Modular Cassette for Swimming Pool Cover Installation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional swimming pool cover systems for large pools are cumbersome to transport and install, requiring multiple components and often the use of cranes, which increases costs and disrupts construction progress.

Innovation Solution

A modular swimming pool cover system featuring a self-contained cassette that pre-assembles the holder, cover, and drive, allowing for transportation and installation in a single pass, with a water seal on the drive shaft for maintenance access and adjustable supports for secure placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional swimming pool cover systems are transported and installed in modular fashion with separate components, then the system can be adapted to different pool sizes, but the installation process becomes cumbersome requiring multiple crane rentals and repeated transportation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different pool sizesVSAvoidinstallation time and construction disruption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into modular components (cover element, holder, cassette, drive unit) that can be independently manufactured and transported. The holder is mounted to the cassette forming a pre-assembled unit, while the cover element can be separately transported and attached, allowing flexible adaptation to different pool sizes while reducing on-site assembly requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The holder is pre-mounted to the cassette in a factory setting, creating a pre-assembled unit that reduces on-site assembly complexity. The drive unit is also pre-configured with the holder, allowing the entire mechanism to be installed as a single integrated unit rather than assembling multiple separate components during construction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If heavy components of the swimming pool cover system are transported separately to the construction site, then transportation flexibility is improved, but multiple crane rentals and repeated transportation increases costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransportation flexibilityVSAvoidnumber of transportation trips and crane rentals
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The holder and cassette are merged into a single pre-assembled unit with the drive unit integrated to the holder. This combination allows the heavy mechanical components to be transported as one unit rather than separately, reducing the number of transportation trips and crane rentals required while maintaining transportation flexibility for the cover element

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of repair

If the drive is arranged in the service space separated from the cover system space, then maintenance access is improved, but the drive shaft must extend through the wall requiring water sealing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance access to motorVSAvoiddrive shaft extension and water seal requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The drive unit is extracted from the cover system space and placed in the service space, allowing maintenance personnel to access the motor without disassembling cover components. The drive shaft extends through the separating wall with a water seal to prevent water ingress, providing easy maintenance access while maintaining the functional separation between wet and dry spaces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3301242B1Swimming pool cover system
Publication Date: 2020.04.08 VARIODECK BV
  • EP3301242B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3301242B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3301242B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a swimming pool cover system, comprising a planar cover element, a holder for retractably accommodating the cover element and a drive connected to the holder for deploying and/or retracting the cover element from and in or on the holder, respectively, characterized by a cassette, to which at least the holder is mounted, wherein the cassette is to be deployed at a swimming pool in a pre-assembled state separate from the swimming swimming pool, with at least the holder mounted to the cassette.