EP2513392A1

EP2513392A1 - Submerged-surface-cleaning device comprising a single reversible driving and pumping electric motor

Info

Publication number: EP2513392A1
Application number: EP10807624A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Emmanuel Mastio; Philippe Blanc-Tailleur; Philippe Pichon
Original assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe SAS
Current assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe SAS
Priority date: 2009-12-18
Filing date: 2010-12-17
Publication date: 2012-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-17
Also published as: US20110154585A1; US20140251884A1; WO2011073597A1; AU2010332549C1; US9267300B2; CA2784806C; CA2784806A1; ES2432435T3; AU2010332549A1; FR2954377A1; FR2954377B1; EP2513392B1; US8763187B2; AU2010332549B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cleaning a surface submerged in a liquid, comprising: a hollow body; guiding and driving members (5, 6); a filtration chamber in the hollow body; at least one liquid inlet; at least one outlet for discharging liquid from the hollow body; at least one axial pumping impeller (10); and a single reversible electric motor (8), the drive shaft of which is mechanically connected to at least one motor member and to each pumping impeller simultaneously in order to drive same. In a first drive shaft (9) direction of rotation, each motor member is driven forwards and each pumping impeller generates a flow of liquid in the normal direction, thereby cleaning the submerged surface. In a second drive shaft (9) direction of rotation, each motor member is driven backwards, opposite the aforementioned forward direction.

Description

SUBSEQUENT SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS WITH UNIQUE REVERSIBLE DRIVING AND PUMPING ELECTRIC MOTOR

The invention relates to a surface-cleaning apparatus immersed in a liquid such as the walls of a swimming pool, of the self-propelled type with an electric motor.

Devices of this type, very numerous and known for a long time (typically FR 2 567 552, FR 2 584 442 ...), generally comprise a hollow body; one (or more) electric drive motor (s) coupled to one or more drive members of said body on the immersed surface; and an electric pump motor driving a pumping member such as a propeller generating a flow of liquid between at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet and through a filtration chamber.

These devices are satisfactory but are relatively heavy, and expensive in manufacturing and use, especially in terms of power consumption.

It has already been proposed devices with a single electric motor serving simultaneously to generate the drive of the device and the pumping of the liquid. These simplified devices, however, suffer from poor performance, especially in terms of cleaning efficiency (speed and / or quality of scanning of the entire surface and / or pumping capacity of the debris).

Indeed, if the engine is optimized for driving the device to achieve sweeping coverage as fast and complete as possible, it can not be simultaneously for pumping debris and filtration. In particular, an optimized training involves left and right turns, stops and even reversals of drive direction. The alterations of the operation of the engine to satisfy these trajectory constraints necessarily reduce the efficiency of the pumping member and / or the hydraulic circuit (by inducing losses of charge), and some - in particular a pumping in the direction of discharge in the filtering device- are a priori unacceptable except to specific and complex (pumping unit generating a flow in the same direction regardless of the drive direction of the motor).

In particular, until now, in the previous devices in which the pumping is provided by an onboard electric motor, and the drive is also provided by at least one onboard electric motor, if the device must be bidirectional, it is that is, to be able to make trajectories forwards and backwards, it is excluded to use the same electric motor for pumping and to drive the apparatus in motion, except to provide a pumping member such as a vortex pump or centrifugal pump (see for example US 5,245,723), or articulated pallets (see eg EP 1 070 850), capable of providing a flow of liquid in the same direction regardless of its direction of rotation, but whose pumping performance is poor.

In another category of apparatus, it is expected that the drive of the apparatus is at least partly made from the hydraulic reaction induced by the flux generated by the pump. Thus, for example, EP 1 022 411 (or US 2004/0168838) discloses an apparatus capable of being partially driven by the hydraulic flow created, and has two nozzle outlets of opposite directions fed alternately by a valve operated when the pump is stopped. Devices of this type are, however, relatively complex, expensive, and unreliable, particularly with regard to the control valve tilting (or more generally for the change of direction of the hydraulic flow) which requires a logic of operation and / or minus an onboard actuator and / or a specific mechanism likely to lock up.

The object of the invention is therefore generally to propose an on-board electric motor-type cleaner which, simultaneously, is more economical in terms of manufacture and use, and has high performances, comparable to those of known apparatuses, in terms of quality and cleaning, and more specifically providing a complete and quick scan of the immersed surface, and good suction quality for waste collection with satisfactory energy efficiency.

The invention also aims at providing such an apparatus that is particularly simple, reliable, compact and lightweight, but endowed with significant evolution capabilities, in particular that can be driven in a straight line, or in a turn on one side or the other. other.

The invention also aims at providing such a device whose electrical control unit is particularly simple and economical and can be entirely located outside the liquid.

