Pool cleaner with articulated cleaning members and methods relating thereto
First Claim
1. An apparatus for cleaning a swimming pool, comprising:
- a body having a pair of opposingly spaced wheels, an inlet disposed between the wheels through which water enters the body, and an outlet through which water exits the body;
an articulated cleaning member operatively coupled laterally side-by-side with the body and adjacent to a first one of the wheels, the articulated cleaning member being separated from the inlet by the first one of the wheels and being moveable with respect to the body to accommodate changes in terrain of a pool surface; and
a biasing member operatively coupled to the body and the articulated cleaning member and configured to apply a biasing force to urge the articulated cleaning member towards the pool surface;
wherein the body generates a suction force to urge a bottom of the body towards the pool surface, andwherein the suction force is greater than the biasing force.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments include a pool cleaner having a body and articulated cleaning member extending from the body. The articulated cleaning member can be pivotally and/or rotatably coupled to the body. The articulated cleaning member can be pivoted or rotated with respect to the body to accommodate changes in the terrain of a pool. A method for cleaning a swimming pool is also provided where a pool cleaner having articulated cleaning members is submerged in a pool and allowing the pool cleaner to traverse an immersed surface of the pool. The method further rotates the articulated cleaning member in response to a difference in an elevation of the immersed surface between the articulated cleaning member and the body.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for cleaning a swimming pool, comprising:
-
a body having a pair of opposingly spaced wheels, an inlet disposed between the wheels through which water enters the body, and an outlet through which water exits the body; an articulated cleaning member operatively coupled laterally side-by-side with the body and adjacent to a first one of the wheels, the articulated cleaning member being separated from the inlet by the first one of the wheels and being moveable with respect to the body to accommodate changes in terrain of a pool surface; and a biasing member operatively coupled to the body and the articulated cleaning member and configured to apply a biasing force to urge the articulated cleaning member towards the pool surface; wherein the body generates a suction force to urge a bottom of the body towards the pool surface, and wherein the suction force is greater than the biasing force.
-
-
2. An apparatus for cleaning a swimming pool comprising:
-
a body having a pair of opposingly spaced wheels, an inlet disposed between the wheels through which water enters the body, and an outlet through which water exits the body; an articulated cleaning member operatively coupled laterally side-by-side with the body and adjacent to a first one of the wheels, the articulated cleaning member being separated from the inlet by the first one of the wheels and being moveable with respect to the body to accommodate changes in terrain of a pool surface; and a biasing member operatively coupled to the body and the articulated cleaning member and configured to apply a biasing force to urge the articulated cleaning member towards the pool surface; wherein the articulated cleaning member comprises a housing, a wheel, and an axle operatively coupled to the wheel, the axle operatively coupling the articulated cleaning member to the body. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An apparatus for cleaning a swimming pool comprising:
-
a body having an inlet through which water enters the body and an outlet through which water exits the body; a first articulated cleaning member laterally extending from and operatively coupled to a first side of the body, the first articulated cleaning member being moveable with respect to the body to accommodate changes in terrain of a pool surface and operating on the first side of the body; a first biasing member operatively coupled between the body and the first articulated cleaning member to urge the articulated cleaning member towards a surface to be cleaned a second articulated cleaning member extending from and operatively coupled to a second side of the body, the second articulated cleaning member being moveable with respect to the body to accommodate changes in terrain of the pool surface; and a second biasing member operatively coupled between the body and the second articulated cleaning member to urge the second articulated cleaning member towards the surface to be cleaned. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of clean a pool comprising:
-
submerging a pool cleaner in a pool, the pool cleaner having a body that includes a pair of opposingly spaced wheels, an inlet disposed between the wheels through which water enters the body, an outlet through which water exits the body, an articulated cleaning member operatively configured to be laterally coupled to operate side-by-side with the body, the articulated cleaning member being adjacent to a first one of the wheels, the articulated cleaning member being separated from the inlet by the first one of the wheels and being moveable with respect to the body to accommodate changes in terrain of a pool surface, and a biasing member operatively coupled to the body and the articulated cleaning member and configured to apply a biasing force to urge the articulated cleaning member towards the pool surface; traversing a terrain of an immersed surface of the pool by the pool cleaner; rotating the articulated cleaning member with respect to the body in response to a difference in an elevation of the immersed surface between the articulated cleaning member and the body; and urging the articulated cleaning member towards the immersed surface via the biasing force that is less than a suction force generated by the pool cleaner. - View Dependent Claims (13)
-
Specification