Cover securing system for cover on above-ground pool and method of use

Abstract

A cover securing system for a pool cover on an above-ground pool comprises a peripheral fasteners and a weigh down apparatus; wherein the peripheral fasteners is configured to engage a periphery of the pool cover with a top rail of the above-ground pool.

Claims

1. A cover securing system for a pool cover on an above-ground pool comprising: a plurality of peripheral fasteners, where the plurality of peripheral fasteners attach a peripheral edge of the pool cover to a rim of the above-ground pool; a weigh down apparatus positioned atop a top surface of the pool cover, wherein the weigh down apparatus incudes: an inflatable tube, where the inflatable tube is comprised of a pair of tubular members extending from a U-shaped middle portion to create an M-shape of the weigh inflatable tube; wherein the M-shape anchors the inflatable tube against the pool cover; and an inflation means removably coupled to the weigh down apparatus, where the inflation means inflates the weighted tube and further anchors the weigh down apparatus atop the pool cover.

2. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the weigh down apparatus includes a pair of junctions where the pair of tubular members meet the U-shaped center portion, where the pair of junctions further define the M-shape of the inflatable tube.

3. The cover securing system of claim 2, wherein the pair of junctions are rigid.

4. The cover securing system of claim 2, wherein the pair of junctions are flexible.

5. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of peripheral fasteners are clips.

6. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of peripheral fasteners are clamps.

7. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the inflatable tube is weighted.

8. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tubular members includes an inlet, where the inlet allows the inflation means to inflate the weigh down apparatus.

9. The cover securing system of claim 8, wherein the inlet further includes a stopper to prevent deflation during use.

10. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the inflation means includes a hose and a compressor to facilitate inflating the weigh down apparatus with a gaseous substance.

11. The cover securing system of claim 10, wherein the gaseous substance is compressed air.

12. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the pool cover is made from a flexible, waterproof material.

13. The cover securing system of claim 12, wherein the flexible waterproof material is one of at least plastic, polyethylene, or canvas.

14. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the pair of tubular members are curved to compliment the rim of a circular above ground pool.

15. The cover securing system of claim 1, wherein the pair of tubular members are straight to compliment the rim of a rectangular above ground pool.

16. A method of use for a cover securing system to anchor a pool cover atop an above ground pool comprising the steps of: positioning a pool cover over the above ground pool, where the pool cover rests atop a water surface of the above ground pool; positioning a weigh down apparatus on a top surface of the pool cover, where the weigh down apparatus includes a weighted inflatable tube, where the weighted inflatable tube consists of a pair of tubular members extending from a U-shaped center portion; inflating the weighted inflatable tube of the weigh down apparatus; and attaching a plurality of peripheral fasteners to a peripheral edge of the pool cover, where the plurality of peripheral fasteners couple the pool cover to the rim of the above ground pool.

17. The method of use for the cover securing system of claim 16, further comprising the step of attaching a hose to at least one of the tubular members, where the hose enables inflation of the weighted inflatable tube via a compressor.

18. The method of use for the cover securing system of claim 16, further comprising the step of removing a stopper from an inlet on one of the tubular members to inflate the weighted inflatable tube.

19. The method of use for the cover securing system of claim 15, further comprising the step of adjusting the pair of tubular members against the rim to prevent air from lifting the pool cover from the water surface.

20. A cover securing system for a pool cover of an above ground pool comprising: a plurality of peripheral fasteners, where the plurality of peripheral fasteners attach a peripheral edge of the pool cover to a rim of the above-ground pool; a weigh down apparatus positioned atop a top surface of the pool cover, wherein the weigh down apparatus incudes: a weighted inflatable tube, where the weighted inflatable tube is comprised of a pair of tubular members extending from a middle portion to create a shape; wherein the shape anchors the weighted inflatable tube against the pool cover; and an inflation means removably coupled to the weigh down apparatus, where the inflation means inflates the weighted tube and further anchors the weigh down apparatus atop the pool cover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings contain representations of various trademarks and copyrights owned by the Applicants. In addition, the drawings may contain other marks owned by third parties and are being used for illustrative purposes only. All rights to various trademarks and copyrights represented herein, except those belonging to their respective owners, are vested in and the property of the applicants. The applicants retain and reserve all rights in their trademarks and copyrights included herein, and grant permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.

(2) Furthermore, the drawings may contain text or captions that may explain certain embodiments of the present disclosure. This text is included for illustrative, non-limiting, explanatory purposes of certain embodiments detailed in the present disclosure.

(3) The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:

(4) FIG. 1 presents a perspective view a cover securing system in accordance with the present invention;

(5) FIG. 2 presents a separated view of a cover securing system for covering an above-ground pool with a pool cover elevated above an above ground pool according to the present invention;

(6) FIG. 3 presents a perspective view of a cover securing system positioned over an above-ground pool according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(7) FIG. 4 presents a perspective view of a cover securing system positioned on an above ground pool during use according to the present invention

(8) Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word exemplary or illustrative means serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any implementation described herein as exemplary or illustrative is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms upper, lower, left, rear, right, front, vertical, horizontal, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

(10) As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being preferred is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

(11) Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure and are made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

(12) Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.

