Floating solar heater for swimming pools
OwnerMarvin A. Robertsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar heating apparatus is disclosed herein useful as a swimming pool cover whereby the sun's rays can penetrate the apparatus and heat the water therebeneath. The apparatus includes a plurality of individual and separate units of a predetermined geometry which cooperate with each other to cover a given body of water. Each unit includes an upper panel of transparent, plastic material and a bottom panel of opaque, plastic material. The panels are joined at peripheries to provide an integral unit and spacers or ribs are provided to maintain separation between the opposing panel surfaces so that a thermal compartment is defined therebetween. In one form, the bottom panel may be a continuous strip of plastic material shared in common with separate top panels.
Claims5
A bouyant solar heating apparatus in combination with a pool for holding a body of water between opposite sidewalls and end-walls, comprising:
- a plurality of separate individual solar heating units having a predetermined complimentary configuration for arrangement about the surface of said body of water so that adjacent ones of said units contact each other at the periphery of said adjacent units;
- each of said units having a top panel and a bottom panel of thin flexible plastic material and joined at their respective peripheral edges to define an ambient air-filled compatement between opposing surfaces of said panels;
- said top panel being translucent and said bottom panel being opaque whereby the short rays of the sun pass through said top panel for absorption by said bottom panel and the longer rays emitted by said bottom panel are blocked by said top panel so that the short rays are readily converted to heat which is conducted to the surface of the body of water;
- a rib structure carried on each of said solar heating units to maintain separation between said opposing surfaces of said panel so as to maintain definition of said air-filled compartment;
- said rib structure consists of a rigid member extending about the periphery of each of said solar heating units and in connection therewith to separate said opposing surfaces of said panels immediately at the edge marginal regions thereof and cross member arranged in a frame-like network extending across said air-filled compartment to separate said opposing surface in the center thereof;
- and
- said bottom panel of said solar heating units is a single elongated sheet of said plastic material constituting a common bottom panel for said solar heating panels and an exposed portion of said common bottom panel between adjacent ones of said units providing a hingable or foldable member whereby said units are folded over on themselves in a stack for storage and transportation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.