DESCRIPTION

Device refers to the equipment of pools, bathing tubs, and, particularly to the interior mechanization of a pool or tub.

PRIOR ART

Pool movable floor is used for usability enhancement, higher safety, consumer appeal improvement, enhancement of pool user group.

For instance, the pool may be divided into several zones with various depths - shallower zone is used for the kids bathing, and the deeper zone is used for mature swimmers - zone for the rest and zone for the physical training.

As applied to the bathing tub, different depth may be implemented for the convenient usage by children and adults, as well as for different household applications.

Raising the movable floor to the full extent, the user can provide positioning of the floor above water surface level and its complete emerging from the water ensuring an

additional convenience for cleaning and other services in the pool .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

Movable floor devices for the pool equipment are known in the art.

US patent No.5271483 describes typical device for the patents related to the pool movable floor devices. Most of the devices perform lift and lowering using rope, chain or driving screws. Disadvantage of this family of decisions is the presence of number of precise mechanisms (for instance, levers ends move guideways) in the pool water; decreased reliability of mechanisms due to the garbage in the water; necessity for the special security measures for users.

US patent No.5, 657, 58 proposes mechanism with pivoted levers. During lift or lowering upper ends of the levers move along guideways. Pivoted levers perform function of a support for the movable floor. Lowering is performed using cable system with electric drive.

US patent No.3, 935, 600 proposes parallel-link motion with electric motor drive through the lateral driving screw. Above stated construction provides horizontal position of the movable floor in motion or in fixed positions. Inventors made an attempt to avoid parallel-link motion disadvantages (low system stability along with almost complete juxtaposition of supporting structures) , restricting device implementation by the limits of sufficient structural stability. The

restriction has resulted in allowing of additional

engineering dimensions of the structure for the purpose of fixation of the movable floor edges, corresponding additional occupied volume, and abandon of some useful additional features.

The described device has been selected as the first closest prior art.

US patent No.4, 831, 672 describes movable floor devices using number of hydraulic cylinders or bonnets. In both cases operating element is fed with fluid.

However, expansion ratio of the hydraulic cylinders and especially bonnet elements is not high enough. Therefore such constructions are characterized by considerable useful capacity loss (pool, bathing tub or space below the pool in this context) .

The described device has been selected as the second closest prior art.

Technical result provided by the disclosed device lies in reliability enhancement, mostly due to the design

simplification, obtaining the feasibility of device

installation in existing pools or bathing tubs, expansion of availability of the devices of this type, high structural stiffness either in extreme or intermediate positions.

Known devices do not fully or partially allow to obtain the declared technical result. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The claim consists in device for the floor lifting and lowering, mainly in a pool or bathing tub. The device may be suitable for handicapped people using the pool or bathing tub .

The disclosed device may be also applied as movable floor or movable wall, or movable ceiling in shallow niches, housings or boxtype frameworks.

Three variants of device design are disclosed herewith.

According to the first variant, upper ends of one or more levers are fixed to the movable floor through the hinge joint in a peripheral area near the side edge. Lower ends of said levers are positioned on the bottom of a pool or a bathing tub enabling movement of the lever lower ends alongside the bottom after impression of horizontally directed force.

When the lower ends of the levers move alongside the pool bottom, the upper ends move upwards or downwards, lifting or lowering the movable floor correspondingly.

The lower position of the levers in close to horizontal, the upper position is close to vertical.

According to the second variant, one or more flexible reservoirs are placed under the movable floor. The reservoir comprises an opening for inlet and outlet of fluid, pump and valve (stop cock) . Using the pump, the water from the pool is pumped to the one or more said reservoirs. The reservoir (s) expands and lifts the movable floor. When the water reaches required level, the pumping stops, and the valve is closed. To lower the movable floor level the valve shall be opened letting the small amount of water to drain into the pool reducing the reservoir capacity. The movable floor shall lower by gravity.

According to the third variant for operating efficiency increase in the lowest position of movable floor (just closely to the gear lock-up position) a supplemental double- arm levers are fixed to the movable floor through the hinge joint in a peripheral area near the side edge. Each said double-arm lever comprises axis and at least two lever arms fixed thereto, first of said arms at the free end is equipped with the means to move alongside the bottom, mainly a roller, the second by the free end is fixed to the upper end of the lever considered as the main during the movable floor

lifting. The angle between the arm of said double-armed lever is selected to obtain minimal dimensions in a folded position (lowest position near the bottom), i.e. horizontal first arm (used for resting at the pool bottom) placed at the stop, and at the end of excursion, when the second arm reaches the stop, the first arm should be directed vertically down or closely to vertical direction.

Lower ends of said main levers are rested on the pool or tub bottom with the ability of moving of said lower ends alongside said bottom at the impression of horizontally directed force.

Once said lower ends of said main levers starts moving alongside the pool bottom, the upper ends moves turning supplementary double-armed levers, said double-armed levers lift said movable floor on the first stage of upward motion.

At the downward motion the gear works in the reverse order. The movable floor decrease id performed by means of main levers, and on the final stage the supplemental double- armed levers join in the work lowering said movable floor to the fully lowest position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 illustrates operating principle of the first variant of the proposed device lifting the movable floor level .

Fig. 2 illustrates operating principle of the first variant of the proposed device in the upper position of the movin movable g floor level. Fig. 3 illustrates the first variant of the proposed device in the lower position of the movable floor level.

Fig. 4 illustrates the first variant of the proposed device in the upper position of the movable floor level.

Fig. 5a illustrates the second variant of the proposed device in the lower position of the movable floor level with pump in the pool.

Fig. 5b illustrates the second variant of the proposed device in the lower position of the movable floor level with pump outside the pool.

Fig. 6a illustrates the second variant of the proposed device in the intermediate position of the movable floor level with pump in the pool.

Fig. 6b illustrates the second variant of the proposed device in the intermediate position of the movable floor level with pump outside the pool.

Fig. 7a illustrates the second variant of the proposed device in the upper position of the movable floor level with pump in the pool .

Fig. 7b illustrates the second variant of the proposed device in the upper position of the movable floor level .with pump outside the pool.

Fig. 8a illustrates the variant of the double-armed lever implementation with arms disposition in different planes.

Fig. 8b illustrates the variant of the double-armed lever implementation with arms disposition in one plane.

Fig. 9a illustrates the third variant of the proposed device with the supplementary double-armed lever in the upper position of the movable floor level.

Fig. 9b illustrates the third variant of the proposed device with the supplementary double-armed lever in the lower position of the movable floor level.

Fig. 9c illustrates the third variant of the proposed device with the supplementary double-armed lever in the intermediate position of the movable floor level. Accepted notations:

1 - pool (bathing tub) reservoir;

2 - movable floor;

2a - movable floor with positive buoyancy;

3 - lever;

3a - (main) lever upper end;

3b - (main) lever lower end;

4 - roller;

5 - hinge joint;

6 - flexible reservoir;

7 - conduit;

8 - pump;

9 - shutoff valve.

10 - piloting device rollers.

11 - double-armed lever.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The claim consists in device for the floor lifting and lowering, mainly in a pool or bathing tub.

Three variants of device are proposed.

According -bo the first variant, the upper end of one or more levers 3 are fixed to the movable floor 2 through the hinge joint 5 in a peripheral area near the side edge. The lower end 3b of levers 3 is placed on the pool bottom towards the opposite side of the pool 1 enabling movement of the lever lower ends 3b alongside the bottom after applying of horizontal force.

When the lower ends 3b of the levers 3 move alongside the pool bottom, the upper ends 3a move upwards or downwards, lifting or lowering the movable floor 2 correspondingly.

To improve device performance, it may be equipped by spring-loaded rollers 10 bearing against vertical sides

(walls) of a pool and centering (piloting) the movable floor relative to the vertical sides.

The lower position of the levers 3 is close to horizontal; the upper position is close to vertical. The roller 4 can be installed on the lower lever end 3b to improve motion ability.

Horizontal force may be transmitted by means of the driving screw, chain drive, hydraulic drive, and any other suitable means.

The source of the horizontal force may be mounted either inside the pool - on a wall, on the bottom, on the lower end 3b of the lever 3, or outside the pool - in a special recess in the wall or in the bottom.

The movable floor in its upper position may be fixed above water surface, facilitating the maintenance of the pool and the movable floor mechanism.

First variant device operation.

Initial position: the movable floor 2 is lowered to the lowest position, maximum depth. Levers 3 are set in position close to horizontal.

The even forces are simultaneously applied to the lower ends 3b of the levers 3. Lower ends begin to move alongside the stationary bottom of the pool reservoir 1. Upper ends 3a begin to move upwards lifting the movable floor 2 on the hinge joints 5.

The lower ends 3b of the levers 3 are fitted with rollers 4 to improve movement alongside the stationary bottom of the pool 1.

To improve the movement ability, the movable floor may be equipped with the spring-loaded rollers 10 bearing against vertical sides of a pool and piloting the movable floor relative to the vertical sides.

The movement may be interrupted in any intermediate position, fixing the movable floor 2.

The force lifting the movable floor varies in inverse proportion to the weight of the people occupied the pool considering variation of the buoyancy force during the lifting of the movable floor 2.

The levers 3 in the upper position are set in the vertical (self-locking) position. The movable floor lowering is performed in reverse order applying horizontal force in inverse direction.

For obtaining additional force upward for lift lightening. The movable floor 2a may be produced with positive buoyancy (with inner cavities, for instance) to create additional force facilitating the lifting of the floor.

Horizontal movement' means can comprise drive screw.

Horizontal movement means can comprise drive screw with different thread interval lengthwise.

According to the second variant, the one or more flexible reservoirs 6 are placed under the movable floor 2. The reservoir comprises an opening for inlet and outlet of fluid, pump 8 and valve 9. Using the pump 8, the water from the pool is pumped to the one or more reservoirs 6. The reservoir (s) 6 expands and lifts the movable floor 2. When the water reaches required level, the pumping stops, and the valve 9 is closed. To lower the movable floor level the valve 9 shall be opened letting the small amount of water to drain into the pool reducing the reservoir 6 capacity. The movable floor shall lower by gravity.

Flexible reservoir 6 may use the bottom of the pool or bating tub as a lower side. In this case the lower edges of the flexible reservoir vertical sides are attached to the pool bottom pressure-tight.

The pump 8 delivering water into the flexible reservoir may be equipped with electric drive or any other suitable drive including pedal drive of one or several people bathing in the pool or tub.

The pump may also be used for forced pumping out of water from the flexible reservoir 6 to accelerate lowering of the movable floor 2.

Shutoff valve 9 may be installed in any place either inside the pool or outside the pool for the purpose of easy access .

Second variant device operation. Initial position: the movable floor 2 is lowered to the lowest position, maximum depth. Flexible reservoir 6 is in fully swept and maximum compact condition.

Delivery pump 8 fetches water from the pool 1 and pumps it into the flexible reservoir 6 through the conduit 7. The flexible reservoir 6 expands under excess pressure and presses up the movable floor 2 (or 2a) .

Upon reaching the required level, the pump 8 stops and the movable floor 2 level is fixed using the shutoff valve 9.

To lower the movable floor level, the shutoff valve 9 shall be opened. The water is displaced from the flexible reservoir 6 under weight of the movable floor 2 and possible weight of the people occupying the pool, until reaching of the required level. Then the shutoff valve 9 shall be closed. In case of insufficient effectiveness of the said procedure, the pump 8 may be additionally started in the mode of water pumping out from the flexible reservoir 6 to the pool 1.

To improve the movement ability, the movable floor may be equipped with spring-loaded rollers 10 bearing against vertical sides of a pool and piloting the movable floor relative to the vertical sides.

According to the third variant for operating efficiency increase in the lowest position of movable floor (just closely to the gear lock-up position) a supplemental double- arm levers are fixed to the movable floor through the hinge joint in a peripheral area near the side edge. Each said double-arm lever comprises axis and at least two lever arms fixed thereto, first of said arms at the free end is equipped with the means to move alongside the bottom, mainly a roller, the second by the free end is fixed to the upper end of the lever considered as the main during the movable floor

lifting. The angle between the arm of said double-armed lever is selected to obtain minimal dimensions in a folded position (lowest position near the bottom), i.e. horizontal first arm (used for resting at the pool bottom) placed at the stop, and at the end of excursion, when the second arm reaches the stop, the first arm should be directed vertically down or closely to vertical direction.

Lower ends of said main levers are rested on the pool 1 or tub bottom with the ability of moving of said lower ends alongside said bottom at the impression of horizontally directed force.

Horizontal movement means can comprise drive screw.

Horizontal movement means can comprise drive screw with different thread interval lengthwise.

Third variant device operation.

The initial position - movable floor 2 is lowered to lowest possible position, the maximum depth. Levers 3 (main for uplifting) are in close to horizontal position.

Lower ends 3b of main levers 3 are synchronously impressed by equal forces directed horizontally. Lower ends 3b start moving alongside the pool bottom, the upper ends 3a moves turning supplementary double-armed levers, said double-armed levers 11 lift said movable floor 2 via the hinge joint 5 on the first stage of upward motion. After the supplemental double-armed lever 11 to stop position, the movable floor 2 is further lifted only by means of main levers 3.

For the better movement of alongside of pool bottom the lower ends 3b of the main and 11 of the supplemental levers are equipped with rollers .

For the movable floor motion improvement the movable floor may be equipped with spring-loaded rollers 10 bearing against vertical sides of a pool 1 and piloting the movable floor relative to the vertical sides.

At the downward motion the gear works in the reverse order. The movable floor decrease is performed by means of main levers, and on the final stage when the angle between the main levers 3 and the bottom is close to the gear lock, the supplemental double-armed _. levers 11, resting at this moment by the first arm on the pool bottom, join in the work lowering said movable floor to the fully lowest position. Lifting force is differs counter proportionally to the weight of people in the pool 1 taking into account differ of buoyancy force on the movable floor 2 lifting.

In the lowest position and closely to it the supplemental double-armed levers 11 compensate the main levers 3 force increase .

In the highest position levers 3 are placed in the vertical or the like position (self-locking position) .

In the lowest position levers (3 and 11) are placed to horizontal or the like position occupying the least possible volume. In the upper position all levers (3 and 11) are directed vertically.

Supplemental double-armed lever 11 may be realized with both arms in one plane or in different planes, depending on particular gear and comprising elements layout and

dimensions .

The proposed devices are industrially applicable as their details have industrially manufacturable equivalents.