Pool lane bumper

Abstract

A bumper that can be placed near the end of a lane and thereby prevent swimmers colliding with the pool wall. The bumper may be partially or completely air-filled or fabricated from a material that renders the bumper buoyant or semi-submerged (e.g., foam); a solid bumper may or may not need to be inflated and may not need to be filled. The bumper may be directly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an eye hook or ess hook mounted in the wall, or indirectly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an attachment to a pool lane line.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of co-pending United States provisional application No. 61/995,379, filed on Apr. 10, 2014, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for swimming pool safety, and more specifically to the use of a semi-submergible bumper to help prevent swimmer injuries.

BACKGROUND

Swimming is a popular sport for young and old alike. Swimmers, however, can suffer serious injury when they swim down a lane, misjudge where the lane ends, and collide headfirst with the wall, potentially injuring their head or other body parts, such as the hands, face, feet, etc.

Accordingly, there is a need for methods and apparatus that can help reduce these injuries.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description section. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Various embodiments of the invention provide a bumper that can be placed near the end of a lane and thereby help prevent swimmers colliding with the pool wall. The bumper may be partially or completely air-filled or fabricated from a material that renders the bumper buoyant or semi-submerged. The bumper may be directly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an eye hook or ess hook mounted in the wall, or indirectly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an attachment to a pool lane line.

In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to a pool safety apparatus having a bumper and at least one mechanism for fixing the position of the bumper in a pool.

In one embodiment, the at least one mechanism affixes the bumper to a lane line. In one embodiment, the at least one mechanism affixes the bumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool. In one embodiment, the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.

In one embodiment, the at least one mechanism comprises a D-ring hinge, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, bolt, screw, grommet, or bracket. The mechanism may further comprise a tether. The tether may be elastic, non-elastic, adjustable or flexible.

In one embodiment, the bumper further includes a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper. The structure may be, e.g., a valve or a watertight zipper. In one embodiment, the bumper is filled at least in part with water, gel, sand or other dense material to offset its buoyancy.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for deploying a pool safety apparatus. The method includes placing a bumper in a pool; and fixing the position of the bumper in the pool.

In one embodiment, fixing the bumper position comprises affixing the bumper to a lane line. In another embodiment, fixing the bumper position comprises affixing the bumper to an eye bolt or S-hook attached to the pool. In one embodiment, the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.

In one embodiment, the position of the bumper is fixed using a D-ring hinge, grommet, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, bolt, screw, or bracket. In one embodiment, the position of the bumper is additionally fixed using a tether. The tether may be elastic, adjustable, or flexible.

In one embodiment, the bumper further includes a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper, and the method further comprises adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper using the structure. The structure may fill the bumper at least in part with water, gel, sand or other dense material to offset its buoyancy. The structure may be, e.g., a valve or a water-tight zipper.

In yet another aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to a swimming pool comprising a reservoir filled with fluid, an inflatable bumper, and at least one means for affixing the bumper to a side of the reservoir. The bumper may be directly or indirectly affixed to the side of the reservoir.

These and other features and advantages, which characterize the present non-limiting embodiments, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of the non-limiting embodiments as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following figures in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the exterior of one embodiment of a pool safety apparatus in accord with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the pool safety apparatus of FIG. 1 deployed in a pool.

In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on the principles and concepts of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show specific exemplary embodiments. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. Embodiments may be practiced as methods, systems or devices. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

In addition, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the claims.

In brief overview, various embodiments of the invention provide a bumper that can be placed near the end of a lane and thereby help prevent swimmers hitting an unprotected pool wall with the head or other body parts (face, nose, arms, feet, etc.). The bumper may be partially or completely air-filled or fabricated from a material that renders the bumper buoyant or semi-submerged. The bumper may be directly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an eye hook or ess hook mounted in the wall, or indirectly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an attachment to a pool lane line.

The bumper can be permanent or removable from the pool. It can be set into place or removed with ease. When deployed, it can be adjusted to fit snuggly against the pool wall such that it will stay in proximity to the wall despite contact from swimmers.

FIG. 1 presents an illustration of the exterior of one embodiment of a pool safety apparatus 100 in accord with the present invention. The exterior surface 104 of the apparatus is fabricated from a durable, UV-resistant, semi-elastic material such as rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, polyester, etc.

Some embodiments of the apparatus 100 will also include a mechanism for affixing the bumper 100 to the side of the pool. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 utilizes a D-ring hinge 104 which allows a tether 108 to be used to affix the apparatus 100 to the side of the pool, the pool gutter, the lane line, an eye bolt, an ess hook, etc. (not shown). Tethering the apparatus 100 to an eye bolt, wall, or lane line may be possible regardless of the size or depth of the pool, or the presence of gutters.

The tether 108 itself may be elastic, non-elastic, or merely flexible (e.g., such as a nylon tether). The tether 108 may be adjustable in length, and shortening the tether 108 after attachment can be used to firmly hold the apparatus 100 in place. The tether acts as the attachment to the pool wall by which the user can remove the apparatus from the wall of the pool with ease. The tether 108 may be adjustable by virtue of its elasticity, and other embodiments of the tether 108 use snaps and clips to adjust its length.

