Device and method for generating a strong current in a swimming pool

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 7 for generating a strong current in a swimming pool with low energy consumption, in particular to a device in a special housing whose cross-section decreases transversely to the flow direction. A special underwater motor with a propeller that generates a strong current is arranged in this housing. The inclination of the longitudinal axis of the motor to the water surface can be easily adjusted, allowing the flow direction in the area of ​​the water surface to be adjusted according to the user's specific needs.

[0002] Such a device is described in WO 2015 / 176694 A1 for a swimming pool with an integrated countercurrent swimming system. The device for generating the strong current in a swimming pool consists of a housing made of two parts, in which a motor with a propeller is arranged. The housing is also designed to be flow-friendly. The cross-section of the housing tapers in the direction of flow and the angle α of the longitudinal axis of the motor to the horizontal water surface can be adjusted at least stepwise together with the two housing parts. However, the stepwise adjustment of the angle α to the water surface is only possible together with the housing and the motor.

[0003] The special feature of this ensemble of motor and housing is, among other things, that the motor only protrudes into the funnel-shaped part of the housing to about half its length for flow reasons.

[0004] Another publication, WO 2014 / 071536 A1, discloses a countercurrent system comprising a motor for generating a strong current in a housing. The housing is both height-adjustable and, by means of an active cylinder, the angle between the longitudinal axis of the drive motor and the water surface can be tilted. However, the flow enters the housing essentially through two side walls and the rear of the cuboid-shaped housing. Filters are arranged in the side walls to significantly slow down the unhindered entry of the water flow and prevent a laminar flow within the housing. To make matters worse, the inflowing water flows impinge almost perpendicularly on the water flows flowing in from the sides, which make up the majority of the flow, thereby creating strong turbulence within the housing.This alone requires a considerable, not insignificant, amount of energy to convert the turbulent flow into a laminar flow. Furthermore, the flow conditions within the housing do not appear to be flow-friendly due to the rectangular arrangement of the housing walls and the inlet openings.

[0005] Furthermore, the document CH 486 622 A discloses a swimming pool with a strong water current, which has a nozzle with a tapered housing and generates a strong water current in a swimming pool, but the current is actually generated by a pump.

[0006] Furthermore, the publication US 3,534,413 and US 3,820,173 disclose a nozzle arranged directly in the swimming pool which generates a strong current, whereby the round housing of the nozzle does not surround the drive for generating the current.

[0007] Such countercurrent systems are also known in the prior art from the document US 2015 / 0 295,397 A1. This document discloses, among other things, a vertically displaceable device in a swimming pool for generating waves in a current, in which a motor with a propeller is arranged in a multi-part housing. One part of the housing is truncated pyramid-shaped. The flow openings in the side walls of the housing lie in a plane with the side walls, and moreover, not all side walls of the housing have flow openings of the type that allow the pool water to flow in a turbulence-free and laminar manner, which means that considerable energy and technical expenditure is required to achieve a predetermined flow velocity within the swimming pool.Furthermore, the upper side wall of the housing does not have any flow openings. Instead, it serves both to ensure the mechanical stability of the multi-part housing and to accommodate a motor control unit, so that the upper side of the housing does not contribute to the flow-friendliness inside the housing. In addition, the openings in the other side walls are almost in line with the sides of the housing, so that this alone can cause strong turbulence in the flow when the liquid enters the housing, which can only be corrected with additional technical effort. Furthermore, the angle of the longitudinal axis of the motor to the horizontal water surface can only be adjusted by adjusting the longitudinal axis of the entire housing using a complex mechanism, which naturally requires considerable technical effort.

[0008] Furthermore, DE 20 2012 011 034 U1 discloses a device for generating a strong current in a swimming pool, which has a compact design and a relatively low power consumption. In this device, the drive consists of an underwater DC motor arranged in the inlet area of ​​a flow channel, with the ratio of the diameter (D) of the inlet opening to the diameter of the outlet opening (d) being no less than 1.3. The underwater DC motor, and thus also the drive, has a slim design, with a geometric ratio of length to the diameter of the drive housing being no less than 3.3.

[0009] Furthermore, such devices are known in the prior art from the document DE 33 13 549 A1. This document discloses a device for generating a liquid jet, which can also be used, among other things, in swimming pools to create a current. This device has a basic design consisting of an oval, cylindrical section, to which a section with an outlet nozzle is attached on one side, arranged at right angles to the axis of the cylindrical section. This right-angled arrangement has a detrimental effect on the flow conditions and the energy required by the drive. Furthermore, the water is sucked in through oblong openings perpendicular to the direction of flow, which has a negative effect on the energy required by the drive and, on the other hand, has an adverse effect on the laminar flow within the device.Furthermore, the underwater motor is completely housed within the cylindrical section of the housing, creating high flow resistance within the cylindrical housing section, which requires a high energy input to overcome this flow resistance. No details are provided regarding the design of the underwater motor.

