GB2170703A

GB2170703A - Pool construction

Info

Publication number: GB2170703A
Application number: GB08603480A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan William Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-02-13
Filing date: 1986-02-12
Publication date: 1986-08-13
Also published as: GB8603480D0; GB8503701D0

Abstract

A pool is constructed on the outer surface (12) of a mould by stretching a sheet of plastics material (19) over the outer surface (12) and then applying layers of a reinforced plastics material (21) to the sheet (19). The interior (14) of the mould is evacuated and the outer surface (12) of the mould has apertures (18) so that the plastics sheet (19) is retained thereon whilst the pool is formed. By increasing the pressure in the interior (14) of the mould (10) the pool, after curing, can be removed from the mould (10). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pool construction This invention relates to pool construction and in particular to the construction of swimming pools or the like for indoor or outdoor domestic use.

In order to produce such pools it is conventional to use a mould and form a pool of a glass reinforced plastics material (GRP) on such mould. The mould used in such a process is expensive thereby adding to the cost of producing pools thereon. Such moulds for each use require extensive polishing, for example at least five coats of polish may be required, which is time consuming and also adds to the cost of pool production. The mould is sprayed with a gel coating to aid subsequent removal of the pool from the mould and form a protective coating for the pool, and is then sprayed with the GRP material to form the pool. This is also a time consuming operation, and the gel coating may stain easily.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of pool construction which avoids or reduces to a substantial extent the abovementioned disadvantages associated with the current conventional pool construction method.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a pool having a patterned surface in a relatively simple and inexpensive manner, and a mould for use in pool construction which is less costly to manufacture then the moulds used heretofore.

The invention provides a method of pool construction which comprises stretching a sheet of a plastics material over the outer surface of a mould, retaining said sheet in contact with said mould surface whilst applying thereon a reinforced plastics material to form said pool and subsequently removing said formed pool from said mould.

Said mould may be air pervious and the method may comprise evacuating the interior of said mould to retain said sheet in contact with the outer surface of said mould. A binding agent may be applied to said sheet prior to applying said reinforced plastics material. Said binding agent may be applied by spraying and said reinforced plastics material may also be applied by spraying. In the latter case said reinforced plastics material may be sprayed in a plurality of layers to form a laminate thereof.

Said sheet of plastics material may have a pattern on one surface thereof, in which case said sheet may be stretched over said mould with said patterned surface in contact with the outer surface of said mould. Said sheet may be tailored to fit said mould prior to being stretched thereover.

The method may also include forming a rim portion of said pool of a gel coating on the inner surface of said reinforced plastics material.

Said sheet may be of a vinyl material and said reinforced plastics material may be glass-fibre reinforced plastics material.

The invention also provides a pool comprising an inner layer formed of a sheet of a plastics material and an outer layer of a reinforced plastics material.

Said sheet may be patterned on the inner surface thereof and may be of a vinyl material. Said outer layer may be a glass-fibre reinforced plastics material and may be a laminate of such material.

Said sheet and said outer layer may be bonded to each other by means of a binding agent. Said pool may have a rim portion formed of a gel coating on the inner surface of said reinforced plastics material.

The invention also provides a mould for producing the aforementioned pool by the aforementioned method, comprising a framework supporting a rigid sheet which forms an outer surface of said mould, and a floor to which said framework and rigid sheet are secured to define an enclosed space within said mould, said rigid sheet having a plurality of apertures therethrough, and suction means communicating with said enclosed space and operable to evacuate air therefrom. Said rigid sheet and said floor may be of plywood and said framework may be of timber. Said apertures may be substantially evenly distributed over the surface of said rigid sheet and may be of substantially 3 mm diameter.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:~ Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mould, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the mould of Fig. 1 having the plastics material sheet applied thereto, Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations of a part of the mould of Fig. 1 with the plastics material sheet applied thereto, to enlarged scales, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a pool being removed from the mould.

Referring now to Fig. 1 there is shown a mould 10 comprising a timber frame 11 supporting a plywood sheet 12 formed as the outer surface of the mould 10. A plywood floor 13 is sealed with the outer surface 12 so as to form an enclosed space 14 (see Fig. 3) within the mould 10. The floor 13 and hence the mould 10 is supported on legs 15. Asuction device 16 is connected by a pipe 17 to the enclosed space 14. Substantially evenly distributed over the whole of the outer surface 12 are apertures 18 which are of relatively small diameter, such as 3 mm. Such a mould is of simple construction which is relatively cheap to produce by comparison with moulds used heretofore. Furthermore no polishing of the outer surface 12 is required, thereby considerable savings of time and money by comparison with the known method of pool construction are achieved using the mould as herein described.

As shown in Fig. 2 a vinyl sheet 19, which has previously been tailored to be a correct fit over the mould 10, is stretched over the outer surface 12 of the mould 10. If the vinyl sheet 19 has a pattern on one surface thereof, the patterned surface is placed in contact with the outer surface 12 of the mould 10.

