Inflatable Dome Pool Cover Sheds Snow and Ice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pool covers fail to effectively prevent debris, snow, and ice from entering pools during winter, leading to contamination and increased maintenance efforts, as they often allow debris to enter despite their use and can be weighed down by snow and ice.
Innovation Solution
A protective pool cover assembly featuring a flexible, dome-shaped bladder system with a skirt and weighted members that extends beyond the pool perimeter, diverting debris and attaching to the pool sidewall with securing elements, and an inflatable bladder that creates a dome shape over the water surface, preventing debris accumulation and maintaining pool cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional flat pool cover is used, then it provides basic debris coverage, but it allows debris to accumulate on top and can be weighed down by snow and ice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by transforming the flat pool cover into a dome-shaped structure. The flexible cover is inflated to create a curved, arched surface that prevents debris accumulation and allows snow and ice to slide off, resolving the contradiction between providing coverage and maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the pool cover inflatable and deflatable. The cover can be inflated to create the protective dome shape when needed and deflated for storage or removal, allowing the system to adapt its state based on operational requirements.
2Loss of time
If pool covers are used to protect from debris, then they reduce maintenance effort, but they allow snow and ice to weigh them down and let debris enter
Solution Approach 1:
The curved dome shape created by inflating the flexible cover causes snow and ice to slide off rather than accumulate, while still providing effective debris protection. This maintains the reduction in maintenance time while eliminating the harmful effect of snow and ice accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the cover from flat to domed through inflation. This parameter change allows the cover to shed snow and ice effectively while maintaining debris protection, resolving the contradiction between maintenance reduction and harmful factor prevention.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a dome-shaped inflatable cover is used, then it prevents debris accumulation and sheds snow and ice, but it requires inflation mechanism and is more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible thin-film cover that can be inflated into a dome shape. This flexible shell approach provides the protective domed structure without requiring complex rigid frameworks, reducing device complexity while maintaining effectiveness against debris and snow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic inflation to create the dome shape. By using air pressure rather than mechanical structures, the system achieves the protective curved form with minimal complexity, resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and structural complexity.
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
The solution effectively keeps pools clean by diverting debris and preventing snow and ice accumulation, reducing the need for manual skimming or vacuuming and minimizing chemical usage and heating costs by maintaining a clean and insulated pool environment.
Implementation Method 1
The bladder is positioned within the flexible cover and is inflatable. The flexible cover is dome-shaped when inflated.
Implementation Method 2
The flexible cover includes a weighted member embedded within and extending around a perimeter of the flexible cover. The protective cover assembly further includes a plurality of securing elements attached to the perimeter of the flexible cover, wherein the plurality of securing elements are configured to engage the sidewall of the pool
Implementation Method 3
the cover eliminates heat loss due to evaporation and reduces heat loss at night through its insulating properties. Most swimming pool heat loss is through evaporation.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective pool assembly for protecting a pool from external debris or contamination. The protective pool assembly comprises a flexible cover and a bladder. The flexible cover comprises a top layer configured to resist weather. The flexible cover is attached to or rests on and protects the bladder. The bladder rests on a bottom layer of the flexible cover, or directly on the surface of the water. The bladder is inflatable via an air valve to expand the bladder in a dome-like shape. The flexible cover is pushed upward into the dome-like shape so that external debris, rain, snow, and ice shed off of the flexible cover. A skirt extends from a perimeter of the flexible cover to further direct the debris or contaminates over the side of the pool. A plurality of securing elements are used to secure the protective pool assembly in place over the pool.