POOL COVER WITH HEATER

Abstract

A pool cover for heating swimming pools using sun rays. The pool cover comprises a solar panel provided at an upper surface of the cover facing the sun, a battery connected to the solar panel for receiving and storing the electric current generated by the solar panel, and a heating element provided at the lower surface of the cover for heating the water using the current received from the battery. The pool cover also includes a floater provided at an edge of the cover, the floater being sized and positioned to keep the pool cover afloat when the pool cover is on the water. A layer of heat insulating material may also be provided within the pool cover for preventing heat losses with the ambient air. In another embodiment, the cover may be provided without a battery whereby the solar panel may be directly connected to the heating element.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/567,708 filed on Dec. 7, 2011 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

(a) Field

The subject matter disclosed generally relates to pool covers. More particularly the subject matter relates to a pool cover having a heater embedded therein.

(b) Related Prior Art

Outdoor swimming pools may only be used when the temperature of the water is high, typically in the range of 20° C. to 35° C. Therefore, when the temperatures are low the swimming pool remains unused and the user does not obtain a good return on their investment.

Commonly used methods for heating swimming pools involve running the water through a heater and feeding the heated water back to the swimming pool for warming it. These methods are expansive both from the energy consumption perspective and from the perspective of costs involved in buying and maintaining the necessary heating equipment.

Other methods involve the use of covers having dark colors in order to absorb as much solar energy as possible and diffuse this energy in the water as the sun is rising. However, these covers do not prolong the heating process when the sun light disappears in the evening, nor do they heat the swimming pool in the presence of light and absence of direct sun-rays. Furthermore, the ambient temperature plays a big factor in the heating process of these covers. In particular, even in the presence of direct sun light on these covers, if the ambient temperature is low the covers do not heat the water of the pool because a major portion of the heat is dissipated back into the atmosphere rather than being diffused in the water.

Therefore, there is a need for a system for heating the swimming pool which is inexpensive and at the same time environment friendly.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect, there is provided a pool cover comprising a solar panel provided at a first surface of the cover; a battery operatively connected to the solar panel for receiving and storing an electric current generated by the solar panel; a heating element provided at a second surface of the cover opposite the first surface, the heating element being operatively connected to the battery for transforming the electric current into a heating energy; a floater provided at an edge of the cover, the floater being sized and positioned to keep the pool cover afloat with the solar panel positioned above the water and the heating element in contact with the water for heating the water using the electric current generated by the solar panel.

In an embodiment, the pool cover may include a layer of heat insulating material within the pool cover for preventing heat losses with the atmosphere.

In another embodiment, the pool cover may include a layer of heat insulating material between the battery and the heating element to avoid overheating of the battery and for preventing heat losses with the atmosphere.

In another embodiment, the pool cover may include a plurality of pieces, each piece comprising a different solar panel, a different battery, and a different heating element, the pieces being separated by at least one floater. In an embodiment, the pieces may be provided in a matrix having at least one row and at least one column. In another embodiment, the pieces may have different shapes.

In an embodiment, the heating element protrudes from the lower surface of the pool cover to submerge in the water when the pool cover in installed in the pool.

In another embodiment, the heating elements may be provided within the cover to heat the water though the second surface of the cover.

In an embodiment, the battery may be provided within the cover and positioned between the element and the solar panel.

According to another aspect, there is provided a pool cover piece for building a pool cover; said piece comprising: a solar panel provided at a first surface of the piece; a battery operatively connected to the solar panel for receiving and storing an electric current generated by the solar panel; a heating element provided at a second surface of the piece opposite the first surface, the heating element being operatively connected to the battery for transforming the electric current into a heating energy; a floater provided at opposite edges of the cover for keeping the cover on top of the water, whereby when the cover is laid on the water the heating element heats an upper surface of the water using the electric current generated by the solar panel; a first attachment provided at an edge of the piece, said first attachment being adapted to mate with a second attachment of a another piece for releasably attaching two or more pieces together to build a pool cover.

In an embodiment, the attachment comprises a male member adapted to mate with a female member of the other piece.

In another embodiment, the attachment comprises a female member adapted to mate with a male member of the other piece.

