WO2010063912A1

WO2010063912A1 - Basin covering device

Info

Publication number: WO2010063912A1
Application number: PCT/FR2009/052167
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christophe Pouthe; William Testu; Frédéric Wystup
Original assignee: Abrisud
Priority date: 2008-12-04
Filing date: 2009-11-10
Publication date: 2010-06-10
Also published as: CN102257230B; ES2395494T3; FR2939466B1; EP2352889A1; AU2009323951A1; BRPI0916118A2; CN102257230A; US20110225902A1; EP2352889B1; FR2939466A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a shelter (A) for, for example, a pool- or spa-type recreational basin (B) that is formed of roofing elements (I) and is capable of passing from a deployed position, where the roofing elements are placed in a juxtaposed manner and the basin is covered, to a stacked position, where the roofing elements are placed one over the other and the basin is partially or completely uncovered, said roofing elements (I) including two transverse sections (110 and 120) cross-tied with longitudinal cross-pieces (130), with the so-called extreme cross-pieces (140 and 150) placed on the ends of said sections (110 and 120) that eventually rest on the rim of the basin (B) through a rolling means (300) that is formed of wheels (310) and remarkable in that the wheels (310) are mounted on wheel holders (320) that are foldably mounted relative to the extreme cross-pieces (140 and 150) so as to enable the folding away thereof during the stacking of the roofing elements (I).

Description

COVERING DEVICE FOR BASIN

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of pleasure pools such as those used for swimming pools, spas etc .. and including adaptations to ensure coverage in the best conditions. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

In the prior art there are shelters for pleasure pools such as those used for swimming pools, spas, etc., which, formed of roof elements, are capable of passing from an extended position where the elements of roof are arranged juxtaposed and where the basin is covered, at a stacked position where the roof elements are arranged one above the other and where the basin is partially or completely uncovered.

This passage from one configuration to another which is of course reversible is implemented by means of motorized movement or not. An example of shelter and motorization means implementing the transition from an unfolded position to an extended position and vice versa, is described in WO2005 / 052285. The Applicant has found that stacked position, said roof elements formed a significant volume conventionally arranged at the end of the basin and likely to affect the overall aesthetics of the basin. This disadvantage is all the more damaging in a configuration where the roof elements have been chosen flattened to avoid too much volume above the basin.

In addition, when the roof elements are stacked inside a pit provided for this purpose, the depth and therefore the cost of this pit will depend on the height of the volume formed by the stacking of the elements of the roof. roof.

Part of the volume defined by the stack is in particular due to the presence of rolling means which facilitate the translational movement of the roof elements above the basin during their passage from one arrangement to another. These rolling means must maintain the rim of the roof element at a sufficient height relative to the upper surface of the rim of the basin so that no obstacle comes to impede the translational movements. However, the rims that form conventionally the rim of the basins are likely to constitute an upward projecting volume requiring that the rolling means raise the roof elements relative to the upper rim of the basin. These bearing means then contribute largely to the not insignificant height of the volume constituted by the roof elements in stacked position.

The pool enclosure described in the document WO02 / 0884490 consists of roof elements equipped on their flanges with rolling means circulating on a preformed displacement path in the vertical edges of the basin itself, a displacement path allowing the displacement elements of roof without obstacle since the race is carried out in the limits of the basin. These roof elements therefore need to move at a great height relative to the bearing surface of the rolling means (difference in height required in the case of obstacle such as a lip).

The cover elements described in the document DE 202005012810 are equipped on their flanges with rolling means whose support surface is at least at the same level or above the lower surface of the cover elements thus ensuring a stack without discomfort. caused by the rolling means. Decrease of excessive volume taken by roofing or roofing elements in stacked position because of the presence of the rolling means does not arise for the configurations described in these two documents. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It being noted, the Applicant has conducted research on an ornamental pond shelter likely to have a reduced volume in a stacked position. This research led to the design of an ornamental pond shelter such as swimming pool, spa, etc. which, formed of roof elements, is capable of passing from an extended position where the roof elements are arranged juxtaposed and where the pool is covered, to a stacked position where the roof elements are arranged one above the other and where the basin is partially or completely uncovered, said roof elements comprising two transverse cross-sections of longitudinal cross members with the so-called extreme crosspieces disposed at the ends of said profiles resting on the rim of the basin via means of These rollers are constituted by rollers, which is remarkable in that the rollers are mounted on rollers supports foldably mounted relative to the end rails so as to allow their retraction during the stacking of the roof elements.

