Method for constructing a modular, self-supporting structure to create a basin such as a swimming pool, construction kit and resulting basin

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for constructing a self-supporting structure (200) to create a basin (2) such as a swimming pool. The self-supporting structure is built from a kit of prefabricated parts comprising straight panels (10) of identical or different widths, corner posts (20, 21, 22) of identical or different shapes, struts (30), height adjustment devices (50), and edge profiles (40). The panels and corner posts are assembled side by side, without tools, by a simple vertical interlocking of tongues and perforations of complementary shapes. The resulting joints (J) are free of play in the horizontal axes and each is locked by a strut (30) that extends partially under the panels inside the perimeter of the basin. The panels also include horizontal stiffeners, the number and distribution of which vary according to requirements.The self-supporting structure is modular and allows for customization of the shape and location of a pool. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig 2.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for constructing a modular self-supporting structure for creating a basin such as a swimming pool, construction kit and basin obtained Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of constructing a modular self-supporting structure for creating a basin such as a swimming pool, said self-supporting structure comprising at least a plurality of straight panels arranged to be assembled side by side in order to form the walls of the basin defining at least in part the outline of said basin, and a plurality of struts associated with all or part of said straight panels and arranged at least in part around said self-supporting structure.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a construction kit for implementing said construction method, and a basin defined by said modular self-supporting structure and obtained by said construction method. Prior art

[0003] The applicant's swimming pools sold in kit form are well known to the public, in particular for their free and customizable shape, their simple and quick installation that can be carried out by oneself, and their quality / price ratio. These swimming pools comprise a self-supporting structure, of modular construction, from prefabricated panels, and can be buried or mounted above ground, in accordance with publication FR 2 420 626 A1 belonging to the applicant. The panels are made of horizontally corrugated sheets, punched, to be assembled by bolting in the hollow of waves in the overlapping zones. They can be straight or curved in order to obtain a free-form supporting structure. The watertightness of the pool is ensured by a flexible PVC pocket, commonly called a liner, fixed to the periphery of the supporting structure by an edge profile.This self-supporting structure, although very advantageous for creating free forms, is however not suitable for the construction of geometrically shaped pools, for example rectangular, in an economical manner. Indeed, it requires a significant number of struts, and therefore a longer assembly time and a higher cost.

[0004] Publication FR 3 084 387 B1 describes a modular self-supporting structure for the construction of above-ground swimming pools. It consists of a plurality of straight and rigid metal panels, comprising side and upper wings obtained by folding the sheet metal of the panels to create vertical stiffeners and coping supports. The panels are assembled together by bolting the stiffeners positioned back to back. This construction technique is particularly tedious and expensive: it requires the precise creation of a flat and level clean slab, the positioning and temporary support of each panel in relation to another panel before assembly, the use of an inconsiderate number of bolts, the screwing of all the bolts with a controlled tightening force, and the use of skilled workers. The same disadvantages arise in the self-supporting structure proposed in publication FR 2 843 769 Al, the panels being assembled together by intermediate posts to which they are bolted.

[0005] Other construction methods use straight and rigid metal panels, assembled not by bolting but by snapping tabs into openings provided in the side wings of the panels, as in publication FR 2 829 788 A1. This is a self-locking assembly obtained by interlocking perpendicular to the plane of the panels. In addition, the panels include formwork for pouring concrete pillars on site. These shuttering panels are heavy to handle, require the use of skilled labor, and the reinforcement of the pillars before pouring the concrete. The assembly of a self-supporting structure of this type represents at least one to two days of work. This construction technique is not of interest to the invention.

