Buoyant Pool Stair Assemblies Installed Beneath Liners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional swimming pool stair assemblies are prone to damaging the pool liner, are aesthetically unpleasing, pose safety risks, and complicate maintenance due to their design and installation methods.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, buoyant plastic foam stair assembly that can be installed beneath the pool liner, retained by the weight of the water, eliminating the need for hardware attachment and minimizing contact with the liner, while using fiber-reinforced tread and riser sheets for protection and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional ladders and stair assemblies are mounted over the pool liner, then access to the pool is provided, but the liner is prone to damage and perforation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of mounting the stair assembly over the liner as in conventional designs, this invention inverts the arrangement by positioning the stair assembly beneath the liner. The liner is then draped over the stairs, allowing pool access while eliminating direct contact between the stairs and the liner that causes damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The stair assembly is nested within the liner structure, with the liner enveloping the stairs rather than the stairs resting on the liner. This nested configuration protects the liner from damage while maintaining the functional access provided by the stairs.
2Ease of operation
If conventional A-frame ladders are mounted over the pool wall, then pool access is enabled, but the appearance is aesthetically unpleasing
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the conventional mounting approach and placing the stair assembly beneath the liner rather than over the pool wall, the visible exterior surface maintains a smooth, uniform appearance while the inverted stairs provide the necessary access function.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible liner material is draped over the stair assembly, creating a smooth exterior surface that conceals the stair structure. This thin film approach allows the stairs to provide access while the liner maintains an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
3Strength
If conventional ladders and stairs bear against the pool liner, then structural support is provided, but continuous care and monitoring are required to avoid damaging the liner
Solution Approach 1:
Inverting the mounting configuration places the structural load of the stair assembly on the pool foundation and wall structures rather than on the liner. The liner simply envelops the stairs without bearing their weight, eliminating the need for continuous monitoring to prevent liner damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The function of providing structural support is extracted from the liner and transferred to the pool's structural elements (foundation and walls). The liner is relieved of the structural support function, requiring only to envelop and protect the stair assembly.
4Shape
If drop-in pool stair assemblies are positioned within the pool, then the stairs are out of sight, but gaps or inconsistencies with the pool liner are created
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible liner material is used to envelop the stair assembly, creating a continuous surface without gaps or inconsistencies. The liner conforms to the shape of the stairs, providing both aesthetic appearance and eliminating the complexity of creating gap-free installations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution prevents liner damage, enhances aesthetics, reduces safety concerns, facilitates maintenance, and allows for easier installation and handling of the stair assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a lightweight, buoyant plastic foam stair assembly that can be installed beneath the pool liner, retained by the weight of the water
Implementation Method 2
the weight of the water upon the liner retains the pool stair assembly in the pool
Data Source
AI summary
Pool stair assemblies having stair structures fabricated from plastic foam are provided. The stair structures include protective tread sheets and protective riser sheets and a vinyl pool liner mounted over the stair structure, tread sheets, and riser sheets. The stair structure, which may be buoyant, is retained in a pool by the weight of pool water on the liner and stair structure. Aspects of the invention overcome the disadvantages of conventional pool stair assemblies and ladders positioned on top of pool liners. Other related pool structures, methods of installing stair assemblies, stair structures, and methods of fabricating stair structures are also disclosed.