[0010] Another device is known in the prior art from DE 24 01 040, which describes a countercurrent swimming system for swimming pools. An underwater motor is arranged in a tubular housing with its longitudinal axis parallel to the wall of the pool. The outlet nozzle is rotated 90° to the longitudinal axis of the drive motor or tubular housing, with the cross-section of the water outlet nozzle tapering relative to the cross-section of the housing. The cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle is between 120 and 130 sq cm, with an outlet velocity of 1 m / sec and a power consumption of 1–1.2 kW.

[0011] Conventional counter-current swimming systems for private use generally consist of a centrifugal pump, inlet nozzles, one or more outlet nozzles, connecting lines and pipes, and an electric control system. The pump draws water from the pool through one or more intake openings and expels it back into the pool at increased speed via nozzles.

[0012] Such pump systems operate at pressures greater than 5 bar and require installed electrical power ranging from 1.9 kW to over 5.5 kW. The pumps are driven by conventional asynchronous motors, and the pump output is partially controlled by static frequency converters. Due to the nature of the system, the line seals and shaft seals are subject to constant wear and require at least annual maintenance.

[0013] A disadvantage of the cited prior art is that, on the one hand, the side walls of the housing in which the flow-generating motor is arranged are at least partially closed, so that the water flow cannot penetrate the side walls, and, on the other hand, the side walls of the housing are almost perpendicular to one another, which adversely affects both the flow into and out of the housing, resulting in a laminar, powerful flow. Furthermore, it is perceived as a disadvantage that the flow direction within the swimming pool can generally only be adjusted by pivoting the longitudinal axis of the entire housing. As a result, the design of comparable systems known in the prior art is technically too complex and too bulky, which unnecessarily increases costs.

[0014] Based on the prior art described above, the object of the present invention is to create both the power consumption and the flow direction of a device for generating a strong current in a swimming pool with little technical effort and to keep the construction costs low while at the same time minimizing maintenance and wear of the device.

[0015] This problem is solved by the characterising features of the main claims.

[0016] The device according to the invention for generating a strong current in a swimming pool with a housing in which a motor with a propeller is arranged, wherein the housing is designed to be flow-friendly and the cross section of the housing tapers in the direction of flow and the angle αthe longitudinal axis of the motor in the housing is adjustable at least stepwise to the horizontal water surface, is characterized in that the housing is pyramid-shaped and asymmetrical and has four sides, two of which are identical and the upper side and the lower side are differently designed, wherein the sides meet at the pyramid edges and that the housing has at least no sharp edges, wherein the edges on the side surfaces of the housing are rounded and the projection of the center point of the upper cut surface of the front plate of the housing tapering in the flow direction does not coincide with the center point of the base surface and that the openings in the side surfaces of the housing extend almost over the entire surface in a trough-shaped formation, wherein the openings (8, 8', 8") of the side surfaces are closed off with at least one perforated plate (9) in such a way thatthat the flow of the liquid (water) is met with only a slight resistance.

[0017] It is advantageous in the above-mentioned device that the housing is either truncated pyramid-shaped or truncated cone-shaped or truncated tetrahedron-shaped in a flow-friendly design.

[0018] It is also advantageous that the side surfaces of the housing are essentially open, wherein the openings of the side surfaces are closed with at least one perforated plate in such a way that only a small resistance is encountered to the flow of the liquid (water).

[0019] Furthermore, it is advantageous that the perforated sheet in the openings of the side surfaces of the truncated pyramid-shaped housing has at least 800 freely selectable holes per square meter.

[0020] It is also advantageous that the virtual tip of the housing is arranged asymmetrically, i.e. that the projection of the tip of the pyramid is not in the center of the base area of ​​the housing.

[0021] A further advantage is that the openings in the side surfaces of the housing extend almost over the entire surface in a trough-shaped formation, whereby the side walls of the trough are not necessarily straight, but can also be curved surfaces that have no corners and edges, which at least does not impede the laminar flow of the flow.

[0022] Furthermore, it is advantageous that an adjustment mechanism is mounted between the base plate of the housing and the flow-generating motor for generating the strong current, with which the longitudinal axis of the motor can be adjusted in its inclination to the water surface of the swimming pool.

[0023] A further advantage is that the waterproof motor housing is connected at one end to an insert plate with a U-shaped cross-section and at its other end is engaged with a retaining plate via predetermined holes in the retaining plate.