[0006] Publication FR 2 846 991 A1 proposes to do away with a bolted assembly, by an assembly profile fitted vertically around and along the side wings of two adjacent panels. This assembly profile can be equipped with a strut. This construction technique is however laborious to implement because each junction between two adjacent panels requires the assembly profile to be fitted vertically starting from the top of the panels towards the bottom of the panels. Generally, the height of the panels of a swimming pool structure is at least 1 meter and can extend up to 1.5 meters or more, hence the inherent difficulty of this assembly process and the risk of injury. Statement of the invention

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a new self-supporting structure for swimming pools, offered as a kit of prefabricated parts, designed to be modular, customizable, easy and quick to install, in less than a day, without any particular skill or difficulty, able to be installed buried, semi-buried, above ground or a combination between these installation methods if the ground is sloping, simple and economical to produce, requiring only a reduced number of part references to be manufactured, stored, transported and managed.

[0008] For this purpose, the invention relates to a construction method of the type indicated in the preamble, characterized in that the method consists of:

[0009] - assembling said straight panels together and to corner posts to form a closed or partial pelvic contour, - use straight panels and corner posts each provided with two lateral joining wings at right angles comprising complementary interlocking shapes with vertical interlocking, - to assemble said straight panels together and to said corner posts, position the corresponding joining wings back to back and move any one of a panel or post relative to any other of a panel or post in vertical translation parallel to the plane of the panels to fit said corresponding complementary fitting shapes and create a junction.

[0010] Said construction method further consists of using complementary interlocking shapes arranged to produce a junction without play in the horizontal axes.

[0011] It also consists of: using struts each comprising at least one oblique reinforcement branch secured to a horizontal support branch, arranging each strut outside the contour of the pool by positioning the horizontal support branch under said panels so that it extends partly outside and partly inside the contour of the pool, and fixing the oblique reinforcement branch of each strut at a junction to lock said junction.

[0012] The construction method may comprise positioning height adjustment devices under said corner posts and / or said struts to level said self-supporting structure and plumb said panels.

[0013] Preferably, it consists of using straight panels reinforced by horizontal stiffeners provided on the back of the panels, and of selecting at least the number and distribution of said horizontal stiffeners over the height of said panels to adapt the resistance of the panels to the characteristics and type of installation of the basin and to the nature of the backfill.

[0014] Advantageously, the construction method consists of using at least two different widths of straight panels and combining the straight panels of different widths to construct a pool of custom dimensions. It may consist of using only three different widths of straight panels whose width ratios are such that L1 / L0 = ¾ and L2 / L0 = / 2, to obtain a pitch = % of L0 and thus meet said custom dimensions of a pool.

[0015] According to the embodiment variants, the construction method consists of using at least two different heights of straight panels and distributing panels of a first height over a first part of the pool and panels of a second height over a second part of the pool to construct a pool with at least two depths.

[0016] It may further consist of using corner posts of different shapes to construct a pool provided with identical or different angles chosen from the group comprising an inward or outward right angle, a broken angle, an angle between 1° and 89°, an angle between 91 and 179°, a rounded angle.

[0017] Preferably, the construction method consists of overlapping an edge profile at the top of at least the straight panels over all or part of the contour of the pool to attach a flexible pocket for sealing the pool and improve the alignment of the top of the panels.

[0018] It may finally consist of creating a formwork around the pool and casting a slab in a hardenable material, after construction of said self-supporting structure, to produce in a single operation a sole inside and outside the contour of the pool and simultaneously anchoring the struts and adjustment devices.

[0019] The object of the invention is also achieved by a kit for building a modular self-supporting structure for creating a basin such as a swimming pool, characterized in that it comprises at least straight panels, corner posts, struts, height adjustment devices and edge profiles arranged to implement the construction method as described above.

[0020] The invention also relates to a basin such as a swimming pool comprising a modular self-supporting structure obtained by the construction method described above, characterized in that it comprises walls forming a contour chosen from the group comprising a square, a rectangle, a polygon with more than four sides, an oblong, said contour comprising identical or different angles chosen from the group comprising an incoming or outgoing right angle, a broken angle, an angle between 1° and 89°, an angle between 91 and 179°, a rounded angle.

