-liner anchor channel where the cornering side edges of the plate are pressed into the pool-liner anchor channels of two intersecting pool coping extrusions and fastened to form a corner where the corner piece pool-liner anchor channel aligns with those of the extrusions. (See Col. 5, 11. 50-65 & Col. 6, 11.12-25.) However, while innovative, simply pressing a corner plate into pool-liner anchor channels of intersecting swimming pool extrusions does not assure a precise or ‘square’ corner. For precision or an assured ‘square’ corner, the corner plate and extrusions must be pre-assembled and securely fastened together, i.e. must be pre-fabricated with extrusions legs in the shop. Also, Mathis et al ignore the complication that swimming pool extrusions with pool-liner anchor channels that secure vinyl pool liners around the tops of pool walls necessarily include short longitudinal, upward projecting lands defining a bottom lip at the opening of the liner channel that mechanically captures and anchors the ‘beaded’ or seamed side edge of the pool liner within the pool-liner channel of the extrusion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An two-piece, corner framing element is described for connecting two longitudinal swimming pool extrusions having longitudinal pool-liner channels that utilizes the conventional upward projecting liner-anchoring land along a bottom front edge of the pool-liner channels for angularly orienting and securing the longitudinal extrusions together in the field for framing a corner structure for pool walls as a pool is being constructed. In particular, the two-piece corner framing element for swimming pool extrusions comprises a bottom plate and a top plate that when fastened together, orient and hold extrusions for framing a corner at the top of a pool, and provide a curved pool-liner channel aligned with the pool-liner channels of the extrusions before a pour of a concrete/gunnite forming the pool walls, and/or pour of concrete foundation decking surrounding a pool. A conventional electrical drill and a drill jig is utilized to router off the respective sections of the upward projecting liner-anchoring lands of the extrusions that cross through the corner pool-liner anchor channel of the corner framing element before final assembly of the corner framing element and the respective extrusions for framing a pool corner.

The primary novel features of the improved corner framing element relate to the configuration of the cooperating bottom and top surfaces respectively of the top and bottom plates which can be easily, and inexpensively manufactured using conventional injection molding, forming and/or machining methods depending on the materials selected for each particular piece. Further, the mating surfaces of the top and bottom plates of the improved corner framing element can be easily optimally shaped and secured together using standard engineered fasteners for providing a durable corner pool-liner anchor channel that, in addition, is amenable to, and facilitates removal of a damaged pool liner by simply unfastening the top plate from the bottom plate and exposing the pool-liner anchor channel to allow sections of the beaded edge of the pool liner to be pulled out the pool-liner channels of the longitudinal extrusions framing around the pool.

The primary advantage of the improved corner framing element is that it affords installation convenience in the field where pool design constraints mandate precise corners, e.g., where in-wall longitudinal swimming pool extrusions include an automatic pool cover track channel above the pool-liner anchor channel to accommodate an automatic pool cover system that requires rectangular pool walls with (90°) corners.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

With reference toFIGS. 1-8the two-piece, corner framing element11for coupling two longitudinal in-wall, pool cover and pool-liner channeled swimming pool extrusions12aand12bat an end of a swimming pool (not shown) opposite an automatic pool cover system (also not shown) comprises a bottom plate16and a top plate17that, when assembled with the extrusions12a&12b, and fastened together with conventional engineered fasteners18, securely frame a top corner of the swimming pool before and during a pour of a concrete deck foundation surrounding the pool walls15(See FIG. 6 & U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,990, Last, FIGS. 6 & 13 & col. 5, 11.48-65.) Once cured, the concrete deck foundation permanently secure the extrusions12a&12bin place forming a pool corner as framed by the corner framing element11with the cooperating adjacent surfaces of the bottom and top plates16&17of the corner framing element11providing a desired, convex, smoothly curved, corner pool-liner channel19with a conventional upward projecting liner-anchoring land21along the bottom, front edge of the corner channel19aligned with the pool-liner channels13of the extrusions12a&12b. (SeeFIG. 6).

In more detail, looking atFIGS. 2-7, the bottom plate16of the corner framing element11has a top face22, a bottom face23, straight planar side-edges24defining a 90° corner and a planar concave, curved inside, side-edge26crossing between the straight side edges24. The top face22of the bottom plate16presents a planar surface with a depending, concave, a curved liner-relief28spaced inward from, and parallel to the concave curved inside side-edge26of the plate conforming in width and depth to the cross-sectional width and base height of an extrusion pool-liner channel13to provide an upward projecting, curved liner-anchoring land21at the curved planar inside side-edge26of the bottom plate11. The bottom face23of the bottom plate11presents shoulder reliefs29with planar vertical faces27cut into the face23with a deeper base slot31along, and parallel to the respective straight side edges24of the bottom plate16that provide extending side shoulders32sized for snugly sliding longitudinally within the pool-liner channels13of the extrusions12a&12bwith the deeper base slot31receiving the upward projecting liner-anchoring land14along the bottom front edges of the respective pool-liner channels13.

