RANDOM MOTION VEHICLE

• US 3,676,885 A
• Filed: 03/15/1971
• Issued: 07/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stanley S. Wulc
• Original Assignee: Stanley S. Wulc
• Inventors: Wulc, Stanley S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/124,318
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 15/1.7,344,350,351,319 210/241
• US Class Current: 15/1.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

An improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle adapted to translate along and clean the interior bottom surface of a pool or tank in a randomly oriented pattern. The improved cleaner has suction inlet mechanisms, and driving as well as sensing means cooperating with programmed logic means to direct the motion of the vehicle in accordance with pre-programmed instructions. The cleaner includes removeable liquid intake containers to allow ease in cleaning the vehicle when such is necessary. For ease of handling, the improved vehicle incorporates a weight mechanism which is removeably secured to the suction cleaner base cover. A further improvement to the improved vehicle includes the addition of a multi-directional switch mechanism to sense obstacles in the path of vehicle translation. Added program logic considerations lock the drive control of one set of wheels while allowing another set to continuously operate after an obstacle is impacted thereby leading to a rotation of the vehicle away from the constraining force.

Claims

1. An improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle adapted to move across the interior bottom of a tank to sense and redirect said movement away from obstacles, said cleaner vehicle including in combination, a base having an openable cover, an outlet in said cover, a suction opening passing through said base, a pair of obstacle contact sensing means moveably secured to said base, a pair of independent drive means on said base, a logic and control means operatively connected to said drive means and said sensing means, on said base, wherein said improvements comprise:

liquid intake means comprising an outer container and an inner container and being completely removeable as a unit from said suction cleaner vehicle, said liquid intake means positioned within said base cover forming a continuous particle path from said suction opening to said outlet in said base cover, said outer container being removeably secured to said suction cleaner vehicle within said base cover and between said base cover and said base, and, said inner container being removeably secured to said suction cleaner vehicle and said outer container, said inner container positioned within said outer container and including a plurality of apertures having a predetermined mesh opening size, each of said inner and outer container being provided with a hole in the bottom thereof, said suction opening fitting through both said holes, providing a predetermined flow path through said suction opening, said inner container, said outer container, and said outlet in said base cover, in that order.

2. An improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle adapted to move across the interior bottom of a tank for sensing and redirecting said vehicle movement away from obstacles, said cleaner vehicle including in combination, a base cover enclosing said base and having an outlet passage formed through said base cover, a hose secured to said base cover communicating with said outlet passage, said hose extending out of said tank, a pair of obstacle contact sensing means moveably secured to said base, a pair of independent drive means on said base, a logic and control means operatively connected to said drive means and said sensing means, on said base, wherein said improvement comprises:

weight means removeably secured to said suction cleaner base cover, said weight means being removeable from said base cover by manipulation of said weight means external to said tank.

3. The improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle as recited in claim 2 wherein said weight means includes:

a. a weighted member slideable insertable on said hose;

said weighted member located at an interface between said hose and said base cover when weight is added to said cleaner vehicle; and

, b. attachment means having opposing first and second ends, said first end being secured to said weighted member and said second end remote from said first end and surrounding a circumference of said hose.

4. The improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle as recited in claim 3 wherein said attachment means includes:

a lanyard secured to said weighted member on said first end and looped around said hose on a second end extending remote from said lanyard first end.

5. The improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle as recited in claim 2. wherein said weight means includes:

a. a weighted member removeably secured to said base cover and mated to said base cover within a recess provided Therein;

b. a guide secured on opposing ends to said hose and said base cover respectively, said weighted member being slideably secured to said guide; and

, c. a lanyard secured to said weighted member on a first end thereof, said lanyard being looped around said hose on a second end remote from said lanyard first end, said lanyard being slideable with respect to said hose.

6. The improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle as recited in claim 2 including:

vehicle movement means secured to said vehicle on a first end and to said hose on a second end of said movement means remote from said vehicle movement means first end.

7. The improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle as recited in claim 6 wherein said vehicle means second end is slideably secured to said hose.

8. The improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle as recited in claim 2 wherein said pair of obstacle contact sensing means includes:

a. a frame member extending in a longitudinal direction normal to a horizontal plane, said frame having a base element with a central opening passing therethrough;

b. obstacle contact means external to said frame and passing through said central opening;

c. unidirectional translation means within said frame fastened to said contact means to transform randomly oriented obstacle loads into a longitudinal motion; and

, d. switch means contained within said frame and actuated through said longitudinal motion imparted by said translation means.

9. The improved random motion suction cleaner vehicle as recited in claim 2 wherein said logic and control means is permanently programmed to control said drive means in response to said sensing means including:

singular halting means for one of said pair of drive means, said other drive means for continued motion to provide a turning of said cleaner vehicle after contacting an obstacle.