The invention thus relates to a surface cleaner apparatus immersed in a liquid comprising:

- a hollow body,

- Guide and drive members of said body on the immersed surface,

a filtration chamber formed in said hollow body and having:

at least one liquid inlet in the hollow body,

at least one liquid outlet out of the hollow body,

a hydraulic circuit for circulating liquid between each liquid inlet and each liquid outlet through a filtering device,

at least one pumping member arranged to generate a flow of liquid between each liquid inlet and each liquid outlet, each pumping member being formed of an axial pumping propeller with a unidirectional pitch creating a flow of liquid oriented generally according to its rotation axis,

a single reversible electric motor carried by said hollow body and comprising a motor shaft connected mechanically, to move them simultaneously with:

at least one of said guiding and driving members, said driving member,

- each pump propeller,

- an electric control unit connected to the motor to power and control it: in a first direction of rotation of the motor shaft in which each motor unit is driven in a first direction, said before, and each pumping propeller generates the flow of liquid in the normal direction from each liquid inlet to each liquid outlet in order to ensure the cleaning of the immersed surface and the filtration of the solid residues by the filtering device,

- In a second direction of rotation of the motor shaft in which each motor member is driven in a second direction, said back, opposite to the first direction.

Contrary to all the teachings of the state of the art, an apparatus having the combination of features of the invention can be simplified to the extreme, in particular can be devoid of any other actuator or electric motor that the single electric motor that it comprises, may be free of logic circuit or embedded control automation, while actually having high performance in terms of pumping, and cover and speed of scanning. Indeed, the apparatus can be driven in the first direction of rotation of the motor shaft in the first direction for the majority of the time when it carries out predetermined trajectories, for example substantially in a straight line, and in the rear direction corresponding to the second direction of rotation. rotation of the motor shaft from time to time, when the need arises (for example to exit a blocking situation or after detection of a vertical wall) or at predetermined or random instants for a short time . The inventors have indeed observed with surprise that in the backward direction, it turns out that the rotation of the motor shaft in the second direction of rotation is actually not really harmful statistically to the cleaning of the submerged surface, even if a flow of liquid in the retrograde direction can optionally be generated. Conversely, the periods of operation in the rear direction can be exploited to cause the apparatus to turn at least on one side in an extremely simple and economical manner. Advantageously and according to the invention each pumping propeller is adapted, in the second direction of rotation of the motor shaft, to generate a non-zero flow of liquid in the retrograde direction from each liquid outlet in the discharge direction to each liquid inlet. preferably without reaching each liquid inlet. However, it is easy to provide in an apparatus according to the invention provisions that minimize or even prevent the deposition of debris by each liquid inlet in the retrograde direction.

First, it is sufficient to provide that the driving times in the second direction of rotation are very small compared to the driving times in the first direction of rotation.

Thus, advantageously and according to the invention the electric control unit is adapted to control the electric motor mainly in the first direction and shorter durations in the second direction.

Furthermore, advantageously and according to the invention, the filtering device comprises at least one anti-backflow valve arranged upstream of the filtering device with respect to the flow of liquid in the normal direction of liquid pumping, each valve being arranged to preventing, in the retrograde direction, the delivery of the liquid out of the filtering device and out of the hollow body (in particular the discharge via each inlet of the liquid situated at the base of the hollow body and through which the liquid enters the hollow body in the normal direction pumping). More particularly, advantageously and according to the invention, the filtering device has at least one inlet arranged upstream with respect to the flow of liquid in the normal direction of liquid pumping, and at least one valve is arranged at each input upstream of the device. filtering.

It should be noted that short periods during which the flow of liquid is refluxed in the retrograde direction in the filtering device, not only do not affect the efficiency of the apparatus according to the invention, but on the contrary tend to improve the operation by unclogging the filter walls. Moreover, an apparatus according to the invention is also advantageously characterized in that the engine comprises a body mounted in a longitudinal plane with the motor shaft inclined upwards and backwards by an angle greater than 0 ° and lower at 90 ° relative to the horizontal, in particular between 30 ° and 75 ° for example of the order of 50 °.

An apparatus according to the invention is also advantageously characterized in that it comprises a pumping helix coupled to an upper rear end of the driving shaft opening on one side of the engine body, and in that another front end The lower end of the motor shaft opens on the other side of the motor body and is coupled to a bevel gear driving two coaxial front half axles forming a single front drive axle.

Advantageously, an apparatus according to the invention comprises a single axial pumping propeller directly mounted on one end of the motor shaft acting as a rotation shaft for this propeller.

Advantageously and according to the invention, all the electronic components of the device are all incorporated in the electrical control unit which is located outside the liquid (not on board) and is connected to the hollow body and the motor by a cable. In this variant embodiment, the hollow body may therefore be free of any specific electrical or electronic circuit. The electrical control unit of an apparatus according to the invention can be simplified to the extreme. Thus, in particular, advantageously and according to the invention, the electrical control unit is adapted to supply the motor according to a value of the rotation speed of the motor shaft chosen in a plurality of absolute discrete values of the speed of rotation. of the tree, especially according to the direction of movement, two values: a fast, a slow.

In addition, preferably, an apparatus according to the invention is free of movable mechanical member (that is to say, driven in movement relative to the hollow body) cleaning such as a brush or a doctor blade, so that it is simplified to the extreme. The invention also relates to an apparatus characterized in combination by all or some of the characteristics mentioned above or below.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following non-limiting description which refers to the appended figures in which:

FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrammatic perspective views from different angles (respectively three quarter upper front, three quarter upper rear, three quarter lower front and three quarter rear lower) of an apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention. ,

FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic exploded perspective views from two different angles (respectively three-quarter front lower and three-quarter upper rear) of the apparatus according to the invention of FIGS. 1 to 4,

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view through a vertical longitudinal plane along the line VII-VII of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus according to the invention driven in the normal forward direction of cleaning,

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic sectional view along the line VII-VII of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus according to the invention driven in a rearward direction with a pitched attitude;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view in a rearward section along the line IX-IX of FIG. 7,

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view along line X-X of FIG. 7,

FIGS. 1a to 11c are schematic views of the profile of the apparatus according to the invention of FIGS. 1 to 4 respectively with a normal attitude of displacement, with a first pitched attitude and with a second pitched attitude,

FIGS. 12a to 12c are diagrammatic views from below of FIGS. 1a to 11c, respectively with a normal attitude of displacement, with a first pitched attitude and with a second pitched attitude. The apparatus according to the invention shown in the figures is a self-propelled submerged surface cleaner of electrical type, that is to say connected only by an electric cable 3 to a control unit 4 located outside the liquid. . Throughout the text, unless otherwise indicated, the apparatus is described with a displacement attitude on a submerged surface (inclination in a plane containing the direction of displacement and orthogonal to the immersed surface) assumed to be horizontal. It goes without saying that the apparatus according to the invention can just as easily move on non-horizontal surfaces, in particular inclined or vertical surfaces.

This apparatus comprises a hollow body 1 formed of different walls of rigid synthetic material assembled to each other, on the one hand to delimit a filter chamber 2, on the other hand to form receiving frame and carrying guiding members 5, 6 and drive, a single electric motor 8 having a drive shaft 9, a mechanical transmission between the motor shaft 9 of the electric motor 8 and at least one guiding and driving member, said motor member, and a propeller 10 axial pumping.

In the embodiment shown, the hollow body 1 has a lower rear shell 11 forming a frame, completed by a hood 12 upper front removable from the shell 11. The hood 12 is provided with a front transverse handle 47 for handling and carry the device.

The hull 11 carries two large coaxial front and coaxial front wheels 5 of the same diameter. The 5-wheel drive has the largest possible diameter that does not increase the vertical size of the device. In other words, the diameter of the front wheels corresponds at least to the height (dimension in the normal direction to the rolling plane 22 to the immersed surface) overall of the apparatus according to the invention. For example, the diameter of the front wheels is between 250 mm and 300 mm in particular is of the order of 275 mm.

These large wheels 5 prove to provide decisive and unexpected advantages. Firstly, they prevent any inadvertent contact of a prominent part of the hollow body on the immersed surface, and thus allow some protection of this immersed surface during operation of the apparatus. Conversely, they provide a certain protection of the hollow body itself vis-à-vis shocks from external objects that come only in contact with the large wheels 5. Also, they provide improved traction of the device from of the same electric motor. They are also particularly advantageous in the context of an apparatus having at least one pitched attitude in at least one driving direction, insofar as they facilitate considerably this upset. They limit the risk of blockage on the irregularities (in particular the hollows and / or the reliefs) of the immersed surface of small dimensions, and have multiple contact zones and various orientations (top, front, bottom) with the submerged surface. By providing guidance and training particularly effective and efficient, they reduce the performance and characteristics of other necessary guide members (simple wheel 6 in the examples shown), or even to emancipate itself (variant not shown). They also make it possible to achieve as direct a transmission as possible (without intermediate return stage) between the motor shaft and each wheel 5 which can be provided, for this purpose, with an internal ring gear having many teeth, making a large reduction in one floor. They are particularly advantageous in combination with a motor 8 inclined axis as described below.

The front wheels 5 are coupled via a mechanical transmission to the motor shaft 9 of the electric motor 8, and are therefore rotated by the latter. They thus form a front axle 7 engine. Each front wheel 5 is guided in rotation on the shell 11 about a transverse axis 13 defining the axis of the front axle 7. Each front wheel 5 has an internal ring gear 14 for receiving a pinion 15 mounted at the end. a driving half-shaft 16 coupled to a central bridge 17 comprising a pinion 18 rotated by a worm 19 at a lower front end of the drive shaft 9. Thus, when the drive shaft 9 is driven in rotation in one direction by the motor 8, the pinion 18 is rotated in one direction, and each pinion 15 is also driven by rotation in one direction, which causes the corresponding front wheel 5 in one direction. When the drive shaft 9 is rotated in the other direction, the pinions 18 and 15 are rotated in the other direction, as are the front wheels. In this way, the motor 8 makes it possible to drive the front-wheel-drive wheels in either of the two directions of rotation, forwards and backwards.