(13) Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used hereinas understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such termdiffers in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail.

(14) Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, a and an each generally denotes at least one, but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, or denotes at least one of the items, but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, and denotes all of the items of the list.

(15) The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subjected matter disclosed under the header.

(16) Other technical advantages may become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after review of the following figures and description. It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below.

(17) Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read together with the specification and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the following description, the terms horizontal, vertical, left, right, up, down and the like, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., horizontally, rightwardly, upwardly, radially, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms inwardly, outwardly and radially generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate.

(18) Shown throughout the figures, the present invention is directed toward a cover securing system 100 for a pool cover 200 on a pool 300.

(19) Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a cover securing system 100 is shown in accordance with the present embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment of the present invention, the cover securing system 100 may consist of a pool cover 200 and a weigh down apparatus 104.

(20) The pool cover 200 may have a top surface 202, a bottom surface (not shown), and a peripheral edge 204. The pool cover 200 may be substantially circular in shape. Alternatively, the pool cover 200 may be rectangular or squared, or any coordinating shape to completely cover the size of the above ground pool that will be covered. The pool cover 200 may be made from a flexible, waterproof fabric or material like plastic, polyethylene, canvas, or other suitable materials.

(21) Around the peripheral edge 204 of the pool cover 200 may be a plurality of peripheral fasteners 206. The plurality of peripheral fasteners 206 may anchor the peripheral edge 204 of the pool cover 200 to an edge of the above ground pool (further explained below).

(22) The cover securing system 100 may comprise a weigh down apparatus 104, where the weigh down apparatus 104 may be configured to be coupled to the top surface 202 of the pool cover 200. The weight down apparatus 104 may weigh down or anchor the pool cover 200 atop the water surface of the above ground pool, thereby preventing the wind or drafts from lifting or blowing the pool cover 200 from where it is placed.

(23) The weigh down apparatus 104 may include an inflatable weighted tube 106. The inflatable weighted tube 106 may consist of a pair tubular members 108 that may extend from a Ui-shaped center portion 112. The U-shaped center portion 112 may meet the pair of tubular members 108 at a pair of junctions 110 at each lateral end of the U-shaped center portion 112. The pair of junctions 110 may be rigid to support the shape of the inflatable weighted tube 106. Alternatively, the pair of junctions 110 may be flexible for fluctuation in sizing, shape and orientation of the inflatable weighted tube 106. With flexible junctions 110 the pair of tubular members 108 may be adjusted so they are directly positioned proximal to the rim of the pool.

(24) Along one of the tubular members 108 may be an inlet 114. The inlet 114 may include a stopper or plug 116 to open and close the inlet 114 as needed. Coordinating with the inlet 114, the cover securing system 100 may include a hose 120 and an air compressor 122. The hose 120 may attach to the inlet to allow air or similar gaseous substance to inflate the inflatable weighted tube 106. When activated, the air compressor 110 may pump the gaseous substance into the inflatable weighted tube 106 via the hose 108 through the inlet 112. The plug or stopper 114 may prevent the gaseous substant from escaping the inflatable weighted tube 106 through the inlet 112 once inflated.

(25) In an embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable weighted tube 106 may be in gaseous communication with the air hose 108, and the hose 108 may be in gaseous communication with the air compressor 110. The air compressor 110 may be configured to convey compressed air into the inflatable weighted tube 106 through the hose 108 so as to inflate the inflatable weighted tube 106.

(26) Referring to FIG. 2, a separated view of the cover securing system 100 where the pool cover 200 is shown above a pool 300 in accordance with the present invention. The pool 300 may be an above ground pool, a hot sub or spa, or other above ground, contained, body of water. The pool cover 200 may be positioned over a water surface 304 where the pool cover 200 may completely cover the water surface 304 and extend to a top rail 302 of the pool 300. The weigh down apparatus 104 may provide the weight and pressure to keep the pool cover 200 on the water surface 304 during use.

(27) Referring to FIG. 3, a perspective of the cover securing system 100 atop the pool 300 is shown in accordance with the present invention The pool cover 200 may be positioned to completely cover the water surface and the top rail 302 of the pool 300. The peripheral edge 204 of the pool cover 200 may be secured against the top rail 302 with the peripheral fasteners 206. The may allow the pool cover 200 to be securely held tight against the water surface of the pool 300. The peripheral fasteners 206 may be a clip, clamp or other similar fastening means.

