EP1122382B1 - Robotisierter Schwimmbeckenreiniger - Google Patents

Robotisierter Schwimmbeckenreiniger Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1122382B1
EP1122382B1 EP01101590A EP01101590A EP1122382B1 EP 1122382 B1 EP1122382 B1 EP 1122382B1 EP 01101590 A EP01101590 A EP 01101590A EP 01101590 A EP01101590 A EP 01101590A EP 1122382 B1 EP1122382 B1 EP 1122382B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cleaner
battery
housing
cable
electrical power
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 - Lifetime
Application number
EP01101590A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP1122382A1 (de
Inventor
Archimede Clementi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Caratti Srl
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International Caratti Srl
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Caratti Srl filed Critical International Caratti Srl
Publication of EP1122382A1 publication Critical patent/EP1122382A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1122382B1 publication Critical patent/EP1122382B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • 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

Definitions

  • This invention generally relates to devices for cleaning swimming pools and/or basins, switches and the like, and more particularly is an object of the present invention to provide a remotely-controlled automatic pool cleaner powered by electrical batteries.
  • a manually-propelled pool cleaner i.e. a cleaner equipped with a long pole or rod used by the operator to manually move the apparatus in the swimming pool, provided with a buoyant case for housing a battery supplying electrical power to the cleaner pump with a simple cable connecting the floating case with the cleaner.
  • US-A-6 017 400 discloses an underwater cleaning device for cleaning the floor of a water basin, including a navigational system and a remote control system coupled to the navigational system and controlling the movement of the vehicle, in which an umbilical cable is used to conduct electric power for feeding the cleaning device from a console located on the shore of the basin to the vehicle.
  • EP-A-169 589 discloses a device for cleaning basins having vertical surfaces such as swimming pools, controlled by an operator on the edge of said swimming pool, and a source of electrical power for feeding the cleaner located in a housing resting on the pool edge and connected to a fixed source of voltage and to the cleaner through a first cable.
  • the operator controls the cleaner through a control set connected by another cable to the feeding housing and from there to the cleaner through the first cable.
  • a floating housing connected to and towed by the pool cleaner, which contains the electrical supply batteries, the remote control receiver and an electronic unit such as a card for controlling the cleaner.
  • the floating housing is connected to the cleaner by a short flexible and tensile resistant cable which supplies to this latter both the power for feeding the cleaning device and the control signals, if and when needed.
  • the control circuits for the cleaner operations are located in the floating housing and the feeding cable comprises a plurality of conductors for carrying specific and suitably-timed feedings to the components of the self-propelled cleaner. This way the batteries can be easily maintained in a separate assembly from the body of the pool cleaner, thus obtaining assembly components of lower weight, that can be detached from one another and easily transported.
  • the pool cleaner in accordance with the invention can easily advance along channels and freely turn around pillars or floating "islands" in a swimming pool without any risk that the cable becomes entangled.
  • a cleaner according to the invention comprises a self-propelled cleaning device 1 adapted to move over the surfaces 30 (both horizontal and vertical) of a swimming pool or basin 10 to be cleaned, a floating feeding source 11 inside which at least one battery 13 and a remote control signal receiver 15 are located, and a tensile-resistant cable 17 connecting the cleaning device with the power source 11.
  • the system further comprises a remote control hand-held transmitter set 22 used by an operator 21 who moves along the edge of the swimming pool or basin.
  • the hand-held transmitter set 22 preferably includes also a receiver.
  • reference is made to a radio remote control system which is not to be understood as a limiting feature since the invention also applies to other types of remote control systems.
  • the self-propelled cleaner 1 comprises a case 3 equipped with a (transport) handle 8, the cleaner being provided with wheels 2, tracks or other motor-actuated locomotion means and housing cleaning devices such as pumps and/or brushes, the motor(s) for driving the wheels 2, and other components that are not illustrated in detail.
  • the cleaner 1 is adapted to climb the pool walls, to go forwards-backwards, to turn right and left hand in a swimming pool or basin 10 of any size, indicatively in 1 - 50 m long and 1 - 50 m wide swimming pools.
  • the cleaner is controlled by the radio control transmitter 22 held by an operator on the edge of the swimming pool, although in other embodiments a programmed control device can be simply started and stopped through the transmitter 22.
  • the cleaner is fed from the shuttle 11 which is a sort of floating "island" containing - in this embodiment - two batteries 13 and an electronic circuit 15 with a transmitter and a receiver.
  • the shuttle further houses an electronic control unit such as a card and a radio receiver which receives - through an aerial 16 - control signals or pulses transmitted by the operator.
  • the floating housing 11 contains a central control unit 28, typically a programmed microcontroller, connected to a control unit 31 for the pump and a control unit 32 for the motors. These units are adapted to generate supply voltages of 24 V, respectively for the main pump and the right and left traction motors.
  • a further control unit 34 is connected to the microcontroller 28 and generates control signals (at a lower voltage than the 24 V battery), such as the water surface and the inclination of the cleaner 1, that is its attitude in the horizontal-vertical plane.
  • the electrical conductors for carrying the above mentioned power supplies voltages and control signals are connected to a watertight connector 33 in which a mating connector joined to a multi-lead cable 17 is fitted.
  • the microcontroller 28 is further connected to a transmitter-receiver 35, an A/D 36 4-channel converter and a voltage regulator 37.
  • the batteries 13 are of rechargeable type through a watertight connector 24 and, still inboard of the floating housing, a battery voltage regulator 39 is provided.
  • the small set 22 housing the remote control set incorporates a transmitter-receiver 40, for example operating at 433.92 MHz, a buzzer 41, and is further equipped with a display 42 and a matrix keyboard 43, by which the operator can enter the controls.
  • the electronic control card of the cleaner located in the shuttle or service island 11, allows the automatic operation of the cleaner by executing one or more main cleaning programs either defined in advance in accordance with the basin size and/or shape and stored in the control units.
  • suitable control signals are transmitted by the operator through radio signals from the hand-held control set 22 (up to a distance of about 30 m).
  • the shuttle 11 comprises two half-shells 11A and 11B of a plastic material joined together along their peripheries provided with flanges 16A and 16B by turning the knobs of one or more screws 18 and with a seal gasket 19 being interposed between the flanges.
  • the lower half-shell 11B has preferably a hydrodynamic profile in order to facilitate the shuttle displacement in the water and to prevent overloading the motors driving the cleaner.
  • a peripherally extending member 25 of closed-cells spongy material having the dual function of buffering the shuttle and increasing its buoyancy.
  • a watertight connector 24 for connecting the batteries with a battery charger (not shown).
  • the shuttle can be provided with a propeller driven by an electric motor to facilitate the navigation thereof, if this becomes necessary: e.g. when an excessive power is drawn by the motors actuating the cleaner wheels.
  • the battery can be used until discharged to a predetermined level, after which the control unit 39 stops the cleaning device and generates a warning signal for the operator (through the buzzer). This way the operator can take advantage of the residual electrical power to recover the cleaner from any point of the swimming pool where the cleaner has been stopped.
  • the display 42 of the remote control set 22 can visualise the operations being carried out by the cleaner, and moreover it can act as a display terminal when the operator programs the cleaner functions.
  • the remote control set can display signals indicating the exhaustion of the batteries, which situation can activate an audible alarm, too.
  • the operating cycle(s) of cleaner is (are) programmable both in respect of the duration and of the type of work, with a predetermined plurality of possible paths and time durations depending on the size and shape of the pools.
  • a pair of supply conductors can be used for carrying the feeding voltages, and another pair of conductors can convey information about the way they are to be distributed through control and drive circuits housed within the self-propelled cleaner.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Electric Suction Cleaners (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)
  • Electric Vacuum Cleaner (AREA)
  • Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)
  • Cleaning In General (AREA)

Claims (9)

  1. Ferngesteuerte Einrichtung zum Reinigen von Schwimmbecken, Wasserbecken und Ähnlichem einschließlich ihrer vertikalen Oberflächen mit
    einem zum Bewegen über die zu reinigenden Oberflächen (30) ausgelegten Reinigungsgerät (1), das von einer Bedienungsperson (21) am Rand des Schwimmbeckens gesteuert wird;
    einer elektrischen Energiequelle (11, 13) zur Speisung jenes Reinigungsgerätes (1), die wenigstens eine Batterie (13) aufweist und durch ein drehfestes Kabel (17) mit dem Reinigungsgerät (1) verbunden ist; jene elektrische Energiequelle (11, 13) ist in einem Schwimmkörper (11) untergebracht, der innerhalb des Schwimmbeckens durch das Reinigungsgerät (1) mittels des Kabels (17) geschleppt wird;
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Reinigungsgerät ein selbstgetriebenes Reinigungsgerät (1) ist und daß diese Einrichtung weiter ein drahtloses Fernsteuergerät (22) aufweist und das Gehäuse (11) einen Empfänger (35) für jenes drahtlose Fernsteuergerät (22), sowie eine elektronische Einheit oder Karte zur Steuerung jenes Reinigungsgeräts (1) enthält.
  2. Einrichtung nach Anspruch 1,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jene schwimmende elektrische Energiequelle (11, 13) mindestens eine Batterie (13) aufweist.
  3. Einrichtung nach Anspruch 1 oder 2,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jenes selbstgetriebene Reinigungsgerät (1) einen mit einem Handgriff (8) ausgestatteten Kasten (3) aufweist und das Reinigungsgerät (1) mit motorbetätigten Fortbewegungsmitteln (2) sowie Hausreinigungseinrichtungen und mindestens einem Motor zum Antrieb jener Fortbewegungsmittel (2) versehen ist.
  4. Einrichtung nach Anspruch 2 oder 3,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jenes Gehäuse (11) weiter eine zentrale Steuereinheit (28) und Steuerkreise (31, 32, 34, 39) für das Reinigungsgerät (1) enthält und einer dieser Steuerkreise (39) einen Spannungsregler beinhaltet, der zum Stoppen der Reinigungseinrichtung und zur Erzeugung eines Warnsignals ausgelegt ist, wenn die Batterie auf eine vorbestimmte Ladung entladen worden ist.
  5. Einrichtung nach den vorhergehenden Ansprüchen,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jenes drehfeste Kabel (17) zur Übertragung sowohl von elektrischer Energie als auch von Informationen ausgelegt ist.
  6. Einrichtung nach Anspruch 5,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jenes Kabel (17) Leiter enthält, die Spannungen gleich der Batteriespannung (13) und auch Steuersignale, die das Verhalten des Reinigungsgeräts steuern und die als niedrigere Spannungen als die Batteriespannung (13) konzipiert sind.
  7. Einrichtung nach den vorhergehenden Ansprüchen,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jener Schwimmkörper (11) zwei Halbschalen (11A, 11B) aus Kunststoff aufweist, die durch Schrauben (18) an ihrem mit Flanschen (16A, 16B) versehenen Umfang mit einem dazwischenliegenden Dichtungselement (19) miteinander verbunden sind.
  8. Einrichtung nach Anspruch 7,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die untere der Halbschalen ein hydrodynamisches Profil aufweist und ein stoßdämpfendes Umfangselement (25) aus leichtem Material trägt, das die Schwimmfähigkeit des Gehäuses (11) verbessert.
  9. Einrichtung nach Anspruch 7 oder 8,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie außerdem mit einer wasserdichten Verbindung (24) für den Anschluss eines Batterieladegeräts an der oberen Halbschale (11A) versehen ist, sowie einer wasserdichten Verbindung (33) an der unteren Halbschale (11B) für das Speisekabel (17).
EP01101590A 2000-02-04 2001-01-25 Robotisierter Schwimmbeckenreiniger Expired - Lifetime EP1122382B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT2000MI000174A IT1316336B1 (it) 2000-02-04 2000-02-04 Pulitore robotizzato per piscine
ITMI000174 2000-02-04