This feature is particularly advantageous in that it meets the objectives of the invention which is the reduction of the volume of stacked roof elements by retraction of the rolling means during stacking. Thus, whatever the height required between the roof element and the upper edge of the basin, the height of the caster supports no longer participates in the height of the stack and therefore in its volume. The volume of such a stack is thus greatly reduced. - -

However, the implementation of a foldable connection encountered the need for a robust connection capable of supporting the mass of the stacked roof elements while ensuring the passage of the caster support from a folded position to a deployed position without effort and without additional actuator. The Applicant has therefore conducted research that resulted in a solution meeting these criteria and remarkable in that said wheels are each associated with a wheel support which cooperates along two links with said extreme cross members namely, a first slide-type connection vertical and a second pivot type connection arranged such that when the roof element is raised, the wheel support is released by its weight remaining vertical vertical guide members forming said slide connection and is free to rotate and can pivot through its pivot connection to retract into the thickness of the roof element during stacking and that when the roof element is raised and returned to its original height, the wheel support can pivot in a vertical position by its pivot connection and engage by vertical sliding in said guide means.

Another advantage of this feature is that the retraction can be performed automatically. Thus, for example according to the motorization device proposed in the document WO2005 / 052285, the roof elements pass from a juxtaposed position to a stacked position by means of a motorized device ensuring the translational movement and the stacking by the bottom ie by lifting the roof element or elements previously stacked and insertion by translation at the bottom of the stack, the next roof element and vice versa. according to the invention, the height of the roof elements and the stroke of the lifting device are such that the roof element supported by its rolling means and inserted from the bottom comes into contact with the rolling means of the roof element located at the bottom of the pile and raised to ensure in its translational movement, the retraction of the rolling means of said raised element.

When stacking is performed from the top as is the case for a stack in a pit, an identical translational movement can be exploited.

For the implementation of this retraction, a difficulty has resided in the ability to provide a roulette support that can rotate freely despite, but allowing its travel in translation. According to a particularly advantageous characteristic, the wheel support is preformed with an oblong hole allowing both the translation and the pivot connection with respect to a shaft fixed to the end cross member. According to another particularly advantageous feature of the invention, the end cross is preformed of a reception zone of the upper end of said wheel support when the roof element rests on its rolling means. According to another particularly advantageous feature of the invention, said end cross member is preformed with a longitudinal U profile in which the upper end of said support slides, stops being disposed on either side of said upper end of the support. of roulette to guide it in translation.

According to another particularly advantageous feature, the high end of the support is constituted by a parallelepipedal profile whose planar surfaces participate in translational guidance. The transverse profiles can indifferently be bent, folded or rectilinear. Nevertheless, as this - -

is explained above, the invention is particularly justified for a shelter adopting roof elements of flattened shape. However, the roof elements forming a support frame to the filling panels which constitute large horizontal flat surfaces are likely to present difficulties for the evacuation of runoff water. With regard to the solution for retracting the roulette supports proposed by the invention, the Applicant has devised a shelter where the edges of the roof elements are not at the same height so that the inclination created facilitates and orients the evacuation of water received by the roof element. Such a particularly judicious configuration would pose problems for a stacking solution due to an accumulated inclination while the retraction of the roulette supports allows a flat stack.

The basic concepts of the invention having been described above in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows and with reference to the appended drawings, giving non-limiting example, an embodiment of a swimming pool shelter according to the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a general perspective view of an embodiment according to the invention of a flat shelter in the deployed position, FIG. 2 is a drawing of the flat shelter of FIG. folded position where the roof elements are stacked at one end of the basin, Figure 3 is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of an embodiment of a single roof element, Figure 4 is a schematic drawing of a front view of a roof element in a configuration Figure 5 is a schematic drawing of a sectional front view of a roller support cooperating with the end beam, the support being engaged in the slide connection, Figure 6 is a schematic drawing of a external side view of the same support in the same position, Figure 7 is a schematic drawing of a sectional front view of the support module released from the slide connection, Figure 8 is a schematic drawing of an external side view. of the same support in the same position as that of Figure 7, Figure 9 is a schematic drawing of an external side view of the same support in the retracted position, Figures 10, 11, 12, 13 are schematic views drawings in section of roofing elements during stacking by means of a motorized device. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As illustrated in the drawing of FIGS. 1 and 2, a shelter referenced A is placed above a pleasure pool referenced B of the swimming pool type. This shelter A is formed of roof elements I which are capable of passing from an extended position where the roof elements i are arranged juxtaposed and where the basin B is covered as illustrated by FIG. 1, to a stacked position where the I roof elements are arranged one above the other on a storage area at the end of the basin and where the basin B is partially or completely discovered as shown in Figure 2.

The implementation of the movements necessary for the passage from a juxtaposed position to a stacked position of the roof elements I and vice versa is carried out by means of a motorized device D shown schematically and which is equipped with cooperating movement transmission means with the edges of - -

roof elements I in order to move them in horizontal translation according to the arrow Fl and make them pass in stacked position by insertion from the bottom of the stack. More specifically according to the illustrated embodiment, the device D comprises two sets of movement arranged on either side of the roof elements and providing synchronized movement.

