Swimming pool robot
First Claim
1. Cleaning apparatus, comprising:
- a housing, which comprises a lower side comprising an opening, and an upper side comprising an egress port and a lid, which opens to provide access to an interior of the housing;
an impeller, which is disposed within the housing so as to draw water into the housing through the opening and to expel the water through the egress port; and
a filter assembly, which is contained within the housing and is of a size and shape suitable for removal from the housing via the lid, the filter assembly comprising separable upper and lower segments having a wall that comprises a filter material, the lower segment having an ingress port that communicates with the ingress port so that the water drawn in through the opening enters the filter assembly through the ingress port and exits the filter assembly through the filter material.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Cleaning apparatus includes a housing, which includes a lower side comprising an opening, and an upper side including an egress port and a lid, which opens to provide access to an interior of the housing. An impeller is disposed within the housing so as to draw water into the housing through the opening and to expel the water through the egress port. A filter assembly is contained within the housing and is of a size and shape suitable for removal from the housing via the lid. The filter assembly includes separable upper and lower segments having a wall that includes a filter material. The lower segment has an ingress port that communicates with the ingress port so that the water drawn in through the opening enters the filter assembly through the ingress port and exits the filter assembly through the filter material.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. Cleaning apparatus, comprising:
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a housing, which comprises a lower side comprising an opening, and an upper side comprising an egress port and a lid, which opens to provide access to an interior of the housing; an impeller, which is disposed within the housing so as to draw water into the housing through the opening and to expel the water through the egress port; and a filter assembly, which is contained within the housing and is of a size and shape suitable for removal from the housing via the lid, the filter assembly comprising separable upper and lower segments having a wall that comprises a filter material, the lower segment having an ingress port that communicates with the ingress port so that the water drawn in through the opening enters the filter assembly through the ingress port and exits the filter assembly through the filter material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Cleaning apparatus, comprising:
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a housing, which comprises an upper side comprising an egress port and has an open lower side; an impeller, which is disposed within the housing so as to draw water into the housing through the lower side and to expel the water through the egress port; and a filter assembly, which comprises; a cover, which comprises an ingress port, and which has inner and outer sides and is configured to engage and close the open lower side of the housing; a frame, which comprises a base, which is fixed to the inner side of the cover, and an upper end, which protrudes from the base into an interior of the housing; a rim, which is sized and shaped to contact the inner side of the cover along a perimeter surrounding the base of the frame; and a filter comprising a flexible filter material, which has a peripheral edge that is fixed to the rim so that the filter material covers the frame when the rim is in place along the perimeter on the inner side of the cover so that the water drawn in by the impeller enters the filter assembly through the ingress port and exits the filter assembly through the filter material, wherein the filter material is attached to the upper end of the frame at one or more attachment points. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method for cleaning, comprising:
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submerging a robot at a bottom of a container of water, the robot containing a filter assembly, which comprises upper and lower segments having a wall that comprises a filter material, the lower segment having an ingress port at a lower side of the robot in communication with the bottom of the container; operating the submerged robot to draw water in through the ingress port so that the water enters an interior of the filter assembly through the ingress port and exits the filter assembly through the filter material; following operation of the robot, opening an upper side of the robot, and removing the filter assembly from the robot through the upper side; and after removing the filter assembly from the robot, separating the upper and lower segments of the filter assembly in order to remove contaminants trapped in the interior of the filter assembly. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for cleaning, comprising:
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submerging a robot at a bottom of a container of water, the robot containing a filter assembly, which has an ingress port at a lower side of the robot in communication with the bottom of the container and which comprises a lower cover containing the ingress port, a frame having a base that is attached to the lower cover, and a filter material attached to the frame and having a peripheral edge that surrounds the base; operating the submerged robot to draw water in through the opening so that the water enters an interior of the filter assembly through the ingress port and exits the filter assembly through the filter material; following operation of the robot, removing the filter assembly from the robot; and after removing the filter assembly from the robot, turning the filter material inside-out in order to remove contaminants trapped in the interior of the filter assembly while the filter material remains attached to the frame. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification