Swimming Pool Corner Retaining System for Vinyl Liner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for retaining a flexible vinyl swimming pool liner at inside corners, such as the rod/clip technique and bead and track systems, are aesthetically unappealing, costly, and difficult to use for liner replacements, often requiring adhesives that can deteriorate the liner.
Innovation Solution
A rigid frame structure with a corner retaining configuration featuring a gap between panel members, where retaining members are integrated into the panel surfaces to trap bead elements, allowing for secure liner attachment without mechanical fastening to both sides of the gap, facilitating easy liner installation and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rod/clip technique is used to retain the liner at inside corners, then the liner is securely held in place, but the retaining rod outline is visible through the liner which is visually unattractive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the visible retaining rod from the system entirely. Instead, it uses a corner construction where the liner is attached to the tread and riser components through integrated attachment mechanisms (such as adhesive application to the corner components), extracting the retention function from a separate visible rod to the structural components themselves, thereby eliminating the visual defect while maintaining retention security.
2Reliability
If the rod/clip technique is used for liner retention, then the liner is held firmly against the inside corner, but liner replacement becomes difficult or impossible without adhesives which may cause accelerated deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic retention system where the liner can be easily attached and detached from the corner components. The corner components are designed to accommodate liner attachment during installation and liner removal during replacement, allowing the retention mechanism to adapt between these two states. This enables liner replacement without permanent adhesives while maintaining strong retention during normal use.
3Ease of repair
If adhesives are used to retain the liner at inside corners, then liner replacement becomes possible, but the adhesives may cause accelerated deterioration of the liner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adhesive application from the liner surface and relocates it to the corner components (tread and riser). By applying adhesive to the rigid corner components rather than the flexible liner, the system enables liner replacement while avoiding direct chemical contact between adhesives and the liner material, thereby preventing adhesive-induced liner deterioration.
4Reliability
If a bead and track system with extrusion is used for corner retention, then mechanical retention is achieved, but the system cost increases due to separate fabrication and assembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the corner retention function with the existing tread and riser components. Rather than using a separate extrusion element that requires independent fabrication and assembly, the retention functionality is integrated directly into the corner components themselves. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate extrusion fabrication and reduces assembly steps, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining mechanical retention.
Data Source
AI summary
A rigid frame structure has a corner retaining configuration for retaining a sheet member to an inside corner of the frame structure. First and second panel members are arranged to form the frame structure's inside corner. A gap of nominal gap width is disposed at the inside corner between a rear edge of the second panel member and a face of the first panel member. One or more retaining members partially close the gap to provide corresponding areas of reduced gap width. Each retaining member is formed on or attached to a surface of the first or second panel member that defines a first or second side of the gap without mechanical fastening to both sides of said gap. The nominal gap width is sized to receive one or more bead elements on the sheet member, and the reduced gap width traps the one or more bead elements within the gap, thereby retaining the sheet member to the inside corner.