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EP-4741579-A1 - COVERING SYSTEM FOR COVERING A BASE SURFACE AND OVERFLOW CHANNEL EMBEDDED IN A BASE SURFACE WITH SUCH A COVERING SYSTEM

EP4741579A1EP 4741579 A1EP4741579 A1EP 4741579A1EP-4741579-A1

Abstract

Covering system for covering a base surface overflow channel embedded in a base surface with a covering system, wherein the covering system comprises a cover (10) with a first through hole (11); and a frame including a hinge configuration (24) adapted to cooperate with the cover (10) to pivotably drive the cover (10) around a hinge axis (HA) between a closed position, and an open position, wherein the frame is made of several independent frame elements (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b), each frame element (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b) including at least one attachment configuration (23), and wherein the hinge configuration (24) is included in two opposed frame elements; and the hinge configuration (24) of the frame cooperates with the first through hole (11) of the cover (10) determining the alignment of the hinge axis (HA) with the first through hole (11) of the cover (10).

Inventors

  • DIVINS ROCHÉS, Oriol

Assignees

  • ROSA GRES, SLU

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241108

Claims (15)

  1. Covering system for covering a base surface, the covering system comprising: a cover (10) defining a front surface and comprising a first through hole (11) parallel to said front surface; and a frame including attachment configurations (23) adapted to enable the frame to be secured to the base surface, and a hinge configuration (24) adapted to cooperate with the cover (10) to pivotably drive the cover (10) around a hinge axis (HA) between a closed position, where the front surface of the cover (10) is parallel to the frame, and an open position where front surface of the cover (10) is raised forming an angle with the frame, characterized in that the frame is made of several independent frame elements (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b), each frame element (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b) including at least one attachment configuration (23), and wherein the hinge configuration (24) is included in one or in two opposed frame elements; and the hinge configuration (24) of the frame cooperates with the first through hole (11) of the cover (10) determining the alignment of the hinge axis (HA) with the first through hole (11) of the cover (10).
  2. The covering system according to claim 1 wherein each hinge configuration (24) comprises one hinge element at least partially inserted in said first through hole (11).
  3. The covering system according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the frame comprises a support surface on which a back surface of the cover (10) rests when in the closed position.
  4. The covering system according to any preceding claim wherein the cover (10) further includes additional second through holes (12) parallel to the first through hole (11).
  5. The covering system according to claim 4 wherein the frame comprises elastically deformable clipping elements (25a, 25b) at least partially inserted in a releasable manner in at least one of the second through holes (12) of the cover, when the cover is in the closed position.
  6. The covering system according to claim 5 wherein the elastically deformable clipping elements (25a, 25b) are included in one or in two opposed frame elements (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b).
  7. The covering system according to any preceding claim wherein the frame comprises two identical first frame elements (21a, 21b) separated in the hinge axis direction (HA), each comprising a left portion of the hinge configuration (24) and/or a right portion of the hinge configuration (24), the cover (10) being hinged to the frame by the left portion of the hinge configuration (24) of one first frame element (21a) and/or by the right portion of the hinge configuration (24) of the other first frame element (21b).
  8. The covering system according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the frame comprises two identical second frame elements (22a, 22b) separated in the hinge axis direction (HA), each comprising left elastically deformable clipping elements (25a) and/or right elastically deformable clipping elements (25b), the cover (10) being retained to the frame, when in the closed position, by the left elastically deformable clipping elements (25a) of one second frame element (22a) and/or by the right elastically deformable clipping elements (25b) of the other second frame element (22b).
  9. The covering system according to any preceding claim wherein each frame element (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b) comprises one base plate, including through holes constitutive of the attachment configurations (23), and at least one vertical wall perpendicular to the base plate, at least a portion of the hinge configuration (24) protruding from said vertical wall on at least one frame element (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b).
  10. The covering system according to any preceding claim wherein a cross section of the cover (10), perpendicular to the hinge axis (HA), is constant along the entire cover (10), the cover (10) being suitable for production through extrusion.
  11. The covering system according to any preceding claim wherein the cover (10) is entirely made of ceramic material or cementitious material.
  12. The covering system according to any preceding claim wherein the cover (10) includes, at least on one lateral side perpendicular to the hinge axis (HA), an elastomeric sealing gasket attached thereto.
  13. An overflow channel embedded in a base surface with a covering system, wherein: the overflow channel (30) comprises first upper edge (31) and second opposed upper edge (32) defining a linear opening (33) therebetween; the covering system is the covering system described in any of the preceding claims, in repeated alignment in the hinge axis (HA) direction, with the frames secured to the base surface positioning the hinge axis (HA) of each cover (10) parallel to the first and second upper edges (31, 32) of the overflow channel (30); characterized in that in the closed position each cover (10) has a base portion (10a), comprised between the hinge axis (HA) and the first upper edge (31) which does not face the linear opening (33), and a cantilever portion (10b) which extends in cantilever from the first upper edge (31) towards the second upper edge (32) without reaching said second upper edge (32), leaving an unobstructed linear slot (34) of the linear opening (33) between the cover (10) and the second upper edge (32).
  14. The overflow channel according to claim 13 wherein the base portion (10a) will cover at least half of the surface of the cover (10), or at least two thirds thereof.
  15. The overflow channel according to claim 13 or 14 wherein the cantilever portion (10b) of the cover (10) is supported on at least one frame element (21 a, 21b, 22a, 22b) secured to a base surface and extending in cantilever over a portion of the linear opening (33) from the first upper edge (31) towards the second upper edge (32); or the cantilever portion (10b) of the cover (10) is supported on at least one frame element (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b) secured to a base surface and extending between the first and second upper edges (31, 32) over the linear opening (33).

