GB1565607A

GB1565607A - Filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines

Info

Publication number: GB1565607A
Application number: GB53115/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: FLORIDA MACHINE OF BOCA RATON
Current assignee: FLORIDA MACHINE OF BOCA RATON
Priority date: 1977-12-21
Filing date: 1977-12-21
Publication date: 1980-04-23

Description

(54) FILTER SYSTEM FOR SWIMMING POOL CLEANING MACHINES (71) We, FLORIDA MACHINE Of Boca Raton d/b/a Myers Eterprises, Inc.

1441 Northwest First Court, Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America 33432. A corporation organised and existing under the Laws of the State pf Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by wich it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present inveneioa relates to a filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines and more particularly to a filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines which is easy to clean.

In U.S. Patent no. 3,688,908, there is disclosed a filter device which is intended to improve the cheaning operation of the swimming pool cleaner described in United States Patent No. 3,531,930. The filter device of U.S. Patent No. 3,688,908 employed a filter which filtered all dirt, dust and any particles larges than 20 microns and did not rely on the central filtering system already installed in a majority of the pools However, it has been found that where large amounts of debris such as grass, leaves, pine needles, enc. are present on 'the pool bottton, the filter rapidly becomes clogged which requires chat the filter be removed for clearing. This clean ilig process may have to be repeated three or four simes in the first hour of cleaning a dirty pool. If the clogged filter is not cleaned, the machine motor can easily become overheated, causing serious damage rhereto.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide an improved filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines.

The invention also seeks to provide a filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines which includes an easily removable debris trap which traps the larger particles of debris such as grass, pine needles or leaves.

The present invention seeks to provide, in a subsidiary aspect, a filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines which increase the traction of the swimming pool cleaner.

The invention further seeks to provide a filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines which is easier to clean than existing devices.

Still further, the present invention seeks to provide a filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines which reduces the possibility of overheating of the pool cleaner motor.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the present invention seeks to provide a filter system for swimming pool dealing machines which is centrally positioned with respect to the pool cleaner to prevent the filter from scratching the pool walls or stairs.

Still further, the present invention seeks to provide a filter system for swimming pool cleaning machines which is economical to manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

According to the present invention, there is provided a submergible swimming pool cleaner composing a pump, a debris trap downstr of the pump and a filtration compartment containing filter means downstream of ,the debris trap wherein the debris trap has an inlet and a plurality of openings leading into an outlet, die inlet and the outlet being formed in one end face, the filtration compartment comprising a transversely extending cover member having a first opening formed therein connecting the pump to the inlet of the debris trap, a second opening connecting the outlet from the debris trap to the interior of the filtration compartment and third and fourth openings laterally spaced apart from one another, the filtration compartment further comprising a pair of spaced-apart filter tanks each having filter means located therein, each filter tank having an inlet communicating with the second opening in the cover member and an cutler, the outlet from one tank, com- municating with one of the third and fourth openings and the outlet from the other tank communicating with the other opening, the third and fourth openings constituting discharge openings for discharging filtered water back into the pool, water deflector means being provided on the face of the cover member remote from the filtration compartment adjacent the third and fourth openings for directing water discharged from the filter tanks in an upward direction, wherein larger particles of debris are collected and retained in the debris trap whilst smaller particles of debris pass therthrough into the filtration compartment wherein they are filtered.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a swimming pool cleaning machine having a filter device in accordance with rhe present invention mounted thereon: Figure 2 is a partial exploded perspective view of the filter device of this invention: Figure 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view seen on lines 3-3 of Figure 1: Figure 4 is a partial sectional view seen on lines 44 of Figure 3: Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4: Figure 6 is an elevational view illustrating the manner in which the debris trap is secured to the filter tank cover: Figure 7 is a side view illustrating the manner m which the debris trap is removed from the filter tank cover; and Figure 8 is a side view illustrating the deflector knobs.

The numeral 10 refers generally to a swimming pool cleaner such as are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,439,368 and 3,551,930.

It is to the cleaner 10 that a filter generally referenced 12, in accordance with the present invention, is attached as seen in Figure 1.

Cleaner 10 is a random type cleaner having powered wheels 14 and a sensing means 16 at its forward end for controlling the operation of the wheels. Cleaner 10 includes a pump device or a vacuum device (not shown) which is adapted to pick up the diLt and debris particles 18 from the bottom 20 of the pool.

The particles are drawn upwardly through the device and, together with the water passing therethrough are discharged from the rearward end through an exhaust pipe or water discharge conduit which forms an inlet conduit 22 for a debris trap.

Filter 12 generally comprises a filter tank cover 24 which is secured to the pool cleaner 10 by any convenient means. Filter tank cover 24 has an opening 26 formed in its lower central region and an opening 28 formed in its upper central region. Discharge openings 30 and 32 are formed in the filter tank cover 24 and have a segmented configuration as is illustrated in Figure 3. An opening 34 extends through the cover 24 between the segements of both of the openings 30 and 32 as seen in Figure 3. These openings 34 are each adapted to receive a bolt 36 extending from filter tanks 38. A pair of filter tanks 38 are mounted on the filter tank cover 24. A filter 40 comprised of a paper material is then positioned in each of the filter tanks 38. Each of the filter tanks 38 has an inlet opening 42 intermediate the ends thereof.

A bolt 36 extends through each of the openings 34 and has a deflecting knob 44 screw threaded onto the rearward end thereof so as to maintain the filter tank 38 on the cover 24. As best seen in Figure 8, knob 44 includes a forward deflecting surface 46 which is disposed at an angle of approximately 15 relative to the rearward surface of cover 24 for reasons which will be described in more detail hereinafter. The rearward surface of cover 24 has a pair of flow deflector tabs 48 extending therefrom, which tabs are positioned adjacent the rearward side of the openings 30 and 32 and the knobs 44. A conduit 50 extends from opening 28 to the openings 42 on filter tanks 38.

The numeral 52 refers to a debris trap which is removably moursted on cover 24.

The debris trap 52 has inlet and outlet con duits 54 and 56 extending forwardly from its lower and upper ends respectively as illustrated in Figure 2. The inlet conduit 54 extends through the opening 26 in the cover 24 and is received by the rearward end of inlet conduit 22. The debris trap 52 has a pair of spaced-apart tabs 58 and 60 extending out- wardly from the forward end thereof which are engaged by oam clamps 62 and 64 mounted on the rearward side of the cover 24. This provides a quick means of securing the debris trap 52 to the cover 24. The numeral 66 refers to a clear or transparent cover which is removably secured to the rearward end of debris trap 52 by clamps 68, as is best seen in Figure 4.

A flexible non-return valve 70 is positioned in the interior of debris trap 52 and normally closes the conduit 54 as illustrated by broken lines in Figure 5. When water is pumped through conduit 22, the valve 70 moves to the position illustrated by solid lines in Figure 5.

A plurality of spaced-apart ports 72 extend through the forward end of trap 52 and com municate with the outlet or discharge conduit 56 which acts as an inlet conduit for the filter 12. Vertically disposed, rearwardly extending baffles 74 are provided between each row of ports 72, as can be seen in Figures 3 and 5, to prevent debris collected within the trap 52 from sealing or surfacing on the ports 72.

The filter device 12 is mounted on rhe cleaner 10. By locating the filter on top of the machine the weight of the filter is dis tributed over the rear drive axles of the pool cleaner and thereby improves the traction thereof. Such improved traction permits the pool cleaner to climb steeper inclines and to traverse swimming pools having a slippery bottom, such as those pools having an algae accumulation or those having plastics, for example, vinyl liners. The location of the filter also prevents the filter from striking and scratching the pool walls or stars during turning of the cleaner as it tranverses the pool botoom.

Actuation of the cleaner 10 causes the pump on the cleaner to pump the debris and water from the bottom of the pool through the conduit 22 and into the interior of the debris trap 52. The water flowing into the debris trap deflects the ron-return valve 70, which latter may be molded from a thermo plastic rubber. When the machine is deactivated, the filter valve is no longer deflected by the water flow and closes due to its own resilience. The closing of the filter valve 70 matins the debris in the trap when the trap is removed from the machine whilst it is still in the water.

