Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/14—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
  • E04H4/16—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for specially adapted for cleaning
  • E04H4/1618—Hand-held powered cleaners
  • E04H4/1636—Suction cleaners
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H4/00—Swimming or splash baths or pools
  • E04H4/14—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
  • E04H4/16—Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for specially adapted for cleaning
  • E04H4/1654—Self-propelled cleaners
  • E04H4/1663—Self-propelled cleaners the propulsion resulting from an intermittent interruption of the waterflow through the cleaner

Definitions

• This invention is related generally to swimming pool cleaners and, more particularly, to swimming pool cleaners capable of operation without human assistance.
• Automatic swimming pool cleaners are widely used to relieve swimming pool owners of the time-consuming and arduous task of hand-operated vacuuming of underwater pool surfaces.
• Such manual task which typically involved the use of long extension handles and clumsy manipulation of a water-suction head held under water and at a distance, have largely been made a thing of the past by automatic systems.
• many automatic swimming pool cleaners of various types have been available and in wide use around the world.
• a typical automatic swimming pool cleaner has a suction head including a housing, a chamber open at its lower side, and a pivotable connector to which a long flexible hose is attached to allow movement of the swimming pool cleaner in the pool.
• the hose typically extends toward a remote pump which causes water flow from along the pool bottom surface, through the chamber and into the hose, removing dirt and debris from the bottom surface of the pool. The flow of water caused by the pump is harnessed in various ways to cause movement of the swimming pool cleaner.
• Certain oscillatory devices of the prior art exhibit significant starting problems. More specifically, such device often require manual intervention (such as shaking, tilting or other rapid motion) to initiate flow- driven oscillatory motion of the power source. Thus, such devices cannot be considered to be reliably self- starting.
• Another significant shortcoming of certain prior devices is a low level of power production. This is particularly important and evident when a weak pump is utilized to cause water flow through the power source. This tends to increase the pump size requirement for the pool owner and/or to make pump power insufficiently available for efficient use by the pool cleaner.
• Another object of this invention is to provide an improved swimming pool cleaner which is reliably self- starting. Another object of this invention is to provide improved swimming pool cleaning which minimizes loads imposed on pumps and maximizes available mechanical power from its power source.
• Another object of this invention is to provide an improved swimming pool cleaning apparatus which is simple in construction and operation.
• This invention is an improvement in swimming pool cleaning apparatus of the type having a housing open at its lower side (the upstream end of fluid flow) , a hose connection (the downstream end of fluid flow) allowing water to be drawn therethrough, and a vibratory power source. More specifically, the improvement is in a vibratory power source.
• the improved vibratory power source includes: a power-source chamber between an upstream chamber inlet (preferably adjacent to the housing lower side) and downstream hose connection, such power-source chamber laterally defined by a pair of opposed impact walls and a pair of sealing walls and having a substantially open upstream inlet; a vibrator having a downstream pivot thereon by which it is pivotably mounted in the chamber, the vibrator mounted and sized such that all vibrator positions are unstable and such that flow is substantially unrestricted regardless of the position of the vibrator, the vibrator having two wall-facing edges adjacent to the sealing walls and a pair of upstream flow-facing edges positioned to be alternately reactive to fluid dynamic forces.
• Each wall-facing edge has a seal therealong in sealing relationship with the sealing wall adjacent thereto and freely movable with respect to the sealing wall to accommodate passage of dirt and debris such that substantially all flow contributes power to the vibratory power source.
• the wall-facing edges and the seals are arcuate (curved) , and each seal has a sealing edge facing the adjacent sealing wall, a back edge, and upstream and downstream arcuate surfaces.
• Each wall-facing edge has a wide notch therealong on the upstream surface of the vibrator to receive one of the seals, placing the downstream arcuate surface of such seal in contact with the vibrator, leaving the upstream arcuate surface of the seal substantially free of contact with the vibrator, and exposing the back edge of the seal to the water flow at a position upstream of the vibrator.
• the seal is positioned and arranged to be freely driven against the sealing wall by the differential pressure across the seal.
• the seal freely self-adjusts with respect to the sealing wall of the power-source chamber to allow passage of dirt.