When the vinyl sheet 19 is in place the interior space 14 of the mould 10 is evacuated by the suction means 16 so that an air pressure gradient is formed across the vinyl sheet 19 at each aperture 18, thereby holding the vinyl sheet 19 firmly in place on the outer surface 12 of the mould 10, as shown in Fig. 3.

Whilst the vinyl sheet 19 is retained on the mould 10 in this way a layer 20 of a binding or etching material is applied, preferably by spraying, to the outersurface of the vinyl sheet 19. Then a laminate 21 of glass reinforced plastics material (GRP) is formed, again preferably by spraying successive layers thereof onto the layer 20 of binding or etching material, as shown in Fig. 4.

The layer20 bondsthe laminate 21 to the vinyl sheet 19 and thus forms the pool 22. When the laminate 21 is sufficiently cured the suction means 16 is stopped and the air pressure within the space 14 allowed to return to the ambient pressure. The pool 22 is then removed from the mould 10 as shown in Fig. 5, and the process is repeated. If desired the air pressure in the space 14may be raised above ambient pressure in order to assist the release ofthe pool 22 from the mould 10.

If desired the pool 22 may be formed having a rim portion 23 of a gel coating 24 on the inside of the laminate 21 instead ofthe patterned vinyl sheet 19.

To prevent the styrene in the G.R.P. laminate 21 from reacting with the plasticiser in the vinyl sheet 19 a barrier may be incorporated between them. Such barrier may preferably be sprayed on afterthe binding material 20. Alternatively a sheet of a suitable barrier material may be placed on the binding layer 20 before application ofthe G.R.P.

laminate 21.A suitable barrier material is "Melinex" (Registered Trade Mark) which prevents the aforementioned reaction but bonds to the G.R.P.

laminate.

In addition to the advantages provided by the present invention in not using an expensive mould which does not require polishing, further advantages bycomparisonwith known poolsandtheir construction are achieved. The present pool may have a patterned interior produced in a simple and inexpensive way. The vinyl sheet does not scratch easily and does not require constant protection and most importantlythe production time of a pool bythe present method is reduced considerably by comparison with the known method, by a factor of at leastthree, thereby reducing production costs still further. The rim portion 23 referred to above provides a coping forthe pool 22 and an aesthetically pleasing finish around the pool edge when in situ.

Claims

1. A method of pool construction comprising stretching a sheet of a plastics material overthe outer surface of a mould, retaining said sheet in contact with said mould surface whilst applying on said sheet a reinforced plastics material to form said pool, and subsequently removing said formed pool from said mould.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said mould is air pervious, comprising reducing the air pressure within said mould to retain said sheet in contact with the outersurface of said mould during said reinforced plastics material application.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 comprising applying a binding agentto said sheet material priorto applying said reinforced plastics material.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said binding agent is applied by spraying.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said reinforced plastics material is applied by spraying.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said reinforced plastics material is applied in a plurality of layers to form a laminate thereof.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said sheet has a pattern on one surface thereof, comprising stretching said sheet over said mould with said patterned surface in contact with said outersurface of said mould.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 comprising tailoring said sheet to fit said mould prior to stretching itthereover.

9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 comprising forming a rim portion of said pool.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said rim portion is formed by applying a gel coating on the inner surface of said reinforced plastics material.

11. A method according to claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon comprising raising the air pressure within said mould during removal of said pool therefrom.

12. A pool constructed by the method of claim 1 comprising an inner layer formed of a sheet of a plastics material and an outer layer of a reinforced plastics material.

13. A pool according to claim 12 wherein said sheet is of a vinyl material.

14. A pool according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein said reinforced plastics material is a glassfibre reinforced plastics material.

15. A pool according to claim 14 wherein said reinforced plastics material is a laminate.

16. A pool according to anyone of claims 12 to 15 wherein saidsheetis patternedontheinnersurface thereof.

17.A pool according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein said sheet is bonded to said reinforced plastics material by means ofa binding agent.

18. A pool according to any one of claims 12 to 17 having a rim portion.

19. A pool according to claim 18wherein said rim portion is formed by a gel coating on the inner surface of said reinforced plastics material.

20.Amould adaptedforthe productionofa pool comprising a framework supporting a rigid sheet which forms an outer surface of said mould, and a floorto which said framework and said rigid sheet are secured to define an enclosed space within said mould, said rigid sheet having a plurality of apertures therein, and suction means communicating with said enclosed space and operable to reduce the pressure of air therein.

21. A mould according to claim 20, wherein said rigid sheet is of plywood.

22. A mould according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein said floor is of plywood.

23. A mould according to any one of claims 20 to 22 wherein said framework is oftimber.

24. A mould according to anyone of claims 20to 23 wherein said apertures are substantially evenly distributed over the surface of said rigid sheet.

25.Amould according to claim 24 wherein said apertures are of substantially 3 mm diameter.

26. A mould according to any one of claims 20 to 25 and legs supporting said mould.

27. A method of pool construction substantially as hereinbefore described.

28. A pool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

29. A mould adapted for the production of a pool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.