Self-contained submersible debris cleaner

• US 5,450,644 A
• Filed: 03/14/1994
• Issued: 09/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ken Berman
• Original Assignee: Ken Berman
• Inventors: Berman, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/209,902
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 15/1.7, 15/398, 15/383, 15/347, 15/349, 15/350, 210/169, 55/379
• US Class Current: 15/1.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1636 Suction cleaners

Abstract

A self-contained debris cleaner for use in cleaning debris from submerged surfaces, such as the bottom of a swimming pool, includes a bottom section having a brush mounted thereon to engage the surface being cleaned, a neck section, and a pump housed in a pump housing section. The pump draws fluid into the bottom section, through the neck section, and forces this fluid into a debris collection bag via a conduit. The bag is foraminous and is removably mounted on a cage that is removably mounted on the conduit. The cage includes a multiplicity of holes, and fluid, with debris contained therein, flows into the cage, with fluid flowing out of the bag, and debris remaining in the cage.

Claims

1. A self-contained debris cleaner for removing debris from a swimming pool comprising:

A) a bottom section which includes

(1) a top surface and a bottom surface with said bottom surface being located adjacent to a surface of a swimming pool to be cleaned in use,

(2) a brush means located adjacent to said bottom surface for scraping the surface of a swimming pool to loosen debris from that surface,

(3) a sleeve on said bottom section for receiving a handle, and

(4) a debris inlet defined in said bottom surface through which debris passes into said bottom housing;

B) a neck section having a bottom fluidically attached to the top surface of said bottom section and extending upwardly therefrom, and a top spaced from said bottom, with debris entering said neck section from said bottom section via said bottom;

C) a pump housing having a base mounted on the top of said neck section and being fluidically connected to said neck section, with debris entering said pump housing from said neck section, said pump housing being spaced from said bottom section and being located above said bottom section when in use;

D) a pump in said pump housing and fluidically connected to said debris inlet via said neck section for drawing debris into said bottom section inlet;

E) power means mounted on said pump housing adjacent to and outside of said neck section between said bottom section and said pump housing for operating said pump;

F) a debris collection means on said pump housing and fluidically connected to said pump to receive debris from said pump; and

G) an on/off switch connected to said power means.

2. The debris cleaner defined in claim 1 wherein said debris collection means includes a foraminous collection bag.

3. The debris cleaner defined in claim 2 wherein said debris collection means further includes a support cage attached to said pump housing, with said collection bag covering said support cage.

4. The debris cleaner defined in claim 3 wherein said support cage is spherical and has a multiplicity of flow holes defined therein.

5. The debris cleaner defined in claim 4 further including a conduit fluidically connecting the interior of said support cage to said pump.

6. The debris cleaner defined in claim 1 wherein said power means includes a rechargeable battery supported on the outside of said pump housing beneath said pump housing and above said bottom section.

7. The debris cleaner defined in claim 1 wherein said brush includes a housing, spring means for attaching said brush housing to said bottom section and biasing said brush outward of said bottom section.

8. The debris cleaner defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom section has an outer periphery, said pump having an outer periphery smaller than the outer periphery of said bottom section and said neck section has an outer periphery that is smaller than the outer periphery of said pump housing.

9. The debris cleaner defined in claim 1 wherein said power means has two ends and a width dimension defined between said two ends, said pump housing having two sides and a bottom width dimension defined between said two sides adjacent to said base, and said power means width dimension being essentially equal to said pump housing width dimension.

10. The debris cleaner defined in claim 9 wherein said power means has a bottom edge and a top edge and a length dimension defined between said top edge and said bottom edge, said neck having a length dimension defined between said top surface and said top, said power means length dimension being at least one half the length of said neck section.

11. The debris cleaner defined in claim 10 wherein said sleeve is oval in shape.

12. The debris cleaner defined in claim 11 wherein said neck section has an outer dimension defined transverse to said neck section length dimension and said sleeve has a major axis that is over one half the neck outer dimension.