AU2010100193A4 - SWIMARS Swimming Pool Monitoring Alarm and Recovery System - Google Patents

Description

COMMERCIAL-IN-CONFIDENCE AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1900 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT SWIMMING POOL MONITORING, ALARM AND RECOVERY SYSTEM (SWIMARS) The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of operating, as I know it:

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COMMERCIAL-IN-CONFIDENCE 2 Every year children drown in backyard swimming pools, the majority being less than 5 years old. The reasons are many. However, the underlying theme is that the child was unsupervised, and the restraining devices such as gates and fences were ineffective because someone pegged the gate open, or the 5 locking mechanism was faulty and so on. If an adult had been made aware of a child falling in, and thus able to immediately render assistance, and if there was a way to quickly remove the child from the water, the child may have had a chance of surviving. What is required is a system that actively monitors the surface of the swimming pool and when a child is detected 10 falling into the water, removes the child from the water and alerts parents/guardians and possibly emergency services of the incident. The Swimming Pool Monitoring, Alarm and Recovery Equipment (SWIMARS) does just that. It monitors the surface of the water, detects a child falling in, engages a recovery grid to bring the child quickly to the surface and 15 simultaneously engages an audio alarm and can also alert emergency services if desired. The SWIMARS can be fitted to existing swimming pools, or it can be integrated into new swimming pools. System Overview The SWIMARS consists of an activation unit, quick inflation airbags, recovery 20 grid, an recovery grid housing, watertight conduit for the wiring and an alarm. Detection Arming of the SWIMARS, engaging the alarm and initiating the inflation of the airbags is done via the activation unit. The infra-red beams detect a child falling into the swimming pool. 25 Activation unit The activation unit consists of a security code lock, motion sensors and a switch/trigger mechanism. The activation unit serves three purposes. A) It is programmed to arm the SWIMARS if, after five (5) minutes, no movement has been detected in and around the swimming pool. The activation unit can only 30 be switched off via a security code. B) Upon receipt of a signal from the infra red beams it activates the quick self-inflating airbags, and C) activates the audio alarm. The activation unit uses motion sensors to detect movement in and around the swimming pool. After five minutes of inactivity, the activation unit will turn on the infra-red beams and will engage the audio alarm and 35 initiate the airbags if a signal is received from the infra-red beams. Infra-red Beams Infra-red beams are located at the edge of the pool, and cover out to 1m from the edge of the pool, and are used to monitor the area between the edge of the pool and 1 metre out from the edge of the pool. The infra-red beams are 40 spaced at regular (default of 25cm) intervals and are connected to the activation unit. Once armed, the SWIMARS infra-red beams continuously monitor the one metre wide corridor around the swimming pool. When an unsupervised child falls into the water he/she will interrupt two or more infra red beams resulting in a signal being sent to the activation unit. Once the

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COMMERCIAL-IN-CONFIDENCE 3 45 SWIMARS system is armed, it requires a minimum of two (2) infra-red beams to be cut to engage the activation unit. This is to ensure that the alarm and airbags are not activated, for example, by a bird landing in the pool or a leaf interrupting a single beam. Any child falling in will interrupt two (2) or more IRB thus engaging the activation unit. 50 Alarm The SWIMARS is fitted with a very loud audio alarm which is designed to alert the occupants of the house, passers-by and neighbours that a child has fallen into the swimming pool. The alarm can also be programmed to call a mobile number or emergency services. 55 Recovery The SWIMARS uses a combination of a recovery grid and quick inflating airbags to raise out of the water, a child that has fallen in. Airbags All swimming pools will require a minimum of three quick self-inflating 60 airbags. Three being the minimum number required to maintain a stable base for the recovery grid. These airbags are identical to those fitted to motor vehicles except that they do not have perforations and will not deflate. They are engaged by signal from the activation unit. The airbags are installed in the bottom of the pool in cylindrical housings (with a circumference slightly larger 65 than that of the airbags) which are an integral part of the recovery grid housing and are designed to protect them and remove them from sight. These airbags are attached to the underside of the recovery grid and are the trigger mechanism is hardwired to the activation unit via watertight insulated wiring housed in protective conduits. Each airbag is secured to the underside of the 70 air bag housing lid which is attached to the bottom of the recovery grid. When activated, the lids are released and the airbags quickly fill with air forcing the recovery grid above the surface. Recovery Grid The recovery grid is made of PVC or other rust proof/resistant material and is 75 located on top of the airbags and form a criss-cross grid pattern, with gaps no larger than 20cm x 20cm. The beams are recessed into the recovery grid housing located on the bottom of the pool. This housing keeps the recovery grid in place and also ensures that swimmers are not injured by the SWIMARS or damage the SWIMARS whilst using the swimming pool. The recovery grid 80 has a very slight negative buoyancy to allow them to remain on the bottom, undisturbed, and have drainage holes in the underside to ensure that water quickly drains out once they rise above the surface of the pool. An outer frame made of the same materials as the recovery grid will be attached to the recovery grid ends. This outer frame is constructed in such a way that it 85 follows the contours of the swimming pool, ensuring that a child will not get caught between the recovery grid and the side of the swimming pool, and neither will the child fall back into the swimming pool. When the airbags

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COMMERCIAL-IN-CONFIDENCE 4 reach the surface they will automatically raise the recovery grid above the water, keeping the child above the water. For larger pools, further airbag 90 installations can be positioned in the pool to ensure that the recovery grid is able to take the weight of the child and keep the child above the water. If the pool has angled sides, the recovery grid can be attached to the outer frame via spring loaded extensions which are released at the same time as the airbag housing lid is released. The outer frame will then be moved, via the 95 springs, allowing the recovery grid/outer frame to cover the entire surface of the pool whilst still maintaining the appropriate gap between itself and the edge of the swimming pool. Watertight Conduit. All of the wiring going to and from the infra-red sensor beams, the activation unit and the airbag triggers is to be housed in 100 watertight/waterproof conduit. Extra Fittings 1). The recovery grid will usually be in one continuous rigid frame, but can be in sections if appropriate (dimensions of the pool for example). 2). The swimming pool can also have runner guides which will ensure an even 105 distance between the recovery grid and the swimming pool sides. Activation and Alarm Five minutes after people have left the swimming pool the activation unit will determine that the pool area is vacant and arm the infra-red beams. Any child that has been able to get into the swimming pool area undetected and falls 110 into the swimming pool will cut two (2) or more infra-red beams, sending a signal to the activation unit, simultaneously setting off the audio alarm and activating the airbags which will quickly fill with air, forcing the recovery grid and the child to the surface in a fast yet sustained movement. Summary 115 The activation unit arms the system after five (5) minutes of inactivity in the swimming pool area. If the infra-red beams are interrupted, the activation unit simultaneously engages the audio alarm and activates the airbags. The airbags quickly fill with air, sending them, the recovery grid and the child to the surface. As the recovery grid is on top of the airbags, the grid and the child 120 will automatically be placed above the surface of the water, thus ensuring that the child is also removed from the water, providing the opportunity to revive the child, whilst also attracting rescuers to the pool via the alarm.

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Claims (4)

