Abstract:
A swimming pool suitable for either in-ground or above-ground installations utilizes a multi-tiered modular sidewall configuration, a peninsular console and eductor jets to achieve greater recreational utility within a compact footprint.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to in-ground and above-ground swimming pools of the type utilizing a flexible liner, or other non-corrosive sealant, and having a pool perimeter defined by modular sidewalls comprising a number of interconnected panels. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many swimming pools, particularly private residential pools, use a flexible liner for containing the water. The liner is typically suspended from sidewalls which define the pool&#39;s perimeter. Along the floor of the pool, the liner typically rests on a layer of compacted sand or vermiculite or on a slab of concrete. Alternately, the sidewalls can be sealed and covered with non-corrosive paint or other surface protectors. 
         [0003]    The sidewalls of the pool must be designed with sufficient strength and durability to withstand the outward force generated by a great volume of water when the pool is filled, as well as the inward and downward force of surrounding soil and/or decking when the pool is empty. For strength and durability, one preferred material for pool sidewalls is galvanized steel of an appropriate thickness gauge. 
         [0004]    To facilitate on-site installation, particularly in the case of “backyard” pools, the sidewalls are typically composed of pre-fabricated modules that are in the form of rectangular panels. The rectangular panels are typically oriented with the longer sides being horizontal and the shorter sides being vertical. Such panels are usually formed from rectangular steel sheets with flanges extending from the vertical sides thereof. The flanges are folded over at right angles, such that when the panels are arranged in series adjacent to one another, the flanges are flush with one another. The flanges thus provide contact surfaces whereby adjacent panels may be fastened to one another to form a continuous sidewall structure around the pool perimeter. 
         [0005]    In existing pool designs, a single sidewall panel extends from above the waterline to the floor of the pool. In other words, a single tier of serially-connected panels defines the pool perimeter. This configuration gives rise to several problems. With increasing depth of the panel&#39;s vertical dimension, there is a corresponding increase in outward water pressure tending to bend or bow out the mid-section and flanges of each panel and also tending to force adjacent panels apart. To reduce the deflection of the panels under this pressure, it is necessary to increase the thickness gauge of the steel, thereby adding to the material cost and making the panels more cumbersome and difficult to transport, handle and install. The bending and shearing forces between adjacent panels also can cause failure of bolt fasteners used to connect adjacent panels. Since the shearing and bending stresses increase with the length of the fastener, this problem is magnified when panels must be connected at acute or obtuse angles to achieve a curved or contoured pool perimeter. 
         [0006]    The prior art has dealt with the problem of bending stress on single-layer pool sidewalls in two basic ways. One approach has been to incorporate reinforcing ribs into the panels. Examples of this approach can be seen in Lankheet, U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,782 (FIG. 2, ref. #19; col. 2, ln. 49-55), Zikmanis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,304 (FIG. 2, ref. #18; FIG. 7, ref. #46; col. 3, ln 40; col. 4, ln. 16), and Frei, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,004 (FIGS. 1 and 2, ref. #58; col. 2, ln. 48-49). 
         [0007]    The introduction of reinforcing ribs presents its own set of problems, however. There is still the requirement of additional steel, which adds to the cost and bulk of the panels. There is also the problem of attaching the ribs to the panel. This is typically done by welding, which degrades the galvanized coating of the steel and thus makes it more susceptible to corrosion. Since such reinforcing ribs are attached to the back of the panel, which is in direct contact with soil and groundwater for in-ground installations, the effect is to cut short the useful life of the panel and require frequent and expensive maintenance. 
         [0008]    Another way to deal with bending stress is to buttress the panels with vertical and/or diagonal support structures embedded or anchored in the ground or concrete footing outside the pool perimeter. Examples of this technique are disclosed in Laven, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,199 (FIG. 2, ref. #42, 44; col. 5, ln. 10-16), Kantor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,555 (FIG. 5, ref. #24, 26; col. 3, ln. 7-9), Maupas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,715 (FIG. 7, ref. #20; col. 4, ln. 64-67), and Vila Corts, U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,125 (FIG. 1, ref. #12-15; col. 2, ln. 19-22). 
