Abstract:
A system is provided herein for supporting a lid for a pool cover box that includes (a) an elongated mounting element extending along substantially at least one wall of the pool cover box, and (b) a plurality of bracket assemblies, each adapted for connecting to the mounting element at multiple positions along the mounting element to support the lid.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/637,421 filed on Aug. 8, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,782 and thus claims priority thereto. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to swimming pools, and, more particularly, to a lid support and forming system for pool cover boxes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Swimming pool covers are often used for keeping the water free of trash, to shield the water from sunlight that could degrade protective chemicals in the water and for other purposes. Automatic pool covers are often preferable over manually-operated covers, because the cover can be easily extended when the pool is not in use and retracted during use. In most cases, a pool cover box is located at one end of the pool to hold the cover, motor, winding reel and cable. 
     To enhance the pool appearance, the pool cover box may be set in the decking flush with the rest of the deck and covered with a lid. Typically, the lid is formed in several sections to enable portions of the lid to be easily removed to access the box. The lid sections need to be adequately and evenly braced to support the weight of the lid and other forces that may traverse the lid surface. The lid sections should also be arranged so that they may be readily removed when access to the box is required. 
     Prior designs for a pool cover box and lid tend to add significantly to the cost of the pool. Typically, each section of the lid is custom fabricated and each support for the lid sections is permanently secured at a location on the box wall for the lid sections to be evenly supported. 
     Also, the pool cover box is often located at the front end of the pool, which is a focal point for the pool area. It may be desirable to cover over the pool cover box with aesthetically appealing material that coordinates in appearance with the pool deck and the rest of the pool surroundings. Sometimes, stone, masonry or other heavy materials may be used to enhance the visual effect. In such cases, a strong support is needed for the pool cover lid to support the weight of these materials. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one exemplary implementation, a system is provided for supporting a lid for a pool cover box comprising an elongated mounting element extending along substantially at least one wall of the pool cover box, and a plurality of bracket assemblies, each adapted for connecting to the mounting element at multiple positions along the mounting element to support the lid. 
     In another exemplary implementation, a method is also provided for supporting a lid on a pool cover box, comprising connecting an elongated mounting element to extend along substantially at least one wall of the pool cover box and connecting a plurality of bracket assemblies at spaced-apart positions along the elongated mounting element, to support the lid. 
     In yet another exemplary implementation, a system is provided for forming a lid for a pool cover box, comprising first and second form support elements spaced apart from each other, a base sheet, first and second lid forming elements, each being connected to one of the first and second form support elements and extending upward therefrom, and first and second wall elements disposed perpendicular to the first and second lid forming elements for forming said lid. In a further exemplary implementation, a method is also provided for forming a lid for a pool cover box, comprising (a) disposing first and second form support elements spaced apart from each other, (b) positioning a base sheet on the first and second form support elements, (c) connecting first and second lid forming elements to one of the first and second form support elements to extend upward therefrom, and (d) disposing first and second wall elements perpendicular to the first and second forming elements for forming said lid. 
     The implementations of the present application have several advantages. The lid support system provides a mechanism to secure a removable vertical form for shaping a vertical edge of a deck flush with a back wall of a pool cover box. The lid support system also provides a mechanism for hanging brackets to support lid sections without interfering with a pool cover rewind reel. In addition, the encapsulation track structure described in the implementations facilitates the placement of brackets, because they can be moved horizontally along the walls of the pool cover box for optimum positioning. Moreover, all brackets may be hung at the same vertical level, thereby enabling the lid sections to be level throughout. 
