Patent Publication Number: US-6708706-B1

Title: Retractable pool shade with support stand

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to retractable pool shade which is attached to a support stand having legs which each have wheels so that the shade can be easily moved to various locations surrounding the pool. The wheels can be retracted thereby allowing suction cups above each wheel to engage the deck of the pool, causing the pool shading assembly to be immobilized. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to produce a shade which can be used to protect people who are swimming in a pool from the direct rays of the sun. Accordingly, the shade extends directly over and across a pool to selectively block the sun from reaching the pool. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a shade which may be easily moved to various locations above and surrounding the pool. The repositioning of the shade will allow the pool to be continuously shaded from the sun, in spite of the differing position of the sun at various times of the day. Accordingly, the shade is supported by a frame having wheels which are selectively deployable to the ground to allow the shade to be moved so as to extend over different areas of the pool. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a shade assembly which, once it has been wheeled to a desired location, may be easily immobilized to remain at that location. Accordingly, by the retraction of the wheels, suction cups located above each wheel are able to contact and attach to a surface. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide the owner with a product which allows easy interchangeability of the shading element with other designs and shapes, so that its use may be tailored to different occasions. Accordingly, the shading element can be made of fabric which is easily interchanged with other fabric shading elements-while using the same frame structure. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the retractable pool shade with support stand. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, illustrating the tracks on which the shade slides. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view taken generally in the area of circle  3  in FIG. 1, illustrating the retractable wheels upon which the entire shade assembly may be supported when the shade is being moved. 
     FIG. 4 is a respective view of the retractable pool shade with support stand after it has been immobilized over a swimming pool. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a retractable pool shade  10 . Referring momentarily to FIG. 4, the pool shade  10  is used in conjunction with a pool  50 , defined by a pool edge  52 . The pool edge  52  is surrounded by a pool deck  54 . The pool edge  52  includes a pair of opposite sides  55 . 
     The pool shade  10  has a stand  12  and a shading assembly  14 . The stand  12  includes a pair of horizontal members  30 , which extend substantially parallel to each other. Each horizontal member  30  has a top surface  30 T having a longitudinal groove  32 . The horizontal members  30  have a proximal end  30 P and a distal end  30 D. The horizontal members  30  are each supported by a pair of legs  34 , wherein one leg is generally located at the proximal end  30 P of each horizontal member  30 , and another leg is generally located at the distal end  30 D of each horizontal member  30 D. 
     The shading assembly  14  includes a shading element  20  and a roller  22  for selectively storing and deploying the shading element  20 . Naturally, the shading element  20  is made of a sheet-like flexible material, such as plastic or fabric. The shading element  20  has a forward edge  20 F and a pair of sides  20 S, which extend parallel to each other. The shading element  20  is sized so that the sides  20 S of the shading element  20  correspond with the horizontal members  30 . The roller  22  is located near the proximal end of the horizontal member  30 . Accordingly, in deploying the shading element  20 , the forward edge  20 F of said shading element  20  is moved along the tops  30 T of the horizontal members  30  from the roller  22  at the proximal end  30 P of the horizontal members  30  toward the distal end  30 D of the horizontal members  30 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, to facilitate smooth movement of the shading element  20  along the tops  30 T of the horizontal members  30 , the shading element  20  has a pair of runners  24 , each runner extending near and parallel to one of the sides  20 S of the shading element  20 . Referring to FIG. 2, each runner  24  is slidably mounted within one of the grooves  32 . Accordingly, the runners  24  guide the shading element as it is deployed, preventing lateral movement of the shading element  20 . Preferably, the groove is closed at both the proximal and distal end of the horizontal member to prevent the shade from extending past either of said ends. 
     It should be noted that the horizontal members  30  need not extend perfectly straight in the vertical plane. Accordingly, “horizontal” should be interpreted herein as “generally” horizontal, but not necessarily strictly horizontal. In particular, both horizontal members  30  may be arched upward in an identical fashion. Provided that the runners  24  are configured to engage the longitudinal grooves  32  in a suitable fashion to allow the runners to follow a possibly arched longitudinal groove  32  while remaining within said longitudinal groove  32 , the shading element can indeed follow such an arched configuration. Accordingly, the configuration shown in FIG. 2 may be modified, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, to maintain the runner  24  within the groove  32  so as to follow a curved or angular redirection of the groove. In this regard, with such accomodation, the horizontal members may even be peaked at their center. 
