Abstract:
A base member for receiving the bottom of a wall of an above-ground pool comprising a plurality of rail members each having a first rail portion, a second rail portion and a hinge linking the rail portions, and an indexing device between the rail portions such that the rail portions can be locked in one of a plurality of orientations about the hinge, accommodating one of predetermined perimeters of the wall, whereby the member receives the bottom of the wall along the perimeter.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to water retaining recreational structures, more specifically to a device for supporting the wall of an above-ground swimming pool.  
         [0003]     2. Background Art  
         [0004]     Above-ground swimming pools are usually composed of a flexible wall of sheet metal or appropriately hard plastic sheeting supported by upright posts. A desired pool shape is commonly maintained by a rail member or ledge supporting the top of the wall. The bottom of the wall was traditionally supported by sand, rocks or cement. However, it was recently established that the use of a base member supporting the bottom of the wall reduces the wall deformation brought about by ground unevenness due to freezing and thawing. Because above-ground swimming pools are commonly manufactured in a variety of shapes such as circular, oblong or oval, and of different diameters, manufacturers are usually required to produce a variety of top and base members to accommodate these different sizes.  
         [0005]     Top rail members or ledges that can be adapted to a variety of pool sizes have been developed. Such top rail members are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,122 issued on Jul. 2, 2002 to the assignee of the present application. These rail members are adapted to be pivotally mounted at their ends to the upright posts with a variable angle between adjacent members. This angle variation is achieved through a discrete indexation device with each position being associated with a desired pool diameter. This system allows the manufacturer to produce a single top rail member that can be used for all the pool sizes and shapes offered. However, these top rail members require specially manufactured upright posts for their assembly.  
         [0006]     Other types of top rail members allow for an orientation variation between adjacent members, such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,132 issued on Apr. 1, 1975 to Mendelow et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,807 issued on Aug. 3, 1993 to Aymes. These top rail members are composed of sections pivotally connected to one another in order to be able to vary the angle between each section. However, since the aim of these inventions was to facilitate installation rather than provide a plurality of possible pool sizes, the possible orientation variation is continuous, imprecise and limited.  
         [0007]     A number of base member types have been suggested, such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,408 issued on Oct. 25, 1966 to Gershman, and by U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,940 issued on Nov. 30, 1999 to Fortier. However, these base members are rigid, requiring a different set of base members for each desired pool size or shape.  
         [0008]     Accordingly, there is a need for a base member for pool walls that can be adapted to a variety of pool sizes and designs.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a base member for receiving an above-ground water retaining pool wall that can be adapted to a variety of selected pool sizes or shapes.  
         [0010]     It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a base member that can be used with a variety of above-ground pool structure designs.  
         [0011]     It is another aim of the present invention to provide a base member that is easily adjustable at a desired angle.  
         [0012]     It is another aim of the present invention to provide a base member that is easily installed.  
         [0013]     It is yet another aim of the present invention to provide a method for receiving an above-ground water pool wall using a member adapted for a plurality of perimeters.  
         [0014]     In accordance with the present invention a base member for receiving the bottom of a wall of an above-ground water retaining recreational structure is provided comprising a plurality of elongated rail members each having first and second ends and a hinge intermediate the first and second ends defining at least first and second rail member portions, and an indexation device between the elongated rail member portions associated with the hinge member such that the first and second rail member portions can be locked in one of a plurality of orientations about the hinge, in order to accommodate at least one of a plurality of differently curved and straight portions of the wall.  
         [0015]     There is also provided a method for receiving a wall of an above-ground water retaining recreational structure using a plurality of members adapted for a plurality of perimeters comprising the steps of: 
        a. angularly orienting a pair of hingedly connected rail members;     b. locking the rail portions of each member in the selected relative orientation;     c. fixing the members to form a desired perimeter;     d. receiving the bottom of the wall along the perimeter in the fixed base members.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective schematic view of an above-ground pool assembly equipped with a base member according to the invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a base member according to the invention; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the base member of the invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a detail of a pin used in the indexing device. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a base member  10  is shown in a pool assembly  12 . The base member  10  receives the bottom edge of a pool wall  14 , usually made of sheet metal or relatively hard plastic sheeting, in order to form the desired perimeter of the pool. A plurality of upright posts  16  support the pool wall  14 . A coping or ledge  17  is fixed on the posts  16  and retains the upper edge of a watertight liner  18  designed to contain water.  
