Swimming pool overflow device and method

Abstract

A pool overflow device controls water level in a swimming pool. The swimming pool includes an interior wall having an upper end. An overflow port passes through the interior wall at an elevation below the upper end of the interior wall. A drain member has a drain passage therethrough in fluid communication with the overflow port for passing fluid from the pool. One embodiment of the device comprises a 90-degree elbow having a first port, a second port, and a flow passage for passing water between the first and second port. The elbow rotatably mates with a tubular segment about an axis of rotation passing through the first port. The second port is radially spaced from the axis of rotation. The body may be selectively rotated to adjust the elevation of the second port, and thus to control the elevation at which water passes from the pool through the overflow port.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a pool overflow device for preventing pool overflow. In particular, the invention relates to a device for adjusting the level at which water will discharge from the pool through an overflow port.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional swimming pool has an interior wall for retaining pool water. The interior wall is generally concave, extending upwardly to an upper end of the interior wall. The upper end of the interior wall typically intersects a deck or coping. An overflow port is commonly included in the interior wall at some elevation below the upper end. When the water level in the pool reaches the overflow port, water from the pool passes through the overflow port into an overflow passage that exits to a drain or reservoir. The overflow port thereby prevents the water level in the pool from rising to the upper end and “overflowing” from the pool over the edge.

A number of factors may raise water level in a pool. Rain, for example, may fall in unpredictable quantities. Likewise, a garden hose used to fill the pool may be left on inadvertently. In such circumstances, the overflow port is desirable, to prevent inadvertent overflow from the pool. In other circumstances, however, it is undesirable for water to drain through the overflow port. For example, when people get in and use the pool, the volume of their bodies displaces water and raises the water level. Additionally, people often place objects in the pool, such as floatation devices or even pets who like to swim, and doing so increases the volumetric displacement. When the people and objects exit the pool, water may have drained through the overflow port, and the water level has been undesirably lowered. Water must then be re-added to the pool to raise the water level again. The volumetric displacement caused during such normal use is typically not sufficient to raise the water level to the edge of the pool, and it is therefore unnecessary to pass water through the overflow port.

An improved pool overflow device and method are therefore desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A pool overflow device controls water level in a swimming pool. The swimming pool includes an interior wall for retaining water. The interior wall has an upper end and an overflow port passing through the interior wall at an elevation below the upper end for passing fluid from the pool. The device comprises a body having a first port, a second port, and a flowpath for passing water between the first and second port. The body is rotatable about an axis of rotation passing through the first port. The second port is radially spaced from the axis of rotation. A connecting member has a throughbore in fluid communication with the first port for rotatably securing the body to the swimming pool with the first port in fluid communication with the overflow port. A sealed flowpath is provided between the first port and the overflow port.

In some embodiments, the body comprises a pipe fitting defining the flowpath between the first and second port, the flowpath having at least one bend. In particular, the body may comprise a 90-degree elbow. The connecting member may further comprise a pipe segment rotatably mating with the body such that the axis of rotation passes through the throughbore. A seal ring may be included for sealing between the body and the pipe segment, an axis of the seal ring being substantially aligned with the axis of rotation. The seal ring seals between an OD of the body and an ID of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the connecting member may comprise a flange securable to the interior wall or to the overflow line extending to the storm drain. A gasket may seal between the flange and the interior wall. A pair of threaded fasteners may pass through the flange and into the interior wall or the overflow line, the threaded fasteners being positioned opposite one another with respect to the first port.

The body may be selectively rotated to adjust the elevation of the second port, and thus to control the elevation at which water passes from the pool through the overflow port.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a pool overflow device for controlling water level in a swimming pool.

FIG. 2 shows an alternate view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of an alternate, lower-profile embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of an alternative embodiment having an irregular or block-shaped body secured to the pool without a flange using a pipe fitting with two male ends.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PROFFERED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a pool overflow device 10 for controlling water level in a swimming pool. The swimming pool includes an interior wall 12 for retaining water. The interior wall generally extends from and includes a pool floor (not shown), and transitions upwardly to an upper end 14, which intersects a deck 16 near the pool's edge. An overflow port 18 passes through the interior wall 12 at an elevation below the upper end 14. The overflow port 18 is preferably positioned within eighteen inches of the upper end 14, and more preferably between three and nine inches. An overflow fitting 20 installed with the swimming pool has a passage 22 therethrough in fluid communication with the overflow port 18 for passing water from the pool. The drain passage 22 may extend to a reservoir (not shown) or other location so that water exiting the pool through the overflow port 18 can be disposed, stored, or otherwise diverted. For example, the drain passage 22 may be in communication with home plumbing that ultimately drains to a storm drain.

