Turbine-driven swimming pool cleaning apparatus and method

• US 9,032,575 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pavel Sebor
• Original Assignee: Pavel Sebor
• Inventors: Sebor, Pavel, Sebor, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/017,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20140115796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 15/17
• US Class Current: 15/1.7
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

A swimming pool cleaner is driven along a submerged surface by water and debris flowing past a turbine positioned between an inlet and outlet of the cleaner. Rollers are rotatably carried on the bottom of the cleaner and forward and aft the proximate an inlet port. The rollers in combination with lower side wall portions of the housing form a plenum for water and enhance adherence of the pool cleaner to the submerged pool surface being cleaner. A hose connector operable with an outlet port is angled toward the forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner such that a suction hose will be placed slightly ahead of the pool cleaner when climbing a side wall surface to provide a weight for keeping the cleaner below the water surface and thus prevent an undesirable sucking of air at the inlet.

Claims

1. A pool cleaner driven by a flow of water therethrough for operation along a submerged surface to be cleaned, the pool cleaner comprising:

a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein suction applied to the outlet port results in suction at the inlet port for receiving water and debris therethrough;

at least two wheels rotatably carried by the housing for rolling along a submerged surface to be cleaned, wherein an outer diameter of the at last two wheels defines a perimeter thereof;

a first roller positioned on a bottom portion of the housing forward the inlet port, the first roller having a tubular shape defined by an outer surface and an inner surface;

a first axle carried between opposing side wall portions of the housing, wherein the inner surface of the first roller is slidably rotatable about the first axle, and wherein an outside dimension of the first axle is sufficiently smaller that a diameter of the inner surface for permitting the first roller to extend beyond the perimeter and for retracting the first roller within the perimeter responsive to movement along the submerged surface; and

a second roller positioned at the bottom portion of the housing aft the inlet port and generally opposing the first roller, the second roller extending between the opposing side wall portions and moveable about a second axle, the second roller moveable from outside the perimeter for contact with the surface to be cleaned to inside the perimeter for permitting the second roller roll along uneven portions of the submerged surface to be cleaned, wherein the first and second rollers, in combination with the opposing side wall portions of the housing, form a plenum for water, the plenum enhancing adherence of the pool cleaner to the submerged surface to be cleaned.

2. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the at least two wheels comprise only two wheels, each rotatable about a common axis of rotation.

3. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first roller comprises multiple roller portions, and wherein each of the multiple roller portions moves independently of one another about the first axle for generally conforming to the uneven portions of the surface to be cleaned.

4. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first axle is rigidly attached to the side wall portions.

5. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a forward partition and an aft partition extending between the opposing side wall portions, the forward partition fixed forward the inlet port and the aft partition fixed aft the inlet port, wherein free ends of the partitions extend toward the perimeter and are spaced therefrom.

6. The pool cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the outer surface of the first roller is maintained out of contact with the forward partition during movement thereof.

7. The pool cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the outer surface of the forward partition comprises a concave shape extending from the free end thereof toward a forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner.

8. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first axle comprises a rib having an elongate cross section, the rib extending radially outward and substantially along a full length of the axle.

9. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the second roller comprises multiple second roller portions independently moveable about the second axle.

10. The pool cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the second roller comprises a tubular shape, and wherein the tubular shaped second roller includes an inner surface loosely slidable about the second axle.

11. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a turbine including:

a water flow chamber formed by a chamber wall, the water flow chamber communicating with the inlet and outlet ports for allowing a flow of water through the chamber;

a rotor rotatably mounted in the chamber and spaced from the chamber wall at all positions thereabout to provide a flow path for water and debris around the rotor; and

a plurality of rigid vanes fixedly attached to and extending from the rotor.

12. The pool cleaner according to claim 11, further comprising a valve element having a distal end movable with respect to the vanes between a first position proximate free ends of the vanes during rotation thereof and a second position spaced from the vanes to allow passage of debris through the turbine.

13. The pool cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a hose connector operable with the outlet port, wherein the hose connector is angled toward a forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner during operation thereof, whereby a hose connected to the hose connector will be placed slightly ahead of the housing when climbing a generally vertical wall portion of the surface to be cleaned, the hose having water therein thus providing increased weight for keeping the housing below a water surface level of a pool to prevent a sucking of air at the inlet port.