The top plate17has a bottom seating face33sized for seating on the top face22of the bottom plate16with straight planar side-edges34conforming to a 90° corner, and a concave, curved inside side-edge36, conforming to the curved inner side-edge26of the bottom plate11. When seated and fastened on the bottom plate11, the planar side edges seat34on vertical side surfaces37(FIG. 6) of the respective longitudinal extrusions12a&12babove the entrant slots38of the pool-liner anchor channels13. At the curved, inner side-edge34, the bottom surface39of the top plate17presents an inclined surface41tapering upward from a seating shoulder35toward the curved edge36of the top plate17. The seating shoulder35projects down from the seating face33of the top plate and seats on the back shoulder44of the curved liner-relief28in the top face22of the bottom plate16for corporately providing a corner pool-liner channel19.

The longitudinal swimming pool extrusions12a&12bshown inFIGS. 1,6&7are conventional in-wall, swimming pool extrusion with an automatic pool-cover track channel41above a pool-liner channel13that present vertical side surfaces37above and below an entrant slots38into the pool liner channel13. A conventional pool-cover track extrusion42is received in the pool-cover track channel41of extrusion12aand anchored between a longitudinal land43depending down from the top of the channel41and a longitudinal spacer plate44is inserted into the channel41beneath the pool-cover track extrusion42. Extrusion12bcrosses the pool end, houses end pulleys at distal ends of the pool cover track extrusions42on the opposite sides of the pool (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,990, Last, FIG. 7a) As illustrated inFIGS. 2 & 6showing a cross-section of the different embodiments of the corner framing element11avertical support face46of the shoulder relief29that extends down into the deeper base slots31, seats on the vertical facing surface37of the extrusions12a&12bbelow the entrant slots38of the pool-liner channels13of the extrusions, i.e., on the vertical outside face of the liner anchoring land14. However, to provide additional mechanical support to the resulting corner structure11, as portrayed inFIG. 6, the bottom face23of the bottom plate16of the corner framing element11, may include one or more vertical reinforcing ribs47for providing vertical support surfaces48to the corner framing element11that extend downward below the extrusion12ato seat on the pool wall15below the respective extrusions12a&12b. This latter embodiment of the improved corner element11would be particularly suited for pool-liner swimming pools that do not provide an underlying curved wall support underneath, the concave, curved inside, side-edge26of the corner framing element11.

FIG. 8, shows removed section of the upward projecting liner-anchoring land14of a particular extrusion12that would cross through the concave, a curved liner-relief28depending into the top face22of the bottom plate16of the corner framing element11. In more detail, jumping toFIGS. 12 and 13, a drill jig51is shown that has a seating face52configured for seating on the side surfaces37of the particular extrusion12(FIG. 13) on either side of the entrant slot38of its pool-liner channel13with a wider nose56that perpendicularly extends through the entrant slot38into the pool-liner channel13for locating a guide hole57drilled through the drill jig51that intersects with the upward projecting liner-anchoring land14at the bottom front edge of the pool-liner channel13when the drill jig51is seated for sliding longitudinally on the side surfaces37of the extrusion12. The guide hole57receives and guides an appropriately sized drill bit58driven by an electrical hand drill (not shown) to router away the upward projecting liner-anchoring land14as the drill jig51is slid longitudinally along and within the entrant slot38of the pool-liner channel13.

In particular, with reference toFIG. 12the diameter of the guide hole57should be slightly greater than that of the drill bit58and necessarily less than the height of the pool-liner channel13. The radius of the drill bit57is appropriately sized to be substantially greater than the height of the upward projecting liner-anchoring land14. The guide hole56positions the drill bit57when the drill jig51is seated such that the drill bit57only routers off the upward projecting liner-anchoring land14above the bottom floor59of the pool-liner channel13leaving concave end surfaces61that curve upward from the floor59of the pool-liner channel13having radiuses substantially greater than the height of the land14.

The particular sections of the liner-anchoring lands14of the particular extrusions12for removal can easily be determined by measurement, and marked. Alternatively, the framing extrusions12can be assembling with the bottom plate16in the field, the intersecting sections the of the liner-anchoring lands14marked, whereupon the pieces are disassembled. In either instance the marked sections of the liner-anchoring lands14on the respective extrusions12can be easily removed as describe above with described drill jig51and drill bit57.

FIGS. 9-11, illustrate an embodiment of the improved corner framing element11for coupling two longitudinal swimming pool extrusions12c&12dwith longitudinal pool-liner channels13below coping structures71.FIG. 9shows the extrusions12c&12dassembled with the bottom plate16of the corner framing element previously described with reference toFIGS. 2-7, supra.FIG. 10shows a top plate17athat is integrally formed with a corner coping structure72that extends above the pool surface to integrate with a surrounding pool deck foundation (not shown) and joins or covers over the cornering coping ends of the extrusions12c&12d(FIG. 10) obviating any necessity for precise mitering at the junction ends of the extrusions12c&12dframing the pool corner.

Those skilled in the injection molding arts should note and appreciate that, as illustrated inFIG. 2, that the planer concave, curved inside, side-edge26of the bottom plate16crossing between the straight side edges24may be strengthened by providing a downward extending apron or land42along the curved inside, side-edge26of the bottom plate16. Further, rounding the back corner shoulder44of the depending curved liner relief28to receive a correspondingly concave, rounded shoulder35(FIG. 5) depending down from the bottom seating face33of the top plate17increases both the integrity and effectiveness of the corner liner channel19. Further, skilled injection mold designers can easily provide addition structural features on the bottom face23of the bottom plate16adapting it to seat for support on a particular underlying curved, corner-wall panel for each the different pool-wall panel structural systems of existing commercial in-ground and above ground liner swimming pools.

The bottom plate may be made of a strong structural material such as aluminum or a resilient inert structural plastic such as UHWM plastic or POM that have high stiffness and excellent dimensional stability using simple machining techniques. The top plate could be formed or injection12can be assembling with the bottom plate16in the field, the intersecting sections the of the liner-anchoring lands14marked, whereupon the pieces are disassembled. In either instance the marked sections of the liner-anchoring lands14on the respective extrusions12can be easily removed as describe above with described drill jig51and drill bit57.

FIGS. 9-11, illustrate an embodiment of the improved corner framing element11for coupling two longitudinal swimming pool extrusions12c&12dwith longitudinal pool-liner channels13below coping structures71.FIG. 9shows the extrusions12c&12dassembled with the bottom plate16of the corner framing element previously described with reference toFIGS. 2-7, supra.FIG. 10shows a top plate17athat is integrally formed with a corner coping structure72that extends above the pool surface to integrate with a surrounding pool deck foundation (not shown) and joins or covers over the cornering coping ends of the extrusions12c&12d(FIG. 10) obviating any necessity for precise mitering at the junction ends of the extrusions12c&12dframing the pool corner.

Those skilled in the injection molding arts should note and appreciate that, as illustrated inFIG. 2, the planar concave, curved inside, side-edge26of the bottom plate16crossing between the straight side edges24may be strengthened by providing a downward extending apron or land42along the curved inside, side-edge26of the bottom plate16. Further, rounding the back corner shoulder44of the depending curved liner relief28to receive a correspondingly concave, rounded shoulder35(FIG. 5) depending down from the bottom seating face33of the top plate17increases both the integrity and effectiveness of the corner liner channel19. Further, skilled injection mold designers can easily provide addition structural features on the bottom face23of the bottom plate16adapting it to seat for support on a particular underlying curved, corner-wall panel for each the different pool-wall panel structural systems of existing commercial in-ground and above ground liner swimming pools.

The bottom plate may be made of a strong structural material such as aluminum or a resilient inert structural plastic such as UHWM plastic or POM that have high stiffness and excellent dimensional stability using simple machining techniques. The top plate could be formed or injection molded using an inert, UV-resistant plastic, and offers the flexibility of providing a top structural corner coping configurations above the pool surface that integrates with the surrounding pool deck and accommodates the coping ends above the extrusion channel(s) of longitudinal extrusions secured by the improved corner plate obviating any necessity for precise mitering at the junction ends of the extrusions framing the corner.

Further, it should be recognized that skilled engineers and designers can specify different configurations for the described two-piece corner framing element that angularly orients and secures two longitudinal swimming pool extrusions having longitudinal pool-liner channels in the field during pool construction for framing a swimming pool corner and provide a curved corner pool-liner anchor channel aligned with the pool-liner channels of the corner framing extrusions that will perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve substantially the same result as those components described and specified above. Similarly, methods used described for implementing the desired functionality of the invented two-piece corner framing element may differ from those described yet accomplish substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve substantially the same result as those methods by the Applicants. Accordingly, while mechanical components and methods suitable for implementing the invented improvements may not be exactly described herein, they may fall within the spirit and the scope of invention as described and set forth in the appended claims.