Above ground pool

Abstract

An above ground pool is provided. The above ground pool includes a support frame and a pool liner. The pool liner is affixed to and supported by the support frame to form a body for holding water within the pool. The support frame includes a series of horizontal support members and vertical support members, each having an elliptical cross-section. The symmetric shape of the cross-section of the elliptical tubes reduces the difficulties inherent in machining tube bends, simplifies the manufacturing of the tubes, effectively improves the support frame's stability, and facilitates quality control. The horizontal support members and vertical support members are coupled together by one or more connectors to form an enclosed or ring structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An above ground pool comprising:
 a plurality of horizontal support members, wherein the horizontal support members are connected to form a surrounding top frame;   a plurality of vertical support members, wherein each of the vertical support member has a major middle part and two end parts, the major middle part has an external peripheral elliptical cross-section structure, one of the two end parts of the vertical member is connected to the surrounding top frame to support the surrounding top frame at a predetermined height; and   a pool liner supported by the surrounding top frame to form a body for holding water.   
     
     
         2 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein the major part and the two end parts of the vertical support member are formed as an unity body with plastic material. 
     
     
         3 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein the major part and the two end parts of the vertical support member are formed as an unity body with metal material. 
     
     
         4 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical support member is a tube having a hollow core, the hollow core having a shape similar to the external peripheral elliptical cross-section structure. 
     
     
         5 . The above pool of  claim 4 , wherein the maximum thickness of the tube is smaller than 5% of the maximum width of the external peripheral elliptical cross-section structure. 
     
     
         6 . The above pool of  claim 4 , wherein an inner support structure is formed inside the tube. 
     
     
         7 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein the external peripheral elliptical cross-section structure having a top border and a bottom border, the top border and the bottom border are symmetric, and the top border and the bottom border have straight line portions and curve line portions together to define the shape of the external peripheral elliptical cross-section structure. 
     
     
         8 . The above pool of  claim 7 , wherein the straight line portion of the top border is parallel to the straight line portion of the bottom border, and the top border and the bottom border each has two curve portions symmetric to each other. 
     
     
         9 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein the external peripheral elliptical cross-section structure having a top border and a bottom border, the top border has a first curve portion and the bottom border has a second curve portion, the first curve portion has a larger curve angle than the second curve portion. 
     
     
         10 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein each of the horizontal support member has an external elliptical cross-section shape. 
     
     
         11 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein each of the horizontal support member has a circular cross-section shape. 
     
     
         12 . The above pool of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of T-shaped connectors for coupling the horizontal support members and the vertical support members together. 
     
     
         13 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein the surrounding top frame has a ladder positioning structure to mount a ladder for users to go inside the above pool from outside. 
     
     
         14 . The above pool of  claim 1 , further comprising an U-shaped support member connected to the surrounding top frame. 
     
     
         15 . The above pool of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of support bases coupled to a bottom end of the vertical support members. 
     
     
         16 . The above pool of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tensioning devices coupled to an outer surface of the body of the pool and a tensioning belt, wherein each tensioning device is coupled to the outer surface of the body in-between two neighboring vertical support members, the tensioning belt being alternately weaved about the outer surface of the body through the tensioning devices and over the vertical support members to retain the vertical support members close to the body. 
     
     
         17 . The above pool of  claim 16 , wherein the tensioning belt is arranged about the body of the pool at a height equal to approximately one-third of the height of the body of the pool. 
     
     
         18 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein one of the end parts of the vertical support member has a different peripheral shape from the middle part of the vertical support member for connecting to the surrounding top frame. 
     
     
         19 . The above pool of  claim 1 , wherein one end part of one of the vertical support member is connected to another vertical support member. 
     
     
         20 . The above pool of  claim 1 , further having a covering border mounted on top of the surrounding top frame.