Suction powered pool cleaner
First Claim
1. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
- a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool;
means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris generally circumferentially into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source;
a turbine including first and second axial ends rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source, said inlet nozzle being located within a wall of said housing adjacent said turbine chamber axially between the turbine ends, such that said inlet nozzle defines a flow axis which is transverse with respect to the axis of rotation of the turbine, said turbine chamber including a plenum zone exposed to substantially one axial face of said turbine, said plenum zone being interposed between said turbine and said suction outlet fitting; and
drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pool cleaner is provided of the type powered by a suction or vacuum source, such as by connecting the pool cleaner via a vacuum hose or the like to the suction side of a conventional pool water filtration system. The pool cleaner comprises a compact housing carried on wheels for rolling movement along a submerged pool surface. A debris intake nozzle is formed at a lower end of the housing in close proximity with the pool surface, and communicates through a turbine chamber in the housing to the vacuum hose for water-borne vacuuming of debris from the pool surface. Water draw through the turbine chamber rotatably drives a turbine which in turn powers a drive train to rotatably drive the cleaner wheels together with a downforce fan for improved wheel traction. In addition, the drive train operates at least one timer cam for periodically actuating a reverse clutch assembly to drive at least one of the cleaner wheels in reverse for a brief time interval. The timer cam may also function to open a bypass door venting the turbine chamber to partially relieve the vacuum at the intake nozzle during the reverse drive mode.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
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a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool; means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris generally circumferentially into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source; a turbine including first and second axial ends rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source, said inlet nozzle being located within a wall of said housing adjacent said turbine chamber axially between the turbine ends, such that said inlet nozzle defines a flow axis which is transverse with respect to the axis of rotation of the turbine, said turbine chamber including a plenum zone exposed to substantially one axial face of said turbine, said plenum zone being interposed between said turbine and said suction outlet fitting; and drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
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a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool; means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source; a turbine rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source; drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction; and a downforce fan coupled by said drive train means for rotatable driving by said turbine to produce an upwardly directed water flow resulting in a downwardly directed reaction force applied to said cleaner housing. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
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a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool; means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source; a turbine rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source; drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction; reverse drive means actuatable for coupling said at least one of said wheels to said drive train means for driving said at least one of said wheels in a reverse drive direction, said reverse drive means comprising a pair of reverse clutch assemblies coupled between said drive train means and at least one of said wheels respectively on opposite sides of said cleaner housing; and timer means driven by said turbine for periodically actuating said reverse drive means. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
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a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool; means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source; a turbine rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source; drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction; reverse drive means actuatable for coupling said at least one of said wheels to said drive train means for driving said at least one of said wheels in a reverse drive direction; timer means driven by said turbine for periodically actuating said reverse drive means; and means for relieving the vacuum at said debris inlet nozzle, said vacuum relieving means comprising means defining a bypass vent opening into the turbine chamber, and a normally closed bypass door for closing said bypass vent, said bypass door being engaged and opened by said timer means.
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49. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
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a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool; means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source; a turbine rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source; drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction; reverse drive means actuatable for coupling said at least one of said wheels to said drive train means for driving said at least one of said wheels in a reverse drive direction; timer means driven by said turbine for periodically actuating said reverse drive means; and a downforce fan coupled by said drive train means for rotatable driving by said turbine to produce an upwardly directed water flow resulting in a downwardly directed reaction force applied to said cleaner housing. - View Dependent Claims (50)
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51. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
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a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool; means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source; a turbine rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source; drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction; reverse drive means actuatable for coupling said at least one of said wheels to said drive train means for driving said at least one of said wheels in a reverse drive direction; and timer means driven by said turbine for periodically actuating said reverse drive means; said turbine being disposed within the turbine chamber for rotation on an axis extending generally in said normal forward direction of travel.
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52. A pool cleaner for connection to a suction source, said pool cleaner comprising:
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a cleaner housing supported by a plurality of wheels for rolling movement over submerged surfaces in a swimming pool; means defining a turbine chamber within said housing, a debris inlet nozzle for vacuum-drawn flow of water and debris into the turbine chamber, and a suction outlet fitting for connecting the turbine chamber to the suction source; a turbine rotatably supported within the turbine chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven by vacuum-drawn flow of water from said inlet nozzle and through the turbine chamber for flow through said outlet fitting to the suction source; drive train means coupled between said turbine and at least one of said wheels for rotatably transporting said cleaner housing in a normal forward direction; a downforce fan coupled by said drive train means for rotatable driving by said turbine to produce an upwardly directed water flow resulting in a downwardly directed reaction force applied to said cleaner housing; reverse drive means actuatable for coupling said at least one of said wheels to said drive train means for driving said at least one of said cleaner wheels in a reverse drive direction; and timer means driven by said turbine for periodically actuating said reverse drive means; said turbine being disposed within the turbine chamber for rotation on an axis extending generally in said normal forward direction of travel, said inlet nozzle being oriented for vacuum-drawn inflow of water generally circumferentially into the turbine chamber for rotatably driving said turbine, and wherein the turbine chamber includes a plenum zone exposed to substantially one axial face of said turbine, said plenum zone being interposed between said turbine and said suction outlet fitting. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification