Retainer Frame for a Swimming Pool
The present invention provides a retainer frame of an outdoor above ground pool, which includes a plurality of posts and a plurality of sets of beams, connected between pairs of adjacent posts to form a polygonal shaped retainer frame. Each beam has two end portions, and each post has one or more receiving ports for receiving the end portions of a set of beams. The retainer frame also includes a plurality of locking members for locking the end portions of the set of beams in the receiving ports of the corresponding post. The beams are capable of swinging around a longitudinal axis of the posts within a range of swinging motion so that the same components (posts, beams and locking members) can be used to form polygonal shaped retainer frames having different numbers of sides.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an outdoor above ground swimming pool structure. In particular, it relates to a retainer frame for such a swimming pool.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional type of outdoor above ground swimming pool for family use is an inflatable pool. Such swimming pools have limited size and depth. Another type of outdoor swimming pool uses a multi-layered construction including a retainer frame and a water container made of a plastic material, where the retainer frame has a polygonal shape and the plastic container is mounted on the frame to form a swimming pool of a relatively large size. The retainer frame is typically made of a number of posts and interconnected wood framing with an exterior cover for decorative purposes. The exterior cover is not a structural component and does not contribute to the strength of the retainer frame. The wood framing is often difficult to assemble, and has relatively low structural strength. As a result, the entire pool has relatively low structural strength and limited life. Moreover, because the posts and the framing are fixedly connected together, it is difficult to change the lateral size of the retainer frame without changing the design of the posts and framing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, the present invention is directed to a retainer frame for a swimming pool that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a retainer frame for a pool that has a simple structure and high structural strength.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the descriptions that follow and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a retainer frame for a pool, which includes a plurality of posts, a plurality of sets of beams connected between pairs of adjacent posts, each beam having two end portions, wherein each post has one or more receiving ports for receiving the end portions of a set of beams, and a plurality of locking members for locking the end portions of the set of beams in the receiving ports of the corresponding post, wherein the receiving ports have inner dimensions larger than outer dimensions of the end portion of the beams interested therein, and wherein the beams are capable of swinging around a longitudinal axis of the posts within a range of swinging motion.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for assembling a retainer frame for a pool, the retainer frame comprising a plurality of posts and a plurality of sets of beams connected between pairs of adjacent posts, each post being formed of one or more tubes with two sets of holes arranged longitudinally on two opposite sides, each beam having an end portion provided with a through hole, wherein the holes on the post are larger than outer dimensions of the beam, the method including the steps of (a) inserting the end portion of a first set of beams into one set of holes on the post such that the through holes of the beam are disposed inside the post; (b) inserting a first locking pin along a longitudinal axis of the post through the through holes of all of the first set of beams; (c) inserting the end portion of a second set of beams into the other set of holes on the post such that the through holes of the beam are disposed inside the post; (d) inserting a second locking pin a longitudinal axis of the post through the through holes of all of the second set of beams; and (e) adjusting an angle formed between a first plane defined by the first set of beams and a second plane defined by the second set of beams by swinging the first and/or second set of beams around a longitudinal axis of the post.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for assembling a retainer frame for a pool, the retainer frame comprising a plurality of posts, a plurality of sleeves disposed around the posts, and a plurality of sets of beams connected between pairs of adjacent posts, each post having two longitudinal sliding grooves on two opposite sides and a neck portion between the two sliding grooves, each sliding groove having an opening with a width smaller than an inner width of the sliding groove, each sleeve having a longitudinal slit and a set of holes arranged longitudinally on an opposite side of the slit, the sleeve having an interior cross-sectional shape corresponding to an exterior cross-sectional shape of a portion of the post so that the locations of the holes and slit of the sleeve correspond to the locations of the sliding groove and the neck portion of the post, respectively, each beam having an end portion with a neck portion smaller than the opening of the sliding groove, the method including the steps of: (a) sliding the end portions of a first set of beams down along a first sliding groove of a post such that the neck portions of the first set of beams slide along the opening of the first sliding groove, and simultaneously sliding a first sleeve around and along a portion of the post such that the slit of the first sleeve slides along the neck portion of the post, wherein the end portions of the first set of beams have been previously inserted into the holes on the first sleeve; (b) sliding the end portions of a second set of beams down along a second sliding groove of the post such that the neck portions of the second set of beams slide along the opening of the second sliding groove, and simultaneously sliding a second sleeve around and along another portion of the post such that the slit of the second sleeve slides along the neck portion of the post, wherein the end portions of the second set of beams have been previously inserted into the holes on the second sleeve; and (c) adjusting an angle formed between a first plane defined by the first set of beams and a second plane defined by the second set of beams by swinging the first and/or second set of beams around a longitudinal axis of the post.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
Referring to
The beams 2 are preferably made of metal tubes having a square, round or other suitable cross sections. Each beam 2 is provided with a through hole 21 near each end. Referring to
Although the posts 1 in
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In the above-described embodiments, the posts 1 or 1′, the beams 2, and the sleeves 4 are preferably made of metal, such as steel, but may also be formed of any other suitable material. The plastic cover material of the panels 3 is preferably made of extruded PVC, but may also be made of any other suitable material.
In all of the above-described embodiments, the pool retainer frame includes a plurality of posts 1 or 1′ and a plurality of beams 2 connected to the posts. The lateral dimensions of the entire pool retainer frame are determined by the number of posts in the frame, i.e., the number of sides in the polygon. To allow retainer frames of different sizes to be built using the same posts and beams (but different numbers thereof), the connection of the beams 2 to the posts 1 or 1′ is designed to allow the beams 2 to have a degree of freedom to swing in the horizontal plane around a longitudinal axis of the post. Thus, when assembled, the angle formed between a plane defined by a set of beams 2 connected to one side of a post 1 or 1′ and a plane defined by a set of beams connected to the other side of the post (or two panels 3 connected on two sides of a post) is adjustable in a range to provide an appropriate angle as required by the desired number of sides in the retainer frame. For example, if the retainer frame is a 12-sided regular polygon (a polygon having equal sides and equal angles), the angle formed by two adjacent sides of the polygon is 150 degrees; if the retainer framing is a 24-sided regular polygon, the angle is 165 degrees, etc. Thus, to enable the same posts and beams to form regular polygons having a number between 12 and 24 sides, the beam to post connection structure should be designed to allow the angles between two sets of beams connected to a post to range from 150 to 165 degrees. Of course, the range of angles is not limited to the above examples. The ability of the beams to swing also allows a certain degree of flexibility and tolerance in the shape of the assembled pool retainer frame.
In the first and second embodiments, the range of the swinging motion of the beams is accomplished by making the holes 113, 114 on the tubes 111, 112 slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the beams 2. As shown in
More generally, a retainer frame according to embodiments of the present invention includes a plurality of posts and a plurality of sets of beams connected between pairs of adjacent posts. Each beam has two end portions, and each post has one or more receiving ports (the holes 113, 114 in the first and second embodiments, or the grooves 13 in the third and fourth embodiments) for receiving the end portions of a set of beams. The retainer frame also includes a plurality of locking members (the locking pin 5 in the first and second embodiments, or the sleeves 4 in the third and fourth embodiments) for locking the end portions the set of beams in the receiving ports of the corresponding post. The receiving ports have inner dimensions larger than outer dimensions of the end portion of the beams interested therein, such that the beams are capable of swinging around a longitudinal axis of the posts within a range of swinging motion.
In summary, the modular structure of the pool retainer frame according to embodiments of the present invention provides excellent scalability for the retainer frame in both the vertical and lateral directions.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other various modification and variations can be made in the pool retainer frame of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A retainer frame for a pool, comprising:
- a plurality of posts;
- a plurality of sets of beams connected between pairs of adjacent posts, each beam having two end portions;
- wherein each post has one or more receiving ports for receiving the end portions of a set of beams; and
- a plurality of locking members for locking the end portions of the set of beams in the receiving ports of the corresponding post;
- wherein the receiving ports have inner dimensions larger than outer dimensions of the end portion of the beams interested therein, and wherein the beams are capable of swinging around a longitudinal axis of the posts within a range of swinging motion.
2. The retainer frame of claim 1,
- wherein the each post is formed of one or more tubes, wherein the receiving ports are formed of two sets of holes arranged longitudinally on two opposite sides of the tubes,
- wherein the end portion of each beam has a through hole,
- wherein the end portions of the beams including the through holes are inserted through the holes of the post,
- wherein the locking members are a plurality of locking pins each inserted into a post and through the through holes of the end portions of the beams, and
- wherein the holes of the posts are larger than an outer dimension of the beam inserted therein.
3. The retainer frame of claim 2, wherein each post is formed of two parallel round tubes connected together along a side, each tube having a set of holes.
4. The retainer frame of claim 1,
- wherein the receiving ports of each post are two longitudinal sliding grooves on two opposite sides of the post, each sliding groove having an opening with a width smaller than an inner width of the sliding groove, the post further having a neck portion between the two sliding grooves,
- wherein the locking members are a plurality of sleeves each disposed around a portion of a post, each sleeve having a longitudinal slit and a set of holes arranged longitudinally on an opposite side of the slit, the sleeve having an interior cross-sectional shape corresponding to an exterior cross-sectional shape of a portion of the post such that the locations of the holes and slit of the sleeve correspond to the locations of the sliding groove and the neck portion of the post, respectively,
- wherein the end portion of each beam is inserted though a hole of a sleeve and retained in one of the sliding grooves of a post, the end portion of the beam having a neck portion located at the opening of the sliding groove, and
- wherein the opening of the sliding groove is larger than the neck portion of the beam and the holes on the sleeves are larger than an outer dimension of the beam inserted therein.