     Referring once again to FIG. 1, a semicircular bracket  18  supports the roller  22  and extends perpendicularly between the horizontal members  30  at the proximal ends  30 P thereof. In order to deploy or retract the shade element  20 , the roller  22  is rotated by means of an axially mounted crank handle  16 . Rotation of the roller causes the shading element  20  to slide to various positions along the horizontal members  30 , thereby allowing the position of the shading element  20  to be adjusted even without necessitating the repositioning of the stand  12 . In order to maintain the horizontal members  30  parallel to each other, a pair of cross members  31  preferably extend between the horizontal members  30  at the proximal  30 P and distal  30 D ends thereof and extend perpendicular to the horizontal members  30 . 
     The legs  34  provide a means for supporting the shading assembly  14 . The legs  34  have a top portion  34 T, a bottom portion  34 B, and at least one leg side  34 S. Specifically, the top portion of the legs  34 T are attached immediately beneath the horizontal members  30 . 
     Wheels  36  are mounted to the bottom portion  34 B of each leg  34 , thereby allowing the retractable pool shade  10  to be moved to various positions surrounding the pool depending on the position of the sun and the desire of the user. In particular, the wheels  36  are mounted to the leg bottom  34 B using a caster frame  37 . The wheels  36  may be prevented from contacting the ground when the user desires to immobilize the retractable pool shade at a given position by using an immobilizing block  40 . 
     In particular, the immobilizing of the wheels is accomplished by pressing down on the immobilizing block  40  which is located above each wheel  36 . To accomplish the same, referring to FIG. 3, each immobilizing block  40  has a block top  40 T, a block bottom  40 B, and a bore  41  extending fully between the block top  40 T and block bottom  40 B. The bore  41  is sized and shaped to closely accommodate the leg  34 , such that the leg  34  extends fully through the bore  41  and allows the block to slide vertically upward and downward upon the leg  34 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3, attached to the side  34 S of each leg above the the leg bottom  34 B is a spring clip  38 . This spring clip is capable of supporting the weight of the immobilizing block  40 , and thereby maintaining the block  40  well above the leg bottom  34 B. When the immobilizing block  40  is positioned above the spring clip  38 , as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the wheels are not prevented from rolling on the pool deck and the retractable pool shade  10  is easily wheeled to any desired location along the pool deck  54 . Accordingly, the shade  10  may be easily repositioned as the position of the sun changes, and the user&#39;s need or desire for shade varies. 
     However, after the retractable pool shade has been rolled to its desired position, the block  40  is lowered to prevent further movement of the retractable pool shade  10  along the deck  54 , as seen in FIG.  4 . In order to lower the block  40 , the block  40  is pressed downward by the user. In this regard, the spring clip  38  which normally supports the weight of the block  40  and keeps it well above the wheel  36  on the side of the leg  34 S can be easily overcome by such pressure by the user, so as to allow the block to move below the spring clip toward the bottom of the leg  34 B. The block bottom  40 B will fall beyond the leg bottom  34 B such that the block bottom  40 B may come into direct contact with the pool deck  54 . By friction alone, the block  40  is capable of preventing the wheels  36  from rolling on the pool deck  54 , thus immobilizing the entire retractable pool shade  10 . 
     Additionally, referring once again to FIG. 3, suction cups  42  may be mounted to the block bottom  40 B. The suction cups  42  extend and are oriented downward from the block bottom  40 B to positively adhere to the pool deck  54  such that the block  40  is more effective at preventing the wheels  36  from rolling and thereby for immobilizing the pool shade  10 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     In use, after ensuring that the blocks  40  are elevated off the pool deck  54 , and preferably positioned above the spring clips  38 , the pool shade  10  can be wheeled to a desired location on the pool deck  54  by pushing against the stand  12 . Generally, it is positioned so that the pool shade extends across the pool  50 , with the legs  34  on opposite sides  55  of the pool  50 . Once suitably positioned, the blocks  40  are lowered to the deck  54 , engaging the deck with the suction cups  42 . Then, the shading element  20  may be deployed across the stand  12  by moving the forward edge  20 F of the shading element  20  across the horizontal members  30  toward the distal ends  30 D thereof. This is generally accomplished by turning the crank handle  16  to unreel the roller  22  which stores the shading element  20 . The user can adjust the position of the forward edge  20 F, and thereby the extent by which the shading element  20  extends across the horizontal members  30 , and/or move the stand to achieve the desired shading from the shading device  10 . When the sun changes position in the sky, or the user&#39;s desire for shade is otherwise altered, the shading element  20  can be retracted by turning the crank handle  16  to store the shading element  20  upon the roller  22  and/or the blocks  40  can be raised and disengaged from the deck  54  so that the stand  12  can be repositioned as desired. 
     In conclusion, herein is presented a pool shade which may be wheeled to any desired location and then immobilized by retracting the wheels and causing the overlying suction cups to contact the pool deck. The invention is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present invention.