According to the embodiment described, the shelter A is of the flat type and is composed of roof elements I planes, a copy of which is illustrated in FIG.

According to the illustrated embodiment, said roofing element I consists of a rigid structure 100 framing and supporting one or more filler panels 200. Specifically, the rigid structure 100 comprises two transverse sections 110 and 120 braced with longitudinal cross members 130 with sleepers 140 and 150 said extreme disposed at the ends of said profiles 110 and 120 coming to rest on the edge of the basin B via rolling means 300 comprising rollers 310. These rollers are oriented to roll in a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pool.

These end rails 140 and 150 are in fact preformed profiles or equipped to perform several functions including the reception of rolling means. As illustrated, each end cross member 140 and 150 accommodates a pair of rolling means 300 which provides support and facilitates the movement of the roof element over the pool of the roof element. these end rails are further preformed or equipped in the upper part to position and support the wheels of a roofing element piled up. In addition, these sleepers are preformed or equipped to provide hooking means to the motorized device participating in the elevation required for one stack. The transverse profiles 110 and 120 are preformed or equipped so as to allow their punctual attachment between them when they are arranged and they move in juxtaposed position and allow their release during stacking. These profiles are also preformed or equipped so that the profile of a roof element covers or is covered by the profile of the adjacent roof element.

The connection between the rolling means 300 and the end rails of the roof elements is detailed below with reference to drawings illustrating more particularly the connection between a rolling means.

300 and the extreme cross member 150. According to the illustrated embodiment, this connection is made under the surface of the roof element I at the inner face of the profile forming said end cross member 150.

As illustrated by Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and according to the invention, the wheel 310 is associated with a wheel support 320 forming a vertical leg, which cooperates in two connections with the extreme crossbar

150 ie, a first link vertical slide type according to the double arrow F2 and a second pivot type link according to the double arrow F3.

These two links and their constituent elements are arranged in such a way that when the roof element I is raised above the ground (see FIGS. 7 and 8), the wheel support 320 is released by its weight while remaining vertical vertical guide elements 330 forming said slide connection and is free to rotate along the double arrow F3 to pivot by its pivot connection for retraction in the thickness of the roof element I during stacking (see Figure 9). and when the roof element I is raised and returns to its initial height, the wheel support 320 can pivot (double-arrow F3) and return to the vertical position by its pivot connection and engage by vertical sliding (double-arrow

F2) in said guide means 330.

As illustrated, the wheel support 320 is preformed with an oblong hole 321 allowing both the translation and the pivot connection relative to a shaft 340 fixed to the end cross member. This oblong hole 321 is preformed so that its elongation is oriented vertically and to define a travel in translation or when the roof element I rests on its wheels, the support 320 is engaged in the elements 330 constituting the slide connection and where, when the roof element I is raised, the support 320 driven by its mass emerges from said constituent elements 330 of the slideway until the upper end of the oblong hole 321 abuts against the shaft 340. The shape rounded ends of the slot 321 facilitates the pivoting of the wheel support 320.

According to the nonlimiting embodiment illustrated, the pivot shaft 340 is constituted by a screw which, cooperating with a threaded sleeve 341 housed in the crosspiece 150, is equipped with a head 342. This head 342 prevents the support 320 is released from its pivot connection and limits its transverse movements to ensure that once returned to the upright position, the upper end of the roulette support slips into the constituent elements 330 of the slide.

The end cross member 150 is in fact preformed with a reception zone of the upper end of said wheel support 320 when the roof element I rests on its wheels. This reception area consists of two parts: a preformed part in the crossbar limiting transverse translational movements and another part that is fixed to the cross member and guiding the vertical translation of the upper end of the support while preventing rotation about the axis 340.

For said first part, said extreme cross

150 is preformed with a longitudinal U-shaped profile 151 in which the upper end of said support 320 slides. The second part consists of two stops disposed on either side of said upper end of the wheel support 320 to guide it in translation. These two stops 351 and 352 are joined in pairs on one and the same caliper 350 facilitating their installation and ensuring their spacing.

The combination of these two stops 351 and 352 with the U-shaped section 151 of the cross member 150 creates a parallelepipedal reception volume to which the upper end of the roulette support 320 fits, which advantageously consists of a parallelepiped profile. whose flat surfaces participate in translational guidance.

The corners of this parallelepiped are chamfered to facilitate the insertion of the upper end of the wheel support 320 in the reception area.

As illustrated in the drawing of FIG. 9, the roulette support 320 adopts symmetrical recesses 322 whose function is to prevent the body of the support 320 from coming into contact with the abutments 351 or 352 during its rotation and prevents its retraction under the roof element I.