Description

Technical field The present invention concerns a covering system for covering a base surface and to an overflow channel embedded in a base surface with a covering system. The covering system is a hinged covering system intended for covering regions of a base surface requiring access for periodic maintenance. The overflow channel, occasionally also referred to as water collection channels or surge water channel, generally run around the edge of swimming pools and are used to collect water that spills over the edge of the pool. The collected water is preferably returned to the pool after appropriate water treatment. Background of the Invention Covering systems, including a cover pivotally hinged to a frame, for covering a region of a base surface are already known. Typically, the cover and the frame are dimensioned to match each other in order to obtain the cooperation between the hinge configurations of the frame and the complementary elements of the cover in order to obtain the hinged connection between them. This prevents variability in the size of the cover, as changing the size of the cover requires a corresponding change in the size of the frame, which increases production costs. It also prevents installers from easily adjusting the size of the cover to fit in the installation site. For example, DE102017112614A1 describes a cover that is hinged on one side to allow the pivotal opening thereof. However, this solution does not foresee any measures to adapt the size of the cover to fit the size of the installation site. Also, in this case, the cover is installed over a linear opening of the overflow channel covering a central region of the linear opening, the cover being supported on both sides of the linear opening, defining two unobstructed slots over the overflow channel, one on each side of the cover. Using two unobstructed linear slots produces a significant visual impact by limiting the width of the cover to the width of the channel, and by creating two unobstructed linear slots, the regions where dirt can accumulate are doubled. The first aspect of the present invention solves this and other problems. Also, overflow channels embedded in a base surface covered with a covering system are well known, using in a wide variety of covering system designs. Depending on the design, the linear opening of the overflow channel can be below the edge of the pool, in which case the water level in the pool is below the edge of the pool, or it can be flush with the upper edge of the pool, in which case the water level reaches the upper edge of the pool. In this second type of overflow channels, the overflow channel defines a linear opening which provides access to the interior of the channel located below said linear opening. Said linear opening is typically big enough to allow for cleaning, maintenance and inspection operations, and is covered with a hinged cover supported on both lateral sides of the linear opening. This cover has traditionally been a grid-like cover structure, as described for example in DE4407452A1, for example. However, such grid-like covers offer many regions in which dirt can accumulate and are visually very conspicuous and therefore do not allow an even, uniform base surface design around the pool. DE102008011125 also discloses an overflow channel with a cover which is not a grid-like cover but a piece of the same material as the surroundings housed within the lineal opening, defining two parallel unobstructed linear slots on both sides of the cover. However, the disadvantage here is that the cover has to be completely removed to gain access to the overflow channel, for example for cleaning or maintenance purposes. A second aspect of the present invention provides a solution to the above and other problems. Description of the Invention According to the first aspect, the present invention concerns to a covering system for covering a base surface, as described in claim 1. The proposed covering system comprises: a cover defining a front surface and comprising a first through hole parallel to said front surface; anda frame including attachment configurations adapted to enable the frame to be secured to the base surface, and a hinge configuration adapted to cooperate with the cover to pivotably drive the cover around a hinge axis between a closed position, where the front surface of the cover is parallel to the frame, and an open position where front surface of the cover is raised forming an angle with the frame. The cover, typically a flat rectangular cover, includes two main surfaces, one back surface facing the base surface when in the closed position and one front surface opposed to the back surface which is typically a walkable surface. Those two surfaces are the biggest surfaces of the cover and determine corresponding perimetral edges connected through lateral sides of the cover. Typically, the front surface is a flat surface. According to the above, the cover includes a first through hole