Directional control method and apparatus for dual brush robotic pool cleaners

• US 8,696,821 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Pool Systems, LLC (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Aqua Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Erlich, Giora, Horvath, Tibor
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHATLEY, KATELYN B
• Application Number:
  US13/557,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20120285486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 134/6, 134/18, 134/21, 134/56.R, 134/57.R, 134/58.R, 15/17
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/00 Brushes with driven brush bodies or carrierspower-driven toothbrushes A61C17/16
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the directional movement of a self-propelled robotic pool cleaner having at least one pair of rotational support members for propelling and cleaning a surface of a pool. The method includes accelerating the at least one pair of rotational support members of the pool cleaner from a stopped position to a first predetermined rotational rate in a first predetermined time period; rotating the at least one pair of rotational support members at said first predetermined rotational rate for a second predetermined time period; and increasing the first rate of rotation to a second greater predetermined rotational rate, wherein said pool cleaner is propelled at a normalized rate for cleaning said pool.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the directional movement and minimizing tractional slippage of a self-propelled robotic pool cleaner which includes a housing having a first pair and a second pair of dual rotational support members co-axially mounted at opposite ends of the housing for rotation on axles that are transverse to the direction of movement, the pool cleaner being propelled and the direction of movement being facilitated by the rotation of the rotational support members over a surface of a pool, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) accelerating at least one of the first and second pair of dual rotational support members of said pool cleaner from a stopped position to a first predetermined rotational rate in a first predetermined time period;

(b) rotating the at least one of the first and second pair of dual rotational support members at said first predetermined rotational rate for a second predetermined time period; and

(c) increasing the first rate of rotation to a second greater predetermined maximum rotational rate, wherein said rotational support members rotate at the maximum rate for a third predetermined time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) generating a signal to initiate a turn;

(e) halting movement of said pool cleaner;

(f) rotating one of the dual rotational support members of at least one of the first and second pairs mounted at opposite ends of the housing for a fourth predetermined time period to provide a predetermined angular change in direction of said pool cleaner; and

(g) repeating steps (a) through (c).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein during step (f), said at least one of the dual rotational support member is rotated at said first predetermined rotational rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first predetermined time period is in the range of from 0.5 to 1.0 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first predetermined rate is in the range of from 15 to 35 rotations per minute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said second predetermined time period is in the range of from 3 to 10 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said second predetermined rate is in a range of 50 to 120 rotations per minute.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pool cleaner includes at least one drive motor for driving one or more of the dual rotational support members of at least one of the first and second pairs mounted at opposite ends of the housing, the method further comprising operating the at least one drive motor to rotate the one or more dual rotational support members of the at least one of the first and second pairs mounted at opposite ends of the housing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the dual rotational support members comprises a driven rotational support member and a free rotational support member, and wherein prior to said accelerating step, the method further comprises the step of activating the at least one drive motor to propel the pool cleaner in a first direction along a generally straight path by the synchronous rotation of the dual rotational support members of at least one of the first and second pairs mounted at opposite ends of the housing.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of rotating the first pair of rotational support members of the dual rotational support members in accordance with steps (a) through (c).

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of pivoting the pool cleaner through a predetermined angular change in direction by rotating at least one of the driven rotational support members at a greater angular rotational velocity than the free rotational support members.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of resuming the synchronous rotation of the free rotational support members with the at least one driven rotational support members after pivoting the pool cleaner, wherein the pool cleaner moves in a second direction along a generally straight path that is angularly displaced from the first direction.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the accelerating step (a) further comprises the step of rotating said one or more dual rotational support members of at least one of the first and second pairs mounted at opposite ends of the housing from the stopped position to the first predetermined rotational rate in the first predetermined time period.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rotating step (b) further comprises the step of maintaining one or more dual rotational support members of at least one of the first and second pairs mounted at opposite ends of the housing at said first predetermined rotational rate for the second predetermined time period.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the increasing step (c) further comprises the step of rotating said one or more dual rotational support members of the first and second pairs mounted at opposite ends of the housing at the second predetermined rotational rate which is greater than said first predetermined rotational rate.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

operating the pool cleaner in accordance with a cleaning program stored in a computer-readable medium which, when executed, causes said pool cleaner to be propelled in the first direction for the third predetermined time period and in the angularly displaced second direction for a fifth predetermined time period, wherein the pool cleaner is propelled greater than one-half of the distance along the bottom surface in the first direction between the side walls of the pool; and

propelling said pool cleaner in accordance with said cleaning program in a clockwise direction and/or a counter-clockwise direction around said pool.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of providing executable instructions in the cleaning program for cleaning the side walls of the pool.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pool is non-rectangular in shape and the method further comprises the step of adjusting the third predetermined time period to enable the pool cleaner to traverse greater than one-half of the distance along the bottom surface of the pool in the first direction between the side walls of the pool.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said adjusting of the third predetermined time period comprises receiving an electrical signal in response to a manually actuated a switch.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said adjusting of the third predetermined time period comprises magnetically actuating a reed switch.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said adjusting of the third predetermined time period comprises pressing a button on the switch.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of incrementally increasing the third predetermined time period by repeatedly actuating said switch until a maximum predetermined time period is set.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of resetting said third predetermined time period by activating said switch after said maximum predetermined period of time is set.

24. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one drive motor comprises a pair of drive motors, the first drive motor being operably coupled to the driven rotatable support member of the first pair of dual rotatable support members and the second drive motor being operably coupled to the driven rotatable support member of the second pair of dual rotatable support members.