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US 10,519,680 B2Granted
System, method and apparatus for opening a spa hard cover
AssigneeStrong Industries, Inc.
InventorsWade Spicer, Charles M. Woods
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cover lift system for a spa includes a lifter handle having an upper arm and a lower arm telescopically connected to the upper arm, the upper arm being configured for operative connection to a cover of a spa, and the lower arm being configured for pivotal connection to a base of the spa, and an adjuster mechanism associated with the lifter handle for selectively adjusting a length of the lifter handle to allow for use of the lifter handle with spas of varying sizes.
Claims16
A cover lift system for a spa, comprising:
- a lifter handle having an upper arm and a lower arm telescopically connected to the upper arm, the upper arm being configured for operative connection to a cover of a spa, and the lower arm being configured for pivotal connection to a base of the spa;
- and
- an adjuster mechanism associated with the lifter handle for selectively adjusting a length of the lifter handle to allow for use of the lifter handle with spas of varying sizes, wherein the adjuster mechanism is a linear actuator housed within the upper arm and the lower arm;
- and
- a breakaway mechanism configured to limit an amount of torque seen by the lifter handle during a covering or uncovering operation.
2 more elements
A spa, comprising:
- a base having a support frame;
- a shell supported by the support frame;
- a cover member positioned atop the base;
- a cover lift system mounted to an exterior-facing surface of the support frame behind a removable side panel of the base, the cover lift system including:
- a lifter handle having an upper arm and a lower arm telescopically connected to the upper arm, the upper arm being configured for operative connection to the cover member, and the lower arm being configured for pivotal connection to the base;
- and
- an adjuster mechanism associated with the lifter handle for selectively adjusting a length of the lifter handle in dependence upon a size of the spa;
- wherein the adjuster mechanism is a linear actuator having a leadscrew in fixed longitudinal position within the upper arm and a nut in fixed position within the lower arm;
- and wherein the leadscrew is threadedly received by the nut.
6 more elements
A method of installing a cover lift system on a spa, comprising:
- providing a lifter handle having an upper arm and a lower arm telescopically connected to the upper arm, the upper arm being configured for operative connection to a cover of the spa, and the lower arm being configured for pivotal connection to a base of the spa;
- and
- adjusting a length of the lifter handle in dependence upon a size of the spa, including at least one of extending the lower arm from the upper arm to increase the length of the lifter handle or retracting the lower arm into the upper arm to decrease the length of the handle;
- and
- connecting an upper arm of the lifter handle to a crossbar extending through the cover of the spa by matingly engaging a first coupling member associated with the upper arm with a second coupling member associated with the crossbar;
- wherein the first coupling member has one of a male, stepped end and a female stepped end;
- wherein the second coupling member has the other of the male, stepped end and the female stepped end;
- and
- wherein the male, stepped end and the female, stepped end allow for a degree of rotational misalignment between the first coupling member of the upper arm and the second coupling member of the crossbar when mating the upper arm to the crossbar.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.