Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of provisional application No. 60347260, filed Nov. 8, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    The present disclosure relates to swimming pools, and, more particularly, to a track assembly with apparatus for forming deck edging for swimming pools.  
           [0004]    2. Background  
           [0005]    Swimming pools are commonly covered to prevent debris from entering the pool, to preserve chemical treatments in the water and to heat the pool in the case of a solar cover. An automatic pool cover provides convenience for a user by allowing the cover to be easily extended over the pool during periods of non-use, and retracted during periods of use. Typically, automatic pool covers utilize a track assembly built into the walls for guiding the leading edge bar of the cover as it traverses the pool. Such track assemblies are difficult to install and add clutter to the pool sides that may be unsightly and awkward to use.  
           [0006]    In forming the coping and edging around the perimeter of pools it is useful to employ a mechanism in or attached to the pool walls that will provide uniformity in the coping and that can be easily installed and removed. Current forms are typically made of disposable materials, such as styrofoam, wood forms or other such materials. Such forms were often attached to the pool by two-sided tape or other temporary means. Often they were damaged during removal, so that new forms had to be used for each installation.  
           [0007]    For pools with automatic vinyl covers, it is useful to have a mechanism in the pool walls that secures the bead of the vinyl liner to prevent wear and to maintain suitable appearance and structure. It is desirable that such a mechanism is simple, easy to install and firmly secures the edge or bead of the vinyl liner to the pool walls.  
           [0008]    In addition, it is sometimes desirable to secure fiber optic lights or other decorative items in or around the pool walls. Using separate securing mechanisms for these purposes adds to the expense and installation time involved with pool construction.  
           [0009]    Accordingly, a multiple purpose assembly for pool walls is needed that can perform one or more of the foregoing functions while minimizing the time and expense of installation. Such an assembly should be relatively simple and unobtrusive and should be flexible to accommodate various needs of different types of pool construction. Preferably, the assembly may include coping and edging forms that are easy to affix, provide uniformity in the forming function and are reusable to minimize cost.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0010]    The present disclosure provides a multiple purpose encapsulation member that is able to carry out the functions described above. The encapsulation member includes an element for guiding a pool cover edge as it is retracted and extended. The member may further include an element for securing a form piece to be used in forming the edge of the pool decking. The form may be removably secured to the member, enabling it to be reused and for different forms to be utilized with a common encapsulation member. In addition, the member may provide an element for securing a bead on the end of a vinyl liner. Further the member has an element for securing fiber optic light tubing or other decorative elements.  
           [0011]    In one implementation apparatus is provided for constructing edging around the perimeter of a swimming pool having a decking and a retractable pool cover wherein an elongated guide connector is attached to a wall of the swimming pool for mating to a guide member for the pool cover. The apparatus comprises a form member shaped to form the edging, and a form mating structure on the form member for removably mating the form member to the elongated guide connector. For purposes of this application, the term “mating” shall mean in contact, in an adjoining relationship, fit together, joined, or connected.  
           [0012]    In another implementation, apparatus is provided for attaching to a wall of a swimming pool having a decking and a retractable pool cover, and disposed to accommodate a guide member for the edge of the pool cover as the cover extends and retracts. The apparatus comprises an elongated track member attached to the wall of the swimming pool to accommodate the guide member, and a form element for forming an edge of the decking for the pool, the form element being removably mated to the track member.  
           [0013]    In another implementation, a method is provided for constructing edging around the perimeter of a swimming pool having a decking and a retractable pool cover, comprising connecting an elongated guide connector to a wall of the swimming pool, and removably mating to the elongated guide connector a form member shaped to form the edging. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of an implementation of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pool showing the location of the encapsulation assembly in the pool walls, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an implementation of a encapsulation extrusion, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another implementation an encapsulation extrusion, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an implementation showing a cover guide extrusion according to the present disclosure;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4B is a perspective view of an implementation showing a guide support spacer extrusion according to the present disclosure;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an implementation of a clip-on coping extrusion, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one implementation of the encapsulation assembly, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the implementation of FIG. 6 showing a vinyl liner and a pool cover, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the implementation of FIG. 6 showing a portion of a deck and a guide cover, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an implementation of a concrete form extrusion, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 10 is a side view of the implementation of FIG. 9, in mating position with the encapsulation extrusion of FIG. 3, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the implementation of FIG. 10 showing the deck and other members, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the implementation of FIG. 9, alternately mated with the encapsulation extrusion of FIG. 2, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 13 is a side view of the implementation of FIG. 3 showing the encapsulation extrusion disposed in a pool wall with masonry, according to the present disclosure;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another implementation showing an encapsulation extrusion for concrete pool walls, according to the present disclosure; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a cover for the encapsulation extrusion implementation shown in FIG. 14; and  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 16 is a side view of the implementation of FIG. 14 showing the encapsulation extrusion disposed in a pool wall with masonry, according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
       [0032]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one implementation of the disclosure, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0033]    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 walls  14  surrounding the pool. An automatic 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 assembly  24  along the interior walls of the pool.  
