US20060015996A1 - Swimming pool drain - Google Patents
Swimming pool drain Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060015996A1 US20060015996A1 US10/894,803 US89480304A US2006015996A1 US 20060015996 A1 US20060015996 A1 US 20060015996A1 US 89480304 A US89480304 A US 89480304A US 2006015996 A1 US2006015996 A1 US 2006015996A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- sump
- housing
- set forth
- pool
- grate
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
- E04H4/12—Devices or arrangements for circulating water, i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or for water treatment
- E04H4/1209—Treatment of water for swimming pools
- E04H4/1236—Bottom drains
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
- E04H4/12—Devices or arrangements for circulating water, i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or for water treatment
Definitions
- the present invention relates to drains for swimming pools and, more particularly to drains that will not permit entrapment of persons, their clothing or their hair thereagainst.
- Most swimming pools and spas whether of concrete/gunite, fiberglass or having a vinyl liner above ground or in ground, include a drain at the lowest point.
- the purpose of the drain is to provide an outlet for flow of water from the swimming pool to the suction side of a pump.
- the outflow of the pump is passed through a filter to remove entrained matter.
- the filtered water is returned to the swimming pool at above and/or below water level outlets in the pool.
- the suction line from the drain includes a debris trap upstream of the pump to collect large sized debris.
- the drain itself includes an apertured cover for passing water therethrough but prevents the inflow of large sized debris as a function of the size of the apertures or slots in the drain cover.
- a high flow rate of the water through the suction line is desirable to filter a large quantity of water within a given time period to help maintain clarity of the water.
- a high flow rate through the drain cover can only be brought about by maintaining a high suction force beneath the drain cover in order to draw water through the apertures of the drain cover. Such high suction force creates a potentially severe health hazard to a user of the pool or spa.
- the material of the clothing may be drawn into or cover the drain. In such event, the suction force acting upon the material may be sufficient to prevent the person from moving away from the drain. For persons with long full hair, the hair is readily drawn into the swimming pool/spa drain and may twist upon itself beneath the drain cover to the extent that extraction becomes impossible. The potential consequences of both clothing and hair becoming entrapped by the drain in a swimming pool or spa may be fatal.
- a swimming pool or spa sump having a housing and a grate which has low velocity, high volume waterflow into the suction line in fluid communication with a suction pump.
- the grate includes a single relatively large sized aperture or slot sufficient to permit debris to pass therethrough and generally preclude more than partial insertion of a swimmer's fingers or toes.
- the housing downstream of the grate is relatively large sized and includes a large sized outlet in communication with an oversized suction pipe ultimately connected to a conventionally sized suction line.
- An inlet to the sump is in fluid communication with a bypass line extending from, for example, an opening in the sidewall of the swimming pool or spa to provide an alternate flow path into the sump in the unlikely event the grate were to be sufficiently covered by a body part or clothing of a person to impede flow into the sump sufficient to accommodate the rate of outflow through the suction line.
- a hydrostatic tube may be incorporated to permit flow of ground water into the swimming pool and prevent an empty or near empty swimming pool from floating.
- It is therefore a primary object of the present invention is to provide a drain for a swimming pool or spa which will not entrap a person thereagainst.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sump and grate attendant a drain for a swimming pool or spa that will permit easy withdrawal of an article of clothing or hair that may be drawn into the sump through the grate.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a high flow rate low velocity drain for a swimming pool or spa.
- Yet another object of the present is to provide a single apertured grate for a swimming pool or spa drain sump.
- Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sump for a swimming pool or spa drain having an outlet in fluid communication with the suction line, an inlet in fluid communication with a bypass line and an inlet supporting a hydrostatic valve in fluid communication with the pool water.
- a further object of the present invention is to provide a sump and grate adaptable for use in a concrete/gunite pool or spa, a fiberglass pool or spa or a vinyl lined pool or spa.
- a yet further object of the present invention is to provide one of a plurality of configurations of a sump and a grate for use as a drain in a swimming pool or spa and having a large flow rate low velocity water outflow.
- a still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for preventing the suction attendant the drain of a swimming pool or spa from entrapping a person against the drain.
- FIG. 1 is a representative cross sectional view of a swimming pool incorporating the drain structure of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway view of certain components of the sump
- FIG. 3 is a top view of the grate for the sump
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the sump
- FIG. 5 is a further cross sectional view of the sump
- FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view of the concrete in which a first variant preformed sump is imbedded
- FIG. 7 is an exploded view illustrating major components of the sump
- FIG. 8 is a top view of the preformed housing embodied in the sump
- FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the bottom and side of the sump.
- FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the interior of the sump
- FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate mounting of the components of the sump to accommodate different finish elevations of the bottom of the swimming pool
- FIG. 13 illustrates a second variant configuration of a preformed sump and FIG. 13A illustrates an end view thereof;
- FIG. 14 is a top view of the sump shown in FIG. 13 and FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14 C illustrate cutaway views thereof;
- FIG. 15 illustrates a third variant of a preformed sump
- FIG. 16 illustrates a side view of the sump shown in FIG. 15 ;
- FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 illustrate the fourth variant of a preformed sump adapted for use with a swimming pool having a liner
- FIG. 20 illustrates a fifth variant of a preformed sump adapted for use in a swimming pool having a liner
- FIG. 21 illustrates a side view of the sump shown in FIG. 20 ;
- FIG. 22 illustrates a top view of the sump shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 ;
- FIG. 23 is a partial exploded view of the sump shown in FIGS. 20, 21 and 22 ;
- FIG. 24 is a further exploded view of a sump adapted for use in a concrete pool
- FIG. 25 is an isometric view of the third variant shown in FIG. 24 ;
- FIGS. 26 and 27 illustrate mounting of the components of the sump shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 to accommodate different finish elevations of a concrete swimming pool;
- FIG. 28 illustrates a sixth variant of a preformed sump
- FIG. 29 is a bottom view of the sump shown in FIG. 28 ;
- FIG. 30 is an exploded view of the sump shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 ;
- FIG. 31 illustrates a preformed cylindrical variant of the sump
- FIG. 32 is an exploded view of the sump shown in FIG. 31 ;
- FIG. 33 is a partial cross sectional view of the sump shown in FIGS. 31 and 32 , and FIGS. 33A and 33B illustrate attachment of a pool liner to the sump;
- FIG. 34 illustrates the waterflow within the sump shown in FIGS. 31, 32 and 33 ;
- FIG. 35 illustrates a first variant of a preformed cylindrical sump adapted for use in a swimming pool having a liner
- FIG. 36 is an exploded view of the sump shown in FIG. 35 ;
- FIG. 37 illustrates the water flow in the sump shown in FIGS. 35 and 36 ;
- FIG. 38 is a side view of the sump shown in FIGS. 35, 36 and 37 ;
- FIG. 39 illustrates waterflow relief between the inlet and outlet conduits attendant the sump shown in FIG. 35 ;
- FIG. 40 illustrates a second variant of a preformed cylindrical sump adapted for use in a swimming pool having a liner
- FIG. 41 is a partial exploded view of the sump shown in FIG. 40 ;
- FIG. 42 is a further partial exploded view of the sump shown in FIGS. 40 and 41 ;
- FIG. 43 illustrates the components of a preformed seventh variant of the sump illustrated in FIG. 6 ;
- FIG. 44 illustrates the grate usable with the sump shown in FIG. 43 ;
- FIG. 45 is an exploded view illustrating a modification of the sump shown in FIG. 43 ;
- FIG. 46 is a cross sectional view of the sump shown in FIG. 45 ;
- FIG. 47 is an exploded view of a modification of the sump shown in FIG. 43 ;
- FIG. 48 is a cross sectional view of the sump shown in FIG. 47 ;
- FIG. 49 illustrates a preformed eighth variant of the sump shown in FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 50 is a partial cross sectional view of the sump shown in FIG. 49 .
- FIG. 1 there is illustrated a representative cross section of a swimming pool 10 having drain 11 .
- the drain is formed in the cementitious material defining the pool and includes a sump 12 generally located at the low spot in bottom 14 of the pool. It is to be understood that the drain may be elsewhere in the bottom or in a wall of the pool or a spa. While the discussion below is primarily directed to various sumps useable in swimming pools, these sumps could also be used in spas and the like.
- a preformed grate 16 is disposed and retained at the inlet to the sump and incorporates one or more, but preferably one aperture for inflow of water to the sump.
- a suction line 18 of relatively substantial diameter extends from sump 12 .
- suction line 20 in fluid communication with a conventional debris trap 22 .
- a further suction 24 extends from the debris trap to the inlet in pump 26 .
- Outflow from the pump through return line 28 is channeled back into pool 10 in any one of several conventional manners.
- the combination of suction lines 18 , 20 and 24 represent the suction lines for drawing water from the pool through grate 16 and sump 12 .
- a bypass line 30 is in fluid communication with sump 12 and extends from the sump to a location in pool 10 remote from grate 16 .
- an inlet 32 to bypass line 30 is disposed in a wall of the pool.
- Bypass line 30 serves in the manner of a relief line to provide a source of water to sump 12 in the event grate 16 becomes fully or partially blocked and thereby accommodates flow into suction line 18 . It may be noted that outlet 34 of the bypass line is disposed at one end of sump 12 and inlet 36 of the suction line 18 is disposed at the other end of the sump.
- Pool 10 may be formed in any of innumerable shapes and is usually either of cementitious or fiberglass material.
- the pool shown in FIG. 2 is formed of cementitious material 38 defining bottom 14 of the pool and a sump 12 is formed within the cementitious material and illustrated as a block 40 to provide the requisite strength and support for the elements associated therewith. It is to be understood that the sump could be formed in a wall of the pool.
- Suction line 18 is sealed within block 40 with inlet 36 protruding into sump 12 .
- bypass line 30 is sealed within block 40 with outlet 34 located within the sump.
- a preformed frame 42 extends into sump 12 and includes a circumscribing ledge 44 to secure the frame with the cementitious material defining the sump.
- a setting material 46 may coat the sump defined by the cementitious material of block 40 .
- frame 42 would be retained by the setting material.
- most pools include a coating 48 , usually plaster, which is applied to an elevation commensurate with top edge 50 of frame 42 .
- a preformed grate 52 is removably disposed within the frame 42 (which grate is representatively identified by numeral 16 in FIG. 1 ). As further shown in FIG. 3 , grate 52 includes an elongated slot 54 extending essentially for the full length of sump 12 . The grate may be attached to frame 42 by screws 56 , or the like, disposed at each corner.
- Slot 54 is sized to accommodate the design flow rate for the suction line. To accommodate large debris removal, the width of the slot is in the range of about 1 to about 0.625 inches. Normally, the width of the slot should be limited to approximately 0.75 inches to prevent body parts, such as hands or fingers, from intruding very far into the sump.
- the length of slot 54 is variable and is a function of the design flow rate which is preferably 1.5 feet per second. For example, a drain system designed for a flow rate of 60 gallons per minute (GPM), a slot width of 0.75 inches will require a slot length of 17 inches to produce a velocity of 1.5 feet per second through the slot.
- GPM gallons per minute
- suction line 18 is oversized from that of the conventional size of pool suction lines.
- the interior diameter of conduit 18 is sized to provide a low velocity water flow; a diameter of 4 inches would be representative.
- the size should be sufficient to maintain a flow velocity of approximately 1.5 feet per second at a 60 gallons per minute (GPM) rate and this velocity will remain essentially constant to the junction of suction line 18 with a much smaller and conventionally sized suction line 20 .
- the flow velocity may increase to 6 feet per second, as is normal.
- the total length of low velocity flow from slot 54 in grate 52 to suction line 20 should be long enough to insure that any length of hair a swimmer may have or length of clothing used by a swimmer and that may be drawn into the sump will not reach suction line 20 . Thereby, the “suction”acting upon such hair or clothing will be relatively low and withdrawal of same is readily accomplished.
- a low velocity zone of 24 to 30 inches in length provides ample protection to prevent a bather from becoming entrapped at the grate.
- each of the embodiments of the sumps described herein is devoid of elements that might cause entanglement of long hair drawn into the sump through the slot. That is, neither the grate, the supporting frame nor the housing have any protrusions or slots about which strands of hair may wrap and thereby become impossible to extricate.
- suction within suction line 18 is translated into suction within sump 12 . Because inlet 36 of the suction line is close to one end of slot 54 in the grate, the flow from the pool will be greatest at that end of the slot and diminish toward the other end of the slot. Should slot 54 become blocked, the flow from the pool may be reduced or even stopped. In such event, water will be drawn through bypass line 30 and this flow is discharged through outlet 34 into the sump. Thereby, such bypass flow will satisfy the flow requirements established by pump 26 and a high suction condition at slot 54 is avoided.
- FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the drain and its components, as shown in FIG. 2 .
- Setting material 46 seals the exterior surface of suction line 18 within the hollow representing sump 12 disposed within cementitious material 40 defining bottom 14 of the pool.
- Frame 42 and its peripheral ledge 44 is lodged within and retained by setting material 46 to locate top edge 50 of the frame essentially coincident with the exposed surface of coating 48 covering the cementitious material and defining the surface of the bottom of the pool.
- the frame includes a central opening 60 defined by an inwardly extending peripheral flange 62 .
- the flange provides support for grate 52 and locates the upper surface of the grate coincident with the surface of bottom 14 .
- slot 54 is defined by two inverted U-shaped elements 64 , 66 as illustrated.
- the lower end of slot 54 is coincident with opening 60 to permit unimpeded flow through and out of the slot into sump 12 .
- screws or the like may be used to retain the grate within a frame 42 . It may be noted that the shape of U-shaped elements 64 , 66 render the grate sufficiently robust to withstand any forces or weight that might normally by imposed thereon.
- FIG. 5 is a further cross sectional view taken orthogonally to the view shown in FIG. 4 .
- the opposite ends of grate 52 along with the longitudinal sides shown in FIG. 4 , are supported upon flange 62 of frame 42 .
- Elements 68 , 70 define the ends of grate 52 and are formed in the manner of inverted U's in cross section to provide the requisite stability and robustness.
- Arrows 72 generally illustrate the flow of water through slot 54 into inlet 36 of suction line 18 . That is, most of the flow through slot 54 occurs proximate element 68 and the flow rate is reduced toward element 70 . Under normal circumstances, little flow, if any occurs through bypass line 30 into sump 12 through outlet 34 from the pool as the flow through the grate satisfies the pump suction requirements.
- Sump 80 includes a hollow box like housing 82 having hollow bosses 84 , 86 extending downwardly from bottom 88 .
- Boss 84 is interconnected with suction line 18 and boss 86 is interconnected with bypass line 30 .
- boss 84 is of significantly greater cross sectional area than boss 86 in view of their very distinct and different functions.
- Housing 82 includes a laterally expanded sides 90 , 92 defining interior ledges 94 , 96 .
- a peripheral flange 98 extends outwardly from housing 82 for mechanical locking engagement with cementitious material 38 surrounding sump 80 . Thereby, the sump is immovably mounted within the shell of the pool.
- a frame 42 like the frame discussed above, is slidably inserted through opening 100 at the top of housing 82 . To permit variation in the degree of insertion of frame 42 into housing 82 , the frame includes a downwardly extending peripheral wall 102 .
- Ledge 44 encircles frame 42 for locking engagement with the setting material or the coating, such as plaster, forming the surface of the bottom of the pool.
- Grate 52 is like the grate discussed above and slidingly mates with and is supported by the frame, as discussed above.
- preformed sump 80 is set in place and secured to suction line 18 and bypass line 30 .
- cementitious material 38 is poured thereabout in a conventional manner. As shown in FIG. 6 , the cementitious material may extend upwardly at an angle to define a slope 104 extending around housing 82 . Thereafter, the space defined by this slope may be packed with setting compound 106 in the conventional manner.
- Frame 42 is then inserted into the housing at a height commensurate with the surface of finish coating 48 .
- wall 102 forming a part of the frame permits significant vertical and canting adjustment to insure that edge 50 of the frame is in the plane of the surface of the coating.
- Grate 52 is placed within and secured to frame 42 .
- FIGS. 11 and 12 there are shown two versions of installation of preformed sump 80 in a shell of a pool or spa formed of cementitious material. Furthermore, a different version of a grate is illustrated and will be described.
- FIG. 11 illustrates locating the preformed sump deeply within cementitious material 38 relative to finished bottom 14 of the pool. To accommodate this depth, frame 42 is raised with respect to housing 82 to locate its upper edge 50 in the plane of bottom of the pool.
- Grate 110 includes elements 112 , 114 that define slot 54 . These elements extend longitudinally along the grate as discussed above.
- Element 112 may include a lip 116 to close the gap with the side of frame 42 .
- Element 114 like element 112 , is generally in the shape of an inverted U. Furthermore, element 114 may be adapted to define a cavity 118 circumscribed by walls 120 , 122 , bottom 124 and end walls. The purpose of this cavity would be to permit insertion of finishing compound 126 to reduce the visual impact of the drain.
- preformed sump 80 is located within cementitious material 38 relatively close to bottom 14 in comparison to the installation shown in FIG. 11 .
- frame 42 is lowered into the housing to the extent that ledge 44 essentially rests against the top of sides 90 , 92 .
- the interrelationship between frame 42 and housing 82 permits variation in depth of location of the sump without compromising locating the grate in the plane of bottom 14 of the pool.
- FIGS. 13, 13A , 14 , 14 A, 14 B and 14 C illustrate a second variant preformed sump 130 having a housing 131 for receiving and supporting a frame 42 and a grate 52 discussed above.
- sump 130 and sump 80 For the sake of brevity, only the differences between sump 130 and sump 80 will be described and common reference numerals will be used. At some locations, vertical depth below the sump may be a problem on installation. Secondly, by minimizing the number of right angle flows, the debris coming through the drain will more readily pass and reduce the likelihood of clogging. And, it is less likely to entrap hair or clothing. Accordingly, the discharge end of housing 131 includes an angled side 132 for supporting boss 84 . The boss is connected to suction line 18 by suitable angled fittings.
- grate 52 may include an upwardly open cavity 118 for receiving a finishing compound 126 to minimize the visually perceived presence of the elements of the sump in the pool or spa.
- FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate a third variant of preformed sump 140 , which sump includes a housing 141 supporting frame 42 as discussed above along with a grate, such as grate 52 discussed above.
- Sump 140 may have particular utility in prefabricated pools wherein the pool wall/bottom is relatively thin and in pools having a liner.
- Housing 141 includes a downwardly extending section 142 for supporting boss 84 extending horizontally from side wall 144 .
- the boss is connected in a straight line to suction line 18 .
- boss 86 may extend downwardly from the bottom surface 146 and connected to bypass line 30 .
- boss 86 ′ may extend horizontally from side 148 of the housing.
- Boss 86 ′ would be connected in line with bypass line 30 ′. By using horizontally extended bosses 84 , 86 ′, the required depth below the pool bottom is minimized. As is evident from inspection, the flow into boss 84 would be similar to the flow illustrated in FIG. 13 with regard to sump 130 . As only one of bosses 86 , 86 ′ would be used in any given installation, the unused boss would be capped. It is to be understood that variant sump 140 could be made with only one of bosses 86 , 86 ′.
- FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 illustrate a fourth variant of preformed sump 150 particularly adapted for use within a liner pool, whether above or below ground and wherein depth for the sump is a consideration.
- the sump includes a lower housing 152 and an upper housing 154 formed as a unitary structure.
- the lower housing supports boss 84 from a slanted side 156 in a manner similar to that of sump 130 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 .
- Boss 86 extends horizontally from side 158 .
- boss 84 is in fluid communication with suction line 18 and boss 86 is in fluid communication with bypass 30 .
- Upper housing 154 is attached to and extends from the top edges of lower housing 152 and defines an internally extending peripheral ledge 160 .
- a relatively thick peripheral flange 162 extends about the upper edge of housing 154 .
- Ledge 160 serves the function of supporting a grate, like grate 52 described above.
- a rectangular ring 164 mates with flange 162 and a plurality of screws 166 interconnect the ring with the flange through corresponding apertures in the ring and holes in the flange, as is self-evident.
- a gasket 168 is lodged intermediate ring 164 and flange 162 . The pool liner is clamped between flange 162 and ring 164 with gasket 168 serving to provide a leak free junction.
- Aperture 170 in ring 164 is sized to accommodate insertion and withdrawal of grate 52 therethrough.
- Variant sump 150 is installed in a depression extending downwardly into the soil from the bottom of the hole defining the liner pool. During such installation, it would be connected to the requisite suction line 18 and bypass line 30 .
- Pool liner 174 is thereafter installed in the hole for the pool and would cover flange 162 at the upper end of housing 154 . Ring 164 would be placed in mating relationship to flange 162 and the ring would be secured to the flange by a plurality of screws 166 .
- the use of gasket 168 therebetween provides a seal against water leakage intermediate the liner and flange 162 .
- the liner material commensurate with the opening to upper housing 154 would be cut away and grate 52 would be inserted into housing 154 . Screws, bolts or the like, may or may not be used to retain the grate in place.
- the sump would be supported in the conventional manner.
- the water table may be very close to ground elevation.
- a swimming pool when empty, may “float” and actually rise. Obviously, when such movement of the pool occurs the interconnected structure is usually destroyed or at least severely damaged. For this reason, many municipalities require the pools to have a hydrostatic valve to permit ground water inflow to the pool when the level of the water in the pool is below the ground water level.
- sump 180 is similar in certain respects with sump 150 shown in FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 as both are particularly configured for use with above or below ground liner type pools. With such pools, it is usually preferable to minimize the depth to which the sump and attendant plumbing extends below the bottom of the pool.
- Sump 180 includes a housing 182 having a sloping side 184 supporting boss 84 .
- Suction line 18 is attached to and extends from this boss.
- Side 186 of the housing supports boss 86 and bypass line 30 extends therefrom.
- a second housing 190 extends above housing 182 and is laterally expanded to define ledges 192 , 194 , 196 and 198 .
- End 200 of housing 190 is generally semicircular in planform and includes a bottom surface 202 .
- a hollow boss 204 extends downwardly from surface 202 and supports a pipe 206 having a plurality of apertures 208 therein with the lower end being capped by a cap 210 .
- a conventional hydrostatic valve 212 is disposed in proximity to boss 204 .
- a wall 214 extends from surface 202 upwardly to segregate the interior of end 200 from the remaining space in housing 190 (and housing 182 ).
- the top edge of housing 190 includes a peripheral lip 216 extending outwardly.
- a grate 220 includes a slot 222 similar to slot 54 discussed above except that it may be located along the center line of the grate, as illustrated.
- the grate is configured to have a flat end 224 for positioning adjacent wall 214 and a semicircular end 226 to conform with the interior of semicircular end 228 of housing 190 .
- the grate is supported upon ledges 192 , 194 , 196 and 198 .
- a secondary grate 230 is semicircular in planform and includes a plurality of slots 231 disposed therein. This grate is supported within end 200 and adjacent wall 214 .
- the assembly relating to the hydrostatic valve is physically separated from the sump assembly and its operation. Access to the hydrostatic valve is possible without disturbing the components of the sump. Moreover, it is hydraulicly isolated from the sump.
- sump 180 is adapted for installation in a liner pool, whether above or below ground. Such installation will be briefly described below. After the soil for the swimming pool has been removed, a further depression is created at essentially the low point and sump 180 is placed therein. Necessarily, suction line 18 and bypass line 30 are attached to the sump and pipe 206 extends downwardly for a distance into the soil. After installation of the sump at the appropriate location adjacent the bottom of the pool, a vinyl liner 232 is installed in the normal manner and will cover the variant sump. A collar 234 generally commensurate in width and shape with lip 216 is placed upon the lip and secured to the lip by a plurality of screws 236 . Thereafter, the material of the liner interior of the collar is cut away. Grate 220 and secondary grate 230 are now installed in housing 190 .
- FIGS. 24, 25 , 26 and 27 illustrate a sump 240 very similar to sump 180 described above except that sump 240 is intended for use in a conventional pool formed primarily of cementitious material, but could be installed in a pool made of fiberglass. Accordingly, the description below will be primarily directed to the differences between sumps 180 and 240 ; common reference numerals will be used for common elements.
- Sump 240 includes a lower housing 242 having an angled surface 244 for supporting boss 84 and suction line 18 attached thereto.
- End 246 of the lower housing includes a laterally expanded section one side of which supports boss 86 and bypass line 30 attached thereto.
- An upper housing 250 of generally oval shape, as illustrated, has a lateral width essentially coincident with expanded section 248 of the lower housing. Ledges 252 , 254 and 256 interconnect the upper housing with the narrowed section of the lower housing, as illustrated.
- End 258 of the upper housing is generally semicircular and extends beyond end 246 of the lower housing and includes a panel 260 for supporting hollow boss 204 supporting pipe 206 extending therefrom and hydrostatic valve 212 associated with the boss.
- a circumferential ledge 262 extends laterally from about upper housing 250 .
- frame 270 grate 272 and secondary grate 274 will be discussed.
- the primary function of frame 270 is that of positioning the upper surface of grate 272 and secondary grate 274 in a plane commensurate with the bottom of a pool. Accordingly, frame 270 is vertically positionable and to some extent cantable as necessary to achieve alignment of the grate with the pool bottom.