The particular embodiment of the overflow fitting 20 and/or drain passage 22 is non-standard and may vary according to manufacturer and design. Most pools, however, include some form of a fixed-level overflow port 18 leading to a passage 22 for passing water from the pool. The overflow port 18 is intended to prevent overflow by passing water from the pool before it reaches the upper end 14. A typical swimming pool (i.e. not having the device 10) includes a grate over the overflow port 18 with a crude filter for filtering large particles or objects.

A body 24 of the device 10 has a first port 26, a second port 28, and a flowpath 30 for passing water from the second port 28 to the first port 26 along a path indicated generally at 29. The body 24 is rotatable about an axis of rotation 32 passing through the first port 26. The second port 28 is radially spaced from the axis of rotation. A connecting member 40 rotatably secures the body 24 to the swimming pool about the axis 32, with the first port 26 in fluid communication with the overflow port 18. The connecting member 40 has a throughbore 36 in fluid communication with the first port 26. The flowpath 29 is sealed between the first port 26 and the overflow port 18, meaning that water passing from the first port 26 to the overflow port 18 does not leak appreciably. If water leaked or escaped, it could impair the functionality of the device by limiting its ability to pass water from the pool to the drain passage 22. The term “sealed flowpath” does not, however, refer to spatial or relative positioning of any sealing members—for instance, o-ring 38 in FIG. 1 is not spatially positioned between the first port 26 and the overflow port 28, but it nevertheless helps prevent leakage between the body 24 and the pipe segment 34, and thus contributes to the sealed flowpath from the first port 26 to the overflow port 18.

The body 24 may comprise a pipe fitting defining the flowpath 30 between the first and second port 26, 28. The connecting member 40 may comprise the pipe segment 34 as shown, which rotatably mates with the body 24 such that the axis of rotation 32 passes through the throughbore 36. The term “pipe fitting” as defined herein includes pipe segments, such as pipe segment 34, as well as a variety of pre-fabricated fittings used to join pipe segments, such as elbows. A pipe fitting may thus include at least one bend. In particular, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the body 24 is an elbow 24 defining the flowpath 30 and having a bend 25. The bend 25 spaces the second port 28 from the axis of rotation 32. In practice, a 90-degree elbow is preferred, but elbows having bends greater or less than 90 degrees may alternatively be used to spaced the second port 28 from the axis of rotation 32.

A seal ring 38 seals between the body 24 and the pipe segment 34. An axis of the seal ring 38 is substantially aligned with the axis of rotation 32. As shown, the seal ring 38 may seal between an OD of the body 24 and an ID of the connecting member (in this case, pipe segment 34). In other embodiments, a seal ring may instead seal between an ID of the body and the OD of the connecting member or pipe segment.

The connecting member 40 preferably further comprises the flange 42 secured to the pipe segment 34 and secured to the interior wall 12 or to the overflow line to support the device 10. A pair of threaded fasteners 46 pass through the flange 42 and into the interior wall 12 or overflow line to secure the flange 42 to the interior wall 12. The flange may be recessed into a pocket in the side of the pool wall, with the flange pocket originally designed to receive the flange of the grate. The threaded fasteners 46 are preferably positioned opposite one another with respect to the first port 26. Alternatively, there may be any other number of threaded fasteners that are not necessarily oppositely positioned with respect to the first port 26. In other embodiments, the flange may instead be cemented to the interior wall 12. A gasket 44 seals between the flange 42 and either the overflow line or the interior wall 24. In the embodiment shown, the o-ring 38 and the gasket 42 help seal the flowpath 29 between the first port 26 and the overflow port 18, so that water may flow along the path 29 from the pool, through the flowpath 30 of the body 24, through the overflow port 18, and into the drain passage 22. In particular, the o-ring helps rotatably seal the body 24 with the connecting member 40, such that the flowpath 29 remains sealed when the body 24 is rotated.

