WO2002075082A1 - An improved valve arrangement for an automatic pool cleaner - Google Patents
An improved valve arrangement for an automatic pool cleaner Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2002075082A1 WO2002075082A1 PCT/AU2002/000336 AU0200336W WO02075082A1 WO 2002075082 A1 WO2002075082 A1 WO 2002075082A1 AU 0200336 W AU0200336 W AU 0200336W WO 02075082 A1 WO02075082 A1 WO 02075082A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- valve
- pool cleaner
- cleaner according
- chamber
- projection
- Prior art date
Links
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
- E04H4/1654—Self-propelled cleaners
- E04H4/1663—Self-propelled cleaners the propulsion resulting from an intermittent interruption of the waterflow through the cleaner
Definitions
- the invention relates to automatic pool cleaners of the type described by
- Pool cleaners of the type described above substantially comprise a seal arrangement, sealing a pool surface to a suction zone in fluid communication with a valve chamber. Exiting from said valve chamber are two parallel tubes/passages meeting at a flow attenuation element, which is then connected to a flexible hose. Within said valve chamber there exists a flap valve oscillating between the outlet to each of the tubes. As water flows into the valve chamber, water is drawn up one tube/passage, the mass flow of said water drawing the flap valve over the exit closing off the first tube and creating a water hammer impulse due to the rapid closure. Water is then diverted to the second tube/passage, again drawing the flap valve towards the exit leading to the second tube/passage and, consequently, closing the second tube and diverting water to the first. Therefore, the flap valve oscillates from the first tube/passage to the second tube/passage creating a series of water hammer impulses, which drive the pool cleaner across the pool floor and walls.
- a pool cleaner including a valve chamber having an inlet and two outlet orifices, a valve within the valve chamber adapted to continuously oscillate between a first and a second position due to a water flow through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet orifices and a biassing means adapted to apply an eccentric influence on the valve wherein at initiation of the water flow the biassed means influences the valve towards the first position so as to commence the oscillation.
- the eccentric influence of the present invention provides for a means to turn the symmetrical system into an asymmetrical system by the inclusion of the biassed means.
- the valve will be biassed to one side or the other and thus creates an asymmetrical system initiating the oscillatory action.
- the flap must be held away from an extreme position which may close either of the tube/passage apertures.
- Initiation is therefore defined as the commencement of the desired full stroke movement of the flap valve leading to a continuous oscillation. It follows that a differential flow between the tubes will provide an out-of-balance force to the flap valve favouring the tube having the greatest flow. Thus, by applying an imbalance of forces to the valve, the valve will be biassed to one side until it closes off the tube having the least initial flow and permitting a greater flow through the second tube. As a consequence, the valve will be biassed towards the second tube and so the oscillatory action commences.
- the biassed means may be an elastic resilient member holding the valve in place and thus its stiffness constant is sufficient to hold the valve whilst not in use but following the commencement of the water flow is insignificant compared to the forces applied to the valve through the change in water flow between the tubes.
- the elastic resilient member may be a rubber member contacting a selected point of the flap valve.
- the elastic resilient member may have its primary line of force parallel to the plane transcribed by the movement of the flap valve.
- the connection to the flap valve may be at a central point on an extreme fibre of the valve which traces the peripheral edge of the oscillatory path.
- the resilient member may remain co-linear and resist the forces applied to the flap valve in a purely axial manner.
- the elastic resilient member may have a line of force substantially orthogonal to the plane transcribed by the oscillatory action.
- the biassed means includes a hole or a void in the body of the flap valve placed away from a symmetrical axis of the flap valve.
- the self weight of the flap valve may act as the biassed means with the void inclusion providing the eccentric influence. It follows that the larger the void, the greater the out-of-balance forces will be.
- the biassed means may be an element located within the flap valve and having a density greater than that of the parent material of the flap valve, said element being located offset from a centre line of the flap valve.
- a weighted element may be placed to one side and thus the eccentric influence provided by the weight will be sufficient to provide the imbalance of forces so as to initiate the oscillatory action or reduce the frequency of oscillation.