         [0034]    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 assembly  24  may include structure to retain vinyl lining, coping forms and structure for fiber optic lighting running along the length of the pool.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 2 shows an implementation of an encapsulation extrusion  30  according to the present disclosure. Extrusion  30  has an elongated slot  32  running along the bottom thereof to provide a cavity for securing the vinyl liner bead (not shown). A three-sided rectangular elongated cavity  34  formed by a bottom wall  35 , a side wall  36  and a top wall  37 , runs the length of extrusion  30  for receiving a cover guide extrusion, discussed below.  
         [0036]    A bottom side  38  of top wall  37  includes protruding channels  39  and  40  that form grooves  41  and  42  for guiding the cover guide extrusion. Opposing elongated notches  43  and  44  are disposed in the bottom side  38  of top wall  37  and the top side  45  of bottom wall  35 , respectively for securing a track cover, described below.  
         [0037]    The top side  46  of top wall  37  includes an elongated lip  48  for securing a coping extrusion. Extending from the bottom of side wall  36  is an elongated L-shaped securing flange  50  running the length of the encapsulation extrusion. An elongated lip  52  extends from the end of flange  50  at approximately a right angle thereto. A small elongated groove (not shown) may be included to extend longitudinally along top side  46 .  
         [0038]    Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternate implementation is shown of an encapsulation extrusion  54  that is essentially identical to the implementation shown in FIG. 2, except for the addition of an elongated cavity  56  for securing fiber optic lighting. Cavity  56  is formed by a side wall  58  extending vertically between the bottom wall  35  and a top wall  31  forming elongated slot  32 . Wall  58  may be shaped as desired to accommodate the fiber optic tubing. Retaining lips  57  and  59  extend towards each other in the front of cavity  56  to retain the tubing.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 4A shows an implementation of a cover guide extrusion  60 , sized and shaped to fit inside the cavity  34  of the encapsulation extrusions  30  illustrated in FIG. 2 or  54  illustrated in FIG. 3. An elongated cavity  62  is formed in the cover guide extrusion  60  having an open side  64  for receiving the edge of a pool cover (not shown). The top wall  66  of cover guide extrusion  60  is shaped with elongated channels  67  and protrusions  68  that are adapted to engage the grooves  41  and  42  and the protruding channels  39  and  40  respectively (depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3) so that the cover guide extrusion is mated in cavity  34  with the encapsulation extrusions  30  or  54 .  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 4B discloses a guide support spacer extrusion  80  for wedging into the cavity  34  of the encapsulation extrusion  30  above or below the cover guide extrusion  60 , to secure extrusion  60  tightly in the cavity  34 . Spacer extrusion  80  may include elongated protrusions  82  to provide additional security.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 5 discloses an elongated clip-on coping extrusion  70  for mating to the top wall  37  of the encapsulation extrusion  30 . Extrusion  70  includes a flat member  72  having a lip  74  at one end and a slot  76  at the other end. A curved elongated member  78  is shaped to form the pool coping (not shown). Member  78  may be formed in any shape to provide the appearance desired for the coping. A lip  79  extends downward to secure the coping extrusion  70  to the top of encapsulation extrusions  30  or  54 , shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A snap hook extrusion  73  extends longitudinally along the undersurface of member  72  for further securing the coping extrusion  70 , as disclosed below. Looking now at FIG. 6, the elements separately shown in FIGS.  3 - 5  are shown functional connection with each other to form an encapsulation assembly  84 . Coping extrusion  70  is mated to encapsulation extrusion  54  by sliding lip  48  into slot  76  and by sliding lip  74  onto the end of top wall  37 , as shown. Coping extrusion  70  is further secured by mating snap hook extrusion  73  into groove  47 . Cover guide extrusion  60  is wedged in cavity  34  of encapsulation extrusion  54  by spacer extrusion  80 . A fiber optic tube  86  is secured in cavity  56 .  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 7 shows the same assembly  84  including a vinyl liner  89  in contact with a side wall  88  and having a beaded edge  90  secured within cavity  62  of the encapsulation extrusion  30 . A pool cover  92  is secured to assembly  84  by an elongated tubing  94  connected to the edge of cover  92  and secured in cavity  62 . Preferably tubing  94  is smaller than the dimensions of the cavity  62  so that it can move freely along the cavity  62  as the pool cover is extended or retracted. Lips  63  and  65  at the front of cavity  62  retain tubing  94  in cavity  62 . Support spacer extrusion  80  is pushed into the cavity  34  below the cover guide extrusion  60 .  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 8 shows another implementation of an encapsulation assembly  100  in which the encapsulated extrusion  30  of FIG. 2 is mated with the coping extrusion  70  of FIG. 5. Assembly  100  is embedded in an edge of a pool deck  102 . Curved coping member  78  shapes the edge of the pool deck  104  to the configuration of member  78 .  