[0024] It is also advantageous that the retaining plate is U-shaped in cross section and L-shaped in side view.

[0025] Furthermore, it is advantageous that the retaining plate is attached to the base plate of the housing with at least one tab.

[0026] Furthermore, it is advantageous that at least one adjustable support element is attached to the retaining plate in such a way that the height of the support element is variable.

[0027] It is also advantageous that the fine adjustment of the angle a of the motor axis to the horizontal water surface can also be carried out outside the housing using the adjustable support element.

[0028] Furthermore, it is advantageous that the support element has a threaded rod at the lower end which engages with an internal thread in the retaining plate.

[0029] It is also advantageous that a joint designed as a ball joint is arranged at the upper region of the support element.

[0030] A further advantage is that an intermediate piece is arranged on the ball joint, which is rotatably engaged with a flat fastening element below the engine housing at one end.

[0031] Finally, a further advantage is that the coarse adjustment of the angle a between 0° and 15° of the motor axis to the horizontal water surface is set by predetermined locking positions and the fine adjustment can also be carried out outside the housing by means of a threaded rod on the support element.

[0032] It is also advantageous that the sides of the housing have openings which are at least partially covered with a perforated sheet and the free areas of the perforated sheet are between 55 and 80%, whereby the shape of the recesses (holes) in the perforated sheet can be freely selected.

[0033] According to the invention, the openings in the side surfaces of the housing extend almost over the entire surface in a trough-shaped configuration.

[0034] The method according to the invention for generating a strong current with the aid of a device described where in a swimming pool with a housing in which a motor with a propeller is arranged, wherein the housing is designed such that the cross-section of the housing tapers in the direction of flow and the angle α of the longitudinal axis of the motor to the horizontal water surface can be adjusted at least stepwise using simple means, is characterized in that the housing is pyramid-shaped and asymmetrical, so that the projection of the center point of the upper cut surface of the front plate of the housing tapering in the direction of flow does not coincide with the center point of the base area, so that the flow of the liquid (water) is opposed only by a slight resistance and the trough-like depressions in the sides of the housing are formed essentially funnel-shaped,The side walls of the funnel do not necessarily have to be straight; they can also be curved to avoid sharp edges.

[0035] Further advantageous properties and features can be found in the subclaims and the description.

[0036] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic front view of the device (1) with a housing (3) in which a flow-generating motor (4) with a propeller (5) is arranged; Fig. 2 a schematic side view of the housing (3) of the device (1); Fig. 3 a schematic perspective view of the housing (3); Fig. 4 a schematic perspective view of the motor with the adjustment mechanism with which the angle αthe longitudinal axis of the motor (4) is adjusted to the horizontal surface of the water level; Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of the motor (4) with the adjustment mechanism at the rear end of the motor (4); Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of the motor (4) at one end of which the adjustment mechanism is arranged and at the other end a propeller (5); Fig. 7 is a schematic front view of the motor (4) with propeller (5) and the adjustment mechanism.

[0037] The Fig. 1shows a schematic front view of an embodiment of the device 1 with a housing 3, in which a flow-generating motor 4 with a propeller 5 is arranged in a swimming pool 2. The truncated pyramid-like housing is asymmetrical and has four sides 7, 7', 7‴, of which two sides 7 are identical and the upper side 7' and the lower side 7" are designed differently. The sides 7, 7' and 7" meet at the pyramid edges 6, wherein the edges are rounded in order to obtain better flow conditions at the edges, so that there is no interruption of the laminar flow of the swimming pool water when flowing into the openings 8, 8', 8". The openings 8, 8', 8" in the sides 7, 7', 7" are trough-shaped, i.e.The sides of the troughs are funnel-shaped, with the bases of each trough being occupied by a perforated plate 9, each with a relatively high hole density. The shape of the openings and holes can be freely selected. The decisive factor for the perforated plate is the so-called free area, through which the water can flow unhindered, so that the flow resistance is relatively low.

[0038] The free area should be between approximately 55-80% of the total area, so that the laminar flow encounters only minimal flow resistance. Flow guide elements 10 are arranged in the round opening 13 in the front plate 14 of the truncated pyramid-shaped housing 3. These elements serve to prevent the flow generated by the propeller 5 from being unnecessarily swirled, thereby at least mitigating a strong current within the swimming pool. The asymmetry of the truncated pyramid-shaped housing 3, together with the flow-friendly design of the trough-shaped openings 8, 8', 8", results in optimal flow conditions within the housing 3, which, among other things, minimizes the energy consumption of the motor 4 for flow generation.

