FR2989596A1 - Apparatus for cleaning surface immersed in swimming pool, has external area including assigning unit to assign liquid circulating in external area by rotational movement around portion of filtering section of tubular wall - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus has a filtering device including a centripetal filtration chamber (8) that comprises a tubular wall (9), an external area (5) and an interior area (6). The tubular wall comprises a filtering section (7) symmetrical of revolution around an axis (10) of symmetry. The external area is arranged upstream of the interior area in a hydraulic system, and includes an assigning unit to assign the liquid circulating in the external area by a rotational movement around a portion of filtering section of the tubular wall.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a surface-cleaning apparatus immersed in a liquid, such as a surface formed by the walls of a pool, in particular a pool. The invention particularly relates to a dynamic filtration cleaner apparatus in which the liquid is rotated. Unpublished French Patent Application Nos. 10.04604 and PCT International No. 2011/054838 disclose an apparatus for filtering debris entrained in a flowing fluid, characterized in that it comprises: a. an entrance ; b. a first tube (i) defining (A) an outside and (B) an inner region and (ii) including apertures through which fluid can flow from the outside to the inner region; vs. an output in fluid communication with the inner region; and D. means for imparting rotational movement to the fluid flowing through the inlet and around the outside of the first tube. Cleaning apparatuses are known using other methods of filtration. For example, EP 2,235,298 is known which teaches a submerged surface-cleaning apparatus in which a liquid undergoes a locally turbulent flow before passing through filtering walls, the debris present in the liquid sucked into the apparatus being separated by gravity into The turbulent zone. However, in such a device, the turbulent zone does not make it possible to separate all the debris transported by a liquid, in particular debris, so-called intimate debris, of density very close to that of the liquid. Indeed, the debris that is desired to extract water, especially pool water, are generally waterlogged to the point of having a density substantially similar to that of water. This is for example the case of leaves of plants that have stayed for several days in the water. 2 9895 96 2 As a result, the water still filled with debris passes through a filter in a linear movement from upstream to downstream so that the filter clogs up little by little, thus reducing the efficiency of the filtration and especially the flow rate. filtered water. In addition, such a device is almost completely filled with water, so that it is difficult to remove it from a pool because of its heavy weight. Moreover, the filter proposed by EP 2 235 298 is particularly difficult to clean because of its shape. The invention therefore aims to overcome these disadvantages.

The aim of the invention is to provide a surface-cleaning device immersed in a liquid that effectively filters debris in the liquid. The invention aims in particular to provide such an apparatus that effectively separates water from debris having stayed in the water for a long time and therefore of density close to that of water.

The invention also aims to provide a surface cleaner device immersed in a liquid performing a filtration without clogging of the filter. The invention therefore also aims to provide such a device that does not overuse electricity due to a rapid clogging of the filter. The invention aims in particular to provide such an apparatus, the flow of filtered water does not decrease in time between two cleanings of the filter. The invention also aims at providing such a device requiring little maintenance, especially not requiring frequent filter cleaning compared to the total volume of the device, including the available storage volume for debris. The object of the invention is to propose such an apparatus whose volume of active water inside the apparatus is low at any moment in order to reduce the total weight of the apparatus in operation and in particular its weight at the exit of the apparatus. basin to facilitate extraction by a user. The invention is more particularly intended to provide such an apparatus in which the ratio of the volume of dirty water active to the volume of clean water active inside the apparatus is large.

The invention also aims to provide such an apparatus having a large storage capacity of the debris relative to the total volume of the apparatus. The invention therefore relates to a surface-cleaning apparatus immersed in a liquid, comprising: a body; bodies for guiding the body on the immersed surface; at least one hydraulic circuit for circulating liquid between at least one liquid inlet in the body and at least one outflow of liquid from the body, and through a filtration device, characterized in that said filtration device comprises at least one centripetal filtration chamber having a tubular wall separating, in the filtration chamber, an outer region and an inner region, said tubular wall having at least one symmetrical filter section of revolution about an axis of symmetry, said outer region being upstream, in the hydraulic circuit, of the inner region, and in that comprises means capable of imparting to the liquid circulating in the outer region a rotational movement around at least a portion of a section filtering the tubular wall.

Thus, the invention makes it possible, for the first time, to obtain a cleaning apparatus guided on a submerged surface such as a pool wall, with centripetal liquid filtration. The filtration, and more particularly the filtration chamber, can be described as centripetal because a centripetal force is applied to the liquid to form a rotating flow and return the liquid to a filter and a discharge arranged inside a filtration chamber . However, the separation of the debris and the liquid is carried out by filtration, that is to say by the passage of the liquid through a filter section of the tubular wall. The rotating circulation of the debris-laden liquid around the tubular wall before the passage of the liquid through the latter makes it possible, on the other hand, to improve the separation methods by filtration.

