US3868945A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solar heater for swimming pools
Assignee: FUN AND FROLIC Inc
•
Filing: 1972-03-10
•
Granted: 1975-03-04
•
Expires: 1992-03-10
Abstract
Abstract A heat exchanger for warming the water in a swimming pool during the day by means of solar heat and for cooling the water at night consisting of a pair of rectangular sheets of black matte finish flexible film plastic sealed together so as to form a closed perimeter having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, and a sinuous flow path consisting of a plurality of straight parallel elongated flow channels formed between the inlet and the outlet. At a plurality of points along each straight flow channel the two plastic sections are heat sealed together to form obstacles to the straight flow path creating zones of turbulance which enhance the efficiency of the heat exchange. A pump removes pool water from a drain, passes it through a filter and divides the filter output between one flow path back to the pool inlet and another flow path to the heat exchanger using an adjustable flow diverter consisting of a T-section having a movable tube extending up from the leg of the T into the arm.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward J Konopka
- 👤 Jr Conan F Fisher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 17:46
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24S; F24S20/00; F24S20/02; F24S10/00; F24S10/70; F24S10/72; F24S10/73; F24S10/75; F24S10/755; F24S80/00; F24S2080/03; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A heat exchanger for water consisting of a pair of sheets of plastic film of substantially identical configuration abutting one another with their edges sealed together and lines intermediate the edges sealed together so as to form a single continuous sinuous flow path formed of a plurality of straight line sections between a pair of end connectors which pass through the edges; and a plurality of sections wherein the pair of sheets are sealed together formed along such straight line sections and portions extending into the straight sections so as to interrupt laminar flow to create turbulence in the flow along the straight line sections and thereby enhance the heat transfer efficiency of the exchanger.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
A heat exchanger for water consisting of a pair of sheets of plastic film of substantially identical configuration abutting one another with their edges sealed together and lines intermediate the edges sealed together so as to form a single continuous sinuous flow path formed of a plurality of straight line sections between a pair of end connectors which pass through the edges; and a plurality of sections wherein the pair of sheets are sealed together formed along such straight line sections and portions extending into the straight sections so as to interrupt laminar flow to create turbulence in the flow along the straight line sections and thereby enhance the heat transfer efficiency of the exchanger.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the sheets of plastic film are both opaque.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the sheets of plastic film are both black.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The heat exchanger of claim 3 wherein the sheets of black plastic film have a matte finish.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
119 words
A heat exchanger for water consisting of a pair of sheets of plastic film of substantially identical configuration abutting one another with their edges and lines intermediate their edges sealed together so as to form a Single continuous sinuous flow path formed of a plurality of straight line sections between a pair of end connectors which pass through the edges; and a plurality of sections wherein areas on the opposed sheets are sealed together formed at spaced intervals along said straight line sections so as to provide portions which partially block the flow channels along said straight line sections to create turbulence in the fluid flowing along the straight line sections and enhance the thermal efficiency of the exchanger.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
119 words
A heat exchanger for water consisting of a pair of sheets of plastic film of substantially identical configuration abutting one another with their edges and lines intermediate their edges sealed together so as to form a Single continuous sinuous flow path formed of a plurality of straight line sections between a pair of end connectors which pass through the edges; and a plurality of sections wherein areas on the opposed sheets are sealed together formed at spaced intervals along said straight line sections so as to provide portions which partially block the flow channels along said straight line sections to create turbulence in the fluid flowing along the straight line sections and enhance the thermal efficiency of the exchanger.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
206 words
A swimming pool system including a pool having an inlet and an outlet; pump means for removing water from the outlet; a manually adjustable flow diverter device connected to the output of the pump having one connection to the pool input; a solar heat exchanger having its input connected to another output of the adjustable flow diverter; and a connection between the output of said heat exchanger and the inlet of said swimming pool, whereby the portion of the water pumped out of the outlet of the swimming pool which is passed through the heat exchanger may be adjusted to optimize the temperature increase in the pool water; and wherein the heat exchanger consists of a pair of sheets of plastic film of substantially identical configuration abutting one another with their edges heat sealed together and lines intermediate the edges sealed together so as to form a single continuous sinuous flow path formed in a plurality of straight line sections between a pair of end connectors which pass through the edges, and a plurality of sections wherein the sheets are sealed together formed along such straight line sections and having portions interrupting the laminar flow to create turbulence in the flow along the straight line sections.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
206 words
A swimming pool system including a pool having an inlet and an outlet; pump means for removing water from the outlet; a manually adjustable flow diverter device connected to the output of the pump having one connection to the pool input; a solar heat exchanger having its input connected to another output of the adjustable flow diverter; and a connection between the output of said heat exchanger and the inlet of said swimming pool, whereby the portion of the water pumped out of the outlet of the swimming pool which is passed through the heat exchanger may be adjusted to optimize the temperature increase in the pool water; and wherein the heat exchanger consists of a pair of sheets of plastic film of substantially identical configuration abutting one another with their edges heat sealed together and lines intermediate the edges sealed together so as to form a single continuous sinuous flow path formed in a plurality of straight line sections between a pair of end connectors which pass through the edges, and a plurality of sections wherein the sheets are sealed together formed along such straight line sections and having portions interrupting the laminar flow to create turbulence in the flow along the straight line sections.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The swimming pool system of claim 6 wherein a filter is disposed in the fluid connection between the pump and the adjustable diverter device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The swimming pool system of claim 6 wherein the adjustable diverter device consists of a T-section of tubing having a leg intersecting an arm, and a tubular insert section supported within said leg so as to project into the arm with its angle of rotation and its depth of penetration within the arm both being adjustable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
The swimming pool system of claim 8 wherein said tubular insert has a truncated end which extends into the arm of the T and the proportion of fluid flowing through the arm of the T which is diverted to the leg is proportional to the angle of the tubular section relative to the arm of the T.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The swimming pool system of claim 8 wherein said tubular insert has a truncated end which extends into the arm of the T and the proportion of fluid flowing through the arm of the T which is diverted to the leg is proportional to the depth of insertion of the insert within the arm.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-03-03 | 1978-09-02 | 1979-03-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-03-03 | 1982-09-02 | 1983-03-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-03-03 | 1986-09-02 | 1987-03-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |