Detachable rope and bonding wire apparatus and methods for pool covers

Abstract

Detachable rope apparatus is provided for extending a pool cover over a swimming pool having a guide track on a side of the pool, using a rope coupled to a pool cover motor. A bracket member is coupled to a front edge of the pool cover. An attachment device detachably couples an end of the rope to the bracket member to pull the pool cover. A bonding wire may replace a bead rope section embedded in the edge of the pool cover to form an elongated guide bead. A method is provided for forming a pool cover to enable the cover to be pulled over a swimming pool having a guide track on a side of the pool, using a rope coupled to a pool cover motor. A bracket member is coupled to a front edge of the pool cover, and an end of the rope is detachably coupled to the bracket member to pull the pool cover.

1 . Apparatus for extending and retracting a pool cover over a swimming pool having a guide track on a side of the pool, using a pulling rope coupled to a pool cover motor, comprising: 
 (a) a bracket member for coupling to a front edge of the pool cover, and    (b) an attachment device for detachably coupling an end of the pulling rope to the bracket member to pull the pool cover.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment device comprises a flexible piece attached to an end of the pulling rope and a removable mounting member for removably attaching the flexible piece to the bracket member.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the flexible member is wrapped around the pulling rope end and extends to attach to the mounting member.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the flexible member is coupled to the pulling rope end to form an elongated bead adapted to slide in the guide track.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a bead rope separate from the pulling rope and coupled along the longitudinal edges of the pool cover to form an elongated bead adapted to slide in the guide track and guide the extension and retraction of the pool cover.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a leading edge bar associated with the pool cover, wherein the bracket member is adapted to be coupled to the leading edge bar.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a bonding wire section coupled along longitudinal edges of the pool cover to form an elongated bead adapted to slide in the guide track and guide the extension and retraction of the pool cover.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the pool cover has a lining extending along an edge of the pool cover and wherein the bonding wire section is embedded in the lining to form the elongated bead.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a leading edge bar coupled to the front of the pool cover, wherein the bonding wire section is coupled between the leading edge bar and an electrical ground.  
     
     
         10 . Apparatus for pulling a pool cover to extend over a swimming pool with an edge of the pool cover sliding along a track in a side of a swimming pool, comprising: 
 (a) an elongated bead section integral with the pool cover to guide the cover along the track,    (b) a detachable rope section coupled to the pool cover motor and separate from the elongated bead section, and    (c) a coupling member for detachably coupling the detachable rope portion to the front of the pool cover to pull the pool cover over the swimming pool independently of the elongated bead section.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the pool cover has a lining extending along the edge of the pool cover, and wherein the elongated bead section is coupled to the lining to form a first elongated bead for sliding along the track.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the coupling member includes a flexible cover member coupling to an end of the detachable rope portion to form a second elongated bead for sliding along the track independent of the first elongated bead.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a leading edge bar coupled to the front of the pool cover, wherein the coupling member includes a bar attachment for coupling the leading edge bar to the coupling member.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the elongated bead section is formed from a rope section independent of the detachable rope section.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the elongated bead section is formed from a bonding wire independent of the detachable rope section.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a leading edge bar coupled to the front of the pool cover, wherein the bonding wire is coupled from the leading edge bar to an electrical ground.  
     
     
         17 . Apparatus for extending a pool cover over a swimming pool having a guide track on a side of the pool, using a pulling rope coupled to a pool cover motor, comprising an elongated bead section separate from the pulling rope and integral with the pool cover to guide the cover along the track, wherein the bead section comprises a bonding wire.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the pool cover includes a lining running along an edge of the pool cover and wherein the bonding wire is integral with the lining to form the elongated bead section.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a leading edge bar coupled a front edge of the pool cover, wherein the bonding wire is coupled between the leading edge bar and an electrical ground.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the bonding wire is flexible to enable the elongated bead to be wound up with the pool cover.  
     
     
         21 . A method for extending a pool cover over a swimming pool having a guide track on a side of the pool, comprising: 
 (a) coupling a rope to a pool cover motor;    (b) coupling a bracket member to a front edge of the pool cover; and    (c) detachably coupling an end of the rope to the bracket member to pull the pool cover.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising attaching a flexible piece to the end of the rope and removably attaching the flexible piece to the bracket member.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising wrapping the flexible member around the rope end and extending a portion of the flexible member to attach to the bracket member.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , comprising coupling the flexible member to the rope end to form an elongated bead adapted to slide in the guide track.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising coupling a bead rope along longitudinal edges of the pool cover to form an elongated bead adapted to slide in the guide track and to guide the extension and retraction of the pool cover over the swimming pool.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising coupling a leading edge bar to the pool cover, and coupling the bracket member to the leading edge bar.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising coupling a bonding wire section along longitudinal edges of the pool cover to form an elongated bead adapted to slide in the guide track and thereby guide extending and retracting the pool cover.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the pool cover has a lining extending along an edge of the pool cover and including the step of embedding the bonding wire section in the lining to form the elongated bead.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising coupling a leading edge bar to the front of the pool cover, and coupling the bonding wire section between the leading edge bar and an electrical ground.  
     
     
         30 . A method for forming a pool cover to enable the pool cover to be pulled along a track in a side of a swimming pool, comprising: 
 (a) disposing an elongated bead section integral with the pool cover to guide the cover along the track,    (b) coupling a detachable rope section to the pool cover motor, the detachable rope section being separate from the elongated bead section, and    (c) detachably coupling the detachable rope section to the front of the pool cover to pull the pool cover across the swimming pool independent of the elongated bead section.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , comprising embedding the elongated bead section in a lining running along an edge of the pool cover to form a first elongated bead for sliding along the track.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , comprising coupling a flexible cover member to an end of the detachable rope section to form a second elongated bead for sliding along the track independent of the first elongated bead.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising coupling a leading edge bar to the front of the pool cover, and attaching the coupling member to the leading edge bar.  
     
     
         34 . The method  claim 30 , wherein the elongated bead section is formed from a rope section independent of the detachable rope section.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the elongated bead section is a bonding wire independent of the detachable rope section.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising coupling a leading edge bar to the front of the pool cover, and coupling the bonding wire from the leading edge bar to an electrical ground.  
     
     
         37 . A method for forming a pool cover to enable the cover to be pulled over a swimming pool having a guide track on a side of the pool, using a pulling rope coupled to a pool cover motor, comprising forming an elongated bead section separate from the pulling rope and integral with the pool cover to guide the cover along the track, wherein the elongated bead section is formed by a bonding wire.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the pool cover includes a lining running along an edge of the pool cover, and comprising embedding the bonding wire in the lining to form the elongated bead section.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , further comprising coupling a leading edge bar to the front of the pool cover, and coupling the bonding wire between the leading edge bar and an electrical ground.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the elongated bead section is formed be a flexible bonding wire to enable the elongated bead to be wound up with the pool cover.