EP0932736A1 - Swimming pool cleaner component - Google Patents
Swimming pool cleaner componentInfo
- Publication number
- EP0932736A1 EP0932736A1 EP97945389A EP97945389A EP0932736A1 EP 0932736 A1 EP0932736 A1 EP 0932736A1 EP 97945389 A EP97945389 A EP 97945389A EP 97945389 A EP97945389 A EP 97945389A EP 0932736 A1 EP0932736 A1 EP 0932736A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- disc
- foot
- pool cleaner
- component
- swimming pool
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
- E04H4/14—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
- E04H4/16—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for specially adapted for cleaning
- E04H4/1654—Self-propelled cleaners
- E04H4/1663—Self-propelled cleaners the propulsion resulting from an intermittent interruption of the waterflow through the cleaner
Definitions
- This invention relates to a component for a suction operated automatic swimming pool cleaner.
- swimming pool cleaners which operate on suction generated by the swimming pool filtration plant.
- these cleaners require a flexible disc to hold the cleaner against the surface being cleaned and a wear resistant foot which runs over the surface.
- the foot is moulded to have a stepped configuration so that water can pass under the disc and foot carrying detritus into the cleaner body and thence to be caught in a collection trap or the pool filter.
- the foot is firmly resiliently engaged on the body and the disc engaged in a peripheral recess around the foot so that it can rotate around the foot.
- the components are made of different materials and are costly components of the cleaner.
- the Applicant has monitored the wear and tear on many cleaners and the object of this invention is to provide a component which will materially reduce the cost of manufacture of the pool cleaner while in no way reducing its efficacy in use.
- a swimming pool cleaner component comprising a foot and flexible disc moulded as an integral unit. Further features of this invention provide for the foot to be rotatable on and supported by the body of the pool cleaner, for the shape of the foot to generally conform to a truncated conical shape and for the inner edges of the surface engaging parts of the foot to be more rigid than the outer edges.
- the invention also provides for the disc to have a ring of reduced thickness around the foot and to have radially extending ribs of reduced thickness and a series of venturi openings spaced apart from the foot symmetrically there around.
- the surface of material around the openings in contact in use with a surface being cleaned will preferably be dished to ensure a very thin suction at the opening.
- the invention also provides for the upper surface of the foot to provide a series of sand traps facilitating the transport of sand cleaned from the pool through the cleaner.
- the outer edge of the disc will preferably be of serrated shape with short upward projections extending from the peaks of the serrations.
- the component can be moulded from a poly vinyl chloride composition.
- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the cleaner component in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention
- Fig. 2 is a diametral section through the central part of the component
- Fig. 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention
- Fig. 4 is an underneath view of the second embodiment
- the component 1 for a swimming pool cleaner is preferably moulded of polyvinyl chloride material.
- This material is chosen to be cross-linkable to enable wear resistance characteristics to be varied to predetermined degrees.
- the component is designed so that this material can be used without distorting hoop stresses developing in the component during curing. This is achieved by the construction described below.
- the component 1 consists of a peripheral annular disc part 2 integrally moulded with a central boss part forming a foot 3 for the pool cleaner.
- the base of the foot is of truncated conical shape as indicated at 4. This gives a stability to the structure while allowing the base 5 of the foot 3 to be flexible around its outer edges.
- the conical section emphasises the ability of the foot to deform at the surface being cleaned and so tend to cling to projections and corners formed, for example, by steps on the surface to be cleaned.
- the normally circular opening into the foot can be given different elongated shapes to assist the facility.
- Gussets 6 are provided symmetrically spaced around the foot 3 extending between the central and horizontal sections.
- An annular inwardly facing rim 7 is provided to rotatably engage in a groove provided around the bottom of a pool cleaner body (not shown).
- the base of the foot 3 is of stepped configuration with the lower sections 8 providing the parts of the foot engaging the surface being cleaned during use of the pool cleaner.
- the indented stepped sections 9 on the bottom surface provide flow openings into the body of the pool cleaner from underneath the foot and disc.
- the outer part of the surface engaging sections is more flexible than the smaller diameter inner sections.
- the foot 3 is joined to the flexible annular disc 2 by a ring 12 of thin sectioned material which provide great flexibility of the disc 2 relative to the foot 3.