This filtration is distinguished from a centrifugal separation of debris from a fluid in which the densities of debris and fluid are very different. Centrifugal separation methods are in fact not feasible in the case of debris filtration in a liquid, especially in pond water. Indeed such debris - for example leafy debris - have a density very close to that of the liquid, so that a centrifugal separation is not effective. An immersed surface-cleaning apparatus according to the invention thus performs a separation by centripetal filtration of quite different nature from a centrifugal separation (hence by density difference) as described for example in US Pat. No. 6,531,066. Advantageously, the hydraulic circuit is adapted to allow a flow of liquid between at least one liquid inlet in the body and at least one liquid outlet out of the body under the effect of a pumping device. The filtration device is interposed, on the hydraulic circuit, between at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet. The means for imparting to the liquid flowing in the hydraulic circuit a rotational movement in the outer region around at least a portion of at least one filter section of the tubular wall can be made in different ways, for example: a filter chamber with a curved peripheral wall combined with a liquid inlet in the filtration chamber in a non-radial direction; an airfoil; the inlet of a fluid different from the liquid to be treated in a non-radial direction in a non-radial direction; a filter chamber with a curved peripheral wall, etc. The invention thus makes it possible to effectively separate debris from a liquid, especially so-called intimate debris (of density close to that of the liquid) and / or obstructive (sheets, plastic bags, herbs, etc.) while avoiding clogging. a filter. Indeed, the liquid being circulated in rotation around a filter section of the tubular wall it picks up debris - including debris likely to be held by suction against the filter section - which may have accumulated against the filter section. More specifically, the debris itself which is rotated with the liquid collides with debris accumulated against the filter section, so that the shock detaches the latter and circulates them back into the water in the outer region. The tubular wall separates the filtration chamber into two regions located inside the filtration chamber: a region outside said tubular wall, and an inner region to said tubular wall, said outer region being upstream of the inner region according to a direction of circulation of liquid in the hydraulic circuit to which the filtration chamber belongs. Said outer region is, like said inner region, the tubular wall, inside the filtration chamber. The hydraulic circuit is adapted to supply the outer region with liquid arriving from at least one liquid inlet in the body. The hydraulic circuit is such that the inner region is connected to at least one liquid outlet out of the body. The liquid can flow through the filter section from said outer region to said inner region through the openings of the filter section but the debris is retained in the outer region by the filter section of the tubular wall, so that that the water in the inner region is free of debris larger than that of the openings of the filter section. The filter section is therefore advantageously permeable to the liquid but not to solids larger than a predetermined size. The predetermined size is determined in particular by the dimensions of the openings of the filter section. Several embodiments of a filter section may be chosen according to the invention, for example: openings made obliquely in the tubular wall so that the liquid must pass through an acute angle from the outer region to the region internal, thin and flexible filtering walls held by a rigid frame, etc. The tubular wall according to the invention is advantageously located in the filtration chamber. The tubular wall is more particularly and according to the invention located in a central zone of the filtration chamber. In addition, the tubular wall is advantageously generally symmetrical with revolution, that is to say it has one (or more) section (s) 5 of generally symmetrical shape of revolution, for example a combination of sections selected from sections of cylindrical, conical, frustoconical, etc. In particular, the tubular wall is advantageously cylindrical of revolution, that is to say that it has one (or more) section (s) of globally cylindrical shape of revolution, and more particularly at least one filter section of cylindrical form of revolution. The apparatus comprises body guide members on the submerged surface, said guide members defining a plane, said guide plane, by their points of contact with the immersed surface on which the apparatus is movable. Said guide plane is generally substantially tangential to the submerged surface at the point where the apparatus is located. Said guide plane is for example substantially horizontal when the device moves on a submerged surface of the pool bottom. Throughout the text the notions "up" and "down" are defined along a straight line normal to said guide plane, a "down" element being closer to the guide plane than a "high" element. An apparatus according to the invention furthermore advantageously comprises at least one device for driving at least a part of the guiding members, which are therefore also drive members of the body on the immersed surface. The driving device advantageously comprises at least one motor carried by the body, so that the apparatus is a submerged surface cleaner. Advantageously and according to the invention the motor carried by the body is an electric motor. Alternatively it can also be a hydraulic motor. The tubular wall has at least one main axis of symmetry. In order to ensure effective filtration of the liquid, the axis of symmetry of the tubular wall advantageously forms an angle less than 45 ° with the normal to the guide plane. According to some embodiments of an apparatus according to the invention the axis of the tubular wall is preferably at least substantially vertical when the apparatus is placed on a horizontal surface (horizontal guide plane), so that the angle between the axis of the tubular wall and the vertical is less than 45 °, in particular less than 20 °, for most of the pool bottom surfaces. More particularly, in a particularly advantageous embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, the axis of symmetry of the tubular wall is advantageously disposed substantially orthogonal to the guide plane of the apparatus. Moreover, advantageously, in an apparatus according to the invention, said means are adapted to be able to introduce a stream of liquid into the filtration chamber in a main direction of orientation distinct from the orientation of the axis of symmetry and distant from said axis of symmetry. filter section. The main direction of a liquid flow corresponds to the average displacement of the liquid, without taking into account local disturbances within this flow. The main direction of the liquid introduced into the filtration chamber is advantageously neither secant with the tubular wall nor parallel to the axis of symmetry of the tubular wall. More particularly, an apparatus according to the invention advantageously comprises means adapted to introduce a stream of liquid into the filtration chamber in a principal direction parallel to a plane tangential to at least one filtering and non-secanting section with this filtering section or belonging to this tangent plane. For this purpose, advantageously and according to the invention, the filtration chamber has a concave curved peripheral wall adapted to direct said flow of liquid introduced into the filtration chamber in rotation about the axis of symmetry. It is the inner face delimiting the outer region of the peripheral wall of the filter chamber which is concave curved.

