Device for the remote control of a motorized underwater surface cleaning apparatus and apparatus thus controlled

• US 9,250,626 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
• Original Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
• Inventors: Michelon, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US13/662,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/28, 701/25, 700/245, 700/23, 318580-582, 318/587, 210/96.1, 210/140, 15/17, 153/19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/093 by the force of jets or sprays B08B9/0813 , B08B9/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement

Abstract

The invention concerns a device and a method of remotely controlling a motorized submerged surface cleaning apparatus (1) comprising a body and a drive device, said remote control device comprising a control terminal (15) having a housing, a device (16) for transmitting control signals for the drive device, characterized in that the housing comprises an orientation detector furnishing at least one orientation parameter of the housing, and in that said device comprises a unit for processing orientation parameters, producing a first command for the drive device for an orientation parameter that is within a first interval of values, and a second command for the drive device for an orientation parameter that is within a second predetermined interval of values.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a swimming pool cleaner, comprising:

a. establishing a wired connection between the swimming pool cleaner and an intermediate relay external to a swimming pool in which the swimming pool cleaner operates;

b. causing the swimming pool cleaner to execute within the swimming pool an automatic cleaning program recorded in a memory of either the intermediate relay or the swimming pool cleaner;

c. grasping a waterproof, buoyant transmitting device (i) distinct from the intermediate relay, (ii) external to the swimming pool, (iii) comprising a housing, and (iv) including within the housing an accelerometric device (A) disposed offset according to a vertical axis of the housing with respect to centers of rotation of pitch and roll axes of the housing and (B) configured to measure orientation of the housing relative to a local terrestrial gravity field;

d. orienting the housing in a first position, thereby causing the transmitting device to transmit wirelessly a first control signal to the intermediate relay so as to (i) suppress execution of the automatic

     2) cleaning program and (ii) control the swimming pool cleaner in a first manner; and

e. orienting the housing in a second position different from the first position, thereby causing the transmitting device to transmit wirelessly a second control signal, differing from the first control signal, to the intermediate relay so as to (i) suppress execution of the automatic cleaning program and (ii) control the swimming pool cleaner in a second manner different from the first manner.

2. The method according to claim 1 in which (a) the housing further includes a processing unit and (b) the act of orienting the housing in a first position causes the processing unit to compare orientation values of the first position to interval values stored in a memory of the processing unit before wirelessly transmitting the first control signal.

3. The method according to claim 2 in which the act of orienting the housing in a second position causes the processing unit to compare orientation values of the second position to interval values stored in a memory of the processing unit before wirelessly transmitting the second control signal.