Anti-entrapment swimming pool and wading pool main drain cover and method

For protective use with the drain of a swimming pool or wading pool, a drain cover for protectively covering the drain, the drain cover being of wheel-like configuration and comprising a disk of radius substantially greater than the radius of the drain such that the disk extends out radially beyond the drain in all directions over the pool floor surface or other surface in which the drain is located, wherein the disk has a periphery and is substantially a round flat plate, the disk carrying beneath it a series of radial ribs which define between them channels opening at the periphery to provide water inlets at the periphery, such that there is a side inlet between each pair of ribs, the ribs supporting the cover on said surface in which the drain is located, so that the disk periphery stands off said surface, for water flow intake beneath the disk through the side inlets, the ribs and channels controlling water flow beneath the disk so that water flows relatively evenly in the channels through the side inlets from the periphery and then into the drain without potential for pool user entrapment and substantially without vortex creation, and means for securement of the drain cover over the drain, wherein the ribs are substantially flat and do not extend into the drain, wherein the height of the ribs is substantially constant and in the range of from about 0.25 to about 0.75 inch, and the diameter of the disk is in the range of about 8 to about 14 inches such that the drain cover achieves a drain flow rate of 80 gallons per minute but a flow rate of 1.5 cubic feet per second or less into each inlet of the drain cover.

A method of protecting users of a swimming pool or wading pool from entrapment in a drain of such a pool, comprising

• covering the drain with a disk having a radius substantially greater than the radius of the drain, so that the disk extends out radially beyond the drain in all directions over the pool floor surface or other surface in which the drain is located,
• wherein the disk has a periphery and is substantially a round flat plate,
• providing beneath the disk a series of radial ribs which define between them channels opening at the periphery to provide side inlets, such that there is a side inlet between each pair of ribs, the ribs supporting the cover on said surface in which the drain is located, so that the disk periphery stands off said surface, for water flow intake beneath the disk through the side inlets,
• providing around the periphery of the disk a plurality of recesses, each adjacent the next, such that at least one such recess also opens into the channel between each pair of ribs, and
• using the ribs and channels to cause water to flow relatively evenly in the channels through the side inlets and recesses from the periphery and then into the drain without potential for pool user entrapment and substantially without vortex creation, wherein the ribs are substantially flat and do not extend into the drain, wherein the height of the ribs is substantially constant and in the range of from about 0.25 to about 0.75 inch, and the diameter of the disk is in the range of about 8 to about 14 inches such as to achieve a drain flow rate of 80 gallons per minute but a flow rate of 1.5 cubic feet per second or less into each said side inlets.