         [0044]    In this implementation, a cover guide is not used, either because a pool cover is not deployed or because the encapsulation assembly is disposed on a back wall of the pool where a pool cover guide extrusion is not needed. In such instances, cavity  108  may be capped by a cover  106  for cosmetic and safety purposes. Cover  106  is secured by small flanges  109  and  110  that extend into cavity  108 . Tiny lips  11  land  113  at the end of flanges  109  and  110  mate with corresponding grooves, such as grooves  43  and  44  as shown in FIG. 2. Looking now at FIG. 9, a concrete form  110  is shown that can be attached to the encapsulation extrusions  30  or  54 , shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Form  110  is a generally L-shaped member having a bottom wall  112  and a side wall  114 . Bottom wall  112  includes channel  116  and protrusion  117  that are formed to mate with corresponding protrusion  39  and channel  42  in the bottom side  38  of top wall  37 , as shown in FIG. 3. Side wall  114  has a curvature  118  designed to shape the edge of the concrete decking of the pool. A channel  120  is formed along the back side of wall  114  for holding an alignment piece for aligning form  116  with adjacent form members. Opposing lip members  122  and  123  are formed to retain the alignment piece.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 10 shows the manner in which the concrete form  110  mates to the encapsulation extrusion  54 . Bottom wall  112  extends into the cavity  34  of extrusion  54  so that channel  116  and protrusion  117  mate with the corresponding protrusion  39  and channel  42  of the bottom part  38  of top wall  37  of extrusion  54 .  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 11 shows the concrete form  110  and encapsulation extrusion  54  completely mated. A concrete deck  122  is formed adjacent thereto, with the shape of side wall  114  of form  110  determining the curvature of the deck edging  124 . A spacer  126  is inserted into cavity  34  of encapsulation extrusion  54  to maintain the shape of the cavity during formation of the deck. Spacer  126  may be of any shape and material sufficient to maintain concrete form  110  snugly abutting the lower surface of encapsulation extrusion  54 . After the deck is formed, concrete form  110  is removed from cavity  34 , together with filler piece  126  so that the pool cover guide extrusion  60  can be inserted, as shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 12 show concrete form  110  mated with the encapsulation extrusion  30  shown in FIG. 2. FIGS. 11 and 12 together make it apparent that concrete form  110  will readily mate with both of the encapsulation extrusions  30  and  54  shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 13 shows the encapsulation extrusion  54  of FIG. 3 inset on the top of a pool wall  130 . Flange  50  and lip  52  extend into the mortar  132  above the wall  130  to secure the extrusion  54 . In this arrangement, masonry  134  is formed above extrusion  54  made of any appropriate material, such as brick, in any desirable shape to form an edge to the pool. In this situation, concrete form  110  or coping form  70  would not be required.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 14 shows an encapsulation extrusion  140  for use with gunite concrete pools rather than vinyl lined pools. In this implementation of the encapsulation extrusion no vinyl bead retention slot  32  or fiber optic cavity  56  are needed, as shown in the implementation of FIG. 3. Extrusion  140  has a bottom wall  142 , a side wall  144  and a top wall  146  which form a cavity  152 , similar to the shape of the other encapsulation extrusions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Also, a flange  143  with lip  145  extends from the intersection of bottom wall  142  and side wall  144 , for securing the encapsulation extrusion  140  in an appropriate medium, such as mortar.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 14 includes channels  148 ,  149  and protrusions  150 ,  151  to mate with the cover guide extrusion  60  shown in FIG. 4A. When the cover guide extrusion  60  is not used, such as in the absence of a pool cover or along the wall of the pool opposite the pool cover assembly, an encapsulation gap cover  159  can be applied to cover cavity  152 , as shown in FIG. 15. This arrangement is similar to the members shown in FIG. 8. Cover  159  includes flanges  154  and  155  each having tiny lips  156  and  157  that are designed to snap into elongated grooves  158   a,b.    
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 16 discloses the encapsulation extrusion  140  shown in FIG. 14 inset on the top of a pool wall  160 , similar to the implementation shown in FIG. 13. Flange  143  and lip  145  extend into mortar  162  to secure the extrusion  140 . Masonry  164  of any appropriate design and shape rest on top of the top wall  146  of extrusion  140 .  
         [0052]    As can be seen, the encapsulated track assembly of the present disclosure can take several different shapes, depending on the type of pool and the functions required, including securing the vinyl liner, holding fiber optic lighting, positioning form extrusions to form deck coping or edging and guiding pool cover edge members as the cover is retracted and extended. This This multiple purpose system is simple, easy to construct and install and relatively inexpensive.  
         [0053]    The encapsulated track assembly provides a simple means to insert a form for the decking into the assembly and then remove it for future use after the decking is formed. The concrete forms are reusable and are readily mated with the encapsulation assembly. Numerous additional advantages are apparent from the disclosure provided herein.  
         [0054]    Although the above implementations are representative of the present disclosure, other implementations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this specification and the appended claims, or from a practice of the implementations of the disclosed disclosure. It is intended that the specification and implementations therein be considered as exemplary only, with the present disclosure being defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Technology Category: 0