Water fountain - swimming pool combination, and kit

Abstract

A water fountain—swimming pool combination comprises a water fountain assembly and a water pump assembly. The water fountain assembly comprises a plurality of fountain water outlets interconnected by a common conduit, which common conduit and which water outlets are mountable in adjacency to an upper pool periphery. The water outlets are preferably equally spaced and positionable for directing discharging water toward a central pool region or elsewhere as the user may elect. The water pump assembly comprises a water pump and certain pump conduit for directing pumped water into the swimming pool to enhance the user's enjoyment thereof. The pump conduit comprises fountain-directed conduit and pool-directed conduit, each of which comprise conduit valves for enabling a user to selectively direct pumped water therethrough for selectively discharging pumped water either through a pool water inlet or through any number of fountain water outlets.

1 . In combination, a water fountain and swimming pool, the water fountain and swimming pool combination comprising: 
 an swimming pool, the swimming pool comprising a continuously arced upper pool periphery, a continuously arced lower pool periphery, a pool wall, a central pool region, at least one pool water inlet, and a pool water outlet, the pool wall extending intermediate the upper and lower pool peripheries, the pool water inlet and the pool water outlet each extending through the pool wall;    a water fountain ring assembly, the water fountain ring assembly comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced, selectively positionable fountain water outlets and at least one length of ring conduit in common fluid communication with the fountain water outlets, the water fountain ring assembly being mounted in adjacency to the upper pool periphery via mounting means; and    a water pump assembly, the water pump assembly comprising a pump water inlet, a pump water outlet, pump conduit, and water-pumping means, the pump conduit comprising fountain-directed conduit and pool-directed conduit, the fountain-directed conduit being in fluid communication with the water fountain ring assembly and the pump water outlet, the pool-directed conduit being in fluid communication with the pump water inlet, the pump water outlet, the pool water inlet, and the pool water outlet, the fountain- and pool-directed conduit each comprising conduit valves, the conduit valves for enabling a user to selectively direct pumped water through at least one select water gateway thus resulting in selectively discharged water, the select water gateway being selected from the group consisting of the pool water inlet and the fountain water outlets.    
   
   
       2 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein each fountain water outlet comprises a discharge valve, the discharge valves for enabling a user to selectively direct pumped water through the fountain water outlets.  
   
   
       3 . The combination of  claim 2  wherein the fountain water outlets are substantially equally spaced at intervals adjacent the upper pool periphery.  
   
   
       4 . The combination of  claim 3  wherein the fountain water outlets are selectively positionable for directing selectively discharged water toward the central pool region.  
   
   
       5 . The combination of  claim 4  wherein the pool water inlet is superiorly located relative to the pool water outlet, the superiorly located pool water inlet for creating a waterfall effect when the selectively discharged water discharges via the superiorly located pool water inlet.  
   
   
       6 . The combination of  claim 5  comprising a water illumination assembly, the water illumination assembly comprising at least one light source, each light source for illuminating the selectively discharged water.  
   
   
       7 . The combination of  claim 6  wherein the water illumination assembly comprises a low voltage, waterproof power source and at least one DC-powered light assembly, each light assembly comprising periphery-mounting means, a selectively positionable illumination source and power source-communicating means, the power source for directing current to the illumination source via the power source-communicating means, the illumination source being selectively positionable for illuminating the selectively discharged water.  
   