     The related lid forming system described herein also has several advantages. It is adjustable, enabling the fabrication of different sized lid sections for a pool box lid. The lid forming system is easily assembled and disassembled so that it may be reused. Because the lid forming system is small and portable, it can be readily transported to a location adjacent to a pool deck. This enables the pool cover lid to be poured at the same time as the pool deck, resulting in considerable savings. Furthermore, the pool cover lid sections may all be poured at the same time using the same form, so that lid fabrication time is greatly reduced. In addition, by fabricating the lid sections in the same form and at the same time, a uniformity of composition, appearance and sizing may be achieved. Finally, by minimizing the cost of forming concrete lids, it is more likely that lids can be made of concrete rather than using less desirable materials, such as aluminum. By using a concrete material for the lid that matches the deck material, a more uniform and aesthetically-pleasing overall pool appearance may be achieved. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned features and other features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent and the disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of an exemplary implementation taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a pool showing the location of the pool cover assembly according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective partial cutaway view of one end of a swimming pool having an automatic pool cover box assembly and support bracket according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the pool cover box assembly according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of the pool cover box assembly, showing construction of a deck member above the pool cover box; 
         FIG. 4B  is a close-up cross-sectional view of a portion of the pool cover box assembly shown in  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional view of the pool cover box assembly, showing a lid section being supported above the pool cover box; 
         FIG. 5B  is a close-up cross-sectional view of a portion of the pool cover box assembly shown in  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of an elongated track assembly according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6B  is a side elevational view of the elongated track assembly shown in  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of a hanger bracket according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7B  is a side elevational view of the hanger bracket shown in  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of a support bracket used in the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8B  is a side elevational view of the support bracket shown in  FIG. 8A ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the lid sections extending over the pool cover box assembly according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of a section of a lid forming system according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of two sections of the lid forming system shown in  FIG. 10A ; and 
         FIG. 10C  is a cross-sectional view of the lid forming system shown in  FIG. 10B . 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers may designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The examples herein illustrate selected implementations of the disclosure in certain forms, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , an implementation of a rectangular swimming pool  10  is shown having a pool deck  12  and coping walls  14  surrounding the pool  10 . A pool cover  16  extends from a pool cover mechanism  18  in a cover assembly box  20  disposed at one end of the pool  10 . A leading edge bar  22  at the front edge of the pool cover  16  rides in a track encapsulation  24  along the interior walls of the pool  10 . 
     Deck  12  is generally horizontal and is preferably constructed from concrete. Coping  14  connects to deck  12  in a substantially coplanar fashion along the edge of deck  12  facing the interior of swimming pool  10 . Encapsulation track  24  may include structure to retain vinyl lining, as well as fiber optic lighting along the length of coping  14  and above the level of leading edge bar  22  and cover  16 . 
     When the pool is not in use, a leading edge bar  22  pulls cover  16  from pool cover box assembly  18  across the length of swimming pool  10 . To use the swimming pool  10  the cover  16  is retracted by the pool cover assembly  18  into a cover assembly box  20  causing leading edge bar  22  to also retract into the assembly box  20 . Leading edge bar  22  is connected to cover  16  and provides support along the leading edge of cover  16 . Each end of leading edge bar  22  may be connected to at least one cable (not shown) and may further be slideably connected to the encapsulation track. 
     The foregoing discussion sets the environment for the lid support system embodiment and the lid forming system embodiment, which will now be described. 
     Lid Support System 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the upper portion of the pool cover assembly box  20  is shown in more detail. The box  20  is preferably formed in a mechanism trough  25  extending below the surface of the deck  12 . Pool cover assembly  18  (not shown here) lies in trough  25 , extending the width of the pool. Referring again to  FIG. 1 , motor assembly  21  causes a roller member  26  of assembly  18  to rotate, thereby retracting the cover  16  over roller  26 . 
     Pool cover box  20  may be made of a structural material such as concrete, wood or other suitable material. Box  20  must be large enough to accommodate the roller member, motor assembly and the pool cover. In some instances, the box  20  is about 14 inches deep by 14 inches wide. Box  20  may be somewhat wider than the pool  10 . In order to accommodate the ends of the roller  26  and the motor assembly  21 . As an example, if a pool is 16 feet wide, the box may be about 20 feet long, with extra length extending substantially equally beyond both sides of the pool. 
     Returning to  FIG. 2 , the lid  30  is composed of suitable material, such as aluminum or masonry, and extends over the cover assembly box  20  at a level substantially flush with deck ( 12 ). Lid  30  is shown in a partially cutaway view, to provide further detail. Normally lid  30  extends across the entire top of box  20 , usually in multiple sections as seen in  FIG. 9 . A front coping  32  extends across the top of the front wall  34  of the pool  10  at a level below the deck  12 . The vertical space between the front coping  32  and the lid  30  forms an opening  28  through which the pool cover  16  may be extended and retracted by the pool cover assembly  18  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Lid  30  is supported by multiple support bracket assemblies  36  spaced from each other across the back wall  38  of the cover assembly box  20 . Encapsulation track  37  is embedded in back wall  38  of box  20 , extending the full length of back wall  38 . Although not shown here, similar encapsulation bracket members may extend along one of more of the other walls in box  20 . Bracket assemblies  36  are mounted along the back wall  38  so as to be movable horizontally along the wall  38  as needed. Bracket assemblies  36  support the weight of lid  30 , as well as persons who may walk across the lid surface. 