The shell 11 also carries a rear wheel 6 free to rotate (non-driving) about a transverse axis 21. This wheel 6 constitutes a rolling guide member which, in the example shown, is not motor, it is that is to say, does not exert the drive function and is not directional, that is to say that its axis 21 is fixed and parallel to the axis 13 of the drive axle 5. Both wheels before 5 and the rear wheel 6 define the same plane, said rolling plane 22, corresponding to the immersed surface when the device is in normal cleaning movement on the latter, all the wheels 5, 6 being in contact with the immersed surface .

The single electric motor 8 functions not only as a driving motor for the drive wheels, but also as a pumping motor driving the propeller 10 in rotation about its axis. To do this, the motor shaft 9 of the motor 8 passes longitudinally through the body of the motor and opens axially protruding from both sides of the motor body, that is to say with a lower front end 20 driving the wheels 5 as indicated above, and with an upper rear end 23 to which the pump propeller 10 is directly coupled rotatably.

The hull 11 carries the electric motor 8 in an inclined position relative to the rolling plane 22, that is to say with the drive shaft 9 (which opens axially from both sides of the engine body) inclined at a different angle α 0 ° and 90 ° relative to the rolling plane 22. In particular, the drive shaft 9 is not orthogonal to the rolling plane 22. The angle of inclination is between 30 ° and 75 ° by example of the order of 50 °. The angle a is also the angle of inclination of the axis of the propeller 10, and the direction 24 of the hydraulic flow generated by the latter. The angle a also corresponds to the general direction of the hydraulic reaction generated by the flow of liquid at the outlet 37 in normal pumping direction, and to the filter 33 in the retrograde direction.

Such an inclination has many advantages, and in particular makes it possible to confer on the apparatus according to the invention a great compactness, and to exploit the hydraulic reaction force resulting from the flow of liquid generated by the propeller 10, particularly its component parallel to the rolling plane 22, for driving the device in the normal direction.

The shell 11 also has a lower opening 25 extending transversely substantially over the entire width and slightly offset forwardly relative to the vertical transverse plane (orthogonal to the rolling plane 22) containing the axis 13 of the axle 7 engine . This opening 25 forms a liquid inlet at the base of the hollow body in normal pumping direction for cleaning the immersed surface.

This opening 25 preferably has a flap 26 extending along its rear edge and on the sides to facilitate the suction of debris. The opening 25 also preferably has a rib 29 extending along its downwardly projecting front edge to create a turbulent effect at the rear of this rib 29 tending to loosen debris from the surface. immersed and accelerate the flow of the liquid entering the opening 25.

The opening 25 is adapted to receive a lower end

27 of an inlet duct 28 secured to the cover 12. The assembly constitutes a liquid inlet at the base of the hollow body 1, by which the liquid sucked by the suction resulting from the pumping propeller 10 when the latter is driven in the normal direction of pumping by the motor 8.

The conduit 28 extends generally over the entire width of the hood

12 and upwards (substantially orthogonal to the rolling plane 22) to an upper opening with a pivoting flap 31 acting as a valve. The flap 31 is articulated around a horizontal transverse axis 32 located at the front of the opening 30. The cover 12 is adapted to be able to receive and carry a filter 33 extending at the rear duct 28 so as to receive the flow of liquid (loaded with debris) opening out of the upper opening 28 of the inlet conduit. This filter 33 is formed of rigid filtering walls, and is in liquid communication at its upper rear portion 34 with an inlet 35 of a duct 36 receiving the axial pumping propeller 10, this duct 36 extending generally in the direction 24 pumping the liquid, in the rearward extension upwardly of the drive shaft 9, to an outlet 37 of liquid out of the hollow body 1 through which the liquid escapes globally in the direction 24 when the propeller 10 is driven by the motor 8 in the normal direction of pumping. The liquid path in the normal direction of pumping in the liquid circulation hydraulic circuit thus formed between the liquid inlet 25 and the liquid outlet 37 through the filter 33 is shown schematically by arrows in FIG. 31 acting as a valve is located at the inlet of the filter 33 which coincides with the upper opening of the inlet conduit 28. In a variant not shown, such a valve, the function of which is to prevent, in the sense retrograde, any discharge of liquid out of the hollow body via the inlet 25, could be incorporated within the same conduit 28 input.

The motor 8 is carried under a lower wall 38 inclined tightly of the shell 11 which defines the filter chamber 2 receiving the filter 33. The upper end 23 of the drive shaft 9 passes through the sealed wall 38 in a portion 39 of the it forms the lower part of the duct 36, and this passage is itself sealed, that is to say is carried out by a device 40 with seal (s) sealing (for example of the stuffing box) ensuring the sealing between the rotating motor shaft 9 and the wall 38.