         [0009]    The installation of such buttressing structures outside the pool perimeter brings with it some major disadvantages. Obviously, there is the added material and installation costs associated with these structures themselves. For in-ground pools, the area of excavation is substantially expanded, thereby involving greater expense for the pool owner. Moreover, the footprint required for the pool installation, whether in-ground or above-ground, is expanded to encompass the buttresses outside the pool perimeter. This presents particular problems for pool installations in small or constrained backyards or indoors where space is limited. Differential settling problems can also arise from the need to excavate and then backfill the area around buttresses or vertical supports. When the pool is surrounded by a deck, as is often the case, the backfilled area must support the deck, so that settling will cause damage to the deck and/or separation of the deck from the pool. 
         [0010]    The prior art pool designs are also deficient insofar as they fail to disclose a modular panel pool enclosure that is adaptable to both in-ground and above-ground installations. Also lacking in the prior art is a modular swimming pool design that achieves a compact footprint that will fit in small or constrained backyards or indoors without sacrificing the pool&#39;s recreational utility. Consequently, the prior art leaves an unaddressed need for a modular swimming pool design applicable to above-ground and in-ground, or partial in-ground, installations, with a compact footprint and recreational utility comparable to larger pools. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention has been designed to address the aforesaid need in three ways. First, instead of the single-tiered panel configurations found in the prior art, the present invention utilizes multiple tiers of serially-connected panels. By reducing the vertical dimension of each panel exposed to the water pressure, mid-panel deflection is curbed without the need for either reinforcing ribs within the panel or external buttressing. In fact, the strength of this multi-tiered modular panel sidewall design is sufficient to support a water-filled liner entirely or partially above the ground—that is, without the additional side support provided by the soil around an excavated pool enclosure. 
         [0012]    Second, the preferred embodiment of the present invention features a peninsular console projecting from one of the sidewalls into the pool enclosure and extending above the waterline. The peninsular console can be located adjacent to or between steps at the entry side of the pool. This peninsular console provides an area for swimmers to relax and dry off without expanding the overall footprint, as with a conventional deck. The interior of the peninsular console provides a convenient area to locate the pool&#39;s mechanical equipment, which otherwise must be installed outside the pool perimeter. In this configuration, pumps, filters, skimmers, waterfalls, jets, lights and/or heaters can be accommodated within the peninsular console, once again reducing the overall footprint of the installation. Locating the skimmers within the peninsular console also eliminates the protrusion of skimmers in above-ground installations. 
         [0013]    Third, the present invention in its preferred embodiment uses one or more venturi-based eductor jets that provide a water stream within the pool to enable someone to swim in place against the current and/or enjoy the jets&#39; massaging effect. This feature allows a smaller pool to offer the recreational utility of a much larger pool in terms of continuous swimming time and distance. These eductor jets, which have heretofore had industrial applications, are superior to conventional pool jets insofar as they can move greater volumes of water with less power input. Thus, this feature cuts pool operating costs and conserves energy. 
         [0014]    Accordingly, the present invention achieves the following advantages and beneficial objectives:
       Elimination of excessive mid-section panel deflection through a multi-tiered panel configuration that obviates internal or external panel reinforcing;   Enabling the use of thinner, lighter gauge steel in panel fabrication, with attendant savings in material and installation cost;   Offering a modular pool design that can be readily applied to either above-ground, in-ground, or partial in-ground installations;   Reduction of the pool installation footprint by eliminating the need for reinforcing structures beyond the pool perimeter;   Greater durability, longer useful life and reduced maintenance expense by avoiding the need for welding to reinforce and/or connect the galvanizes steel panels;   Providing the option of a peninsular console, within which mechanical equipment, such as pumps, filters, heaters, waterfall, jets, lights and/or skimmers, can be installed, thereby further reducing the overall pool footprint;   Providing the option of flow-generating eductor jets, thereby enabling extended periods of continuous swimming and/or massage within a compact pool enclosure.       
