A parking arm for a pool cover and a parking arm assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a parking arm for a pool cover, comprising a parking ramp (6) attachable to an edge (1) of a pool body (2) by means of a first hinge (7) which is arranged at an end of the parking ramp (6) adjacent to the edge (1) of the pool body (2), and which is arranged at or in a lateral edge of the parking ramp (6) to allow the parking ramp (6) to rotate in a horizontal plane between a retracted and an extended position. The present invention further relates to an assembly with one or two parking arms.

Description

[0001] A parking arm for a pool cover and a parking arm assembly

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The present invention relates to a parking arm for a pool cover.

[0004] Prior art

[0005] When constructing swimming pools on flat land or land set into a hill, and subsequently designing a pool cover, it is necessary to solve the problem of parking the pool cover outside the pool area during use.

[0006] Currently, the parking of the pool cover during use of the pool is solved by retrofitting (e. g. concrete) strips on which a (e. g. aluminium) rail is mounted to allow the pool cover to be parked outside the pool area, thereby keeping the pool cover securely in its intended location. The construction of such strips is both energy and cost intensive with a negative aesthetic impact due to the creation of a permanent (e. g. concrete) barrier, thereby devaluing the usable area of the land.

[0007] In the prior art, fixed column structures are known for parking a pool cover, as described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application US 20130042541 Al (see Figure 11 of this document) describing a pool cover in the form of a roof structure that is extendable along elongated rails supported by support columns extending through the walls of the structure. This solution is structurally demanding and is not suitable for uneven terrain, as the extended rails stand on support columns extending beyond the structure itself, so they generally require a flat surface for stability. In addition, the support columns themselves are a structurally redundant element taking up space on the land next to the pool.

[0008] A similar fixed column structure for parking a pool cover is described in the French patent application FR 2866379 Al (see Figure 1 of this document), where the pool cover can also be extended on peripheral sliding panels which may have extended rails, and which are easily removable. This structure has the same disadvantages mentioned above.

[0009] Other systems, described for example in the international patent applications WO 2020188417 Al and WO 2022147266 Al, require fixed, permanently located and space-intensive structures arranged next to the pool or whirlpool. Other systems are described in the US patent applications US 2008263759 Al, US 2003000154 Al and US 2004187397 Al, in the Korean patent application KR 20180090406 A and in the European patent application EP 2749715 Al. Thus, in the prior art, there arises a need to provide a stable yet mobile structure for parking a pool cover in order to minimize permanent and otherwise unusable development of the land next to the pool.

[0010] Summary of the invention

[0011] The objective of the invention is to provide a structure for parking a pool cover without the disadvantages mentioned above, in particular without permanently locating this structure on the land next to the pool.

[0012] This object is achieved by a parking arm for a pool cover comprising a parking ramp attachable to an edge of a pool body by means of a first hinge. The first hinge is arranged at an end of the parking ramp adjacent to the edge of the pool body and is arranged at or in a lateral edge of the parking ramp to allow the parking ramp to rotate in a horizontal plane between a retracted and an extended position, preferably within a range of right angles (90°). The first hinge allows the parking ramp to be extended into the extended position, thereby creating a temporary and stable structure for parking the pool cover, and also allowing the parking ramp to be retracted into the retracted position if the choice is made to use the land next to the pool other than for parking the pool cover.

[0013] The term pool body shall also include all equivalents and subsets thereof designed to be filled with water or other liquid, such as a fully inground pool, semi -submerged pool, above ground pool, whirlpool, hot tub, trough, or tank.

[0014] At least one guide rail may be arranged on the upper side of the parking ramp for parking the pool cover due to compatibility with existing pool cover systems with the intent of providing stability of the pool cover in the extended position. However, the guide rail may also be formed by a particular shaping of the parking ramp, for example by its projections and / or grooves, or by running the pool cover along the edges of the parking ramp. Alternatively, a rail-less guide system may also be envisaged, where the pool cover is parked on the upper side of the parking ramp, which in this case has a smooth surface and / or a surface with a different design (e. g. with perforations of different shapes, using pulling metal). Preferably, the upper side of the parking ramp in any of the above embodiments is detachable from the parking ramp itself (therefore also acting as a cover of the parking ramp), which simplifies the assembly and maintenance of the parking ramp in its exposed state.

[0015] The parking ramp may be terminated at an end remote from the edge of the pool body by a stop, thus preventing the pool cover from sliding out of the parking ramp onto the land next to the pool, which increases the safety of the whole system. A sliding slider may be arranged on the guide rail to act as a sliding stop to prevent the pool cover from extending beyond the position of the slider, thereby controlling the maximum extension of the pool cover.

[0016] The first hinge may be attached to a mounting base attachable to the edge of the pool body for ease of mounting the parking arm to the edge of the pool body, which is typically made of concrete. The mounting base may be attached to the edge of the pool body using standard fixing means, such as screws.