1. The Swimming Pool Automatic Recovery Equipment (SWIMARS) is a swimming pool monitoring, alarm and recovery system which can be retro-fitted to above and below ground swimming pools or as an 5 integral part of all future swimming pools. The SWIMARS consists of an activation unit, infra-red sensor beams, a recovery grid and recovery grid housing, quick inflating airbags and watertight housings and watertight conduits. The activation unit can only be switched off by inputting a security code and employs motion sensors to 10 determine a lack of movement in and around the swimming pool and if no movement is detected after a given time (default time of five minutes), the activation unit arms infra-red sensor beams located around the edge of the swimming pool. Once armed, the infra-red sensor beams will detect a child falling into the pool when two or 15 more of the beams are interrupted. When the infra-red beams are broken, a signal is sent to the activation unit setting off the loud audio alarm and initiating the recovery of the child from the water via the use of a minimum of three quick inflating airbags secured to the underside of the airbag housing lid which is secured to the 20 underside of the recovery grid. The recovery grid forms a criss-cross pattern and is designed to be slightly negatively buoyant, and able to hold the weight of a five or six (approximately) year old child. The recovery grid is stored in the bottom of the swimming pool in a recovery grid housing. This housing has a recess which ensures that 25 the top of the recovery grid matches with the top of the recovery housing. The recovery housing has small dimples which keeps the recovery grid from adhering to the bottom of the recovery grid. When a signal is received from the activation unit, the airbags automatically fill quickly with air, forcing them and the attached 30 recovery beams to the surface. Being fixed above the airbags, the recovery beams will be sitting above the pool, keeping the child out of the water. The Activation Unit is fully automatic, turning itself on via sensors that monitor the area in and around the swimming pool. If no 35 movement is detected for at least five (5) minutes after everyone has vacated the swimming pool area it activates the SWIMARS. This is similar to the way motor vehicle locking systems re-lock if the doors are not opened after a given time. The activation unit can only be switched off via a security code; failure to do this will result in the 40 recovery sub-system operating as soon it detects someone entering the swimming pool. Having turned itself on after waiting the five minutes, the activation unit reacts when two (2) or more of the infra red beams are interrupted by a child entering the swimming pool. As soon as the activation unit detects the infra-red beams being 45 interrupted, it immediately turns on the audio alarm and also immediately activates the airbags. COMMERCIAL-IN-CONFIDENCE 2 The Infra-red sensor beams and their receivers are mounted above the water on the underneath of the swimming pool edge and monitor the area around the edge of the swimming pool for a width 50 of at least one (1) metre with the infra-red sensor beams located at regular (default being 25cm) intervals from the edge of the pool. In some cases these will overlap and will be spaced at varying heights to ensure that they do not interfere with each other. To ensure that the recovery sub-system is not activated by, for example, a bird flying 55 through, or a leaf interrupting the infra-red sensor beams, , the activation unit will only react when two (2) or more of the infra-red sensor beams are interrupted simultaneously. The Audio Alarm is very loud and will be easily recognised as a swimming pool accident warning. This is to ensure that the alarm is 60 not ignored and that everyone is aware of the nature of the alarm. The alarm can only be deactivated by entering the security code into the activation unit. The Airbags are similar to the airbags fitted to modern motor vehicles and that are designed to inflate in a split second. The 65 differences are that the airbags are not designed to deflate, are engaged by a signal from the activation unit and are housed in cylindrical watertight compartments (with a diameter slightly greater than that of the airbags) located at the bottom of the pool underneath the recovery beams as part of the recovery beam 70 housing and which have a protective cover to allow them to blend into the swimming pool and keep them from curious people. These watertight compartments must be strong enough to protect the airbags but be quickly and easily opened when the airbags are activated. There is to be a minimum of three airbags to ensure 75 stability when they rise to the surface, the number and placement to be determined by the size and shape of the swimming pool. The airbags are connected to the activation unit via wiring housed in watertight conduits. Recovery Grid are constructed from PVC or other rust 80 proof/resistant material in the form of a criss-cross grid pattern, with gaps no larger than 20cm x 20cm, and is to be slightly negatively buoyant with drainage holes located in the underside and with an outer frame which conforms with the shape of the swimming pool, but allows a small continuous gap between the swimming pool sides 85 and the recovery grid outer frame. The recovery grid can also be fitted with spring activated extensions to ensure that the recovery grid outer frame maintains the gap between itself and a swimming pool with sloping sides. The Recovery Grid Housing is located at the bottom of the pool and 90 ensures that the recovery grid is not damaged by swimming pool users, neither can it injure swimmers. This housing has channels deep enough to allow the tops of the recovery grid to sit at the same COMMERCIAL-IN-CONFIDENCE 3 height as the top of the recovery grid housing, the housing also having small raised dimples located in the grooves to ensure that the 95 recovery grid does not come in contact with the body of the recovery grid housing causing the recovery grid to adhere to the recovery housing over time. The recovery grid housing, including the airbag housing, can be added to existing pools as a standalone unit or can be built into the bottom of future swimming pools during the 100 moulding process Watertight Conduit. The wiring from to and from the activation unit is housed in watertight/waterproof conduit to ensure that the electrical signals are successfully sent and received.

2. A swimming pool monitoring, alarm and recovery system as claimed 105 in claim 1, but which uses some other sensor system such as CCTV to identify when the swimming pool and its surroundings are not in use and therefore turn on the system.

3. A swimming pool monitoring, alarm and recovery system as claimed in claim 1, but which uses other suitable rust proof materials for the 110 construction of the recovery grid.

4. A swimming pool monitoring, alarm and recovery system as herein described with reference to Figures 1-6 of the accompanying drawings. WESTEN INNOVATIONS Gerard Marinus Anthony Westenberg 3 Mar 2010