- Frame 270 includes a skirt 276 having an exterior dimension essentially coincident with the interior vertical surface of upper housing 250 . At the lower most position of the frame, it may rest upon ledges 252 , 254 and 256 .
- a panel 278 extends downwardly from the frame at a location to place it essentially adjacent wall 280 (see FIG.
- panel 278 is essentially coincident with the distance between the sides of lower housing 242 at expanded section 248 and the width of the walls of upper housing 250 .
- panel 278 essentially segregates the space defined by end 258 from the remaining interior surface of the sump irrespective of the vertical position of frame 270 relative to the sump 240 .
- a peripheral ledge 282 extends about frame 270 for mechanical engagement with setting material upon installation in a pool.
- An internally extending ledge 284 is coincident with the bottom edge of frame 270 and includes a cross member 286 extending across the frame; it delineates the semicircular end 288 of the frame to leave the space between this section and the curved wall of the skirt with an open bottom.
- Grate 272 includes a slot 290 extending generally along the center line and dimensioned as discussed above.
- Skirt 292 of the grate is dimensioned to have a close fit within frame 270 up to semicircular end 288 and wall 294 of the grate terminates essentially coincident with cross member 286 .
- wall 294 in combination with the interior surface of end 288 forms the equivalent of a semi-cylindrical space.
- Secondary grate 274 covers this semi-cylindrical space but provides communication from therein through slots 296 .
- Bosses disposed within frame 270 may be used to support the secondary grate. Alternatively, legs may extend downwardly from the secondary grate to bear against the ledge at the lower end of the frame and thereby support the secondary grate.
- variant sump 240 is lodged therein spaced apart from expected finished bottom 14 .
- Ledge 262 surrounding upper housing 250 provides a mechanical lock with the cementitious material and movement of the sump is prohibited.
- suction line 18 , bypass line 30 and pipe 206 are secured to their respective bosses prior to formation of the cementitious material about the sump.
- the cementitious material extends upwardly at an angle away from ledge 262 .
- frame 270 is inserted within the upper housing at a height and at a cant such that its top edge 300 is essentially coincident with finished bottom 14 of the pool.
- Setting material 106 and the coating 48 are laid around the frame to encase and mechanically lock ledge 282 of the frame with the setting material.
- grate 272 and secondary grate 274 are inserted within the frame.
- sump 240 is closer to bottom 14 than is sump 240 shown in FIG. 27 .
- This difference in height is readily accommodated by raising or lowering frame 270 with respect to the upper housing and such vertical movement can be carried out to the extent of the depth of skirt 276 ; moreover, as is true with the frames discussed and to be discussed, the frame can be somewhat canted to accommodate alignment with the bottom of the pool. Operation of sump 240 is essentially equivalent to that described above with respect to sump 180 and need not be repeated herein.
- a sixth variant sump 310 is illustrated in FIGS. 28, 29 and 30 .
- This sump is very similar to sump 240 with two major differences. First, this sump is curved or arcuate. Second, bypass line 30 enters the sump at the bottom rather than along a side. Because of the similarity of the components of sump 310 with sump 240 , and the fact that installation is equivalent within the cementitious material of a pool, the description below will be relatively cursory.
- An arced housing 312 includes a lower housing 314 having an expanded section 316 and interconnected with an upper housing 318 .
- a ledge 320 interconnects the lower housing with the upper housing and serves as a support for frame 322 when the frame is at its lower most point relative to housing 312 .
- Lower housing 314 supports boss 84 from an angled side and supports boss 86 from the bottom surface at the end of the housing opposite from boss 84 .
- End 324 of upper housing 318 extends beyond wall 326 of lower housing 314 and defines a semicircular cavity having a floor or panel 328 .
- Boss 204 is supported by and extends from panel 328 for interconnection with the hydrostatic valve assembly.
- Frame 322 includes a panel 330 which is inserted within expanded section 316 adjacent wall 326 upon mating of the frame with the housing 312 to form a relatively closed compartment within end 324 irrespective of the vertical position of the frame relative to the housing.
- a ledge 332 extends about frame 322 to mechanically secure the frame relative to the surrounding cementitious material (or setting material) of the pool upon installation.
- the height of the frame relative to the housing is a function of the location of the housing relative to the finished bottom of the pool in order to locate top edge 334 of the frame essentially coincident with the surface of the bottom of the pool.
- Frame 322 includes an internal ledge 336 and a cross member 338 for supporting grate 340 to be placed within the frame; it also provides strength to the frame.
- Grate 340 includes a curved or arcuate slot 342 extending for essentially the full arcuate length of the grate.
- Skirt 344 of the grate is dimensioned to mate with the interior surface of the frame and is of a depth commensurate with the distance from top edge 334 of the frame to ledge 336 in order to place the top surface of the grate essentially in the plane defined by top edge 334 .
- the grate includes a wall 346 that rests upon cross member 338 in the frame and defines a semi cylindrical cavity within the corresponding end of the frame.
- Grate 340 may be secured to frame 322 by screws 352 penetrating holes 354 and into engagement with the corresponding parts of ledge 336 , cross member 338 ; other means for attaching the grate may be used.
- a secondary grate 348 is disposed within the frame adjacent wall 346 of grate 340 and the interior wall of the frame.
- One or more slots 350 are formed in the secondary grate to provide fluid communication from boss 204 , through end 324 of housing 312 , the corresponding end of frame 322 and through the slots. Thereby, any ground water flowing through the hydrostatic valve associated with boss 204 will flow directly into the pool as panel 330 extending from the frame essentially precludes flow of such water into housing 312 and the conduits associated therewith. If the hydrostatic valve is not needed, boss 204 can be capped.
- a cylindrical housing 362 supports boss 84 for discharging water into radially expanded suction line 18 and suction line 20 .
- Bypass line 30 is connected via boss 86 to the housing. It is to be understood that housing 362 , boss 86 , boss 84 and necked down suction line 18 can be manufactured or assembled as a single unit for use in the field.
- a pipe 206 having apertures 208 for admitting ground water, extends from boss 204 located at the center bottom of housing 362 ; this pipe can be made as part of the housing also.
- An inflow of water, as represented by arrow 364 swirls about grate 366 and flows into circular slot 368 .
- Slots 370 in cap 372 accommodate outflow of ground water into the pool.
- Cylindrical sump 360 is intended for use with a liner pool. Hence, a representatively illustrated sheet 374 of vinyl is illustrated. It is to be understood that cylindrical sump 360 , along with the attendant water lines, would be located in the dirt beneath the vinyl sheet if the liner pool is an in-ground pool.
- a vertical wall 376 extends radially inwardly from interior surface 378 of cylindrical housing 362 .
- a cylinder 380 includes an interior circular flange 382 for attaching the cylinder to bottom 384 of the housing with screws 386 or the like.
- a vertical radially outwardly extending wall 388 extends from cylinder 380 into contacting engagement with the interior edge of wall 376 . Thereby, circular flow about cylinder 380 is essentially precluded. It may be noted that the location of walls 376 , 388 are intermediate bosses 84 , 86 and their associated openings in the housing.
- Cap 372 is in sealing engagement with the top of cylinder 380 .
- a ring 390 rests upon circular ledge 392 disposed interior of housing 362 and below top edge 394 thereof. Alternatively, it may be secured to the interior surface of housing 362 , as shown in FIGS. 33A and 33B .
- a further ring 396 is secured to ring 390 by screws 397 or the like penetrably engaging holes 398 in ring 396 and threadedly engaging holes 400 in ring 390 .
- vinyl sheet 374 (see FIGS. 31, 33A and 33 B) is disposed intermediate these two rings and that the vinyl sheet is clamped in place by the rings.
- the elements of the clamps are interior to the external surface of housing 362 .
- an annular gasket may be used in the conventional manner. After clamping, the portion of vinyl sheet interior of the rings is cut away.
- a shroud 402 includes a circular skirt 404 depending from a ring element 406 .
- the skirt defines an annular space between it and the exterior cylindrical surface of cylinder 380 .
- the shroud may be secured in place by screws 397 as shown on the right in FIGS. 33A and 33B .
- slot 368 illustrated in FIGS. 31, 33A and 33 B is formed.
- the suction present within boss 84 draws water from within housing 362 .
- the flow path of this water is downwardly through slot 368 with most of the water being drawn through the slot counterclockwise from wall 376 , as depicted by arrow 364 in FIG. 31 and arrows 408 shown in FIG. 34 .
- FIGS. 35, 36 , 37 , 38 and 39 illustrate a variant cylindrical sump 410 . Elements common with previously described embodiments will be referenced with the same reference numerals.
- This cylindrical sump is also intended to be used with a liner pool, as indicated by vinyl sheet 374 in FIG. 38 .
- Housing 412 includes a bottom 414 supporting an elbow 416 to which boss 84 is attached and an elbow 418 to which boss 86 is attached.
- Boss 204 , attendant pipe 206 and a hydrostatic valve also extends from bottom 414 .
- Aperture 420 in bottom 414 is in fluid communication with elbow 416 .
- Aperture 422 is in fluid communication with boss 204 .
- Aperture 423 is in fluid communication with elbow 418 .
- a vertically extending shroud 424 includes a cylindrical section 426 to define an annular space 428 intermediate the cylindrical section and interior surface 430 of housing 412 .
- a further section 432 is coincident with a part of the edge of aperture 420 .
- a still further section 434 is coincident with a part of the edge of aperture 422 .
- a wall 436 extends from the junction of sections 432 , 434 to surface 430 of housing 412 . Thereby, any flow within housing 412 between aperture 420 and aperture 422 must be through annular space 428 .
- the upper edge of housing 412 includes an radially extending circular lip 438 having a plurality of holes 440 spaced there along.
- a ring 442 is generally coincident with lip 438 and includes a plurality of holes 444 .
- This ring is used to clamp the sheet of vinyl against lip 438 ; screws 446 may be used to penetrably engage holes 444 and threadedly engage holes 440 in the lip.
- An annular gasket may be used to ensure a sealed junction with the sheet of vinyl. As noted above, the vinyl sheet interior of ring 442 is cutaway.
- a further shroud 450 includes a recessed apertured plate 452 having an aperture 454 generally coincident with the interior edges of sections 426 , 432 and 434 of shroud 424 .
- a plurality of holes 456 in plate 452 are coincident with each of a plurality of holes 458 formed in the top edge of shroud 424 to secure shroud 450 with shroud 424 by screws 460 penetrating the respective pairs of holes.
- Shroud 450 includes a first section of a cylindrical skirt 462 having a radius to place it radially outwardly of section 426 of shroud 424 .
- Vertical walls 464 , 466 are disposed at the terminal ends of skirt 462 .
- Slot 470 is formed by skirt 462 , walls 464 and 466 and interior surface 430 of housing 412 . Thus, slot 470 is formed by a plurality of separate but joined elements.
- a cap 472 includes a plurality of slots 473 . This cap is placed adjacent to plate 452 in the depression formed by downwardly extending cylindrical wall 474 . The cap may be retained in place by screws 475 penetrably engaging holes 476 and threadedly engaging holes 477 in plate 452 .
- the hydrostatic valve associated with boss 204 is opened due to an empty pool and a rising ground water level, the water will flow upwardly through aperture 423 through shroud 424 , aperture 454 in plate 452 and into the pool through slots 473 . It may be noted that there is no intentional fluid communication between any water inflow through the hydrostatic valve and either of apertures 420 , 422 in the bottom of housing 412 .
- elbows 416 and 418 are adjacent one another in contacting relationship.
- apertures 479 a , 479 b at the point of contact, a limited amount of waterflow therebetween will occur which will have no effect upon operation of the variant cylindrical sump.
- This waterflow is used as part of the pressure test procedure prior to final installation to ensure that the plumbing attendant the sump is leak free. Thereby, a single pressure test can be made.
- cylindrical sump 480 which is quite similar to cylindrical sump 410 except that the internal shrouds are differently configured with certain other changes of elements. Because of such similarity, only the differences will be described in detail and common elements will have common reference numerals.
- a shroud 482 is configured similarly to shroud 424 of sump 410 except that it extends only part way upwardly from bottom 484 of cylindrical housing 492 .
- Shroud 482 includes a cylindrical section 486 that defines an annular space 488 with interior surface 490 of housing 492 .
- Section 494 is partly coincident with the aperture in bottom 484 in fluid communication with elbow 418 and boss 86 .
- Section 496 is partly coincident with the aperture in bottom 484 in fluid communication with elbow 416 and boss 84 .
- a wall 498 interconnects the junction of sections 494 and 496 with interior surface 490 of housing 492 .
- Shroud 500 as particularly shown in FIG.
- a ring like plate 501 defining a slot 502 which is an arcuate section.
- a cylindrical shroud 504 extends from plate 500 . It may be noted that the diameter of the plate measures less than the internal diameter of housing 492 .
- a section 486 A mates with section 486 .
- sections 494 A and 496 A mate with sections 496 and 494 , respectively.
- Wall 498 A mates with wall 498 .
- a wall 506 interconnects shroud 504 and section 486 A to define one end of slot 502 .
- a wall 508 interconnects with shroud 504 and an extension 510 of section 486 A to define the other end of slot 502 .
- a further wall 511 extends laterally from shroud 504 coincident with a corresponding part of wall 498 within housing 492 .
- plate 501 includes an aperture defined by the top edges of sections 486 A, 494 A and 496 A.
- a ring 512 includes a plurality of holes 514 mating with holes 516 in radially extending lip 518 of housing 492 .
- a plurality of screws 520 secure ring 512 to lip 518 and the vinyl sheet disposed therebetween.
- ring 512 maintains shroud 500 in place as the ring includes a radially inwardly extending lip 513 for supporting the perimeter of the shroud.
- a cap 522 includes one or more slots 524 in fluid communication with the aperture defined by sections 486 A, 498 A and 496 A. The cap may be secured to shroud 500 by screws 526 penetrably engaging holes 528 and threadedly engaging holes 529 .
- a sump particularly configured to meet such requirement and yet provide the benefits discussed above.
- the large cross-sectional area of the suction line of sufficient length to prevent passage of a part of an article of clothing or of long hair into the conventional sized suction line is contained completely within the sump. This permits attachment of the conventionally sized suction line directly to a boss of the sump or to other junction element.
- Certain of the elements illustrated and described herein are equivalent to similar elements of previously described sumps. These elements will be identified by common reference numerals. If required by the site of the installation, a hydrostatic valve can be added to the sump.
- Sump 530 is primarily a box or housing 532 open on the top.
- a peripheral ledge 534 extends about the top somewhat below top edge 536 .
- Boss 84 is in fluid communication with the interior of housing 532 through an aperture 538 .
- boss 84 is in fluid communication with an enlarged suction line 18 .
- Boss 86 is in fluid communication with the interior of housing 532 through an aperture 540 ; the boss is connected to bypass line 30 , as described above.
- a frame 542 includes a skirt 544 extending into the interior of housing 532 in mating relationship therewith.
- the frame includes a peripheral ledge 546 .
- a further interior peripheral ledge 548 extends inwardly to support a grate 550 .
- the grate includes a slot 552 disposed along one side opposite to the side adjacent to aperture 538 in housing 532 .
- the configuration of the slot may be as described above.
- the grate may include a receptacle 554 adjacent the slot.
- the purpose of this receptacle is to permit a workman to fill the space with plaster or other finishing material used to finish the bottom of the swimming pool. Thereby, only minor elements of sump 530 will be visible to a user of a pool.
- this plaster is identified by numeral 556 .
- the receptacle may be omitted and a sheet of plastic may be formed laterally of the slot to the corresponding edges of the grate. As particularly illustrated in FIG. 44 , only relatively thin elements of the grate will be apparent to a user of the pool as the bulk of the surface within the perimeter of the grate appears to be of a material and a color the same as that surrounding the grate.
- the piping/conduits associated therewith must be pressure tested prior to final completion of ensure that there are no leaks.
- pressure testing is generally performed by plugging the outlet in the sump to the pump and the inlet in the sump for the bypass line. Thereafter, pressure testing is conducted. This is common practice and well known to those skilled in the art.
- the opening attendant bosses 84 and 86 would normally include internal threads to permit threaded attachment of plugs. Such threaded attachment is illustrated in FIG. 43 .
- threads 558 are associated with aperture 538 and threads 560 are associated with aperture 540 . It is to be understood that similar structure would exist for the previously described and to be described sumps.
- the flow path from slot 552 to aperture 538 attendant boss 84 can be lengthened by incorporating a shroud 562 .
- the total length of the above described large cross-sectional area suction line can be wholly contained within sump 530 .
- shroud 562 must be removable prior to such testing in order to have access to aperture 538 and the shroud must be attachable subsequent to such testing.
- the shroud is primarily a sheet of plastic having two planar sections 564 and 566 joined to one another by a curved section 568 to place the planar sections orthogonal to one another.
- a lip 570 extends along the bottom edge of section 564 to permit attachment to the bottom of box 532 by screws or other attachment means.
- the edge of planar section 566 rests upon a shelf 572 formed in the housing.
- sump 530 may be mounted within cementitious material 580 forming the shell of the pool.
- the upper end of housing 532 is generally left free of cementitious material, as indicated by lines of demarcation 582 , 584 .
- setting material 586 is laid to envelope ledge 534 and a mechanical bond is formed therewith to solidly mount housing 532 .
- Frame 542 is inserted within housing 532 to a depth commensurate with the top edge 588 of the frame being essentially in the plane corresponding with bottom 14 of the pool. It is understood that a layer of plaster or coating 48 provides the finished surface at the bottom of the pool.
- receptacle 554 of grate 550 may be filled with plaster 556 to minimize the color/texture discontinuity of the grate and the adjacent plaster surface.
- ledge 546 of frame 542 is enveloped with setting material 586 and plaster 556 may also be in contact therewith to firmly lodge the frame in place.
- FIGS. 47 and 48 illustrate a further variant sump 590 , which sump is similar to sump 530 except for the channeling of water into boss 84 . Accordingly, these differences will be primarily reviewed below. For common elements, common reference numerals will be used.
- a shroud in the form of a tube 592 is attached to and extends from wall 574 of housing 532 in generally overlapping relationship with the opening of boss 84 .
- This tube serves the same function as shroud 562 discussed above and the suction line attached to boss 84 may be of conventional cross-sectional area without compromising the benefits of low velocity flow.
- Installation of sump 590 is essentially duplicative of the installation for sump 530 , as shown in FIG. 48 . Accordingly, a duplicative description is not necessary.
- Sump 600 particularly adapted for use in a pool or spa made of a fiberglass shell and disposed below the bottom of the pool or spa.
- Sump 600 includes a housing 602 having a boss 84 extending from end 604 .
- Boss 86 extends from opposite end 606 .
- the illustrated plate 608 is a part of the pool/spa shell and includes an aperture 610 dimensioned to correspond with the interior dimensions of housing 602 .
- housing 502 and bosses 84 and 86 may be layed up commensurate therewith. Thereby, at the time of installation of the pool/spa, a workman need only attach the suction line and the bypass line to bosses 84 and 86 , respectively.
- frame 612 is inserted into housing 602 through aperture 610 and retained in place by nubs 614 engaging corresponding depressions 616 disposed at each corner of aperture 610 .
- the frame includes a shelf or ledge 618 extending internally at the bottom of the frame.
- a grate 620 includes a slot 622 of the type described above. The grate is dimensioned to slide into frame 612 and rest upon ledge 618 of the frame. Thereby, slot 622 provides a channel for water from the pool/spa to flow into housing 602 and thereafter into boss 84 .
- sump 600 may be mounted in a pool formed of cementitious material or in a pool having a plastic liner. In the latter event, various mounting procedures well known to those skilled in the art would be employed.
Abstract
Description
- The present application is related to the swimming pool drain disclosed in U.S. patent application entitled “POOL FLOOR DRAIN ASSEMBLY FOR A SUCTION-ACTIVATED WATER CIRCULATION SYSTEM”, assigned Ser. No. 10/144,899 and filed May 14, 2002, which application is incorporated by reference herein.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to drains for swimming pools and, more particularly to drains that will not permit entrapment of persons, their clothing or their hair thereagainst.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- Most swimming pools and spas, whether of concrete/gunite, fiberglass or having a vinyl liner above ground or in ground, include a drain at the lowest point. The purpose of the drain is to provide an outlet for flow of water from the swimming pool to the suction side of a pump. The outflow of the pump is passed through a filter to remove entrained matter. The filtered water is returned to the swimming pool at above and/or below water level outlets in the pool. Usually, the suction line from the drain includes a debris trap upstream of the pump to collect large sized debris.
- The drain itself includes an apertured cover for passing water therethrough but prevents the inflow of large sized debris as a function of the size of the apertures or slots in the drain cover. A high flow rate of the water through the suction line is desirable to filter a large quantity of water within a given time period to help maintain clarity of the water. A high flow rate through the drain cover can only be brought about by maintaining a high suction force beneath the drain cover in order to draw water through the apertures of the drain cover. Such high suction force creates a potentially severe health hazard to a user of the pool or spa.
- If a person were proximate the drain cover and a body part of the person came close to the drain cover, the suction force present would tend to draw the body part against the drain cover. Once the drain cover is covered by the body part, significant force by the person would be required to move away from the drain. Particularly children and those persons physically enfeebled may not have the requisite strength or capability to overcome the suction force acting upon them; as a result, they are likely to drown.
- If a person in a swimming pool or spa wears loose clothing and comes into proximity with the drain of a swimming pool or spa, the material of the clothing may be drawn into or cover the drain. In such event, the suction force acting upon the material may be sufficient to prevent the person from moving away from the drain. For persons with long full hair, the hair is readily drawn into the swimming pool/spa drain and may twist upon itself beneath the drain cover to the extent that extraction becomes impossible. The potential consequences of both clothing and hair becoming entrapped by the drain in a swimming pool or spa may be fatal.
- A swimming pool or spa sump having a housing and a grate is provided which has low velocity, high volume waterflow into the suction line in fluid communication with a suction pump. The grate includes a single relatively large sized aperture or slot sufficient to permit debris to pass therethrough and generally preclude more than partial insertion of a swimmer's fingers or toes. The housing downstream of the grate is relatively large sized and includes a large sized outlet in communication with an oversized suction pipe ultimately connected to a conventionally sized suction line. An inlet to the sump is in fluid communication with a bypass line extending from, for example, an opening in the sidewall of the swimming pool or spa to provide an alternate flow path into the sump in the unlikely event the grate were to be sufficiently covered by a body part or clothing of a person to impede flow into the sump sufficient to accommodate the rate of outflow through the suction line. For locations having a high level of ground water, a hydrostatic tube may be incorporated to permit flow of ground water into the swimming pool and prevent an empty or near empty swimming pool from floating.
- It is therefore a primary object of the present invention is to provide a drain for a swimming pool or spa which will not entrap a person thereagainst.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a sump and grate attendant a drain for a swimming pool or spa that will permit easy withdrawal of an article of clothing or hair that may be drawn into the sump through the grate.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a high flow rate low velocity drain for a swimming pool or spa.
- Yet another object of the present is to provide a single apertured grate for a swimming pool or spa drain sump.
- Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sump for a swimming pool or spa drain having an outlet in fluid communication with the suction line, an inlet in fluid communication with a bypass line and an inlet supporting a hydrostatic valve in fluid communication with the pool water.
- A further object of the present invention is to provide a sump and grate adaptable for use in a concrete/gunite pool or spa, a fiberglass pool or spa or a vinyl lined pool or spa.
- A yet further object of the present invention is to provide one of a plurality of configurations of a sump and a grate for use as a drain in a swimming pool or spa and having a large flow rate low velocity water outflow.
- A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for preventing the suction attendant the drain of a swimming pool or spa from entrapping a person against the drain.
- These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereon proceeds.