The opening of the valve 70 during the operiton of rhe machine sends leaves and other large debris to the outlet portion of the trap. The vertical baffles 74 adjacent the ports 72 stops the leaves and heavy debris from surfacing or sealing the ports 72. The water and small debris particles which pass the trap are pumped through conduit 56 into conduit 50 and thence into each of the filter tanks 38 where the filters 40 filter out the debris par tides which pass the trap. The clean water is discharged from the tanks 38 by means of the discharge openings 30 and 32. The discharging water is deflected upwardly by the forward surfaces 46 of knobs 44 and by the flow deflector tabs 48. It is undesirable to discharge the water downwardly from the filters since such flow would agitate the dirt on the pool bottom into suspension and cause it so move away from the conduit 22. The upwardly discharging water also serves to create downward pressure or thrust on the rear axle drive thereby increasing the traction of the macline.

As previously stated, the leaves and debris are mainteined in the position illustrated in Figure 5, which facilitates the observation of the debris trap beconig filled since the debris is visible through the clear cover 66. This observation is made while the machine is in operation by simply looking down in the water. If the debris trap appears to be packed, the machine is deactivated and the operator may simply reach down into the water and remove the debris trap by rotating the two cam clamps 62 and 64 and bringing the debris trap to the poolside. The damps 68 are then loosened to permit the interior of the trap to be rinsed and replaced on the machine without removing the entire machine from the water. This operation may have to be repeated several times with a dirty pool containing large pieces of debris such as leaves and pine needles. The fact that the larger debris particles are prevented from entering the main filters prolongs the time interval between cleaning the two cylindrical filter elements 40.

If it is necessary to dean the main filters 40, the knobs 44 are unscrewed so that the tanks 38 may be removed to permit the wash ing of the filters 40. The tanks 38 are rensstalled by means of the knobs 44.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A submergible swimming pool cleaner comprising a pump, a debris trap downstream of the pump and a filtration comportment containing filter means downstream of the debris trap wherein the debris trap has an (inlet and a plurality of openings leading into an outlet, rhe inlet and the outlet being formed in one end face, the filtration compawtment comprising a transversely extending cover member having a first opening formed rherein connecting the pump to the inlet of the debris trap, a second opening connecting the outlet from the debris trap to the interior of the filtration compartment and third and fourth openings laterally spaced apart from one another, the filtration compartment further comprising a pair of spaced-apart filter tanks each having filter means located 'therein, each filter tank having an inlet communicating with the second opening h the cover member and an outlet, the outlet from one tank, com- municating with one of the third and fourth openings and the outlet from the other tank communicating with the other opening, the third and fourth openings cont!itttiiag discharge openings for discharging filtered water back into the pool, water deflector means being provided on the face of the cover member remote from the filtration compartment adjacent the third and fourth openings for directing water discharged from the filter tanks in an upward direction, wherein larger particles of debris are collected and retained iin rhe debris trap whilst smaller particles of debris pass therethrough into the filtration compartment wherein they are filtered.

2. A cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the openings leading into the outlet from the debris trap comprise a plurality of spacedapart ports, baffle means being provided adjacent each said port to prevent debris from sealing said ports, the baffle means comprising a plurality of spaced-apart baffle members extending from the ports towards the interior of the debris trap.

3. A cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the debris trap and the filter tanks are substantially centrally positioned on the cleaner.

4. A cleaner as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the water deflection means comprises an arcuate deflector tab.

5. A cleaner as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a deflector knob is positioned on the covet member in rhe path of the discharging water.

6. A cleaner as claimed in claim 5 wherein a respective bolt secures each of the filter tanks to the cover member, said respective bolts extending from the tanks through the cover member, said deflector knobs being mounted to extend from the ends of the bolts.

7. A cleaner as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the debris trap has an opening formed at its end remote from its inlet end outlet and a tmnsparent cover removably secured to the debris trap to allow access to such end remote from said inlet and outlet.

8. A cleaner as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the debris trap is removably secured to the filter tank cover member.

9. A cleaner as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a flexible valve element is positioned in the debris trap, which valve is adapted to close the inlet when the pump is deactivated to ma'intain the debris therein.

10. A submergible swimming pool cleaner constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.