CA1205258A - Control device for submerged surface cleaning apparatus - Google Patents
Control device for submerged surface cleaning apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1205258A CA1205258A CA000430002A CA430002A CA1205258A CA 1205258 A CA1205258 A CA 1205258A CA 000430002 A CA000430002 A CA 000430002A CA 430002 A CA430002 A CA 430002A CA 1205258 A CA1205258 A CA 1205258A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- suction
- hose
- torque
- bypass
- turbine
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Landscapes
- Cleaning In General (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A method is provided for the random steering of suction head for cleaning swimming pools in which there is a suction hose connecting with the head in a direction normal to the surface or, which the suction head moves. The method consists in intermittently applying torque about the axis of the suction hose, e.g. where it enters the suction head. The torque is applied by means of a water motor driven by the water flowing from the suction head along the suction hose.
A method is provided for the random steering of suction head for cleaning swimming pools in which there is a suction hose connecting with the head in a direction normal to the surface or, which the suction head moves. The method consists in intermittently applying torque about the axis of the suction hose, e.g. where it enters the suction head. The torque is applied by means of a water motor driven by the water flowing from the suction head along the suction hose.
Description
~2Q52S~
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a control device for submerged surface c]eaning apparatus.
One type of device for cleaning submerged surfaces, such as the floors of swimming pools comprises a cleaning head which is con-nected by means of a flexible suction hose to the suction side of a filter-pump combination. Liquid flowing through the suction head and along the suction hose powers a device which causes the suction head to move along the submerged surface. In the course of moving along the suction head momentarily detaches itse]f from the latter surface so that it advances in a stepwise manner.
Suction heads of this kind are described, for example, in United States Patent No~ 4,434,519. Some of these suction heads tend to move in a straight line and have no facility for changing direc-tion. Ideally a suction head of this kind should move as randomly as possible over a swimming pool surface. Also, if it runs up against a barrier, a mechanism should exist for getting it to move away from that barrier. Random steering would have that effect.
An object of the invention is to apply random steering forces to a suction head in the course of its progress over a submerged sur-face.
`~
~2~S2S !9 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the lnvention a method of applying steering forces to a suction head connected to a hose normal to the surface to be cleaned comprises the step of intermittently between spaced time intervals 5 causing the flowing liquid to apply a torque about the axis of the `
suction hose at some zone along its length, which torque is used or released to turn the head about îts connection point to the suction hose.
A steering device according to the invention comprises:
10 a housing adapted to be caused to travel over d surface to be cleaned, a spigot for attachment to a suction hose end journalled fdr rotation relatively to the housing9 and having its axis normal to the surface, a drive gear fast ~ith the spigot, a passage through the housing to provide a maifi path of flow for : 15 liquid flowing through the suction hose, a bypass to the main path of flow, a water turbine positioned in the bypass and caùsed to rotate by liquid flowing in the bypass, a gear train between the turbine and the drive gear; and 20 means for intermittently blocking and unblocking the bypass so that the turbine applies torque to the drive gear intermittently and for short periods of time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a section through a steerable suction head, 25 Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section through a steering device not directly on a suction head; and Figure 4 is an under plan view of part of Figure 3.
~4~ 52S8 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMB~DIMENT_ The illustrated suction head has a housing 10 formed at its base wi-th an inlet nozzle 11 and at its top with an outlet 12. A
turbine 13 is housed in the housing 10 and journalled to the hous-ing walls by means of bearings on the turbine shaft 15. I-t will be seen that if water flows from the nozzle 11 to the outlet 12, the turbine 13 will rotate.
Also on the shaft 15 are eccentric bearings 16 the outer races of which are slide fits in cievi~ed supports 17. As the shaft 15 rotates, the supports 17 will rock to and fro~ Each support 17 is integral with a side frame to which it is connected by means of a sleeve and a clamping bolt. The sleeve is journalled for rotation in the housing. If the supports 17 rock, this movement is im parted to the side frames.
The side frames are connected together by means of shafts 21 and 22 so that together they form a bogie. ~ivoted on the shafts 21 and 22 are pairs of feet 23 and 24 made of a friction material such as rubber and engaged with a surface 64. Stops 25 limit the pivotal movement of the feet and springs 26 bias them against the stops 25 so that they assume the inclination relatively to a sup-porting surface as shown.
The result is that as the turbine 13 rotates, the bogie rocks and the whole device moves to the left in the direction of the arrow A
in Figure 1. This mechanism forms the subject matter of Canadian patent application 43n,006.
-4a- 12~5~
Attached to the housing 10 are two compartments 30 and 31. In the upper compartment 30 there is a reversible turbine 32. Two in-clined passages 34 port in the compartment 30 and in the compart-ment 31 at the ports 35 and 36. The ports in the compartment 31 are controlled by a valve plate 33 the operation of which will be described later on. The outlet from the compartment 31 is at 37.
The compartment 31 is formed with two spaced perforated walls 34 between which is housed a filter medium such as stainless steel woolO Water can thus reach the ports in the compartment 31.
12~525~
On the outlet 12 there is rotatably mounted a hose connection 40 which has its axis normal to the surface 64 and which carries a large gear wheel 41. A pinion 42 on a shaft 43 meshes with the gear wheel 41.
At its lower end the shaft 43 carries a gear 44 which meshes with a 5 pinion 45 on the shaft 46 of the turbine 32. If the turbine 32 rotates, it will thus apply a high slow speed torque to the connection 40.
In the compartment 31 there is also housed a water motor of the type used with oscillating sprinklers and geared down to give a reduction 10 of the order of 2000 : 1. ,Water passing through the walls 34 enter the motor through an inlet 50~and passes into the housing 10 through an outlet 51. The rotor of the water motor has been shown as 52 in Figure 2, The ultimate output of the motor 52 is at a shaft 53 which drives the valve plate 33 which is resiliently biased upwardly.
15 As the motor 52 rotates the valve plate 33 alternately covers and uncovers the ports 35 and 36 with relatively long periods when both ports are covered. As a port 35 or 36 is uncovered the turbine 32 applies a torque to the connection 40 ~hich is in use attached to a flexible hose. The hose will resist or store the turning movement and 20 the nett effect is that the whole device immediately turns around the axis of the connection 40 or does so at the next rocking movement.
When the then open port is closed, the device will be facing a random new direction. Of course, the running of the turbine 13 will constantly tend to move the device in its forward direction at any 25 given time so that in turn a sort of spiral movement will take place.
This is only readily feasible if, as described above the axis of the connection 40 is substantially normal to the surface 64.
The embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 has been designed for use at an end of a suction hose remote from a suction head. Thus it could be 30 attached directly to a skimmer device of the kind described in S.A.
patent No. 73/5112. Once more the motor 52 controls the feed to the turbine 32 which turns a drive gear 41 on a connection 40. In this case the connection 40 serves as an inlet to the skimmer while the outlet is a connection SO, which may be plugged into the skimmer ~.Z~ 58 referred to above or into a suction connection at the side of the pool. In the latter case the inlet to the filter 34 must be submerged for the device to operate.
In both of the latter two cases torque applied to the connection 40 is 5 transmitted along the length of the suction hose to the suction head which is at the other end of the suction hose and with a connection normal to the surface on which the suction head moves.
In the result the torque for steering the suction head in a random fashion may be applied to the suction hose where it enters the suction 10 head, at an intermediate point, such as at the inlet to a floating skimmer, or at the connection to the suction device on the side of a pool. In the latter case there should be no device such as a skimmer interposed between the steering device and the suction head.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a control device for submerged surface c]eaning apparatus.
One type of device for cleaning submerged surfaces, such as the floors of swimming pools comprises a cleaning head which is con-nected by means of a flexible suction hose to the suction side of a filter-pump combination. Liquid flowing through the suction head and along the suction hose powers a device which causes the suction head to move along the submerged surface. In the course of moving along the suction head momentarily detaches itse]f from the latter surface so that it advances in a stepwise manner.
Suction heads of this kind are described, for example, in United States Patent No~ 4,434,519. Some of these suction heads tend to move in a straight line and have no facility for changing direc-tion. Ideally a suction head of this kind should move as randomly as possible over a swimming pool surface. Also, if it runs up against a barrier, a mechanism should exist for getting it to move away from that barrier. Random steering would have that effect.
An object of the invention is to apply random steering forces to a suction head in the course of its progress over a submerged sur-face.
`~
~2~S2S !9 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the lnvention a method of applying steering forces to a suction head connected to a hose normal to the surface to be cleaned comprises the step of intermittently between spaced time intervals 5 causing the flowing liquid to apply a torque about the axis of the `
suction hose at some zone along its length, which torque is used or released to turn the head about îts connection point to the suction hose.