- The present invention will be described with greater specificity and clarity with reference to the following drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a representative cross sectional view of a swimming pool incorporating the drain structure of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway view of certain components of the sump; -
FIG. 3 is a top view of the grate for the sump; -
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the sump; -
FIG. 5 is a further cross sectional view of the sump; -
FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway view of the concrete in which a first variant preformed sump is imbedded; -
FIG. 7 is an exploded view illustrating major components of the sump; -
FIG. 8 is a top view of the preformed housing embodied in the sump; -
FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the bottom and side of the sump; -
FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the interior of the sump; -
FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate mounting of the components of the sump to accommodate different finish elevations of the bottom of the swimming pool; -
FIG. 13 illustrates a second variant configuration of a preformed sump andFIG. 13A illustrates an end view thereof; -
FIG. 14 is a top view of the sump shown inFIG. 13 andFIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C illustrate cutaway views thereof; -
FIG. 15 illustrates a third variant of a preformed sump; -
FIG. 16 illustrates a side view of the sump shown inFIG. 15 ; -
FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 illustrate the fourth variant of a preformed sump adapted for use with a swimming pool having a liner; -
FIG. 20 illustrates a fifth variant of a preformed sump adapted for use in a swimming pool having a liner; -
FIG. 21 illustrates a side view of the sump shown inFIG. 20 ; -
FIG. 22 illustrates a top view of the sump shown inFIGS. 20 and 21 ; -
FIG. 23 is a partial exploded view of the sump shown inFIGS. 20, 21 and 22; -
FIG. 24 is a further exploded view of a sump adapted for use in a concrete pool; -
FIG. 25 is an isometric view of the third variant shown inFIG. 24 ; -
FIGS. 26 and 27 illustrate mounting of the components of the sump shown inFIGS. 24 and 25 to accommodate different finish elevations of a concrete swimming pool; -
FIG. 28 illustrates a sixth variant of a preformed sump; -
FIG. 29 is a bottom view of the sump shown inFIG. 28 ; -
FIG. 30 is an exploded view of the sump shown inFIGS. 28 and 29 ; -
FIG. 31 illustrates a preformed cylindrical variant of the sump; -
FIG. 32 is an exploded view of the sump shown inFIG. 31 ; -
FIG. 33 is a partial cross sectional view of the sump shown inFIGS. 31 and 32 , andFIGS. 33A and 33B illustrate attachment of a pool liner to the sump; -
FIG. 34 illustrates the waterflow within the sump shown inFIGS. 31, 32 and 33; -
FIG. 35 illustrates a first variant of a preformed cylindrical sump adapted for use in a swimming pool having a liner; -
FIG. 36 is an exploded view of the sump shown inFIG. 35 ; -
FIG. 37 illustrates the water flow in the sump shown inFIGS. 35 and 36 ; -
FIG. 38 is a side view of the sump shown inFIGS. 35, 36 and 37; -
FIG. 39 illustrates waterflow relief between the inlet and outlet conduits attendant the sump shown inFIG. 35 ; -
FIG. 40 illustrates a second variant of a preformed cylindrical sump adapted for use in a swimming pool having a liner; -
FIG. 41 is a partial exploded view of the sump shown inFIG. 40 ; -
FIG. 42 is a further partial exploded view of the sump shown inFIGS. 40 and 41 ; -
FIG. 43 illustrates the components of a preformed seventh variant of the sump illustrated inFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 44 illustrates the grate usable with the sump shown inFIG. 43 ; -
FIG. 45 is an exploded view illustrating a modification of the sump shown inFIG. 43 ; -
FIG. 46 is a cross sectional view of the sump shown inFIG. 45 ; -
FIG. 47 is an exploded view of a modification of the sump shown inFIG. 43 ; -
FIG. 48 is a cross sectional view of the sump shown inFIG. 47 ; -
FIG. 49 illustrates a preformed eighth variant of the sump shown inFIG. 6 ; and -
FIG. 50 is a partial cross sectional view of the sump shown inFIG. 49 . - Referring to
FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a representative cross section of aswimming pool 10 havingdrain 11. The drain is formed in the cementitious material defining the pool and includes asump 12 generally located at the low spot inbottom 14 of the pool. It is to be understood that the drain may be elsewhere in the bottom or in a wall of the pool or a spa. While the discussion below is primarily directed to various sumps useable in swimming pools, these sumps could also be used in spas and the like. A preformedgrate 16 is disposed and retained at the inlet to the sump and incorporates one or more, but preferably one aperture for inflow of water to the sump. Asuction line 18 of relatively substantial diameter extends fromsump 12. It is connected to a conventionallysized suction line 20 in fluid communication with aconventional debris trap 22. Afurther suction 24 extends from the debris trap to the inlet inpump 26. Outflow from the pump throughreturn line 28 is channeled back intopool 10 in any one of several conventional manners. The combination ofsuction lines grate 16 andsump 12. Abypass line 30 is in fluid communication withsump 12 and extends from the sump to a location inpool 10 remote fromgrate 16. Usually, aninlet 32 to bypassline 30 is disposed in a wall of the pool.Bypass line 30 serves in the manner of a relief line to provide a source of water tosump 12 in theevent grate 16 becomes fully or partially blocked and thereby accommodates flow intosuction line 18. It may be noted thatoutlet 34 of the bypass line is disposed at one end ofsump 12 andinlet 36 of thesuction line 18 is disposed at the other end of the sump. - Turning to
FIG. 2 , further details of the sump and its relationship to the pool will be described.Pool 10 may be formed in any of innumerable shapes and is usually either of cementitious or fiberglass material. The pool shown inFIG. 2 is formed ofcementitious material 38 definingbottom 14 of the pool and asump 12 is formed within the cementitious material and illustrated as ablock 40 to provide the requisite strength and support for the elements associated therewith. It is to be understood that the sump could be formed in a wall of the pool.Suction line 18, is sealed withinblock 40 withinlet 36 protruding intosump 12. Similarly,bypass line 30 is sealed withinblock 40 withoutlet 34 located within the sump. A preformedframe 42 extends intosump 12 and includes a circumscribingledge 44 to secure the frame with the cementitious material defining the sump. Alternatively, a settingmaterial 46 may coat the sump defined by the cementitious material ofblock 40. In such event,frame 42 would be retained by the setting material. Generally, most pools include acoating 48, usually plaster, which is applied to an elevation commensurate withtop edge 50 offrame 42. A preformedgrate 52 is removably disposed within the frame 42 (which grate is representatively identified by numeral 16 inFIG. 1 ). As further shown inFIG. 3 , grate 52 includes anelongated slot 54 extending essentially for the full length ofsump 12. The grate may be attached to frame 42 byscrews 56, or the like, disposed at each corner. -
Slot 54 is sized to accommodate the design flow rate for the suction line. To accommodate large debris removal, the width of the slot is in the range of about 1 to about 0.625 inches. Normally, the width of the slot should be limited to approximately 0.75 inches to prevent body parts, such as hands or fingers, from intruding very far into the sump. The length ofslot 54 is variable and is a function of the design flow rate which is preferably 1.5 feet per second. For example, a drain system designed for a flow rate of 60 gallons per minute (GPM), a slot width of 0.75 inches will require a slot length of 17 inches to produce a velocity of 1.5 feet per second through the slot. This results in a relatively low velocity of water flow through the slot and a very small pressure drop in the chamber or housing of the sump. This low flow velocity permits easy retrieval of hair or any clothing or part of clothing that may have entered the sump or even the expanded suction line downstream of the sump. - For reasons which will become apparent below,
suction line 18 is oversized from that of the conventional size of pool suction lines. Preferably, the interior diameter ofconduit 18 is sized to provide a low velocity water flow; a diameter of 4 inches would be representative. For example, the size should be sufficient to maintain a flow velocity of approximately 1.5 feet per second at a 60 gallons per minute (GPM) rate and this velocity will remain essentially constant to the junction ofsuction line 18 with a much smaller and conventionallysized suction line 20. Withinsuction line 20, the flow velocity may increase to 6 feet per second, as is normal. The total length of low velocity flow fromslot 54 ingrate 52 tosuction line 20 should be long enough to insure that any length of hair a swimmer may have or length of clothing used by a swimmer and that may be drawn into the sump will not reachsuction line 20. Thereby, the “suction”acting upon such hair or clothing will be relatively low and withdrawal of same is readily accomplished. By experimentation, it has been learned that a low velocity zone of 24 to 30 inches in length provides ample protection to prevent a bather from becoming entrapped at the grate. - It is to be noted that each of the embodiments of the sumps described herein is devoid of elements that might cause entanglement of long hair drawn into the sump through the slot. That is, neither the grate, the supporting frame nor the housing have any protrusions or slots about which strands of hair may wrap and thereby become impossible to extricate.
- When pump 26 (see
FIG. 1 ) is actuated, suction withinsuction line 18 is translated into suction withinsump 12. Becauseinlet 36 of the suction line is close to one end ofslot 54 in the grate, the flow from the pool will be greatest at that end of the slot and diminish toward the other end of the slot. Should slot 54 become blocked, the flow from the pool may be reduced or even stopped. In such event, water will be drawn throughbypass line 30 and this flow is discharged throughoutlet 34 into the sump. Thereby, such bypass flow will satisfy the flow requirements established bypump 26 and a high suction condition atslot 54 is avoided. Thus, were a swimmer to fully cover the slot, entrapment would not occur as the suction present withinsump 12 would be relieved by outflow of water throughoutlet 34. Moreover, the length ofslot 54 is unlikely to be completely covered by a swimmer which is not true with respect to conventional circular or square inlets in drain covers. -
FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the drain and its components, as shown inFIG. 2 . Settingmaterial 46 seals the exterior surface ofsuction line 18 within the hollow representingsump 12 disposed withincementitious material 40 definingbottom 14 of the pool.Frame 42 and itsperipheral ledge 44 is lodged within and retained by settingmaterial 46 to locatetop edge 50 of the frame essentially coincident with the exposed surface of coating 48 covering the cementitious material and defining the surface of the bottom of the pool. The frame includes a central opening 60 defined by an inwardly extendingperipheral flange 62. The flange provides support forgrate 52 and locates the upper surface of the grate coincident with the surface of bottom 14. As shown in this view,slot 54 is defined by two invertedU-shaped elements slot 54 is coincident with opening 60 to permit unimpeded flow through and out of the slot intosump 12. As illustrated inFIG. 3 , screws or the like may be used to retain the grate within aframe 42. It may be noted that the shape ofU-shaped elements -
FIG. 5 is a further cross sectional view taken orthogonally to the view shown inFIG. 4 . The opposite ends ofgrate 52, along with the longitudinal sides shown inFIG. 4 , are supported uponflange 62 offrame 42.Elements grate 52 and are formed in the manner of inverted U's in cross section to provide the requisite stability and robustness.Arrows 72 generally illustrate the flow of water throughslot 54 intoinlet 36 ofsuction line 18. That is, most of the flow throughslot 54 occursproximate element 68 and the flow rate is reduced towardelement 70. Under normal circumstances, little flow, if any occurs throughbypass line 30 intosump 12 throughoutlet 34 from the pool as the flow through the grate satisfies the pump suction requirements. - Referring jointly to
FIGS. 6, 7 , 8, 9 and 10, there is shown a preformedsump 80 for lodgement incementitious material 38 forming the shell of the pool.Sump 80 includes a hollow box likehousing 82 havinghollow bosses Boss 84 is interconnected withsuction line 18 andboss 86 is interconnected withbypass line 30. As illustrated,boss 84 is of significantly greater cross sectional area thanboss 86 in view of their very distinct and different functions.Housing 82 includes a laterally expandedsides interior ledges peripheral flange 98 extends outwardly fromhousing 82 for mechanical locking engagement withcementitious material 38 surroundingsump 80. Thereby, the sump is immovably mounted within the shell of the pool. Aframe 42, like the frame discussed above, is slidably inserted throughopening 100 at the top ofhousing 82. To permit variation in the degree of insertion offrame 42 intohousing 82, the frame includes a downwardly extendingperipheral wall 102.Ledge 44 encirclesframe 42 for locking engagement with the setting material or the coating, such as plaster, forming the surface of the bottom of the pool.Grate 52 is like the grate discussed above and slidingly mates with and is supported by the frame, as discussed above. - During installation, preformed
sump 80 is set in place and secured tosuction line 18 andbypass line 30. Thereafter,cementitious material 38 is poured thereabout in a conventional manner. As shown inFIG. 6 , the cementitious material may extend upwardly at an angle to define aslope 104 extending aroundhousing 82. Thereafter, the space defined by this slope may be packed with settingcompound 106 in the conventional manner.Frame 42 is then inserted into the housing at a height commensurate with the surface offinish coating 48. As noted,wall 102 forming a part of the frame permits significant vertical and canting adjustment to insure thatedge 50 of the frame is in the plane of the surface of the coating.Grate 52 is placed within and secured to frame 42. - Referring jointly to
FIGS. 11 and 12 , there are shown two versions of installation of preformedsump 80 in a shell of a pool or spa formed of cementitious material. Furthermore, a different version of a grate is illustrated and will be described.FIG. 11 illustrates locating the preformed sump deeply withincementitious material 38 relative to finished bottom 14 of the pool. To accommodate this depth,frame 42 is raised with respect tohousing 82 to locate itsupper edge 50 in the plane of bottom of the pool.Grate 110 includeselements slot 54. These elements extend longitudinally along the grate as discussed above. - Although not shown in detail, equivalent elements form the ends of
