DOCKING STATION FOR A POOL CLEANER IN A POOL

• US 20180155946A1
• Filed: 06/01/2016
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Pool Systems, LLC (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Aqua Products Incorporated
• Inventors: LONDONO, William, HANAN, Ethan, KLEBANOV, Aleksandr, WEISMANN, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 10,450,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0004 Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners floor-scrubbing machines taking-up dirty liquid by suction A47L11/30
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/093 by the force of jets or sprays B08B9/0813 , B08B9/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0933 Removing sludge or the like from tank bottoms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/004 using large scale industrial sized filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1272 Skimmers integrated in the pool wall
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1672 Connections to the pool water circulation system

Abstract

A docking station which can releasably engage and hold a robotic pool cleaner, the docking station optionally including a pre-filter for coarse debris, the pool cleaner including an internal filter and a pump to suction in, filter and eject filtered water while the pool cleaner is coupled to the docking station. The pool cleaner'"'"'s pump creates water jets to provide propulsion for the pool cleaner and to aid in decoupling the pool cleaner from the docking station.

Claims

1. A docking station attachable to a pool structure for releasably engaging a pool cleaner that is operable in a pool of water, comprising:

a. a frame with a water chamber therein,

b. a fastener having open and closed states for releasably coupling said pool cleaner to said frame, and

c. a duct system including an inlet for receiving pool water into said water chamber and at least one water outlet from said water chamber,

where said pool cleaner has an inner chamber with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, and said pool cleaner can cooperate with said docking station in a first mode of operation where said pool cleaner is inactive, or a second mode of operation where said pool cleaner draws in pool water from said docking station, filters and discharges filtered pool water back into said pool, or a third mode of operation where said pool cleaner decouples from said docking station.

2. The docking station according to claim 1, where said pool cleaner has front and rear outlets from said inner chamber and is configured:

a. to discharge filtered water from said inner chamber as a rear water jet through said rear outlet while said front outlet is closed during said second mode, or

b. to discharge filtered water from said inner chamber as a front water jet through said front outlet while said rear outlet is closed during said third mode.

3. The docking station according to claim 2 wherein said fastener comprises a paddle movable between said open and closed states, and in said third mode said front water jet strikes and moves said paddle to its open condition, whereby said pool cleaner is de-coupled from said docking station and said front water jet urges said pool cleaner to move downward from said docking station.

4. The docking station according to claim 1 where said pool cleaner in said second mode is coupled to said docking station in an orientation where said pool cleaner'"'"'s at least one inlet is aligned with the docking station'"'"'s at least one outlet, such that the pump in said pool cleaner can suction water into and through said docking station'"'"'s water chamber and into and through said pool cleaner'"'"'s filter, and thereafter discharge filtered water through a selected one of said pool cleaner'"'"'s outlets.

5. The docking station according to claim 1 further comprising a pre-filter in said frame, whereby said pump in said pool cleaner can suction water through said pre-filter before said water enters said pool cleaner.

6. The docking station according to claim 1, further comprising an inlet restrictor that is adjustable to vary the speed of the pool water that is drawn into said water chamber of said docking station.

7. The docking station according to claim 6 where said inlet restrictor restricts said inlet opening into said water chamber, and to thereby increase the speed of water flow of said pool water entering said water chamber in said docking station.

8. The docking station according to claim 6 where said inlet restrictor comprises a panel having upper and lower portions and being pivotable about said lower portion and has buoyancy such that said upper portion tends to be positioned below the top surface of the water flow of said pool water into said inlet of said docking station.

9. The docking station according to claim 1 where water flow into said docking station inlet is established by pumping of water by said pool cleaner into and through said docking station and into said pool cleaner inlet when said pool cleaner is in said second mode.

10. The docking station according to claim 1 further comprising a curved ramp having a proximal part extending downward from said frame and a distal part extending transversely and having a width dimension wider than the width dimension of said pool cleaner, said proximal part configured to receive and position said pool cleaner when it moves up said ramp for said pool cleaner inlet to be aligned with said docking station outlet, and said pool cleaner front portion to be adjacent said fastener.

11. The docking station according to claim 1 further comprising a curved ramp having a proximal portion extending generally vertically downward from said frame and a distal portion extending generally horizontally, whereby a pool cleaner directed by its controller can be propelled onto said ramp distal part, roll up said ramp being guided thereon, and then coupled to said docking station.

12. The docking station according to claim 1 where said pool cleaner has two spaced apart inlets, and said docking station has two outlets spaced apart similarly as said space apart inlets of said pool cleaner, and said pool cleaner when coupled to said docking station, will have its inlets fluid coupled to said docking station outlets, whereby water is drawn by said pump in said pool cleaner from said docking station water chamber into said pool cleaner internal chamber

13. A method of filtering water in a pool, using a pool cleaner that has:

(i) a body with front and rear portions and a lower portion, (ii) an internal chamber containing a pump and a water filter, said internal chamber having front and rear outlets in said front and rear portions respectively of said body, and having an inlet in said lower portion, a valve in each of said outlet ducts, and (iii) a programmable controller configured to operate said pump to direct filtered water selectively through said front or rear outlets, where each of said valves is openable when a water jet is pumped out of said outlet, comprising the steps;

a. attaching a docking station to a pool structure, where said docking station has a pool water inlet and an outlet, said docking station being configured to be positioned with its inlet under the top water level of said pool water,

b. receiving and releasably coupling said pool cleaner to said docking station, and

c. as directed by said controller, operating said pump in said pool cleaner to draw pool water through said docking station and into and through the filter in said pool cleaner, and to discharge filtered water back into said pool.

14. The method of filtering water in a pool according to claim 13, where coupling said pool cleaner to said docking station further comprises positioning said pool cleaner inlet to be aligned with said docking station outlet.

15. The method of filtering water in a pool according to claim 14 where said pool cleaner is configured to cooperate with said docking station in a first mode where said pool cleaner is inactive, or a second mode where said pool cleaner draws pool water from said docking station, filters and discharges said filtered pool water back into said pool, or a third mode where said pool cleaner de-couples from said docking station.

16. The method of filtering water in a pool according to claim 13 where coupling of said pool cleaner to said docking station comprises employing a fastener for releasably engaging said pool cleaner.

17. The method of filtering water in a pool according to claim 15 where said pool cleaner'"'"'s releasable fastener includes a pivotable paddle, and said de-coupling in said third mode comprises directing said pump to discharge a water jet in the forward direction to impinge on and pivot said paddle to its open position, thereby releasing of said pool cleaner from said docking station.

18. The method of filtering water in a pool according to claim 13 for filtering coarse debris before it enters the docking station inlet by positioning a filter in the path of water flow into said docking station inlet.

19. The method according to claim 18 of filtering debris from water in a pool before it enters the docking station inlet, further comprises providing an inlet restrictor that reduces the water flow path and to thereby increase the speed of the water flow to better entrain debris to be filtered.

20. The method of filtering debris from water in a pool according to claim 19 further comprises positioning a barrier in the area of pool water flow into the docking station inlet, said barrier having buoyancy such that it always impedes said water flow except the water that flows over the upper part of the barrier, and said barrier due to its buoyancy always has its upper part slightly below the top surface of the flowing water.