Patent ID: 7496975

Claim:
In a spa with a substantially rectangular cabinet and a spa cover lift assembly with an insulated spa cover having a center fold and two half cover segments and having a weather protecting covering wherein the cover lift assembly has a lift mechanism with pivotal side struts on opposite sides of the spa that engage and support the cover at the center fold and pivot the folded cover to one side of the spa when one segment is folded on top of the other segment to provide a common edge, the improvement being a stabilizer system for assisting in the removal of the folded cover comprising: a set of stabilizer straps with at least two stabilizer straps being spaced apart and having first and second ends with the first ends of the stabilizer straps being attached to the cabinet of the spa and the second ends being attachable to the covering of at least the lower half-segment of the cover at the common edge wherein the length of the straps is selected to limit horizontal displacement of the folded cover when the folded cover is pivoted to the side of the spa wherein the folded cover is thereby downwardly directed to a storage position adjacent the spa.