[0039] The Fig. 2shows a schematic side view of the housing 3 of the device 1. This shows that the upper side 7' and the lower side 7' of the housing 3 are designed differently, so that the combined sides 7, 7', 7" form an asymmetrical truncated pyramid-shaped housing 3. The lateral asymmetry in the housing 3 promotes the flow or the flow velocity in the vicinity of the center line of the water flow. The base plate 12 of the housing 3 serves, among other things, to attach the device 1 to the swimming pool wall, which is not shown here.

[0040] The Fig. 3shows a schematic perspective view of the housing 3 of the device 1, from which the trough-like depressions in the sides 7, 7' are clearly visible. The trough-like depressions in the sides of the housing are essentially funnel-shaped, whereby the side walls of the funnel do not necessarily have to be straight, but can equally be curved, so that no sharp edges are created that could impede the laminar flow. The base area of ​​the troughs is formed by a perforated plate 9, which has a relatively large free area of ​​approximately 55-80%. The front part of the housing 3 is composed of various seat elements 6', 6", which form a structural unit with the front plate 14. Flow guide elements 10 are arranged behind the round opening 13 in the front plate 14, which ensure that the flow exits the housing with low flow losses.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the motor 4 with an adjustment mechanism arranged in the rear part, with which the angle αthe longitudinal axis of the motor 4 to the horizontal water surface of the swimming pool 2. The adjustment mechanism essentially consists of three components: a beveled, U-shaped insert plate 15' in cross-section, a holding plate 15, and a support element 18, 20, 21 composed of several parts, as described in more detail below. A propeller 5 is arranged on the shaft 17 of the motor 4, with which a very strong, adjustable current is generated within the swimming pool when the propeller 5 rotates. The strong current depends on the speed of the motor 4 and can be adjusted from the outside as desired. At the end of the motor 4 opposite the propeller 5, a U-shaped insert plate 15' is connected to the flange 24' of the motor housing 11 and is connected to the flange 24' of the motor 4.At least one bore 16 is machined into each of the legs of the U-shaped bent insert plate 15' and the holding plate 15, through which a locking element (not shown here), such as a screw or a bolt, is inserted in order to roughly adjust the angle. αto the water surface, for example 0° or 3° or 5° or 8° or 10°, which is determined by the user. The U-shaped insert plate 15' is arranged between two legs of the holding element 15, which has a U-shaped cross-section and an L-shaped side view, which is detachably fastened to the base plate 12 of the truncated pyramid-shaped housing 3 by means of at least one tab 23, as already mentioned above. In the rear third of the motor 4, a support element 18, 20, 21 is arranged at a suitable point below the motor, which support element 18, 20, 21 serves on the one hand to absorb forces acting on the housing 11 of the motor 4 and on the other hand to enable fine adjustment of the angle a of the longitudinal axis of the motor 4 to the water surface.

[0042] The Figure 5shows a schematic side view of the motor 4 with the adjustment mechanism, which is composed of several components, as already mentioned above. The motor 4 is arranged in a watertight housing 11, the shaft of which - not shown here - is rotatably mounted in two flanges 24, 24'. A propeller 5 is arranged on the shaft 17, which generates a strong current when the shaft rotates. In the rear part of the motor 4, below the motor, there is a fastening element 22 connected to the motor housing 11, which is connected to the support element via an intermediate piece 21 and partially absorbs the forces acting on the housing 11 of the motor 4. In order to adjust the angle αto the water surface in the first place, the intermediate piece 21 of the entire support element is rotatably connected at the pivot point 25 to the fastening element 22, wherein the pivot point 25 is arranged below the motor housing 11. The holding element 15, which is L-shaped in side view, practically serves as a frame for the entire adjustment mechanism of the longitudinal axis of the motor 4. Furthermore, an absolutely watertight cable feedthrough 26 is arranged on the flange 24', which introduces both the control lines and the current-carrying wires for the motor 4 into the interior of the motor housing 11.

[0043] The Figure 6shows a schematic plan view of the motor 4, at one end of which an adjustment mechanism is arranged and at the opposite end of the motor 4, the propeller 5 is arranged on the shaft 17 of the motor. The motor 4 with its housing 11 is firmly connected to the U-shaped insert plate 15', so that the up and down movement of the U-shaped insert plate 15' is transmitted directly to the housing 11 of the motor 4. In order to coarsely adjust the angle α to the water surface, the locking elements 27 are guided through the aligned holes 16 of the holding plate 15 and the U-shaped insert plate 15', so that a detachable connection is created between the U-shaped insert plate 15' and the holding plate 15.