[0017] The first hinge may be height-adjustable relative to the mounting base by means of screws. The mounting base may have a lower edge on which the parking arm may be attached with the first hinge at a variable distance from the lower edge of the mounting base (i. e. in a height-adjustable manner) by means of screws.

[0018] A support rim may be arranged on the mounting base to support the parking ramp in the extended position, thereby further ensuring its stability in the vertical direction.

[0019] A locking element may be arranged on the mounting base to hold the parking ramp in the extended position. In a particular embodiment, there may be two tabs projecting from the mounting base at a distance above each other, between which a tab projecting from the parking ramp fits, all three tabs being lockable by threading a locking pin. The locking element is particularly applicable to hold the parking ramp in the extended position in a manual parking ramp embodiment.

[0020] The parking ramp may be higher at the end adjacent to the edge of the pool body than at the end remote from the edge of the pool body, thereby reducing the weight carried by the first hinge in the case of the pool cover parked on the parking arm.

[0021] A railing may be attached to the parking ramp on the lateral long side opposite to the first hinge, which railing in the retracted position of the parking arm runs along the edge of the pool body and may thus form a boundary of the pool body (e. g. in the same aesthetic / structural design as the rest of the handrail around the edge of the pool body). In the extended position of the parking arm, the railing is extended together with the parking ramp and thus does not interfere with the parking of the pool cover on the parking ramp.

[0022] At least one flexible stop may be attached to the parking ramp, e. g. a first flexible stop on the lateral long side defined by the lateral edge on or in which the first hinge is arranged (e. g. at an end remote from the first hinge) to dampen the impact of the parking ramp on the edge of the pool cover when retracted, or a second flexible stop on a short adjacent side defined by a lateral edge on or in which the first hinge is arranged (e. g. at an end remote from the first hinge), to dampen the impact of the parking ramp on the edge of the pool cover when extended.

[0023] The parking arm provides an aesthetic, functional and sustainable solution without the negative lasting impact that arises when building cast-in-place (e. g. concrete) parking ramps for the purpose of parking a pool cover.

[0024] The aforementioned object is also achieved by an assembly with one aforementioned parking ramp, wherein the parking ramp is attached to the edge of the pool body by means of the first hinge. In doing so, the other side of the pool cover may be parked on an extended guide rail located on a deck or pier.

[0025] The object is also achieved by an assembly with two aforementioned parking arms, wherein each parking ramp is attached to the edge of the pool body by means of the first hinge. The relative spacing of the first hinges is equal to or greater than twice (usually when the first hinge is located at the lateral edge of the parking ramp) or less (usually when the first hinge is located in the lateral edge or inside the corner of the parking ramp) than twice the length of the parking ramp, thereby ensuring that both parking ramps are fully retracted along the edge of the pool body.

[0026] The guide rail may preferably be a continuation of a guide rail of the pool cover arranged on the edge of the pool body, thus ensuring compatibility with existing pool cover systems.

[0027] Each parking ramp may be attached to an actuator attached to the edge of the pool body by means of a second hinge. This attachment may be fixed or longitudinally sliding on the parking ramp. The actuator may be a pneumatic actuator or another actuator (hydraulic, electric, magnetic or based on gate-opening principle). The actuator may also be arranged outside the edge of the pool body, e. g. in the ground, and operate e. g. on the principle of an electric actuator for swing gates. The actuator provides automatic control of the extension of the parking arm and can be connected to a remote control unit (e. g. via loT, mobile app) or a control panel.

[0028] Preferably, a support base of the parking ramp may be arranged on the edge of the pool body such that the end of the parking ramp remote from the edge of the pool body rests on the support base of the parking ramp in the retracted position of the parking ramp. The support base may be arranged on the edge of the pool body roughly halfway between the parking arms and serves to park these in the retracted position, thus reducing the load applied by the parked arms to the first hinge. The advantage of the above assembly is that at the time of swimming, the parking ramp is extended and the pool cover is extended out of the pool onto the parking arm, and once swimming is over and the pool cover is returned above the pool, the parking arm loses its significance, and owing to the present invention, the parking ramps are retracted and thus will not create a physical obstruction on the land next to the pool. Previous spatial solutions (e. g. concrete) have devalued other uses of the land for other recreational activities and often created a deaf and aesthetically bothering space. The above assembly is suitable for any type of pool when individualising the solution and is effective even within smaller lands.

[0029] Brief description of the drawings

[0030] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a pool body with an edge and a pool cover.

[0031] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an assembly with two parking arms for a pool cover in an extended position.

[0032] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an assembly with two parking arms for a pool cover in an intermediate position between an extended and a retracted position.

[0033] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an assembly with two parking arms for a pool cover in a retracted position.

