Floatable safety cover for swimming pools

Claim 2

A safety device for swimming pools, comprising: a platform, substantially conforming to the water surface of said pool; a rigid, tubular frame for supporting said platform; buoyancy means, including at least one floatation bag fabricated from impermeable, elastic sheet material, secured to the underside of said platform; gas compression means; conduit means, interconnecting said gas compression means and said buoyancy means; control means, for governing the flow of compressed gas through said conduit means, whereby said floatation bags may be caused to expand and raise said platform to the surface of said liquid in said pool, thereby preventing access to the pool; and release means communicating with said conduit means, for venting compressed gas retained in said floatation bags to the atmosphere; whereby said platform may be caused to sink to the bottom of the pool, thereby permitting access thereto.

Claim 3

The safety cover defined in claim 1, wherein said conduit means include: a plenum chamber for compressed gas; first channel means interconnecting said gas compression means with said plenum chamber; second channel means interconnecting said control means with said plenum chamber; third channel means interconnecting said release means with said plenum chamber; first nozzle means, for admission of compressed gas into said tubular frame; second nozzle means interconnecting each of said flotation bags with said tubular frame; and fourth channel means interconnecting said plenum with said first nozzle means.

Claim 4

The safety pool cover defined in claim 1, in which said gas compression means include an air compressor and a plenum chamber for compressed air.

Claim 5

The safety pool cover defined in claim 1, in which said control means include a valve in said conduit means.

Claim 6

The safety pool cover defined in claim 1, in which said release means include a manually operated vent valve.

Claim 7

The safety pool cover defined in claim 3, further comprising alarm means sensitive to the pressure level of gas retained in said bags, for providing a signal when said pressure level drops below a pre-determined value; thereby indicating a potentially unsafe condition of the pool cover.

Claim 8

The safety pool cover defined in claim 1, further comprising a control chassis for supporting said gas compression means, said control means and said release means, thereby permitting said components to be located at some distance from the pool.

Claim 9

The safety pool cover defined in claim 1, further comprising: guide means, including at least four vertical guide bars within the water volume of said pool, extending from the bottom thereof to above the normal water level; said guide bars cooperating with bearing means, secured to said tubular frame, in restraining the platform into substantially horizontal alignment during travel between the bottom of the pool and the water surface.

Claim 10

The saFety pool cover defined in claim 8, wherein said guide bars are cylindrical, elongated members and said bearing means comprise a pluralty of cylindrical bushings rigidly affixed to said frame, each of said bushings being adapted to slideably engage one of said guide bars.

Claim 11

The safety pool cover defined in claim 8, further comprising anchor means, for securing said bearing means to said guide means with said platform at the upper limit of its travel; thereby preventing the platform from sinking to the bottom of the pool upon actuation of said release means, or accidental venting of pressurized gas from said floatation bags.

Claim 12

The safety pool cover defined in claim 1, wherein said platform is fabricated from a rigid, foraminous sheet material.

Claim 13

The safety pool cover defined in claim 1, wherein said platform is fabricated from expanded metal mesh.

Claim 14

A safety pool cover adapted to swimming pools provided with substantially vertical perimeter walls and a segmented bottom contour with at least two differing elevations, comprising: sectioned platform means, including a plurality of abutting sections, substantially conforming to the shape of the water surface in said pool; support means, including a rigid tubular frame for each of said sections; a plurality of floatation bags fabricated from impermeable, elastic sheet material, at least one of said floatation bags secured to the underside of each of said sections; gas compression means; channel means, interconnecting said gas compression means with a particular one of said rigid, tubular frames; conduit means, interconnecting the other tubular frames with said particular one; nozzle means, interconnecting each of said floatation bags with a tubular frame; link means, for permitting relative pivotal and spatial movement between abutting pairs of said sections; control means, for governing flow of compressed gas into said channel means, whereby said floatation bags may be caused to expand and raise said platform means to the surface of said water in the pool with said abutting sections aligned; and release means, communicating with said channel means, for venting compressed gas retained in said floatation bags, whereby said platform means may be caused to sink to the bottom of the pool with each of said abutting sections resting on a corresponding segment of said pool bottom; and the actuation of said control means and said release means, alternately, preventing and permitting access to the pool.

Claim 15

A safety pool cover adapted to swimming pools provided with substantially vertical perimeter walls and a segmented bottom contour with at least two differing elevations, comprising: sectioned platform means, including a plurality of abutting sections, substantially conforming to the shape of the water surface in said pool; support means, including a rigid tubular frame for each of said sections; a plurality of floatation bags fabricated from impermeable, elastic sheet material, at least one of said floatation bags secured to the underside of each of said sections; gas compression means; channel means, interconnecting said gas compression means with a particular one of said rigid, tubular frames; conduit means, interconnecting the other tubular frames with said particular one; nozzle means, interconnecting each of said floatation bags with a tubular frame; link means, for permitting relative pivotal and spatial movement between abutting pairs of said sections; control means, for governing flow of compressed gas into said channel means, whereby said floatation bags may be caused to expand and raise said platform means to the surface of said water in the pool with said abutting sections aligned; and release means, communicating with said channel means, for venting compressed gas retained in said floatation bags, whereby said platform means may be caused to sink to the bottom of the pool with each of said abutting sections resting on a corresponding segment of said pool bottom; and the actuation of said control means and said release means, alternately, preventing and permitting access to the pool.

Claim 16

The safety pool cover defined in claim 13, further comprising: guide means, including at least four vertical guide bars within the water volume of said pool, extending from the bottom thereof to above the normal water level; said guide bars cooperating with bearing means, secured to said platfrom means, in restraining the abutting sections into progressively horizontal alignment during travel from the bottom of the pool to the water surface.

Claim 17

A safety device for swimming pools, comprising: a rigid platform, substantially conforming to the water surface of said pool; buoyancy means, including at least one floatation bag fabricated from impermeable, elastic sheet material, secured to the underside of said platform; gas compression means; conduit means, interconnecting said gas compression means and said buoyancy means; control means, for governing the flow of compressed gas through said conduit means, whereby said floatation bags may be caused to expand and raise said platform to the surface of said liquid in said pool, thereby preventing access to the pool; and release means communicating with said conduit means, for venting compressed gas retained in said floatation bags to the atomosphere; whereby said platform may be caused to sink to the bottom of the pool, thereby permitting access thereto.

Claim 18

A safety device for swimming pools, comprising: a rigid platform, substantially conforming to the water surface of said pool; buoyancy means, including at least one floatation bag fabricated from impermeable, elastic sheet material, secured to the underside of said platform; gas compression means; conduit means, interconnecting said gas compression means and said buoyancy means; control means, for governing the flow of compressed gas through said conduit means, whereby said floatation bags may be caused to expand and raise said platform to the surface of said liquid in said pool, thereby preventing access to the pool; and release means communicating with said conduit means, for venting compressed gas retained in said floatation bags to the atomosphere; whereby said platform may be caused to sink to the bottom of the pool, thereby permitting access thereto.