14. A pool cleaner driven by a flow of water therethrough for operation along a submerged surface to be cleaned, the pool cleaner comprising:

a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein suction applied to the outlet port results in suction at the inlet port for receiving water and debris therethrough;

at least two wheels rotatably carried by the housing for rolling along a surface to be cleaned, wherein an outer diameter of the at last two wheels defines a perimeter thereof;

a roller positioned on a bottom portion of the housing forward the inlet port, the roller having a tubular shape defined by an outer surface and an inner surface;

a first axle carried between opposing side wall portions of the housing, wherein the inner surface of the roller is slidably rotatable about the first axle, and wherein an outside dimension of the first axle is sufficiently smaller that a diameter of the inner surface for permitting the roller to extend beyond the perimeter and for retracting the roller within the perimeter of the at least two wheels responsive to movement along the submerged surface; and

a retractable element positioned at the bottom portion of the housing aft the inlet port and generally opposing the roller, the retractable element extending between the opposing side walls and moveable about a second axle, the retractable element moveable from outside the perimeter for contact with the surface to be cleaned to inside the perimeter for permitting the retractable element to slide along uneven portions of the surface to be cleaned, wherein the retractable element and the roller in combination with the opposing side wall portions of the housing form a plenum for water and enhancing adherence of the pool cleaner to the surface to be cleaned.

15. The pool cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the at least two wheels comprise only two wheels.

16. The pool cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the roller comprises multiple roller portions, and wherein each of the multiple roller portions moves independently of one another about the first axle for generally conforming to the uneven portions of the submerged surface to be cleaned.

17. The pool cleaner according to claim 14, further comprising a forward partition and an aft partition extending between the opposing side wall portions, the forward partition fixed forward the inlet port and the aft partition fixed aft the inlet port, wherein free ends of the partitions extend toward the perimeter and are spaced therefrom.

18. The pool cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the outer surface of the roller is maintained out of contact with the forward partition.

19. The pool cleaner according to claim 18, wherein the outer surface of the forward partition comprises a concave shape extending from the free end thereof toward a forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner.

20. The pool cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the retractable element comprises a flap rotatable about the second axle, and wherein at least one of the second axle and the flap is slidable within slots formed within at least one of the side wall portions and the flap.

21. The pool cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the roller comprises a first roller and the retractable element comprises a second roller.

22. The pool cleaner according to claim 21, wherein each of the first and second rollers comprises multiple tubular roller portions.

23. The pool cleaner according to claim 14, further comprising a turbine carried between the inlet and outlet ports for receiving a flow of water therepast for driving a rotor operable for providing a driving force to the at least two wheels.

24. The pool cleaner according to claim 14, further comprising a hose connector operable with the outlet port, wherein the hose connector is angled toward a forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner during operation thereof, whereby a hose connected to the hose connector will be placed slightly ahead of the housing when climbing a generally vertical wall portion of the surface to be cleaned, the hose having water therein thus providing increased weight for keeping the housing below a water surface level of a pool to prevent a sucking of air at the inlet port.

25. A pool cleaner driven by a flow of water therethrough for operation along a submerged surface to be cleaned, the pool cleaner comprising:

a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein suction applied to the outlet port results in suction at the inlet port for receiving water and debris therethrough;

two opposing wheels rotatably carried by the housing for rolling the housing along a submerged surface to be cleaned in a forward direction of movement, wherein an outer diameter of each of the two opposing wheels defines a perimeter, and wherein the housing is fully carried within the perimeter;

rollers carried at a bottom portion of the housing forward and aft the inlet port, wherein the rollers are movable beyond the perimeter and retractable within the perimeter responsive to movement along the submerged surface; and

a hose connector operable with the outlet port, wherein the hose connector is attached to the housing at an angle fixedly inclined toward the forward direction of movement such that a hose connected to the hose connector will be placed slightly ahead of the housing when climbing a generally vertical submerged wall surface to be cleaned, and wherein the hose containing water during operation of the pool cleaner provides sufficient weight to the hose when exiting the water for maintaining the inlet port on the submerged wall surface and thus preventing a sucking of air at the inlet port.

26. The pool cleaner according to claim 25, further comprising:

a primary wheel gear on each of the two opposing wheels;

a drive train operable with each of the primary wheel gears for driving the pool cleaner in the forward direction; and

a secondary wheel gear on at least one of the two opposing wheels proximate and spaced from the primary wheel gear, wherein the drive train is operable for intermittent operation with the secondary gear for reversing rotation of the at least one of the two opposing wheels, and thus directing the pool cleaner away from the forward direction of movement.

27. The pool cleaner according to claim 25, wherein each of the two opposing wheels comprises treads extending about the perimeter thereof, and wherein at least one of the treads includes a protrusion extending beyond the perimeter for providing an enhanced traction to the treads, and thus pool cleaner.

28. The pool cleaner according to claim 25, further comprising a hose rotatably connected to the hose connector.