[0044] The Figure 7shows a schematic front view of the motor 4 with the propeller 5 on the shaft 17 of the motor 4 and a part of the adjustment mechanism below the motor 4. The support element for absorbing the forces acting on the motor housing 11 is composed of several components. The intermediate piece 21 of the support element is rotatably connected to the fastening element 22 below the motor housing 11 of the motor 4. Below the intermediate piece 21, a joint 20 is arranged, which is designed as a ball joint. Below the joint 20, a sleeve 29 with an internal thread is arranged, into which a threaded rod 18 engages, with which the fine adjustment of the angle α to the water surface of the swimming pool, with the threaded rod 18 being secured against rotation with a lock nut 28 on the holding element 15. The two tabs 23 on the holding element 15 serve to attach the adjustment mechanism to the base plate 12 of the housing 3.

[0045] In summary, it can be stated that the present invention presents a device 1 with a special housing 3 into which an underwater motor 4 with an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angle α between the longitudinal axis of the motor 4 and the water surface of the pool. The cross-section of the housing 3 tapers in the direction of the flow, with the sides of the housing 3 being shaped to be flow-friendly, so that the laminar flow of the water into the housing 3 is not disturbed by turbulence. With an adjustment mechanism within the housing 3, different angles can be α to the water surface both coarsely and finely in order to achieve an optimum flow at the water surface of swimming pool 2.

Claims

1. Device (1) for generating a strong current in a swimming pool (2) with a housing (3) in which a motor (4) with a propeller (5) is arranged, the housing (3) being designed to be flow-friendly, the cross section of the housing (3) tapering in the direction of flow and the angle α of the longitudinal axis of the motor (4) in the housing (3) to the horizontal water surface being adjustable at least step by step, characterized in that the housing (3) is truncated pyramid-shaped and asymmetrical and has four sides (7, 7', 7‴), of which two sides (7) are identical and the upper side (7') and the lower side (7") are designed differently, the sides (7,7',7") meeting at the pyramid edges (6) and that the housing (3) has at least no sharp edges, the edges (6) on the side surfaces (7,7',7‴) of the housing (3) being rounded are formed, wherein the projection of the center of the upper cut surface of the front plate (14) of the housing (3) tapering in the direction of flow does not coincide with the center of the base surface (12) and that the openings (8,8', 8") in the side surfaces (7,7',7") of the housing (3) extend almost over the entire surface in a trough-shaped formation, wherein the openings (8,8', 8") of the side surfaces are closed off with at least one perforated plate (9) in such a way that only a small resistance is opposed to the flow of the liquid (water).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (3) is formed in the shape of a truncated pyramid or a truncated cone or a truncated tetrahedron in a flow-friendly design.

3. Device according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the sides (7, 7', 7") of the housing (3) have openings (8, 8', 8") which are at least partially occupied by a perforated sheet (9) and the free areas of the perforated sheet (9) are between 55 and 80%, the shape of the recesses (holes) in the perforated sheet being freely selectable.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motor housing (11) is connected at one end to a sheet (15') bent in a U-shaped cross-section, which at one end is in engagement with a holding sheet (15) via fixed holes (16) in the holding sheet (15).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a support element (20, 21) which is adjustably attached to a holding plate (15), the height of the support element (18, 20, 21) being adjustable and variable.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding plate (15) is attached to the base plate (12) of the housing (3) with at least one tab (23).

7. Method for generating a strong current with the aid of a device according to claims 1 - 6 in a swimming pool (2) with a housing (3) in which a motor (4) with a propeller (5) is arranged, the housing (3) being designed such that the cross section of the housing (3) tapers in the direction of flow and the angle α of the longitudinal axis of the motor (4) to the horizontal water surface can be adjusted at least step by step using simple means, characterized in that the housing (3) is designed in the shape of a truncated pyramid and asymmetrically, so that the projection of the center of the upper cut surface of the front plate (14) of the housing (3) tapering in the direction of flow does not coincide with the center of the base surface (12), so that the flow of the liquid (water) is only met with a small resistance and the sides of the truncated pyramid-shaped housing (3) are designed with trough-like depressions which are essentially funnel-shaped, the side walls of the funnel not necessarily having to be straight, but can be designed to be curved in the same way so that no sharp edges are created that could hinder the laminar flow.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the rough setting of the angle α between 0° and 15° of the motor axis to the horizontal water surface is set by predetermined locking positions and the fine adjustment can also be carried out outside the housing (3) by means of a threaded element (18) on the support element (20, 21).

9. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the side surfaces (7, 7', 7") of the housing (3) are designed to be open, the openings (8, 8', 8") of the side surfaces (7, 7', 7") being closed off with at least one perforated plate (9) in such a way that only a small resistance is opposed to the flow of the liquid (water).