Alternating Paddle Mechanism for Pool Cleaner

• US 20140271175A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Kumar, Satheesh, Singh, Narendra Pratap, Gopalan, Suresh C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,850,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/224.5
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/16 specially adapted for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner. The paddle wheel mechanism includes a housing with an internal flow area, a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing, and a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft. The paddle wheel includes a base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending from the base within the internal flow area. The plurality of paddle wheel blades include a first-type blade with a first blade portion having a first blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a first side of the paddle wheel base, and a second-type blade with a second blade portion having a second blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a second side of the paddle wheel base. The first blade width and the second blade width are each less than the base width, and the first-type and second-type blades are arranged on the base in an alternating manner.

Claims

1. A paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner, the paddle wheel mechanism comprising:

a housing with an internal flow area;

a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing; and

a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel including a paddle wheel base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending from the paddle wheel base within the internal flow area, the plurality of paddle wheel blades including a first-type blade with a first blade portion having a first blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a first side of the paddle wheel base and a second-type blade with a second blade portion having a second blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a second side of the paddle wheel base, the first blade width and the second blade width each being less than the base width, the first-type blade and the second-type blade being arranged on the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

2. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first-type blade and the second-type blade includes a curved blade profile.

3. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paddle wheel blades includes six paddle wheel blades.

4. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a fluid path opening configured to direct fluid from a fluid path of the pool cleaner across the paddle wheel.

5. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

shaft bearings;

wherein the housing includes shaft supports supporting the shaft bearings; and

wherein the paddle wheel shaft is supported by the shaft bearings.

6. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first blade width and the second blade width are each between about 30 percent and about 60 percent of the base width.

7. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein a plurality of first-type blades and a plurality of second-type blades are arranged around a circumference of the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

8. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first-type blade includes a first base portion extending from the first blade portion toward the second end of the paddle wheel base, the first base portion extending a smaller distance away from the paddle wheel base than the first blade portion.

9. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 8, wherein the first blade portion of the first-type blade is removably coupled to the first base portion.

10. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first blade portion of the first-type blade includes a distal tip removed from the paddle wheel base and a body portion oriented between the paddle wheel base and the distal tip, the distal tip having a greater thickness than the body portion.

11. A pool cleaner comprising:

a housing with an internal flow area; and

a split paddle wheel mechanism including;

a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing; and

a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel including a paddle wheel base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending from the paddle wheel base within the internal flow area, the plurality of paddle wheel blades including a first-type blade with a first portion having a first blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a first side of the paddle wheel base and a second-type blade with a second portion having a second blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a second side of the paddle wheel base, the first blade width and the second blade width each being less than the base width, the first-type blade and the second-type blade being arranged on the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

12. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first-type blade and the second-type blade includes a curved blade profile.

13. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the plurality of paddle wheel blades includes six paddle wheel blades.

14. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a fluid path opening configured to direct fluid from a fluid path of the pool cleaner across the paddle wheel.

15. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first blade width and the second blade width are each between about 30 percent to about 60 percent of the base width.

16. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein a plurality of first-type blades and a plurality of second-type blades are arranged around a circumference of the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

17. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first-type blade includes a first base portion extending from the first portion toward the second end of the paddle wheel base, the first base portion extending a smaller distance away from the paddle wheel base than the first portion.

18. The pool cleaner of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the first-type blade is removably coupled to the first base portion.

19. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first blade portion of the first-type blade includes a distal tip removed from the paddle wheel base and a body portion oriented between the paddle wheel base and the distal tip, the distal tip having a greater thickness than the body portion.

20. A paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner, the paddle wheel mechanism comprising:

a housing including an internal cavity for fluid flow;

a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing and extending, at least in part, across the internal cavity; and

a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel being oriented within the internal cavity and including a paddle wheel base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending radially from the paddle wheel base within internal cavity, the plurality of paddle wheel blades including a plurality of first-type blades, each with a first blade portion having a first blade width extending axially along the paddle wheel base from a first side of the internal cavity and a plurality of second-type blade, each with a second blade portion having a second blade width extending axially along the paddle wheel base from a second side of the internal cavity, the first blade width and the second blade width each being less than the base width, the first-type blades and the second-type blades being arranged around the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.