Swimming Pool Skimmer Basket With Trigger-Actuated Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The removal and cleaning of skimmer baskets in swimming pools can be unpleasant due to the presence of trapped contaminants like small animals, hair clumps, or decayed matter, as existing designs do not adequately protect users from these objects during removal.
Innovation Solution
A skimmer basket assembly with a basket, flaps, and a handle connected via a trigger mechanism, along with a sliding lid that covers the top, allowing for safe handling and disposal of contents without direct contact with undesirable items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the skimmer basket is removed for cleaning, then the trapped contaminants can be accessed and removed, but the user is exposed to objectionable items such as small animals, hair clumps, or decayed matter
Solution Approach 1:
The skimmer basket is divided into two main segments: a removable basket portion and a stationary housing. The basket can be detached from the housing for cleaning, allowing users to access contaminants without reaching into the confined space where animals may be trapped. This segmentation separates the cleaning function from the housing structure, improving user safety while maintaining cleaning accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A cleaning tool or long-handled brush is introduced as an intermediary device between the user and the basket contents. This intermediary allows users to remove contaminants from the basket without direct hand contact, particularly avoiding exposure to trapped animals or decayed matter while still enabling effective cleaning of the basket interior.
2Ease of operation
If the skimmer basket has a simple open-top design, then it is easy to access and clean, but users must directly handle trapped contaminants including small animals and decayed matter
Solution Approach 1:
The basket is segmented into a removable basket portion and a stationary housing with separate functional zones. The basket can be detached and emptied over a trash receptacle, allowing contaminants to be discarded without users needing to reach into the confined space where animals may be trapped, thus reducing direct contact with harmful objects while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates a trash receptacle or disposal container that can be positioned to receive basket contents. This copying of the disposal function into the overall system allows users to transfer contaminants from the basket to the receptacle without direct handling, reducing exposure to trapped animals and decayed matter while maintaining ease of operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the basket bottom is solid, then it is structurally simple and easy to manufacture, but contaminants cannot be evacuated efficiently without removing the entire basket
Solution Approach 1:
The basket bottom is designed with a dynamic component - a removable or hinged bottom section that can be opened or detached. This dynamic feature allows the bottom to transition from a closed state (maintaining structural integrity during normal operation) to an open state (enabling rapid evacuation of contaminants). Users can open the bottom and dump contents into a trash receptacle without removing the entire basket, significantly improving cleaning efficiency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the entire basket is removed for cleaning, then all contaminants can be accessed, but the process becomes more time-consuming and requires handling of all trapped items including unwanted objects
Solution Approach 1:
The basket is segmented into a removable basket portion and a stationary housing. Only the basket portion needs to be removed for cleaning, not the entire assembly. This segmentation reduces the time required for cleaning by allowing users to quickly detach and reattach the basket without manipulating the entire skimmer assembly, while still providing full access to contaminants for removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket bottom incorporates a quick-open mechanism or removable section that allows rapid evacuation of contaminants. This dynamic feature enables users to open the bottom and dump contents into a trash receptacle in seconds without needing to fully disassemble the basket or remove it from the housing, significantly reducing cleaning time while maintaining ease of access to contaminants.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a skimmer basket assembly. The skimmer basket assembly may include a basket, the bottom of which may include one or more flaps. A handle may be connected to the basket via one or more connectors. The handle may include a trigger mechanism that is mechanically linked to the one or more flaps of the basket. The trigger mechanism may be configured to operate the one of more flaps of the basket upon manipulation of the trigger mechanism. The skimmer basket assembly may include a lid that is slidingly connected to the one or more connectors. The lid may be configured to receive the handle therein and substantially cover a top opening of the basket.