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US-20260125917-A1 - Above Ground Pool Filter

US20260125917A1US 20260125917 A1US20260125917 A1US 20260125917A1US-20260125917-A1

Abstract

A portable surface skimmer to remove floating debris from an above-ground swimming pool includes trapezoid basket with a separate removable strainer basket and support frame. The trapezoid basket has a surface strainer has an opening in a back surface thereof to allow it to slide about the existing pool strainer. A float is incorporated to control the surface water flow into the basket.

Inventors

  • Edward E. Derickson

Assignees

  • Edward E. Derickson

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241106

Claims (7)

  1. 1 . An improved above ground pool filter for an above ground pool of the type having a conduit and strainer connected thereto which extend from a side of the above ground pool below water surface level, which includes: a housing having a back side, a front side and lateral sides, said back side having a slotted surface configured to be slidably received about the conduit.
  2. 2 . The improved above ground pool filter for an above ground pool of claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said front side and said lateral sides includes an inlet surface to receive water and debris into said housing, and at least one float is connected to said housing to maintain said housing and said inlet surface at a water surface level to enable inflow of water and debris.
  3. 3 . The improved above ground pool filter for an above ground pool of claim 2 , which includes at least two floats.
  4. 4 . The improved above ground pool filter for an above ground pool of claim 1 , wherein said housing includes a basket retaining structure and a filter basket strainer removably retained by said basket retaining structure.
  5. 5 . The improved above ground pool filter for an above ground pool of claim 1 , wherein said housing is configured with a lateral sides being in a trapezoidal shape to accommodate for a declining slope of the pool wall.
  6. 6 . The improved above ground pool filter for an above ground pool of claim 1 , wherein said housing is of a sufficient size such that said basket retaining structure is sufficiently laterally spaced from said back side of said housing that when said filter basket is installed and said housing is disposed on said conduit, and the conduit strainer connected to the conduit, said conduit strainer is spaced from said filter basket strainer to avoid clogging thereof.
  7. 7 . The improved above ground pool filter for an above ground pool of claim 2 , wherein said housing has pivoting flap adjacent said inlet surface and includes a float on a back side thereof to control water flow and to permit debris in and trap the debris once inside said housing.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements made to pool skimmers able to be fixed to a wall of an above-ground pool. More particularly, the present invention relates to device which dynamically adjusts to water levels to remove floating debris from the surface of the water in above-ground swimming pools. In the description that follows, a “wall” is to be understood as denoting both an actual side wall of an above ground walled pool either of the self-supporting type or of the type supported by a framework, and the sealed liner arranged in a pool with rigid peripheral walls. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART All in-ground swimming pools have a scupper, and water inlet, with a designed floating device to control the water level and a skimmer basket to trap out debris. Currently, the known method to automatically collect debris floating on top of water in above-ground swimming pools is combersome. The current process of using a hand net is tedious and time-consuming. U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,542 discloses a floating weir skimmer with a pivoting flap that can be fixed to a flexible wall of an above-ground pool. The patent discloses a flexible pouch with an open front face that can be sealed to the exterior face of the flexible wall to correspond with an opening therein, and a removable rigid cassette in the flexible pouch, with a water inlet facing the opening and at the bottom a water outlet which connects to by way of a hose to an existing filtration outlet disposed in the wall sub water level. The skimmer is secured to the flexible side wall, supported by a framework, of an above-ground pool. While this improvement in the field is helpful, there remains a need to improve the simplicity of such above ground skimmers. A major disadvantage with the known above ground skimmers lies in the fact that they require adjustment to meet water level in order to maintain working as an effective skimmer. As water levels rise and fall, these current designs require continues adjustment of the device to assure the inlet of such devices meet the water level in a way which permits the skimmer to work. In short, such a skimmer described is not, because of its design, able to operate dynamically. Further, such prior skimmer and like designs require more parts and installation time than is desired. The present invention overcomes the deficiencies in the art by providing a skimmer structure which is a simple in its design and installation and reliable solution for forming an external skimmer for an above-ground pool which dynamically adjusts to water surface levels to readily clean the pool water surface. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object to improve pool skimmers. Another object is to improve above ground pool skimmers by providing a dynamically adjusting skimmer. It is another objective of the invention to propose an improved technical solution to the forming of a skimmer with a float to maintain a buoyancy level to operate reliably and effectively. Still another object is to provide a skimmer which slidably mounts about an existing filter conduit which extends subsurface in a pool, particularly above ground pool. Yet a further object is to provide a skimmer which can be mounted adjacent the wall of above-ground pools slidably connecting to an existing filter pipe rendering without the need for altering existing filter pipe and filter. Accordingly, the instant invention is directed to an improved above ground pool filter or skimmer for an above ground pool of the type having a conduit and strainer connected thereto which extend from a side of the pool below water surface level. The above ground pool filter includes housing which includes a back side, a front side and lateral sides. The back side includes a slotted surface configured to be slidably received about the conduit. Further, at one of the other sides, preferably the front side, includes an inlet surface to receive water and debris into the housing. One or more float is connected to the housing to maintain the housing and in turn the inlet surface at a water surface level to enable inflow of the water and debris. Preferably, there are a pair of floats, one on each lateral side. Inside the housing is a basket retaining structure for a filter basket strainer which is removably retained by the basket retaining structure. A majority of above ground pools have declining sloped pool wall. The housing can preferably be configured with the lateral sides being in a trapezoidal shape to accommodate for the declining slope of the pool wall. Also, the housing is of a sufficient size such that the basket retaining structure is sufficiently laterally spaced from the back side of the housing that when the filter basket is installed and the housing is operably disposed on the conduit, the conduit strainer connected to the conduit is spaced from the filter basket strainer to avoid clogging of the conduit strainer. A pivoting flap can be provided adjacent the inlet