Turbine-driven swimming pool cleaning apparatus

• US 10,145,137 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2018
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pavel Sebor, Robert Sebor
• Original Assignee: Pavel Sebor, Robert Sebor
• Inventors: Sebor, Pavel, Sebor, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/891,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20180171654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 15 17
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

A swimming pool cleaner is driven along a submerged surface by water and debris flowing past a turbine positioned between an inlet and outlet of the cleaner. Retractable elements carried proximate the inlet form a plenum for water to enhance adherence of the pool cleaner to the submerged pool surface being cleaner. A drive train independently drives each of two wheels for maneuvering the pool cleaner in forward and reverse directions along the submerged surface. A hose connector operable with an outlet port is angled toward the forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner such that a suction hose will be placed slightly ahead of the pool cleaner when climbing a side wall surface to provide a weight for keeping the cleaner below the water surface and thus prevent an undesirable sucking of air at the inlet.

Claims

1. A pool cleaner comprising:

a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein suction applied to the outlet port results in suction at the inlet port for receiving water and debris therethrough;

at least two wheels rotatably carried by the housing for rolling along a submerged surface to be cleaned, wherein an outer diameter of the at least two wheels defines a perimeter thereof;

a tubular member positioned on a bottom portion of the housing forward the inlet port, the tubular member defined by an inner surface;

a first axle carried between opposing side wall portions of the housing, wherein the inner surface of the tubular member is slidably rotatable about the first axle, and wherein an outside dimension of the first axle is sufficiently smaller than a diameter of the inner surface for permitting a portion of the tubular member to extend beyond the perimeter and for retracting the portion within the perimeter of the at least two wheels responsive to movement along the submerged surface; and

a retractable element positioned at the bottom portion of the housing aft the inlet port and generally opposing the tubular member, the retractable element extending between the opposing side wall portions and moveable about a second axle, the retractable element moveable from outside the perimeter for contact with the surface to be cleaned to inside the perimeter for permitting the retractable element to slide along uneven portions of the surface to be cleaned, wherein the retractable element and the tubular member in combination with the opposing side wall portions of the housing form a plenum for water and enhancing adherence of the pool cleaner to the surface to be cleaned.

2. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the at least two wheels comprise only two wheels.

3. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the tubular member includes multiple portions, and wherein each of the multiple portions moves independently of one another about the first axle for generally conforming to the uneven portions of the submerged surface to be cleaned.

4. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a forward partition and an aft partition extending between the opposing side wall portions, the forward partition fixed forward the inlet port and the aft partition fixed aft the inlet port, wherein a free end of the forward partition and a free end of the aft partition extend toward the perimeter and are spaced therefrom.

5. The pool cleaner according to claim 4, wherein an outer surface of the tubular member is maintained out of contact with the forward partition.

6. The pool cleaner according to claim 4, wherein an outer surface of the forward partition includes a concave shape extending from the free end of the forward partition toward a forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner.

7. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the retractable element comprises a flap rotatable about the second axle, and wherein at least one of the second axle and the flap is slidable within slots formed within at least one of the side wall portions and the flap.

8. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the tubular member includes a roller.

9. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a turbine carried between the inlet and outlet ports for receiving a flow of water therepast for driving a rotor operable for providing a driving force to the at least two wheels.

10. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a hose connector operable with the outlet port, wherein the hose connector is angled toward a forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner during operation thereof, whereby a hose connected to the hose connector will be placed slightly ahead of the housing when climbing a generally vertical wall portion of the surface to be cleaned, the hose having water therein thus providing increased weight for keeping the housing below a water surface level of a pool to prevent a sucking of air at the inlet port.

11. A pool cleaner comprising:

a housing having an inlet;

two wheels operable for driving the housing along a submerged surface, wherein a circumference of at least one of the two wheels defines a perimeter thereof;

first and second opposing axles operably carried by the housing forward and aft the inlet; and

first and second retractable elements carried by the first and second axles, respectively, for contacting the surface to be cleaned, wherein each of the first and second retractable elements includes a shape defined by an outer surface, and wherein each of the first and second retractable elements in combination with the respective first and second opposing axle is operable for extending the outer surface beyond the perimeter and for retracting the outer surface to within the perimeter responsive to movement of the pool cleaner along the submerged surface.

12. The pool cleaner according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and second opposing axles is fixedly carried by the housing, and at least one of the first and second retractable elements is loosely rotatable about the respective axle fixedly carried by the housing.

13. The pool cleaner according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and second retractable elements includes a tubular member that is slidably rotatable about the first opposing axle, and wherein an outside dimension of the first opposing axle is sufficiently smaller than a diameter of an inner surface of the tubular member for permitting the outer surface to extend beyond the perimeter and for retracting the outer surface.

14. The pool cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the tubular member includes multiple portions and each portion is independently rotatable about the first opposing axle.

15. A pool cleaner comprising:

a housing having an inlet;

two wheels operable for driving the housing along a submerged surface, wherein an outer diameter of at least one of the wheels defines a perimeter thereof;

first and second opposing retractable elements operably carried by the housing forward and aft the inlet, respectively, for contacting the surface to be cleaned, wherein each of the first and second retractable elements includes a shape defined by an outer surface and a tubular portion; and

first and second axles carried by the housing, wherein the tubular portion of each of the first and second retractable elements is loosely rotatable, respectively, about the first and second axles, and wherein each retractable element is operable for extending beyond the perimeter and for retracting within the perimeter responsive to movement of the pool cleaner along the submerged surface.

16. The pool cleaner according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second opposing retractable elements includes a roller.

17. The pool cleaner according to claim 15, at least one of the first and second opposing retractable elements includes multiple tubular portions, each tubular portion being independently rotatable about the first or second axle about which the tubular portion is independently rotatable.

18. The pool cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the first and second opposing retractable elements in combination with opposing side wall portions of the housing form a plenum for water flowing therein and enhancing adherence of the pool cleaner to the surface to be cleaned.

19. A pool cleaner comprising:

a housing having an inlet port on a bottom thereof and a outlet port on a top thereof;

a turbine within the housing and positioned between the inlet port and outlet port in such a way that the turbine intercepts water passing between the inlet port and outlet port;

a first wheel and a second wheel positioned on opposed sides of the housing and operably connected to the turbine in such a way that the turbine drives the wheels, the first wheel and second wheel having an outer diameter defining an outer perimeter thereof;

a first axle extending between the opposed sides of the housing and forward the inlet port;

a second axle extending between the opposed sides of the housing and aft the inlet port;

a skirt formed around the inlet port forming a plenum that suctions the housing against the pool surface to be cleaned, the skirt including a plurality of tubular members through which the first axle or second axle extends, an outer dimension of the first axle and second axle being smaller than a diameter of an inner surface of the respective tubular member through which the first axle or second axle extends for permitting a portion of the respective tubular members to extend beyond the outer perimeter and for retracting the portion within the outer perimeter responsive to movement along the submerged surface; and

a forward partition and an aft partition extending between the opposed sides, the forward partition fixed forward the inlet port and the aft partition fixed aft the inlet port, wherein a free end of the forward partition and a free end of the aft partition extends toward the outer perimeter and are spaced therefrom, wherein an outer surface of the forward partition includes a concave shape extending from the free end of the forward partition toward a forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner.