Rollable Spa Cover With Flexible Rods And Bladder Insulation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional swim spa covers are cumbersome and require two people to handle, and they often fail to maintain a tight seal over time, leading to heat loss and debris entry, increasing energy consumption and maintenance needs.

Innovation Solution

A rollable spa cover system featuring a bladder section with flexible insulation and rigid support structures, including fiberglass rods and square tubes, which allows for easy installation and removal by one person and maintains a tight seal through a multi-layered rainfly assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If conventional rigid spa covers are used, then heat retention and debris protection are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates as two people are required to handle them

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat retentionVSAvoidease of cover handling

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rigid spa cover is divided into multiple sections that can be independently manipulated. Each section is connected through hinge joints, allowing the cover to be folded and rolled by a single person while maintaining the overall structure's heat retention capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure. The incorporation of flexible materials and rolling mechanisms allows the cover to adapt its configuration during installation and removal, enabling single-person operation while preserving thermal insulation properties when closed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of energy

If conventional rigid spa covers are used, then heat retention is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for mechanical lifting mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat retentionVSAvoidmechanical mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Complex mechanical lifting mechanisms are replaced with a simplified rolling system. The cover sections are designed to roll up and down along guide rails or edges, eliminating the need for cables, pulleys, and motorized components while maintaining effective heat retention through proper sealing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If Velcro seals are used on spa covers, then ease of operation is improved for sealing, but reliability deteriorates as the seal diminishes over time due to sagging and warping

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of seal applicationVSAvoidseal durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing system uses a composite approach combining flexible seal materials with the cover structure. The seals are integrated into the flexible cover sections and maintain continuous contact through the flexibility of the material itself, providing both easy operation and long-term reliability without relying on Velcro or separate sealing components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Loss of energy

If rigid spa covers are used, then heat retention is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to the need for precise sealing assemblies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat retentionVSAvoidease of seal assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing function is merged into the flexible cover sections themselves rather than being a separate assembly step. The flexible material inherently provides sealing through its ability to conform to the spa contours, eliminating the need for separate seal installation and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining heat retention effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 system reduces maintenance and energy costs by maintaining heat and keeping debris out, while being easy to use and durable, with a 10-15% savings in electricity costs for heating and improved filtration efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

at least two flexible insulation layers... four separate heat retaining units are formed between the ambient air and the water surface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal Insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

the sealed bladder section is of a buoyancy sufficient to float on the surface of water

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentUS9885192B2Spa cover

Publication Date: 2018.02.06 E2E LLC

AI summary

A spa cover comprising: a) a bladder section having a length and a width approximating that of a water spa; b) a plurality of elongated and generally parallel structures affixed to and substantially spanning the width of the bladder section; c) a plurality of flexible rods affixed to the bladder section and under sufficient tension to compress and create an arc over the width of the bladder section; and d) a cover supported by the flexible rods; wherein the rods and the elongated structures are spaced sufficiently to allow the bladder section and the cover to be rolled lengthwise.