Apparatus for supporting a pool cover

Abstract

An apparatus for supporting a cover member over a pre-selected liquid contained in either a swimming pool, hot tub or whirlpool outdoors during a predetermined time of year to protect the swimming pool, hot tub or whirlpool from damaging cold weather and debris. The apparatus includes at least one support member produced from a predetermined material and having a predetermined shape connected between the pre-selected liquid and a predetermined portion of a bottom surface of the cover member for supporting and elevating at least a portion of such cover member. A support member retainer is engageable with each of the support member and predetermined side wall portions of the swimming pool, hot tub or whirlpool to retain such support member in a substantially central location over the pre-selected liquid contained in such swimming pool, hot tub or whirlpool.

1 . An apparatus for supporting a cover member over a pre-selected liquid contained in one of a swimming pool, a hot tub and a whirlpool outdoors during a predetermined time of year to protect one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool from damaging cold weather and debris, said apparatus comprising: 
 (a) at least one support member produced from a predetermined material and having a predetermined shape connected between such pre-selected liquid contained in one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool and a predetermined portion of a bottom surface of such cover member for supporting and elevating at least a portion of such cover member; and    (b) a support member retainer means engageable with each of said at least one support member and predetermined side wall portions of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool for retaining said at least one support member in a substantially central location over such pre-selected liquid contained in one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool.    
   
   
       2 . An apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined material used to produce said at least one support member is selected from a group consisting of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plastic and solid foam rubber.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined shape of said at least one support member is generally round with a diameter of generally between about 80 centimeters and 100 centimeters.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one support member includes at least two grommets disposed thereon, a first of said at least two grommets being diametrically disposed from a second of said at least two grommets.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus, according to  claim 4 , wherein said support member retainer means includes at least two strap members, a first of said at least two strap members having a first attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said first grommet and a second attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to a fifth grommet connected to a first directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool, and a second of said at least two strap members having a third attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said second grommet and a fourth attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to a sixth grommet connected to a second directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus, according to  claim 5 , wherein said first attachment means includes a first aperture and a first S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said first S-shaped hook like member connected through said first aperture and a second end of said first S-shaped hook like member connected through said first grommet, said second attachment means includes a second aperture and a second S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said second S-shaped hook like member connected through said second aperture and a second end of said second S-shaped hook like member connected through said fifth grommet, said third attachment means includes a third aperture and a third S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said third S-shaped hook like member connected through said third aperture and a second end of said third S-shaped hook like member connected through said second grommet, and said fourth attachment means includes a fourth aperture and a fourth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said fourth S-shaped hook like member connected through said fourth aperture and a second end of said fourth S-shaped hook like member connected through said sixth grommet.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus, according to  claim 6 , wherein said at least one support member includes four grommets, a third of said four grommets being equally and linearly disposed between said first and said second grommets and diametrically disposed from a fourth of said four grommets.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus, according to  claim 7 , wherein said support member retainer means includes four strap members, a third of said four strap members having a fifth attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said third grommet and a sixth attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to a seventh grommet connected to a third directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool, and a fourth of said four strap members having a seventh attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said fourth grommet and an eighth attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to an eighth grommet connected to a fourth directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus, according to  claim 8 , wherein said fifth attachment means includes a fifth aperture and a fifth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said fifth S-shaped hook like member connected through said fifth aperture and a second end of said fifth S-shaped hook like member connected through said third grommet, said sixth attachment means includes a sixth aperture and a sixth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said sixth S-shaped hook like member connected through said sixth aperture and a second end of said sixth S-shaped hook like member connected through said seventh grommet, said seventh attachment means includes a seventh aperture and a seventh S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said seventh S-shaped hook like member connected through said seventh aperture and a second end of said seventh S-shaped hook like member connected through said fourth grommet, and said eighth attachment means includes an eighth aperture and an eighth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said eighth S-shaped hook like member connected through said eighth aperture and a second end of said eighth S-shaped hook like member connected through said eighth grommet.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus, according to  claim 5 , wherein each of said at least two strap members are constructed from an elastic material.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus, according to  claim 10 , wherein said elastic material used to produce each of said at least two strap members is rubber.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for covering one of a swimming pool, a hot tub and a whirlpool outdoors during a predetermined time of year to protect one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool from damaging cold weather and debris, said apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a cover member produced from a first predetermined material and having a predetermined shape, a predetermined size, a top surface and a bottom surface for covering a pre-selected liquid contained in one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool;    (b) a cover member retainer means engageable with each of said cover member and predetermined side wall portions of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool for retaining said cover member over such pre-selected liquid contained in one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool;    (c) at least one support member produced from a second predetermined material and having a predetermined diameter connected between such pre-selected liquid contained in one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool and a predetermined portion of said bottom surface of said cover member for supporting and elevating at least a portion of said cover member; and    (d) a support member retainer means engageable with each of said at least one support member and predetermined side wall portions of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool for retaining said at least one support member in a substantially central location over such pre-selected liquid contained in one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool.    
   
