CORNER PLATE FOR HOLDING A POOL LINER

• US 20090151067A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Latham Pool Products, Inc (Latham Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pool Cover Specialist National Incorporated (Latham Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dalton, David B., Mathis, Wesley L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,584,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 4/506
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/142 with fixing means for sealing foil
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A corner for a pool providing a transition of the corner angle therein and thereby providing for ease of installation, improved aesthetics, improved operation, and simpler maintenance.

Claims

1. A corner piece for forming a corner of a pool, said corner piece comprising:

a first substantially linear portion;

a second substantially linear portion;

wherein a projected tangent line of said first portion intersects with a projected tangent line of said second portion at an angle;

a third portion comprising a liner receptor slot for receiving a pool liner wherein said third portion comprises a non-curved portion therein;

wherein a tangential projection off of a first end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said first portion at a first acute angle; and

wherein a tangential projection off of a second end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said second portion at a second acute angle.

2. The corner piece of claim 1 wherein said first acute angle is 45 degrees.

3. The corner piece of claim 1 wherein said second acute angle is 45 degrees.

4. The corner piece of claim 1 wherein said first acute angle is approximately zero degrees.

5. The corner piece of claim 1 wherein said second acute angle is approximately zero degrees.

6. The corner piece of claim 1 wherein said third portion is substantially linear.

7. The corner piece of claim 1 wherein said third portion comprises an intermediate angle therein forming a concave form, said intermediate angle corresponding to an intermediate acute angle.

8. The corner piece of claim 1 wherein said third portion comprises a plurality of intermediate angles corresponding to a plurality of intermediate acute angles, respectively, thereby forming a concaved form.

9. The corner piece of claim 7 wherein a sum of the first acute angle, the second acute angle, and the intermediate acute angle is equal to approximately ninety degrees.

10. The corner piece of claim 8 wherein a sum of said intermediate acute angles and the first acute angle and the second acute angle, equals approximately ninety degrees.

11. The corner piece of claim 7 wherein said intermediate acute angle when summed with the first and second acute angles equals more than ninety degrees.

12. The corner piece of claim 7 wherein said intermediate acute angle when summed with the first and second acute angles equals less than ninety degrees.

13. The corner piece of claim 8 wherein the sum of said plurality of intermediate corresponding acute angles and said first and second acute angles equals more than ninety degrees.

14. The corner piece of claim 8 wherein said intermediate acute angles when summed with the first and second acute angles equals less than ninety degrees.

15. The corner piece of claim 8 wherein said plurality of intermediate angles when summed with the first and second acute angles equals more than one-hundred an eighty degrees.

16. The corner piece of claim 7 wherein said corner piece is derived from a first member having a first member angle, and second member having a second member angle, and wherein said first member angle and said second member angle when summed with said first acute angle and second acute angle equal approximately ninety degrees.

17. The corner piece of claim 8 wherein said corner piece is derived from a plurality of members having a plurality of member angles, wherein when said plurality of member angles when summed with said first acute angle and second acute angle equal approximately ninety degrees.

18. The corner piece of claim 8 wherein said members are interlocking.

19. The corner piece of claim 1 comprising a plurality of openings.

20. A swimming pool system comprising:

a polymeric liner;

a corner having a corner angle and have a first end and a second end extending from said corner;

coping edges connecting said first corner end to said second corner end;

a corner piece for forming a corner of a pool, said corner piece comprising;

a first substantially linear portion;

a second substantially linear portion;

wherein a projected tangent line of said first portion intersects with a projected tangent line of said second portion at an angle; and

a third portion comprising a liner receptor slot for receiving a pool liner and wherein said third portion comprises a non-curved portion therein;

wherein a tangential projection off of a first end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said first portion at a first acute angle; and

wherein a tangential projection off of a second end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said second portion at a second acute angle.

21. The swimming pool system of claim 20 wherein said corner angle is approximately ninety degrees.

22. The swimming pool system of claim 20 wherein said corner angle is greater than ninety degrees.

23. The swimming pool system of claim 20 wherein said corner angle is less than ninety degrees.

24. The swimming pool system of claim 20 having a plurality of corners.

25. A method of making a corner piece for a swimming pool, comprising:

perforating a portion of generally planer material with a plurality of perforations;

applying a tensile force to a first edge of said planer material;

releasing said first edge from said tensile force after the perforations have expanded into openings.

26. A corner piece for forming a corner of a pool, said corner piece comprising:

a first substantially linear portion;

a second substantially linear portion;

wherein a projected tangent line of said first portion intersects with a projected tangent line of said second portion at an angle; and

a third portion comprising a liner receptor slot for receiving a pool liner;

wherein a tangential projection off of an first end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said first portion at a first acute angle;

wherein a tangential projection off of a second end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said second portion at a second acute angle; and

wherein said liner receptor slot is wider than it is deep.

27. A corner piece for forming a corner of a pool, said corner piece comprising:

a first substantially linear portion;

a second substantially linear portion;

wherein a projected tangent line of said first portion intersects with a projected tangent line of said second portion at an angle; and

a third portion comprising a liner receptor slot for receiving a pool liner;

wherein a tangential projection off of an first end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said first portion at a first acute angle;

wherein a tangential projection off of a second end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said second portion at a second acute angle; and

wherein said liner receptor slot comprises a lip protrusion.

28. The corner piece of claim 27 further comprising a plurality of lip protrusions.

29. The corner piece of claim 28 wherein the plurality of lip protrusions are of equal lengths.

30. The corner piece of claim 28 wherein the plurality of lip protrusions are of differing dimensions.

31. A corner piece for forming a corner of a pool, said corner piece comprising:

a first substantially linear portion;

a second substantially linear portion;

wherein a projected tangent line of said first portion intersects with a projected tangent line of said second portion forms an angle; and

a third portion comprising a liner receptor slot for receiving a pool liner;

wherein a tangential projection off of an first end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said first portion at a first acute angle; and

wherein a tangential projection off of a second end of said third portion intersects said tangent line of said second portion at a second acute angle;

wherein a sum of said first acute angle and said second acute angle is less than ninety degrees;

wherein said third portion is formed from a plurality of substantially linear segments forming a concaved form; and

comprising a plurality of openings.