 
         [0022]    The foregoing and other beneficial objectives and advantages of the present invention are realized in a specific, illustrative embodiment thereof presented herein below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a modular swimming pool with a peninsular console and steps illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a sectional front elevation view of the modular swimming pool of  FIG. 1  taken along line  2 - 2 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation view swimming pool side wall panels assembled in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4A  is a side elevation view of a pool sidewall panel of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4B  is a front elevation view of a pool sidewall panel of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5A  is a rear elevation view of the sidewall panel of  FIG. 4B ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 5B  is a side elevation view of the sidewall panel of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the sidewall panel of  FIGS. 4B and 5A ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 7A  is a rear elevation view of sidewall panels of  FIGS. 4A-6 , assembled in accordance with the “stacked-and-staggered” configuration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 7B  is a side elevation view of sidewall panels of  FIGS. 4A-6 , assembled in accordance with the “stacked-and-staggered” configuration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0033]      FIG. 8  is a side cross-sectional view of the peninsular console and entry steps in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, with view of eductor jets and mechanical equipment; 
           [0034]      FIG. 9  is a front elevation view of the peninsular console in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0035]      FIG. 10  is a side cross-sectional view of an eductor jet. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention  10  comprises a series of sidewalls  11  that define a pool enclosure  12 . The sidewalls  11 , in turn, comprise a number of panels  23 . While a rectangular pool enclosure  12  is depicted in  FIG. 1 , virtually any shape of pool enclosure  12  can be produced by varying the radius of curvature of the constituent panels  23 . The sidewalls  11  support a flexible liner  13 , which envelopes the pool enclosure  12 . 
         [0037]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention  10 , a peninsular console  14  projects from one the sidewalls  11  into the pool enclosure  12 . The peninsular console  14  preferably has a generally oblong shape, with two long sides  41 , which are perpendicular to the sidewall  11  from which the peninsular console projects, and a front side  42 , which is parallel to the sidewall  11  from which the peninsular console  14  projects. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the peninsular console  14  extends from above the waterline  15  of the pool (when filled) to the floor  16  of the pool. The flat upper surface of the peninsular console  14  forms a platform  17 , on which swimmers can relax, or on which towels, beverages, pool apparel, floats, sunglasses, etc., can be placed for convenient access. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention the peninsular console  14  is surrounded on either of its long sides  41  by steps  18 , on which swimmers may step or sit. While the steps  18  are depicted with a parallel orientation to the front side  42  of the peninsular console  14 , the steps  18  may alternately be oriented perpendicular to the front side  42  of the peninsular console  14 . In one version of the perpendicular configuration, the steps  18  descend from the sidewall  11 , so that a swimmer/bather can sit on the steps  18  facing the peninsular console  14  while, e.g., having a snack or reading a magazine. In another alternative of the perpendicular configuration, the steps  18  descend from the peninsular console  14 , so that a swimmer/bather can more easily access the platform  17  from the pool enclosure  12 . 
         [0039]    The peninsular console  14  and the steps  18  are preferably hollow, so that its interior space can accommodate mechanical equipment  19  appurtenant to the pool, such as one or more pumps, filters, skimmers, waterfalls, jets, lights and/or heaters. In the preferred embodiment, one or more eductor jets  20  are also installed within the peninsular console  14 . Referring to  FIG. 10 , the eductor jets  20  are of the “tank eductor” type, such as one of the TLA model series offered by Northeast Controls Inc. Referring to  FIG. 2 , one or more eductor water outlets  21  and eductor water intakes  22  are located on the front side  42  and/or the long sides  41  of the peninsular console  14  facing the pool enclosure  12 . 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the sidewalls  11  are of a modular design, comprising a number of panels  23  arranged in a configuration consisting of multiple tiers  24 . Each tier  24  comprises a number of panels  23 , which are serially interconnected by bolts  25  or functionally equivalent fasteners. The tiers  24  are laterally connected to adjoining tiers by bolts  25  or functionally equivalent fasteners. 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , each panel  23  comprises a sheet of rigid material, preferably galvanized steel having a front face  26 , which is oriented inward toward the pool enclosure  12 , and a rear face  27 , which is oriented outward away form the pool enclosure  12 . The panel  23  has two lateral flanges  28  extending from its two horizontal sides, two serial flanges  29  extending from its two vertical sides, and four corner flanges  30  extending from its four corners. The lateral flanges  28  are oriented outward in the direction of the rear face  27  in a plane perpendicular to that of the rear face  27 . 