The main outlet 37 of the liquid from the hollow body 1 is provided with a protective grid 41 guiding the flow generated in the normal direction of pumping and preventing the passage of debris in the direction of the discharge towards the interior of the hollow body 1 when the propeller 10 is driven in retrograde direction contrary to the normal direction of pumping. The control unit 4 is preferably located outside the liquid and adapted to supply, by the cable 3, a power supply voltage to the motor 8. This supply voltage makes it possible, according to its polarity, to control the motor 8 in a direction or in the other and at different speeds of rotation. Such a control unit 4 may be formed of a power supply connected to the mains and comprising a pulse width modulation control logic driving a circuit forming a voltage source (based on at least one switching transistor). ) whose output is chopped at high frequency with a variable pulse width according to the signal delivered by the control logic. The control unit 4 comprises an inversion circuit for delivering a supply voltage to the motor 8 whose polarity can be changed (positive polarity for driving in the forward direction, negative polarity for driving in the backward direction), and whose The average value can be modified by means of the pulse width modulation logic so as to take one of several distinct values corresponding respectively to several driving speeds of the motor 8, and therefore to several speeds of movement of the apparatus. The sign + designates a displacement in the forward direction; the sign - designates a displacement in the backward direction. In the example, if it is desired for the apparatus to be able to move at a predetermined normal speed + V in the forward direction, at a first speed -VI in the reverse direction or at a second speed -V2 in the reverse direction, the logic The control unit can be programmed so that the control unit 4 delivers a voltage whose average value can take, in absolute value, a value chosen from three predetermined values corresponding to these three speeds.

The control unit 4 may advantageously incorporate a timing logic that makes it possible to control the different drive directions and the different speeds in predetermined, fixed and memorized durations and / or randomly defined, for example from a pseudo-random variable generator. . Such a control unit 4 is particularly simple in its design and manufacture. In a first direction of rotation of the motor 8 and its shaft 9, the front wheels 5 are driven in rotation in the direction before moving the apparatus (FIGS. 7 and 11a, the wheel 6 being at the rear of the engine). the driving axle in contact with the immersed surface). In this first direction of rotation, the axial pumping propeller 10 is driven in the normal direction of pumping the liquid from the opening 25 at the base of the hollow body 1 to the outlet 37 through which the liquid escapes. The flap 31 is open and the debris sucked by the opening 25 with the liquid is retained in the filter 33.

In this first direction of rotation, the motor 8 is controlled at a predetermined speed so that the apparatus is driven in forward motion at a predetermined speed + V, referred to as normal speed, as fast as possible in order to optimize cleaning. . Preferably, the normal speed + V corresponds to the maximum speed of rotation of the motor 8. When the apparatus is thus driven in the forward direction, its trajectory is normally straight orthogonal to the axis 13 of the axle 7, the two wheels 5 before being parallel to each other and orthogonal to the axis 13, and the wheel 6 being in contact with the immersed surface.

In the other direction of rotation of the motor 8, the front wheels 5 are driven in rotation in the rear direction of movement of the apparatus (FIG. 8, the wheel 6 then being in front of the driving axle 7 with respect to this direction of rotation. displacement). In this second direction of rotation, the axial pumping propeller 10 is driven in the opposite direction to its normal pumping direction and generates a non-zero flow of liquid in the retrograde direction from the outlet 37 to the inside of the hollow body 1. Indeed, the propeller 10 is an axial pumping propeller with a unidirectional and preferably fixed pitch (having blades fixed rigidly on a rotor, extending radially with respect to the latter and having a pitch in one direction) generating a flow rate liquid oriented generally along its axis of rotation (the propeller 10 is not centrifugal type) in one direction or the other in the direction of rotation of the helix about its axis. The propeller 10 is optimized to generate an optimal flow when it is rotated about its axis in the normal direction of pumping. But when she is driven in rotation about its axis in the opposite direction to this normal direction of pumping, the propeller 10 generates a non-zero flow of liquid in the retrograde direction.

And, contrary to all the prejudices on the subject, not only is this retrograde flow rate actually not harmful to the general operation of the apparatus, but on the contrary, it is particularly advantageous and allows in particular:

- To exert a hydraulic reaction that can participate in the pitching of the device causing changes in the trajectory of the aircraft during its movements in the backward direction, turning on one side or the other,

to generate, if necessary, laterally oriented hydraulic flows that are directly involved by reaction to changes in the trajectory of the apparatus, turning on one side or the other,

- To obtain a periodic unclogging of the walls of the filter 33, in favor of a longer service life of the apparatus and an optimization of the functional volume of the filter 33.

In this second direction of rotation of the motor 8, the flap 31 is automatically in the closed position (because of the gravity and / or under the effect of the flow in retrograde direction), preventing any discharge of debris into the duct 28, so that the debris remains confined inside the filter 33. The flow in retrograde direction can be evacuated by the unavoidable leaks of the apparatus (the latter may be free of orifice and specific discharge valve of the flow in retrograde direction ), or by one or more specific orifice (s) valve (s) formed (s) in the shell 11 for this purpose, for example a lateral orifice (variant not shown).