(28) Referring to FIG. 4, a perspective view of the cover securing system 100 is shown during use. The cover securing system 100 anchors the pool cover 200 against the pool 300 so that when inclement weather happens the pool cover 200 does not blow away. Often, pool covers 200 will lift when wind gusts 400 traverse the pool 300. The cover securing system 100 may provide multiple anchoring means to ensure that the wind gusts 400 do not remove the pool cover 200, including the weigh down apparatus 104 and the peripheral fasteners 206. The combination of these devices ensure that the cover securing system 100 keeps the pool cover 200 in place on the pool 300 during all weather conditions.

(29) The inflatable weighted tube 106 may be generally shaped so that the pair of tubular members 108 are positioned towards the top rail 302 (FIG. 3), and the U-shaped middle portion 112 bends towards the middle of the pool cover 200 at the pair of junctions 110. The substantially M-shape of the inflatable weighted tube 106 may allow for small or minimal amounts of air to pass beneath the pool cover 200 while positioned on the water surface of the above ground pool 300 during use. Depending on the size of the above ground pool 300 the pair of tubular members 108 and the U-shaped middle portion 112 may be sized or adjusted to accommodate securely fitting atop the water surface. The pair of tubular members 108 may be curved or straight depending on the shape of the pool, thereby complimenting the top rail 302 and preventing air from coming under the pool cover. For example, the tubular members 108 may be curved for use with an oval or circular pool. Alternatively, the tubular members 108 may be straight for use with a square or rectangular pool.

(30) Use of the cover securing system may be done by first positioning the pool cover over the water surface of the pool. Next the weigh down apparatus may be positioned on the top surface of the pool cover to begin anchoring the pool cover. The hose may be attached to the inlet by removing the plug, whereby air may be pumped into the inflatable weighted tube from the compressor via the hose to further secure the pool cover atop the pool. Once the inflatable weighted tube is completely filled the hose may be removed and the plug replaced. Due to the unique shape of the weigh down apparatus, the tubular members allow the pool cover to maintain contact with the water surface and prevent lifting. The plurality of peripheral fasteners may then be positioned to secure the peripheral edge of the pool cover to the top rim of the pool. The weigh down apparatus may allow these fasteners to be attached much easier than simply attaching the pool cover alone because the pool cover is stabilized on the water surface. Finally the U-shaped middle portion may allow small amounts of air to pass beneath the pool cover, but it is insufficient to completely lift the cover from the pool. The cover securing system may be assembled and disassembled by a single user for ease of use and simplicity.

(31) In an embodiment of the present invention, the cover securing system may comprise a peripheral fasteners and a weigh down apparatus.

(32) In an embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral fasteners may be configured to engage a periphery of the pool cover with a top rail of the above-ground pool, such that the pool cover may be held tight to the above-ground pool.

(33) In an embodiment of the present invention, the weigh down apparatus may be configured to be disposed on a surface of the pool cover which covers the above-ground pool, so as to weigh down the pool cover, thereby preventing the wind from blowing the pool cover off of the above-ground pool.

(34) In an embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral fasteners may be a clip.

(35) In an embodiment of the present invention, the clip may be configured to engage the periphery of the pool cover with the top rail of the above-ground pool.

(36) In an embodiment of the present invention, the weigh down apparatus may comprise an inflatable weighted tube, an air hose and an air compressor.

(37) In an embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable weighted tube may be in gaseous communication with the air hose.

(38) In an embodiment of the present invention, the air hose may be in gaseous communication with the air compressor.

(39) In an embodiment of the present invention, the air compressor may be configured to convey compressed air into the inflatable weighted tube through the air hose so as to inflate the inflatable weighted tube.

(40) In an embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable weighted tube may be configured to be disposed on the surface of the pool cover.

(41) The present invention is further directed to an above-ground pool construction.

(42) In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-ground pool construction may comprise an above-ground pool, a pool cover and a cover securing system.

(43) In an embodiment of the present invention, the cover securing system may comprise a peripheral fasteners and a weigh down apparatus.

(44) In an embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral fasteners may engage a periphery of the pool cover with a top rail of the above-ground pool, such that the pool cover may be held tight to the above-ground pool.

(45) In an embodiment of the present invention, the weigh down apparatus may be disposed on a surface of the pool cover which covers the above-ground pool, so as to weigh down the pool cover, thereby preventing the wind from blowing the pool cover off of the above-ground pool.

(46) In an embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral fasteners may be a clip.

(47) In an embodiment of the present invention, the clip may engage the periphery of the pool cover with the top rail of the above-ground pool.

(48) In an embodiment of the present invention, the weigh down apparatus may comprise an inflatable weighted tube, an air hose and an air compressor.

(49) In an embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable weighted tube may be in gaseous communication with the air hose.

(50) In an embodiment of the present invention, the air hose may be in gaseous communication with the air compressor.

(51) In an embodiment of the present invention, the air compressor may convey compressed air into the inflatable weighted tube through the air hose so as to inflate the inflatable weighted tube.

(52) In an embodiment of the present invention, the inflatable weighted tube may be disposed on the surface of the pool cover.

(53) Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.