Submersible touch-operated signaler with fluid drainage passages

Claim 2

A submersible touch-operated signaler adapted for removable mounting on the side of a pool, in operative condition comprising at least a pair of substantially upright, facially confronting planar conducting members having opposing portions which are movable relatively toward and away from each other to make and break a conductive connection therebetween, said members bounding a substantially upright region therebetween, nonconductive spacer means interposed between said members and distributed in spaced apart relationship over adjacent faces of the members, which allows fluid between the members to contact said adjacent faces, said spacer means yieldably resisting relative movement thereof toward each other, said spacer means defining a plurality of spaced-part, substantially vertically extending passages between the members through which fluid between the members may flow, and securing means extending along the edges of said members securing said edges against movement away from one another, said securing means in a region extending along the lower edges of said members having a plurality of openings substantially vertically aligned with said vertically extending passages which openings freely accommodate fluid flow into and out of said upright region.

Claim 3

The signaler of claim 1, wherein said spacer means comPrises a plurality of elongated generally horizontally extending strips distributed in plural vertically spaced rows, with each row containing plural strips, and said passages comprise vertically aligned gaps between the ends of adjacent strips in the rows.

Claim 4

The signaler of claim 2, wherein a strip comprises resilient material.

Claim 5

The signaler of claim 1, wherein said spacer means comprises a plurality of elongated, horizontally spaced, vertically extending strips, and said passages comprise vertically disposed spaces between adjacent strips.

Claim 6

A submersible touch-operated signaler in operative condition comprising at least a pair of spaced-apart substantially upright, facially confronting, parallel conducting plates which are movable relatively toward and away from each other to make and break a conductive connection therebetween, nonconductive spacer means interposed between the confronting faces of said plates, said spacer means comprising a plurality of elongated strips disposed in a plurality of elongated, vertically spaced rows which are distributed over said faces and which allow fluid to contact adjacent faces of the plates, each such row containing a plurality of generally longitudinally aligned strips whose adjacent confronting ends are spaced apart from one another to define gaps in the row, the gaps in said rows defining vertically extending open passages between said plates through which fluid between the plates may flow, and securing means extending along the edges of the plates securing said edges against movement away from one another, said securing means in a region extending along the lower edges of said plates having a plurality of openings substantially vertically aligned with said vertically extending passages between the plates which openings freely accommodate fluid flow into and out of the space between said plates.

Claim 7

A submersible touch-operated signaler in operative condition comprising at least a pair of spaced-apart substantially upright, facially confronting, parallel conducting plates which are movable relatively toward and away from each other to make and break a conductive connection therebetween, nonconductive spacer means interposed between the confronting faces of said plates, said spacer means comprising a plurality of elongated strips disposed in a plurality of elongated, vertically spaced rows which are distributed over said faces and which allow fluid to contact adjacent faces of the plates, each such row containing a plurality of generally longitudinally aligned strips whose adjacent confronting ends are spaced apart from one another to define gaps in the row, the gaps in said rows defining vertically extending open passages between said plates through which fluid between the plates may flow, and securing means extending along the edges of the plates securing said edges against movement away from one another, said securing means in a region extending along the lower edges of said plates having a plurality of openings substantially vertically aligned with said vertically extending passages between the plates which openings freely accommodate fluid flow into and out of the space between said plates.

Claim 8

The signaler of claim 5 which further comprises a third upright conducting plate in facially confronting relationship with one of said plates of the previously mentioned pair and on the opposite side of said one plate from the other plate in the pair, a plurality of elongated nonconducting strips interposed between said one and said third plate and disposed in vertically spaced rows distributed over their confronting faces, said rows being offset vertically relative to the rows of strips between said first-mentioned pair of plates, each row including a plurality of generally horizontally aligned strips whose adjacent confronting ends are spaced apart to define gaps in the rows defining vertically extending open passages between said plates which passages are substantially aligned with said openings in said securing means.