         [0042]    Each of the lateral flanges  28  has a flap  31  extending from the entire length of its distal side. The flap  31  can have either a single-bend or a double-bend configuration. A single-bend flap is disclosed in Frei, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,004 (in which it is designated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by ref. #59). The single-bend flap is bent inward toward the rear face  27  of the panel  23  into a plane perpendicular to that of the lateral flange  28  from which it extends. In the preferred embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 4-7  herein, the flap  31  has a double-bend configuration. In the double-bend configuration, the flap has two right-angle bends, both bending inward toward the rear face  27 , such that the first bend is into a plane perpendicular to that of the lateral flange  28 , and the second bend is into a plane parallel to that of the lateral flange  28 . 
         [0043]    The double-bend flap  31  featured in the preferred embodiment provides an added level of resistance to bending stress, since both bends of the flap  31  must be deformed before the panel  23  can be deflected about its vertical axis. 
         [0044]    Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , the serial flanges  29  are oriented outward in the direction of the rear face  27  in a plane perpendicular that of the rear face  27 . The corner flanges  30  extend perpendicularly from either side of the lateral flanges  28 , so as to be oriented in the same plane as the serial flanges  29 . Conforming diagonal sides of the lateral flanges  28  and the corner flanges  30  conjoin to enclose the corner of the panel  23 . The resulting panel  23  is rectangular box-like structure having one open side, which is oriented outward toward the rear face  27  of the panel  23 . 
         [0045]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 7 , the panels  23  comprising adjoining tiers  24  are assembled in an offset or staggered configuration, such that the junctures of the serial flanges  29  of the panels  23  on one tier  24  are not aligned with the junctures of the serial flanges  29  of the panels  23  on the tiers  24  below and above it. This “stacked and staggered” configuration provides reinforcement against the effect of outward water pressure tending to force the panels  23  apart at their serial junctures. 
         [0046]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , additional pool amenities can optionally be included in connection with the peninsular console  14  and/or the steps  18 . One or more skimmers  32  can be installed in the peninsular console  14  and/or the steps  18 , thereby reducing the overall footprint and obviating skimmer openings in the sidewalls  11  and the liner  13 . Similarly, the peninsular console  14  can accommodate underwater lights  33 —again avoiding structurally undesirable openings in the sidewalls  11  and liner  13 . Other amenities, such as a simulated waterfall (not shown), can be installed within the peninsular console  14  or on the platform  17 . 
         [0047]    In the preferred embodiment, the peninsular console  14  also contains one or more eductor jets  20 . Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the eductor jet  20  is enclosed in an eductor box  40 , into which a pump  19  pumps an inflow  35  of pressurized pool water drawn through an intake  22  from the pool enclosure  12 . The eductor jet  20  accelerates the inflow  35  through a nozzle  36  into a venturi opening  37 , thereby entraining pool water in the eductor box  40 . This results in an outflow  38  from the eductor jet  20  through an outlet  21  into the pool enclosure  12 , which outflow  38  is several times the volume of the inflow  35  to the eductor jet  20 . Consequently, for the same pump pressure and volume, a much greater outflow  38  is achieved. The eductor jet  20  thereby economically and efficiently provides a vigorous current of flowing water within the pool. This feature enables extended periods of continuous swimming and/or passive massage against the current within a compact pool enclosure. Used in conjunction with a variable speed pump and/or a flow control or by-pass valve (not shown), the eductor jet  20  can produce currents of varying strengths to accommodate swimmers having different levels of proficiency, vigor and endurance. 
         [0048]    Another optional feature of the preferred embodiment is a safety cut-off box (not shown), which cuts off the inflow of water to the eductor jets  20  when the eductor intake  22  is obstructed. This feature prevents a child or feeble person from being trapped underwater by the suction force of the intake  22 . 
         [0049]    While this invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, the description is not to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiment, as well other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of this invention.