Alternating paddle mechanism for pool cleaner

• US 9,850,672 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Kumar, Satheesh, Singh, Narendra Pratap, Gopalan, Suresh C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Woody
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prager, Jesse
• Application Number:
  US14/209,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20140271175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 416203, 416228, 416240, 290 43, 290 54
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/16 specially adapted for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner. The paddle wheel mechanism includes a housing with an internal flow area, a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing, and a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft. The paddle wheel includes a base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending from the base within the internal flow area. The plurality of paddle wheel blades include a first-type blade with a first blade portion having a first blade width, and a second-type blade with a second blade portion having a second blade width. The first blade width and the second blade width are each less than the base width, and the first-type and second-type blades are arranged on the base in an alternating manner.

Claims

1. A paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner, the paddle wheel mechanism comprising:

a housing with an internal flow area;

a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing; and

a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel including a paddle wheel base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending from the paddle wheel base within the internal flow area, the plurality of paddle wheel blades including a first-type blade having a first elongate base portion with a first base portion width and a first blade portion extending outwardly from the first elongate base portion and having a first blade portion width extending from the first side of the paddle wheel, the first blade portion width being less than the first base portion width, and a second-type blade having a second elongate base portion and a second blade portion extending outwardly from the second elongate base portion and having a second blade portion width, the first blade portion width and the second blade portion width each being less than the base width, the first type blade and the second-type blade being arranged on the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

2. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein at east one of the first-type blade and the second-type blade includes a curved blade profile.

3. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paddle wheel blades includes six paddle wheel blades.

4. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a fluid path opening configured to direct fluid from a fluid path of the pool cleaner across the paddle wheel.

5. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

shaft bearings;

wherein the housing includes shaft supports supporting the shaft bearings; and

wherein the paddle wheel shaft is supported by the shaft bearings.

6. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first blade portion width and the second blade portion width are each between 30 percent and 60 percent of the base width.

7. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the first-type blades and a plurality of the second-type blades are arranged around a circumference of the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

8. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first elongate base portion extends away from the paddle wheel base to a lesser extent than the first blade portion.

9. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first blade portion of the first-type blade is removably coupled to the first elongate base portion.

10. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first blade portion of the first-type blade includes a distal tip removed from the paddle wheel base and a body portion oriented between the paddle wheel base and the distal tip, the distal tip having a greater thickness than the body portion.

11. A pool cleaner comprising:

a housing with an internal flow area; and

a split paddle wheel mechanism including;

a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing; and

a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel including a paddle wheel base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending from the paddle wheel base within the internal flow area, the plurality of paddle wheel blades including a first-type blade with a first portion having a first blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a first side of the paddle wheel base and an elongate base portion with a width extending substantially along an entirety of the base width and a second-type blade with a second portion having a second blade width extending along the paddle wheel base from a second side of the paddle wheel base, the first blade width and the second blade width each being less than the base width, the first-type blade and the second-type blade being arranged on the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

12. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first-type blade and the second-type blade includes a curved blade profile.

13. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the plurality of paddle wheel blades includes six paddle wheel blades.

14. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a fluid path opening configured to direct fluid from a fluid path of the pool cleaner across the paddle wheel.

15. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first, blade width and the second blade width are each between 30 percent to 60 percent of the base width.

16. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein a plurality of the first-type blades and a plurality of the second-type blades are arranged around a circumference of the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.

17. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the elongate base portion extends away from the paddle wheel base to a lesser extent than the first portion.

18. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the first-type blade is removably coupled to the elongate base portion.

19. The pool cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first blade portion of the first-type blade includes a distal tip removed from the paddle wheel base and a body portion oriented between the paddle wheel base and the distal tip, the distal tip having a greater thickness than the body portion.

20. A paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner, the paddle wheel mechanism comprising:

a housing including an internal cavity for fluid flow;

a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing and extending, at least in part, across the internal cavity; and

a paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel being oriented within the internal cavity and including a paddle wheel base extending along a base width and a plurality of paddle wheel blades extending radially from the paddle wheel base within internal cavity, the plurality of paddle wheel blades including a base portion, with a base portion width, and a blade portion, the blade portion including a plurality of first-type blades, each with a first blade portion having a first blade width extending axially along the paddle wheel base from a first side of the internal cavity and a plurality of second-type blade, each with a second blade portion having a second blade width extending axially along the paddle wheel base from a second side of the internal cavity, the first blade width and the second blade width each being less than the base width and the base portion width, the first-type blades and the second-type blades being arranged around the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.