       FIG. 3  shows the pool cover assembly  18  and cover assembly box  20  in more detail. Each bracket assembly  36  is mounted to the back wall  38  of box  20 . The encapsulation track  37  is inset into a groove  39  in the decking  12  that runs horizontally just above the back wall  38  of assembly box  20 . A bracket hook  40  is connected at one end to encapsulation track  37  by a structure shown in detail in  FIGS. 5B and 6B . Bracket hook  40  includes a hooked end  43  extending outward to connect to a bracket  42  by a bolt  44  extending through an aperture in one end of the bracket hook  40 . Bracket  42  extends horizontally across part of the width of box  20  to provide a broad even surface for supporting a lid member. A compression plate  46  is disposed between back wall  38  and the base  48  of bracket  42  for the purpose of distributing the force on the wall  38  exerted by base  48 . Roller  26  is disposed in the trough  25  of box  20  to roll up or unwind the pool cover  16  as it retracts or extends through space  28 . 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  show the manner in which the edge of deck  12  is formed. Encapsulation track member  37  is positioned on top of the back wall  38  of box  20 . An L-shaped vertical box form  50  includes a lower portion  52  that is coupled to an upper portion  54  of track member  37  by an overlapping structure. A spacer  56  is inserted into an opening  35  to wedge between the lower portion  52  of vertical box form  50  and the lower portion  55  of track member  37  (see  FIG. 6A ). In this manner, the vertical box form  50  is secured in place while deck  12  is poured, so as to form a vertical edge  58  to deck  12 . 
     In  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the vertical box form  50  (shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ) has been removed. Encapsulation track member  37  is firmly secured in groove  39 . Bracket hook  40  is snapped into position on track member  37  and has bracket  42  connected thereto as previously described. An extension member  80  is mounted on the top of bracket  42  to provide a larger surface area to support lid section  60 . A lid section  60  is disposed and supported on the upper surface of extension member  80  and extends along the length thereof. Compression plate  46  is disposed between the base  48  of bracket  42  and the back wall  38  of box  20 . 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  show the encapsulation track  37  in greater detail. Encapsulation track  37  is a three-sided extrusion extending the width of the deck  12  ( FIG. 1 ) and forming opening  35  for receiving bracket hook  40  (not shown here). Upper portion  54  of track  37  is connected to lower portion  55  by a vertical sidewall  59 . A tail  62  extends outward with a hook  64  for securing the track  37  in the concrete deck. A tooth  66  extends from sidewall  59  into opening  35  for abutting the end of bracket hook  40  (See  FIGS. 7A and 7B ). A nub  67  extends from lower portion  55 . An end member  68  extends upward into opening  35  and downward from the end of lower portion  55  to help secure track  37  to the back wall  38  of box  20  (not shown here). 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  show the bracket hook  40  in greater detail. Bracket hook  40  is an L-shaped member having an upper portion  70  and a lower portion  72 . A groove  74  in upper portion  70  is formed to receive bolt  44 , shown in  FIG. 3 . Lower portion  72  includes an abutment  76  for abutting with tooth  66  shown in  FIG. 6B . A tooth  78  extends from lower portion  72  to abut with lower portion  55  of track  37 , shown in  FIG. 6B . 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  disclose bracket assembly  36  in greater detail. Bracket  42  includes flat extension member  80  having a smooth-top surface  82  for supporting concrete lid section  60 , shown in  FIG. 5A . The underside  84  of member  80  has a plurality of spaced channels  85  running the length of member  80 . Two support legs  86  and  88  extend away from the underside  84  of bracket  42 . A bolt  44  is connected to underside  84  to fit into groove  74 , shown in  FIG. 7A . 
       FIG. 9  discloses a perspective view of a lid  90 , showing multiple lid sections  92  in place covering the box  20 . Lid  90  may be composed of a variety of different materials and may match the composition and texture of the rest of the deck. Lid  90  extends over the box  20  (not shown here) at substantially the level of deck  12 . A front coping  94  extends across the top of the front wall  96  of the pool at a level below the deck  12 . The vertical space between the front coping  94  and the lid  90  forms an opening  98  (identical to opening  28  in  FIG. 2 ) through which the pool cover  16  may be extended and retracted by the pool cover assembly  18 . 
     When the pool cover  16  is fully retracted into box  20 , the leading edge bar  22 , shown in  FIG. 1 , may fit into opening  98 . The encapsulation track  37  previously described may run around most of the perimeter of the pool cover box  20 . 
     Several advantages are provided with the structure and methods of the present embodiments of the lid support system. First, they provide a mechanism to secure the vertical form  50  to form a vertical edge  58  of the deck  12  flush with back wall  38  of the pool cover box  20 . After the deck  12  is formed, the form  50  may be removed. Second, the encapsulation track  37  provides a mechanism for hanging the brackets  42  for holding lid sections  60  without interfering with the pool cover rewind reel. Third, encapsulation track  37  facilitates the placement of brackets  42 , because they can be moved horizontally along the walls of the pool cover box  20  for optimum positioning. Further, since encapsulation track  37  is disposed at the same level around the perimeter of box  20 , all brackets  42  hung therefrom will be at the same vertical level, thereby enabling the lid sections  60  to be level throughout. 
