Four-wheel-drive automatic swimming pool cleaner

• US 6,854,148 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Poolvernguegen
• Inventors: Rief, Manuela, Rief, Dieter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUIDOTTI, LAURA COLE
• Application Number:
  US10/296,778
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 15/17, 210/169
• US Class Current: 15/1.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

A four-wheel pool cleaner (20) motivated by water flow to move along a pool surface, and having: a body (24); the four wheels rotatably mounted thereon and including two sets of two wheels (22) each, one wheel of each set on each side; a drive mechanism (36) in position to be moved by water flow and having a rotatable drive member (76); a drive train extending to the first wheel set (22a, b) and to the second wheel set (22c, d), to drive all four wheels. Preferred embodiments include: wheel-to-wheel drive links (88) along the side; a turbine (36) as drive mechanism; a pair of spaced wheelgears (32, 34), preferably integrally formed with the wheel, facilitating drive linkages and steering; a pair of end-to-end drive shafts (80, 82) joined by a coupler (84c), one shaft end (80a) being a ball joint allowing fore-and-aft movement of a drive-shaft distal end; a spring (102) and cam (100) for alternately moving that distal end between a driving position engaging one of the spaced wheelgears (32), and a steering position engaging the other of the spaced wheelgears (34); wheel treads (108) with radial fingers (110), some (110a-c) of longer length; and a segmented articulated skirt (56) to help enclose a plenum beneath the pool cleaner.

Claims

1. In a trackless automatic pool cleaner of the type motivated by the flow of water therethrough to move along a pool surface to be cleaned, the pool cleaner having four wheels each in trackless direct contact with the pool surface, the improvement comprising:

a body having a front side, a rear side and opposite sides, the wheels being rotatably mounted with respect to the body and including first and second sets of two wheels each, each set including one of the wheels on each side of the body;

a turbine housing secured to the body and having a water-flow chamber formed by a chamber wall, the chamber having inlet and outlet ports;

a turbine rotor rotatably mounted in the chamber;

turbine vanes having proximal edges connected to the rotor and distal edges freely movable at all rotational positions thereabout between extended positions adjacent to the wall and retracted positions spaced farther from the wall and closer to the rotor, thereby to allow passage of debris pieces of substantial size through the turbine; and

a drive train from the rotor to the first set of wheels and to the second set of wheels for trackless driving of all four wheels;

whereby all four wheels are driven.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the drive train includes:

a first drive-train portion from the drive member to the first set of wheels;

a second drive-train portion from one wheel of the first set of wheels to one wheel of the second set of wheels; and

a third drive-train portion from the other wheel of the first set of wheels to the other wheel of the second set of wheels.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the wheels have treads directly thereon with a multiplicity of outwardly extending radial fingers spaced around the entire circumferences thereof.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein a small subset of the radial fingers project radially farther than the other fingers, thereby to provide traction for dislodgement purposes.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the pool cleaner is a suction cleaner.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the pool cleaner is a pressure cleaner.

7. In an automatic pool cleaner of the type motivated by the flow of water therethrough to move along a pool surface to be cleaned, the pool cleaner having four wheels in contact with the pool surface, the improvement comprising:

a body having a front, a rear and opposite sides the wheels being rotatably mounted with respect to the body and including first and second sets of two wheels each, each set including one of the wheels on each side of the body;

a turbine housing secured to the body and having a water-flow chamber formed by a chamber wall, the chamber having inlet and outlet ports;

a turbine rotor rotatably mounted within the water-flow chamber for rotation by the flow of water;

turbine vanes having proximal edges pivotably connected to the rotor and distal edges movable with respect thereto between extended positions which are adjacent to the wall and retracted positions which are spaced farther from the wall and closer to the rotor, thereby to allow passage of debris pieces of substantial size through the turbine; and

a drive train from the drive member to the first and second sets of wheels whereby all four wheels are driven, the drive train including;

a first drive-train portion from the drive member to the first set of wheels;

a second drive-train portion from one wheel of the first set of wheels to one wheel of the second set of wheels; and

a third drive-train portion from the other wheel of the first set of wheels to the other wheel of the second set of wheels.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the vanes are curved and the distal edges of the vanes contact the chamber wall in their extended positions.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the rotor has an exterior surface beneath which, for each vane, is a corresponding cavity which pivotably holds the proximal edge of the vane.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the vanes have enlargements at their proximal edges sized for free insertion into, and pivotable engagement in, the cavities.

