Custom Pool Shell Using EPS Foam Sections and Joining Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-ground swimming pools face issues with inadequate insulation, leading to freeze/thaw cycles and frequent replacement of concrete or vinyl liners, and lack of customization options for homeowners.
Innovation Solution
An online platform allows users to design custom pool sections from a library, assemble them with rebar or similar joining members, and spray concrete onto the assembled shell, creating an insulating barrier that reduces heat loss and cracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If concrete is sprayed against the ground to form a pool, then the pool structure is formed, but the lack of insulation causes freeze/thaw cycles and frequent replacement of concrete or vinyl liner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an insulating barrier layer between the pool shell and the ground. This intermediary layer prevents direct thermal contact, reducing heat loss from the pool water to the ground and eliminating freeze/thaw cycles that would otherwise occur with concrete sprayed directly against the ground.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining multiple materials: the pool shell structure, the insulating barrier material, and the concrete or vinyl liner. This composite approach provides both structural integrity and thermal insulation properties, resolving the contradiction between forming a stable pool structure and preventing freeze/thaw damage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pool design is customized by selecting from predefined sections, then the homeowner gets ability to customize the design, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the pool into standardized sections (corner sections, straight sections, curved sections) that can be independently manufactured and then assembled. This segmentation allows for design customization through different section combinations while keeping the manufacturing process simple and modular, as each section is produced using the same standardized process.
3Ease of manufacture
If the pool shell is assembled from prefabricated sections, then the assembly process is simplified and insulation is improved, but the joining members must be precisely positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates joining members during the prefabrication of pool sections, rather than requiring them to be positioned separately during assembly. This preliminary action ensures precise positioning of joining members is achieved during manufacturing when precision is most critical, while simplifying the on-site assembly process to merely connecting the pre-prepared sections.
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 solution provides a stable, customizable pool design with reduced heat loss and extended concrete lifespan by forming a pool shell from prefabricated EPS foam sections, eliminating freeze/thaw cycles and enhancing insulation.
Implementation Method 1
the pool shell is left in place as an insulating barrier with respect to the ground
Data Source
AI summary
A method for building a custom pool that a user, using an online software platform, selects from a set of predefined pool designs and optionally customizes or designs using a plurality of pool sections from a pool section library. The pool sections are fabricated with an expanded polystyrene foam process, and a kit of the pool sections and joining members are assembled into a kit of components which are delivered to the site where the pool will be built. The pool sections are assembled with the joining members in an excavated void to form a pool shell by inserting a joining member into opposing surfaces of each adjoining pair of pool sections, optionally spraying expanded polystyrene foam around the intersection of the adjoining pool sections to strengthen the bond. Concrete is then sprayed onto the pool shell to form a contiguous pool wall surface.