Swimming Pool Cleaner

• US 20130152316A1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Poolvergnuegen
• Inventors: Rief, Dieter J., Schlitzer, Hans Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 9,593,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/1.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/16 specially adapted for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1636 Suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49863 with prestressing of part

Abstract

A swimming pool cleaner including a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet and defining an elongate slotted cavity pivotably holding proximal ends of flap members forming a segmented skirt which forms with the pool surface a plenum from which water and debris are drawn into the inlet. The slotted cavity is configured for strain-free insertion of the flap-member proximal ends into the cavity. A removable nozzle within the debris inlet and retaining the flap-member proximal ends in the cavity. A method for inlet to control debris-laden water flow. The cleaner further including a tool-free nozzle-mounting structure at the debris inlet removably retaining the nozzle within the debris inlet and a tool-free wheel-mounting assembly. a plurality of removable nozzles are interchangeably secured within the debris inlet, each nozzle having a flow opening sized differently from flow opening(s) of the other nozzle(s) to control debris-laden water flow.

Claims

1. A swimming pool cleaner movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner comprising:

a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet;

a segmented skirt including a plurality of flap members each of which extends from a proximal end hinged to the body to a distal end which is configured for extending along the pool surface such that the skirt forms with the pool surface a plenum from which water and debris are drawn into the inlet;

an elongate slotted cavity defined by the body and extending between two ends, the slotted cavity pivotably holding the proximal ends of the flap members therewithin and having an openable inlet-adjacent middle region permitting strain-free insertion of the flap-member proximal ends into the cavity; and

a nozzle inserted into the debris inlet to control debris-laden water flow, the nozzle being positioned over the middle region of the slotted cavity retaining the flap-member proximal ends in the cavity.

2. The pool cleaner of claim 1 wherein the slotted cavity is formed by first and second wall portions separated by a slot, a first wall-portion configuration being continuous between the closed side ends, a second wall-portion configuration being interrupted along the inlet-adjacent middle region.

3. The pool cleaner of claim 2 wherein the first and second wall-portion configurations each include a plurality of spaced tabs holding the flap-member proximal ends, the second configuration lacking the tabs along the inlet-adjacent middle region thereby opening access for sliding the flap-member proximal ends in or out of the cavity for strain-free assembly of the segmented skirt.

4. The pool cleaner of claim 3 wherein the cleaner body includes a frame structure extending laterally from the debris inlet along the slotted cavity, the tabs of the second wall-portion configuration protruding from the frame structure thereby being reinforced against breakage.

5. The pool cleaner of claim 4 wherein the nozzle has two opposite lateral sides and a cavity-adjacent side therebetween, the cavity-adjacent side including at least one tab extending therefrom over the cavity thereby closing the inlet-adjacent middle region and retaining the flap-member proximal ends within the cavity by providing continuity for the second wall-portion configuration.

6. The pool cleaner of claim 5 wherein the nozzle is removable from the debris inlet and is configured for engagement with the frame structure which holds the nozzle within the debris inlet.

7. The pool cleaner of claim 6 includes at least two interchangeable nozzles one having a flow opening larger than a flow opening of the other nozzle.

8. The pool cleaner of claim 6 further including a tool-free nozzle mounting including:

a pair of lateral protrusions each extending from one of the lateral sides of the nozzle; and

a pair of frame-structure side portions extending laterally from the inlet and each engaging the corresponding lateral protrusion of the nozzle thereby retaining the nozzle within the debris inlet.

9. The pool cleaner of claim 8 wherein:

each protrusion has a first surface substantially orthogonal to the nozzle lateral side and a second surface sloping between the first surface and the nozzle lateral side; and

each side portion of the frame structure includes a spring-grip inwardly displaceable when pressed by the corresponding lateral protrusion of the nozzle being inserted into the debris inlet beyond the spring-grip which resiliently returns into alignment with the side portion thereby locking the nozzle within the inlet.

10. The pool cleaner of claim 9 includes at least two interchangeable nozzles one having a flow opening larger than a flow opening of the other nozzle.

11. The pool cleaner of claim 9 wherein each side portion of the frame structure extends outwardly from the debris inlet thereby forming a tapered surface minimizing entrapment of the cleaner on step-like pool structures.

12. The pool cleaner of claim 11 further including a tool-free wheel-mounting assembly supporting at least one pair of wheels moving the cleaner along the pool surface, the tool-free wheel-mounting assembly including each of the wheels having a ball bearing rotatably holding such wheel on a non-rotating shaft extending laterally from the respective side of the cleaner body, each shaft having a polygonal exterior and each bearing having a polygonal interior matching the shaft exterior for a non-rotating engagement therewith.

13. The pool cleaner of claim 12 wherein the ball bearing is a double-race bearing in non-rotating engagement with the respective wheel.

14. The pool cleaner of claim 12 wherein:

each shaft has a hollow interior with an inwardly-facing shoulder therewithin; and

the tool-free wheel-mounting assembly includes a removable clip inserted into the shaft interior and in a locking engagement with the shoulder, the clip having at least two fingers which extend from an exterior head and terminate with a hook-end within the shaft interior, the fingers being pressed together upon insertion into the shaft and spreading outwardly into the locking engagement with the shoulder thereby securely holding the wheel on the shaft.