A steering device according to the invention comprises:
10 a housing adapted to be caused to travel over d surface to be cleaned, a spigot for attachment to a suction hose end journalled fdr rotation relatively to the housing9 and having its axis normal to the surface, a drive gear fast ~ith the spigot, a passage through the housing to provide a maifi path of flow for : 15 liquid flowing through the suction hose, a bypass to the main path of flow, a water turbine positioned in the bypass and caùsed to rotate by liquid flowing in the bypass, a gear train between the turbine and the drive gear; and 20 means for intermittently blocking and unblocking the bypass so that the turbine applies torque to the drive gear intermittently and for short periods of time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a section through a steerable suction head, 25 Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section through a steering device not directly on a suction head; and Figure 4 is an under plan view of part of Figure 3.
~4~ 52S8 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMB~DIMENT_ The illustrated suction head has a housing 10 formed at its base wi-th an inlet nozzle 11 and at its top with an outlet 12. A
turbine 13 is housed in the housing 10 and journalled to the hous-ing walls by means of bearings on the turbine shaft 15. I-t will be seen that if water flows from the nozzle 11 to the outlet 12, the turbine 13 will rotate.
Also on the shaft 15 are eccentric bearings 16 the outer races of which are slide fits in cievi~ed supports 17. As the shaft 15 rotates, the supports 17 will rock to and fro~ Each support 17 is integral with a side frame to which it is connected by means of a sleeve and a clamping bolt. The sleeve is journalled for rotation in the housing. If the supports 17 rock, this movement is im parted to the side frames.
The side frames are connected together by means of shafts 21 and 22 so that together they form a bogie. ~ivoted on the shafts 21 and 22 are pairs of feet 23 and 24 made of a friction material such as rubber and engaged with a surface 64. Stops 25 limit the pivotal movement of the feet and springs 26 bias them against the stops 25 so that they assume the inclination relatively to a sup-porting surface as shown.
The result is that as the turbine 13 rotates, the bogie rocks and the whole device moves to the left in the direction of the arrow A
in Figure 1. This mechanism forms the subject matter of Canadian patent application 43n,006.
-4a- 12~5~
Attached to the housing 10 are two compartments 30 and 31. In the upper compartment 30 there is a reversible turbine 32. Two in-clined passages 34 port in the compartment 30 and in the compart-ment 31 at the ports 35 and 36. The ports in the compartment 31 are controlled by a valve plate 33 the operation of which will be described later on. The outlet from the compartment 31 is at 37.
The compartment 31 is formed with two spaced perforated walls 34 between which is housed a filter medium such as stainless steel woolO Water can thus reach the ports in the compartment 31.
12~525~
On the outlet 12 there is rotatably mounted a hose connection 40 which has its axis normal to the surface 64 and which carries a large gear wheel 41. A pinion 42 on a shaft 43 meshes with the gear wheel 41.
At its lower end the shaft 43 carries a gear 44 which meshes with a 5 pinion 45 on the shaft 46 of the turbine 32. If the turbine 32 rotates, it will thus apply a high slow speed torque to the connection 40.
In the compartment 31 there is also housed a water motor of the type used with oscillating sprinklers and geared down to give a reduction 10 of the order of 2000 : 1. ,Water passing through the walls 34 enter the motor through an inlet 50~and passes into the housing 10 through an outlet 51. The rotor of the water motor has been shown as 52 in Figure 2, The ultimate output of the motor 52 is at a shaft 53 which drives the valve plate 33 which is resiliently biased upwardly.
15 As the motor 52 rotates the valve plate 33 alternately covers and uncovers the ports 35 and 36 with relatively long periods when both ports are covered. As a port 35 or 36 is uncovered the turbine 32 applies a torque to the connection 40 ~hich is in use attached to a flexible hose. The hose will resist or store the turning movement and 20 the nett effect is that the whole device immediately turns around the axis of the connection 40 or does so at the next rocking movement.
When the then open port is closed, the device will be facing a random new direction. Of course, the running of the turbine 13 will constantly tend to move the device in its forward direction at any 25 given time so that in turn a sort of spiral movement will take place.
This is only readily feasible if, as described above the axis of the connection 40 is substantially normal to the surface 64.
The embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 has been designed for use at an end of a suction hose remote from a suction head. Thus it could be 30 attached directly to a skimmer device of the kind described in S.A.
patent No. 73/5112. Once more the motor 52 controls the feed to the turbine 32 which turns a drive gear 41 on a connection 40. In this case the connection 40 serves as an inlet to the skimmer while the outlet is a connection SO, which may be plugged into the skimmer ~.Z~ 58 referred to above or into a suction connection at the side of the pool. In the latter case the inlet to the filter 34 must be submerged for the device to operate.