In particular, the peripheral wall of the filtration chamber has a curvature about an axis of the tubular wall. The filtration chamber has one or more feed openings each connected by the hydraulic circuit to one or more liquid inlets, and through which the liquid is introduced into the filtration chamber. The peripheral wall of the filtration chamber is advantageously in portions surrounding the filtering section of concave curvature between two consecutive feed openings. Thus said peripheral wall portions of the filtration chamber may be of constant curvature, for example cylindrical of revolution. The peripheral wall portions of the filtration chamber may have a curvature corresponding to that of the filtering section facing (that is to say, the same axis of symmetry). Alternatively, advantageously and according to the invention, the peripheral wall of the filtration chamber presents, from a feed opening, an increasing curvature in the direction of rotation of the liquid in the outer region. More particularly, the peripheral wall of the filter chamber has an increasing curvature (with a decreasing radius of curvature) between two consecutive feed openings in the direction of rotation of the liquid in the outer region. For example, the curvature of the peripheral wall of the filtration chamber may increase continuously. The radial span of the outer region therefore decreases along the winding of a liquid flow around a filter section. The flow of liquid in the outer region is thus convergent between said peripheral wall of the filtration chamber and a filter section around the latter. The liquid is thus partly pushed towards the filter section (arranged inside the filtration chamber) by said peripheral wall of the filtration chamber (which thus exerts a centripetal force on the liquid flow). In addition, reducing the flow section available for the liquid in the upper region at least allows the speed of the liquid to be maintained around the filter section.

Advantageously, the reduction of the passage section in the upper region allows an acceleration of the liquid with respect to its introduction speed by a feed opening. This accelerated liquid, when it reaches the next feed opening along its rotating path, causes the liquid introduced by this feed opening in its direction of rotation. The dimensions of the outer region (in particular its radial span) are thus chosen to obtain this maintenance or this acceleration of the liquid along its rotating flow. The apparatus of the invention advantageously comprises means adapted to introduce a flow of liquid in the filtration chamber in a secant main direction non-orthogonal to said peripheral wall of the filtration chamber. Advantageously, said means are adapted to be able to introduce a stream of liquid into the filtration chamber in a main direction locally tangential to said peripheral wall of the filtration chamber. It is the curvature of the peripheral wall of the filtration chamber that imposes a flow in rotation to the liquid flowing in the outer region of the filtration chamber. Advantageously, an apparatus according to the invention is also characterized in that at least one upstream channel of the hydraulic circuit, connected to at least one liquid inlet in the body, opens into said outer region by at least one feed opening to height of at least a portion of filter section. The liquid introduced by a feed opening into the outer region of the filtration chamber is advantageously up to a filter section so as to be able to effectively unclog said filter section. Indeed the section of each feed opening being much smaller than the section of the outer region, the speed of the liquid is important during its introduction into the filter chamber and thus allows effective declogging of the filter section.