Although the embodiment of FIG. 1 depicts an apparatus 100 with D-ring hinges 104 and tethers 108 on both sides, the scope of the invention encompasses, e.g., apparatus 100 having a single D-ring hinge 104, three hinges 104, etc.

Still other embodiments of the apparatus 100 are free-floating and are deployed in the end of the lane, where mass keeps it in place; these free-floating apparatus 100′ may be weighted to keep them in place. Yet another embodiment of the apparatus is bolted directly to the wall without needing to be inflated or filled.

When the bumper is inflatable, it may include a mechanism that can be used to inflate the bumper with air or another buoyant fluid. The valve 112 may also be used to adjust the buoyancy of the bumper by releasing buoyant fluid and/or admitting a denser substance (such as water or sand), rendering the bumper submerged or semi-submerged. The valves 112 can vary in diameter and may be fabricated from, e.g., plastic with a screw top, but can be fabricated from a variety of other materials. Other embodiments of the apparatus 100 offer similar functionality using, e.g., a water-tight or airtight zipper.

The dimensions of the apparatus 100 can vary significantly among embodiments, and are typically selected to match the size of a pool or a pool lane. The apparatus 100 may also be sized to fit the “average” pool, i.e., ranging from four to eight feet in length when filled with air, or a combination of water and air. When deployed, the distance between the bumper and the wall is typically one to fourteen inches when the bumper is filled with water and air and one eighth to three inches when the bumper is only filled with air. The fascia or curtain of the bumper, hanging down into the water, ranges 4 to 18 inches when filled with water and 3-18 inches without water.

The dimensions of the tether 108 may vary significantly among embodiments. One example of a tether 108 will typically be between three and thirty-six inches long, between one half and three inches wide, with a thickness with approximately one quarter inch.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the pool safety apparatus of FIG. 1 deployed in a swimming pool.

The apparatus is also suitable for facilitating flip-turns in competitive swimming. When the apparatus is deployed in a lane, the apparatus may have a depth and color distinction from the pool wall which encourages swimmers to begin their flip turns at the proper distance to the wall. If the swimmer misjudges the depth of the apparatus 100 (and therefore, their distance from the wall) s/he will brush against the bumper (instead of hitting the concrete wall) indicating that s/he is too close to the wall.

The apparatus may also be used as a visual aid by coloring it in contrasting colors. If the swimmer misjudges the depth of the apparatus (and therefore, their distance from the wall) s/he will brush against the bumper indicating that s/he is too close to the wall. Repeatedly practicing their turns will help the swimmer learn how to better gauge their distance from the wall.

Embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrent or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. Additionally, not all of the blocks shown in any flowchart need to be performed and/or executed. For example, if a given flowchart has five blocks containing functions/acts, it may be the case that only three of the five blocks are performed and/or executed. In this example, any of the three of the five blocks may be performed and/or executed.

The description and illustration of one or more embodiments provided in this application are not intended to limit or restrict the scope of the present disclosure as claimed in any way. The embodiments, examples, and details provided in this application are considered sufficient to convey possession and enable others to make and use the best mode of the claimed embodiments. The claimed embodiments should not be construed as being limited to any embodiment, example, or detail provided in this application. Regardless of whether shown and described in combination or separately, the various features (both structural and methodological) are intended to be selectively included or omitted to produce an embodiment with a particular set of features. Having been provided with the description and illustration of the present application, one skilled in the art may envision variations, modifications, and alternate embodiments falling within the spirit of the broader aspects of the general inventive concept embodied in this application that do not depart from the broader scope of the claimed embodiments.

Claims

1. A pool safety apparatus comprising:

a bumper; and

at least one mechanism for fixing the position of the bumper in a pool.

2. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanism affixes the bumper to a lane line.

3. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanism affixes the bumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool.

4. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.

5. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanism comprises a D-ring hinge, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, a bolt, a screw, grommet, or a bracket.

6. The pool safety apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one mechanism further comprises a tether.

7. The pool safety apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tether is elastic, non-elastic, adjustable, or flexible.

8. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper further comprises a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper.

9. The pool safety apparatus of claim 8 wherein the structure is a valve or an watertight zipper.

10. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper is filled at least in part with water or sand to offset its buoyancy.

11. A method for deploying a pool safety apparatus, the method comprising:

placing a bumper in a pool; and

fixing the position of the bumper in the pool.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein fixing the bumper position comprises affixing the bumper to a lane line.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein fixing the bumper position comprises affixing the bumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the position of the bumper is fixed using a D-ring hinge, grommet, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, a bolt, a screw, or a bracket.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the position of the bumper is additionally fixed using a tether.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the tether is elastic, adjustable, or flexible.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the bumper further comprises a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper, and the method further comprises adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper using the structure.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein using the structure fills the bumper at least in part with water or sand to offset its buoyancy.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the structure is a valve or a watertight zipper.