Universal shift apparatus and method for swimming pool cover assembly
AssigneeCoverstar, Inc.
InventorLanny Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A universal shift apparatus and method for a swimming pool cover motor has a rotatable drive shaft and a rope attached to the end of the swimming pool cover. A reel element collects the rope, and a roll-up element collects the swimming pool cover. A gear drive assembly on the rotatable drive shaft drives the reel element in a first rotational direction as the shaft rotates in a first direction and drives the roll-up element in a second rotational direction as the shaft rotates in a second direction. A shift assembly is associated with the gear drive assembly to selectively reverse the first rotational direction of the wind-up reel element and to selectively reverse the second rotational direction of the roll-up element.
Claims35
A universal shift apparatus for a swimming pool cover motor having a rotatable drive shaft and a rope attached to the end of the swimming pool cover, comprising:
- (a) a reel element for collecting the rope, the reel element being mounted to freely rotate about the rotatable drive shaft;
- (b) a roll-up element for collecting the swimming pool cover, the roll-up element being mounted to freely rotate about the rotatable drive shaft assembly;
- (c) a gear drive assembly driven by the rotatable drive shaft, and adapted for driving the reel element in a first rotational direction as the drive shaft rotates in a first direction, and adapted for driving the roll-up element in a second rotational direction as the drive shaft rotates in a second direction;
- and
- (d) a shift assembly associated with the gear drive assembly to selectively reverse the first rotational direction of the reel element and to selectively reverse the second rotational direction of the roll-up element.
A universal shift apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a rotatable motor shaft;
- (b) a reel element for collecting the rope, the reel element being mounted to freely rotate about the drive shaft, wherein the reel element is adapted to collect the rope and extend the swimming pool cover as the shaft moves in a first rotational direction;
- (c) a roll-up element for collecting the swimming pool cover, the roll-up element being mounted to freely rotate about the drive shaft assembly, wherein the roll-up element is adapted to collect and retract the swimming pool cover as the shaft moves in a second rotational direction;
- (d) a gear assembly driven by the drive shaft, including a pivot member adapted to engage and drive the reel element as the drive shaft moves in a first rotational direction, and adapted to engage and drive the roll-up element as the drive shaft moves in a second rotational direction;
- and
- (e) a shift assembly associated with the gear assembly adapted to selectively change the orientation of the pivot member to engage and drive the roll-up element as the drive shaft moves in the first rotational direction, and to engage and drive the reel element as the drive shaft moves in a second rotational direction.
A method for adapting a reel apparatus for a swimming pool cover motor having a rotatable drive shaft and a rope attached to the end of the swimming pool cover, comprising:
- (a) collecting the rope on a reel element, the reel element being mounted to freely rotate about the rotatable drive shaft;
- (b) collecting the swimming pool cover on a roll-up element, the roll-up element being mounted to freely rotate about the rotatable drive shaft assembly;
- (c) driving the reel element in a first rotational direction as the drive shaft rotates in a first direction, and driving the roll-up element in a second rotational direction as the drive shaft rotates in a second direction;
- and
- (d) selectively reversing the first rotational direction of the wind-up reel element and the second rotational direction of the roll-up element.
A shift apparatus for a swimming pool cover motor having a rotatable drive shaft and a rope attached to the end of the swimming pool cover, comprising:
- (a) a reel element for collecting the rope, the reel element being mounted to freely rotate about the rotatable drive shaft;
- (b) a roll-up element for collecting the swimming pool cover, the roll-up element being mounted to freely rotate about the rotatable drive shaft assembly;
- (c) a gear assembly driven by the rotatable drive shaft, and adapted for driving the reel element in a first rotational direction as the drive shaft rotates in a first direction, and adapted for driving the roll-up element in a second rotational direction as the drive shaft rotates in a second direction;
- and
- (d) a torque limiter element mounted on the drive shaft and connected to the gear assembly to drive the gear assembly in response to the drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.