Abstract:
A pool cover supporting unit includes a plurality of spokes connected to a central hub. The hub rests floats in the pool and the spokes can be lengthened as needed to accommodate pools of various shapes, such as an oval pool. The unit is easily collapsed for storage and easily assembled for use.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the general art of swimming pools, and to the particular field of swimming pool cover supports. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The usual winterizing procedure for a swimming pool involves cleaning the pool, applying chemicals to keep the water free from algae and bacteria, the chemicals also including an anti-freezing agent to keep the water from freezing with the concomitant expansion of the ice which could burst the pool. Swimming pool covers are commonly used when a pool is not being used to prevent contamination by debris and the like, to reduce water evaporation and loss of purifying chemicals, and to guard against unauthorized use or at least to advise the observer that the pool is closed to use. During the fall and winter seasons, most outdoor swimming pools are not in use and falling leaves and debris driven by winter storms often find their way into such pools. Owners or those who are charged with maintaining outdoor pools are, therefore, forced to cover their pools or face expensive cleaning operations each Spring. 
     A wide variety of pool covers is available for keeping debris out of outdoor swimming pools while they are not in use during the fall and winter seasons. However, many of the existing pool covers allow many gallons of rainwater, snow, ice, and unwanted debris to build-up on the cover. This not only causes the cover to sag under the weight accumulation of the water and debris but also increases the possibility of contaminating the pool water with algae, dust, and dirt that are often mixed with the collected water. 
     For example, many present pool covers are typically large tarpaulins shaped to overlap the perimeter of a pool. The tarpaulins are held tautly in place by stakes or eye bolts fixed in concrete. A disadvantage attending the use of tarpaulins for covering pools lies in the fact that the same debris which would contaminate the underlying pool if left uncovered accumulates on the tarpaulin surface instead. Any other material falling on the tarpaulin&#39;s surface, including rain and snow, likewise accumulate on the tarpaulin surface increasing the likelihood that the tarpaulin will be over stressed and torn. The accumulation frequently causes the cover to sag in the center, causing a collection of water and debris to form a pool in the center of the cover. 
     If the tarpaulin pool covers does not sag, but remains taut, it has a significantly unfortunate capacity for camouflaging the danger posed to small children by swimming pools. The flat surface presented by a tarpaulin pool cover often appears to a child to be a surface upon which they may walk. Inability of the tarpaulin and/or its tethering posts to support the weight of a child can have obviously tragic results. 
     Still further, many pools have special shapes which makes it nearly impossible to provide a single, off-the-shelf pool cover thereby necessitating a custom pool cover which can be very expensive. 
     It would, therefore, be advantageous for outdoor pool owners, maintainers, and small children living in the vicinity of a swimming pool to provide an apparatus which elevates the pool cover at the center, thereby, decreasing the sagging which causes the accumulation of debris, water, and snow on its surface. The elevation causes the cover to distinguish itself from surrounding ground surface by rising above ground level. The apparatus also should be easily adapted to pools of various shapes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by a pool cover supporting unit that includes a plurality of spokes connected to a central hub. The hub floats in the pool and the spokes can be lengthened as needed to accommodate pools of various shapes, such as an oval pool. The unit is easily collapsed for storage and easily assembled for use. 
     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an adjustable pool cover support embodying the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed view of an end unit that is associated with each of the spokes and which is attached to the rim of the pool. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of an oval shaped pool cover support. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the figures, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in a swimming pool cover support unit  10  which supports a swimming pool cover above the surface of water in a swimming pool in a manner which causes debris or rain or the like to run off the cover whereby the cover does not collect such unwanted material. As will be understood from the teaching of this disclosure, the slidable and adjustable connection between the various elements of the support unit permit it to be adjusted to accommodate pools of various shapes and to be easily dismantled for storage. 
     The swimming pool cover support unit comprises a base portion  20  which is positioned to float in the water of a swimming pool when in use. The base portion includes a base element  22  having a first section  24  containing heavier-than water ballast, such as sand or the like, and a second section  26  containing lighter-than water material, such as Styrofoam or the like. The heavier-than-water ballast and the lighter-than-water material are balanced with each other so the pool cover support floats in the desired orientation and position. 
     A cover support  30  includes an adjustable support stanchion adjustably mounted on the base portion to extend vertically upward from the base and which includes two portions  40  and  42  which are telescopingly connected together so the height of the stanchion as measured between the base and a top  46  of the stanchion can be adjusted. A pin element  50  connects the two portions of the stanchion together by extending through holes defined in portion  42  of the stanchion and resting on top rim  52  of portion  40  of the stanchion. A plate element  60  is mounted on the stanchion. 
     A plurality of adjustable spokes, such as spoke  70 , are mounted on the support stanchion. Each spoke is connected at a proximal end  72  thereof to plate element  60  on top of support stanchion and has a distal end  74  spaced apart from the proximal end. Each spoke includes two sections, such as sections  76  and  78  of spoke  70 , which are movably connected together by a pin  84  extending through aligned holes defined in each section. Each spoke has a length dimension, such as length dimension  88  of spoke  70 , which is measured between the proximal end and the distal end thereof. The spokes are adjustable so that the length dimension of one spoke can differ from the length dimension of an adjacent spoke whereby a pool of non-uniform cross section can be accommodated. This situation is shown in  FIG. 3  where the pool has a non-circular shape, such as an oval, and spokes  90  of supporting portion  30  differ in length from adjacent spokes  92  and  94  which differ in length from each other to accommodate the non-circular shape. 
     A U-shaped distal end unit  100  is located on the distal end of each spoke. Each unit  100  has a first leg  110  telescopingly attached to a distal end of one of the sections of each spoke, a second leg  112  which is spaced apart from the first leg of the distal end unit in a direction toward the base portion when the distal end unit is in use to define a gap  114  between the first and second legs of the distal end unit, and a bight section  116  which connects the two legs of the distal end unit together. A rim  120  of the pool is accommodated in gap  114 . The U-shaped distal end units are adjustably mounted on the distal ends of the spokes to further accommodate various shapes for the pool. 
     A foot element  130  is attached to the second leg of each distal end unit and extends transversely of that second leg. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the foot element is positioned beneath a rim of the pool and supports the distal end unit on the pool. The distal end unit is attached to the distal end of the spoke by means of a pin clip unit  140  which extends through aligned holes defined in the spoke and in the first leg of the distal end unit. A spring element  150  is interposed between the first leg of the distal end unit and the spoke. 
     The top of the support stanchion is located above the pool water and the second leg of the distal end unit is located beneath the rim of the pool when in use so the spokes slope downwardly from the proximal ends to the distal ends thereof so water and the like will run off of a pool cover supported thereon. 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.