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1122382A1 EP1122382A1 (de) 2001-08-08
EP1122382B1 true EP1122382B1 (de) 2004-09-22

Family

ID=11443889

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01101590A Expired - Lifetime EP1122382B1 (de) 2000-02-04 2001-01-25 Robotisierter Schwimmbeckenreiniger

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1122382B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE277249T1 (de)
DE (1) DE60105666T2 (de)
ES (1) ES2228669T3 (de)
IT (1) IT1316336B1 (de)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101360876B (zh) * 2005-12-29 2010-07-28 因特派特有限公司 水下真空清洁器
CN101725263B (zh) * 2009-11-30 2011-11-09 付桂兰 无缆遥控漂浮电源泳池自动清洁机
US8784652B2 (en) 2010-09-24 2014-07-22 Poolvergnuegen Swimming pool cleaner with a rigid debris canister
US8869337B2 (en) 2010-11-02 2014-10-28 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaning device with adjustable buoyant element
US9593502B2 (en) 2009-10-19 2017-03-14 Hayward Industries, Inc. Swimming pool cleaner
USD787761S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-05-23 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
USD787760S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-05-23 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
USD789003S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-06-06 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
USD789624S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-06-13 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
US10718126B2 (en) 2016-06-14 2020-07-21 Aqua Products, Inc. Self-propelled robotic swimming pool cleaner with retractably tethered floating buoy

Families Citing this family (28)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005035909A1 (en) * 2003-10-14 2005-04-21 Maytronics Ltd. Cordless pool cleaning robot
US7118632B2 (en) 2004-05-26 2006-10-10 Aqua-Vac Systems, Inc. Pool cleaning method and device
AU2011338154B2 (en) 2010-12-10 2016-06-09 Hayward Industries, Inc. Power supplies for pool and spa equipment
FR2981970B1 (fr) * 2011-10-27 2013-11-29 Zodiac Pool Care Europe Appareil nettoyeur de surface immergee a commande de retour semi-automatique
FR2981971B1 (fr) * 2011-10-27 2013-12-06 Zodiac Pool Care Europe Dispositif de pilotage a distance d'un appareil nettoyeur de surface immergee et appareil ainsi pilote
FR2990032B1 (fr) * 2012-04-27 2014-06-06 Zodiac Pool Care Europe Procede et dispositif de modification d'un dispositif de nettoyage d'une surface immergee et dispositif de nettoyage associe
WO2014160312A1 (en) 2013-03-14 2014-10-02 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner with articulated cleaning members
US9677294B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2017-06-13 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaning device with wheel drive assemblies
EP2984257A1 (de) 2013-04-08 2016-02-17 Zodiac Pool Systems, Inc. Systeme und verfahren zur drahtlosen kommunikation mit automatischen schwimmbeckenreinigern
US10226826B2 (en) 2013-10-22 2019-03-12 Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation Hydraulic power tool
CA3146537C (en) 2015-01-26 2023-01-03 Hayward Industries, Inc. Swimming pool cleaner with hydrocyclonic particle separator and/or six-roller drive system
US9885196B2 (en) 2015-01-26 2018-02-06 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner power coupling
US9995050B2 (en) 2015-03-26 2018-06-12 Aqua Products, Inc. Method and apparatus for communicating over a two-wire power cable between an external power supply and a self-propelled robotic swimming pool cleaner
US20180208278A1 (en) 2015-06-01 2018-07-26 Aqua Products, Inc. Ramped pontoon for retrieving a pool cleaner
FR3041982B1 (fr) 2015-10-05 2017-11-24 Max Roumagnac Robot de nettoyage de piscine autonome
US20170293490A1 (en) 2016-04-11 2017-10-12 Aqua Products, Inc. Method for modifying an onboard control system of a pool cleaner, and power source for a pool cleaner
US10079504B2 (en) * 2016-08-02 2018-09-18 Compurobot Technology Company Floating power supply for a body of water and method therefor
US10167650B2 (en) 2016-08-10 2019-01-01 Aquatron Robotic Technology Ltd. Concurrent operation of multiple robotic pool cleaners
US9885194B1 (en) 2017-05-11 2018-02-06 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner impeller subassembly
US10156083B2 (en) 2017-05-11 2018-12-18 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner power coupling
US10214933B2 (en) 2017-05-11 2019-02-26 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner power supply
US9896858B1 (en) 2017-05-11 2018-02-20 Hayward Industries, Inc. Hydrocyclonic pool cleaner
ES2725274A1 (es) * 2018-03-20 2019-09-20 Aquatic Sweeper S L Sistema para la limpieza de fondos acuáticos
US11955806B2 (en) 2018-06-20 2024-04-09 Hayward Industries, Inc. Inductive power couplings for pool and spa equipment
WO2020041075A1 (en) 2018-08-20 2020-02-27 Zodiac Pool Systems Llc Mapping and tracking methods and systems principally for use in connection with swimming pools and spas
CN111350383A (zh) * 2018-12-21 2020-06-30 宝时得科技（中国）有限公司 清洁机器人
US20220268045A1 (en) 2021-02-23 2022-08-25 Zodiac Pool Care Europe Wireless automatic swimming pool cleaners and associated systems and methods
WO2024051059A1 (zh) * 2022-09-09 2024-03-14 众清智能科技(苏州)有限公司 一种漂浮装置及泳池清洁机器人

