Pneumatic surf wave production for pools
AssigneeAutomated Swimpools, Inc.
InventorsSiegfried Schuster, Christian Boes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for creating in a water pool a wave for surfing, the pool having a reservoir at one end open to the pool beneath the undisturbed water level of the pool, a fan connected to the reservoir for expelling air from it and drawing water from the pool into the reservoir to store water above the undisturbed water level of the pool, and a valve for selectively sealing the reservoir against the intrusion of air and rapidly ventilating the reservoir so that the stored water flows into the pool by gravity at a velocity near its theoretical limit.
Claims10
Apparatus for producing a surfing wave above the undisturbed level of water in a pool having a floor, said apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir having an interior volume disposed partially above and partially below the level of undisturbed water in a pool, generally opposed front and rear walls, and generally opposed side walls to form with said front and rear walls a first horizontal cross sectional area, each said wall terminating in a lower extremity to establish communication between said reservoir and said pool below said level of undisturbed water in said pool, said reservoir including a first aperture for admitting air, said first aperture having a second cross sectional area at least one third that of said first horizontal cross sectional area;
- suction means in communication with said reservoir for evacuating air from said reservoir;
- and
- valve means for selectively sealing said reservoir against the intrusion of air and rapidly opening said first aperture to ventilate said reservoir to the atmosphere.
A method for producing a surfing wave in a pool containing a depth of undisturbed water and having a reservoir including an interior horizontal cross section, and a first aperture having a first cross sectional area at least one third that of said horizontal cross sectional area, said reservoir being in communication with said pool beneath the surface of the undisturbed water, comprising the steps of:
- sealing the reservoir against the intrusion of air;
- removing air from the reservoir to draw water into the reservoir above the surface of the undisturbed water;
- and rapidly opening said first aperture to the atmosphere.
Apparatus for producing a surfing wave above the undisturbed level of water in a pool, said apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir having an interior volume disposed partially above and partially below the level of undisturbed water in a pool, in communication with said pool below said undisturbed level of water and containing first and second apertures, said first aperture having an area less than about 1/100 of said second aperture;
- suction means in communication with said reservoir for evacuating air from said reservoir;
- sealing means having closed and open positions for selectively sealing said second aperture from the flow of air and opening said second aperture to the atmosphere, respectively;
- biasing means for urging said sealing means toward said open position;
- and first aperture opening means for selectively sealing said first aperture from the flow of air and opening said first aperture to the atmosphere in response to a stimulus to release said sealing means from said closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.