Water removal device

Abstract

A water removal device to withdraw virtually all the water from the drain in the bottom of a swimming pool comprising an elongated lower suction or vacuum housing including a plurality of perforations or holes formed therein to receive water from a pool drain and an upper suction or vacuum source to create a suction or vacuum to draw water from the pool drain through the perforations or holes into and through the lower suction or vacuum housing to remove the water from the pool drain.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE

This is a continuation application of co-pending patent application Ser. No. 13/199,394 filed Aug. 29, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

A water removal device to withdraw the water from a drain in the bottom of a swimming pool.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Numerous devices have been designed to aid in removing water from bottom of a swimming pool. Unfortunately there are no such devices capable of removing virtually all the water from a swimming pool with acceptable efficiency. Several examples of vacuum devices are discussed below.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,601,774 shows a vacuum tool comprising a hollow cylinder closed at each end having a channel suction member disposed therein.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,899 relates to a vacuum cleaning system for a therapeutic tub that utilizes an aerating intake for jet nozzles located around the tub. A vacuum hose is connected to the air intake to draw in air. A vacuum head connected at the other end of the hose is moved along the bottom and sides of the tub to draw in the water as well as leaves and debris trapped at a filter screen.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,631 shows a vacuum apparatus for temporary installation in a fireplace or stove having a central opening with a floor at the bottom and a flue at the top thereof for cleaning the flue. The apparatus includes a hollow funnel-shaped adapter member configured at its upper end to generally conform to the size and shape of the bottom portion or throat of the flue of the fireplace and has a bottom end connected by a flexible hose to the inlet of a collection container.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,353,564 describes an attachment for portable power and suction unit comprising a control tube to extend from a floor to adjacent shoulder height of a standing user and a vacuum head formed from a length of tube having a slot in one side and with the ends of the slot closed. A flexible connection between the interior of the vacuum head and the interior of a control tube to be connected to a portable power and suction unit while allowing limited pivoting of the long control tube is the plane of the slot and normal to a bottom of the vacuum head.

Additional examples of the prior art are found in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,128: U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,843: U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,173: U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,017 and U.S. Pat. No. D 453,246.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a water removal device to withdraw virtually all the water from the pool drain comprising a trough formed in the bottom of a swimming pool.

The water removal device comprises a lower suction or vacuum housing configured to be at least partially disposed within the trough during operation of the water removal device and an upper suction or vacuum source in fluid communication with the trough through the lower suction or vacuum within the trough to draw to remove water therefrom.

The upper suction or vacuum source may be detachably coupled to the lower suction or vacuum housing a coupling sleeve affixed to the lower suction or vacuum housing or single piece with the lower suction or vacuum housing and the upper suction or vacuum source fixed to each other.

The elongated suction or vacuum housing comprises an elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall having a plurality of intake perforations or holes formed therethrough, a side wall extending upwardly from each side of the elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall, an end wall having a plurality of perforations or holes extending between corresponding ends of the side walls and a top wall having an outlet port formed therethrough. A flow aperture formed in the coupling sleeve is disposed in alignment with the outlet port formed in the top wall of the elongated suction or vacuum housing to drain water from the trough through the inlet perforations or holes through the outlet port and the flow port to the coupling sleeve and hence to upper suction or vacuum source.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a swimming pool and a pool drain.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional end view of the swimming pool and pool drain.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional end view of the swimming pool and pool drain with the water removal device of the present invention in operative position relative to the pool drain.

FIG. 4 is a partial end view of the water removal device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the water removal device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the water removal device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional end view of a swimming pool and pool drain with an alternate embodiment of the water removal device of the present invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 3 through 7, the present invention relates to a water removal device generally indicated as 10 to withdraw virtually all the water W from the pool drain generally indicated as 12 formed in the bottom 14 of a swimming pool 16. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pool drain 12 comprises a trough 18 including a side wall 20 extending upwardly from each side of an arcuate or concave bottom wall 22 terminating in a lip or support shelf 24 formed on the upper portion thereof to removably support a grate 26 thereon.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the water removal device 10 comprises an elongated lower suction or vacuum housing generally indicated as 28 configured to be at least partially disposed within the trough 18 during operation of the water removal device 10 and an upper suction or vacuum source generally indicated as 30 in fluid communication with the trough 18 through the elongated lower suction or vacuum housing 28 to selectively create a suction or vacuum within the trough 18 to draw or remove water W therefrom.

