Automatic Pump Deployment on Flexible Pool Covers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible swimming pool covers face issues with water accumulation, which can lead to damage and safety hazards, as existing water removal pumps require manual placement and removal, often forgotten during rain or when closing the cover.
Innovation Solution
A water removal pump system that automatically deploys when the cover is deployed, using friction and a pivoting arm to position a pump head within the cover's central region, equipped with sensors and control devices for enhanced operation, including automatic activation and shut-off based on water presence and temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual water removal pumps are used on flexible pool covers, then water can be removed from the cover, but the pump requires frequent manual placement and removal which is difficult to remember and execute, especially during rain or when closing the cover
Solution Approach 1:
The pump head is designed to automatically deploy with the cover using friction between the device and cover, and automatically retract when the cover is closed. The system serves itself without requiring manual intervention for placement or removal, resolving the contradiction between reliable water removal and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump head is pre-positioned on the cover as it is being deployed, so that water removal capability is automatically available before rain or water accumulation becomes a problem. This preliminary positioning ensures the pump is ready to operate without requiring manual setup at the moment of need.
2Ease of operation
If a pump head is automatically deployed with the cover using friction, then manual placement is eliminated, but the device complexity increases with pivoting arms and friction mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The pump head is extracted from the cover material itself and implemented as a separate deployable device. This allows the pump functionality to be automatically deployed with the cover while keeping the cover material simple and flexible, resolving the contradiction between automatic deployment and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump head uses a dynamic friction-based deployment mechanism with pivoting arms that automatically position the pump as the cover is deployed. This dynamic system adapts to the cover's movement and tension, providing automatic deployment without requiring complex mechanical linkages or powered actuators.
3Reliability
If water accumulates on the flexible cover, then the cover provides safe and effective coverage, but water pooling creates damage risk and drowning hazards for children and animals
Solution Approach 1:
The pump head operates continuously or periodically to remove water from the cover, ensuring that water does not accumulate to hazardous levels. This continuous water removal maintains the cover's protective function while eliminating drowning hazards and damage risks associated with water pooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses water sensors to detect the presence of water on the cover and automatically activates the pump head when water is detected. This feedback mechanism ensures water removal is triggered only when needed, maintaining cover protection while preventing hazardous water accumulation through intelligent response to actual conditions.
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
Ensures efficient and automatic water removal from the cover and storage vault, reducing damage and safety risks by integrating sensors for intelligent operation and eliminating the need for manual pump placement and removal.
Implementation Method 1
A water removal pump or pump inlet device may be automatically deployed when a cover is deployed across a pool or tank by friction between the device and the cover causing a portion of the device to travel
Data Source
AI summary
An automatically deployed water removal apparatus for use with a solid, flexible swimming pool cover to remove rainwater caught by the cover. In one embodiment, a head with a water inlet pivots from a stored position along the edge of a pool to a deployed position near the center of a deployed cover as the cover advances to its deployed, pool-covering position. In another embodiment, a water inlet is attached to and positioned in part by a tether cord that may be reeled out during cover deployment and reeled in during retraction of the cover.