- the biassed means will be at least one relatively stiff member projecting from an internal wall of the valve chamber and in abutting contact with the valve such that the rigidity of the member may be sufficient to hold the flap valve away from an equi-distant position between the first and second positions but said stiffness of the elastic member may be insufficient to overcome the forces involved with the oscillatory action and associated mass flow of water.
- the projecting member may be integrally attached to the flap valve. In this case, the projecting member has an integral connection with the flap valve and, thus, on each oscillation the flap valve flexes the projecting member and imparting a flexural and tensile force to said member.
- the biassed means may include a relatively stiff but elastic projecting member and a corresponding recess in the flap valve such that the member fits within the recess providing an interference for the flap valve to move in an oscillatory motion, said projecting member being of insufficient stiffness to overcome the forces involved with the oscillatory motion of the flap valve.
- the projecting member may be integral with the flap valve and adapted to contact the internal walls of the valve chamber.
- the projecting member may be a relatively stiff projection that serves as a stop when contacting the walls of the valve chamber.
- the projecting member may be elastically resilient so that prior to initiation the flap valve is held in a desired position and following initiation the stiffness of the resilient projecting members is insubstantial compared to the forces during the oscillatory action.
- the valve may further include a projection adapted to engage the chamber wall wherein oscillation of the valve occurs through pivoting about said projection.
- the valve is free to move within the chamber with the chamber shaped so as to guide the valve through a path promoting oscillation.
- the pivot projection may be dimensioned or placed so as to impart an eccentric influence upon the valve and so form part of the biassing means.
- the projection may be offset from a centre line of the valve.
- the projection may be non co-linear with a centre line of the valve and the axis of the projection to be skewed to said centre line. In both cases, as water flow commences, there will be an eccentric influence on the motion of the valve, said motion being under the control of the pivoting projection.
- the biassed means may be designed so as to control the frequency of the oscillatory action.
- the stiffness of the biassed means has been considered to be insufficient to affect the motion of the flap valve following initiation. If, however, the biassed means can have its stiffness increased, then the higher the stiffness of the biassed means, the lower the frequency of the oscillatory action of flap valve.
- the orifice may be located in a demountable orifice plate.
- a demountable orifice plate For convenient construction of the pool cleaner and to provide access to those elements located within the valve chamber, it may be beneficial to have a portion demountable from the valve chamber.
- an orifice plate may provide a convenient means to provide this access, particularly as such a plate may be located on a lower face of the pool cleaner.
- a method of initiating the oscillatory motion of a flap valve of an automatic pool cleaner having a first and second tube exiting from a valve chamber said valve chamber having an inlet orifice and the flap valve adapted to continuously oscillate within the valve chamber between a first and second position due to water flowing through the orifice and the chamber and into the tubes following initiation such that, when in the first position, water entering the inlet orifice is directed into the second tube and, when in the second position, water is directed into the first tube, the steps of the method including biassed the flap valve with a biassed means and drawing the water flow through the orifice and into the valve chamber so that there is a differential flow through the first and second tubes.
- Figure 1 is an elevation view of the automatic pool cleaner according to the present invention.
- Figure 2 is a close-up elevation view of the valve chamber of the automatic pool cleaner of Figure 1.
- Figure 3 is a close-up elevation view of the valve chamber according to a second aspect of the present invention.
- Figure 1 shows an automatic pool cleaner 1 substantially as described in Australian Patent Nos. 490972 and 505209.
- the automatic pool cleaner 1 shows parallel tubes 5 and 6 projecting from, and in fluid communication with, a valve chamber 4 in which is located a flap valve 7.
- the automatic pool cleaner 1 further includes a sealing arrangement 2 into which is drawn a flow of water, which passes through orifice 3 into the valve chamber 4. Water is then directed into one of the tubes 5 or 6 as determined by the position of the flap valve 7 at any particular stage.
- Flap valve 7 is adapted to move within the valve chamber 4 in a single degree of freedom as shown in Figure 2.
