Patent Publication Number: US-2011072574-A1

Title: Swimming Pool Ladder Cover

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 200920182734.0, filed on Aug. 27, 2009, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/853,668, filed Aug. 10, 2010, titled “Swimming Pool Ladder with Barrier,” which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 200920182573.5, filed on Aug. 11, 2009; Chinese Patent Application No. 200920182579.2, filed on Aug. 11, 2009; Chinese Patent Application No. 200920182572.0, filed on Aug. 11, 2009; and Chinese Patent Application No. 200920182578.8, filed on Aug. 11, 2009, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to swimming pool equipment, in particular to a device for use with swimming pool ladders. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Many swimming pools, and particularly above-ground swimming pools, include a ladder so people can easily get into and out of the pool. A typical ladder construction  3 ′ resembles an A-frame (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), with first section  1 ′ positioned within swimming pool  10 ′ and second section  2 ′ positioned outside swimming pool  10 ′. When swimming pool  10 ′ is not used, the device of the present disclosure may be used to prevent people from climbing on the ladder. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a housing assembly is provided for a swimming pool ladder. The housing assembly includes a housing having an upper portion, a first panel, and a second panel; a housing cover coupled to the second panel of the housing; a closing member having a first section coupled to the housing cover and a second section coupled to the first panel of the housing; and at least one coupler coupled to the housing. The housing is sized to fit over a portion of the swimming pool ladder to be coupled to the ladder by the at least one coupler and the housing cover is coupled to the housing by the closing member, such that the housing and housing cover are capable of surrounding a portion of the swimming pool ladder. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above mentioned and other features of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art swimming pool ladder and pool; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a swimming pool ladder and an exemplary swimming pool ladder housing assembly of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a portion A of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the housing assembly of the present disclosure mounted to a swimming pool ladder; 
         FIG. 5  also illustrates the housing assembly of the present disclosure mounted to a swimming pool ladder showing the cover coupled together; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a portion B in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates the housing assembly of the present disclosure mounted to a swimming pool ladder that is positioned inside an above-ground swimming pool; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of the housing assembly of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of a portion C of  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of the housing assembly. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary housing assembly  10  of the present disclosure. Housing assembly  10  includes housing  1 , housing cover  2 , closing member  3 , and at least one coupler or couplers  4 . Housing  1  includes an upper portion  12 , a first panel  14 , a second panel  16 , and an outer portion  18 . First panel  14  includes at least a portion of closing member  3 . Housing  1  and upper portion  12  are sized so that they may fit over an above-ground swimming pool ladder, such as exemplary ladder  3 ′. Housing  1  is at least as wide as a ladder  3 ′, particularly outside section  2 ′, while upper portion  12  is sized to correspond with the dimensions of upper part  5 ′ of ladder  3 ′. That is, upper portion  12  is sized similar to the apex of an A-frame ladder, such as ladder  3 ′. Accordingly, upper portion  12  is capable of tightly enclosing upper part  5 ′, while housing  1  is capable of tightly enclosing outside section  2 ′. Additionally, ladder  3 ′ includes a plurality of steps  6 ′ in both inside section  1 ′ and outside section  2 ′. Support bar  20  includes feet  22  that act as a base for ladder  3 ′ and also connects and supports steps  6 ′. When housing  1  is placed onto ladder  3 ′, panels  14  and  16  tightly enclose steps  6 ′ and support  20  of ladder  3 ′. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , in this exemplary embodiment, closing member  3  is a zipper. As shown in  FIG. 2 , zippers commonly include two sets of teeth  31 ,  32  and a sliding member  40  used to attach the two sets of teeth. In this embodiment, one set of teeth  32  and sliding member  40  of closing member  3  is attached to panel  14  while the other set of teeth  31  are attached to housing cover  2 . In operation, as best shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , once housing assembly  10  is placed on ladder  3 ′, housing cover  2  is pulled toward panel  14  and the two sets of teeth  31 ,  32  of closing member  3  are connected together, forming housing assembly  10  enclosing around outside portion  2 ′ of ladder  3 ′. In this exemplary embodiment where a zipper is used as closing member  3 , sliding member  40  of the zipper is moved upward such that the closed position of housing assembly  10  includes sliding member  40  located proximate the upper portion  12  of housing  1 . It should be understood that closing member  3  may be any known closing device, such as a zipper, hook-and-loop fasteners, such as Velcro® hook-and-loop fasteners, hooks, loops, buttons, or any other device used to attach two pieces of fabric together. 
     Coupled to housing  1  is at least one coupler  4 . In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of couplers  4  are attached to housing  1  and/or panels  14  and  16 . Each coupler  4  may be any material suitable for attaching to steps  6 ′, support  20 , or both. For example, each coupler  4  may be a plastic hook sized to hook onto the bottom edge  7 ′ of step  6 ′, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Or coupler  4  may be an elastic ring sized to fit onto support  20 . It should be understood that coupler  4  may be any suitable material, and should not be limited by the foregoing description. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , couplers  4  are attached to the bottom of panel  16 , the bottom of panel  14 , and the bottom of housing  1 . When housing assembly  10  of the present disclosure is implemented on ladder  3 ′, couplers  4  attach to bottom edge  7 ′ of steps  6 ′, as best shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in yet another embodiment, coupler(s)  4  may also comprise at least one male buckle  41  and at least one female buckle  42 . In this exemplary embodiment, female buckles  41  are coupled to portion  18  of housing  1  at a position just below the upper step shown in  FIG. 9 . In this embodiment, a sheet of material made of the same material as housing  1  is welded or otherwise attached to housing  1  at location just below the upper step. Female buckles  41  are attached to this sheet. Male buckles  42  with straps  43  are coupled to the lower end of portion  18  of housing  1 . Straps  43  are coupled to portion  18  at a position just below the lower step shown in  FIG. 9 . In operation, when buckles  41  and  42  are engaged, housing  1  encloses the steps and straps  43  wrap around the lower step as shown in  FIG. 9 . Alternatively, female buckles  41  may be coupled to the upper step shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     In another embodiment, female buckle  41  may be coupled to the lower step shown in  FIG. 9  and male buckle  42  coupled to the lower end of housing  1 . To couple housing  1  to the ladder, male buckle  42  is coupled to female buckle  41 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 10 , in operation, exemplary housing assembly  10  is positioned to fit over ladder  3 ′. In particular, top portion  12  of housing  1  fits over top portion  5 ′ of ladder  3 ′, while housing  1  (including panels  14  and  16 ) fits over and around steps  6 ′ and support member  20  of outside portion  2 ′ of ladder  3 ′. Housing cover  2  is attached to panel  14  via closing member  3 , which, in this embodiment, includes a first section attached to housing cover  2  and a second section coupled to panel  14 . Coupler(s)  4  attach housing  1  and/or panels  14  and  16  to ladder  3 ′. Exemplary housing assembly  10  is comprised of a fabric material and is sized such that when placed over ladder  3 ′ and secured via closing member  3  and coupler(s)  4 , the fabric material is taut, and housing assembly  10  tightly encloses outside portion  2 ′ of ladder  3 ′. As such, when in operation, housing assembly  10  of the present disclosure prevents persons from using ladder  3 ′ for its intended use, i.e., to climb into a swimming pool. 
     While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may 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 invention 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 invention pertains.