Pool Cover Bar Connection With Expandable Insert Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pool cover systems, particularly flexible covers, face challenges in assembly and disassembly, resistance to extreme stresses, and lifespan due to potential screw failure and bulkiness of connections.
Innovation Solution
A pool cover kit featuring partially hollow bar elements with profiled inserts and spreaders, such as screws, that allow for quick, reversible assembly and disassembly, reducing play and fatigue in connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If screws are used to connect bar elements, then assembly is simple and reversible, but the connection plays over time and may fail due to shear stress
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into multiple functional components: profiled inserts with longitudinal slots, spreaders, and bar elements with grooves. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function - the profiled insert provides the connection framework, the spreader applies expansion force, and the grooves provide engagement surfaces, collectively achieving both ease of assembly and high reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system transitions from a static screw-based fastening to a dynamic expansion mechanism. The spreader is inserted into the longitudinal slot of the profiled insert and expanded outward to engage with the bar elements, creating a progressive assembly process that maintains reliability while preserving simplicity and reversibility
2Reliability
If external sleeves are used to connect bar sections, then connection is achieved, but the connection becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The profiled insert is nested within the bar elements, with the insert's longitudinal slots containing the spreaders. The notches in the profiled insert engage with the grooves in the bar elements, creating a compact nested structure that achieves strong connections without external bulky components
3Manufacturing precision
If crimped internal sleeves are used, then connection is permanent and precise, but the bar becomes permanently fixed and requires precise adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The profiled insert with longitudinal slots and spreaders creates a self-aligning connection system. The notches naturally engage with the grooves in the bar elements during assembly, providing precise positioning without requiring pre-adjustment or complex alignment procedures, while maintaining reversibility
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 kit provides secure, durable, and efficient assembly of pool cover bars with reduced risk of damage, facilitating easy installation and maintenance while enhancing resistance to stress and extending the lifespan of the cover.
Implementation Method 1
The mutual assembly of the bar elements must be compatible with the ropes of the tarpaulin sections. Each bar element includes longitudinal grooves which, after assembly, form two longitudinal bar grooves suitable for accommodating the ropes of the tarpaulin sections.
Data Source
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Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A pool cover bar kit comprises at least two hollow bar elements (170), each having a pair of longitudinal grooves (210), each groove adapted to receive a respective portion of a rope (19) of a cover element. A connection (30) includes a profiled insert (27) that engages with one of the first bar elements (170) on an end portion (32) of that element. The insert (27) has a longitudinal slot (34) that divides it into two corresponding wings (36). Each wing (36) has a shape corresponding at least in part to the end portion of the first bar element (170) and a notch (31) adapted to a respective longitudinal groove (210).The connection (30) further includes at least one spreader which is inserted into the slot (34) of the insert (27) and is actuated so as to spread the wings (36) apart, in the vicinity of the notches (31), until the insert (27) is engaged with the first respective bar element (170).