With the structure of a preferred overflow device 10 thus illustrated, the use and advantages of the device 10 may now be described. In a conventional pool system, without inclusion of the device 10, the water will begin to drain when the water level reaches the overflow port 18. This prevents water from rising to the upper end 14 of the interior wall 12 and overflowing. A significant improvement offered by the device 10 is the ability to raise and adjust the water level at which water will be drained from the pool into the passage 22. Because the second port 28 is radially spaced from the axis 32, the elbow 24 may be selectively rotated to adjust the elevation of the second port 28. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second port 28 is rotated so that the second port 28 is at an uppermost position above the axis 32. The uppermost position of the second port 28 should be at an elevation below the upper end 14, or else water would overflow from the pool before it could enter the second port 28. This compensates for the normal, temporary increase in water level that occurs when the pool is in use. When the pool is not being used, the elbow 24 may again be rotated downward. The second port 28 may also be extended to an elevated position before adding water to the pool or prior to an anticipated rain, thereby raising the water level and conserving water.

A pool user may simply rotate the elbow 24 by hand. For example, rotating the elbow 24 by 90 degrees from the position of FIG. 1 will position the second port 28 at about the same level as the overflow port 18, allowing water to drain at about the same level that it would without the device 10. Note that rotating the elbow 24 to position the second port 28 below the overflow port 18 will not lower the level at which water drains below the overflow port 18. In other words, the level at which water drains through the overflow port 18 can be raised, but typically cannot be lowered, with the use of the device 10.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of an alternative, lower-profile embodiment of the device 50, looking down at the device 10. The device 50 includes a body 54 having a flattened second port 52. The flattened second port 52 decreases the distance the device 50 projects outwardly from the wall 12. The lower profile design thereby decreases the risk of damaging the device 50, and minimizes the device's intrusiveness into the swimming area. For example, pool users are less likely to inadvertently impact the device 50. The device 50 may also be more resistant to damage due to a decreased moment-arm of the device being spaced more closely to the interior wall 24.

In some embodiments, the flowpath 30 may have more than one bend to achieve the radial spacing of the second port 28 from the axis 32. In still other embodiments, the flowpath may be substantially straight (zero bends), and instead angled to space the second port 28 from the axis 32. Furthermore, the body 24 need not be a thin-wall or constant diameter pipe fitting, and may instead comprise an irregularly shaped body or block having a first port and a second port spaced from the axis of rotation. For example, FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates a side view of a block-shaped body 60 having a bent flowpath 62 extending between the first port 64 and second port 66. The block-shaped body 60 is not a preferred embodiment, however, due to increased manufacturing complexity, size, and weight as compared with elbow 24.

Other means of rotatably, sealably securing the body to the interior wall 12 may be provided. In some embodiments (not shown), the connecting member may be secured to the interior wall 12 or to the overflow line without the use of a flange 42. For example, as further shown in FIG. 4, the connecting member generally indicated at 68 may comprise a pipe fitting 70 having a first male end 72 for inserting into the first port 64 of the body 60, and an opposing male end 74 for inserting into the overflow port 65 at the overflow fitting 20. The first male end 72 may have a snug fit or an interference fit with the body 60, providing a rotatably fixed connection between the body 60 and the pipe fitting 70 and/or may include an o-ring 77 between the first male end 72 and the body 60. The second male end 74 may likewise have a snug fit or an interference fit between the pipe fitting 70 and overflow fitting 20, and/or may include another o-ring 75 between the second male end 74 and the overflow fitting 20. Less preferably, a threaded connection (not shown) may alternatively be provided between the first male end 72 and body 60, and between the second male end 74 and the overflow fitting 20, and a snug thread fit or plumbing tape wrapped around the threads could seal the interconnection. The connecting member 68 would thus rotatably support the body 60 on the interior wall 12. The interference fit and/or seals 75, 77 would ensure a sealed (i.e. non-leaking) flowpath between the first port 64 and the overflow port 65, such that water could pass from the pool, into the second port 66, through the flowpath 63, through the pipe fitting 70, and into the drain passage 22.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein in some detail, this has been done solely for the purposes of explaining the various aspects of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment shown and described is exemplary, and various other substitutions, alterations, and modifications, including but not limited to those design alternatives specifically discussed herein, may be made in the practice of the invention without departing from its scope.