As described hereinafter, the upper suction or vacuum source 30 may be detachably coupled to the elongated lower suction or vacuum housing 28 by an intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve generally indicated as 32 affixed to the elongated lower suction or vacuum housing 28 as shown in FIGS. 3 through 6 to removably couple the elongated lower suction or vacuum housing 28 to the upper suction or vacuum source 30. Alternately, the elongated lower suction or vacuum housing 28 and the upper suction or vacuum source 30 including a vacuum housing 31 may comprise a single unitized device or unit as shown in FIG. 7

As best shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, the elongated suction or vacuum housing 28 comprises an elongated lower suction or vacuum chamber 33 cooperatively formed by an elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall 34 having a plurality of intake perforations or hales generally indicated as 36 formed therethrough, a side wall 38 extending upwardly from each side 40 of the elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall 34, an end wall 42 having a plurality of perforations or holes generally indicated as 44 extending between corresponding ends of the side walls 38 and a top wall 46 having a centrally disposed outlet port 48 formed therethrough extending over the upper portions of the side walls 38 and end walls 42. A flow aperture 60 formed in the lower wall 52 of the intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve 32 is disposed in alignment with the centrally disposed outlet port 48 formed in the top wall 46 of the elongated lower section or vacuum housing 28 to drain water W from the trough 12 through the intake perforations or holes 36 and 42, through the centrally disposed outlet port 48 and the flow port 50 to the intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve 32.

A sealing ring or flange 56 is disposed between the lower portion 54 of the upper suction or vacuum source 30 and the intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve 32 to form a seal therebetween to maintain the suction or vacuum between the trough 18 of the drain 12 and the upper suction or vacuum source 30. Of course, the outside diameter of the lower portion of the upper suction vacuum source 30 may be slightly less than the inside diameter of the upper portion of the intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve 32 to form a press fit therebetween when the water removal device 10 is assembled.

The outside diameter of the lower vacuum housing 31 is greater than the distance between the upper ends of the side walls 20 such that the intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve 32 rests on the lips or support shelves 24 to hold the water removal device 10 in spaced relationship relative to the bottom of the pool drain 12 as shown in FIG. 3.

Similarly, the outside diameter of the lower vacuum housing 31 is greater than the distance between the upper ends of the side walls 20 such that the intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve 32 rests on the lips or support shelves 24 to hold the water removal device 10 in spaced relationship relative to the bottom of the pool drain 12 as shown in FIG. 7.

Alternately, a plurality of protrusions each indicated as 54 may extend from the bottom 10 of elongated suction or vacuum housing 28 to rest on the arcuate or concave bottom wall 22 of the pool drain 12.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described,

Claims

1. A water removal device to withdraw water from the horizontally disposed elongated trough of a drain formed in the bottom of a swimming pool comprising a horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing disposed adjacent the bottom of the swimming pool and configured to be at least partially disposed within the length of the horizontally disposed elongated trough, said horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing including a plurality of perforations or holes formed along the length thereof to receive water from the elongated trough and a separate upper suction or vacuum source independent of the pool pump to create a suction or vacuum to draw water from the bottom of the swimming pool upwardly from the elongated trough through said perforations or holes into and through said horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing to remove the water from the swimming pool, said horizontally disposed elongated suction or vacuum housing comprises a horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum chamber cooperatively formed by a horizontally disposed elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall having a plurality of intake perforations or holes formed therethrough, a substantially vertical flat side wall extending upwardly from each side of said horizontally disposed elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall, a substantially vertical flat end wall extending between corresponding ends of said substantially vertical flat side walls and a top wall having an outlet port formed therethrough extending over the upper portions of said substantially vertical flat side walls and said substantially vertical flat end walls.

