Portable spa

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to portable spas and, more particularly, to a spa which may be installed either in the ground or above the ground without hindering access to the technical equipment necessary for operation of the spa.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable spa embodying the present invention, showing the spa installed underground.

#FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the spa, with a cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing an equipment access door removed to permit access to the spa's technical equipment.

#As shown in the accompanying drawings, the present invention is embodied in a spa, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, for use in heating and circulating water 12 in the traditional manner. The spa 10 is capable of either above-ground installation, in which a raised deck 14 may be constructed around the spa, or direct in-ground installation, in which the spa is installed in the ground 16 with the earth directly in contact with the side of the spa. In either case, access to the equipment required for service of the spa 10 is convenient and not hindered in any way by the manner of installation.

#FIG. 1 shows the spa 10 installed directly in the ground 16. However, whether the spa 10 is installed in the ground 16, as in FIG. 1, or above the ground, as in FIG. 4, the basic structure of the spa is still the same. It is defined by a shell 18, which may be constructed of fiberglass, acrylic, high-impact thermoplastic materials, or any other suitable lightweight, high-strength material not easily susceptible to damage from water or sunlight. The shell 18 may be molded in a single unit, but more commonly it is a combination of several pieces joined together by adhesives or fasteners or by similar methods known in the art.

#In one embodiment, the shell 18 comprises an outer wall 20 that defines the outer shape of the spa 10 and functions as a housing to enclose all of the remaining elements of the spa. In particular, the outer wall 20 comprises a vertical side wall 22 and a horizontal bottom wall 24. A horizontal coping 26 along the upper surface of the spa 10 provides a smooth transition from the vertical side wall 22 to an internal water reservoir 28 designed to hold a quantity of water 12 and at least one person 30.