     Lid Forming System 
       FIG. 10A  depicts a portion of a form box  100  for forming each of the lid sections  92 . Form box may be located on-site close to the pool cover box  20 . The lid sections may be poured at the same time as the rest of the pool deck is poured, to minimize the expense of forming the lid. Form  100  is made of components that are easily assembled and disassembled, so that the form may be moved and reused. A vertical deck form  104  is disposed as one side of form  100 , in order to form a vertical edge for the lid. A pool edge shape form  106  is disposed as the opposite side of form  100 , in order to form a curved edge on the lid to match the coping of the pool deck. End member  108  is attached to one end of each of forms  104  and  106  by any conventional means. A separator plate  109  is positioned at the other end of forms  104  and  106 . Forms  104   a  and  106   a  extend past separator plate  109  to indicate that additional identical forms may be added for additional lid sections. 
       FIG. 10B  shows form box  100  with another identical section having form box  100   a . At the end of form box  100   a  is another separator plate  109   a  and the beginning of yet another form box section, defined by forms  104   b  and  106   b . Additional form sections may be assembled, having various lengths, in order to conform to the length and width of the pool cover box  20  ( FIG. 1 ). Once the form sections are assembled, the concrete lids  92  are poured, cured and set in place over the pool cover box. 
       FIG. 10C  is a cross-section showing form  100  in more detail. Lid section  92  is poured between a vertical deck form  104  and a pool edge shape form  106 . Vertical deck form  104  provides for a vertical straight edge  110  to fit deck edge  58 , shown in  FIG. 4A . The pool edge shape form  106  makes a curved edge  112  that may match the shape of the rest of the pool edging. 
     Form  104  is an L-shaped member having a base portion  105  that extends beneath lid section  92 . Likewise, form  106  is an L-shaped member having a base portion  107  that extends beneath lid section  92 . An encapsulation member  114  is disposed beneath form  104  and has a top portion  116  that interconnects with base portion  105  of form  104 . Likewise, an encapsulation member  118  is disposed beneath form  106  and has a top portion  120  that interconnects with base portion  107  of form  106 . 
     It should be noted that encapsulation members  114  and  118  are essential identical or very similar in the structure of encapsulation track member  37 , shown in  FIGS. 2-6B . In fact the same product may be used for both forming an encapsulated track  37  and encapsulation members  114  and  118 . 
     A spacer  122  is wedged in a groove portion  123  of encapsulation member  114  beneath the base portion  105  of form  104  to hold base portion  105  in contact with top portion  116  of encapsulation member  114  while the concrete lid  92  is poured and cured. Likewise, a spacer  124  is wedged in a groove portion  125  of encapsulation member  118  beneath the base portion  107  of form  106 , so as to hold base portion  107  in contact with top portion  120  of encapsulation member  118  while the concrete lid  92  is poured and cured. 
     A metal sheet comprising a bottom form member  126  is supported at one end by top portion  116  of encapsulation member  114  and at the other end by top portion  120  of encapsulation member  118 . A base member  128  extends the entire length of the form sections  100 ,  100   a  and so forth. Each section is secured to the base member by pins  127  and  129 . 
     After lid section  92  is formed and cured, spacers  122  and  124  are removed, enabling forms  104  and  106  to be disassembled from encapsulation members  114  and  118 . Lid section  92  may then be removed and placed on brackets  42  over the pool box  20  as previously shown. 
     The lid forming system described above has several advantages. The lid forming system is adjustable, enabling the fabrication of different sized lid sections  60 . It is easily assembled and disassembled so that it may be reused. Because the lid forming system is small and portable, it can be readily transported to a location adjacent to the pool deck. This enables the pool cover lid to be poured at the same time as the pool deck, resulting in considerable savings. Furthermore, the pool cover lid sections  60  may all be poured at the same time using the same form, so that lid fabrication time is greatly reduced. In addition, by fabricating the lid sections  60  in the same form and at the same time, a uniformity of composition, appearance and sizing may be achieved. Finally, by minimizing the cost of forming concrete lids, it is more likely that lids can be made of concrete rather than using less desirable materials, such as aluminum. By using a concrete material for the lid that matches the deck material, a more uniform and aesthetically-pleasing overall pool appearance may be achieved. 
     While this disclosure has been described as having a preferred design, the present disclosure can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.