In both of the latter two cases torque applied to the connection 40 is 5 transmitted along the length of the suction hose to the suction head which is at the other end of the suction hose and with a connection normal to the surface on which the suction head moves.
In the result the torque for steering the suction head in a random fashion may be applied to the suction hose where it enters the suction 10 head, at an intermediate point, such as at the inlet to a floating skimmer, or at the connection to the suction device on the side of a pool. In the latter case there should be no device such as a skimmer interposed between the steering device and the suction head.
Claims
THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVELEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:-1.
A method of applying steering forces to a suction head for cleaning submerged surfaces, which suction head is connected to a suction system by means of a flexible suction hose, is actuated to move by the flow of liquid from it through the suctions hose and in the process of movement detaches itself at least momentarily from the surface, comprising the step of intermittently causing the flowing liquid to apply a torque about the axis of the suction hose at some zone along its length, which torque is used or released to turn the head about its connection point to the suction hose.
2.
The method claimed in claim 1 in which torque is applied alternately in opposed direction about the axis of the suction hose.
3.
The method claimed in claim 1 in which the zone at which torque is applied is at the connection point.
4.
The method claimed in claim 1 in which torque is applied to the hose at a position intermediate to its ends.
5.
The method claimed in claims 1 in which torque is application to the hose at its point of connection to the suction system.
6.
A steering device for a suction head connected to a sucton system by means of a sucton hose comprising:
a housing adapted to be caused to travel over a surface to be cleaned, a spigot for attachment to a suction hose end journalled for rotation relatively to the housing and having its axis normal to the surface, a drive gear fast with the spigot, a passage through the housing to provide a main path of flow for liquid flowing through the suction hose, a bypass to the main path of flow, a water turbine positioned in the bypass and caused to rotate by liquid flowing in the bypass, a gear train between the turbine and the drive gear; and means for intermittently blocking and unblocking the bypass so that the turbine applies torque to the drive gear intermittently and for short periods of time.
7.
The device claimed in claim 6 in which the bypass has two branches, each arranged to cause the turbine to rotate in another direction and in which the branches are alternately unblocked.
8.
The device claimed in claim 7 in which the blocking and unblocking device is a valve plate driven at a slow speed by a water motor also actuated by liquid sucked through the system.
PROPERTY OR PRIVELEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:-1.
A method of applying steering forces to a suction head for cleaning submerged surfaces, which suction head is connected to a suction system by means of a flexible suction hose, is actuated to move by the flow of liquid from it through the suctions hose and in the process of movement detaches itself at least momentarily from the surface, comprising the step of intermittently causing the flowing liquid to apply a torque about the axis of the suction hose at some zone along its length, which torque is used or released to turn the head about its connection point to the suction hose.
2.
The method claimed in claim 1 in which torque is applied alternately in opposed direction about the axis of the suction hose.
3.
The method claimed in claim 1 in which the zone at which torque is applied is at the connection point.
4.
The method claimed in claim 1 in which torque is applied to the hose at a position intermediate to its ends.
5.
The method claimed in claims 1 in which torque is application to the hose at its point of connection to the suction system.
6.
A steering device for a suction head connected to a sucton system by means of a sucton hose comprising:
a housing adapted to be caused to travel over a surface to be cleaned, a spigot for attachment to a suction hose end journalled for rotation relatively to the housing and having its axis normal to the surface, a drive gear fast with the spigot, a passage through the housing to provide a main path of flow for liquid flowing through the suction hose, a bypass to the main path of flow, a water turbine positioned in the bypass and caused to rotate by liquid flowing in the bypass, a gear train between the turbine and the drive gear; and means for intermittently blocking and unblocking the bypass so that the turbine applies torque to the drive gear intermittently and for short periods of time.
7.
The device claimed in claim 6 in which the bypass has two branches, each arranged to cause the turbine to rotate in another direction and in which the branches are alternately unblocked.
8.
The device claimed in claim 7 in which the blocking and unblocking device is a valve plate driven at a slow speed by a water motor also actuated by liquid sucked through the system.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000430002A CA1205258A (en) | 1983-06-09 | 1983-06-09 | Control device for submerged surface cleaning apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000430002A CA1205258A (en) | 1983-06-09 | 1983-06-09 | Control device for submerged surface cleaning apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1205258A true CA1205258A (en) | 1986-06-03 |
Family
ID=4125440
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000430002A Expired CA1205258A (en) | 1983-06-09 | 1983-06-09 | Control device for submerged surface cleaning apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1205258A (en) |
-
1983
- 1983-06-09 CA CA000430002A patent/CA1205258A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |