Adapter Concealing Pool Strut Support Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dismountable swimming pools with reinforcing struts that protrude at shallow angles pose a risk as potential support points for children to climb into the pool, violating safety standards like NF P90-316, which requires all protuberances to have angles of at least 55° with the horizontal to prevent stable support.
Innovation Solution
An adapter that covers part of the reinforcing strut's outer surface, creating a lower reception area and an upper surface with tangent planes forming angles of at least 50-55° with the horizontal, eliminating the support point while maintaining the strut's functionality without requiring new designs or additional safety systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If reinforcing struts are placed at shallow angles to support the swimming pool wall, then structural support is provided, but they create support points that children can use to climb into the pool
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (the adapter or cover) that is placed between the reinforcing strut and the environment. This intermediary element modifies the strut's geometry by adding a steeply inclined surface (≥55°) that prevents children from gaining stable footing, while the adapter itself is attached to the underlying strut that maintains its shallow angle for structural support. Thus, the intermediary resolves the contradiction by decoupling the support function from the climbing hazard.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by modifying only the surface geometry of the reinforcing strut where children would contact it, while leaving the underlying structural configuration unchanged. The adapter introduces a localized steeply inclined surface (≥55°) at the protruding portion of the strut, which prevents climbing, while the main body of the strut retains its shallow angle orientation necessary for wall support. This localized modification resolves the contradiction without compromising overall structural integrity.
2Reliability
If existing reinforcing struts are modified to eliminate support points, then safety compliance is achieved, but the struts would require redesign or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the solution into two independent parts: the existing reinforcing strut and the separate adapter component. The adapter is a standalone element that attaches to the strut, allowing safety compliance to be achieved without modifying or replacing the original strut. This segmentation enables easy manufacture and installation, as the adapter can be produced separately and attached to existing struts, resolving the contradiction between safety compliance and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves as an intermediary component that bridges the gap between the existing strut design and safety requirements. Rather than requiring redesign or replacement of the struts themselves, the intermediary adapter is attached to the existing structure and provides the necessary steeply inclined surface (≥55°) for safety compliance. This approach maintains ease of manufacture by working with existing components while achieving the required safety standards.
3Reliability
If the reinforcing strut geometry is changed to prevent climbing, then safety is improved, but the aesthetic appearance and streamlined look are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by confining the steeply inclined safety surface (≥55°) to only the necessary protruding portion of the strut where climbing prevention is needed. The adapter is designed to cover only the problematic area while maintaining a clean, streamlined appearance. This localized approach allows safety to be improved without compromising the overall aesthetic appearance of the swimming pool structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter acts as an intermediary that provides the steeply inclined safety surface while being designed to blend with the overall aesthetic of the swimming pool. By placing the geometric modification in a separate attachable component rather than changing the fundamental strut design, the solution maintains a streamlined appearance while achieving safety compliance.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
Adapter (1) for eliminating support points (5) on a reinforcing strut (2) that protrudes from a wall (4) of a dismountable swimming pool (3), with this adapter (1) including a lower reception area (6) intended to receive and conceal at last part of support point (5) of the reinforcing strut (2) outer surface, two side outer surfaces (10) intended to remain essentially vertical or with a slight inclination in relation to the vertical when the adapter (1) is assembled on the reinforcing strut (2), and an upper outer surface (7), no part of which can be used an a support point when the adapter (1) is assembled on the reinforcing strut (2). The adapter (1) makes it possible to prevent a child from being able to support its foot and climb up towards the inside of the swimming pool (3), without needing to replace the reinforcing strut (2) with another one of a new design.