• the seal is self-cleaning, such that accumulation of dirt around the seal is avoided. This allows the seal to be operable under normal pool- cleaning conditions, that is, in the presence of dirt and debris which is being removed from underwater pool surfaces.
• each wall- facing edge of the vibrator has lateral end slots which are adjacent to each of the flow-facing edges, and each seal has two ends, one resting in each of the lateral end slots. This serves to further locate the seal with respect to the vibrator.
• the positional instability of the vibrator enables the vibratory power source to be completely self- starting; that is, vibration begins when water flow begins, without the need for manual intervention to start oscillatory motion. Furthermore, the unrestricted nature of the flow through the power-source chamber minimizes the load imposed on the pump, which typically is remote from the pool cleaner.
• the vibrator preferably has a concave-convex shape, with the concave surface facing upstream and the convex surface facing downstream.
• the pivot mount preferably defines a pivot axis, and the vibrator preferably has substantial bilateral symmetry about a central axis which is perpendicular to the pivot axis.
• the vibrator preferably is semi-cylindrical in cross-sectional shape.
• the open upstream inlet and downstream hose connection of the power-source chamber have flow axes which are in alignment with the central axis when the vibrator is in its middle position.
• the open upstream inlet preferably has a substantially larger open flow area than the downstream hose flow area. As already suggested, this minimizes load on the system pump. Furthermore, it enables the vibratory power source to generate greater power than is possible when flow is restricted. This provides more power for cleaning, movement and/or control of the pool cleaner.
• the swimming pool cleaner of this invention may include various drive means thereon which are mechanically linked to the vibratory power source, such that at least some of the power generated by the vibratory power source may be used to move the pool cleaner along an underwater surface.
• drive means can include vibratory bristle drive as described in some detail herein.
• the mechanical linkage includes the pool cleaner housing itself as well as bristle mounts and related apparatus.
• Other drive means include a wide variety of mechanisms, such as spring- mounted legs driven by vibration, or wheel or tractor systems with a drive train which includes a ratchet or clutch device which links the oscillating vibrator to suitable gearing.
• FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a preferred swimming pool cleaner in accordance with this invention.
• FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the device of FIGURE 1.
• FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation.
• FIGURE 4 is a side elevation.
• FIGURE 5 is a top plan view.
• FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view.
• FIGURE 7 is an exploded view.
• FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along section 8-8 as indicated in FIGURE 5.
• FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along section 9-9 as indicated in FIGURE 5.
• FIGURE 10 is a side view of an adjustment device for which is used for adjusting the vertical position of a portion of the secondary-bristle ring.
• FIGURE 11 is a right side elevation of FIGURE 10, showing the head of the adjustment device.
• FIGURE 12 is a left side elevation of FIGURE 10, showing the other end of the height adjustment device.
• FIGURE 13 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the vibrator device.
• FIGURE 14 is a partially cutaway side elevation of the main-bristle ring.
• FIGURE 15 is a partially cutaway side elevation of the secondary-bristle ring.
• FIGURE 16 is a partially cutaway side elevation of a secondary-bristle group.
• FIGURE 17 is a side elevation of a preferred manual pool cleaner utilizing this invention.
• FIGURES 1-16 illustrate a dual-use automatic swimming pool cleaner suction head 20 in accordance with this invention.
• “Dual-use” refers to the fact that suction head 20 may be used for automatic pool cleaning or manual pool cleaning, as desired.
• Suction head 20 has a housing 22, a chamber 24 (see FIGURES 6, 8 and 9) which is open at the lower side of housing 22, and a pivotable hose connection 26, more specifically, a spherical joint, on housing 22 allowing pivotable connection of a hose 28 through which a remote suction pump (not shown) causes water flow through chamber 24 and into hose 28, removing dirt and debris from the underwater surface of the pool.
• Lugs 27 at hose connection (spherical joint) 26 are used to removably attach an elongate handle (pole) 27a to housing 22. Handle 27a is removed during automatic pool cleaning operations and attached for manual operations. Handle 27a is attached by means of a removable pin 27b.
