Abstract:
An aesthetic pool enclosure of modular design includes cover members that hide from view various utilitarian structural components such as bolts, screws, rubber splines for holding screens, and the like. The structure is made of extruded posts and beams and interlocking members for interlocking the posts and beams to one another to reduce the number of fasteners needed and to provide enhanced strength of the finished assembly. The extruded pieces include corner posts for ninety and sixty degree corners, doorjambs, bottom door sweeps, and other specialized parts for completing the assembly. Many of the parts are snap fit to one another to further reduce the number of fasteners required to assemble the enclosure and to facilitate the construction process.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates, generally, to the art of building construction. More particularly, it relates to a construction system for building a pool enclosure of modular components where various utilitarian parts are covered by aesthetically-pleasing components. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     All pool enclosures heretofore known are utilitarian structures lacking aesthetic appeal. The art has long provided pool enclosures where fastening screws, screen-retaining rubber splines, and the like are exposed to view. These structures are often attached to beautiful homes and serve to cheapen the home. Attractive or pleasing-to-the-eye pool enclosures having aesthetic means for covering utilitarian bolts and the like are not found in the prior art. 
     Pool enclosures of the prior art are also custom-built structures that are not easy to erect. They are made of generic aluminum posts and beams that have no particular means facilitating their interconnection with one another. Thus, the parts must be cut to size and fastened together with unsightly fastening means and, as already mentioned, those fastening means are exposed to view. 
     There is a clear need in the pool enclosure industry for a system that provides a pool enclosure having the appearance of a work of art rather than just a utilitarian structure. Moreover, there is a need for an aesthetic structure of modular construction so that aluminum beams could be interlocked with one another in a way that would reduce the number of fastening means needed and in a way that would enable the fastening means to be hidden from view. The needed pool enclosure would enhance the appearance of the finest homes and add significant value thereto, rather than detract therefrom as is the case with the systems known prior to this disclosure. 
     However, at the time the present invention was made, the need for aesthetics was not apparent to the pool enclosure industry, nor was there anything in the art that would have suggested to workers of ordinary skill in the art how a beautiful pool enclosure could be built. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The long-standing but heretofore unrecognized and unfulfilled need for an aesthetically-pleasing modular pool enclosure system having posts and beams and other miscellaneous parts that interlock with one another with a minimum of fastening members and which includes means for hiding such fastening members is now met. 
     The novel pool enclosure includes a plurality of extrusion members for providing posts and beams that collectively form a pool enclosure when assembled; each of the extrusion members has at least a first wall with an attachment means formed thereon along a predetermined extent thereof. 
     A plurality of aesthetic cover members of differing constructions are adapted for snap-fit engagement with the attachment means and serve to conceal the attachment means to which they are engaged. Each aesthetic cover member of the plurality of cover members has a first side adapted to snap-fittingly engage an associated attachment means and a second side provides an aesthetic cover. 
     The plurality of aesthetic cover members includes a pair of confronting cover members especially designed for engaging the edge of a screen in a highly aesthetic way. Specifically, each member of the pair has a first side adapted to snap-fittingly engage an associated attachment means of a post or beam and a second side providing an aesthetic cover that conceals the screen-engaging means. In this way, the attachment means between adjoining posts and beams and the screen-engaging means for all screen edges are concealed from view when the pool enclosure is fully assembled. 
     More particularly, each cover member of the pair of confronting cover members has an outboard end and an inboard end, and the respective inboard ends of the confronting cover members includes screen-engaging means for engaging an edge of a screen. 
     An aesthetic top cover member has a first side adapted to snap-fittingly engage the attachment means of a sloped or level roof beam along a predetermined extent thereof. It also has an aesthetic second side including a uniquely positioned screen-engaging means for engaging an edge of a screen that forms a part of a roof of the pool enclosure. The screen-engaging means of the top cover member is positioned adjacent an edge of the aesthetic first side of the top cover member and the second side of the top cover member is snap-fittingly engaged only to beams that form a part of a roof of the pool enclosure. The edge-mounting of the screen-engaging means positions a screen in substantially flush relation to the beams that form a part of the roof so that debris atop the roof is not retained by the top cover member. 
