Swimming pool covering sheet, system, and method of use

Abstract

A pool cover, pool covering apparatus, system and method for covering a pool: A swimming pool cover consisting of two layers, suitably bonded together, with air trapped in gas tight compartments extending across the width of the cover. These features give the cover improved lateral stiffness, low wetted surface area, and a feedback mechanism for centering the cover as it is being rolled up. A pool covering apparatus that consists of: A movable reel assembly that can also be used a seat to store the cover wrapped around a shaft; A float, attached to the cover, to pull the cover onto the pool when the operator by means of a rope pulls it onto the pool; A cranking device to wind up the cover on the shaft in the reel assembly to remove the cover from the pool. The pool is broken down into a plurality of sections, one apparatus serving each section, to allow an easily operated system to cover a large pool and to allow the design features of the cover make it easier to deploy and remove.

1 . A rollable pool covering sheet having a sheet length and a sheet width for covering a segment of a pool, the pool covering sheet comprising:
 an upper layer, and a water contacting layer,   the upper layer and the water contacting layer bonded together to entrap gas between the upper layer and the water contacting layer forming a plurality of pockets,   the plurality of pockets having a pocket length substantially equivalent to the sheet width and arranged such that the pocket length is approximately parallel to the sheet width.   
     
     
         2 . The rollable pool covering sheet of  claim 1 , the sheet length being a length suitable to cover a length of the pool, and the sheet width being a width suitable to cover a segment width of the pool. 
     
     
         3 . The pool covering sheet of  claim 1 , further comprising intermediate sections having little to no gas entrapped between the upper layer the water contacting layer (other than any gas contained in the upper layer and water contacting layer), the intermediate sections distributed between and connecting the plurality of pockets and having an intermediate section length approximately equivalent to the pocket length, and an intermediate section width. 
     
     
         4 . The pool covering sheet of  claim 1 , having both layers substantially the same thickness either formed from a continuous tube of sheeting with the upper layer and the water contacting layer welded together. 
     
     
         5 . The pool covering sheet of  claim 1 , the upper layer having an upper layer thickness and the water contacting layer having a water contacting layer thickness, the upper layer thickness being larger than the water contacting layer thickness for aiding in preventing the sheet from folding when laid on the pool. 
     
     
         6 . The pool covering sheet of  claim 1 , the plurality of pockets having a pocket width between 0.5% and 1% of the pocket length. 
     
     
         7 . The pool covering sheet of  claim 1 , the sheet width approximating a swimming lane width, and the plurality of pockets having a pocket width greater than 0.25% of the pocket length. 
     
     
         8 . A swimming pool cover system for a competition size swimming pool having a plurality of lanes with each lane having a lane width comprising:
 a plurality of sheets, each sheet having a mounting edge, a deploying edge, two lateral edges connecting the mounting edge to the deploying edge, a sheet length defined by a distance from the mounting edge to the deploying edge, and a sheet width corresponding to the mounting edge and the deploying edge, the sheet width approximating the lane width of one corresponding lane of the pool,   a plurality of sheet rolling assemblies for deploying and retracting the plurality of sheets, each sheet rolling assembly having left support and a right support rotatably connected to and supporting a rolling shaft at a left end and a right end, said rolling shaft rotates about an axis that is approximately parallel with the lane width of the pool, each shaft coupled with a retractor for enabling an operator to roll one sheet onto the rolling shaft, and each sheet rolling assembly movably located outside of the pool,   an attaching member selectively connected to the mounting edge of each sheet and connected to a corresponding rolling shaft of a corresponding sheet rolling assembly,   a semi rigid floatable member attached to and extending along the deploying edge of each sheet for extending one sheet from a corresponding rolling assembly along corresponding lane of the pool,   a mount attached to each floatable member and/or the deploying edge of each sheet, and   a selectively securable cord for connecting to a corresponding mount for pulling one sheet from a corresponding sheet rolling assembly onto one lane of the pool.   
     
     
         9 . The swimming pool cover system of  claim 8 , the attaching member comprising a strip laid over the mounting edge, the strip having a plurality of mounting points for receiving a plurality of fasteners which pass through said mounts to a corresponding shaft. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further including one or more clips for attaching a floatable member to the deploying edge of a sheet by holding the deploying edge to the floatable member while the deploying edge is wrapped around the floatable member. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , the mount comprising a loop of rope attached to the floatable member. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , the retractor comprising a hand crank coupled to the shaft, either directly or via an appropriate gearing solution for allowing a user to turn the crank and roll the sheet onto a corresponding sheet rolling assembly of the plurality of sheet rolling assemblies. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , the retractor comprising a bit coupled to the shaft, either directly or via an appropriate gearing solution for connecting to a cordless drill. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a cordless drill for engaging the bit of the retractor and turning the shaft when the cordless drill is operated. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , each movable rolling assembly having a top suitable for seating. 
     
     
         16 . A method of covering a large pool comprising the steps of:
 dividing the pool into a plurality of segments,   providing a plurality of sheets and a plurality of sheet rolling assemblies, each sheet having a deploying edge and a mounting edge connected by two segment edges, and each sheet sized to cover each of the plurality of segments, the mounting edge of each sheet attached to the shaft of a corresponding sheet rolling assembly of the plurality of sheet rolling assemblies, the deploying edge of each sheet being attached to a semi rigid floatable member, and each of the plurality of sheets rolled onto the shaft of the corresponding sheet rolling assembly,   positioning a first sheet rolling assembly of the plurality of sheet rolling assemblies near a first edge of the pool, said first edge corresponding with a first segment of the plurality of segments,   connecting a cord at a first cord end to the floatable member and/or the deploying edge of the sheet rolled onto the first sheet rolling assembly,   casting the cord into the pool while maintaining control of a portion of the cord,   walking outside of the pool in a direction that is perpendicular to the first segment edge,   taking up a position near an edge of the pool opposite the first sheet rolling assembly, and   pulling the cord to extend the sheet from the first sheet rolling assembly onto the first segment of the pool,   positioning one or more intermediate, or a final, sheet rolling assembly(ies) of the plurality of the sheet rolling assemblies near one or more intermediate, or a final, edge(s) of the pool that corresponds with one or more intermediate, or a final segment(s) of the plurality of segments,   connecting a cord at a first cord end to the floatable member and/or the deploying edge of the sheet rolled onto the one or more intermediate, or a final sheet rolling assembly(ies),   casting the cord into the pool while maintaining control of a portion of the cord, walking outside of the pool in a direction that is perpendicular to the one or more intermediate or final segment edge(s),   taking up a position near an edge of the pool opposite the one or more intermediate, or a final sheet rolling assembly(ies), and   pulling the cord to extend the sheet from the one or more intermediate, or the final sheet rolling assembly(ies) onto the one or more intermediate, or the final segments(s) of the pool.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the dividing the pool into a plurality of segments step further includes ascertaining or counting a number of swimming lanes of the pool, ascertaining or measuring a lane width of each swimming lane of the number of swimming lanes, and associating the lane width of each lane with a corresponding segment width. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further including the step of retracting the sheet from the first, the one or more intermediate, and/or final segments(s) of the pool onto the corresponding first, one or more intermediate, or the final sheet rolling assembly(ies). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , the retracting step further including turning the shaft of the first, the one or more intermediate, and /or the final sheet rolling assembly(ies) by connecting a cordless drill to a bit that is coupled with the shaft of the first, the one or more intermediate, and/or the final sheet rolling assembly(ies) and operating the cordless drill. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further including the step of removing the cord the floatable member and/or the deploying edge of the sheet once the sheet pulled onto the pool.