Pool lane bumper

• US 20150292219A1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Safe Lane Swimming LLC
• Original Assignee: Safe Lane Swimming LLC
• Inventors: McKnett, Keith, Brennan, Jeremiah
• Application Number:
  US14/684,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20150292219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/06 Safety devices; Coverings for baths
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/143 Swimming lane markers with or without wave suppressors

Abstract

A bumper that can be placed near the end of a lane and thereby prevent swimmers colliding with the pool wall. The bumper may be partially or completely air-filled or fabricated from a material that renders the bumper buoyant or semi-submerged (e.g., foam); a solid bumper may or may not need to be inflated and may not need to be filled. The bumper may be directly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an eye hook or ess hook mounted in the wall, or indirectly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an attachment to a pool lane line.

Claims

1. A pool safety apparatus comprising:

a bumper; and

at least one mechanism for fixing the position of the bumper in a pool.

2. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanism affixes the bumper to a lane line.

3. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanism affixes the bumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool.

4. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.

5. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanism comprises a D-ring hinge, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, a bolt, a screw, grommet, or a bracket.

6. The pool safety apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one mechanism further comprises a tether.

7. The pool safety apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tether is elastic, non-elastic, adjustable, or flexible.

8. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper further comprises a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper.

9. The pool safety apparatus of claim 8 wherein the structure is a valve or an watertight zipper.

10. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper is filled at least in part with water or sand to offset its buoyancy.

11. A method for deploying a pool safety apparatus, the method comprising:

placing a bumper in a pool; and

fixing the position of the bumper in the pool.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein fixing the bumper position comprises affixing the bumper to a lane line.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein fixing the bumper position comprises affixing the bumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the position of the bumper is fixed using a D-ring hinge, grommet, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, a bolt, a screw, or a bracket.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the position of the bumper is additionally fixed using a tether.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the tether is elastic, adjustable, or flexible.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the bumper further comprises a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper, and the method further comprises adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper using the structure.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein using the structure fills the bumper at least in part with water or sand to offset its buoyancy.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the structure is a valve or a watertight zipper.