5. The retainer frame of claim 4,
- wherein the end portion of each beam retained inside the groove has a through hole, and
- wherein the retainer frame further comprises a plurality of locking pins each inserted into the through holes of the end portions of the beams.
6. The retainer frame of claim 1, wherein each post is formed of one or more post segments connected at their ends to form a desired height.
7. The retainer frame of claim 6, wherein at least some of the post segments have a first end section with outer dimensions smaller than inner dimensions of a second end section thereof, thereby allowing the first end section of a post segment to be inserted into a second end section of another post segment.
8. The retainer frame of claim 1, further comprising a cover material covering the sets of beams with the end portions of the beams exposed, each set of beams and corresponding cover material forming a panel having an integrated structure, each panel being connected between a pair of adjacent posts.
9. A method for assembling a retainer frame for a pool, the retainer frame comprising a plurality of posts and a plurality of sets of beams connected between pairs of adjacent posts, each post being formed of one or more tubes with two sets of holes arranged longitudinally on two opposite sides, each beam having an end portion provided with a through hole, wherein the holes on the post are larger than outer dimensions of the beam, the method comprising:
- (a) inserting the end portion of a first set of beams into one set of holes on the post such that the through holes of the beam are disposed inside the post;
- (b) inserting a first locking pin along a longitudinal axis of the post through the through holes of all of the first set of beams;
- (c) inserting the end portion of a second set of beams into the other set of holes on the post such that the through holes of the beam are disposed inside the post;
- (d) inserting a second locking pin a longitudinal axis of the post through the through holes of all of the second set of beams; and
- (e) adjusting an angle formed between a first plane defined by the first set of beams and a second plane defined by the second set of beams by swinging the first and/or second set of beams around a longitudinal axis of the post.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
- repeating the steps (a)-(e) using additional posts and beams to form a polygonal shaped retainer frame.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein each post comprises a plurality of post segments, the method further comprising:
- connecting a plurality of post segments at their ends to form posts.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein each set of beams is a part of an integrated panel made of the set of beams and a cover material.
13. A method for assembling a retainer frame for a pool, the retainer frame comprising a plurality of posts, a plurality of sleeves disposed around the posts, and a plurality of sets of beams connected between pairs of adjacent posts, each post having two longitudinal sliding grooves on two opposite sides and a neck portion between the two sliding grooves, each sliding groove having an opening with a width smaller than an inner width of the sliding groove, each sleeve having a longitudinal slit and a set of holes arranged longitudinally on an opposite side of the slit, the sleeve having an interior cross-sectional shape corresponding to an exterior cross-sectional shape of a portion of the post so that the locations of the holes and slit of the sleeve correspond to the locations of the sliding groove and the neck portion of the post, respectively, each beam having an end portion with a neck portion smaller than the opening of the sliding groove, the method comprising:
- (a) sliding the end portions of a first set of beams down along a first sliding groove of a post such that the neck portions of the first set of beams slide along the opening of the first sliding groove, and simultaneously sliding a first sleeve around and along a portion of the post such that the slit of the first sleeve slides along the neck portion of the post, wherein the end portions of the first set of beams have been previously inserted into the holes on the first sleeve;
- (b) sliding the end portions of a second set of beams down along a second sliding groove of the post such that the neck portions of the second set of beams slide along the opening of the second sliding groove, and simultaneously sliding a second sleeve around and along another portion of the post such that the slit of the second sleeve slides along the neck portion of the post, wherein the end portions of the second set of beams have been previously inserted into the holes on the second sleeve; and
- (c) adjusting an angle formed between a first plane defined by the first set of beams and a second plane defined by the second set of beams by swinging the first and/or second set of beams around a longitudinal axis of the post.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
- repeating the steps (a)-(c) using additional posts, sleeves and beams to form a polygonal shaped retainer frame.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein each post comprises a plurality of post segments, the method further comprising:
- connecting a plurality of post segments at their ends to form posts.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
- (d) before step (a), inserting the end portion of the first set of beams into the holes on the first sleeve; and
- (e) before step (b), inserting the end portion of the second set of beams into the holes on the second sleeve.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the end portion of each beam has a through hole, the method further comprising:
- (f) after step (d) and before step (a), inserting a locking pin inside the sleeve through the through holes of all of the first set of beams; and
- (g) after step (e) and before step (b), inserting a locking pin inside the sleeve through the through holes of all of the second set of beams.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein each set of beams is a part of an integrated panel made of the beams and a cover material.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 13, 2007
Publication Date: Feb 4, 2010
Applicant: INTEX RECREATION CORP. (Long Beach, CA)
Inventors: Hua Hsiang Lin (Fujian), Shen Wu Wong (Fujian), Huei Sheng Chang (Fujian)
Application Number: 12/521,060
International Classification: E04H 17/14 (20060101); E04B 2/56 (20060101); E04B 1/38 (20060101);