Pool cover reel assembly

Abstract

A low friction pool cover reel to assist in retrieval and deployment of swimming pool covers onto the surface of water in a swimming pool.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This present application claims priority to pending provisional patent application, Ser. No. 60 / 727,771, filed Oct. 19, 2005.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to pool cover reels which permit the deployment and retrieval of protective and / or thermal covers onto the surface of water in swimming pools. [0003] Outdoor and indoor residential and commercial swimming pools typically have large surface areas which are exposed to the ambient environment. With outdoor swimming pools in particular, thermal or protective covers are frequently employed to prevent extraneous matter from falling into the swimming pool, such as dust, leaves, insects, etc, to retain heat within the water of the pool by reducing the exposed water surface area, or to act as a radiant heat source to transfer heat from the sun's energy to the water within the swimming pool. Because of their large surface area, most pools require rel...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] It is, therefore, a principal objective of the present invention to provide a swimming pool cover reel assembly which is easy to use, made of structural materials having excellent resistance to environmental damage, and mechanical properties to minimize flexing of the device and optimize ease of reeling and unreeling the swimming pool cover therefrom.

[0011] It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a bearing assembly through which the rotatable axle passes and which permits very low friction rotation of the rotatable axle which is suitable for both manual and motor-driven rotation of the rotatable axle.

Problems solved by technology

Because of their large surface area, most pools require relatively large spans of cover material, which are, accordingly, difficult to handle and manipulate during both deployment and retrieval.

It has been found, however, that for large pool covers, e.g., those having widths between fourteen to twenty two feet, and lengths between about thirty-five to fifty feet, or larger, deployment and retrieval of the covers presents a particularly cumbersome issue and requires greater effort on the part of the user to reel the cover onto the reel device.

Many swimming pool cover reel devices are fabricated of plastics, which over prolonged exposure to sunlight and outdoor environmental changes, loses its structural and functional properties, making deployment and retrieval of a swimming pool cover extremely difficult.

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