[0034] Figure 5 shows a front view of an assembly with two parking arms for a pool cover in an extended position.

[0035] Figure 6 shows a front view of a detail of the parking arm of the assembly of Figure 5.

[0036] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an assembly with two parking arms with guard rails for a pool cover in an extended position.

[0037] Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a first hinge arranged in a lateral edge of the parking ramp in an extended position.

[0038] Figure 9 shows a top view of a parking ramp.

[0039] Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a height-adjustable first hinge.

[0040] Figure 11 shows a top view of a parking arm in an exposed state. Figure 12 shows a perspective view of an assembly with two parking arms in a retracted and an extended position.

[0041] Examples

[0042] One example of an embodiment is a parking arm for a pool cover, shown as part of an assembly with two parking arms in Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 shows a view of an entire pool body 2 with an edge 1 and a pool cover 3 arranged on guide rails along two opposite sides of the edge 1. The pool cover 3 is preferably multi-part, wherein the individual parts can be slid into each other.

[0043] An assembly with two parking arms, wherein each arm is arranged as a continuation of the guide rails of the pool cover 3 on each side thereof, is shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6 in an extended position, in Fig. 3 in an intermediate position between an extended and a retracted position, and in Fig. 4 in a retracted position. Each parking arm comprises a parking ramp 6 fixed to the edge 1 of the pool body 2 by means of a first hinge 7, which is arranged at an end of the parking ramp 6 adjacent to the edge 1 of the pool body 2 and which is arranged at a lateral edge of the parking ramp 6 or in a lateral edge of the parking ramp 6 such that it fills this edge or the corresponding inside corner of the parking ramp 6, respectively (Fig. 8). The first hinge 7 is attached to a mounting base 4 attached to the edge 1 of the pool body 2, e. g. by means of anchoring elements 15 (e. g. threaded rods in Fig. 8). The mounting base 4 may be L-shaped or U-shaped. The attachment of the first hinge 7 to the lower edge 20 of the mounting base 4 may be height-adjustable by means of screws 21 (Fig. 10). The first hinge 7 may be provided with a grease nipple (a grease screw) for sufficient lubrication of pivot surfaces. At least one guide rail 5 is arranged on the upper side of the parking ramp 6 for parking the pool cover 3, and the parking ramp 6 is terminated by a stop at an end remote from the edge 1 of the pool body 2. A sliding slider may be provided on the guide rail 5, serving as a sliding stop for controlling the maximum extension of the pool cover 3 (not shown in the figures). The entire upper side of the parking ramp 6, including the guide rail 5, can be disassembled to an exposed state (Fig. 11), which simplifies the assembly and maintenance of the parking ramp 6.

[0044] A support rim 8 is further arranged on the mounting base 4 to support the parking ramp 6 in the extended position, and a locking element 12 may be arranged thereon to retain the parking ramp 6 in the extended position (Fig. 6), wherein the locking element 12 may be threaded through an opening in the support rim 8 and also through an opening in a locking rim 13 of the parking ramp 6. The entire space of the support rim 8 and the locking rim 13 may be covered by a second cover 22, for example in the shape of an L-shaped profile (Fig. 12). The parking ramp 6 may be higher at the end adjacent to the edge 1_ of the pool body 2 than at the end remote from the edge 1 of the pool body 2. On the lateral long side of the parking ramp 6 opposite to the lateral edge on which the first hinge 7 is arranged, that is, on the lateral long side adjacent to the edge 1 of the pool body 2, when the parking ramp 6 is in the retracted position (i. e. on the view side of the parking ramp

[0045] 6 in the retracted position), a cover plate may be arranged which is higher at the end adjacent to the edge 1 of the pool body 2 than at the end remote from the edge 1 of the pool body 2. The cover plate may have a protective and / or aesthetic function. On the parking ramp 6, a railing 14 may be fixed on the lateral long side opposite to the lateral edge on which the first hinge 7 is arranged (Fig. 7). On the parking ramp 6, a first flexible stop 18 may be fixed on the lateral long side defined by the lateral edge on or in which the first hinge 7 is arranged (e. g. at an end remote from the first hinge 7) to dampen the impact of the parking ramp 6 against the edge 1 when retracted (Fig. 9). A second flexible stop 19 for damping the impact of the parking ramp 6 against the edge 1 when extended may be fixed on the parking ramp 6 on the short adjacent side defined by the lateral edge on or in which the first hinge 7 is arranged (e. g. on the side opposite to the first hinge 7) (Fig. 9).