The changes in the trajectory of the aircraft during its movements in the backward direction (with respect to its forward trajectory, which is in the example in a straight line) can be obtained anyway appropriate from a modification of attitude. of the hollow body 1 relative to the axle 7 about the axis 13 (in a plane orthogonal to the immersed surface and containing the direction of displacement). Preferably, the apparatus is designed so that it can be swirled on one side (for example to the left with respect to its direction of movement) for a first speed of the motor 8 corresponding to a first speed -VI displacement of the apparatus in the rear direction and at a first attitude, pitched up or not upward, of the apparatus, and in gyration on the other side (for example to the right with respect to its direction of movement) for a second speed of the motor 8 corresponding to a second speed -V2 of movement of the device in the rear direction and a second nose-up attitude of the aircraft, this second speed -V2 being different, notably faster, than the first speed -VI. In this way, it is extremely simple to obtain an apparatus which, in the forward direction, moves in a straight line, and in the rear direction, according to the rotational speed of the motor 8, moves by turning to the left or turning to the right. Consequently, all the useful trajectories of a cleaning apparatus are obtained, which greatly facilitates the cleaning cover and the speed of the cleaning of the immersed surface.

The increase in speed of movement in the rear direction generates an acceleration which induces a moment of inertia tending to increase the pitching of the apparatus. The general balancing of the apparatus can be adapted to obtain the more or less pitched or unplated plates desired, according to the different speeds corresponding.

The pumping device may also, in a variant not shown, participate in the setting up trim (s) up (s). As such, it should be noted that the pumping propeller 10 is a directly coupled unidirectional pitch propeller rotatably connected to the upper rear end 23 of the drive shaft 9. An unidirectional pitch axial pumping propeller comprises blades extending generally radially and having a pitch which is preferably fixed, which could however be variable, but which, in any event, does not change direction, that is to say is always oriented in a single direction direction, so that the direction of the liquid flow generated by the rotation of the helix depends on the direction of rotation of the latter. When the propeller 10 is rotated in the normal direction of pumping (corresponding to the cleaning of the surface immersed), it pumps the liquid from each liquid inlet at the base of the hollow body to each main liquid outlet. When the propeller 10 is rotated in the retrograde direction, it pumps the liquid in the discharge direction from each main liquid outlet.

The axial pumping propeller 10 driven in the retrograde direction generates a flow of liquid that can escape from the hollow body by at least one liquid outlet, called the secondary outlet (not shown). The flow of liquid escaping through at least one such secondary outlet is oriented such that this current creates by reaction, forces whose resultant, called secondary hydraulic reaction force, generates a rotation torque of the apparatus by pivoting the hollow body around the axle 7. This pair of pitching around the axis 13 of the axle 7 engine tends to pitch the device, that is to say, to lift the wheel 6. Thus, such a hydraulic reaction secondary force exerts a pivoting torque of the device around the axis 13 of the axle 7 motor in the direction of increasing the pitching device. To do this, it is necessary and sufficient that the direction of the fluid flow generated in the retrograde direction and outgoing by such a secondary outlet is not secant with the axis 13 of the axle 7 engine, and is oriented in the appropriate direction to at least participate in the pitching of the hollow body around the pitching axle. Such a participation of the flow of liquid in the retrograde direction at the pitching of the apparatus is however not necessary, and, in the embodiment represented by way of example, the obtaining of each pitched attitude results solely from motor torque on the drive axle and the overall balancing of the device.

Modifications of trajectory can be obtained according to the attitude, more or less pitched or not, that is to say according to the inclination of the hollow body 1 about the axis 13 of the axle 7 engine relative to the immersed surface, for example (variant not shown) because the horizontal component (parallel to the immersed surface) of the forward hydraulic resistance is unbalanced and causes a gyration on one side of the apparatus. For this make, the shell 11 may have flaps or ribs whose hydraulic effect is dependent on the tilting inclination of the device.

According to another variant not shown, they can be obtained by a lateral shift of a guiding and driving member and / or brushing, or according to a spontaneous pivoting of a wheel following the change of direction of movement.

As a variant or in combination, changes in trajectory can be obtained by different configurations of the guiding and driving members in contact with the immersed surface and / or by laterally offset braking members coming or not in contact with the immersed surface, according to the pitched attitude of the aircraft.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the shell 11 has a portion 42 of wall extending forwardly from the opening 25, over its entire width, substantially marrying the contour of the front wheels 5. This portion 42 wall is provided with two pads 43, 44, each pad being arranged so as to come into contact with the immersed surface to locally brake and / or take off the hollow body 1 if the apparatus takes a predetermined pitched attitude specific for each pad 43, 44, the wheel 6 being detached from said immersed surface.

A first fixed pad 43 is disposed on one side, for example on the right as shown, secured to the front portion 42 of the shell 11 and projects radially outwardly from this portion 42 so as to to come into contact with the immersed surface when the apparatus is in a first nose-up attitude shown in FIG. 11b, for the first -VI slow speed of displacement in the rear direction corresponding to the first slow speed of rotation of the engine 8. In this first attitude up, the second pad 44 is not in contact with the immersed surface and the apparatus is swirled on one side (to the left relative to the direction of movement in the example shown) in the rear direction because of the friction of the first pad 43 on the immersed surface and / or detachment of the front right wheel. The first shoe 43 is arranged at the front of the drive axle, and comes, in the first pitched attitude, in contact with the immersed surface at the rear of the driving axle relative to the direction of displacement (backward direction).