slot 54 as earlier described.Element 112 may include alip 116 to close the gap with the side offrame 42.Element 114, likeelement 112, is generally in the shape of an inverted U. Furthermore,element 114 may be adapted to define acavity 118 circumscribed bywalls - In the installation configuration shown in
FIG. 12 , preformedsump 80 is located withincementitious material 38 relatively close to bottom 14 in comparison to the installation shown inFIG. 11 . Herein,frame 42 is lowered into the housing to the extent thatledge 44 essentially rests against the top ofsides frame 42 andhousing 82 permits variation in depth of location of the sump without compromising locating the grate in the plane ofbottom 14 of the pool. -
FIGS. 13, 13A , 14, 14A, 14B and 14C illustrate a second variant preformedsump 130 having ahousing 131 for receiving and supporting aframe 42 and agrate 52 discussed above. For the sake of brevity, only the differences betweensump 130 andsump 80 will be described and common reference numerals will be used. At some locations, vertical depth below the sump may be a problem on installation. Secondly, by minimizing the number of right angle flows, the debris coming through the drain will more readily pass and reduce the likelihood of clogging. And, it is less likely to entrap hair or clothing. Accordingly, the discharge end ofhousing 131 includes anangled side 132 for supportingboss 84. The boss is connected tosuction line 18 by suitable angled fittings. As depicted byarrow 134, the flow from the sump intoboss 84 andsuction line 18 is more smooth than the flowattendant sump 80. Furthermore, it is likely that the rate of flow throughslot 54 has a lower gradient of flow rate from the end commensurate withboss 84 to the end commensurate withboss 86. Moreover, such inclined orientation ofboss 84 permits easier removal of debris that may have been drawn intosuction line 18. As shown inFIG. 14C , grate 52 may include an upwardlyopen cavity 118 for receiving a finishingcompound 126 to minimize the visually perceived presence of the elements of the sump in the pool or spa. -
FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate a third variant ofpreformed sump 140, which sump includes ahousing 141 supportingframe 42 as discussed above along with a grate, such asgrate 52 discussed above.Sump 140 may have particular utility in prefabricated pools wherein the pool wall/bottom is relatively thin and in pools having a liner.Housing 141 includes a downwardly extendingsection 142 for supportingboss 84 extending horizontally fromside wall 144. The boss is connected in a straight line tosuction line 18. At the other end of the housing,boss 86 may extend downwardly from thebottom surface 146 and connected to bypassline 30. Alternatively,boss 86′ may extend horizontally fromside 148 of the housing.Boss 86′ would be connected in line withbypass line 30′. By using horizontally extendedbosses boss 84 would be similar to the flow illustrated inFIG. 13 with regard tosump 130. As only one ofbosses variant sump 140 could be made with only one ofbosses -
FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 illustrate a fourth variant ofpreformed sump 150 particularly adapted for use within a liner pool, whether above or below ground and wherein depth for the sump is a consideration. The sump includes alower housing 152 and anupper housing 154 formed as a unitary structure. The lower housing supportsboss 84 from aslanted side 156 in a manner similar to that ofsump 130 shown inFIGS. 13 and 14 .Boss 86 extends horizontally fromside 158. As shown inFIGS. 18 and 19 ,boss 84 is in fluid communication withsuction line 18 andboss 86 is in fluid communication withbypass 30.Upper housing 154 is attached to and extends from the top edges oflower housing 152 and defines an internally extendingperipheral ledge 160. A relatively thickperipheral flange 162 extends about the upper edge ofhousing 154.Ledge 160, whether formed as a part of the junction betweenhousing 152 andhousing 154 or extending internally therefrom, serves the function of supporting a grate, likegrate 52 described above. Arectangular ring 164 mates withflange 162 and a plurality ofscrews 166 interconnect the ring with the flange through corresponding apertures in the ring and holes in the flange, as is self-evident. Agasket 168 is lodgedintermediate ring 164 andflange 162. The pool liner is clamped betweenflange 162 andring 164 withgasket 168 serving to provide a leak free junction.Aperture 170 inring 164 is sized to accommodate insertion and withdrawal ofgrate 52 therethrough. -
Variant sump 150 is installed in a depression extending downwardly into the soil from the bottom of the hole defining the liner pool. During such installation, it would be connected to therequisite suction line 18 andbypass line 30.Pool liner 174 is thereafter installed in the hole for the pool and would coverflange 162 at the upper end ofhousing 154.Ring 164 would be placed in mating relationship to flange 162 and the ring would be secured to the flange by a plurality ofscrews 166. The use ofgasket 168 therebetween provides a seal against water leakage intermediate the liner andflange 162. Thereafter, the liner material commensurate with the opening toupper housing 154 would be cut away and grate 52 would be inserted intohousing 154. Screws, bolts or the like, may or may not be used to retain the grate in place. For an above ground liner pool, the sump would be supported in the conventional manner. - In some locations, the water table may be very close to ground elevation. When this is true, a swimming pool, when empty, may “float” and actually rise. Obviously, when such movement of the pool occurs the interconnected structure is usually destroyed or at least severely damaged. For this reason, many municipalities require the pools to have a hydrostatic valve to permit ground water inflow to the pool when the level of the water in the pool is below the ground water level.
- Referring to
FIGS. 20, 21 , 22 and 23, there is shown a fifth variant ofpreformed sump 180 particularly adapted for use in a pool defined by a plastic liner lining a depression in the ground. Elements common with previously described sumps will be identified by common reference numerals.Sump 180 is similar in certain respects withsump 150 shown inFIGS. 17, 18 and 19 as both are particularly configured for use with above or below ground liner type pools. With such pools, it is usually preferable to minimize the depth to which the sump and attendant plumbing extends below the bottom of the pool. -
Sump 180 includes ahousing 182 having asloping side 184 supportingboss 84.Suction line 18 is attached to and extends from this boss.Side 186 of the housing supportsboss 86 andbypass line 30 extends therefrom. Asecond housing 190 extends abovehousing 182 and is laterally expanded to defineledges End 200 ofhousing 190 is generally semicircular in planform and includes abottom surface 202. Ahollow boss 204 extends downwardly fromsurface 202 and supports apipe 206 having a plurality ofapertures 208 therein with the lower end being capped by acap 210. A conventionalhydrostatic valve 212 is disposed in proximity toboss 204. Awall 214 extends fromsurface 202 upwardly to segregate the interior ofend 200 from the remaining space in housing 190 (and housing 182). The top edge ofhousing 190 includes aperipheral lip 216 extending outwardly. Agrate 220 includes aslot 222 similar to slot 54 discussed above except that it may be located along the center line of the grate, as illustrated. The grate is configured to have aflat end 224 for positioningadjacent wall 214 and asemicircular end 226 to conform with the interior ofsemicircular end 228 ofhousing 190. The grate is supported uponledges secondary grate 230 is semicircular in planform and includes a plurality ofslots 231 disposed therein. This grate is supported withinend 200 andadjacent wall 214. - When the water table beneath the pool rises a sufficient amount, water will flow into
pipe 206 throughapertures 208. The water flowing intoend 200 ofhousing 190 vents into the pool throughslots 231 ofsecondary grate 230. Such flow is precluded byhydrostatic valve 212 unless the pressure acting upon the valve by the water in the pool is less than the pressure of the ground water acting upon the valve. In the later event, ground water will flow throughslots 231 into the pool and fill the pool commensurate with the level of the ground water. Thereby, flotation of the pool is avoided. It is self-evident that when the pool is filled with water, no ground water will flow throughhydrostatic valve 212 and the pool will not become contaminated by the ground water. - It is to be noted that the assembly relating to the hydrostatic valve is physically separated from the sump assembly and its operation. Access to the hydrostatic valve is possible without disturbing the components of the sump. Moreover, it is hydraulicly isolated from the sump.
- As particularly shown in
FIG. 21 ,sump 180 is adapted for installation in a liner pool, whether above or below ground. Such installation will be briefly described below. After the soil for the swimming pool has been removed, a further depression is created at essentially the low point andsump 180 is placed therein. Necessarily,suction line 18 andbypass line 30 are attached to the sump andpipe 206 extends downwardly for a distance into the soil. After installation of the sump at the appropriate location adjacent the bottom of the pool, avinyl liner 232 is installed in the normal manner and will cover the variant sump. Acollar 234 generally commensurate in width and shape withlip 216 is placed upon the lip and secured to the lip by a plurality ofscrews 236. Thereafter, the material of the liner interior of the collar is cut away.Grate 220 andsecondary grate 230 are now installed inhousing 190. -
FIGS. 24, 25 , 26 and 27 illustrate asump 240 very similar tosump 180 described above except thatsump 240 is intended for use in a conventional pool formed primarily of cementitious material, but could be installed in a pool made of fiberglass. Accordingly, the description below will be primarily directed to the differences betweensumps -
Sump 240 includes alower housing 242 having anangled surface 244 for supportingboss 84 andsuction line 18 attached thereto.End 246 of the lower housing includes a laterally expanded section one side of which supportsboss 86 andbypass line 30 attached thereto. Anupper housing 250 of generally oval shape, as illustrated, has a lateral width essentially coincident with expandedsection 248 of the lower housing.Ledges End 258 of the upper housing is generally semicircular and extends beyondend 246 of the lower housing and includes apanel 260 for supportinghollow boss 204 supportingpipe 206 extending therefrom andhydrostatic valve 212 associated with the boss. Acircumferential ledge 262 extends laterally from aboutupper housing 250. - Referring primarily to
FIG. 24 ,frame 270,grate 272 andsecondary grate 274 will be discussed. The primary function offrame 270 is that of positioning the upper surface ofgrate 272 andsecondary grate 274 in a plane commensurate with the bottom of a pool. Accordingly,frame 270 is vertically positionable and to some extent cantable as necessary to achieve alignment of the grate with the pool bottom.Frame 270 includes askirt 276 having an exterior dimension essentially coincident with the interior vertical surface ofupper housing 250. At the lower most position of the frame, it may rest uponledges panel 278 extends downwardly from the frame at a location to place it essentially adjacent wall 280 (seeFIG. 25 ). Furthermore, the width ofpanel 278 is essentially coincident with the distance between the sides oflower housing 242 at expandedsection 248 and the width of the walls ofupper housing 250. Thereby,panel 278 essentially segregates the space defined byend 258 from the remaining interior surface of the sump irrespective of the vertical position offrame 270 relative to thesump 240. Aperipheral ledge 282 extends aboutframe 270 for mechanical engagement with setting material upon installation in a pool. An internally extendingledge 284 is coincident with the bottom edge offrame 270 and includes across member 286 extending across the frame; it delineates thesemicircular end 288 of the frame to leave the space between this section and the curved wall of the skirt with an open bottom. -
Grate 272 includes aslot 290 extending generally along the center line and dimensioned as discussed above. Skirt 292 of the grate is dimensioned to have a close fit withinframe 270 up tosemicircular end 288 andwall 294 of the grate terminates essentially coincident withcross member 286. Thereby,wall 294 in combination with the interior surface ofend 288 forms the equivalent of a semi-cylindrical space.Secondary grate 274 covers this semi-cylindrical space but provides communication from therein throughslots 296. Bosses disposed withinframe 270 may be used to support the secondary grate. Alternatively, legs may extend downwardly from the secondary grate to bear against the ledge at the lower end of the frame and thereby support the secondary grate. - The installation of
further variant sump 240 will be described with primary reference toFIGS. 26 and 27 . During construction of the pool fromcementitious material 38,variant sump 240 is lodged therein spaced apart from expected finished bottom 14.Ledge 262 surroundingupper housing 250 provides a mechanical lock with the cementitious material and movement of the sump is prohibited. It may be noted thatsuction line 18,bypass line 30 andpipe 206 are secured to their respective bosses prior to formation of the cementitious material about the sump. Preferably, the cementitious material extends upwardly at an angle away fromledge 262. After the cementitious material has cured,frame 270 is inserted within the upper housing at a height and at a cant such that itstop edge 300 is essentially coincident with finished bottom 14 of the pool. Settingmaterial 106 and thecoating 48 are laid around the frame to encase and mechanically lockledge 282 of the frame with the setting material. Thereafter, grate 272 andsecondary grate 274 are inserted within the frame. - As may be noted from
FIG. 26 ,sump 240 is closer to bottom 14 than issump 240 shown inFIG. 27 . This difference in height is readily accommodated by raising or loweringframe 270 with respect to the upper housing and such vertical movement can be carried out to the extent of the depth ofskirt 276; moreover, as is true with the frames discussed and to be discussed, the frame can be somewhat canted to accommodate alignment with the bottom of the pool. Operation ofsump 240 is essentially equivalent to that described above with respect tosump 180 and need not be repeated herein. - A
sixth variant sump 310 is illustrated inFIGS. 28, 29 and 30. This sump is very similar tosump 240 with two major differences. First, this sump is curved or arcuate. Second,bypass line 30 enters the sump at the bottom rather than along a side. Because of the similarity of the components ofsump 310 withsump 240, and the fact that installation is equivalent within the cementitious material of a pool, the description below will be relatively cursory. - An
arced housing 312 includes alower housing 314 having an expandedsection 316 and interconnected with anupper housing 318. Aledge 320 interconnects the lower housing with the upper housing and serves as a support forframe 322 when the frame is at its lower most point relative tohousing 312.Lower housing 314 supportsboss 84 from an angled side and supportsboss 86 from the bottom surface at the end of the housing opposite fromboss 84.End 324 ofupper housing 318 extends beyondwall 326 oflower housing 314 and defines a semicircular cavity having a floor orpanel 328.Boss 204 is supported by and extends frompanel 328 for interconnection with the hydrostatic valve assembly.Frame 322 includes a panel 330 which is inserted within expandedsection 316adjacent wall 326 upon mating of the frame with thehousing 312 to form a relatively closed compartment withinend 324 irrespective of the vertical position of the frame relative to the housing. Aledge 332 extends aboutframe 322 to mechanically secure the frame relative to the surrounding cementitious material (or setting material) of the pool upon installation. As noted with respect tosump 240, the height of the frame relative to the housing is a function of the location of the housing relative to the finished bottom of the pool in order to locatetop edge 334 of the frame essentially coincident with the surface of the bottom of the pool.Frame 322 includes an internal ledge 336 and across member 338 for supportinggrate 340 to be placed within the frame; it also provides strength to the frame.Grate 340 includes a curved orarcuate slot 342 extending for essentially the full arcuate length of the grate. Skirt 344 of the grate is dimensioned to mate with the interior surface of the frame and is of a depth commensurate with the distance fromtop edge 334 of the frame to ledge 336 in order to place the top surface of the grate essentially in the plane defined bytop edge 334. The grate includes awall 346 that rests uponcross member 338 in the frame and defines a semi cylindrical cavity within the corresponding end of the frame.Grate 340 may be secured to frame 322 byscrews 352 penetratingholes 354 and into engagement with the corresponding parts of ledge 336,cross member 338; other means for attaching the grate may be used. Asecondary grate 348 is disposed within the frameadjacent wall 346 ofgrate 340 and the interior wall of the frame. One ormore slots 350 are formed in the secondary grate to provide fluid communication fromboss 204, throughend 324 ofhousing 312, the corresponding end offrame 322 and through the slots. Thereby, any ground water flowing through the hydrostatic valve associated withboss 204 will flow directly into the pool as panel 330 extending from the frame essentially precludes flow of such water intohousing 312 and the conduits associated therewith. If the hydrostatic valve is not needed,boss 204 can be capped. - Installation of
sump 310 in the cementitious material forming the pool is equivalent to the installation procedure discussed above with respect tosump 240. - Referring jointly to
FIGS. 31, 32 , 33 and 34 there is shown acylindrical sump 360 embodying the gist of the present invention. As there are certain elements of this sump which are common with elements in the previously described sumps, common reference numerals will be used for such elements. Acylindrical housing 362 supportsboss 84 for discharging water into radially expandedsuction line 18 andsuction line 20.Bypass line 30 is connected viaboss 86 to the housing. It is to be understood thathousing 362,boss 86,boss 84 and necked downsuction line 18 can be manufactured or assembled as a single unit for use in the field. Apipe 206, havingapertures 208 for admitting ground water, extends fromboss 204 located at the center bottom ofhousing 362; this pipe can be made as part of the housing also. An inflow of water, as represented byarrow 364 swirls aboutgrate 366 and flows intocircular slot 368.Slots 370 incap 372 accommodate outflow of ground water into the pool. -
Cylindrical sump 360 is intended for use with a liner pool. Hence, a representatively illustratedsheet 374 of vinyl is illustrated. It is to be understood thatcylindrical sump 360, along with the attendant water lines, would be located in the dirt beneath the vinyl sheet if the liner pool is an in-ground pool. - The interior construction of
cylindrical sump 360 will be described with reference primarily toFIGS. 32, 33 and 34. Avertical wall 376 extends radially inwardly frominterior surface 378 ofcylindrical housing 362. Acylinder 380 includes an interiorcircular flange 382 for attaching the cylinder tobottom 384 of the housing withscrews 386 or the like. A vertical radially outwardly extendingwall 388 extends fromcylinder 380 into contacting engagement with the interior edge ofwall 376. Thereby, circular flow aboutcylinder 380 is essentially precluded. It may be noted that the location ofwalls intermediate bosses Cap 372, and its associatedslots 370, is in sealing engagement with the top ofcylinder 380. Aring 390 rests uponcircular ledge 392 disposed interior ofhousing 362 and belowtop edge 394 thereof. Alternatively, it may be secured to the interior surface ofhousing 362, as shown inFIGS. 33A and 33B . Afurther ring 396 is secured to ring 390 byscrews 397 or the likepenetrably engaging holes 398 inring 396 and threadedly engagingholes 400 inring 390. It is to be understood that vinyl sheet 374 (seeFIGS. 31, 33A and 33B) is disposed intermediate these two rings and that the vinyl sheet is clamped in place by the rings. It may be noted that the elements of the clamps are interior to the external surface ofhousing 362. To ensure a sealed engagement with the liner, an annular gasket may be used in the conventional manner. After clamping, the portion of vinyl sheet interior of the rings is cut away. - A
shroud 402 includes acircular skirt 404 depending from aring element 406. Upon installation ofshroud 402, the skirt defines an annular space between it and the exterior cylindrical surface ofcylinder 380. The shroud may be secured in place byscrews 397 as shown on the right inFIGS. 33A and 33B . Thereby, slot 368 illustrated inFIGS. 31, 33A and 33B is formed. As particularly shown inFIGS. 31 and 34 , the suction present withinboss 84 draws water from withinhousing 362. The flow path of this water is downwardly throughslot 368 with most of the water being drawn through the slot counterclockwise fromwall 376, as depicted byarrow 364 inFIG. 31 andarrows 408 shown inFIG. 34 . Thereby, the flow rate demanded by suction pump 26 (seeFIG. 1 ) is fully satisfied and little, if any, water will be drawn throughboss 86 frombypass line 30 to satisfy the waterflow demand present at the outlet toboss 84. However, should slot 368 be covered to a greater or lesser degree, sufficient low pressure would exist at the inlet toboss 86 to cause water to flow clockwise withinhousing 362 to satisfy the demand at the inlet toboss 84. As noted previously, in the event the liner pool is empty and the level of ground water approaches that of the bottom of the pool, the hydrostaticvalve attendant boss 204 will open and ground water will flow throughcylinder 380 andslots 370 incap 372 and into the pool to prevent the pool from floating. -
FIGS. 35, 36 , 37, 38 and 39 illustrate a variantcylindrical sump 410. Elements common with previously described embodiments will be referenced with the same reference numerals. This cylindrical sump is also intended to be used with a liner pool, as indicated byvinyl sheet 374 inFIG. 38 .Housing 412 includes a bottom 414 supporting anelbow 416 to whichboss 84 is attached and anelbow 418 to whichboss 86 is attached.Boss 204,attendant pipe 206 and a hydrostatic valve, also extends frombottom 414.Aperture 420 inbottom 414 is in fluid communication withelbow 416.Aperture 422 is in fluid communication withboss 204.Aperture 423 is in fluid communication withelbow 418. A vertically extendingshroud 424 includes acylindrical section 426 to define anannular space 428 intermediate the cylindrical section andinterior surface 430 ofhousing 412. Afurther section 432 is coincident with a part of the edge ofaperture 420. A stillfurther section 434 is coincident with a part of the edge ofaperture 422. Awall 436 extends from the junction ofsections housing 412. Thereby, any flow withinhousing 412 betweenaperture 420 andaperture 422 must be throughannular space 428. The upper edge ofhousing 412 includes an radially extendingcircular lip 438 having a plurality ofholes 440 spaced there along. Aring 442 is generally coincident withlip 438 and includes a plurality ofholes 444. This ring is used to clamp the sheet of vinyl againstlip 438;screws 446 may be used to penetrably engageholes 444 and threadedly engageholes 440 in the lip. An annular gasket may be used to ensure a sealed junction with the sheet of vinyl. As noted above, the vinyl sheet interior ofring 442 is cutaway. - A
further shroud 450 includes a recessedapertured plate 452 having anaperture 454 generally coincident with the interior edges ofsections shroud 424. A plurality ofholes 456 inplate 452 are coincident with each of a plurality ofholes 458 formed in the top edge ofshroud 424 to secureshroud 450 withshroud 424 byscrews 460 penetrating the respective pairs of holes.Shroud 450 includes a first section of acylindrical skirt 462 having a radius to place it radially outwardly ofsection 426 ofshroud 424.Vertical walls skirt 462. Slot 470, as primarily depicted inFIG. 35 , is formed byskirt 462,walls interior surface 430 ofhousing 412. Thus, slot 470 is formed by a plurality of separate but joined elements. - A
cap 472 includes a plurality ofslots 473. This cap is placed adjacent to plate 452 in the depression formed by downwardly extendingcylindrical wall 474. The cap may be retained in place byscrews 475penetrably engaging holes 476 and threadedly engaging holes 477 inplate 452. In the event the hydrostatic valve associated withboss 204 is opened due to an empty pool and a rising ground water level, the water will flow upwardly throughaperture 423 throughshroud 424,aperture 454 inplate 452 and into the pool throughslots 473. It may be noted that there is no intentional fluid communication between any water inflow through the hydrostatic valve and either ofapertures housing 412. - As depicted by
arrow 478 inFIG. 37 , water will flow into slot 470 throughannular space 428 and intoelbow 416 throughaperture 420. The primary draw for this waterflow will be toward the counterclockwise end of slot 470 as it is in closest proximity toaperture 420 and there will be little flow of water throughaperture 422 intocylindrical sump 410 frombypass line 30. - As particularly illustrated in
FIG. 39 ,elbows apertures 479 a, 479 b at the point of contact, a limited amount of waterflow therebetween will occur which will have no effect upon operation of the variant cylindrical sump. This waterflow is used as part of the pressure test procedure prior to final installation to ensure that the plumbing attendant the sump is leak free. Thereby, a single pressure test can be made. - Referring jointly to
FIGS. 40, 41 and 42, there is shown a variantcylindrical sump 480 which is quite similar tocylindrical sump 410 except that the internal shrouds are differently configured with certain other changes of elements. Because of such similarity, only the differences will be described in detail and common elements will have common reference numerals. - A
shroud 482 is configured similarly toshroud 424 ofsump 410 except that it extends only part way upwardly frombottom 484 ofcylindrical housing 492.Shroud 482 includes acylindrical section 486 that defines anannular space 488 withinterior surface 490 ofhousing 492.Section 494 is partly coincident with the aperture inbottom 484 in fluid communication withelbow 418 andboss 86.Section 496 is partly coincident with the aperture inbottom 484 in fluid communication withelbow 416 andboss 84. Awall 498 interconnects the junction ofsections interior surface 490 ofhousing 492.Shroud 500, as particularly shown inFIG. 42 , includes a ring likeplate 501 defining aslot 502 which is an arcuate section. Acylindrical shroud 504 extends fromplate 500. It may be noted that the diameter of the plate measures less than the internal diameter ofhousing 492. Asection 486A mates withsection 486. Similarly,sections sections wall 498. Awall 506interconnects shroud 504 andsection 486A to define one end ofslot 502. Similarly, awall 508 interconnects withshroud 504 and anextension 510 ofsection 486A to define the other end ofslot 502. Afurther wall 511 extends laterally fromshroud 504 coincident with a corresponding part ofwall 498 withinhousing 492. - As shown in
FIG. 41 ,plate 501 includes an aperture defined by the top edges ofsections ring 512 includes a plurality ofholes 514 mating withholes 516 in radially extendinglip 518 ofhousing 492. A plurality ofscrews 520secure ring 512 tolip 518 and the vinyl sheet disposed therebetween. Furthermore,ring 512 maintainsshroud 500 in place as the ring includes a radially inwardly extending lip 513 for supporting the perimeter of the shroud. Acap 522 includes one ormore slots 524 in fluid communication with the aperture defined bysections shroud 500 byscrews 526penetrably engaging holes 528 and threadedly engagingholes 529. - In certain installations, it may be important to minimize the depth of a drain sump below the bottom of the deep end of a pool. Referring jointly to
FIGS. 43, 44 , 45 and 46, there is illustrated a sump particularly configured to meet such requirement and yet provide the benefits discussed above. In particular, the large cross-sectional area of the suction line of sufficient length to prevent passage of a part of an article of clothing or of long hair into the conventional sized suction line is contained completely within the sump. This permits attachment of the conventionally sized suction line directly to a boss of the sump or to other junction element. Certain of the elements illustrated and described herein are equivalent to similar elements of previously described sumps. These elements will be identified by common reference numerals. If required by the site of the installation, a hydrostatic valve can be added to the sump. -
Sump 530 is primarily a box orhousing 532 open on the top. Aperipheral ledge 534 extends about the top somewhat belowtop edge 536.Boss 84 is in fluid communication with the interior ofhousing 532 through anaperture 538. As discussed above,boss 84 is in fluid communication with anenlarged suction line 18.Boss 86 is in fluid communication with the interior ofhousing 532 through anaperture 540; the boss is connected to bypassline 30, as described above. Aframe 542 includes askirt 544 extending into the interior ofhousing 532 in mating relationship therewith. The frame includes aperipheral ledge 546. A further interiorperipheral ledge 548 extends inwardly to support agrate 550. The grate includes aslot 552 disposed along one side opposite to the side adjacent toaperture 538 inhousing 532. The configuration of the slot may be as described above. The grate may include areceptacle 554 adjacent the slot. The purpose of this receptacle is to permit a workman to fill the space with plaster or other finishing material used to finish the bottom of the swimming pool. Thereby, only minor elements ofsump 530 will be visible to a user of a pool. For identification purposes, this plaster is identified bynumeral 556. Alternatively, the receptacle may be omitted and a sheet of plastic may be formed laterally of the slot to the corresponding edges of the grate. As particularly illustrated inFIG. 44 , only relatively thin elements of the grate will be apparent to a user of the pool as the bulk of the surface within the perimeter of the grate appears to be of a material and a color the same as that surrounding the grate. - Whenever any sump of the types described herein is installed, the piping/conduits associated therewith must be pressure tested prior to final completion of ensure that there are no leaks. Such pressure testing is generally performed by plugging the outlet in the sump to the pump and the inlet in the sump for the bypass line. Thereafter, pressure testing is conducted. This is common practice and well known to those skilled in the art. Although not specifically described with respect to the previously disclosed sumps, the
opening attendant bosses FIG. 43 . In particular,threads 558 are associated withaperture 538 andthreads 560 are associated withaperture 540. It is to be understood that similar structure would exist for the previously described and to be described sumps. - As particularly shown in
FIGS. 45 and 46 , the flow path fromslot 552 toaperture 538attendant boss 84 can be lengthened by incorporating ashroud 562. Thus, the total length of the above described large cross-sectional area suction line can be wholly contained withinsump 530. Because of the requirement for pressure testing, at least upon installation ofsump 530,shroud 562 must be removable prior to such testing in order to have access toaperture 538 and the shroud must be attachable subsequent to such testing. As illustrated, the shroud is primarily a sheet of plastic having twoplanar sections curved section 568 to place the planar sections orthogonal to one another. Alip 570 extends along the bottom edge ofsection 564 to permit attachment to the bottom ofbox 532 by screws or other attachment means. The edge ofplanar section 566 rests upon ashelf 572 formed in the housing. With such shroud, a flow gradient will occur alongslot 552 in that most of the flow will be toward the end of the slot proximate the opening of the shroud and lesser flow will occur at the other end of the slot adjacent the junction of the shroud withwall 574 of the box. With such installation ofshroud 562, the suction line attached tosump 532 may be of conventional cross-sectional area and the length of low velocity flow fromgrate 550 will not be compromised. - As particularly shown in
FIG. 46 ,sump 530 may be mounted withincementitious material 580 forming the shell of the pool. The upper end ofhousing 532 is generally left free of cementitious material, as indicated by lines ofdemarcation material 586 is laid toenvelope ledge 534 and a mechanical bond is formed therewith to solidly mounthousing 532.Frame 542 is inserted withinhousing 532 to a depth commensurate with thetop edge 588 of the frame being essentially in the plane corresponding withbottom 14 of the pool. It is understood that a layer of plaster orcoating 48 provides the finished surface at the bottom of the pool. As discussed above,receptacle 554 ofgrate 550 may be filled withplaster 556 to minimize the color/texture discontinuity of the grate and the adjacent plaster surface. As illustrated,ledge 546 offrame 542 is enveloped with settingmaterial 586 andplaster 556 may also be in contact therewith to firmly lodge the frame in place. -
FIGS. 47 and 48 illustrate afurther variant sump 590, which sump is similar tosump 530 except for the channeling of water intoboss 84. Accordingly, these differences will be primarily reviewed below. For common elements, common reference numerals will be used. To increase the flow path of water entering throughslot 552 toboss 84, a shroud in the form of atube 592 is attached to and extends fromwall 574 ofhousing 532 in generally overlapping relationship with the opening ofboss 84. This tube serves the same function asshroud 562 discussed above and the suction line attached toboss 84 may be of conventional cross-sectional area without compromising the benefits of low velocity flow. Installation ofsump 590 is essentially duplicative of the installation forsump 530, as shown inFIG. 48 . Accordingly, a duplicative description is not necessary. - Referring jointly to
FIGS. 49 and 50 there is illustrated afurther variant sump 600 particularly adapted for use in a pool or spa made of a fiberglass shell and disposed below the bottom of the pool or spa.Sump 600 includes ahousing 602 having aboss 84 extending fromend 604.Boss 86 extends fromopposite end 606. The illustratedplate 608 is a part of the pool/spa shell and includes anaperture 610 dimensioned to correspond with the interior dimensions ofhousing 602. During lay up of the pool/spa shell,housing 502 andbosses bosses - After installation of the pool/spa at the site,
frame 612 is inserted intohousing 602 throughaperture 610 and retained in place bynubs 614 engagingcorresponding depressions 616 disposed at each corner ofaperture 610. The frame includes a shelf orledge 618 extending internally at the bottom of the frame. Agrate 620 includes aslot 622 of the type described above. The grate is dimensioned to slide intoframe 612 and rest uponledge 618 of the frame. Thereby,slot 622 provides a channel for water from the pool/spa to flow intohousing 602 and thereafter intoboss 84. It is to be understood thatsump 600 may be mounted in a pool formed of cementitious material or in a pool having a plastic liner. In the latter event, various mounting procedures well known to those skilled in the art would be employed.
Claims (59)
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/894,803 US20090007325A9 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2004-07-20 | Swimming pool drain |
US11/924,142 US8650673B1 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2007-10-25 | Swimming pool drain |
US13/041,828 US8713724B1 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2011-03-07 | Pool drain assembly with annular inlet |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/144,899 US6810537B1 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2002-05-14 | Pool floor drain assembly for a suction-activated water circulation system |
US10/894,803 US20090007325A9 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2004-07-20 | Swimming pool drain |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/144,899 Continuation-In-Part US6810537B1 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2002-05-14 | Pool floor drain assembly for a suction-activated water circulation system |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/924,142 Continuation US8650673B1 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2007-10-25 | Swimming pool drain |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20060015996A1 true US20060015996A1 (en) | 2006-01-26 |
US20090007325A9 US20090007325A9 (en) | 2009-01-08 |
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Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/894,803 Abandoned US20090007325A9 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2004-07-20 | Swimming pool drain |
US11/924,142 Active 2024-11-22 US8650673B1 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2007-10-25 | Swimming pool drain |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/924,142 Active 2024-11-22 US8650673B1 (en) | 2002-05-14 | 2007-10-25 | Swimming pool drain |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (2) | US20090007325A9 (en) |
Cited By (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20070266489A1 (en) * | 2006-05-16 | 2007-11-22 | James Martin | Swimming Pool Drain System |
US20100140192A1 (en) * | 2008-12-08 | 2010-06-10 | Brooks Hilton | Dual port SPA suction fitting with unidirectional water flow |
US8627519B2 (en) | 2010-04-05 | 2014-01-14 | Bob G. Jacobs | Main drain outlet for a swimming pool, wading pool, spa, or hot tub |
US20140157510A1 (en) * | 2012-12-06 | 2014-06-12 | Olaf Mjelde | Channel Drain With Water Stop |
US9127469B1 (en) * | 2010-02-02 | 2015-09-08 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration | Safety system for controlling fluid flow into a suction line |
US9200464B1 (en) * | 2006-05-25 | 2015-12-01 | Shasta Industries, Inc. | Universal safety drain and method |
US9540837B2 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2017-01-10 | Olaf Mjelde | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pools |
US20170089744A1 (en) * | 2014-04-21 | 2017-03-30 | Micro Motion, Inc. | Flowmeter manifold with indexing boss |
US10344491B2 (en) * | 2016-07-22 | 2019-07-09 | Olaf Mjelde | Pool drain with water diversion features |
WO2019140443A1 (en) * | 2018-01-15 | 2019-07-18 | Gsg Holdings, Inc. | In-floor swimming pool drain and sump assembly |
US11078681B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2021-08-03 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool and diverter for use therein |
CN113785100A (en) * | 2019-04-25 | 2021-12-10 | 迈克尔·沃纳 | Modular swimming pool |
US11643832B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2023-05-09 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool and diverter for use therein |
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US8266737B1 (en) * | 2008-04-23 | 2012-09-18 | Gsg Holdings, Inc. | Swimming pool water leveler |
US9896854B2 (en) * | 2015-10-10 | 2018-02-20 | Bestway Inflatables & Material Corp. | Pool apparatus |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20070266489A1 (en) * | 2006-05-16 | 2007-11-22 | James Martin | Swimming Pool Drain System |
US9200464B1 (en) * | 2006-05-25 | 2015-12-01 | Shasta Industries, Inc. | Universal safety drain and method |
US20100140192A1 (en) * | 2008-12-08 | 2010-06-10 | Brooks Hilton | Dual port SPA suction fitting with unidirectional water flow |
US9885190B1 (en) * | 2010-02-02 | 2018-02-06 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of Nasa | Safety system for controlling fluid flow into a suction line |
US9127469B1 (en) * | 2010-02-02 | 2015-09-08 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration | Safety system for controlling fluid flow into a suction line |
US8627519B2 (en) | 2010-04-05 | 2014-01-14 | Bob G. Jacobs | Main drain outlet for a swimming pool, wading pool, spa, or hot tub |
US11396759B2 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2022-07-26 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool |
US11555321B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2023-01-17 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool |
US11208821B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2021-12-28 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool and diverter for use therein |
US9869103B1 (en) * | 2012-06-15 | 2018-01-16 | Olaf Mjelde | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool |
US11225806B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2022-01-18 | Olaf Mjelde | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool |
US10323429B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2019-06-18 | Olaf Mjelde | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool |
US11643832B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2023-05-09 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool and diverter for use therein |
US9540837B2 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2017-01-10 | Olaf Mjelde | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pools |
US11401723B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2022-08-02 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool and diverter for use therein |
US10745926B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2020-08-18 | Olaf Mjelde | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool |
US11268291B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2022-03-08 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool |
US11384556B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2022-07-12 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool and diverter for use therein |
US11078681B1 (en) | 2012-06-15 | 2021-08-03 | Aquastar Pool Products, Inc. | Low profile circular drain with water stop for swimming pool and diverter for use therein |
US20140157510A1 (en) * | 2012-12-06 | 2014-06-12 | Olaf Mjelde | Channel Drain With Water Stop |
US9790699B2 (en) * | 2012-12-06 | 2017-10-17 | Olaf Mjelde | Channel drain with water stop |
US20170089744A1 (en) * | 2014-04-21 | 2017-03-30 | Micro Motion, Inc. | Flowmeter manifold with indexing boss |
US10545043B2 (en) * | 2014-04-21 | 2020-01-28 | Micro Motion, Inc. | Flowmeter manifold with indexing boss |
US10829952B1 (en) | 2016-07-22 | 2020-11-10 | Olaf Mjelde | Pool drain with water diversion features |
US11441325B1 (en) | 2016-07-22 | 2022-09-13 | Olaf Mjelde | Pool drain with water diversion features |
US10344491B2 (en) * | 2016-07-22 | 2019-07-09 | Olaf Mjelde | Pool drain with water diversion features |
US10934730B2 (en) | 2018-01-15 | 2021-03-02 | Hayward Industries, Inc. | In-floor swimming pool drain and sump assembly |
WO2019140443A1 (en) * | 2018-01-15 | 2019-07-18 | Gsg Holdings, Inc. | In-floor swimming pool drain and sump assembly |
CN113785100A (en) * | 2019-04-25 | 2021-12-10 | 迈克尔·沃纳 | Modular swimming pool |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US8650673B1 (en) | 2014-02-18 |
US20090007325A9 (en) | 2009-01-08 |
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Owner name: PARAMOUNT LEISURE INDUSTRIES, INC., ARIZONA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GOETTL, JOHN M.;REEL/FRAME:015206/0598 Effective date: 20040927 |
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Owner name: LDAG HOLDINGS, INC., ARIZONA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:PARAMOUNT LEISURE INDUSTRIES, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022248/0899 Effective date: 20090129 Owner name: GSG HOLDINGS, INC., ARIZONA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LDAG HOLDINGS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022248/0931 Effective date: 20090129 Owner name: LDAG HOLDINGS, INC.,ARIZONA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:PARAMOUNT LEISURE INDUSTRIES, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022248/0899 Effective date: 20090129 Owner name: GSG HOLDINGS, INC.,ARIZONA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LDAG HOLDINGS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022248/0931 Effective date: 20090129 |
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