2. The water removal device of claim 1 wherein each said substantially vertical flat end wall includes a plurality of intake perforations or holes.

3. The water removal device of claim 1 wherein said upper suction or vacuum source is detachable coupled to said horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing by an intermediate hollow coupling sleeve including a lower wall.

4. The water removal device of claim 3 wherein each said substantially vertical flat end wall includes a plurality of intake perforations or holes.

5. The water removal device of claim 3 wherein a flow aperture is formed in said lower wall of said intermediate hollow coupling sleeve disposed in alignment with said outlet port formed in said top wall of said horizontally disposed elongated lower section or vacuum housing to drain water from the trough through said intake perforations or holes through said outlet port and said flow port to said intermediate hollow substantially cylindrical coupling sleeve.

6. The water removal device of claim 5 wherein a sealing ring or flange is disposed between the lower portion of said upper suction or vacuum and said intermediate hollow coupling sleeve to form a seal therebetween to maintain the suction or vacuum between the trough of the drain and said upper suction or vacuum source.

7. The water removal device of claim 1 wherein said horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing and said upper suction or vacuum source comprise a single unitized device or unit.

8. The water removal device of claim 1 wherein a substantially horizontal lip or support shelf is formed on the upper portion of each said substantially vertical flat side wall and said lower vacuum housing intake or outside drain, said outside diameter of the lower vacuum housing being greater than the distance between said substantially vertical flat side walls such that said intermediate coupling sleeve rests on said lips or support shelves to hold said water removal device in spaced relationship relative to the bottom of the trough.

9. A water removal device to withdraw water from the horizontally disposed elongated trough of a drain formed in the bottom of a swimming pool comprising a horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing disposed adjacent the bottom of the swimming pool and configured to be at least partially disposed within the length of the horizontally disposed elongated trough, said horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum including a plurality of perforations or holes formed along the length thereof to receive water from the elongated trough and a separate upper suction or vacuum source to create a suction or vacuum independent of the pool pump to draw water from the bottom of the swimming pool upwardly from the elongated trough through said perforations or holes into and through said horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing to remove the water from the swimming pool, said horizontally disposed elongated suction or vacuum housing comprises a horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum chamber cooperatively formed by a horizontally disposed elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall having a plurality of intake perforations or holes formed therethrough, a substantially vertical flat side wall extending upwardly from each side of said horizontally disposed elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall, a substantially vertical flat end wall extending between corresponding ends of said substantially vertical flat side walls and a top wall having an outlet port formed therethrough extending over the upper portions of said substantially vertical flat side walls and said substantially vertical flat end walls.

10. The water removal device of claim 9 further including a plurality of protrusions extending from said horizontally disposed elongated lower section or vacuum housing to engage the trough to support the water removal in spaced relation thereto.

11. A water removal device to withdraw water from the horizontally disposed elongated trough of a drain formed in the bottom of a swimming pool comprising a horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum housing disposed adjacent the bottom of the swimming pool and configured to be at least partially disposed within the length of the horizontally disposed elongated trough, said horizontally disposed elongated suction or vacuum housing comprises a horizontally disposed elongated lower suction or vacuum chamber cooperatively formed by a horizontally disposed elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall, a side wall extending upwardly from each side of said horizontally disposed elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall, an end wall formed on each opposite end portion of said water removal device said horizontally disposed elongated suction vacuum housing having at least one hole formed therein to receive water from the horizontally disposed elongated trough drain by an upper suction or vacuum.

12. The water removal device of claim 11 wherein each said end wall includes at least one hole.

13. The water removal device of claim 12 wherein said elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall includes at least one intake hole formed therethrough.

14. The water removal device of claim 13 wherein said elongated arcuate or convex bottom wall includes a plurality of intake holes.

15. The water removal device of claim 14 wherein each said end wall includes a plurality of intake holes.

16. The water removal device of claim 12 wherein each said end wall includes a plurality of intake holes.