Advantageously and according to the invention at least one upstream channel portion located just upstream of the feed opening is curved around the axis of symmetry to be able to impart to the liquid flowing in the upstream channel a rotational movement, particularly a rotational movement about the axis of a filter section, even before its introduction into the filtration chamber. Advantageously and according to the invention, the filtration chamber 5 has two diametrically opposed feed openings relative to the axis of symmetry. The two feed openings are diametrically opposite with respect to a main axis of the filtration chamber, in particular with respect to a main axis of the tubular wall when the latter is centered in the filtration chamber. The inventors have indeed determined that the filter section remains cleaner longer with a plurality of feed openings opening into the outer region of the filtration chamber with a single feed opening. A plurality of feed apertures distributed around the periphery of the peripheral wall of the filtration chamber in particular makes it possible to maintain a high and homogeneous speed of the flow of liquid all around said filtering section. Advantageously and according to the invention the apparatus has a hydraulic circuit comprising two upstream channels each connecting a liquid inlet in the body to a feed opening. The apparatus advantageously has a hydraulic circuit comprising a single liquid outlet out of the body. Furthermore, advantageously and according to the invention, the apparatus comprises at least one motor - particularly electric motor - driving at least a portion of the guide members, so that the device is automotive. The guide members thus driven by a motor are therefore also drive members of the apparatus on a submerged surface. The apparatus may also advantageously comprise an on-board electronic unit controlling each electric drive motor as a function of commands received or stored in a memory. The on-board electronic unit also advantageously controls a pump of the hydraulic circuit. Indeed, an apparatus according to the invention advantageously also comprises a motorized pump carried by the body and adapted to be able to create a circulation of liquid in said hydraulic circuit. Said pump is advantageously a pump with an electric motor. Advantageously and according to the invention, the pump is a rotary axial pump propeller. In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, the pump is of axis substantially collinear with the axis of symmetry of the tubular wall. In addition, the pump is advantageously careened in a shroud coaxial with the tubular wall. The fairing is integral with the body. The shroud is hydraulically connected to at least one liquid outlet out of the body. The fairing is advantageously pierced with at least one liquid discharge opening adapted to be able to evacuate a liquid contained in the filtration chamber. The propeller of the pump is advantageously disposed in a downstream portion of the tubular wall, and more particularly downstream of at least one discharge opening of the filtration chamber, particularly advantageously between each discharge opening and a liquid outlet out of the body. The pump is advantageously immediately upstream of the liquid outlet of the body. The pump thus ensures a circulation of liquid in the hydraulic circuit by suction. In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, the filtration chamber has at least one discharge opening. In addition, advantageously and according to the invention, at least one filter section is in an upper portion of the filtration chamber, therefore the tubular wall. Each supply opening of the liquid filtration chamber is thus also in an upper portion of the filtration chamber. Thus the liquid flows at a higher rotational speed in an upper portion of the outer region than in a lower portion of the outer region. Advantageously and according to the invention, the outer region comprises a debris recovery zone in a lower portion of the filtration chamber. The debris recovery zone is advantageously located in a lower portion of the filtration chamber so as to take advantage of any effect of gravitation on debris with a density greater than that of water. Advantageously and according to the invention the apparatus comprises suitable means for imparting to a liquid a flow generally inclined towards the recovery zone, in particular a helical flow around the tubular wall. For this purpose, each upstream channel is advantageously inclined downwards so as to introduce the liquid into the filtration chamber in the direction of the recovery zone. Each upstream channel advantageously has a downward inclination relative to the horizontal between 0 ° and 20 °. Since the feed openings are located in an upper portion of the outer region, the agitation of debris accumulated in the recovery zone is less than the agitation in an upper portion of the filtration chamber. Also advantageously and according to the invention, the tubular wall has a high filter section and a low section of smaller diameter than the high filter section. A first section, said high section, filtering the tubular wall is advantageously and according to the invention in an upper portion of the tubular wall where the flow velocity of the liquid is greater and thus prevents the accumulation of debris against the tubular wall. filter section, while the reduced flow velocity and gravity accumulation of debris in the lower portion of the filtration chamber can cause a rapid clogging of a filter section that would be located in the lower portion.

The high section in the upper portion of the filter chamber having a large diameter, the outer region has a reduced radial span in the upper portion of the filtration chamber. A second section, said low section, of the tubular wall in the lower portion of the filtration chamber has a reduced diameter. The outer region therefore has a large radial span in the lower portion of the filter chamber so that the flow velocity of a liquid is lower than the flow velocity of the liquid in the upper portion of the outer region. As the flow velocity of the liquid in the recovery zone is relatively low, debris accumulation is facilitated. The volume of this recovery zone is therefore also important in order to store a large volume of debris. The lower section of the tubular wall may be full over its entire height or over part of its height so as not to be filtering.

Advantageously, the low section of the tubular wall is also filtering at least over part of its height. Thus, after each cleaning of the filtration chamber and in particular of the tubular wall, the flow of liquid between the outer region and the inner region is facilitated by a larger total filtering surface and the liquid can follow a path passing through the lower part. from the outer region and crossing the lower section of filtering wall to join the inner region. The filter section surfaces are advantageously sufficiently rigid to at least substantially retain their shape in operation.

Furthermore, advantageously and according to the invention, the filtration chamber comprises an extractable filter housing of the body. The filter housing advantageously forms the peripheral wall and the bottom of the filtration chamber. The debris recovery zone is located in the filter box.

The filter housing is extractable, that is to say it can be removed from the body of the device, in particular to empty the area of recovery of its debris. The filtration box thus allows a user to empty the recovery zone of the filtration chamber without getting dirty. Indeed, the recovered debris are stored there without being able to leave during the extraction of the filter housing of the device, and the outside of the housing is clean. Similarly, the tubular wall is advantageously extractable so as to clean each filter section. The filter chamber further advantageously comprises a lid closing the filter housing, said lid forming an outer shell portion of the body when the filter housing is introduced into the apparatus. Advantageously, the tubular wall and the lid are extracted from the apparatus by extraction - in particular by extraction from the top of the apparatus - of the filter housing out of the body. The tubular wall and the lid are also extractable from the filter housing. The filter housing is advantageously extractable from above the apparatus. Thus a user does not need to return said apparatus to extract the filter housing. The lid thus forms an upper part 20 of the body of the apparatus. The lid is advantageously transparent in order to evaluate the filling of the debris recovery zone. Advantageously and according to the invention, the filter housing has at least one feed opening passing through its peripheral wall, said supply opening being adapted to be mounted facing an upstream channel when the feed box is introduced. filtration in the device. Equivalently, a first portion of each upstream channel may be integral with the filter housing and mounted - when the filter housing is introduced into the apparatus - facing a second upstream channel portion 30 of an inlet of liquid.

The filter housing and the lid have a central recess so that they can be mounted around the pump and its fairing. The pump fairing thus forms an internal wall of the filtration chamber, the latter being physically delimited by the peripheral wall and the bottom formed by the filter housing, by the cover, and by the pump fairing (s). . Furthermore, advantageously, an apparatus according to the invention is also characterized in that it comprises means adapted to be able to impart to a liquid laden with debris circulating around a filter section a rotational movement at a speed sufficient for, at less for some debris, counter forces tending to attract said debris to said filter section. The apparatus is more particularly characterized in that it comprises means adapted to be able to impart to a liquid loaded with obstructive debris such as leaves circulating around a filter section a rotational movement at a speed sufficient to, at least for certain obstructive debris, counter forces tending to attract said obstructive debris to said filter section. Indeed, such debris as leaves, plastic bags, herbs, needles of conifers, etc. are easily attracted and retained by suction against a filtering surface, and obstruct said filtering surface by accumulating therein. The apparatus according to the invention makes it possible to overcome this problem by creating a permanent declogging of at least a portion of the filter section. The characteristics, in particular the power, of the pump 25 are chosen in particular to obtain this result. In addition, the shape, dimensions, and orientation of each feed opening in the filter chamber are adapted to achieve this result. The shape and dimensions of the filtration chamber, in particular of its peripheral wall, and the shape and dimensions of the tubular wall, in particular of the high filtering section, are also chosen to obtain this result. Many combinations of these different characteristics are possible to obtain said result. The invention also relates to an immersed surface cleaning apparatus characterized in combination by all or some of the characteristics mentioned above or below. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following non-limiting description which refers to the appended figures in which: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a cleaning apparatus of three-quarter submerged surface according to an embodiment according to the invention, the filter chamber being extracted, - Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a submerged surface cleaner device in longitudinal section in a manner embodiment of the invention according to Figure 1, the filtration chamber being mounted in the apparatus, - Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a filtration chamber of an apparatus according to the invention for three -quarted exploded according to an embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2. A submerged surface cleaner apparatus according to the invention is shown according to a particular embodiment 1 to 3. The apparatus comprises a body 1 having a body and a driving and guiding device comprising bodies 18 for driving and guiding the body on a submerged surface. The drive and guide members 18 define a guide plane on a surface immersed by their points of contact with said immersed surface. The device further comprises an electric motor driving said driving and guiding members 18, said electric motor being fed via an electric cable 25. In the particular embodiment presented, the guiding and driving members comprise two tracks arranged body, and three drive wheels of each caterpillar. The body 1 comprises a hydraulic circuit between liquid inlets 3 in the body and a liquid outlet 4 out of the body. The liquid inlets 3 are located at the base of the body, that is to say immediately opposite a submerged surface on which the apparatus moves in order to suck the accumulated debris. on said immersed surface. The liquid outlet 4 is on the top of the device. The hydraulic circuit is adapted to ensure a circulation (shown schematically in Figure 2 by a thick arrowed line) of liquid from the liquid inlets 3 to the liquid outlet 4. The apparatus comprises for this purpose a pump comprising a motor 19 and a propeller 23, said electric motor 19 driving the propeller 23 in rotation, said propeller 23 being disposed in the hydraulic circuit. The propeller 23 is above the electric motor 19, the latter being fixed to the body 1 in a shroud 27 with its axis of rotation orthogonal to the guide plane, that is to say, collinear with the axis 10 of symmetry. In particular, the propeller 23 is disposed downstream of the hydraulic circuit - that is to say just upstream of the liquid outlet 4 - in a tube-shaped fairing 15 whose upper end opens onto the upper surface. of the apparatus and forms said liquid outlet 4. The electric motor 19 is supplied with electricity via the