EP1411186B1

EP1411186B1 - A swimming pool lane divider

Info

Publication number: EP1411186B1
Application number: EP03380214A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francesc Xavier c/o Sacopa S.A.U. Vila Corts
Original assignee: Sacopa SA
Current assignee: Sacopa SA
Priority date: 2002-10-16
Filing date: 2003-09-30
Publication date: 2005-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 2023-09-30
Also published as: ATE301225T1; ES2245439T3; ES1053157Y; DE60301185D1; EP1411186A1; ES1053157U

Abstract

Floats attached to the rope (c), are designed based on resiliently deformable shell (2) comprising the assembly of turbine (6), to absorb the energy of waves created in water surface.

Description

As is known, public swimming pools and particularly competition swimming pools have arranged in them several swim lane dividers along their length in order to thus delimit the lanes along which the swimmers are to swim.
These swim lane dividers are made up of a number of small floats being aligned and strung on a longitudinal support such as a rope or the like.
Several float models are known which are generally made of plastics material and have different shapes and makeups such as those being spheroidal, disk-shaped, cylindrical and others.
With the use of these conventional swim lane dividers swimmers are facing the problem of the wake being created by themselves when advancing through the water. This wake brings about in reality a braking action being exerted on the swimmer and being created when the waves rebound after having hit the swim lane dividers, said braking action even partly affecting the adjacent swim lanes.
A swim lane divider is known which is the object of US-4 048 677 patent and is made up of floats being combined with devices being apt to inhibit the turbulence being produced in the wake being created by the swimmers, these latter being thus enabled to advance through the water without being hindered by the wake being created by themselves.
Said wake turbulence inhibit devices are made up by a turbine being apt to freely rotate on the rope, the floats being as well strung on this latter.
This invention has as its object a swim lane divider being formed by floats being basically made up with a resiliently deformable shell allowing the water to pass therethrough towards the inside where as a means being apt to absorb the wave energy a turbine assembly aids said absorption and is made up of a series of turbines being arranged inside the float and having their axles arranged in a longitudinal arrangement.
The shell and the turbines are made of a resilient plastics material.
These and other characteristics will be best made apparent by the following detailed description whose understanding will be made easier by the accompanying two sheets of drawings showing a practical embodiment being cited only by way of an example not limiting the scope of the present invention.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 illustrates in a perspective vie the float that will make up the swim lane divider;
Fig. 2 shows in a perspective view said float having had half a shell removed from it;
Fig. 3 represents Fig. 2 after having had some turbines removed; and
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inner portion of the float.
According to the drawings the float making up the swim lane divider comprises a substantially cylindrical shell being formed by two longitudinal half-shells (1) and (2) being provided with peripheral openings (3) and having longitudinally and transversely arranged outer ribs (4) and (5) being provided by way of short, flat gills.
A number of turbines (6) are arranged inside the shell and are mounted on longitudinal axles (7) being fitted at their ends to respective disk-shaped bases (8) and (9).
The float is strung on a rope (C) on which two transverse float end members (10) and (11) and a longitudinal float member (12) are also strung.
The replacement of the longitudinal float with one or more turbines is also contemplated if convenient.
Both the shell and the turbines will be preferably made of a slightly resilient plastics material, the water having access to the turbines through the openings (3).
The swim lane divider will be made up by stringing a number of floats such as the above-mentioned ones on a rope (C).
The invention can within its essentiality be put into practice in other embodiments only in detail differing from the one having been described above only by way of example, said other embodiments also falling within the scope of the protection being sought.

Claims

A swimming pool lane divider comprising a number of floats being strung on and attached to a flexible, longitudinal member, the floats have a makeup being apt to absorb the energy of the waves being created in the water surface;
characterised in that the floats makeup being apt to absorb the wave energy is based on the presence of a resiliently deformable shell (1, 2) innerly comprising the arrangement of an assembly of turbines (6) having their axles (7) arranged in a longitudinal arrangement with respect to the float.
A swimming pool lane divider as per claim 1, characterised in that the shell (1, 2) is made up to allow the water to pass therethrough.
A swimming pool lane divider as per claim 1, characterised in that the shell (1, 2) and the turbines (6) are made of a resilient plastics material.