Method and appartus for operation of pool cleaner with integral chlorine generator

• US 20090282627A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aqua Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aquatron Incorporated (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Inventors: PORAT, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,007,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/1.700
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4674 with halogen or compound of halogens, e.g. chlorine, bromine
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle for biological treatment C02F2203/008
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4618 Supplying or removing reactants or electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/02 Specific form of oxidant
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/12 as part of household appliances such as dishwashers, laundry washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1281 Devices for distributing chemical products in the water of swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS

Abstract

An automated self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a water pump for moving water through the housing, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over the surface of the salt water pool to be cleaned, and an integral electrochemical chlorine generator mounted in the housing, includes a processor/controller that is programmed to activate the chlorine generator, the pump and drive means in predetermined operational sequences that minimize wear and tear on the water pump and drive means, while at the same time distribute and maintain a safe level of sanitizing chlorine in the pool, to thereby obviate the need for an in-line chlorinator or other chemical additive treatments; an optional automated sensor device can be provided to activate a secondary maintenance program which enables the pool cleaner to operate over prolonged periods of time as the sole means for filtering and sanitizing the pool water. An electrochemical cell manual mounting system permits the cell to be secured in place for operation and manually removed for maintenance, repair or replacement by the user without special tools or training.

Claims

1. In an automated self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a pump for moving water through the housing, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over at least the bottom wall of a pool;

an integral electrochemical chlorine generator positioned in said housing for producing bactericidal chlorine, the electrochemical generator comprising a plurality of negative and positive conductive plates arranged in a parallel spaced-part array to form a plurality of passageways, the array being positioned in the flow path of water moving through the housing;

an outlet for discharging water containing bactericidal chlorine produced by the electrochemical generator into the water proximate the exterior of the pool cleaner housing;

a source of electrical power operatively connected to the electrochemical chlorine generator; and

programmable control means for initiating and terminating the operation of the chlorine generator, pump and drive means, the control means programmed for;

a. activating the water pump and the pool cleaner drive means to thereby move the pool cleaner across the surface of a wall of the pool to perform a programmed cleaning cycle;

b. initiating the operation of the chlorine generator to thereby produce bactericidal chlorine from a chloride-containing compound dissolved in the water during the cleaning cycle;

c. discharging bactericidal chlorine containing water from the pool cleaner housing in a turbulent flow to mix with the water in the pool;

d. deactivating the drive means and the water pump at the end of the cleaning cycle while maintaining the operation of the chlorine generator;

e. activating the water pump for intervals of several seconds every several minutes following the end of the cleaning cycle for a period of about one hour;

f. activating the drive means and pump for a period of time ranging from 2 to 4 minutes to thereby relocate the pool cleaner in the pool;

g. activating the water pump for intervals of several seconds every several minutes after the pool cleaner is relocated; and

h. repeating steps (f) and (g) for a predetermined period of time.

2. The pool cleaner of claim 1 in which the pump is inside the housing or external to the pool.

3. The pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the source of electrical power is a remote power supply and an electric cable is connected to the electrochemical generator in the interior of the housing.

4. The pool cleaner of claim 3, wherein the control means includes a switch on the remote power supply and the switch is manually or electronically activated.

5. The pool cleaner of claim 3, wherein the programmable control means is remote from the pool cleaner and is operatively connected to the power supply and the electric cable includes conductors connected to the water pump and drive means.

6. The pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the control means includes a controller operatively connected to a signal receiver, whereby a control signal received from a remote relay transmitter is processed to initiate and terminate the operation of the chlorine generator in response to information corresponding to the chlorine concentration in the pool water.

7. The pool cleaner of claim 6 that includes an electronic probe in contact with the pool water for determining the concentration of chlorine and transmitting a signal to the relay transmitter for processing and transmission of an appropriate control signal to the controller.

8. The pool cleaner of claim 6, wherein the signal receiver is an antenna extending from the pool cleaner controller to the surface of the pool water.

9. The pool cleaner of claim 6 in which the controller is programmed to institute a secondary electrochemical generator operating program when a predetermined level of chlorine is signaled, the secondary operating program including steps for:

a. activating the chlorine generator to operate for a period of 30 minutes every 2 hours;

b. activating the drive means and pump for a period of time ranging from 2 to 4 minutes at internals of about one hour to thereby relocate the pool cleaner in the pool; and

c. activating the pump after the pool cleaner is relocated for intervals of several seconds every several minutes for a period of about one hour.

10. The pool cleaner of claim 8, wherein the signal receiver is an antenna extending from the pool cleaner processor/controller to the surface of the pool water.

19. The pool cleaner of claim 1 that includes a chlorine monitoring system mounted inside the pool cleaner or attached to the exterior of the pool cleaner housing, the monitoring system generating electrical signals corresponding to the bactericidal chlorine concentration in the pool water that are transmitted as feedback through wire connections to the controller, to thereby initiate and terminate the operation of the chlorine generator, whereby bactericidal chlorine concentration in the pool water is maintained in a predetermined range.