   
       8 . A water fountain system for use in combination with a swimming pool, the swimming pool comprising an upper pool periphery, at least one pool water inlet, and a pool water outlet, the water fountain system comprising: 
 a water fountain assembly, the water fountain assembly comprising at least one selectively positionable fountain water outlet, each fountain water outlet being mounted in adjacency to the upper pool periphery via mounting means; and    a water pump assembly, the water pump assembly comprising a pump water inlet, a pump water outlet, pump conduit, and water-pumping means, the pump conduit comprising fountain-directed conduit and pool-directed conduit, the fountain-directed conduit fluidly communicating the pump water outlet with the water fountain assembly, the pool-directed conduit fluidly communicating the water pump with the swimming pool via the pump water inlet, the pump water outlet, the pool water inlet, and the pool water outlet, the fountain- and pool-directed conduit each comprising water-directing means, the water-directing means for forming selectively discharged water via a select water gateway, the select water gateway being selected from the group consisting of the pool water inlet and the fountain water outlet.    
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the water fountain assembly comprises a plurality of fountain water outlets, the fountain water outlets being mounted at intervals adjacent the upper pool periphery.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the fountain water outlets are substantially equally spaced at intervals adjacent the upper pool periphery.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein each fountain water outlet comprises a discharge valve, the discharge valves for enabling a user to selectively direct pumped water through the fountain water outlet.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the fountain water outlets are selectively positionable for directing the selectively discharged water toward a central pool region.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the pool water inlet is superiorly located relative to the pool water outlet, the superiorly located pool water inlet for creating a waterfall effect when the selectively discharged water discharges via the superiorly located pool water inlet.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 8  comprising a water illumination assembly, the water illumination assembly comprising at least one light source, each light source for illuminating the selectively discharged water.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the water illumination assembly comprises a low voltage, waterproof power source and at least one DC-powered light assembly, each light assembly comprising periphery-mounting means, a selectively positionable illumination source and power source-communicating means, the power source for directing DC current to the illumination source via the power source-communicating means, the illumination source being selectively positionable for illuminating the selectively discharged water.  
   
   
       16 . A fountain kit for outfitting a swimming pool with a water fountain, the swimming pool comprising an upper pool periphery, a pool water outlet, and a pool water inlet, the fountain kit comprising: 
 a fountain conduit assembly, the fountain conduit assembly comprising a plurality of fountain water outlets and at least one length of fountain conduit, the length of fountain conduit for interconnecting the fountain water outlets; and    a water pump conduit assembly, the water pump conduit assembly comprising a water pump, pump water conduit, and at least two conduit valves, the pump water conduit for forming fountain-directed conduit and pool-directed conduit, the fountain-directed conduit for interconnecting the water pump and the fountain conduit assembly, the pool-directed conduit for interconnecting the water pump and the swimming pool, the conduit valves being cooperatively associatable with the fountain-directed conduit and the pool-directed conduit for enabling a user to selectively direct pumped water through at least one select water gateway, the select water gateway being selected from the group consisting of the pool water inlet and the fountain water outlets.    
   
   
       17 . The fountain kit of  claim 16  wherein each fountain water outlet and each length of ring conduit comprise an arc length, the arc lengths for forming a continuously arced water fountain conduit ring assembly, the water fountain conduit ring assembly being mountable in adjacency to a continuously arced upper pool periphery.  
   
   
       18 . The fountain kit of  claim 16  wherein each fountain water outlet comprises a discharge valve, the discharge valves for enabling a user to selectively direct pumped water through the fountain water outlets.  
   
   
       19 . The fountain kit of  claim 16  the length of fountain conduit enables an installer to equally space the fountain water outlets at intervals adjacent the upper pool periphery.  
   
   
       20 . The fountain kit of  claim 16  wherein the fountain water outlets are selectively positionable for directing selectively dischargeable water toward the central pool region for creating a select water-based effect, the select water-based effect being selected from the group consisting of a water fountain effect and a waterfall effect.  
   
   
       21 . The fountain kit of  claim 16  comprising a water illumination assembly, the water illumination assembly comprising at least one light source, each light source for illuminating the selectively dischargeable water.  
   
   
       22 . The fountain kit of  claim 21  wherein the water illumination assembly comprises a low voltage, waterproof power source and at least one DC-powered light assembly, each light assembly comprising periphery-mounting means, a selectively positionable illumination source and power source-communicating means, the power source for directing DC current to the illumination source via the power source-communicating means, the illumination source being selectively positionable for illuminating the selectively dischargeable water.  
   
   
       23 . The fountain kit of  claim 22  wherein the water illumination assembly comprises a plurality of selectively colored light filters, the selectively colored light filters for illuminating the selectively dischargeable water in a variety of colors.  
   
   
       24 . The fountain kit of  claim 16  comprising a plurality of strap-hook assemblies and a plurality of spacer assemblies, the strap-hook assemblies and the spacer assemblies for mounting the fountain conduit assembly to the upper pool periphery.