     The attachment means has two primary structural types, each designed to snap-fittingly engage the other. In the first type of attachment means, there are two pairs of inwardly turned flanges and in the second type of attachment means, there are two pairs of outwardly turned flanges. Each pair of inwardly turned flanges creates a pair of overhangs which respectively receive a mating pair of outwardly turned flanges that occupy the respective overhang areas and which are locked therewithin when an extrusion member having an attachment means of the first type is snap-fittingly engaged to an extrusion member having an attachment means of the second type. 
     The invention further includes a novel screen door construction and numerous other unique features that will be introduced in the detailed description that follows. 
     It is the primary object of this invention to revolutionize the pool enclosure industry by providing the first modular pool enclosure system having a revolutionary degree of aesthetic appeal. 
     A more specific object is to provide a pool enclosure system where all utilitarian fastening members are hidden from view and covered by aesthetically-appealing cover members. 
     A still more specific object is to provide screen-engaging means that conceal from view the rubber strips required to retain screen edges in place. 
     Another specific object is to provide screen-engaging means, used in the roof part of a pool enclosure, that do not trap debris such as leaves atop said roof part. 
     Another major object is to provide a modular pool enclosure system where the majority of the parts are snap-fittingly engaged to one another, making the structure very easy to assemble. 
     Another important object is to provide a pool enclosure system that is highly versatile so that it can be erected in almost unlimited environments. 
     These and other important objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as this description proceeds. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a full mansard pool enclosure; 
     FIG. 2 is an end view of an elongate aluminum extrusion that functions as a beam or column or miscellaneous part of the novel construction; 
     FIG. 3 is an end view of a novel connecting bracket; 
     FIG. 4 is an end view of an open-back beam or column; 
     FIG. 5A is an end view of a pair of confronting rounded clips having a flat spline; 
     FIG. 5B is an end view of a pair of confronting tapered clips having a flat spline; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of a top snap clip having a flat spline; 
     FIG. 7 is an end view of a thirty degree purlin splice; 
     FIG. 8 is an end view of a doorjamb; 
     FIG. 9 is an end view of a bottom door sweep; 
     FIG. 10 is an end view of a flat connector; 
     FIG. 11 is an end view of a flat adapter; 
     FIG. 12 is an end view of a square corner post; 
     FIG. 13 is an end view of a sixty degree corner connector; 
     FIG. 14 is an end view of a round snap trim; 
     FIG. 15 is an end view of a side connecting beam; 
     FIG. 16 is an end view of a splice extrusion beam; 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a gutter turn-in and turn-out connection assembly; 
     FIG. 18A is a plan view of a first bracket for a square corner connection; 
     FIG. 18B is a plan view of a second bracket for a square corner connection; 
     FIG. 19A is an end view of a first sixty degree corner connector; 
     FIG. 19B is an end view of a second sixty degree corner connector; 
     FIG. 20 is an end view of an assembly of the parts depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3; 
     FIG. 21 is an end view of an assembly of the parts depicted in FIGS. 3 and 13 and including a phantom view of the parts depicted in FIGS. 5A and 6; 
     FIG. 22 is an end view of an assembly of the parts depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5A; 
     FIG. 23 is an end view of an assembly of the parts depicted in FIGS. 5A and 12; 
     FIG. 24 is an end view of an assembly of the parts depicted in FIGS. 2 and 5A; 
     FIG. 25 is an end view of an assembly of the parts depicted in FIGS. 3 and 12 and including a phantom view of the parts depicted in FIG. 5A; 
     FIG. 26 is an elevational view of a screen door construction that forms a part of the novel pool enclosure; 
     FIG. 27 is a sectional view taken along line  27 — 27  in FIG. 26, and depicts an assembly of parts disclosed in FIGS. 2,  5 A and  8 ; 
     FIG. 28 is a sectional view taken along line  28 — 28  in FIG. 26, and depicts an assembly of parts disclosed in FIGS. 2,  5 A and  9 ; 
     FIG. 29 is a side elevational, broken view of a part of the novel pool enclosure, and includes end views of a base assembly, a chair rail assembly, an assembly that interconnects an outer wall and the roof of the enclosure, and a roof beam assembly; 
     FIG. 29A is a side elevational view of a box beam splice extrusion used to interconnect adjoining parts depicted in FIG. 29; 
     FIG. 30 is a side elevational, broken view of a part of the novel pool enclosure similar to that of FIG. 29, but depicting an alternate roof beam assembly; 
     FIG. 31 is a side elevational view depicting a first means for connecting the novel assembly to a gutter; 
     FIG. 32 is a side elevational view depicting a second means for connecting the novel assembly to a pool gutter; 
     FIG. 33A is a perspective view of the corner connectors of FIG. 13 having forty five degree miter cuts in their respective mating ends; 
     FIG. 33B is an exploded perspective view of a casting for capping the square corner post of FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 33C is a plan view of the casting of FIG. 33B, including the parts of FIG. 5A in phantom lines; and 
     FIG. 34 is an exploded perspective view depicting a lower corner of the novel pool enclosure assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that an illustrative embodiment of the invention is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral  10 . 
     Pool enclosure  10  is built atop a flat concrete slab  12 . One or more sides thereof may be attached to an existing structure, not shown. Enclosure  10  can also stand freely without attachment to another structure. 
     The enclosure style depicted in FIG. 1, including horizontal as well as sloped roof sections, is known in the industry as a full mansard enclosure. 
     The extruded, modular parts used in the novel pool enclosure will be described. How the parts are interconnected to one another will then be described. 
     Extrusion member  26 , depicted in FIG. 2, is an elongate, hollow, generally parallelepiped member having flat side walls and top and bottom walls with attachment means formed therein. More particularly, the attachment means includes two pairs of parallel, inwardly turned, longitudinally-extending flanges, collectively denoted  26   a.  Each pair of inwardly turned flanges defines a pair of overhangs. 
     Connecting member  18 , depicted in FIG. 3, includes a pair of flat side walls, each of which has an inwardly-turned bend formed therein so that the respective free or distal ends of said side walls are disposed in closer proximity to one another than the respective proximal ends thereof. Screw-receiving sleeves  19   a,    19   b  are formed in each of said free ends. 
     The attachment means of connecting bracket  18  includes two pairs of parallel, outwardly turned, longitudinally-extending flanges, collectively denoted  18   a.    
     FIG. 20 indicates how flanges  18   a  of connecting member  18  interlock with flanges  26   a  of extrusion member  26 . Flanges  18   a  are respectively received within the overhangs defined by flanges  26   a  and such reception tightly secures parts  18  and  26  to one another. The fastener members denoted  25  in FIG. 20 further enhance the union between such parts. 
     Open-back beam  14  of FIG. 4 includes a pair of flat side walls and a pair of inwardly turned flanges  14   b  that overlie a support surface when pool enclosure  10  is constructed; flanges  14   b  are secured to the support surface by conventional means. Open-back beam  14  further includes base wall having two pairs of inwardly turned flanges  14   a  formed therein; said flanges have the same construction and function as flanges  26   a  of extrusion member  26 . 
     A pair of confronting, rounded clips  22 ,  22  are depicted in side elevation in FIG. 5A and a pair of confronting, tapered clips, also denoted  22 ,  22 , are depicted in FIG.  5 B. Each of the clips is depicted as having a cavity at its inboard end for the reception of a flat spline of the type for holding a screen edge; each cavity could also be round to accommodate a round spline. 
     Each of said clips  22  includes a pair of truncate outwardly-turned flanges, collectively denoted  22   a,  that snap-fittingly engage inwardly-turned flanges such as flanges  26   a  of extrusion member  26 , flanges  14   a  of open-back beam  14 , and similar flanges on other parts of the novel pool enclosure. Note the barbs at the respective distal free ends of said outwardly-turned flanges  22   a.  Said barbs permit snap-fit engagement of clips  22  to their respective posts or beams while preventing facile removal thereof. 