11. In an automatic pool cleaner of the type motivated by the flow of water therethrough to move along a pool surface to be cleaned, the pool cleaner having four wheels in contact with the pool surface, the improvement comprising:

a body having a front, a rear and opposite sides, the wheels being rotatably mounted with respect to the body and including first and second sets of two wheels each, each set including one of the wheels on each side of the body;

a drive mechanism secured with respect to the body in position to be moved by the flow of water through the pool cleaner, the drive mechanism including a rotatable drive member; and

a drive train from the drive member to the first and second sets of wheels whereby all four wheels are driven, the drive train including;

a first drive-train portion from the drive member to the first set of wheels;

a second drive-train portion from one wheel of the first set of wheels to one wheel of the second set of wheels; and

a third drive-train portion from the other wheel of the first set of wheels to the other wheel of the second set of wheels, and wherein;

each of the wheels has an inward side and an outward side;

a first wheel of the first set has radially-spaced primary and secondary wheelgears thereon facing one another on the inward side thereof;

a second wheel of the first set has another primary wheelgear on the inward side thereof, the primary wheelgears being similar to one another; and

the first drive-train portion terminates at the first and second wheels of the first set in first and second drive pinions, respectively, each engaging the primary wheelgear of the respective wheel;

thereby to drive the first set of wheels in the forward direction.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the wheelgears of the first wheel of the first set are integrally formed with the first wheel, and are concentric.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the wheelgear of the second wheel of the first set is integrally formed with the second wheel.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the first and second wheels of the first set are identical, whereby they are interchangeable.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein:

each of the wheels of the second set has a final wheelgear on the outward side thereof; and

each of the second and third drive-train portions includes;

a transfer shaft journaled with respect to the body;

a first transfer pinion engaged with one of the primary wheelgears; and

a second transfer pinion engaged with one of the final wheelgears;

whereby rotation of the first set of wheels causes rotation of the second set of wheels.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein each transfer shaft forms the first and second transfer pinions at opposite ends thereof.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the wheelgears of the first wheel of the first set are integrally formed with the first wheel, and are concentric.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the wheelgear of the second wheel of the first set is integrally formed with the second wheel.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein all four of the wheels are identical, whereby they are interchangeable.

20. The device of claim 15 wherein:

the drive member is a drive gear; and

the first drive-train portion includes;

first and second drive shafts journaled with respect to the body and having proximal and distal ends;

the first and second drive pinions being driven by the first and second drive shafts, respectively; and

a gear train from the drive gear to the first and second drive shafts.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the first and second drive shafts form the first and second drive pinions, respectively, at the distal ends thereof.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the first drive-train portion includes a coupler with opposite ends receiving the proximal ends of the first and second drive shafts.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the proximal end of the first drive shaft is a ball joint allowing the distal end of the first drive shaft to be moved fore-and-aft between a driving position in which the first drive pinion engages the primary wheelgear of the first wheel of the first set and a steering position in which the first drive pinion engages the secondary wheelgear of the first wheel of the first set, thereby causing the first wheel to rotate in a direction opposite that of the second wheel of the first set so that the direction of movement of the pool cleaner is changed.

24. The device of claim 23 further including apparatus for fore-and-aft movement of the distal end of the first drive shaft, comprising:

a shift bracket assembly slidably held by the body, the first drive shaft being journaled therein for movement of its distal end between the driving and steering positions;

a cam wheel rotatably secured with respect to the body and engaging the shift bracket assembly, the cam wheel having portions of greater and lesser radii;

a reduction gear assembly secured with respect to the body and linking the drive mechanism with the cam wheel such that rotation of the cam wheel is related to rotation of the drive member; and

a spring biasing the shift bracket toward the cam wheel;

whereby the cam wheel, acting through the shift bracket assembly, alternately holds the distal end of the first drive shaft in the driving position and allows the distal end of the first drive shaft to move to the steering position.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the wheels have treads with a multiplicity of outwardly extending radial fingers.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein a small subset of the radial fingers project radially farther than the other fingers, thereby to provide traction for dislodgement purposes.

27. In an automatic pool cleaner of the type motivated by the flow of water therethrough to move along a pool surface to be cleaned, the pool cleaner having four wheels in contact with the pool surface, the improvement comprising:

a body having a front, a rear and opposite sides, the wheels being rotatably mounted with respect to the body and including first and second sets of two wheels each, each set including one of the wheels on each side of the body;

a drive mechanism secured with respect to the body in position to be moved by the flow of water through the pool cleaner, the drive mechanism including a rotatable drive member and a water inlet facing the pool surface and supported by the wheels in close proximity to the pool surface;

a skirt secured with respect to the body and extending toward the pool surface such that the skirt and the body, together with the pool surface, form a plenum from which water and debris are drawn into the inlet, the skirt including at least one flap member having upper and lower articulating portions, the upper articulating portion having a proximal end hinged to the body and a distal end hinged to the lower articulating portion; and

a drive train from the drive member to the first set of wheels and to the second set of wheels;

whereby all four wheels are driven.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the skirt is segmented in that it comprises a plurality of the articulated flap members in side-by-side arrangement, thereby to facilitate relative enclosure of the plenum despite encountered irregularities in the pool surface immediately under the pool cleaner.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein the pool cleaner is a suction cleaner.