[0021] The basin can have a single depth or at least two zones of different depths, and can be installed in a buried, semi-buried or above-ground configuration. Brief description of the drawings

[0022] The present invention and its advantages will appear better in the following description of several embodiments given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0023] [Fig-1] is a perspective view of a self-supporting structure according to the invention for form a single-depth basin,

[0024] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of another self-supporting structure according to the invention for forming a double-depth basin,

[0025] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of two panels forming the structures of Figures 1 and 2, before assembly,

[0026] [Fig.4] is an enlarged view of detail IV of the panels of [Fig.3], before assembly,

[0027] [Fig.5] is a sectional view of detail IV of the panels of [Fig.3], after as assembly,

[0028] [Fig.6] is an enlarged perspective view of a right angle of the auto structure bearing of [Fig.2],

[0029] [Fig.7] is an enlarged perspective view of a curved corner of the auto structure bearing of [Fig.l],

[0030] [Fig.8] is an enlarged perspective view of a right angle broken from another self-supporting structure according to the invention,

[0031] [Fig.9] is an enlarged perspective view of a right portion of the auto structure bearing of [Fig.2],

[0032] [Fig. 10] is a side view of the right portion of [Fig.9] at a strut. Description of the embodiments

[0033] In the illustrated embodiments, identical elements or parts bear the same reference numbers. Furthermore, terms which have a relative meaning, such as vertical, horizontal, right, left, front, rear, above, below, etc. must be interpreted under normal conditions of use of the invention, and as shown in the figures. The X, Y, Z axes are defined by an orthonormal reference system illustrated in [Fig.l]. Furthermore, the geometric positions indicated in the description and the claims, such as “perpendicular”, “parallel”, “symmetrical” are not limited to the strict sense defined in geometry, but extend to geometric positions which are close, that is to say which accept a certain tolerance in the technical field considered, without influence on the result obtained.This tolerance is notably introduced by the adverb “sensiblement”, without this term necessarily being repeated before each adjective.

[0034] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate two different examples of self-supporting structures 100, 200 according to the invention to illustrate the modularity and customization of the basin 1, 2 obtained with the construction method according to the invention.

[0035] In [Fig.l], the self-supporting structure 100 comprises walls which define a substantially rectangular outline of the basin 1, comprising two large sides 101 and two small sides 102, 103, the small side 102 located on the right of the figure is connected to the large sides 101 by two right angles 104 and the small side 103 located on the left of the figure is connected to the large sides by two rounded angles 105 extending over 90°. It comprises straight panels 10 and corner posts 20, 21 of the same height Hl, to create a basin 1 of a single depth.

[0036] In this example, the long sides 101 each comprise the same number of panels 10, including five panels of length L1, and one panel of length L2 positioned substantially in the middle part, L2 being less than L1. The short sides 102, 103 each comprise a different number of panels 10 adapted to the accessories provided in the pool. The right short side 102 comprises two panels of length L1, one panel of length L2 and one panel of length L3, L3 being less than L2, the smallest panels being positioned in the middle part in the example shown, without this arrangement being obligatory, since any other arrangement of the panels is possible. The left short side 103 comprises two panels of length L2 and one panel of length L1 positioned in the center and comprising an opening 3 for receiving a suction mouth (not shown) of a filtration system.Any other combination of panel widths and panel layout may be suitable.

[0037] The self-supporting structure 101 further comprises struts 30 arranged outside the basin 1 at each junction J between two adjacent panels 10 and, as required, between a panel 10 and an adjacent corner post 20, 21. In this example, it comprises nineteen struts 30, including six per long side 101, three on the short right side 102, and four on the short left side 103. Finally, it comprises straight edge profiles 40 and curved edge profiles (not shown) according to the shape of the corners, attached by interlocking, clipping and / or screwing to the top of the straight panels 10. These edge profiles 40 are arranged to overlap the junctions J between the panels 10.They are assembled end to end to extend over the contour of the pool 1, stiffen said contour, improve the alignment of the top of the panels, hang a flexible waterproofing pocket such as a liner (not shown), support coping stones (not shown) arranged around the pool and / or support an exterior cladding (not shown), in particular when the pool 1 is installed above ground or semi-buried.