The second fixed pad 44 is disposed on the other side, for example on the left as shown, secured to the front portion 42 of the shell 11 and protrudes radially outwardly from this portion 42 of way to come into contact with the immersed surface when the aircraft is in a second nose-up attitude shown in FIG. 11c, of greater inclination than the first nose-up attitude. This second nose-up attitude is obtained for the second fast speed -V2 of displacement in the rear direction corresponding to the second fast speed of rotation of the engine 8. In this second nose-up attitude, the first pad 43 is no longer in contact with the immersed surface. , and the apparatus is rotated on the other side (to the right in the example shown) in the rear direction because of the friction of the second pad 44 on the immersed surface and / or the detachment of the wheel 5 front left . The second shoe 44 is also arranged at the front of the driving axle, and comes, in the second nose-up attitude, in contact with the immersed surface at the rear of the driving axle relative to the direction of displacement (backward direction ).

The first pad 43 is arranged to come into contact with the immersed surface only in said first nose-up attitude, and the second pad 44 is arranged to come into contact with the immersed surface only in said second nose-up attitude. In particular, in the first pitched attitude, the second pad 44 is not in contact with the immersed surface. In the second pitched attitude, the first runner 43 is not in contact with the submerged surface. In the normal attitude of movement of the apparatus in which it is not pitched up, all the wheels 5, 6 being in contact with the immersed surface, for example when moving in the forward direction, the pads 43, 44 are distant of the immersed surface, and therefore inactive.

A shoe 43, 44 capable of causing a detachment of a driving wheel causes rapid gyration of the apparatus by localized arrest. A pad 43, 44 able to rub on the immersed surface without causing a detachment of a wheel 5 motor generates a slower gyration of the device by localized braking. These two variants can be envisaged in an apparatus according to the invention, and can be combined (at least one braking pad being provided for only rubbing on the immersed surface and braking locally in a plate of the apparatus; at least one other pad of detachment causing a detachment of a wheel in another attitude of the aircraft).

Thus, an apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one pad 43, 44 arranged to come into contact with the immersed surface in at least one pitched attitude of the apparatus so as to cause the apparatus to turn side. Such pad is inactive (away from the immersed surface) when the hollow body is in its normal operating position (cleaning the immersed surface) and can be adapted to only locally brake the hollow body by frictional contact with the immersed surface when the latter is in a predetermined pitch attitude, thus causing a gyration on one side. As a variant, such a pad may be adapted to locally loosen the hollow body, and at least one guide member for the up-and-down axle -in particular a guide and motor-drive member located near the pad. In addition, such a shoe may be arranged offset laterally with respect to the pitching axle (with respect to a median direction of the pitching axle) in order to cause local braking or detachment of a guiding member-in particular a motor guiding and driving member, and thus a gyration of the apparatus on a predetermined side; or, alternatively, not shown, on the contrary be generally centered on a median direction of the pitching axle to cause detachment of each guide member - in particular of each guide member and motor drive, the apparatus being driven gyration on one side or the other (defined randomly) due to unavoidable operating imbalances due for example to the traction of the power cable.

The control unit 4 is extremely simple in its design and implementation. It is adapted so that the apparatus is mainly driven forward in a straight line. Engine 8 is interrupted from time to time and controlled in reverse at the first slow speed (corresponding to the -VI moving speed) from time to time and at the second fast speed (corresponding to the -V2 moving speed) from time to time. The different control times of the motor 8: Tl in the forward direction at high speed + V, T2 in the backward direction at slow speed -VI, T3 in the reverse direction at normal high speed -V2, and T4 in the interruptions of the motor 8, are defined randomly (by a random generator, that is to say a pseudo-random variable generator) and / or in a predetermined manner. Preferably, these durations can be defined so as to limit the entanglement of the cable 3, that is to say by ensuring that the accumulations of the periods of gyration on the left are similar to the accumulations of the times of gyration on the right.

For example, T1 is between 10s and 1 min, for example of the order of 20s; T2 and T3 are both less than T1, for example between 3s and 15s, in particular between 5s and 8s; and T4 is less than each of the durations T1, T2, and T3, is between 0.5s and 5s, in particular is of the order of 2s. The value V corresponds to the maximum speed of the motor 8 (no modulation of the pulse width of the voltage delivered by the control unit 4), VI corresponds to 50% of the maximum speed of the motor (V1 = 0.5V) , and V2 is 80% of the maximum engine speed (V2 = 0.8V). Other values are of course possible.

It should be noted that the control of each pitch attitude of the device does not require a particularly complex operating logic in that it can be obtained by simply balancing the device in production. In addition, the presence of the pads 43, 44 facilitates this control, each of these pads 43, 44 acting as limit stop pivoting in each pitched attitude. In addition, this control can remain relatively imprecise to the extent that the period of pitch up attitude of the device are low, this configuration of displacement does not correspond to the normal cleaning configuration.