         [0026]     A preferred embodiment includes a pair of base members  10   a  and  10   b  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and will now be described. Each base member  10   a  and  10   b  is molded as a hollow shell with a bottom surface appropriate to provide stable contact with the ground. The base member  10   b  is composed of two elongated rail portions  20 , 22  connected end to end by an integral hinge  24 . The rail portions  20 , 22  are arcuate and have a radius equivalent to the radius of the largest circular swimming pool to be produced. A continuous channel  26  is formed longitudinally in the rail portions  20 , 22  in order to receive the pool wall  14  (shown in  FIG. 1 ).  
         [0027]     An integrally molded hinge  24  links the inner ends  20   a , 22   a  of the two rail portions  20 , 22  so as to be able to vary the relative orientation of the rail portions  20 , 22 . An indexing device  28  is made of two cooperating, overlapping projections  29 , 30  extending from respective rail portion ends  20   a , 22   a . A plurality of aperture pairs  32  are formed by corresponding apertures in each of the projections  29 , 30 . Relative movement of the rail portions  20 , 22  about the hinge  24  allow one pair of apertures  32  to be aligned at a time, and each pair  32  is designed so as to bring a specific relative orientation of the rail portions  20 , 22 . This specific orientation is identified by a number  33 , written on the underside (also on the top, not shown) of the indexing device  28  next to one aperture of the corresponding pair  32 , representing the pool diameter produced with an assembly of base members  10   a , 10   b  locked in that same relative orientation. A pin  34  ( FIG. 4 ) is provided with appropriate dimensions to be inserted in an aligned aperture pair  32  in order to lock the rail portions  20 , 22  in their chosen relative orientation.  
         [0028]     Base members  10   a  and  10   b  are meant to be connected together by means of a male coupling member  50  on base member  10   b  which is adapted to be inserted in the female socket  51  on base member  10   a . The ends  52   a  and  52   b  of respective base members  10   a  and  10   b  are meant to be connected to the base plates of adjacent posts  16 .  
         [0029]     Along the channel  26 , clips  36  are provided to frictionally retain the pool wall  12 . These clips  36  are preferably composed of a pair of projections  38  fixed on one side of the channel  26  and a single projection  40  fixed on the other side of the channel  26  in the center of the gap between the pairs of projections  38 . Additional projections  42  can also be placed along the channel  26  in order to maintain the wall  12  in the channel  26 . The channel  26  also includes a plurality of slits  44  to minimize water retention.  
         [0030]     In this preferred embodiment, the overall length of base member  10   a  or  10   b  is 27 inches, and the width indicated at W in  FIG. 2  is 1.5 inches. Rail portion  20  has a length of 8.75 inches and rail portion  22 , a length of 18 inches. Other dimensions are possible, as long as the base member can efficiently retain the bottom of the pool wall  14 .  
         [0031]     For structural purposes, the rail portions  20 , 22  preferably include a plurality of reinforcements  46  on the exterior wall and ribs  48  in a hollow underside as shown in  FIG. 3 . The base members  10   a , 10   b  are preferably each integrally molded from a suitable thermoplastic material. The base members  10   a , 10   b  also have a smooth finish with no sharp corners that can come in contact with the liner  18  in order to minimize the risks of puncture.  
         [0032]     To install a pool using base members  10  according to a selected pool geometry, the rail portions  20 , 22  of each of the members  10  are locked in the appropriate relative orientation. For each member  10   a , 10   b , the apertures of the selected pair  32  are aligned and the pin  34  is inserted in the aperture pair  32  to hold the relative orientation of the rail portions  20 , 22 . The members  10   a , 10   b  are then connected end to end by the male and female connectors  50 , 51 . The ends  52   a , 52   b  are connected to the upright posts  16 . The wall  14  is placed within the posts  16  and the ledge  17  and liner  18  are installed in the manner already known in the art, while the bottom edge of the wall  14  is inserted in the channel  26  during this process.  
         [0033]     It is contemplated that the base member  10  can accommodate a straight pool wall section as well as the curved sections.  
         [0034]     It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described. In particular, the rail portions  20 , 22  and hinge  24  could be fabricated separately and assembled. The base member  10  could also be made from another material, such as sheet metal with an appropriate thickness, provided no sharp corners are present. The rail portions  20 , 22  could also be straight or have another shape as long as this shape is adequate for the purpose described. These variations and others that are apparent to those of skill in the art are intended to be included in the present invention. Each rail base member  10   a , 10   b  could have two hinges  24  and corresponding indexing devices  28 .