[0038] In [Fig.2], the self-supporting structure 200 defines an outline of the rectangular basin 2, comprising two large sides 201 and two small sides 202, 203, the small sides 202, 203 being connected to the large sides 201 by right angles 204. It comprises straight panels 10 and corner posts 20 of two different heights H1 and H2, to create a basin 2 having two zones of different depths H1 and H2.

[0039] In this example, the long sides 201 each comprise the same number of panels 10, including two panels of length L0 and height H2, three panels of length L1 and height H1, and one panel of length L2 and height H1, L2 being less than L1 and L1 being less than L0. The short sides 202, 203 each comprise a different number of panels 10 adapted to the accessories provided in the pool. and to the depths of the basin 2. The small right side 202 has three panels of length L2 of height H1 and two panels of length L3 of height H1 positioned at the ends, the panel of length L2 positioned in the center having an opening 3 to receive a suction mouth (not shown). Any other combination of panel widths and panel arrangement may be suitable. The small left side 203 has two panels of length LO of height H2 and one panel of length L2 of height H2 positioned in the center.

[0040] The self-supporting structure 200 comprises, in this example, sixteen struts 30, including five on each long side 201, four on the short right side 202, and two on the short left side 203. It finally comprises edge profiles 40 attached to the top of the straight panels 10 and placed end to end to extend over the entire contour of the basin 2 in order to fix a flexible sealing bag, such as a liner.

[0041] In these two non-limiting examples, the straight panels 10 have different widths to create a pool 1, 2 of length and width adapted to the customer's choice, but also to meet the specifications in terms of resistance to the pressure of the water and / or the earth depending on the location of the pool (buried, semi-buried, above ground). In addition, the determination of the width of the panels 10 also takes into account the best compromise between the strength of the self-supporting structure and the number of panels 10 and struts 30. Thus, the majority of wide straight panels 10 will be chosen to limit the number of panels and the number of struts 30.

[0042] The choice of the widths of the panels L0, L1 and L2 makes it possible to cover all the demands, in accordance with the demonstration below.

[0043] Hypothesis 1: Ratio L1 / L0 = ¾ For example, if L0 = 80 cm and Ll = 60 cm, then we obtain a step of 20 cm, which allows us to create all pool dimensions. The disadvantage may be that there is an even number of panels on the short sides. In this case, the short sides have a J junction between two panels in the middle, which makes it impossible to center the skimmer and / or a projector requiring cutting.

[0044] Hypothesis 2: Ratio L1 / L0 = ¾ and ratio L2 / L0 = / 2

[0045] For example if L0 = 80 cm, L1 = 60 cm and L2 = 40 cm, we always obtain a step of 20 cm, with the possibility of having an odd number of panels on one and / or the other of the short sides, which allows the centering of a part to be sealed, such as a projector, a skimmer, a counter-current swimming, etc.

[0046] By extrapolating, if L0 = modulus of X cm, and if L1 and L2 respect the ratios above, we obtain by combining the three widths L0, L1 and L2, a step corresponding to % of modulus of X cm. With this unique combination of three widths, it is possible to significantly optimize the supply chain as well as the number of re differences to manage. For example: if LO = 1 m, then L1 = 75 cm and L2 = 50 cm, and step = 25 cm.

[0047] Then nothing prevents making panels of width 2L0 or 3L0 to reduce the number of panels to be mounted (to the detriment of the number of references to be managed industrially).

[0048] The straight panels 10 are illustrated in more detail in Figures 3 to 5. They are each made of a flat and substantially rectangular metal sheet 11, punched in its lateral edges to create two opposite lateral joining wings 12, 13. The joining wings 12, 13 are obtained by a double right-angle folding of the lateral edges of the sheet 11, to create joining wings having a C-shaped cubic section. The same applies to the upper 14 and lower 15 edges of the sheet to create a stiffening frame all around the panel 10 having a C-shaped cubic section.

[0049] The straight panels 10 further comprise horizontal stiffeners 16 attached and fixed to the back of each panel. The horizontal stiffeners 16 may have a cubic section in the shape of a C, an Omega or similar. They fit between the joining wings 12, 13 and may be fixed to the back of the panel 10 by welding, riveting or the like. The number and distribution of the horizontal stiffeners 16 over the height of each panel 10 are variable and adapted to the strength that each panel must have to resist on one side the pressure of the water contained in the basin and on the other side the pressure of the backfill provided around all or part of the basin. The strength of the panels is therefore determined according to the specifications of the basin and its layout, the nature of the backfill in particular, but also the initial length L0 of the panel.Each panel 10 is therefore modular and can be created to measure according to the specifications of the pool to be manufactured. Characteristics such as height, width, number of horizontal stiffeners 16 and distribution in the height of the panel can be modified as desired. This adaptation is also very easy to achieve given that the panels 10 are made from flat metal sheets 11, cut, stamped, and folded on traditional, existing manufacturing machines, requiring no specific investment.

[0050] The lateral joining wings 12, 13 of the panels 10 comprise complementary FEC interlocking shapes with vertical interlocking. In the example shown, the complementary FEC interlocking shapes comprise on one of the joining wings 13 hollow female shapes, such as rectangular perforations 17 aligned vertically, and on the opposite joining wing 12 raised male shapes, such as tabs 18 cut and folded to project externally and oriented towards the top of the panel. All the panels 10 are standardized in the sense that they each comprise the same male and female shapes constituting the complementary FEC nesting shapes, reducing the number of references to be produced and facilitating their assembly.

[0051] The complementary FEC interlocking shapes are defined in such a way that once assembled, the junction J obtained is without play in the horizontal axes X and Y, thus eliminating any lateral play both perpendicular and parallel to the plane of the straight panels 10. The complementarity of the FECs therefore guarantees a play-free assembly, which guarantees the correct alignment of the panels 10 in the plane of said panels. The tongue 18 therefore has a substantially trapezoidal shape, its base being wider than its top. The perforation 17 may be rectangular or square in shape, the top of the perforation having the same dimension as the base of the tongue 18. The offset of the tongue 18 is furthermore equivalent to the thickness of the wall of the female junction wing 13 comprising the perforation 17.

[0052] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the method of assembling two adjacent straight panels 10. The panels 10 are brought together according to the arrow F1 to present their corresponding joining wings 12, 13 back to back, so that each tab 18 is located opposite a perforation 17 ([Fig.4]). One of the panels 10 is moved relatively to the other panel 10 in vertical translation according to the arrow F2, parallel to the plane of the panels, for example from top to bottom, to fit the perforations 17 into the bottom of the tabs 18 and assemble the panels 10 in a contiguous manner ([Fig.5]). The same lateral joining wings 12, 13 are provided on the corner posts 20, 21, 22 to obtain a simple and rapid method of assembling the self-supporting structure 100, 200, requiring no specific tools or particular technical skills.

[0053] Different corner posts 20, 21, 22 are illustrated with reference to Figures 6 to 8 and arranged to assemble the panels 10 of two adjacent sides of the pool 1, 2 separated by a right angle. [Fig.6] illustrates a right-angled corner post 20. It is obtained by cutting, stamping and bending a metal sheet. The post obtained comprises two lateral joining wings 23, 24 connected by a right-angled fold 25. [Fig.7] illustrates a rounded corner post 21. It is obtained by cutting, stamping, bending and curving a metal sheet. The post obtained comprises two lateral joining wings 23, 24 connected by a rounded sector 26 extending over an angle of 90°. And [Fig.8] illustrates a broken right-angle corner post 22. It is obtained by cutting, stamping and bending a metal sheet. The resulting post has two lateral joining wings 23, 24 connected by a straight sector 27 at 45°.These examples of corner posts are of course not limiting and any other angle shape can be provided, including an angle between 1° and 89°, an angle between 91° and 179°, a rounded angle on an angular sector greater than 90°, etc. to create unconventional pool contours.

