Swimming Pool Coping Support via Intermediate Joist
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing swimming pool structures face challenges with the durability and installation of coping, as they are prone to deformation under water pressure and require cumbersome concrete formwork, leading to defects and increased assembly time.
Innovation Solution
A swimming pool structure featuring vertically extending struts with intermediate horizontal support joists that connect the struts and allow the coping to be fixed independently of the walls, providing a reinforced and continuous support without concrete, using a kit of spare parts for faster and more precise assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If corbels or brackets are used to support the coping, then the coping can be properly attached to the pool walls, but positioning errors lead to visible defects and quality loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate horizontal support joist as a mediator between the coping and the pool walls. This joist is fixed to the struts at a distance from the walls, creating a buffer zone that isolates the coping from direct wall contact and positioning sensitivity. The joist serves as the intermediary element that transfers loads while accommodating minor positioning variations without transmitting them to the visible coping surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is segmented into distinct functional components: vertical struts, horizontal joists, and the coping itself. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the joists can be precisely positioned on the struts without requiring perfect alignment with the walls, thereby decoupling the positioning precision requirement from the wall-coping relationship.
2Strength
If concrete formwork is used to support the coping, then adequate support is provided, but the construction process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the formwork function from the traditional concrete support system and replaces it with pre-fabricated metal joists. These joists are taken out as separate, reusable components that can be quickly assembled and disassembled, eliminating the time-consuming concrete pouring, curing, and formwork removal processes while maintaining adequate support strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal joists serve as temporary support structures during construction that can be easily installed and removed. Unlike permanent concrete formwork, these joists are designed for quick deployment and removal, functioning as disposable (or reusable) temporary supports that significantly reduce construction time without compromising the final structure's integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If hinged flaps are used as copings, then assembly is simplified, but the copings get damaged and deformed under water pressure on high walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hinged flap design with a rigid, curved coping profile that follows the contour of the pool wall. This curved, rigid structure distributes water pressure more effectively along its length and provides inherent resistance to deformation, while still maintaining aesthetic continuity and visual smoothness similar to the hinged design.
Solution Approach 2:
The coping system combines rigid materials (such as metal or composite profiles) with appropriate fastening mechanisms to create a structure that maintains its shape under water pressure. The composite construction integrates the coping profile with reinforcement elements that prevent deformation while preserving the clean, continuous appearance desired in pool applications.
4Device complexity
If the coping is fixed directly to the walls, then the structure is simplified, but the walls deform under water pressure causing coping damage
Solution Approach 1:
The horizontal joists serve as intermediary support elements between the walls and the coping. These joists are fixed to the struts at a distance from the walls, creating a mechanical buffer that prevents direct transmission of wall deformations to the coping. The joists absorb and distribute the stresses, protecting the coping from damage while adding only moderate complexity to the overall structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A swimming pool structure (100), which can be above ground, semi-inground or inground, comprising struts (1) each extending vertically, vertical outer walls (P) which are fixed between the struts (1), a peripheral upper coping (15), The invention is characterized in that it further comprises at least one horizontal intermediate support joist (21), which is mechanically fixed to an upper part (19) of at least two of the struts (1), which connects the latter together and which is at a distance from the walls (P), the coping being fixed to the joist (21).