The apparatus according to the invention is extremely simple to design and manufacture, and therefore very economical, but nevertheless very powerful. Indeed, with a single electric motor 8 and a control unit 4 reduced to its more simple expression, all the most complex functionalities of an electrical device are obtained. The apparatus according to the invention is also particularly light, easy to handle, ergonomic and particularly aesthetic. It consumes very little energy and is respectful of the environment. It has a long life and excellent reliability especially given the small number of parts it incorporates.

The invention may be the subject of numerous variants with respect to the preferred embodiment shown in the figures and described above. In particular, the invention is equally applicable to an apparatus provided with guide and drive members for motors or non-motors other than wheels (tracks, brushes, etc.). Also, the device may have several liquid inlets, several liquid outlets, or even several pumping propellers driven by the same engine. However, it is an advantage of an apparatus according to the invention to be able to present a single liquid inlet 25, a single liquid outlet 37, a single hydraulic circuit and a single axial pumping propeller 10 directly coupled to the shaft The motor 8 may be driven in a discrete plurality of speeds which may comprise more different speeds than in the example described above. The shoes 43, 44 may be replaced or supplemented by a shoe generally centered on a median axle direction (not laterally offset) causing, in a predetermined pitch attitude of the apparatus, a detachment of the two drive wheels, and a random gyration of the device due to the inevitable imbalances of the latter (for example due to the necessarily off-axis traction of the power cable).

The apparatus according to the invention is advantageously free of an actuator and an onboard logic and / or electronic circuit. In variants, nothing prevents to provide that the device may include if necessary electronic components and / or onboard actuators. For example, the control unit could be embedded, including for example with a built-in storage battery acting as a source of electrical energy, the device being completely autonomous.

Claims

1 / - Apparatus for cleaning a surface immersed in a liquid, comprising:

a hollow body (1),

- members (5, 6) for guiding and driving said body on the immersed surface,

a filtration chamber (2) formed in said hollow body and having:

at least one inlet (25) of liquid in the hollow body,

at least one outlet (37) of liquid from the hollow body,

a hydraulic circuit for circulating liquid between each liquid inlet and each liquid outlet through a filtering device (33);

at least one pumping member (10) arranged to generate a flow of liquid between each liquid inlet and each liquid outlet, each pumping member being formed of an axial pumping propeller (10) with a unidirectional pitch creating a flow of liquid oriented globally along its axis of rotation,

a single reversible electric motor (8) carried by said hollow body and comprising a motor shaft (9) mechanically connected to move them simultaneously with:

at least one of said guiding and driving members, said motor member (5),

each propeller (10) for pumping,

an electric control unit (4) connected to the motor for powering and controlling it:

in a first direction of rotation of the motor shaft (9) in which each motor member (5) is driven in a first direction, said forward, and each pumping propeller (10) generates the liquid flow in the normal direction from each liquid inlet to each liquid outlet so as to ensure the cleaning of the immersed surface and the filtration of the solid residues by the filtering device (33), - In a second direction of rotation of the shaft (9) motor in which each member (5) motor is driven in a second direction, said back, opposite to the first direction.

21 - Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each propeller (10) pumping is adapted for, in the second direction of rotation of the shaft (9) motor, generate a non-zero flow of liquid in the retrograde direction from each liquid outlet in discharge direction to each liquid inlet.

3 / - Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the filtering device (33) comprises at least one anti-discharge valve (31) arranged upstream of the filtering device with respect to the flow of liquid in the normal direction. pumping the liquid, each valve (31) being arranged to prevent, in the retrograde direction, the discharge of the liquid from the filtering device (33) and out of the hollow body.

4 / - Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the filtering device (33) has at least one inlet (30) arranged upstream with respect to the flow of liquid in the normal direction of liquid pumping, and in that at least one valve (31) is arranged at each upstream input of the filtering device.

5 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the motor (8) comprises a body mounted in a longitudinal plane with the shaft (9) motor inclined upwards and backwards of an angle greater than 0 ° and less than 90 ° with respect to the rolling plane (22) defined by the guiding and driving members (5, 6).

6 / - Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a pumping propeller (10) coupled to an upper rear end of the motor shaft (9) opening on one side of the engine body, and in that that another lower front end of the motor shaft (9) opens on the other side of the motor body and is coupled to an angle gear driving two coaxial front half-shafts (16) for a driving axle (13). before single. 7 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a single axial pumping propeller (10) directly mounted on one end of the shaft (9) motor rotating shaft office for this propeller (10).

8 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the electrical control unit (4) is adapted to supply the motor (8) with a value of the speed of rotation of the motor shaft ( 9) selected from a plurality of absolute discrete values of the rotational speed of the shaft.

91 - Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said plurality of values comprises, for the backward direction of movement, two values: a fast, a slow.

10 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 9 characterized in that the unit (4) of electrical control is adapted to control the motor (8) electric mainly in the first direction and in shorter durations in the second meaning.

11 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that all of its electronic components are incorporated in the unit (4) of electrical control which is located outside the liquid and connected to the hollow body and to the motor by a cable (3).