POOL HANDRAIL COOLING
A pool handrail including a channel through which water is directed to cool the handrail. The handrail may include a channel inlet through which pool water may be drawn into the handrail channel, and a channel outlet through which the pool water may be returned to the pool.
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/353,691 filed Jun. 20, 2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND FieldThis application relates generally to swimming pool handrails.
Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98It is known for swimming pools and spas to be furnished with one or more railings to provide handholds for people entering and exiting such pools and spas by descending and climbing stairs or ladders. When exposed to the sun, these handrails often become hot enough to cause discomfort when touched. To prevent this, some handrails are known to be made from, or coated with, materials that are less heat conductive and/or retentive. But such solutions require additional components and/or other compromises with regard to construction material selection and aesthetics, and may only somewhat delay the time it takes for a rail to reach an uncomfortable temperature.
SUMMARYA pool handrail assembly is provided, which comprises a handrail positionable in and/or adjacent a pool, and a channel extending through the handrail. The channel extends from a channel inlet to at least one channel exit. The channel inlet is configured to connect to and receive water from a water source.
A method is provided for cooling a pool hand handrail. The method comprises the steps of installing a handrail in and/or adjacent a pool by connecting a channel inlet of the handrail into fluid communication with a water source and actuating the water source to feed water into the handrail via the channel inlet. The water then flows through a channel extending from the channel inlet through the handrail, and out from a channel outlet in the handrail. Heat from the handrail is transferred to the water flowing through the handrail.
These and other features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art in connection with the following detailed description and drawings of one or more embodiments of the invention, in which:
A water-cooled handrail assembly is generally indicated at 10 in
The assembly 10 may comprise a handrail 12 positionable in and/or adjacent a pool 14 in a location suitable for use of the handrail 12 as a handhold for ingressing and egressing the pool 14. For example: this positioning may include installation of the handrail 12 adjacent stairs 16 within the pool 14 as shown in
A channel 20 extends through the handrail 12 from a channel inlet 22 to at least one channel exit 24. The channel inlet 22 connects to, and receives, water from a water source 26. The water source 26 may, for example, be (directly or indirectly) a body of water contained in the pool 14. The channel 20 allows the received water to flow through at least a portion of the handrail 12 and out through the channel exit 24 back into the pool 14 (the course of the water is shown via the arrows in
As shown in
The handrail 12 may be fabricated from stainless-steel tubing, and may be formed into a desired shape using any suitable bending process and equipment. Where aesthetic or functional requirements so require, an end of the tube may be fitted with a plug 34 to prevent water from escaping from the channel 20 in unwanted directions, as shown in
Multiple channel exits 24 may be positioned in different and/or multiple locations relative to the handrail 12 and/or the pool 14. For example, the channel exits 24 may be positioned to allow water to leave the handrail 12 above and/or below the water level of the pool 14.
One or more above-water-level channel exits 24′ may be arranged for aesthetic appeal, aeration, and/or to return water to the pool 14. For example, in the embodiment of
As shown in
As shown in
The pool handrail assembly 10 may include an anchor feature connectable to or carried by the handrail 12. This anchor feature may comprise any suitable attachment means, such as a flange 36 formed or connected onto a lower end of the handrail 12 and configured to receive fasteners 38 that secure the flange 36 and handrail 12 to a pool deck 40 adjacent the pool 14, as shown in
The pool deck opening 42 may comprise any suitable interface configured to receive or be received by the rail anchor feature 36. The interface may, for example, include compatible fastener holes 44 to receive the fasteners 38, which extend through the flange-type anchor feature 36 and into the pool deck 40 as shown in
The anchor feature 36 may additionally or alternatively include a spout tube 46 that is in fluid communication with the water source 26 and that extends upward from the pool deck opening 42 and over which the handrail 12 may be placed. The anchor feature 36 may also include a compression cap 50 configured to threadedly engage spout tube 46 as shown in
This spout tube 46 may further serve as an additional or alternative means of aligning compatible interface features of the flange 36 to the interface for the pool deck opening 42 so that fasteners 38 or other attachment means may be easily engaged to secure the handrail 12 to the pool deck 40.
In practice, and as shown in
A pool handrail constructed and operated as described above should be able to maintain a surface temperature near the ambient temperature of the pool water. This should prevent sun from heating the rail to levels that could cause pain or injury.
This description, rather than describing limitations of an invention, only illustrates embodiments of the invention recited in the claims. The language of this description is therefore exclusively descriptive and is non-limiting. Obviously, it's possible to modify this invention from what the description teaches. Within the scope of the claims, one may practice the invention other than as described above.
Claims
1. A pool handrail assembly comprising:
- a handrail positionable in and/or adjacent a pool;
- a channel extending through the handrail from a channel inlet to at least one channel exit, the channel inlet being configured to connect to and receive water from a water source.
2. The pool handrail assembly of claim 1 including a pump connectable in fluid communication with the channel and the water source, the pump being operable to propel water from the water source through the channel.
3. The pool handrail assembly of claim 1 in which at least one channel exit is positioned to allow water to leave the handrail above the water level of the pool.
4. The pool handrail assembly of claim 1 in which at least one channel exit is positioned to allow water to leave the handrail below the water level of the pool.
5. The pool handrail assembly of claim 4 in which the at least one channel exit is aimed to direct water toward a pool stair.
6. The pool handrail assembly of claim 4 in which the at least one channel exit is aimed to direct water across a pool stair.
7. The pool handrail assembly of claim 4 in which the at least one channel exit is aimed to entrain water to circulate over a pool stair such that debris is cleared from the stair.
8. The pool handrail assembly of claim 1 in which the handrail includes at least one anchor feature that is configured to secure the handrail to a pool deck in a position where the channel inlet is in fluid communication with the water source.
9. The pool handrail assembly of claim 8 in which the at least one anchor feature comprises a flange configured to receive fasteners.
10. The pool handrail assembly of claim 8 in which the at least one anchor feature comprises a flange configured to be secured over a water source outlet such that water flowing from the water source flows into the channel.
11. The pool handrail assembly of claim 8 in which the at least one anchor feature comprises a spout tube that extends upward from the pool deck when connected to the water source.
12. The pool handrail assembly of claim 11 in which at least portions of the handrail and spout tube are configured to overlap one within the other.
13. The pool handrail assembly of claim 12 including a seal disposed in the overlap portion between the handrail and the spout tube.
14. A method for cooling a pool handrail, the method comprising the steps of;
- connecting an internal channel of a handrail into fluid communication with a water source; and
- transferring heat from the handrail by running water from the water source into the channel through a channel inlet and allowing the water to flow out from the channel through a channel outlet.
15. The method of claim 14 including the additional step of installing the handrail by:
- positioning the channel inlet of the handrail over a water source outlet in a pool deck; and
- passing fasteners through holes in a flange surrounding a handrail base defining the channel inlet, and into the pool deck.
16. The method of claim 14 including the additional step of installing the handrail by fitting a portion of the handrail over a portion of a spout tube that is connected to the water source and extends upward from the pool deck.
17. The method of claim 14 including the additional step of installing the handrail by:
- passing a threaded compression cap and compression ring seal over the channel inlet of the handrail;
- inserting the channel inlet of the handrail into a water source outlet in a pool deck; and
- threading the compression cap into the water source outlet to seal the compression ring seal against the handrail and water source outlet.
18. The method of claim 14 in which the step of transferring heat from the handrail by running water from the water source into the channel comprises actuating a pump to move the water through the channel.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 20, 2023
Publication Date: Dec 21, 2023
Inventor: Joshua Donald Steinman (Pigeon, MI)
Application Number: 18/212,111