Floating solar pool heater

Claim 1

The combination of a pool of selected length and width and a floating solar heater means, said heater means comprising a plurality of separate individual heater units each having opposite sides of uniform length and opposite ends of uniform length and with sides and ends respectively of shape complementary to each other and to the sides and ends of the pool; the distance between sides of each unit being many times less than the width of the pool and the distance between ends of each unit being many times less than the length of the pool whereby a multiplicity of said separate individual units are used for the pool, each unit comprising a fixed side wall structure, a fixed bottom structure and a fixed top wall structure joined to form a relatively rigid shallow vessel with a chamber inside of uniform depth wherein air is at substantially ambient pressure, wall elements of the side wall structure comprising stiffening means, said top wall structure comprising a translucent sheet sealed at the edges to said sides and ends adjacent one edge of the side wall structure substantially closing said chamber, one of said wall structures having elements at sides and ends of each unit extending beyond the immediately adjacent wall structure whereby to provide mutual areas of abutment at sides and ends of adjacent units, there being a substantially closed air space between sides and ends of adjacent units.