     The choice as to whether to use the clips of FIGS. 5A or  5 B in any particular application is a matter of aesthetics since both clips perform the same functions. The functions are to aesthetically cover flanges such as  26   a  (FIG. 2) or flanges  14   a  (FIG. 4) and other such flanges while providing a means for engaging the edge of a screen in a way that hides the rubber spline that overlies a screen edge and holds it into position. Moreover, as is clear from FIGS. 5A and 5B, the screen emerges from the center of the pair of clip members, further enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the structure of which the clips form a part. FIGS. 5A,  5 B,  6 , and  21 - 24  also disclose that the screen-engaging means, including a spline  27  positioned within an elongate cavity  31  where the spline overlies the edge of a screen in a well-known manner, is structurally independent of the flange means for attaching each aesthetic cover member to its associated extrusion member. In the embodiments of FIGS. 5A,  5 B, and  22 - 24 , the screen-engaging means is positioned between the aesthetic side of the cover member and the attachment means. The same observation is essentially true for the embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 21, for example, because the screen-engaging function and the attachment function are clearly structurally independent of one another. It could also be said that the screen-engaging means of such embodiments is also positioned between the aesthetic cover side of the aesthetic cover member and the attachment means because the screen-engaging means is recessed with respect to said aesthetic cover side and is thus between said aesthetic cover side and said attachment means. 
     FIG. 6 depicts in end view an elongate top snap member  30  having an arcuate top wall, a cavity  31  for accommodating a flat spline, and a pair of outwardly-turned truncate flanges  30   a,    30   a.  Snap member  30  performs a function much like that of clips  22 ,  22  (FIGS. 5A and 5B) but a single snap member  30  provides an aesthetic cover means. For example, see FIG. 21 where flanges  30   a,    30   a  are in snap-fit engagement with a pair of attachment means  28   b,    28   b.    
     The box-like member of FIG. 7 is a thirty degree purlin splice member  33 . It has a plurality of longitudinally-extending screw-receiving sleeves, collectively denoted  33   a,  formed on respective inboard sides of its flat side walls. 
     Door jamb member  54  having an attachment means in the form of outwardly turned truncate flanges  54   a,    54   a  forms a part of the novel screen door assembly. Bottom door sweep  55  (FIG. 9) having outwardly turned truncate flanges collectively denoted  55   a  forms another part of said screen door assembly. 
     Flat connector  15 , depicted in FIG. 10, includes two pairs of inwardly turned parallel flanges  15   a.  It is essentially an attachment means such as provided as a part of extrusion members  14 ,  26 , and the like. 
     Flat adapter  17  of FIG. 11 includes a pair of outwardly turned, truncate flanges  17   a,    17   a  that serve as the attachment means for that part. 
     FIG. 12 depicts a square corner post  20  having pairs of inwardly-turned attachment means  20   a.    
     FIG. 13 depicts an angled corner post  28  having pairs of inwardly-turned attachment means  28   a.    
     Round snap trim member  32  having attachment means  32   a  is depicted in FIG.  14 . See FIG. 30 for an example of one of its usages. It is provided for aesthetic purposes only in that it performs no screen-engaging function. 
     Side connecting beam  42  is depicted in FIG.  15 . Attachment means  42   a  are formed in its bottom wall and attachment means  42   b,    42   b  are formed in each of its side walls near respective uppermost ends thereof, and no attachment means are formed in top wall  42   c  thereof. FIG. 30 provides a good view of this beam in use. 
     Beam splice extrusion  44  of parallelepiped construction is depicted in FIG. 16 and a variant form thereof is depicted in FIG.  29 A. As its name implies, it is inserted within abutting ends of a pair of hollow extrusions to help interconnect them in an end-to-end abutment situation. The bent form of the beam splice extrusion, depicted in FIG. 29A, is employed when the two hollow extrusions are meeting at an angle. 
     Having considered the various extrusions individually, there use in the aesthetic pool enclosure of FIG. 1 will now be described. 
     As perhaps best understood by considering FIG. 1 with FIGS. 4,  29  and  34 , open-back beam  14  is secured in overlying relation to concrete slab  12  by a plurality of suitable fastening members, collectively denoted  16  in FIG.  34 . Connecting bracket  18  (FIG. 3) closes each opposite end of open-back beam  14 . Specifically, fastener-engaging sleeves  19   a,    19   b  are inserted into the hollow interior of said open-back beam  14  and outwardly turned attachment means  18   a  are positioned flush with their respective open ends; fasteners  16   a  (FIG. 34) engage sleeves  19   a,    19   b  to hold the assembly together. 
     Square corner post  20  (FIG. 12) having two sides equipped with interlocking means  20   a  is then interlockingly engaged to connecting bracket  18  in the manner depicted in FIG.  25 . 
     It should be understood, however, that the sequence of construction just described herein is not critical and that the construction steps may follow many different routes. For example, corner beam  20  and connecting bracket  18  can be assembled to one another first, with connection of open-back beam  14  occurring thereafter, and so on. 
     Advantageously, open back beam  14  is not just used in a horizontal configuration where it overlies concrete slab  12 ; it is also used in upstanding configuration as a post means. More particularly, as depicted at the left end of FIG. 1, an upstanding open-back beam  14  is anchored by suitable means to an existing wall of the structure to which pool enclosure  10  is attached. The interconnecting means  18   a  of a connecting bracket  18  engages interconnecting means  14   a  of said open-back beam  14  to provide a secure interconnection. The interconnection, like all other interconnections in the novel structure, includes a snap-fit. 
     In some applications, flat connector  14   b  (FIG. 10) replaces open-back beam  14 . Note that said flat connector  14   b  is formed by eliminating the side walls of said open-back beam  14 , retaining only the part thereof that carries attachment means  14   a.    
     As perhaps best understood in connection with FIGS. 1,  5 , and  22 , a pair of confronting rounded clips, collectively denoted  22 , are snap-fittingly interconnected to open-back beam  14  to aesthetically cover interconnecting means  14   a;  such interconnection also covers the interconnecting means  22   a  of said clips  22 . Just as importantly, as indicated in FIG. 22, said confronting clips  22  tightly engage a screen  23  therebetween when a conventional rubber or synthetic rubber spline is inserted in the respective spline-holding cavities formed therein. The cavities are not numbered to avoid cluttering the drawings but those of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to install screen  23  in view of this disclosure. The splines may be of the flat type as depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B or of the round type, not depicted. 
     A horizontal chair rail  24  (FIG. 1) is positioned above the open-back beam  14  that overlies concrete slab  12 , in spaced-apart relation thereto. Extrusion  26  (FIGS. 1 and 2) having interconnecting means  26   a,    26   a  at its opposite ends and a confronting pair of rounded clips  22  which are interlocked to said extrusion  26  at its upper and lower sides in the manner indicated in FIG. 24 collectively form said chair rail. Rounded clips  22  on the lower side of extrusion  26  engage between them screen  23  extending upwardly from base open-back beam  14 . The rounded clips  22  on the upper side thereof engage the lower end of a screen section  23   a  that extends upwardly therefrom as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 24. 
     As best understood in connection with FIGS. 1 and 21, the uppermost edge of vertical screen  23   a  that extends upwardly from chair rail  24  is engaged by another pair of confronting rounded clips  22 . More particularly, interconnecting means  22   a  of said rounded clips  22  engage interconnecting means  28   a  of corner connector  28  (FIGS.  13  and  21 ). Connecting brackets  18  also interlock with corner connector  28  at those locations along the downwardly facing extent of corner connector  28  where an upstanding post intersects with said corner connector and at those locations where a roof beam interconnects with said corner connector. 