In a further embodiment, each pool cover piece includes at least one female member and at least one male member adapted to mate with a male member and a female member of other pieces, respectively.

In another embodiment, the edge comprises at least two opposite sides, one side defining a male member, and the other side defining a female member, the male member and the female member being adapted to mate with a female member and a male member of another piece.

In an embodiment, the heating element protrudes from the second surface of the piece to submerge in the water when the pool cover in installed in the pool.

In another embodiment, the heating elements are provided within the cover to heat the water through the second surface of the cover.

In an embodiment, the floaters are sized and dimensioned to submerge the first surface of the cover in the water and keep the second surface above the water when the pool cover in installed.

In an embodiment, the battery is provided within the cover and positioned between the element and the solar panel.

In an embodiment, a layer of heat insulating material may be provided within the pool cover for preventing heat losses with the atmosphere.

According to a further aspect, there is provided a pool cover comprising: a solar panel provided at a first surface of the cover; a battery operatively connected to the solar panel for receiving and storing an electric current generated by the solar panel; a heating element provided at a second surface of the cover opposite the first surface, the heating element being operatively connected to the battery for transforming the electric current into a heating energy; a layer of heat insulating material provided within the pool cover for preventing heat losses with the ambient air; and a floater provided at an edge of the cover, the floater being sized and positioned to keep the pool cover afloat when the pool cover is on the water.

Features and advantages of the subject matter hereof will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of selected embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying figures. As will be realized, the subject matter disclosed and claimed is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive and the full scope of the subject matter is set forth in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary pool cover in accordance with an embodiment; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pool cover 10 of FIG. 1 as seen across the line A-A.

FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate different embodiments for interconnecting the solar panels, with the battery and the heating elements (coils);

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate an embodiment of how the floaters allow the cover to float on the water while submerging the heating elements in the water;

FIG. 5a illustrates a pool cover piece comprising an attachment for connecting to another piece;

FIG. 5b illustrates a pool cover comprising a plurality of pool cover pieces interconnected together using the attachment shown in FIG. 5a;

FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate a cross-sectional view of two pool cover pieces comprising mating edges that snap on each other when pushed together for releasably connecting the two pieces together; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of a pool cover in which the electric power is directly fed into the coil, in accordance with another embodiment.

It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may. Furthermore, the phrase “in another embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

In addition, as used herein, the ter “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments by which the embodiments may be practiced. The embodiments are also described so that the disclosure conveys the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Briefly stated, the present embodiments describe a pool cover having solar panels provided on one side thereof for absorbing solar energy. The cover defines a layer of plastic, nylon, tissue, or any combination of these or other materials etc. The cover is preferably waterproof. The solar panel charges a battery embedded within the cover. A heating element is provided on the other side of the cover opposite to the solar panel side. The heating element heats the water using electric power received from the batteries and/or solar panels. The cover comprises a plurality of floaters provided around the edges of the cover and on the side of the heating elements of the cover for preventing the cover from sinking in the water.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary pool cover in accordance with an embodiment. The pool cover 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of solar panels 12 provided on the upper surface 14 to face the sun. The panels 12 may be provided in the form of islands 13 separated by floaters 16 for facilitating the folding/unfolding and storage of the cover 10. In an embodiment, each island 13 may include a matrix defining one or more rows and/or one or more columns of solar panels 12. The solar panels 12 may be provided in different sizes as shown in FIG. 1 and may also have the same size.

In an embodiment, the cover comprises a number of batteries and coils. The batteries may be connected to the solar panels to receive and store the electric current generated by the solar panels. The batteries may be provided within the cover to protect them from the water. The coils may also be connected to the batteries for receiving an electric current and heating the water. An exemplary arrangement is shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pool cover 10 of FIG. 1 as seen across the line A-A. As shown in FIG. 1, one or more batteries 20 are provided within the cover 10 adjacent to the solar panels 12. The batteries 20 receive the electric power from the solar panels 12 and discharge their power into one or more heating elements 22 provided at the lower side 18 of the cover 10. The elements 22 may be provided within the cover 10 as exemplified in FIG. 2 and may also protrude from the lower surface 18 of the cover 10 as exemplified in FIGS. 4a&4b.