- Radially extending upstanding hinge sections 13 of reduced section material are symmetrically distributed across the upper surface of the disc 2 providing both flexibility to the disc and guide paths for sand and other detritus over the top surface of the disc towards the pockets formed between the stepped sections of the foot 3. These hinge sections also enable the effects of hoop stresses occurring during moulding and curing to be overcome. Escape holes 14 are provided through the walls of the pockets not providing flow openings 10 into the body of the cleaner. The intention is to allow escape of sand which may otherwise accumulate.
- hinge sections 13 and the ring 12 of reduced sectioned material ensure a flexibility to the dish which enables it to move over or around obstacles encountered during cleaning of a pool and substantially prevents the cleaner from becoming jammed.
- the edge 15 of the disc 2 is serrated and short upstanding and outwardly projecting fins 16 extend from the apices of the serrations.
- Venturi shaped holes 17 are provided through the disc at spaced intervals.
- the disc below these holes 17 is dished as indicated at 18 to provide thin edges around the periphery of the holes. These holes improve the flow characteristics of the water over the surface of the disc into the body of the pool cleaner. It will be appreciated that the construction described above results in a highly flexible and efficient disc and foot combination which has a central part providing adequate support to hold the body of a pool cleaner properly orientated during use. It further provides substantial cost savings in the manufacture of the components by reduction both in the amount of material required and in the kind of material that can be used in the moulding of the combined components.
- FIG. 4 of the underneath of the disc shows a circle 20 which is the position at which the thickness of the disc 2 commences to reduce radially outwardly to the edge 15. Radially inwardly of the circle 20 the thickness of the disc remains constant.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ZA968310 | 1996-10-03 | ||
ZA9608310 | 1996-10-03 | ||
PCT/US1997/017631 WO1998014678A1 (en) | 1996-10-03 | 1997-09-29 | Swimming pool cleaner component |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0932736A1 true EP0932736A1 (en) | 1999-08-04 |
EP0932736B1 EP0932736B1 (en) | 2004-11-24 |
Family
ID=25585925
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP97945389A Expired - Lifetime EP0932736B1 (en) | 1996-10-03 | 1997-09-29 | Swimming pool cleaner component |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0932736B1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU728551B2 (en) |
BR (1) | BR9711848A (en) |
CA (1) | CA2266355C (en) |
DE (1) | DE69731761T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2234035T3 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1998014678A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU743480B2 (en) * | 1997-11-26 | 2002-01-24 | Oak Nominees Ltd | Pool cleaner |
WO2000047844A1 (en) * | 1999-02-10 | 2000-08-17 | Zodiac Pool Care, Inc. | Automatic swimming pool cleaner discs |
AUPR382401A0 (en) * | 2001-03-20 | 2001-04-12 | K.K. Australia Pty Ltd | An improved automatic pool cleaner |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4193156A (en) * | 1976-08-19 | 1980-03-18 | Daniel Jean Velere Denis Chauvier | Apparatus for cleaning submerged surfaces |
FR2520421A1 (en) * | 1982-01-26 | 1983-07-29 | Puech Frederic | Cleaner for swimming pool - incorporates releasable suction brake which causes it to change direction |
US4642833A (en) * | 1985-03-14 | 1987-02-17 | Coxwold (Proprietary) Limited | Valve assembly |
US5617606A (en) * | 1996-02-29 | 1997-04-08 | Baracuda International Corp. | Fluted swimming pool cleaner discs |
-
1997
- 1997-09-29 WO PCT/US1997/017631 patent/WO1998014678A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1997-09-29 ES ES97945389T patent/ES2234035T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-09-29 BR BR9711848-6A patent/BR9711848A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1997-09-29 EP EP97945389A patent/EP0932736B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-09-29 CA CA002266355A patent/CA2266355C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-09-29 DE DE69731761T patent/DE69731761T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-09-29 AU AU46606/97A patent/AU728551B2/en not_active Expired
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO9814678A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU728551B2 (en) | 2001-01-11 |
WO1998014678A1 (en) | 1998-04-09 |
DE69731761T2 (en) | 2005-12-15 |
AU4660697A (en) | 1998-04-24 |
BR9711848A (en) | 2001-12-04 |
EP0932736B1 (en) | 2004-11-24 |
CA2266355C (en) | 2006-12-12 |
ES2234035T3 (en) | 2005-06-16 |
DE69731761D1 (en) | 2004-12-30 |
CA2266355A1 (en) | 1998-04-09 |
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