   
       13 . An apparatus, according to  claim 12 , wherein said second predetermined material used to produce said at least one support member is selected from a group consisting of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plastic and solid foam rubber.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus, according to  claim 12 , wherein said predetermined diameter of said at least one support member is generally between about 80 centimeters and 100 centimeters.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus, according to  claim 12 , wherein said at least one support member includes at least two grommets disposed thereon, a first of said at least two grommets being diametrically disposed from a second of said at least two grommets.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus, according to  claim 15 , wherein said support member retainer means includes at least two strap members, a first of said at least two strap members having a first attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said first grommet and a second attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to a fifth grommet connected to a first directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool, and a second of said at least two strap members having a third attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said second grommet and a fourth attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to a sixth grommet connected to a second directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus, according to  claim 16 , wherein said first attachment means includes a first aperture and a first S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said first S-shaped hook like member connected through said first aperture and a second end of said first S-shaped hook like member connected through said first grommet, said second attachment means includes a second aperture and a second S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said second S-shaped hook like member connected through said second aperture and a second end of said second S-shaped hook like member connected through said fifth grommet, said third attachment means includes a third aperture and a third S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said third S-shaped hook like member connected through said third aperture and a second end of said third S-shaped hook like member connected through said second grommet, and said fourth attachment means includes a fourth aperture and a fourth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said fourth S-shaped hook like member connected through said fourth aperture and a second end of said fourth S-shaped hook like member connected through said sixth grommet.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus, according to  claim 17 , wherein said at least one support member includes four grommets, a third of said four grommets being equally and linearly disposed between said first and said second grommets and diametrically disposed from a fourth of said four grommets.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus, according to  claim 18 , wherein said support member retainer means includes four strap members, a third of said four strap members having a fifth attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said third grommet and a sixth attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to a seventh grommet connected to a third directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool, and a fourth of said four strap members having a seventh attachment means disposed at a first end thereof for attaching to said fourth grommet and an eighth attachment means disposed at a second end thereof for attaching to an eighth grommet connected to a fourth directly opposed side wall portion of one of such swimming pool, hot tub and whirlpool.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus, according to  claim 19 , wherein said fifth attachment means includes a fifth aperture and a fifth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said fifth S-shaped hook like member connected through said fifth aperture and a second end of said fifth S-shaped hook like member connected through said third grommet, said sixth attachment means includes a sixth aperture and a sixth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said sixth S-shaped hook like member connected through said sixth aperture and a second end of said sixth S-shaped hook like member connected through said seventh grommet, said seventh attachment means includes a seventh aperture and a seventh S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said seventh S-shaped hook like member connected through said seventh aperture and a second end of said seventh S-shaped hook like member connected through said fourth grommet, and said eighth attachment means includes an eighth aperture and an eighth S-shaped hook like member with a first end of said eighth S-shaped hook like member connected through said eighth aperture and a second end of said eighth S-shaped hook like member connected through said eighth grommet.