[0054] In all the examples of corner posts, the joining wings 23, 24 are obtained by double folding at right angles to create a C-shaped cubic section. And the joining wings 23, 24 of each corner post 20, 21, 22 have vertically aligned perforations on one of the wings 24 and vertically aligned tabs on the other wing 23, identical to the perforations 17 and the tabs 18 provided on the joining wings 12, 13 of the straight panels 10. As for the panels, the corner posts are standardized in the sense that they each have the same male and female shapes constituting the complementary FEC interlocking shapes, reducing the number of references to be produced and facilitating their assembly.

[0055] The edge profiles 40 more visible in Figures 6 to 8 are obtained by cutting, stamping and folding a metal sheet or directly by extrusion and drilling. In the examples shown, they have an S-shaped cubic section including a central horizontal flat 41, framed by an upwardly oriented vertical wing 42 and a downwardly oriented vertical wing 43, when they are fixed by riveting, welding or the like on the upper edge 14 of the straight panels 10. Of course, any other compatible section may be suitable depending on the functionalities of these edge profiles 40: fixing a liner, support for coping stones and / or support for exterior cladding.

[0056] With particular reference to Figures 9 and 10, the struts 30 each comprise two branches 31, 32, forming a triangular structure including an oblique reinforcing branch 31 and a horizontal support branch 32. The two branches 31, 32 are formed from U-shaped profiles or similar, and are connected to each other either in a fixed manner or in a pivoting manner by an articulation 33 allowing adjustment. The horizontal support branch 32 is designed to pass under the panels 10 so that one part is located inside and the other part outside the perimeter of the pool 1, 2. The horizontal support branch 32 has for this purpose in its middle zone, a notch 34 in which the lower edge 15 of a panel 10 fits. It is further designed to be fixed to the ground via a rebar (not shown), planted in the ground and located inside the pool, or by any other technically equivalent means.

[0057] The oblique reinforcing branch 31 is intended to be fixed to the junction J of two adjacent panels 10 or of a panel 10 and an adjacent corner post 20, 21, 22. Its free end comprises two fixing lugs 35 crossed by a hole to receive a fixing bolt 36 passing through the two corresponding junction wings 12, 13, 23, 24 assembled. The oblique reinforcing branch 31 preferably extends into the upper third of the panels 10 to create a sufficient lever arm.

[0058] The struts 30 thus combine two functions: locking the junctions J and taking up the load exerted on the self-supporting structure 100, 200 by the pressure of the pool water. This locking makes it possible to significantly reduce the number of fixing bolts per J junction, i.e. three bolts instead of twenty-four bolts in previous techniques.

[0059] Furthermore, the footprint of the struts 30 outside the basin 1, 2 is reduced substantially by half thanks to the positioning of the horizontal support branch 32 partly inside the basin 1, 2. For example, the footprint of the struts 30 represents only about thirty centimeters, making it possible to provide a clearance limited to about forty centimeters around the basin. This arrangement guarantees the same load-bearing capacity by the struts 30, by deploying a smaller external span. This has advantages with regard to the earthworks required and the costs associated with installing a basin, in particular the dimensions of the excavations to be dug and the quantity of backfill to fill the remaining excavations around the basin, as well as the management of the installation of the basin at the property boundary.

[0060] The construction method according to the invention further uses adjustment devices 50 which are inserted between the ground S and the corner posts 20, 21, 22 and / or between the ground S and the struts 30 to ensure the leveling of the self-supporting structure 100, 200. The adjustment devices 50 will not be described in detail and may correspond to the pads described in the publication FR 3 016 909 A1 belonging to the applicant or to any other technically equivalent device.

[0061] The construction method according to the invention comprises a construction kit comprising at least one set of straight panels 10, corner posts 20, 21, 22, a set of struts 30, height adjustment devices 50 and a set of edge profiles 40. The content of this construction kit is defined on a case-by-case basis according to the specifications of the pool 1, 2 defined for each customer, allowing it to be adapted and personalized to each customer's wishes, taking into account the resulting mechanical constraints. All the parts constituting the construction kit are adaptable as stated above, making the modular construction kit capable of meeting all the requirements and configurations for installing a pool 1, 2.

[0062] When the construction kit is manufactured, assembled and delivered, the construction of the self-supporting structure 100, 200 is easy to carry out by following an installation plan without any particular technical skill. When the excavations have been dug to create a preferably flat and horizontal receiving surface, the panels 10 and the corner posts 20, 21, 22 can be assembled together in the manner of a construction set, by vertically fitting the perforations 17 into the tabs 18 of the corresponding junction wings 12, 13, 23, 24. As soon as a junction J is assembled, a strut 30 is installed to lock the elements of construction 10, 20, 21, 22 assembled, and keep them in a vertical position.

[0063] When the outline of the basin 1, 2 is completed, the leveling of the self-supporting structure 100, 200, in the vertical direction, and simultaneously the plumbness of the panels 10, are carried out by the use of the height adjustment devices 50 at the necessary locations, positioned under the posts 20, 21, 22 and / or the struts 30 according to the needs.

[0064] Edge profiles 40 are then fitted to the top of the panels 10 to stiffen the outline. A concrete slab (not shown) or any other sand-hardened construction material is poured in place to simultaneously form the base of the pool, constituting the bottom of the pool and its perimeter on the ground, as well as the anchoring of the struts 30 and the adjustment devices 50. The entire self-supporting structure 100, 200 is stiffened in a single casting operation. After the slab has dried, a flexible pocket is installed to seal the pool by attaching it to the edge profiles 40. It is also possible to place coping stones on the edge profiles 40 which serve as support and / or to place an exterior cladding in whole or in part around the pool 1, 2 depending on its location by using the edge profiles 40 as a holding member, depending on the design of said profiles.

[0065] The design of the self-supporting structure 100, 200 obtained according to the invention allows for a custom-made, customizable construction and offers a wide range of possibilities both in the shape of the pool 1, 2 and in its layout. This self-supporting structure, due to its simplicity and modularity, allows the pool 1, 2 to be customized by adding interior accessories (not shown), such as steps, a sunbathing area, a bench with jets or the like.

[0066] The present invention is of course not limited to the embodiments described but extends to any modification and variant obvious to a person skilled in the art within the limits of the appended claims. Furthermore, the technical characteristics of the different embodiments and variants mentioned above may be, in whole or in some cases, combined with each other.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for constructing a modular self-supporting structure (100, 200) for creating a basin (1, 2) such as a swimming pool, said structure comprising at least a plurality of straight panels (10) arranged to be assembled side by side to form the walls of the basin defining at least in part a contour of the basin, and a plurality of struts (30) arranged to be associated with all or part of said panels (10) and arranged around the basin, characterized in that the method consists of: - assembling said straight panels (10) together and with corner posts (20, 21, 22) to form a closed or partial contour of the basin (1, 2), - using straight panels (10) and corner posts (20, 21, 22) each provided with two lateral joining wings (12, 13, 23, 24) comprising shapes complementary interlocking (FEC) with vertical interlocking, - for assembling said straight panels (10) between them and to said corner posts (20, 21, 22),positioning the corresponding joining wings (12, 13, 23, 24) back to back and relatively moving any one of a panel or post relative to any other of a panel or post in vertical translation parallel to the plane of the panels to fit said corresponding complementary fitting shapes (FEC) and create a junction (J).,

2. Construction method according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of using complementary interlocking shapes (FEC) arranged to produce a junction (J) without play in the horizontal axes (X, Y).

3. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it consists of: - using struts (30) each comprising at least one oblique reinforcing branch (31) secured to a horizontal support branch (32), - arranging each strut (30) outside the contour of the basin (1, 2) by positioning the horizontal support branch (32) under said panels (10) so that it extends partly outside and partly inside the contour of the basin, and - fix the oblique reinforcement branch (31) of each strut (30) at a junction (J) to lock said junction (J).

4. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it consists of positioning height adjustment devices (50) under said corner posts (20, 21, 22) and / or said struts (30) to level said self-supporting structure (100, 200) and plumb said panels

5. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it consists of using straight panels (10) reinforced by horizontal stiffeners (16) provided on the back of the panels, and of selecting at least the number and distribution of said horizontal stiffeners (16) over the height of said panels (10) to adapt the resistance of the panels to the characteristics and type of installation of the basin (1, 2), and to the nature of the backfill.

6. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it consists of using at least two different widths (L0, L1, L2) of straight panels (10) and combining the straight panels of different widths to construct a pool (1, 2) of customized dimensions.

7. Construction method according to claim 6, characterized in that it consists of using only three different widths (L0, L1, L2) of straight panels (10) whose width ratios are such that L1 / L0 = ¾ and L2 / L0 = ^2, to obtain a pitch = % of L0 and meet said personalized dimensions of a pool.

8. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it consists of using at least two different heights (H1, H2) of straight panels (10) and distributing panels of a first height (H1) over a first part of the pool and panels of a second height (H2) over a second part of the pool to construct a pool (2) at at least two depths.

9. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it consists of using corner posts (20, 21, 22) of different shapes to construct a basin (1, 2) provided with identical or different angles chosen from the group comprising an incoming or outgoing right angle, a broken angle, an angle between 1° and 89°, an angle between 91 and 179°, a rounded angle.

10. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it consists of overlapping a profile of border (40) at the top of at least the straight panels (10) on all or part of the contour of the basin (1,2) to hang a flexible basin sealing pocket and improve the alignment of the top of the panels.

11. Construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it consists of creating a formwork around the pool and casting a slab in a hardenable material after construction of said self-supporting structure (100, 200) to produce in a single operation a sole inside and outside the contour of the pool (1, 2) and simultaneously anchoring the struts (30) and the adjustment devices (50).

12. Kit for building a self-supporting modular structure (100, 200) for creating a basin (1, 2) such as a swimming pool, characterized in that it comprises at least straight panels (10), corner posts (20, 21, 22), struts (30), height adjustment devices (50) and edge profiles (40) arranged to implement the construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein said straight panels (10) and said corner posts (20, 21, 22) are each provided with two lateral joining wings (12, 13, 23, 24) comprising complementary interlocking shapes (FEC) with vertical interlocking.

13. Basin (1, 2) such as a swimming pool comprising a self-supporting modular structure (100, 200) obtained by the construction method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises walls forming a contour chosen from the group comprising a square, a rectangle, a polygon with more than four sides, an oblong, said contour comprising identical or different angles chosen from the group comprising an inward or outward right angle (104, 204), a broken angle, an angle between 1° and 89°, an angle between 91 and 179°, a rounded angle (105), and in that said straight panels (10) and said corner posts (20, 21, 22) are each provided with two lateral joining wings (12, 13, 23, 24) comprising complementary interlocking forms (FEC) interlocking vertical.

14. Basin according to claim 13, characterized in that it has a single depth or at least two zones of different depths.

15. Basin according to any one of claims 13 and 14, characterized in that it is installed in a buried, semi-buried or above-ground configuration.

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