     The mounting of a vertically-extending screen midway between a pair of confronting, rounded clips  22 ,  22  presents an aesthetic appearance because said clips  22 ,  22  conceal the various interconnecting and fastening means of this invention. However, such a mounting for a screen in the roof section of the pool enclosure could cause leaves or other debris to accumulate on the roof of the enclosure. 
     Accordingly, the inventive structure includes a top snap member  30  having interconnecting means  30   a  and a flat spline cavity  31  at a first end thereof (FIGS.  6  and  21 ). As best understood in connection with FIG. 21, a roof screen  23   b  having its lowermost edge retained in cavity  31  by a flat spline (or round spline if rounded clip  22  having a round spline is used) is positioned nearly flush with the uppermost point of corner connector  28 . This minimizes the amount of debris that could collect between the screen and said uppermost point. In FIG. 21, said uppermost point is denoted  28   b.    
     In a preferred embodiment, included angle  28   c  (FIG. 21) is sixty degrees; this provides a thirty degree slope to screen  23   b  as should be clear from FIGS. 1,  21  and  30 . 
     As best understood in connection with FIGS. 1,  15  and  30 , the primary weight bearing roof beams are provided by side connecting beams  42 . As indicated in FIG. 15, each side connecting beam  42  has a flat top wall  42   c,  a bottom wall having attachment means  42   a  formed therein, and opposed sidewalls having attachment means  42   b,    42   b  formed therein along a preselected extent thereof near said top wall. Rounded top snap members  30  (FIG. 6) having attachment means  30   a  are snap fittingly engaged to attachment means  42   b.  This aesthetically conceals attachment means  42   b  as well as attachment means  30   a  of each rounded top snap member  30 . Round snap trim  30  (FIG. 14) having attachment means  32   a,    32   a,  is snap-fittingly engaged to attachment means  42   a  of said side connecting beam  42  for aesthetic purposes as well. 
     Similarly, as best understood in connection with FIGS. 1,  6  and  29 , roof beams  40   a  and  40   b  are formed by covering attachment means  26   a  of extrusion  26  (FIG. 2) by rounded top snap members  30 . 
     FIG. 29A depicts a splice member  44  having a first part  44   a  and a second part  44   b.  First part  44   a  is slidingly received within the uppermost open end of sloped extrusion  40   a  and second part  44   b  is slidingly received in the open end of horizontal extrusion  40   b.  Splice member  44  is hollow, having a box-like construction; it performs the function of aligning said sloped and horizontal extrusions with one another and strengthening the joint thereby made. 
     As indicated in FIGS. 15 and 30, attachment means  42   b  of side connecting beam  42  snap-fittingly engages attachment means  18   a  of connecting bracket  18  as best depicted in FIG. 30 to facilitate attachment of horizontal roof beams  40   b  thereto. The snap fit engagement of attachment means  42   b  and attachment means  30   a  of top snap member  30  (FIG. 6) is in the linear areas apart from the junctures of sloped beams  40   a  and horizontal beams  40   b.    
     FIG. 23 indicates how confronting rounded clips  22  having flat splines (FIG. 5A) are secured by snap fit to a corner post  20 , and FIG. 24, as already mentioned, depicts said rounded clips  22  when snap fit to extrusion  26  of FIG.  2 . Rounded clips having rounded splines (not shown) and tapered clips having flat splines (FIG. 5B) or rounded splines (not shown) may also be used, depending upon the preference of the customer. 
     FIG. 25, as also mentioned earlier, depicts the interconnection of corner post  20 , connecting brackets  18  and confronting rounded clips  22 . 
     FIG. 26 depicts a screen door  50  having self-biased hinges  52  that eliminate the need for a conventional hinge mechanism of the type including an unsightly air cylinder and a piston slideably connected thereto. Advantageously, the frame of door  50  is extra sturdy, being built, as indicated in FIG. 27, by confronting extrusion members  26 ,  26  having their respective outboard sides aesthetically covered by screen-engaging confronting rounded clips  22  and having their confronting attachment means  26   a,    26   a  in snap-fit engagement with doorjamb members  54  (FIG. 8) having attachment means  54   a.  Felt strips  54   b  are held by said respective door jams and quieten the operation of the door. 