[0046] In the above assembly with two parking arms, the relative distance of the first hinges 7 is equal to or greater than twice the length of the parking ramp 6. Alternatively, in the above assembly with two parking arms, the relative distance of the first hinges 7 is less than twice the length of the parking ramp 6, which is due to the positioning of the first hinge 7 inside the comer of the parking ramp 6 (Fig. 8). In Fig. 8, a first cover 16 for a maintenance area for maintenance of the first hinge

[0047] 7 is further visible, arranged next to the lateral edge with the first hinge 7, and furthermore an opening 17 in the lateral long side of the parking ramp 6, into which the first cover 16 fits in the retracted position of the parking ramp 6. The guide rail 5 is a continuation of the guide rail of the pool cover 3. Each parking ramp 6 is fixed to an actuator 9 fixed to the edge 1 of the pool body 2 by means of a second hinge 10, wherein the actuator 9 is preferably a pneumatic actuator. On the edge 1 of the pool body 2, approximately midway between the parking arms, a support base 11 of the parking ramp 6 is arranged such that the end of the parking ramp 6 remote from the edge 1 of the pool body 2 rests on the support base 11 in the retracted position of the parking ramp 6, which serves to park the parking ramp 6 in the retracted position and to reduce the load of the parked arms applied to the first hinge 7.

[0048] By way of analogy, an assembly with one parking arm may be given as an example, wherein the parking ramp 6 is attached to the edge 1 of the pool body 2 by means of the mounting base 4 and the first hinge 7. Industrial applicability

[0049] The above-described parking arm for a pool cover can be used on sites with swimming pools with pool covers, or in industrial applications where it is necessary to overlay tanks, for example in the chemical or food industry.

[0050] List of reference signs

[0051] 1 edge of the pool body 2

[0052] 2 pool body

[0053] 3 pool cover

[0054] 4 mounting base

[0055] 5 guide rail

[0056] 6 parking ramp

[0057] 7 first hinge

[0058] 8 support rim

[0059] 9 actuator

[0060] 10 second hinge

[0061] 11 support base of the parking ramp 6

[0062] 12 locking element

[0063] 13 locking rim of the parking ramp 6

[0064] 14 railing

[0065] 15 anchoring element

[0066] 16 first cover

[0067] 17 opening in the parking ramp 6

[0068] 18 first flexible stop

[0069] 19 second flexible stop

[0070] 20 lower edge of the mounting base 4

[0071] 21 screw

[0072] 22 second cover

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS1. A parking arm for a pool cover, characterised in that it comprises a parking ramp (6) attachable to an edge (1) of a pool body (2) by means of a first hinge (7), wherein the first hinge (7) is arranged at an end of the parking ramp (6) adjacent to the edge (1) of the pool body (2) and is arranged at or in a lateral edge of the parking ramp (6) to allow the parking ramp (6) to rotate in a horizontal plane between a retracted and an extended position.

2. The parking arm according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one guide rail (5) is arranged on the upper side of the parking ramp (6) for parking the pool cover (3).

3. The parking arm according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the parking ramp (6) is terminated at an end remote from the edge (1) of the pool body (2) by a stop.

4. The parking arm according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the first hinge (7) is attached to a mounting base (4) attachable to the edge (1) of the pool body (2).

5. The parking arm according to claim 4, characterised in that the first hinge (7) is height- adjustable relative to the mounting base (4) by means of screws (21).

6. The parking arm according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that a support rim (8) is arranged on the mounting base (4) to support the parking ramp (6) in the extended position.

7. The parking arm according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that a locking element (12) is arranged on the mounting base (4) to hold the parking ramp (6) in the extended position.

8. The parking arm according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the parking ramp (6) is higher at the end adjacent to the edge (1) of the pool body (2) than at the end remote from the edge (1) of the pool body (2).

9. The parking arm according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that a railing (14) is attached to the parking ramp (6) on the lateral long side opposite to the first hinge (7).

10. The parking arm according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that a sliding slider is arranged on the guide rail (5).

11. The parking arm according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that at least one flexible stop (18, 19) is attached to the parking ramp (6).

12. An assembly with one parking arm according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the parking ramp (6) is attached to the edge (1) of the pool body (2) by means of the first hinge (7).

13. An assembly with two parking arms according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that each parking ramp (6) is attached to the edge (1) of the pool body (2) by means of the first hinge (7), wherein the mutual distance of the first hinges (7) is equal to or greater or less than twice the length of the parking ramp (6).

14. The assembly according to claim 12 or 13, characterised in that the guide rail (5) is a continuation of a guide rail of the pool cover (3) arranged on the edge (1) of the pool body (2).

15. The assembly according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterised in that each parking ramp (6) is attached to an actuator (9) attached to the edge (1) of the pool body (2) by means of a second hinge (10).

16. The assembly according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterised in that a support base (11) of the parking ramp (6) is arranged on the edge (1) of the pool body (2) such that the end of the parking ramp (6) remote from the edge (1) of the pool body (2) rests on the support base (11) in the retracted position of the parking ramp (6).

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