Claims

1. A pool overflow device for controlling water level in a swimming pool, the swimming pool including an interior wall for retaining water, the interior wall having an upper end and an overflow port passing through the interior wall at an elevation below the upper end for passing fluid from the pool, the pool overflow device comprising:

a body having a first port, a second port, and a flowpath for passing water between the first and second port, the body rotatable about an axis of rotation passing through the first port, the second port being radially spaced from the axis of rotation;

a connecting member having a throughbore in fluid communication with the first port for rotatably securing the body to the swimming pool about the axis of rotation with the first port in fluid communication with the overflow port; and

a sealed flowpath between the first port and the overflow port.

2. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 1, wherein the body comprises:

a pipe fitting defining the flowpath between the first and second port, the flowpath having at least one bend.

3. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 1, wherein the pipe fitting comprises:

an elbow.

4. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting member comprises:

a pipe segment rotatably mating with the body and the axis of rotation passing through the throughbore.

5. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a seal ring for sealing between the body and the connecting member, an axis of the seal ring being substantially aligned with the axis of rotation.

6. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 5, wherein the seal ring seals between an OD of the body and an ID of the connecting member.

7. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting member comprises:

a flange securable to the interior wall.

8. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

a gasket for sealing between the flange and the interior wall.

9. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

a pair of threaded fasteners passing through the flange and into the interior wall, the threaded fasteners opposite one another with respect to the first port.

10. A pool overflow device for controlling water level in a swimming pool, the swimming pool including an interior wall for retaining water, the interior wall having an upper end and an overflow port passing through the interior wall at an elevation below the upper end for passing fluid from the pool, the pool overflow device comprising:

an elbow having a first port, a second port, and a flowpath with at least one bend between the first and second port;

a pipe segment having a throughbore, the elbow rotatably mating with the pipe segment about an axis of rotation passing through the first port, the second port being radially spaced from the axis of rotation;

a flange secured to the pipe segment, the flange securable to the interior wall of the pool with the first port in fluid communication with the overflow port; and

a sealed flowpath between the first port and the overflow port.

11. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a seal ring for sealing between an ID of the pipe fitting and an OD of the pipe segment.

12. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a gasket for sealing between the flange and the interior wall.

13. A pool overflow device as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a pair of threaded fasteners passing through the flange and into the interior wall, the threaded fasteners opposite one another with respect to the first port.

14. A method of controlling water level in a swimming pool, the swimming pool including an interior wall for retaining water, the interior wall having an upper end and an overflow port passing through the interior wall at an elevation below the upper end for passing fluid from the pool, the method comprising:

providing a body having a first port, a second port, and a flowpath therethrough for passing water between the first and second port, the body rotatable about an axis of rotation passing through the first port, the second port being radially spaced from the axis of rotation;

rotatably securing the body to the swimming pool with the first port in fluid communication with the overflow port;

providing a sealed flowpath between the first port and the overflow port; and

selectively rotating the body about the axis of rotation to adjust the elevation of the second port.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein rotatably securing the body to the swimming pool comprises:

securing a flange to the connecting member about the first port; and securing the flange to the interior wall.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

positioning a gasket between the flange and the interior wall for sealing between the flange and the interior wall.

17. A method as defined in claim 14, further comprising:

securing the body with a pair of threaded fasteners passing through the interior wall, the threaded fasteners opposite one another with respect to the first port.

18. A method for controlling water level in a swimming pool, the swimming pool including an interior wall for retaining water, the interior wall having an upper end and an overflow port passing through the interior wall at an elevation below the upper end for passing fluid from the pool, the method comprising:

providing an elbow having a first port, a second port, and a flowpath for passing water between the first and second port;

providing a pipe segment having a throughbore;

rotatably mating the elbow with the pipe segment about an axis of rotation passing through the first port, the second port being radially spaced from the axis of rotation;

securing a flange to the pipe segment;

securing the flange to the interior wall of the pool;

providing a sealed flowpath between the first port and the overflow port; and

selectively rotating the elbow about the axis of rotation to adjust the elevation of the second port.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

positioning a seal ring between the elbow and the pipe segment.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein securing the flange to the interior wall comprises:

passing a pair of threaded fasteners through the flange and into the interior wall, the threaded fasteners opposite one another with respect to the first port.