Patent Publication Number: US-6209151-B1

Title: Universal dual beaded pool liner

Description:
This application is based on provisional patent application 60/166185 filed under 37 C.F.R. § 1.53(b)(2) on Nov. 18, 1999. The disclosure and information contained therein is incorporated here by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a liner for swimming pools and, more particularly, a flexible plastic liner for above-ground swimming pools that is attached to the upper edge of the swimming pool wall. The pool liner of this invention has a plastic “beading” around its circumference, or border, which has a removable J-hook portion in connection with a bead portion. This beading arrangement allows the liner to be attached to pool walls that have “bead receivers” for attachment of beaded liners and to pool walls that have no bead receivers. The beading has perforations provided therein to facilitate the removal of the J-hook portion from the bead portion to convert the beading from a J-hook type liner to a bead type liner for insertion into a bead receiver. 
     Above-ground swimming pools are designed to use flexible plastic liners to provide a water-tight compartment to hold the water. Generally, pool liners used in above-ground pools are simply “overlapped” onto the upper edge of the pool wall. Once overlapped, the liner edge is held in place by a series of clips placed over the liner and pool edge at intervals around the pool wall. Roughly 80% of above-ground pools sold are designed to use these overlap liners. Liners with “J-hooks” can also be used in pools designed for overlap liners. See FIG.  1 . The J-hook, in actuality an inverted “U,” is an improvement in the overlap liner. It comprises extruded plastic hook type beading around the edge of the liner so that the liner hangs on the edge of the pool wall. 
     As is often the case, plastic pool liners develop holes and tears that require removal and replacement of the liner from time to time. The problem with overlap liners and J-hook liners is that decks are usually built around the pool after the liner is installed, at the height of the upper edge of the pool wall. Thus, the pools must be disassembled to replace the liner. To overcome this inconvenience and allow for easier replacement of the liner, some above-ground pools are equipped with a device for receiving a plastic bead formed around the circumference of the liner. Accordingly, the “bead” of the liner is inserted into the bead receiver installed on the upper edge of the pool wall. See FIG.  2 . Also known as a “hung liner,” a beaded liner is removable but cannot also be used as an overlap liner because the liner itself is too short in order to fit the bead receiver. 
     The situation created with the above prior art is such that a supplier of pool liners must keep three different types of liners in stock for each size of above-ground pool, resulting in great inconvenience and inventory expense to the supplier. Further, a manufacturer of pool liners must manufacture all three types of liners to meet market needs. It is therefore desirable that all three types of application of pool liners be met by a single pool liner design. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pool liner having the versatility of being applicable to an above-ground swimming pool in the manner of an overlap or J-hook liner, or in the manner of a hung or beaded liner. 
     It is also an object of this invention to provide a pool liner that can be easily removed and replaced. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a dual beaded pool liner having plastic extrusion beading provided around its circumference that is convertible from a J-hook liner to a beaded liner. 
     The versatility of the dual beaded liner allows the liner to be installed in a pool in the manner of an overlap liner, J-hook liner or as a beaded liner in a pool having a bead receiver. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a plastic extrusion beading is provided along the edge of a flexible pool liner installable in an above-ground swimming pool. The end of the beading is configured in the form of an inverted hook which, together with the body of the beading, forms the shape of a “J” in the manner of J-hook pool liners. Perforations are provided in the body of the beading opposite to and corresponding with the end of the “J-hook” portion. The perforations permit the J-hook portion of the beading to be removable, at the option of the pool owner. Other means may also be employed to permit the easy removal of the J-hook portion, such as an embedded pull cord, scoring or similar device. A bead is formed in the body of the beading adjacent to and immediately below the perforations or scoring. When the J-hook portion is removed, the bead portion becomes the end of the beading such that it may be installed into a bead receiver. Once removed from the beading, the disassociated J-hook portion more closely resembles an inverted “U” as the tail portion of the “J” is the remaining body of the beading. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above objects and advantages of the invention will become manifest to one skilled in the art from considering the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention in light of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a J-hook overlap liner of the prior art; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a beaded liner of the prior art, installed in a bead receiver; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the dual beaded liner of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a further sectional view of the present invention with the J-hook portion removed; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the present invention with the bead portion of the liner installed in a bead receiver, and 
     FIG. 6 is a dimensional view of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a segment view of a pool liner having J-hook beading as known in the prior art. The J-hook beading is bonded to the flexible pool liner by heat annealment, plastic cement or similar bonding mechanism. The J-hook part of the bead is shown as installed on the upper edge of the pool wall. In this type of improved overlap liner, no clips are necessary. Similarly, FIG. 2 illustrates the further prior art of a bead type pool liner. As shown, the bead of the liner is installed into a track of a special bead receiver. The bead receiver is attached to the upper edge of the pool wall in the same manner as the J-hook liner. Bead receivers are generally furnished by the pool manufacturer and come with the pool. 