     The bottom door sweep is also exceptionally sturdy, being built of extrusion  26  (FIG.  2 ), confronting rounded clips  22  and bottom door sweep member  56  having attachment means  56   a,    56   a  (FIGS. 8 and 26 and  28 ). 
     FIGS. 17,  18 A,  18 B,  19 A,  19 B,  31  and  32  show how the novel structure is fastened to a gutter means of an existing structure and how various right and left turns are structured so that the novel pool enclosure can be adapted for use in a wide variety of differing environments. 
     In the example of FIGS. 17 and 31, a gutter support  60  is positioned inside pool gutter  61  and the gutter and support are fastened by fastening members  62 , only one of which is shown, to a pre-existing fascia  63 . Additional fastening members  62   a  secure sixty degree corner connector  28  (FIG. 13) to gutter  60  and gutter support  61 . Round snap trim  32  (FIG. 14) snap-fittingly engages the bottom surface of corner connector  28  for aesthetic purposes. Top snap  30  engages the angled surface of said corner connector so that screen  23   b  is positioned in substantially flush relation to sloped beams  40  or  42 , and connecting bracket  18  serves as the interconnecting means for sloped beam  40  or  42  and said angled surface of corner connector  28 . 
     In the alternative construction of FIG. 32, corner post  20  (FIG. 12) is secured to gutter  61  by fastening means  62   a  and round snap trim member  32  (FIG. 14) is snap-fittingly engaged to and overlies an exposed surface thereof for aesthetic purposes. Screen-retaining top snap member  30  (FIG. 6) snap fittingly engages the other attachment-means-carrying surface of corner post  20 , and connecting bracket  18  is used to interconnect said corner post  20  and extrusion  26  (FIG.  2 ). A box beam splice such as member  44  (FIG. 29A) interconnects extrusions  26  and  42  so that the latter is sloped at a thirty degree angle or so, relative to horizontal. 
     As best understood in connection with FIG. 17, provision has been made to adapt the above-described gutter connections to applications where one or more left or right (inside or outside) turns are needed. Box-shaped castings  70  (FIG. 18A) or  72  (FIG. 18B) have openings  70   a  and  72   a  respectively formed therein. They are slide-fittingly installed in abutting ends of corner posts  20  to strengthen such joints. Corner posts  20  are horizontally disposed as indicated in FIGS. 17 and 31 when used to connect the novel pool enclosure assembly to gutter means  61 . Generally “T” shaped castings  74  (FIG. 19A) or  76  (FIG. 19B) are slide-fittingly installed in abutting ends of corner connectors  28 . The casting used depends upon whether the turn is an inside or an outside turn. 
     A casting  80  used for joining together abutting corner connectors  28  at a vertical corner post  20  is depicted in FIG. 33B, which Fig. is best understood when considered in connection with FIGS. 33A and 33C. Casting  80  is slideably inserted into the uppermost end of upstanding corner post  20  and mitered corner connectors  28 ,  28  abut one another in overlying relation to said casting  80 . The “T”-shaped castings  74 ,  76  of FIGS. 19A,  19 B are selectively slideably received within said corner connectors, the particular casting selected depending upon the direction of the turn. 
     The finished assembly, unlike all prior art pool enclosures, has no visible fastening members, rubber splines, door-closing assemblies, and the like. The enclosure has the smooth appearance of a molded product, complete with rounded or tapered covers for the posts, beams, and other miscellaneous parts. No leaves or other debris are trapped atop the horizontal or sloped sections of the screen due to the flush mounting of the screen made possible by top snap member  30  (FIG.  6 ). Assembly is easy, due to the snap-fit attachment between the sundry parts. The modular nature of the structure and the ease of cutting aluminum parts to length enables contractors to build the enclosure quickly and hence economically. 
     The striking beauty of the novel enclosure greatly enhances the value of the house to which it is connected. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing descrption, are efficiently attained. Since certain changes may be made in the foregoing construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing construction or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 
     Now that the invention has been described,