• chamber 24 includes a central outflow portion (or "power-source chamber”) 24a and a surrounding inflow portion 24b which extends to the periphery of housing 22.
• suction head 20 includes a vibrator 30 in power-source chamber 24a.
• Vibrator 30 is pivotably secured to housing 22 by means of a shaft 30a, and is designed to freely oscillate within power-source chamber 24a in response to water flow therethrough.
• shaft 30a is journaled in holes 30b in housing 22 and is held in place by retainer plates 30c which are engaged with housing 22.
• vibrator 30 is shaped to have a hollow semi-cylindrical cross-section and is located in dome-like power-source chamber 24a, with the convex side of vibrator 30 oriented downstream toward hose connection 26.
• Vibrator 30 has a pair of upstream flow-facing edges 30ue, which water flows against during operation, causing vibrator 30 to pivot first in one direction and then in the other.
• the profile and dimensions of vibrator 30 have been developed to provide a self-starting and relatively constant speed vibration which is powered by the flow of water up toward outlet hose 28. Flow of water causes an oscillation of vibrator 30, and the oscillatory momentum and impact forces (including movements of water mass) are imparted to housing 22 to cause vibratory motion.
• vibrator 30 has opposite wall-facing edges 30w, each of which is arcuate and forms a pair of lateral end slots 30e.
• Sliding seals 30d are aligned along wall-facing edges 30w.
• Each seal 30d has two opposite ends 30s, each of which is seated (rests in) one of the lateral end slots 30e.
• Seals 30d engage opposed inner side walls 3Of of power-source chamber 24a, as will be described further herein.
• Sliding seals 30d serve to seal vibrator 30 to side walls 3Of and prevent excessive by-pass of water and yet allow sand or other small particles to escape to avoid clogging and lock-up and to avoid damage to parts.
• Sliding seals 30d can move inwardly as necessary to accommodate the passing of sand or other particles. Sliding seals 30d are forced toward side walls 30f by the difference in hydraulic pressure between opposite edges of each of the sliding seals. Lower pressure fluid is exposed to seal outer (or “sealing") edges 30g than is exposed to seal inner (or “back”) edges 3Oh (see FIGURES 6, 7, 8 and 13), and the higher pressure along seal inner edges 3Oh pushes seals 30d outwardly toward the lower pressure or suction sides of seal 30d (that is, in the direction toward seal outer edges 30g) , causing engagement with side walls 30f.
• seals 30d have upstream and downstream arcuate surfaces 30us and 30ds, respectively, such surfaces extending from back edge 30h to sealing edge 30g.
• Each wall-facing edge 30w of vibrator 30 has a wide notch 30i extending along nearly all of its length — and nearly all the length of seal 30d.
• Downstream arcuate surface 30ds contacts vibrator 30 and upstream arcuate surface 30us of seal 30d is substantially free of contact with vibrator 30.
• Back edge 3Oh of seal 30d is exposed to water flow upstream of vibrator 30.
• Housing has a lower edge 32 which surrounds chamber 24, and secured along lower edge 32 are main bristles 34 such bristles forming something of an annulus of main bristles 34. More specifically, main bristles 34 are secured to a main-bristle ring 34a and such ring is removably secured to housing 22 along lower edge 32. Main bristles 34 project downwardly to terminate in free main-bristle ends 34b which are disposed in a common plane and support suction head 20 on an underwater swimming pool surface to be cleaned.
• FIGURES 2-4 include a reference line 36 which is representative of a planar horizontal pool bottom surface, that is, a surface to be cleaned; as shown in FIGURES 2-4, such line is also representative of the common plane in which main-bristle ends 34b are disposed, given that in such views suction head 20 is supported by surface 36.
• the orientation of bristles will be described herein by reference to a vertical direction with respect to a horizontal surface such as that represented by reference line 35.
• Main bristles 34 are affixed to main-bristle ring 34a at an angle; they deviate from vertical in a common direction at all locations about ring 34a. Such inclination, or deviation from vertical, is preferably about 8 to 18°, more preferably about 10 to 14°, with about 12° most preferred. This inclination of main bristles 34 about main-bristle ring 34a is illustrated best in FIGURE 14, the breakaway portion of which shows that bristles on the far side of main-bristle ring 34a are angled in the same direction as those on the near side. Vibration of housing 22, acting through the combined rapid small motions of the many main bristles 34 about ring 34b, causes forward motion of suction head 20.
