Safety system at a discharge port in a pool

• US 6,253,391 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nichigi Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nichigi Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Susumu, Sumita, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US09/563,079
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 449/6, 450/4, 450/9, 417/279, 417/300
• US Class Current: 4/504
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/06 Safety devices; Coverings for baths

Abstract

In a swimming pool in which water is circulated by a pump, a schoolboy child is liable to be absorbed into a discharge port, which is dangerous. A sensor which has a load cell is provided at the back of a water-permeable cover in the discharge port. If a human body of the child is absorbed into the discharge port and contacted with the cover, the load cell is pressed by the water-permeable cover to transmit a signal to a control circuit in which it is determined whether or not pressure variation applied to the sensor is normal or abnormal. If abnormality is determined therein, an alarm is sounded to inform a watcher of the accident and the pump is stopped to release the child from the discharge port.

Claims

1. A safety system at a discharge port in a pool in which water is circulated by a circulating pump, said system comprising:

a water-permeable cover with which said discharge port is covered;

a sensor at the back of said water-permeable cover, having a load cell which is actuated by rearward movement of said cover;

a control circuit which is connected to the sensor to determine whether pressure variation applied to the sensor is normal or abnormal; and

safety means which is connected to the control circuit, said safety means being actuated by a signal from the control circuit if the pressure variation is determined as abnormal.

2. A safety system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said water-permeable cover comprises a porous disc made of flexible material such as metal and synthetic resin.

3. A safety system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the load cell is slightly spaced from the water-permeable cover which is mounted to an inner circumferential surface of the discharge port, the sensor with the load cell being mounted to a mounting frame which is fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the discharge port, the load cell being pressed by the cover if pressure is applied to the cover.

4. A safety system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load cell of the sensor is connected to a rear surface of the water-permeable cover.

5. A safety system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the sensor is supported by a mounting frame which is fixed to the rear surface of the water-permeable cover.

6. A safety system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the water-permeable cover is slidable on a mounting frame and is slightly spaced from the load cell normally, the sensor with the load cell being mounted to an inner circumferential surface of the discharge port, the load cell being pressed by the cover which is slid rearwards on the frame if pressure is applied to the cover.

7. A safety system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the safety means comprises an alarm which informs anyone that the discharge port is under abnormal condition.

8. A safety system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the safety means comprises means for stopping the circulating pump so that absorbing pressure may disappear.

9. A safety system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the safety means comprises means for closing an emergency shut-down valve to generate reverse pressure in the flowing water.