The design of this double connection allows a particularly judicious exploitation of a motorization system ensuring the stacking and the deployment of the roof elements such as that proposed in the document

WO2005 / 052285.

Indeed, as shown in the drawings of Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13, the retraction and return to the original position of the rolling elements are automatically performed as described below.

As illustrated in Figure 10, a first element roofing I is already engaged in the motorized stacking device D and is arranged in the high position. Thus, in accordance with the situation illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the supports 320 are free to rotate. A roof element I 'is inserted from the bottom of the stack according to the arrow Fl.

As illustrated by FIG. 11, the height of the roof element I 'resting on its wheels and that of the rolling means 300 in the lower position of the first roof element I are defined so that in its translational movement the element of roof I 'comes into contact with the rollers of said rolling means 300 of said first element and ensures the folding and retraction of said rolling means of said first element I as illustrated in the drawing of FIG. 12.

Once the retraction achieved, the upper roof element I can rest directly and without the intermediary of its rolling means 300 on the lower roof element I 'which rests on its own rolling means.

According to the embodiment illustrated by the drawing of Figure 4, the edges of the roof element I are not at the same height so that the inclined plane facilitates and orients the evacuation of water received by the element of roof. This characteristic is implemented by means of a roof element identical to those described above, but where the caster supports are longer on one side of the roof element with respect to the other.

The material of the filling panel (s) matters little and is selected according to the situation and the wishes of the customer, the materials already envisaged are listed below:

- cellular polycarbonate or not,

- translucent, transparent or opaque material,

- wood and derivatives, sandwich material with improved thermal characteristics, etc.

It is understood that the shelter, which has just been described above and shown, has been for the purpose of disclosure rather than limitation. Of course, various arrangements, modifications and improvements may be made to the example above, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

- -REVENDICATIONS

1. Shelter (A) for pleasure pool (B) such as swimming pool, spa, etc. which, formed of roof elements (I), is capable of passing from an extended position where the roof elements are arranged juxtaposed and where the basin is covered, to a stacked position where the roof elements are arranged one on top of each other and where the basin is partially or completely uncovered, said roof elements (I) comprising two transverse sections (110 and 120) braced with longitudinal crosspieces (130) with cross members (140 and 150) said to be extreme disposed at the ends of said profiles (110 and 120) resting on the edge of the basin (B) via rolling means (300) which consist of rollers (310),

CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the rollers (310) are mounted on rollers supports (320) foldably mounted with respect to the end rails (140 and 150) so as to allow them to be retracted during the stacking of the roof elements ( I).

2. Shelter (A) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY

THE FACT THAT said rollers (310) are each associated with a roller support (320) which cooperates, along two links, with said end rails (140 and 150) namely, a first link of vertical slide type and a second link of pivot type arranged so that when the roof element (I) is raised, the wheel support (320) is released by its weight remaining vertical vertical guide members forming said slide connection and is free to rotate and can pivot through its pivot connection for retraction into the thickness of the roof element (I) during stacking, and when the roof element (I) is lifted and returns to its initial height, the roulette support can pivot in vertical position by its pivot connection and engage by vertical sliding in said guide means.

3. Shelter (A) according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT said wheel support (320) is preformed with an oblong hole (321) allowing both the translation and the pivot connection relative to a shaft (340). ) fixed to the end beam (150).

4. Shelter (A) according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the end beam (150) is preformed of a reception zone of the upper end of said wheel support (320) when the roof element (I) relies on its rolling means.

5. Shelter (A) according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT that said end cross member (140, 150) is preformed with a longitudinal U-profile (151) in which slides the upper end of said support (320), abutments (351, 352) being disposed on either side of said upper end of the wheel support (320) to guide it in translation.

6. Shelter (A) according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the high end of the support (320) is constituted by a parallelepiped profile whose planar surfaces participate in the guide in translation.

7. Shelter (A) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the edges of the roof elements (I) are not at the same height so that the inclination created facilitates and orients the evacuation of water received by the roof element.

8. Shelter (A) according to claim 1, cooperating with a motorized device (D) automatically passing the roof elements (I) from a juxtaposed position to a stacked position and ensuring the setting in motion in translation and stacking at the bottom, that is to say by lifting the roof element (I) previously stacked and insertion by translation at the bottom of the pile of - -

the next roof element (I ') and vice versa, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the height of the roof elements (I) and the lifting stroke of the device (D) are such that the roof element (I') ) supported by its rolling means (300) and inserted from the bottom comes into contact with the rolling means (300) of the roof element (I ') located at the bottom of the pile and raised to ensure in its movement translation, the retraction of the rolling means (300) of said raised element (I).