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AT340099B (de) 1974-07-05 1977-11-25 Bieri Pumpenbau Ag Fahrbare maschine zum reinigen eines schwimmbeckens
FR2567552B1 (fr) * 1984-07-11 1986-12-05 Puech Frederic Appareil de nettoyage automatique d'une surface immergee
US4692956A (en) 1985-12-31 1987-09-15 Kassis Amin I Pool vacuum
US5454129A (en) * 1994-09-01 1995-10-03 Kell; Richard T. Self-powered pool vacuum with remote controlled capabilities
FR2729995B1 (fr) * 1995-02-01 1997-04-18 Sarl Vbv Dispositif nettoyeur de parois de bassins en eau et notamment de piscines
US5842243A (en) 1997-04-24 1998-12-01 Aqua Products Inc. Manually propelled pool cleaner
US6017400A (en) * 1997-05-15 2000-01-25 Orange County Water District Method and system for cleaning a water basin floor
FR2781243A1 (fr) * 1998-07-20 2000-01-21 Jean Pierre Pappalardo Dispositif de nettoyage automatique d'un bassin a deplacements controles

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101360876B (zh) * 2005-12-29 2010-07-28 因特派特有限公司 水下真空清洁器
US9593502B2 (en) 2009-10-19 2017-03-14 Hayward Industries, Inc. Swimming pool cleaner
CN101725263B (zh) * 2009-11-30 2011-11-09 付桂兰 无缆遥控漂浮电源泳池自动清洁机
US8784652B2 (en) 2010-09-24 2014-07-22 Poolvergnuegen Swimming pool cleaner with a rigid debris canister
US8869337B2 (en) 2010-11-02 2014-10-28 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaning device with adjustable buoyant element
USD787761S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-05-23 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
USD787760S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-05-23 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
USD789003S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-06-06 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
USD789624S1 (en) 2014-11-07 2017-06-13 Hayward Industries, Inc. Pool cleaner
US10718126B2 (en) 2016-06-14 2020-07-21 Aqua Products, Inc. Self-propelled robotic swimming pool cleaner with retractably tethered floating buoy

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE277249T1 (de) 2004-10-15
DE60105666D1 (de) 2004-10-28
EP1122382A1 (de) 2001-08-08
ITMI20000174A1 (it) 2001-08-04
ITMI20000174A0 (it) 2000-02-04
ES2228669T3 (es) 2005-04-16
IT1316336B1 (it) 2003-04-10
DE60105666T2 (de) 2005-11-17

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