- the flap valve 7 pivots about point 7a in an arcuate fashion 9 such that at its extreme points of travel, the flap valve 7 will close off either of the apertures 5a or 6a.
- the mass flow of water will tend to deflect the flap valve 7 towards aperture 6a until it is eventually blocked. This will then direct a greater water flow through aperture 5a and into tube 5 and, consequently, draw the flap valve back towards the aperture 5a until it is closed off.
- the motion of the flap valve 7 continues in the oscillatory manner 9 whilst water is drawn up through the automatic pool cleaner 1.
- the automatic pool cleaner 1 of Figure 1 being of conventional size and orientation has tubes 5 and 6 of standard length each having the capacity of holding a substantial volume of water.
- the mass flow of the water in each of these tubes represents a significant force and so on commencement of the operation of the automatic pool cleaner 1 , the flap valve initiates movement immediately.
- tubes/passages 5 and 6 being considerably shorter or of smaller ID, the mass flow of water through said tubes 5 and 6 will be less and so the applied forces to the flap valve 7 may not initiate the oscillatory action 9 without the intervention of an operator.
- the present invention provides means to initiate the oscillatory action 9 by ensuring a differential force is applied to the flap valve 7.
- the means to provide the imbalance of forces is provided through an elastic resilient member 8 connecting the walls of the valve chamber 4 to an extreme point 7b of the flap valve 7.
- the resilient member 8 prior to operation of the automatic pool cleaner 1 , positions the flap valve 7 such that its centre line 11 is offset from the centre line of the valve chamber 10 and, thus, creating an asymmetrical system.
- problems with initiation of the oscillatory action 9 involve the water flow 12 being equally divided between tubes 5 and 6 and, thus, holding the flap valve 7 in a central position 10, the preferred embodiment of Figure 2 solves this problem of symmetrical forces being in balance by creating an offset effect and, thus, permitting a greater flow 12 into tube 5.
- the imbalance of forces applied to the flap valve 7 will naturally deflect the flap valve 7 towards aperture 6a and, thus, initiating the oscillatory action 9.
- the elastic resilient member 8 must have a stiffness constant such that, prior to initiation, the flap valve 7 is held in the desired location but following initiation has insufficient stiffness to hinder the oscillatory action 9.
- FIG 3 shows a second aspect of the present invention applied to an alternate constructional arrangement.
- the flap valve 7 has a direct connection to the chamber whereby a projection 13 from the flap valve 7 is in a press fit engagement with a portion 14 of the chamber. Whilst in motion 9, the flap valve 7 oscillates in a pivotal manner about the connection between the projection 13 and the engagement portion 14.
- This constructional arrangement is advantageous in providing a further means of biassing the flap valve.
- the placement of the projection 13 is such that the axis 16 of the projection 13 is not co-linear with the centre line 11 of the flap valve 7.
- the flap valve 7 may further include flexural springs 17, being portions projecting away from the flap valve 7, which are arranged such that when a leading portion 18 contacts a wall of the chamber 19, spring energy is developed within the projections 17 biassing the valve 7 in the opposite direction.
- the projections 17 are identical and placed symmetrically about the centre line 11 , said projections will act together in oscillating the valve.
- the asymmetric alignment of the pivoting motion is such that the projections 17 will not act in an identical manner and will therefore assist in the influencing of the valve 7 and form part of the biassing means.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP02704494A EP1379743A4 (en) | 2001-03-20 | 2002-03-20 | An improved valve arrangement for an automatic pool cleaner |
US10/472,467 US20040103489A1 (en) | 2001-03-20 | 2002-03-20 | Valve arrangement for an automatic pool cleaner |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AUPR3823 | 2001-03-20 | ||
AUPR3823A AUPR382301A0 (en) | 2001-03-20 | 2001-03-20 | An improved valve arrangement for an automatic pool cleaner |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2002075082A1 true WO2002075082A1 (en) | 2002-09-26 |
Family
ID=3827830
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/AU2002/000336 WO2002075082A1 (en) | 2001-03-20 | 2002-03-20 | An improved valve arrangement for an automatic pool cleaner |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20040103489A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1379743A4 (en) |
AU (1) | AUPR382301A0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002075082A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU2007346281B2 (en) * | 2007-02-06 | 2013-07-04 | Zodiac Pool Care South Africa (Pty) Limited | Swimming pool cleaner |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE2620119A1 (en) * | 1976-05-06 | 1977-11-24 | Chauvier Fernand L O J | Swimming pool wall and floor cleaning appts. - uses water circulating pump as power source and has two parallel supply tubes to cleaning head |
FR2520422A1 (en) * | 1982-01-26 | 1983-07-29 | Tubsud Automation Sa | Cleaner for swimming pool - draws water through oscillating valve to drive wheel creating translational movement |
DE3637902A1 (en) * | 1985-11-06 | 1987-05-07 | Andries Johannes Stoltz | SWIMMING POOL CLEANING DEVICE |
US5794293A (en) * | 1996-09-30 | 1998-08-18 | Hoffinger; Martin I. | Pool sweep cleaner |
EP0721033B1 (en) * | 1991-11-20 | 1999-05-12 | Kreepy Krauly (Proprietary) Limited | Improvements in automatic pool cleaners |
Family Cites Families (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CA1066462A (en) * | 1975-02-25 | 1979-11-20 | Fernand L.O.J. Chauvier | Apparatus for cleaning submerged surfaces |
EP0205697A1 (en) * | 1985-06-26 | 1986-12-30 | Daniel Jean Valere Denis Chauvier | Apparatus for cleaning a submerged surface and method of moving such apparatus over the surface |
AU637934B2 (en) * | 1990-09-11 | 1993-06-10 | Zodiac Pool Care Europe Sa | An hydraulic machine |
NZ245991A (en) * | 1992-02-28 | 1995-07-26 | Pavel Sebor | Self-propelled submersible suction cleaner for use in swimming pools - method of cleaning using same |
AU721028B2 (en) * | 1995-07-06 | 2000-06-22 | Kreepy Krauly Australia Pty Ltd | Automatic cleaners for sweeping and cleaning swimming pools |
BR9812098A (en) * | 1997-07-11 | 2000-07-18 | Moyra A Phillipson Family Trus | Submerged surface pool cleaning device |
US6112354A (en) * | 1998-10-21 | 2000-09-05 | Polaris Pool Systems, Inc. | Suction powered cleaner for swimming pools |
-
2001
- 2001-03-20 AU AUPR3823A patent/AUPR382301A0/en not_active Abandoned
-
2002
- 2002-03-20 US US10/472,467 patent/US20040103489A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-03-20 EP EP02704494A patent/EP1379743A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2002-03-20 WO PCT/AU2002/000336 patent/WO2002075082A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE2620119A1 (en) * | 1976-05-06 | 1977-11-24 | Chauvier Fernand L O J | Swimming pool wall and floor cleaning appts. - uses water circulating pump as power source and has two parallel supply tubes to cleaning head |
FR2520422A1 (en) * | 1982-01-26 | 1983-07-29 | Tubsud Automation Sa | Cleaner for swimming pool - draws water through oscillating valve to drive wheel creating translational movement |
DE3637902A1 (en) * | 1985-11-06 | 1987-05-07 | Andries Johannes Stoltz | SWIMMING POOL CLEANING DEVICE |
EP0721033B1 (en) * | 1991-11-20 | 1999-05-12 | Kreepy Krauly (Proprietary) Limited | Improvements in automatic pool cleaners |
US5794293A (en) * | 1996-09-30 | 1998-08-18 | Hoffinger; Martin I. | Pool sweep cleaner |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1379743A1 (en) | 2004-01-14 |
AUPR382301A0 (en) | 2001-04-12 |
US20040103489A1 (en) | 2004-06-03 |
EP1379743A4 (en) | 2004-04-14 |
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