• Suction head 20 has three groups of secondary bristles. These include two inside secondary-bristle groups 38 and 40 and an outer annulus of side secondary bristles 42 on secondary-bristle ring 42a. All of such secondary bristles, during operation of suction head 20, are in fixed vertical positions, although adjustment is possible with respect to bristles 42 of secondary-bristle ring 42a. All of such secondary bristles are inclined, that is, deviate with respect to the vertical direction. Such angle of inclination is preferably about 8 to 18°, more preferably about 10 to 14°, with about 12° most preferred, but such bristles are mounted so that most are inclined in a direction or directions different than the direction of inclination of main bristles 34.
• Secondary-bristle groups 38 and 40 are secured to the downwardly-facing middle surface 22a of housing 22, a surface surrounded by housing lower edge 32. See FIGURES 6-9 and 16. Secondary bristle groups 38 and 40 are secured to bristle blocks 38a and 40a, respectively, which are secured with respect to housing 22 such that the bristles of bristle groups 38 and 40 are in fixed vertical positions, with their bristle ends 38b and 40b at or about at the aforementioned common plane which is defined by main-bristle ends 34b.
• bristle blocks 38a and 40a are attached within securement walls 38c and 40c, respectively, which are formed on (and are part of) downwardly-facing middle surface 22a of housing 22.
• Securement wall 38c is shaped with a tapered corner such that one of the bristle blocks, in this case bristle block 38a, can be secured therein in only one orientation — that is, with its secondary bristles 38 inclined in a direction different than the direction of inclination of main-bristles 34. Bristle block 38a cannot be reversed in its orientation.
• securement wall 40c is generally rectangular in shape without any irregular features which would limit the manner in which bristle block 40a is inserted therein.
• bristle block 40a may be removed, reversed in orientation, reinserted and reattached within securement wall 40c, allowing its secondary bristles to be in either of at least two different orientations.
• the illustrated arrangement has secondary bristle groups 38 and 40 inclined in opposite directions — that is, in a common direction when considered rotationally — and this serves to impart an enhanced rotational motion to suction head 20, thus facilitating turning of suction head 22 from its direction of forward movement.
• ring 42a to which secondary bristles 42 (that is, "side” secondary bristles) are secured, is secured to housing lower edge 32 in a position which is concentric with main-bristle ring 34a at a position outside (that is, radially outside) main-bristle ring 34a. Both rings 34a and 42a are removably secured along lower edge 32, and may therefore be replaced when worn.
• Secondary bristles 42 project both outwardly and downwardly and terminate short of the common plane indicated by reference line 36 (in FIGURES 2-4) .
• FIGURE 15 which includes a breakaway portion allowing illustration of bristle orientations on both the near side and the far side of secondary-bristle ring 42a
• secondary bristles 42 are disposed at a common rotational angle — about 12° to vertical — such that engagement of bristle ends 42b with pool bottom surfaces causes a turning deflection of suction head 20.
• bristles 42 are oriented to project radially outwardly, preferably about 16 to 24° from vertical, most preferably about 20°.
• secondary-bristle ring 42a is in a tilted orientation such that the ends of its rear bristles 42r, that is, its bristles generally along the rear circumferential portion of ring 42a, are at a lower position than are the ends of its front bristles 42f, that is, its bristles generally along the front circumferential portion of ring 42.
• the ends of the bristles of secondary-bristle ring 42 at circumfer ⁇ ential portions between the front and the rear are at levels therebetween.
• the rear circumferential portion of secondary-bristle ring 42a is referred to herein as a low circumferential portion. Its level is because of the tilt of ring 42; all bristles 42 are of substantially equal lengths.
• ring 42a tilted, but the extent of tilt of ring 42a is adjustable. As shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, the upper surface of ring 42a is against ring-placement surface 42c which is part of the under surface of housing 22 along housing lower edge 32. Ring-placement surface 42c, while planar, is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane such that ring 42a is tilted.
• tilt-adjuster 44 As illustrated best in FIGURE 9, between the rear circumferential portion of ring 42a and the adjacent portion of ring-placement surface 42c is a tilt-adjuster 44.
• Tilt-adjuster 44 shown in detail in FIGURES 10-12, has an inner end which is rotatably secured to housing
• camming portion 44c has four sides, each of such sides having a different spacing from the axis of tilt-adjuster 44.
• tilt-adjuster 44 adjusts the tilt of secondary-bristle ring 42a between an orientation in which the ends of rear bristles 42r are at about the level of common plane 36 (and, thus, at about the level of main-bristle ends 34b) and an orientation in which the ends of rear bristles 42r are about three millimeters above common plane 36. Adjustments can be made to intermediate positions in which the ends of rear bristles 42r are either one or two millimeters above common plane 36. Outer end 44b of tilt-adjuster 44 is marked as a guide for such adjustment.
• a skirt 46 which is concentric with bristle rings 34a and 42a, projects downwardly from housing 22 at a position radially inside main-bristle ring 34. Bristle rings 34a and 42a and skirt 46 are configured and dimensioned for engagement with one another to facilitate assembly of suction head 20.
• FIGURE 17 illustrates a simpler suction head 50 which is designed for manual use.
• Suction head 50 has a single removable ring of bristles 52 about the lower edge of its housing. Unlike suction head 20, suction head 50 has no tilt adjustment feature. However, in most other respects, including the presence of vibrator 30, suction head 50 is similar to suction head 20 of the dual-use automatic pool cleaner described above.
• Bristles 52 are similar to secondary bristles 42 (described above) in that they are disposed at a common rotational angle — about 12° to vertical — such that engagement of bristle ends 52a with underwater pool surfaces causes a turning deflection of suction head 50.
• Such turning which occurs while the operator grips handle 27a to manipulate suction head 50, is allowed to occur by virtue of the aforementioned spherical joint 26. Furthermore, such turning is facilitated by the vibratory forces described above. The turning of suction head 50 provides enhanced scrubbing action.
• bristles 52 are not outwardly (radially) inclined; they are only rotationally inclined; that is, bristles 52 are essentially tangential to an imaginary cylinder generally at their location and each bristle is generally along a line which is a skew line with respect to the axis which is defined by the bristle ring.
• Outward (radial) inclination of the bristles would be acceptable, but for a manual-use pool cleaner such inclination would provide no important advantage.
• the bristles of a manual cleaner need not be inclined, either rotationally or outwardly. Vibratory action alone is sufficient to enhance the cleaning action. Furthermore, movement of the suction head along underwater surfaces tends to be facilitated by such vibratory action.
• the parts of this apparatus described herein may be made using known materials and molding and forming methods well known to those skilled in the art.
• the housings, vibrators, hose connectors, tilt-adjuster, and the rings and blocks for bristle mounting are preferably made of suitable rigid plastics.
• the housings can be molded with all or most of their required functional elements and features integrally formed as parts or features thereof.
• the bristles are preferably made of common bristle materials which are flexible and resilient, and thus facilitate the moving actions described above.
• Sliding seals 30d are made of fairly rigid seal materials, one preferred material being a Dupont Delrin acetal material. A wide variation of materials, part manufacturing methods and assembly methods can be used.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)
• Cleaning By Liquid Or Steam (AREA)
• Apparatuses For Generation Of Mechanical Vibrations (AREA)
• Nozzles For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22523782

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

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Citations (7)

• 1994
  • 1994-10-24 CA CA002175364A patent/CA2175364C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-10-24 EP EP94932040A patent/EP0726998B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-10-24 BR BR9407983A patent/BR9407983A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1994-10-24 DE DE69430135T patent/DE69430135T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-10-24 ES ES94932040T patent/ES2179852T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-10-24 AU AU80909/94A patent/AU685529B2/en not_active Expired
  • 1994-10-24 WO PCT/US1994/012253 patent/WO1995012730A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-10-25 ZA ZA948388A patent/ZA948388B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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