Pool cleaner with hydraulic timer assembly

• US 10,125,509 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Gopalan, Suresh, Agarwal, Nitin, Kaladharan, Jayamurali, King, Brian, Richiuso, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Scruggs, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/634,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20150167338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1427 Means for mounting or attaching bags or filtering receptacles in suction cleaners; Adapters
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 3/04 of turbine type
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a pool cleaner includes a chassis, a housing supported by the chassis, at least one drive wheel supported by the chassis, and a turbine assembly that rotates in one of a first direction and a second direction to drive the at least one drive wheel. The pool cleaner also includes a timer disc assembly with at least one rotating timer disc. The timer disc assembly controls a flow of pressurized fluid away from the housing in a forward direction for backward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a first time period, a rearward direction for forward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a second time period, and a sideways direction for turning propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during at least a portion of one of the first time period and the second time period. The timer disc assembly also controls a flow of pressurized fluid to the turbine assembly through a first opening for driving the turbine assembly in the first direction during the first time period and a second opening for driving the turbine assembly in the second direction during the second time period.

Claims

1. A pool cleaner, comprising:

a chassis;

a cover assembly supported by the chassis;

at least one drive wheel supported by the chassis;

a turbine assembly which rotates in one of a first direction and a second direction to drive the at least one drive wheel; and

a timer disc assembly including at least one rotating timer disc that controls

a flow of pressurized fluid away from the cover assembly in a forward direction for backward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a first time period, a rearward direction for forward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a second time period, and a sideways direction for turning propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during at least a portion of one of the first time period and the second time period, and

a flow of pressurized fluid to the turbine assembly through a first opening for driving the turbine assembly in the first direction during the first time period and a second opening for driving the turbine assembly in the second direction during the second time period.

2. The pool cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a timer valve gear box which controls a duration of the first time period and the second time period.

3. The pool cleaner of claim 2, wherein the timer valve gear box is coupled to the timer disc assembly and controls a desired rotation rate of the at least one rotating timer disc.

4. The pool cleaner of claim 3, wherein the timer valve gear box includes a hydraulically driven paddle wheel engaged with a gear train, the gear train drives a pinion gear engaging with the at least one rotating timer disc at the desired rotation rate.

5. The pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the at least one drive wheel includes a first drive wheel positioned along one side of the cover assembly and a second drive wheel positioned along an opposite side of the cover assembly.

6. The pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the timer disc assembly includes a plurality of outlets, wherein the at least one rotating timer disc controls the flow of pressurized fluid away from the cover assembly and the flow of pressurized fluid to the turbine assembly by periodically blocking and unblocking the plurality of outlets.

7. The pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the timer disc assembly includes:

a first outlet port in fluid communication with a first thrust jet configured to direct the flow of pressurized fluid away from the cover assembly in the forward direction;

a second outlet port in fluid communication with a second thrust jet configured to direct the flow of pressurized fluid away from the cover assembly in the rearward direction; and

a third outlet port in fluid communication with a third thrust jet configured to direct the flow of pressurized fluid away from the cover assembly in the sideways direction.

8. The pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the timer disc assembly includes a first outlet port and a second outlet port, the flow of pressurized fluid is directed to the first opening via the first outlet port, and the flow of pressurized fluid is directed to the second opening via the second outlet port.

9. The pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the turbine assembly is rotated in the first direction via the flow of pressurized fluid through the first opening and rotated in the second direction via the flow of pressurized fluid through the the second opening.

10. The pool cleaner of claim 9, wherein rotation of the turbine assembly in one of the first direction and the second direction causes the at least one drive wheel to rotate.

11. The pool cleaner of claim 10, wherein the turbine assembly includes a turbine shaft configured to engage the at least one drive wheel.

12. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein rotation of the turbine assembly in the first direction causes the at least one drive wheel to rotate in a first direction and rotation of the turbine assembly in the second direction causes the at least one drive wheel to rotate in a second direction.

13. A pool cleaner, comprising:

a chassis;

a cover assembly and at least one drive wheel supported by the chassis;

a turbine assembly in communication with the at least one drive wheel; and

a timer disc assembly including at least one rotating timer disc that controls a flow of pressurized fluid to the turbine assembly by rotating to a first position to cause alignment with a first outlet port for driving the turbine assembly in a first direction during a first time period, and rotating to a second position to cause alignment with a second outlet port for driving the turbine assembly in a second direction during a second time period.

14. The pool cleaner of claim 13, wherein the first outlet port is in fluid communication with a first thrust jet and the second outlet port is in fluid communication with a second thrust jet.

15. The pool cleaner of claim 13, wherein the pressurized fluid is directed to the turbine assembly via a third outlet port.

16. The pool cleaner of claim 15, wherein the turbine assembly is rotated via the pressurized fluid.

17. The pool cleaner of claim 16, wherein rotation of the turbine assembly causes the at least one drive wheel to rotate.

18. The pool cleaner of claim 13, wherein the at least one rotating timer disc blocks the flow of pressurized fluid through the second outlet port when in the first position, and blocks the flow of pressurized fluid through the first outlet port when in the second position.

19. A pool cleaner, comprising:

a chassis;

a cover assembly supported by the chassis;

at least one drive wheel supported by the chassis;

a turbine assembly which rotates in one of a first direction and a second direction to drive the at least one drive wheel;

a timer disc assembly including at least one rotating timer disc that controls

a flow of pressurized fluid away from the cover assembly in a forward direction for backward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a first time period, a rearward direction for forward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a second time period, and a sideways direction for turning propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during at least a portion of one of the first time period and the second time period, and

a flow of pressurized fluid to the turbine assembly through a first opening for driving the turbine assembly in the first direction during the first time period and a second opening for driving the turbine assembly in the second direction during the second time period; and

a timer valve gear box that controls a duration of the first time period and the second time period, the timer valve gear box being coupled to the timer disc assembly and controlling a desired rotation rate of the at least one rotating timer disc, the timer valve gear box including a hydraulically driven paddle wheel engaged with a gear train, the gear train driving a pinion gear engaging with the at least one rotating timer disc at the desired rotation rate.

20. The pool cleaner of claim 19, wherein the timer disc assembly includes a plurality of outlets, wherein the at least one rotating timer disc controls the flow of pressurized fluid away from the cover assembly and the flow of pressurized fluid to the turbine assembly by periodically blocking and unblocking the plurality of outlets.