11. A method of releasing bactericidal chlorine in the water of a swimming pool that contains a water-soluble chloride-containing chemical compound, the method comprising

a. placing into the pool an automated, self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a water pump, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over the surface of the pool to be cleaned, an integral electrochemical chlorine generator mounted in the housing, and positioned in the flow path of water moving through the housing, a source of electrical power operatively connected to the electrochemical generator and control means for initiating and terminating the functioning of the chlorine generator;

b. activating the water pump and the pool cleaner drive means to thereby move the pool cleaner across the surface of a wall of the pool to perform a programmed cleaning cycle;

c. initiating the operation of the chlorine generator to thereby produce bactericidal chlorine from the chloride-containing compound dissolved in the water during the cleaning cycle;

d. discharging bactericidal chlorine containing water from the pool cleaner housing in a turbulent flow to mix with the water in the pool;

e. deactivating the drive means and the water pump at the end of the cleaning cycle while maintaining the operation of the chlorine generator;

f. activating the water pump for intervals of several seconds every several minutes following the end of the cleaning cycle for a period of about one hour;

g. activating the drive means and pump for a period of time ranging from 2 to 4 minutes to thereby relocate the pool cleaner in the pool;

h. activating the water pump for intervals of several seconds every several minutes after the pool cleaner is relocated; and

i. repeating steps (g) and (h) for a predetermined period of time.

12. The method of claim 11 which further includes repeating steps (b) through (i).

13. The method of claim 11 which further includes:

periodically measuring the chlorine concentration in the pool water and comparing the measured value to a predetermined desired concentration of chlorine; and

terminating the operation of the chlorine generator when the measured value reaches the predetermined desired concentration.

14. The method of claim 11 in which the programmed cleaning cycle is initiated every twenty-four hours.

15. The method of claim 11 in which the water pump is activated in steps (f) and (h) for three seconds every three minutes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrical power is delivered to the electrochemical generator from a source selected from the group consisting of an on-board rechargeable battery, a water powered dynamo/generator mounted on the pool cleaner, or by an electrical cable.

17. A method of releasing bactericidal chlorine in the water of a swimming pool that contains a water-soluble chloride-containing chemical compound, the method comprising

a. placing into the pool an automated, self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a water pump, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over the surface of the pool to be cleaned, an integral electrochemical chlorine generator mounted in the housing, and positioned in the flow path of water moving through the housing, a source of electrical power operatively connected to the electrochemical generator and control means for initiating and terminating the functioning of the chlorine generator;

b. activating the water pump and the pool cleaner drive means to thereby move the pool cleaner across the surface of a wall of the pool to perform a programmed cleaning cycle;

c. initiating the operation of the chlorine generator to thereby produce bactericidal chlorine from the chloride-containing compound dissolved in the water during the cleaning cycle;

d. discharging bactericidal chlorine containing water from the pool cleaner housing in a turbulent flow to mix with the water in the pool;

e. deactivating the drive means and the water pump at the end of the cleaning cycle while maintaining the operation of the chlorine generator;

f. activating the water pump for intervals of several seconds every several minutes following the end of the cleaning cycle for a period of about one hour;

g. activating the drive means and pump for a period of time ranging from 2 to 4 minutes to thereby relocate the pool cleaner in the pool;

h. activating the water pump for intervals of several seconds every several minutes after the pool cleaner is relocated; and

i. repeating steps (g) and (h) for a predetermined period of time.

18. An automated system for establishing and maintaining a predetermined concentration of bactericidal chlorine in a swimming pool, the system comprising:

a. an automated self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a water pump for moving water through the housing, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over the surface of the pool to be cleaned, an integral electrochemical chlorine generator mounted in the housing, the electrochemical generator comprising a plurality of negative and positive conductive plates arranged in a parallel spaced-apart array to form a plurality of passageways, the array being positioned in the flow path of water moving through the housing;

b. a source of electrical power operatively connected to the electrochemical generator;

c. programmed control means for initiating and terminating the functioning of the chlorine generator, the pump and the drive means, wherein the control means are programmed (i) to activate the chlorine generator to operate for a period of thirty minutes every two hours, and (ii) to activate the drive means and pump for a period of time ranging from 2 to 4 minutes to thereby relocate the pool cleaner in the pool at intervals of about one hour, and (iii) to activate the water pump for intervals of several seconds every several minutes for a period of about one hour after the pool cleaner is relocated.

27. The pool cleaner of claim 18, wherein the source of electrical power includes at least one on-board battery and at least one relay which directs power from the at least one battery to the water pump, drive means and chlorine generator, the at least one relay being operable in response to signals received from the controller.

28. The pool cleaner of claim 27 which includes two batteries.

20. A robotic pool cleaner having an exterior housing and an electrochemical chlorine generator assembly mounted inside the housing, the electrochemical chlorine generator assembly comprising a plurality of conductive electrodes operatively connected to generator terminals for receiving power from a power source, a case constructed of a non-conductive material in which the plurality of electrodes are mounted, the case having passages for the movement of pool water across the chlorine-generating surfaces of the electrodes, mounting means on the case for securely engaging corresponding receiving means on a structural member or the pool cleaner housing for securing the electrochemical chlorine generator assembly in an operable position in which the generator terminals are in mating contact with power conductors mounted in the pool cleaner, and manually releasable engagement surfaces for separating the mounting and receiving means to thereby permit removal of the electrochemical chlorine generator assembly from the interior of the pool cleaner housing.

21. The pool cleaner of claim 20 which includes a biasing member to urge the mounting means and the receiving means into secure engagement.

22. The pool cleaner of claim 20 in which the manually releasable engagement surface is part of the receiving means.

23. The pool cleaner of claim 20 in which each of the mounting means and receiving means includes at least one contact surface configured to engage a corresponding surface, the respective contact surfaces extending generally traverse to the direction of relative movement between the mounting and receiving means.

24. The pool cleaner of claim 20 in which the mounting and receiving members comprise a projecting T-shaped flange and a T-shaped open channel for receiving the flange in sliding relation.

25. The pool cleaner of claim 20 in which the case includes a manual gripping surface to facilitate its engagement with, and removal from the receiving means.

26. The pool cleaner of claim 21 in which the surfaces of the mounting means and receiving means are configured to slidingly pass each other against the force applied by the biasing member.