The release of electric current in the coils may be done in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the panels may be connected to the battery 20 and the battery 20 connected to the coils 22 as exemplified in FIG. 3a. The connection in FIG. 3a may be configured using a logic gate or otherwise such that the battery starts to release power in the coils only after it is charged. Whereby, when no more current is received from the solar panels the current may be provided by the battery to the coils 22 to prolong the heating process.

In another embodiment, the connection may be configured so that a portion of the current is fed in the battery to charge it while the remaining portion of the current is fed in the coils (aka heating elements). This may be performed using a current regulator 15 or the like as shown in FIG. 3b. When no more current is received through solar panels/regulator 15 the battery 20 may start to diffuse its current into the coils either directly as shown in FIG. 3a, or through the regulator as shown in FIG. 3b. Other methods are also possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

In another embodiment, the cover 10 may be provided with a light sensor (not shown) for controlling the battery powered heating process. In a further embodiment, the cover may include a timer (not shown) for starting the battery powered heating process at a specified time.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the floaters 16 may be provided between the islands 13 of solar panels 12 and/or on the edges of the cover 10. Although illustrated as being rectangular, the floaters 16 may have different shapes and may be made of different materials such as Styrofoam or the like. The floaters 16 may be sized and shaped to submerge the elements 22 in the water for heating the water while keeping the upper surface 14 above the water as shown in FIG. 4b for a better capturing of the solar power.

In another embodiment (not shown) the floaters 16 may be provided on the lower side 18 of the cover 10.

The cover 10 may be waterproof for inhibiting the infiltration of water to the interior thereof. For instance, an insulating material/film may be provided at the exterior of the cover for protecting the electric circuitry from humidity and water.

Referring back to FIG. 2, a layer 21 of heating insulating material may be provided in the cover for preventing heat losses with the atmosphere, especially when the ambient temperature is low. Preferably, the layer 21 is provided between the element 22 and the battery 20 for preventing the heating of the batteries, in an embodiment. In another embodiment, the layer of insulating material 21 may be provided over and under the battery 20.

Different types of batteries may be used in the cover 10 e.g. lithium batteries. The strength of the solar panels 12, the voltage of the batteries 20 and the power of the elements 22 may be selected in accordance with the desired heating needs and the consumer safety codes as governed by the provincial/territorial laws of each country.

While FIG. 1 illustrates the pool cover 10 as being provided in a single piece that may be folded for storage, other embodiments are also possible which allow the user to build their own cover using releasably attachable pool cover pieces/islands. FIG. 5 illustrate an embodiment of pool cover piece 13 (hereinafter piece 13). Each piece 13 includes essentially the same elements discussed above with respect to the pool cover 10. Namely, one or more solar panels 12, a battery 20, a heating element 22, and an insulating layer 21 between the heating element 22 and the battery 20.

In the present embodiment, each piece 13 may include at the edge thereof an attachment 30 adapted to mate with the attachment of another piece 13 for releasably attaching a plurality of pieces together to build pool covers of different shapes, as exemplified in FIG. 5b.

In another example, each piece 13 may have an edge defining a male member 32 and another edge defining a female member 34 as shown in FIG. 6a, whereby it is possible to releasably attach two pieces 13 by pushing the male member 32 and the female member 34 toward each other to snap the female member 34 on the male member 32, thereby attaching the two pieces 13 together as exemplified in FIG. 6b.

Other forms of attachment are also possible including clips, zippers, press and snap attachments, etc.

The embodiment of FIGS. 5a to 6b is particularly useful for covering pools having irregular shapes. It is also to be noted that the pieces may be provided in different shapes including triangular, semi circular, arc, rectangular etc. and also in many sizes.

While FIGS. 1 to 6b illustrate the cover as including a battery 20, it is also contemplated that the cover may be provided without a battery whereby the power generated by the solar panel may be directly fed into the coils/heating elements without being storing. Optionally, the power may be fed into a power regulator for adjusting the power generated by the solar panels 13 in accordance with the requirements of the coils 22. An example is illustrated in FIG. 7 which illustrates a cross sectional view of a pool cover 38 in which the electric power is directly fed into the coil, in accordance with another embodiment. This embodiment does not prolong the heating process but it is particularly useful for heating the water in the presence of light and when the ambient air is cold. Another advantage is that the cover exemplified in FIG. 7 is cheaper to manufacture since it saves the costs associated with providing and installing the battery.

While preferred embodiments have been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made without departing from this disclosure. Such modifications are considered as possible variants comprised in the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A pool cover comprising:

a solar panel provided at a first surface of the pool cover;

a battery operatively connected to the solar panel for receiving and storing an electric current generated by the solar panel;

a heating element provided at a second surface of the pool cover opposite the first surface, the heating element being operatively connected to the battery for transforming the electric current into a heating energy; and

a floater provided at an edge of the pool cover, the floater being sized and positioned to keep the pool cover afloat when the pool cover is on the water with the solar panel positioned above the water and the heating element in contact with the water for heating the water using the electric current generated by the solar panel.

2. The pool cover of claim 1, further comprising a layer of heat insulating material within the pool cover for preventing heat losses with the atmosphere.

3. The pool cover of claim 1, further comprising a layer of heat insulating material between the battery and the heating element to avoid overheating of the battery and for preventing heat losses with the atmosphere.

4. The pool cover of claim 1, wherein the pool cover comprises a plurality of pieces, each piece comprising a different solar panel, a different battery, and a different heating element, the pieces being separated by at least one floater.

5. The pool cover of claim 4, wherein the pieces are provided in a matrix having at least one row and at least one column.

6. The pool cover of claim 4, wherein the pieces have different shapes.

7. The pool cover of claim 1, wherein the heating element protrudes from the second surface of the pool cover to submerge in the water when the pool cover in on the water.

8. The pool cover of claim 1, wherein the heating element are provided within the pool cover to heat the water though the second surface of the pool cover.

9. The pool cover of claim 1, wherein the battery is provided within the pool cover and positioned between the heating element and the solar panel.

10. A pool cover piece (piece) for building a pool cover; said piece comprising:

a solar panel provided at a first surface of the piece;

a battery operatively connected to the solar panel for receiving and storing an electric current generated by the solar panel;

a heating element provided at a second surface of the piece opposite the first surface, the heating element being operatively connected to the battery for transforming the electric current into a heating energy;

a floater provided at opposite edges of the piece for keeping the piece on top of the water, whereby when the piece is laid on the water the heating element heats the water using the electric current generated by the solar panel; and

a first attachment provided at an edge of the piece, said first attachment being adapted to mate with a second attachment of a another piece for releasably attaching two or more pieces together to build the pool cover.

11. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein the first attachment comprises a male member adapted to mate with a female member of the second attachment.

12. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein the first attachment comprises a female member adapted to mate with a male member of the second attachment.

13. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein each piece includes at least one female member and at least one male member adapted to mate with a male member and a female member of other pieces, respectively.

14. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein the edge comprises at least two opposite sides, one side defining a male member, and the other side defining a female member, the male member and the female member being adapted to mate with a female member and a male member of another piece.

15. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein the heating element protrudes from the second surface of the piece to submerge in the water when the piece is in on the water.

16. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein the heating element is provided within the piece to heat the water though second surface of the piece.

17. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein the floater is sized and dimensioned to submerge the second surface of the piece in the water and keep the first surface above the water when the piece in installed.

18. The pool cover piece of claim 10, wherein the battery is provided within the piece and positioned between the heating element and the solar panel.

19. The pool cover piece of claim 10, further comprising a layer of heat insulating material within the piece for preventing heat losses with the atmosphere.

20. A pool cover comprising:

a solar panel provided at a first surface of the pool cover;

a heating element provided at a second surface of the pool cover opposite the first surface, the heating element being operatively connected to the solar panel for transforming the electric current into a heating energy;

a layer of heat insulating material provided within the pool cover for preventing heat losses with the ambient air; and

a floater provided at an edge of the pool cover, the floater being sized and positioned to keep the pool cover afloat when the pool cover is on the water.