     There is illustrated in FIG. 3 a segment of the universal dual beaded pool liner  11  of the within invention. The beading  12  is comprised of a J-hook portion  13  and a bead portion  14 . The J-hook portion  13  is provided at the outer edge of the beading  12 , and is configured as an inverted “U” to be slipped over the upper edge of the swimming pool (not shown), in the manner of the prior art J-hook liner. See FIG.  1 . The J-hook has a terminal end  15  for placement over the upper edge of the swimming pool wall, and a base end  16 . The terminal end  15  may be constructed to have a beaded or reinforced edge  17  to provide additional strength or for ease of placement of the J-hook  13  over the pool edge. The base end  16  of the J-hook  13  is located adjacent the bead portion  14  and is defined from the bead portion  14  by a series of perforations  19  or other similar means for detaching the J-hook portion  13  from the bead portion  14 . 
     The beading  12  itself is constructed as a single unit of a strong but flexible material, such as extruded plastic or the like. Examples of such flexible plastic materials are nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene or PVC, although a person of ordinary skill in the art can select other suitable flexible plastic materials. As in the prior art, the beading  12  is attached to the flexible pool liner  18  by heat annealment, plastic cement or similar bonding mechanisms known in the art. At the base end  16  of the J-hook portion  13  of the beading  12  a series of perforations  19  is provided to facilitate the separation of the J-hook  13  portion from the bead portion  14 . Other means known in the art may be employed in place of the perforations  19  to accomplish the desired result, such as a pull cord  20  made of wire, string or plastic, or the beading  12  could be scored in place of the perforations  19 . 
     A standard type bead  21  insertable into a track of a bead receiver is provided adjacent the but below the perforations  19  in the body of the beading  12 , which is permanently attached to the flexible portion of the liner  18 . The bead portion  14  of the beading  12  becomes usable after the J-hook portion  13  has been removed. Removal of the J-hook portion  13  exposes the bead portion  14  (see FIG. 4) so that the bead  12  may be removably installed into the track  23  of a bead receiver  22  provided with the swimming pool. FIG.  5 . 
     According to the above description, the dual beaded pool liner  11  of the present invention may be installed in an above-ground swimming pool in the manner of an overlap or J-hook liner without alteration of the beading. Alternatively, the dual beaded liner  11  may be converted to a bead type liner by removal of the J-hook portion  13  by tearing the beading  12  along the perforations  19 , or by pulling an embedded cord  20  or other similar means. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the use of the within invention as a bead liner, and FIG. 6 illustrates the manufacturing dimensions of the present invention. Although the dual beaded pool liner of the present invention may be of almost any size or dimension to meet the needs of a particular application, pool wall thicknesses are of such general uniformity that great variation in dimensions is not needed. Referring then to FIG. 6, the manufacturing dimensions of a preferred embodiment of the present invention are given. Generally, the beading  12  has an overall length of about 1.8 inches, preferably 1.8465 inches, and a thickness generally of about 0.05 to 0.8 inches  25 . The J-hook portion  13  is about from 0.8 to 0.9 inches long, preferably 0.83 inches. The bend  27  in the J-hook  13  has a radius of about 0.1 inches, preferably 0.097 inches, for an overall “thickness” of the J-hook to be about 0.2 inches, preferably 0.194 inches. The bead portion  14  has an overall length of about 1.025 inches  29 , of which the bead  21  itself is from about 0.3 to 0.4 inches, preferably 0.35 inches in length  30 . Bead  21  is configured to have a beveled edge  32  so that the bead  21  can be snapped into the track  23  of a bead receiver  22  and be held securely. 
     While the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. The invention disclosed herein is therefore intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.