Self-propelled robotic pool cleaner and water skimmer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner, comprising:
- a. a housing having a first intake port in a lower surface of said housing and a discharge port in an upper surface of said housing, and having first and inverted orientations;
b. an electric motor mounted in said housing;
c. a water pump mounted in said housing coupled to said electric motor and outputted to and through said discharge port;
d. an onboard programmable controller configured to direct said pool cleaner between a first operation mode where said housing is in a first orientation that is propelled below water level on floor and/or wall surfaces of a pool, and a second operation mode where said housing is in said inverted orientation on the top surface of the water;
e. rotationally-mounted supports driven by said electric motor configured to propel said housing on said pool floor and/or pool wall surfaces while in said first operation mode; and
f. an inverter assembly directed by said controller to alter the center of gravity of said housing to change its first orientation from generally upright to said inverted orientation with its lower side facing generally upward, when said housing has risen from submerged to water level in said second operation mode.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic pool cleaner can operate while submerged to clean floor and side wall surface areas of the pool. A second embodiment of the pool cleaner can clean debris while skimming water along the top surface of the pool water. A third embodiment of the pool cleaner when inverted from submerged cleaning mode into skimmer mode, exposes on its bottom surface solar panels by which the pool cleaner'"'"'s internal batteries can be recharged. A fourth embodiment of the pool cleaner includes different combinations of the submerged cleaning mode, the skimming mode and the battery charging mode.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner, comprising:
-
a. a housing having a first intake port in a lower surface of said housing and a discharge port in an upper surface of said housing, and having first and inverted orientations; b. an electric motor mounted in said housing; c. a water pump mounted in said housing coupled to said electric motor and outputted to and through said discharge port; d. an onboard programmable controller configured to direct said pool cleaner between a first operation mode where said housing is in a first orientation that is propelled below water level on floor and/or wall surfaces of a pool, and a second operation mode where said housing is in said inverted orientation on the top surface of the water; e. rotationally-mounted supports driven by said electric motor configured to propel said housing on said pool floor and/or pool wall surfaces while in said first operation mode; and f. an inverter assembly directed by said controller to alter the center of gravity of said housing to change its first orientation from generally upright to said inverted orientation with its lower side facing generally upward, when said housing has risen from submerged to water level in said second operation mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner, comprising:
-
a. a housing having a first intake port in a lower surface of said housing and a discharge port in an upper surface of said housing, and having first and inverted orientations; b. an electric motor mounted in said housing; c. a water pump mounted in said housing coupled to said electric motor and outputted to and through said discharge port; d. an onboard programmable controller configured to direct said pool cleaner between a first operation mode where said housing is in a first orientation that is propelled below water level on floor and/or wall surfaces of a pool, and a second operation mode where said housing is in said inverted orientation on the top surface of the water; e. rotationally-mounted supports driven by said electric motor configured to propel said housing on said pool floor and/or pool wall surfaces while in said first operation mode; and f. means for inverting said housing from said first orientation to the inverted orientation when said housing has risen from submerged to water level in said second operation mode; and
wherein in said first operation mode said housing is propelled along said pool floor and wall surfaces by said rotationally mounted supports, with friction between said rotationally mounted supports and said pool wall surfaces enhanced by pool water being discharged through said discharge port in said upper surface of said housing in a direction away from said wall surface, and by suction of the cleaner toward the wall surface as pool water is suctioned into said first intake port.
-
-
17. A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner, comprising:
-
a. a housing having a first intake port in a lower surface of said housing and a discharge port in an upper surface of said housing, and having first and inverted orientations; b. an electric motor mounted in said housing; c. a water pump mounted in said housing coupled to said electric motor and outputted to and through said discharge port; d. an onboard programmable controller configured to direct said pool cleaner between a first operation mode where said housing is in a first orientation that is propelled below water level on floor and/or wall surfaces of a pool, and a second operation mode where said housing is in said inverted orientation on the top surface of the water; e. rotationally-mounted supports driven by said electric motor configured to propel said housing on said pool floor and/or pool wall surfaces while in said first operation mode; f. means for inverting said housing from said first orientation to the inverted orientation when said housing has risen from submerged to water level in said second operation mode; and g. an external electrical power source electrically coupled to said electric motor and said controller.
-
-
18. A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner, comprising:
-
a. a housing having a first intake port in a lower surface of said housing and a discharge port in an upper surface of said housing, and having first and inverted orientations; b. an electric motor mounted in said housing; c. a water pump mounted in said housing coupled to said electric motor and outputted to and through said discharge port; d. an onboard programmable controller configured to direct said pool cleaner between a first operation mode where said housing is in a first orientation that is propelled below water level on floor and/or wall surfaces of a pool, and a second operation mode where said housing is in said inverted orientation on the top surface of the water; e. rotationally-mounted supports driven by said electric motor configured to propel said housing on said pool floor and/or pool wall surfaces while in said first operation mode; and f. means for inverting said housing from said first orientation to the inverted orientation when said housing has risen from submerged to water level in said second operation mode; and
wherein said housing is a cylindrical tube and said rotationally-mounted supports comprise a set of wheels mounted to opposite ends of an axle extending axially through said housing. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
-
20. A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner, comprising:
-
a. a housing having a first intake port in a lower surface of said housing and a discharge port in an upper surface of said housing, and having first and inverted orientations; b. an electric motor mounted in said housing; c. a water pump mounted in said housing coupled to said electric motor and outputted to and through said discharge port; d. an onboard programmable controller configured to direct said pool cleaner between a first operation mode where said housing is in a first orientation that is propelled below water level on floor and/or wall surfaces of a pool, and a second operation mode where said housing is in said inverted orientation on the top surface of the water; e. rotationally-mounted supports driven by said electric motor configured to propel said housing on said pool floor and/or pool wall surfaces while in said first operation mode; and f. means for inverting said housing from said first orientation to the inverted orientation when said housing has risen from submerged to water level in said second operation mode; and
wherein said housing has forward and rearward portions, and said rotationally mounted supports comprise a set of wheels mounted in each of said forward and rearward portions.
-
Specification