electric cable 25. The apparatus comprises a filtration chamber 8 interposed, 20 on the hydraulic circuit, between the liquid inlets 3 and the liquid outlet 4. In particular, the filtration chamber is supplied with liquid via two upstream channels 12 each connecting a liquid inlet 3 to the filtration chamber 8. Each upstream channel 12 opens into the filtration chamber 8 through an opening 13, so that the filter chamber 8 has two feed apertures 13. The two feed apertures 13 are diametrically opposed with respect to an axis of pseudo-symmetry. of the filtration chamber 8. The filtration chamber 8 comprises a filter housing 17 forming the bottom and the peripheral wall 11 of the filtration chamber and a cover 2 forming the upper wall of the filtration chamber 8. The filtration chamber is delimited inside by the fairings 20, 27 respectively of the propeller 23 and the electric motor 19. The filtration chamber 8 has a plurality of discharge openings 14 through which the liquid contained in the filtration chamber 8 is evacuated. Said discharge openings 14 are made in the fairing 20 of the helix 23, all around the latter, and are hydraulically connected to the liquid outlet 4. The filter housing 17 has a generally annular shape, that is, that is to say that it is hollowed right through at its center along the axis 10 of symmetry, to be introduced around fairings 20, 27 respectively of the propeller 23 and the electric motor 19. filtration box 17 is extractable, that is to say it can be mounted or separated from the body 1 of the device. The body 1 of the apparatus has for this purpose a housing 26 in which the filter housing 17 can be mounted. The fact that the filter housing 17 is extractable makes it easy to empty, especially without having to handle the entire apparatus. The filtration box 17 contains debris accumulated during filtration of the water and is clean on the outside. It can be extracted from the device by a user without it getting dirty. The filter housing 17 includes a removable cover 2 to facilitate cleaning of the filter housing 17 from accumulated debris. The lid 2 is hermetically mounted on the filter housing 17 to prevent leakage of liquid laden with debris. The lid 2 forms an upper portion of the outer wall of the apparatus when the filter housing is inserted into the housing 26 of the apparatus. The lid has a disc shape recessed at its center to provide a passage to the fairing 20 propeller 23 forming, by its upper end, the liquid outlet 4. The cover is transparent to allow a user to easily view the state of filling of the filtration chamber with debris. The filtration chamber 8 further comprises a tubular wall 9 disposed in the filter housing 17. The tubular wall 9 is also advantageously removable from the filter housing 17 so that it can be easily cleaned and easy to empty the filter housing 17. The tubular wall 9 has a plurality of symmetrical sections of revolution about an axis of symmetry. The tubular wall 9 is therefore coaxial with the filtration chamber 8, in particular with the peripheral wall 11 of the filtration box 17. The axis of symmetry is substantially orthogonal to the guide plane and therefore at least substantially vertical when the apparatus is placed on a horizontal submerged surface. The notions of "up" and "down" are determined along this axis of symmetry with respect to a surface on which the apparatus is placed via its drive and guide device. The tubular wall 9 separates the filtration chamber into two regions: an outer region 5 and an inner region 6, defined with respect to the axis of symmetry, said inner region 6 being diametrically internal to said outer region 5. The wall tubular 9 has at least one filter wall portion for retaining larger debris openings (or pores) of said filter wall. The tubular wall 9 comprises a first filter section, said filter section 7 high, generally cylindrical in shape, slightly frustoconical, about the axis 10. The filter section 7 high has a plurality of ribs 22 supporting a filter cloth 21 stretched at the periphery of said filter section 7 high. The filter section 7 high is located in a high portion of said tubular wall, around the fairing 20 of the propeller 23 and the discharge openings 14. The filter section 7 high has a diameter greater than the fairing 20 of the propeller 23, the radial space between the filter section 7 top and the shroud 20 forming an upper portion of the inner region 6. The tubular wall comprises a second filter section, said bottom section 24, of generally cylindrical shape of revolution, possibly slightly frustoconical, about the axis 10. The low section 24 forms a lower portion of said tubular wall, around a fairing 27 housing the electric motor 19. The lower section 24 has a diameter greater than the fairing 27 of the electric motor 19, the radial space between the low section 24 and the fairing 27 forming a lower portion of the inner region 6.

The filter section 7 high has a diameter greater than the low section 24 so that, the fairing 20 of the helix 23 and the fairing 27 of the electric motor 19 having substantially the same diameter, the inner region 6 is narrower in its lower portion. only in its upper portion. Similarly, the outer region 5 extending outside the tubular wall, between the tubular wall 9 and the peripheral wall 11 of the filter housing 17, is narrower in its upper portion 15 than in its lower portion 16. The feed openings 13 open into the outer region 5. The discharge openings 14 open into the inner region 6. The outer region 5 is therefore, in the hydraulic circuit, situated upstream of the inner region 6. The openings are located in an upper portion of the filtration chamber 8. In particular the feed openings 13 open into the upper portion 15 of the outer region 5, at the height of the filter section 7 of the tubular wall 9, so that that the liquid introduced into the filtration chamber 8 through the feed openings 13 can unclog the filter portions of the filter section 7 high. More particularly, each upstream channel 12 and the filtration chamber 8 are shaped so as to impart to the liquid a rotational movement around the filter section 7 of the tubular wall 9. For this purpose, the filter housing 17 is shaped so that that the peripheral wall 11 is generally concave curved and closed. Said peripheral wall 11 has in particular two curved portions around at least one axis at least parallel to the axis of symmetry. The peripheral wall 11 has in particular two portions with variable curvature around the symmetry axis 10, each curved portion of the peripheral wall 11 extending between a first feed opening 13 and the second feed opening 13. 2 Advantageously, the curvature of each curved peripheral wall portion 11 increases between two successive feed openings 13 in the direction of rotation of the liquid. The curvature of the peripheral wall 11 increases in particular between two successive feed openings 13 5 so that the liquid is accelerated with respect to its insertion speed by a feed opening 13. In addition, each upstream channel 12 has a bent shape so that the liquid is introduced into the filter chamber through a feed opening 13 in a substantially horizontal direction. Each upstream channel 12 and each feed opening 13 is also shaped so that the liquid is introduced into the filtration chamber in a direction different from a radial direction with respect to the axis of symmetry, in particular in a non-directional direction. secant with the tubular wall, and more particularly in a secant direction with the peripheral wall 11 of the filtration chamber 8. In particular the upstream channels 12 and the feed openings 13 are such that the liquid is introduced into the chamber of filtration in a direction generally tangential to the peripheral wall 11 of the filtration chamber and / or to said tubular wall 9. The curved peripheral wall 11 applies a centripetal force to the flow of liquid thus introduced into the filtration chamber 8, in order to rotate it, at least in the upper portion 15 of the outer region 5, around the filter portion 7 of the tubular wall In this embodiment, said means capable of imparting a rotational movement to the liquid flowing in the outer region 5 comprises the shape and orientation of the upstream channels 12, the shape and orientation of the feed openings. 13, the shape of the filter housing (including the peripheral wall 11), and the characteristics of the pump. In addition, the peripheral wall 11 is further away from the upper filter section 7 of the tubular wall 9 just downstream of a feed opening 13 and is closer to the filter section 7 of the tubular wall 9 at the top. upstream of a feed opening 13. The upper portion 15 of the outer region 5 thus has a larger section at the level of the introduction of the liquid into the filtration chamber 8, and a reduced section at the level where the liquid has traveled a half-turn around the axis of symmetry 10 from its introduction into the filtration chamber. The peripheral wall 11 thus makes it possible, during the rotation of the liquid in the filtration chamber - in particular during the first half-turn made by the liquid around the filter section 7 top of the tubular wall, to force the liquid through the filtering wall of the filter section 7 high, and if not accelerate at least to maintain its rotational speed around the tubular wall. Thus a rotating liquid vortex is created in the outer region 5, in particular in the upper portion 15 of the outer region, as shown in Figure 2 by a thick arrowed line. The liquid vortex makes it possible to permanently unclog the filtering wall of the filter section 7 upwards. In particular, when the liquid is loaded with debris, the debris is thrown against the outer face of the filtering wall of the filter section 7 and detaches the debris accumulated therein. The dimensions of the peripheral wall 11, the dimensions of the tubular wall 9, and the nominal flow rate of the pump are chosen to create a vortex of liquid of sufficient speed to be able to decolorize permanently the filter section 7 high, that is to say a vortex in which the rotating liquid exerts a force on the debris accumulating on the upper filter section 7 greater than the suction force created by the pressure difference between the inner region 6 and the outer region 5. Thus for example, a peripheral wall 11 with an average diameter of about 240 mm is chosen, a tubular wall 9 having a filter section 7 that is high with an average diameter of about 150 mm, and a pump adapted to create a flow rate of about 12 m 3 / sec. , so that a mean liquid velocity is measured, the liquid being water, in the upper portion of the outer region 5 of the order of 1.2 m / sec. Moreover, the propeller 23 imposes a flow of liquid from bottom to top along the axis of symmetry, so that the liquid contained in the filtration chamber tends to pass through the discharge openings 14 in a direction from below. up. The vortex created in the outer region 5 is thus at least partially directed downwardly from the filtration chamber, in particular downwardly from the outer region 5, before ascending, especially to the inner region 6 after passing through the low section. The liquid thus flows in a downward spiral path in the outer region 5. The vortex of liquid slows downwardly into the outer region 5, especially when it passes from the upper portion 15 to the lower portion 16 by the section of the lower portion and much larger than the section of the upper portion. This slowing of the liquid flow allows the debris to accumulate in the bottom of the filter housing, especially under the effect of gravitation, in a recovery zone 28 of the debris. The spiral flow of water from top to bottom also avoids the reflux of debris-laden water through the upstream channels 12 when the device is shut down.

In an apparatus according to the invention the volume of active water is very small because the dimensions of the filter housing and the hydraulic circuit upstream and downstream of the filtration chamber as well. More particularly, the volume of active clean water (in the inner region 6 and in the propeller fairing) is particularly small relative to the volume of active dirty water (in the upstream channels 12 and in the outer region 5). This makes it possible to offer a large volume debris recovery zone 28 while providing a particularly compact device. An apparatus according to the invention is therefore a submerged surface cleaning apparatus comprising: a body comprising at least one hydraulic liquid circulation circuit between at least one liquid inlet in the body and at least one liquid outlet out of the body, and through a filtering device, body guide members on the immersed surface, characterized in that said filtering device comprises: a. an entrance ; b. a first tube (i) defining (A) an exterior and (B) an interior region and (ii) including openings through which fluid may flow from the outside to the interior region; vs. an output in fluid communication with the inner region; and D. means for imparting rotational movement to the fluid flowing through the inlet and around the outside of the first tube. The invention may be the subject of many other variants not shown. Alternatively to an extractable housing, a simple wall forming the bottom of the filtration chamber could be sliding upwards to empty the area of recovery of its debris. Said wall can also scrape a filter section during its extraction.

Nothing prevents the lid from having a downstream hydraulic circuit channel connectable to the liquid outlet of the illustrated embodiment so as to change its position and orientation. An apparatus according to the invention does not necessarily include its own pump and can be connected to an external hydraulic circuit, for example outside a swimming pool, comprising a pump and creating a suction at the end of a pipe connectable to the circuit. hydraulic device, for example level of its liquid outlet. The filtration chamber may comprise elements for modifying the direction of the flow of a liquid in the filtration chamber, for example an airfoil, stationary vanes, walls creating local turbulence, etc. In addition, the upstream channels can be configured to introduce the liquid towards the bottom of the filtration chamber. Nothing prevents the provision of a plurality of filtration chambers according to the invention in series or in parallel.

The filter walls of the tubular wall can be made in different ways, for example with filter cloth portions, with openings in the tubular wall, etc. the openings made in the tubular wall are advantageously made such that the path of a liquid rotating in the outer region and passing through said openings forms an acute angle. The bottom section 24 of the tubular wall may be at least partly full instead of being filtering. The upstream channels 12 may be integral with the filter housing 17, integral with the body 1, or having a portion secured to the filter housing 17 and a portion secured to the body 1. The body of the apparatus shown in the figures has that an aesthetic function. Nothing, therefore, prevents an apparatus not comprising a body and minimized to a body forming said hydraulic circuit and guide members of the hydraulic circuit on a submerged surface. 20

Claims (1)

CLAIMS1 / - Apparatus for cleaning a surface immersed in a liquid comprising: - a body (1) comprising at least one hydraulic circuit for liquid circulation between at least one liquid inlet (3) in the body (1) and at least one liquid outlet (4) out of the body (1), and through a filtration device, - bodies (18) for guiding the body (1) on the immersed surface, characterized in that said filtration device comprises at least a centripetal filtration chamber (8) having a tubular wall (9) separating, in the filtration chamber (8), an outer region (5) and an inner region (6), - said tubular wall (9) having at least one filter section (7) symmetrical about a rotation axis (10) of symmetry, - said outer region (5) being upstream, in the hydraulic circuit, of the inner region (6), and in that it includes means capable of imparting to the circulating liquid in the region n external (5) a rotational movement around at least a filter portion portion (7) of the tubular wall (9). 2 / - Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said means are adapted to be able to introduce a flow of liquid in the filtration chamber (8) in a main direction of orientation distinct from the orientation of the axis ( 10) of symmetry and remote from said filter section (7). 3 / - Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the filter chamber (8) has a concave curved peripheral wall (11) adapted to guide said flow of liquid introduced into the filtration chamber in rotation around the axis (10) of symmetry. 4 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one upstream channel (12) of the hydraulic circuit, connected to at least one liquid inlet (3) in the body, opens into said region at least one feed opening (13) at least one filtering section portion (7) .5 / - Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the filter chamber (8) ) has two feed openings (13) diametrically opposite to the axis (10) of symmetry. 6 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises at least one drive motor of at least a portion of the guide members (18), so that the apparatus is automobile. 7 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it further comprises a motorized pump (19, 23) carried by the body (1) and adapted to be able to create a circulation of liquid in said circuit 10 hydraulic. 8 / - Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the pump (19, 23) is an axial rotary pump propeller (23). 9 / - Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the pump (19, 23) is of substantially colinear axis to the axis (10) of symmetry of the tubular wall (9). 10 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the filter chamber (8) has at least one discharge opening (14): - connected by the hydraulic circuit to at least one liquid outlet (4) out of the body (1), - located in an upper portion (15) of the filtration chamber. 11 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the outer region (5) comprises a recovery zone (28) of debris in a lower portion (16) of the filtration chamber (8). 12 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the tubular wall (9) has a filter section (7) high and a low section (24) of smaller diameter than the filter section (7) high . 13 / - Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the filter chamber (8) comprises a filter housing 30 (17) extractable from the body (1). . 14 / - Apparatus according to claims 3 and 4 and according to one of claims 4 to 13, characterized in that the peripheral wall (11) of the filtration chamber (8) has, from an opening of supply (13), an increasing curvature in the direction of rotation of the liquid in the outer region (5).