Customized Programmable Pool Cleaner Method and Apparatus

• US 20090301522A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aquatron Incorporated (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Aquatron Incorporated (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Inventors: Abehasera, Ben, Porat, Omry
• Application Number:
  US11/992,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20090301522A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

A method and apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of a pool by a programmed robotic pool cleaner initially set at an arbitrary position in the poll. The pool can be of any standard or non-standard shapes, and the surfaced with any conventional materials. The robot is advanced until it encounters a first obstacle (1), then reverses direction and advances along the same path to an opposing second obstacle (2) to form a first path between the opposing first (1) and second (2) obstacles. At the second obstacle (2), the robot reverses and advances to a predetermined point (A) between the opposing obstacles along said first path. At the predetermined point (A), the robot stops and turns in a first direction at a predetermined angle of turn, and repeats the above steps along additional paths until the sum of the predetermined angle of turns generates a quantity of paths sufficient to substantially clean the pool surfaces.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning at least the bottom surface of a pool by a robotic pool cleaner having a drive means, the method comprising:

advancing the pool cleaner until it encounters a first obstacle;

reversing the drive means to move the pool cleaner away from the first obstacle along a first path to a second obstacle;

reversing the drive means at the second obstacle to move the pool cleaner along a second path to a predetermined position that is correlated to said first path;

turning the pool cleaner in a first direction through a predetermined angle;

repeating the above steps to move the pool cleaner along additional paths until a sum of said predetermined angular turns results in a quantity of paths sufficient to clean substantially the entire bottom surface of the pool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second obstacles include opposing walls of the pool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second obstacles include water surfaces proximate opposing walls of the pool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first obstacle includes attaining a maximum elapsed time limit prior to the robot reaching a wall.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pool cleaner is initially positioned near a wall on the bottom surface of the pool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle of turn is determined based on the width of the effective cleaning path to provide maximum pool cleaning coverage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first direction is either of counter-clockwise or clockwise.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined point is located in a range of approximately 30% to 70% of the distance along the first path between said opposing obstacles.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined point is located approximately 50% of the distance along the first path between said opposing obstacles.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined point is determined by counting time to travel along a path associated with movement between said opposing obstacles.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing self-diagnostics testing prior to said advancing the robot until it encounters a first obstacle.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn angle is sequentially increased in increments by a multiple of said turn angle after advancing to said predetermined point.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn angle at each predetermined point associated with a path is incrementally increased by a factor of X degrees+nX degrees, where X is the predetermined turn angle and n is a positively increasing integer beginning with 1.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the robot alternates the turn angle between counter-clockwise and clockwise directions after each sequential arrival at a predetermined point along its associated path.

15. Apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of a pool by a robotic pool cleaner, the apparatus comprising:

means for advancing the pool cleaner until it encounters a first obstacle;

means for reversing the pool cleaner and advancing it away from the first obstacle to an opposing second obstacle to form a first path between the opposing first and second obstacles;

means for reversing the robot at the second obstacle and advancing it to a predetermined point between said opposing obstacles along said first path;

means for turning the pool cleaner in a first direction through a predetermined turn angle;

means for repeating the above steps along additional paths until a sum of said predetermined angular turns generates a quantity of paths sufficient to clean substantially the entire bottom of the pool.

16. Apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of a pool by a pool cleaning robot initially set at an arbitrary position in the pool, the apparatus comprising:

a housing for a filter for removing debris from said pool;

a reversible motorized drive coupled to said housing and adapted for electrical connection to a power source;

a controller coupled to said reversible motorized drive and having a programmed algorithm for navigating by sending appropriate signals to said reversible motorized drive and operating said apparatus, said algorithm comprising the steps of;

advancing the pool cleaner until it encounters a first obstacle;

reversing the pool cleaner and advancing it away from the first obstacle to an opposing second obstacle to form a first path between the opposing first and second obstacles;

reversing the pool cleaner at the second obstacle and advancing it to a predetermined point between said opposing obstacles along said first path;

turning the pool cleaner in a first direction at a predetermined angle of turn;

repeating the above steps along additional paths until a sum of said predetermined angular turns generates a quantity of paths sufficient to clean substantially all of the said pool surface; and

at least one sensor for sensing an obstacle and sending a signal to the controller indicating that an obstacle has been encountered.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a counter coupled to said controller, said counter counting time associated with the pool cleaner'"'"'s movement along a path between opposing obstacles.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said controller determines the predetermined point between opposing obstacles from the time counted by said counter.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the predetermined point is a location associated with a time count in a range of approximately 30% to 70% of the total time count taken along a path between said opposing obstacles.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the predetermined point is a location associated with a count time of approximately 50% of the total count time taken along a path between said opposing obstacles.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said programmed algorithm is stored in the memory of said controller.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said programmed algorithm is installed in said controller from an external source via a universal serial bus coupled to said controller.