15. A swimming pool cleaner movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner comprising:

a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet;

a plurality of removable nozzles interchangeably secured within the debris inlet, each nozzle having a flow opening sized differently from flow opening(s) of the other nozzle(s) to control debris-laden water flow.

16. The pool cleaner of claim 15 wherein:

each nozzle has two opposite lateral sides each including a lateral protrusion extending therefrom; and

the cleaner body includes a pair of side portions extending laterally from the inlet and each engaging the corresponding lateral protrusion of the nozzle thereby retaining the nozzle within the debris inlet.

17. The pool cleaner of claim 15 being interchangeably usable as a suction cleaner and as a pressure cleaner.

18. A swimming pool cleaner comprising:

a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet;

at least one pair of wheels secured with respect to each side of the body for moving the cleaner along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom;

a tool-free wheel-mounting assembly including each of the wheels having a ball bearing which rotatably holds such wheel on a non-rotating shaft extending laterally from a respective side of the cleaner body, each ball-bearing having an interior configuration matching an exterior configuration of the shaft in non-rotating engagement therewith.

19. The pool cleaner of claim 18 wherein each shaft having a polygonal exterior and each bearing having a polygonal interior matching the shaft exterior in non-rotating engagement therewith.

20. The pool cleaner of claim 18 wherein the ball bearing is a double-race bearing in non-rotating engagement with the respective wheel.

21. The pool cleaner of claim 18 wherein:

each shaft has a hollow interior with an inwardly-facing shoulder therewithin; and

the tool-free wheel-mounting assembly includes a removable clip inserted into the shaft interior and in a locking engagement with the shoulder, the clip having an exterior head and at least two fingers extending therefrom and terminating with a hook-end within the shaft interior, the finger being pressed together upon insertion into the shaft and spread out against the shoulder in the locking engagement therewith which securely holds the wheel on the shaft.

22. A swimming pool cleaner comprising:

a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet;

a removable nozzle within the debris inlet to control debris-laden water flow; and

a tool-free nozzle-mounting structure at the debris inlet removably retaining the nozzle within the debris inlet.

23. The pool cleaner of claim 22 wherein the tool-free nozzle-mounting structure includes forming a spring-grip formed by the body and inwardly displaceable when pressed by the nozzle being inserted into the debris inlet beyond the spring-grip which resiliently returns to its original orientation thereby locking the nozzle within the inlet.

24. The pool cleaner of claim 23 wherein:

the nozzle has a pair of lateral protrusions each extending from one of lateral sides of the nozzle; and

the spring-grip is formed by a pair of side body portions extending laterally from the inlet and each engaging the corresponding lateral protrusion of the nozzle thereby retaining the nozzle within the debris inlet.

25. The pool cleaner of claim 24 wherein each protrusion has a first surface substantially orthogonal to the nozzle lateral side and a second surface sloping between the first surface and the nozzle lateral side, the orthogonal surface pressing on the corresponding side body portion and the sloping surface permitting release of the nozzle from the inlet.

26. The pool cleaner of claim 25 wherein each side body portion extends outwardly from the debris inlet thereby forming tapered body surfaces minimizing entrapment of the cleaner on step-like pool structures.

27. A method for tool-free assembly of a swimming pool cleaner movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the method comprising:

providing;

a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet, the body forming an inwardly-displaceable spring-grip extending laterally from the inlet; and

a removable nozzle for controlling debris-laden water flow into the inlet; and

installing the nozzle by pressing the spring-grip with the nozzle into the inlet until the nozzle is beyond the spring-grip which resiliently returns to its original orientation thereby locking the nozzle within the inlet.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the nozzle has a pair of lateral protrusions each extending from one of lateral sides of the nozzle; and

the spring grip is formed by a pair of side body portions extending laterally from the inlet and each engaging the corresponding lateral protrusion of the nozzle thereby retaining the nozzle within the debris inlet.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein:

the body defines an elongate slotted cavity extending between two ends and having an open inlet-adjacent middle region;

the providing step further includes a segmented skirt having a plurality of flap members each of which extends from an attaching end to a free end which is configured for extending along the pool surface such that the skirt forms with the pool surface a plenum from which water and debris are drawn into the inlet.

30. The method of claim 29 further including the step of hingedly attaching the segmented skirt to the body by:

prior to installing the nozzle, freely placing the attaching end of each flap member into the open inlet-adjacent middle region of the slotted cavity; and

securing the flap members within the cavity by the step of installing the nozzle being positioned over and closing the inlet-adjacent middle region.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the cleaner body has two lateral sides each including a non-rotating shaft extending laterally therefrom, each shaft having a polygonal exterior;

the providing step further includes at least one pair of wheels for moving the cleaner along the pool surface, each wheel having a ball bearing with a polygonal interior matching the shaft exterior ; and

a step of tool-free mounting the wheels for rotation with respect to the body includes sliding the ball-bearing polygonal interior of each wheel over the corresponding matching polygonal shaft exterior for a non-rotating engagement therebetween, the ball bearing providing wheel rotation.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein:

each shaft has a hollow interior with an inwardly-facing shoulder therewithin; and

the step of tool-free wheel-mounting includes the step of inserting a removable clip into the shaft interior and into a locking engagement with the shoulder, the clip having at least two fingers which extend from an exterior head and terminate with a hook-end within the shaft interior, the fingers being pressed together upon insertion into the shaft and spreading outwardly into the locking engagement with the shoulder thereby securely holding the wheel on the shaft.