DIRECTIONAL CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DUAL BRUSH ROBOTIC POOL CLEANERS

• US 20120285486A1
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Pool Systems, LLC (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Giora Erlich, Tibor Horvath
• Inventors: ERLICH, Giora, Horvath, Tibor
• Granted Patent: US 8,696,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 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 comprising the steps of

(a) accelerating the at least one pair of 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 pair of 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 rotational rate, wherein said pool cleaner is propelled at a normalized rate for cleaning said pool.

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 at least one brush of said at least one pair of rotational support members for a third 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 at step (f), said at least one rotational support member of said at least one pair of rotational support members 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 approximately 50 to 120 rotations per minute.

8. A method of controlling the directional movement of a self-propelled robotic pool cleaner comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a pool cleaner having a first and second pair of dual rotational support members co-axially mounted at opposite ends of the pool cleaner for rotation on axles that are transverse to the direction of movement, the first pair of rotational support members being mounted on one side and the second pair of rotational support members mounted on the opposite side of the cleaner, the pool cleaner being propelled by the rotation of the rotational support members, said pool cleaner having at least one drive motor operatively connected to the first pair of rotational support members for synchronous drive;

(b) 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 first and second pair of rotational support members;

(c) rotating the first pair of rotational support members at a greater angular rotational velocity than the second pair of rotational support members, thereby pivoting the pool cleaner through a predetermined angular change in direction;

(d) resuming the synchronous rotation of the second pair of dual rotational support members with the first pair of rotational support members, whereby the pool cleaner moves in a second direction along a generally straight path that is angularly displaced from the first direction; and

(e) rotating said first pair of rotational support members at steps (b) and (d), (i) from a stopped position to a first predetermined rotational rate in a first predetermined time period, (ii) maintaining said first predetermined rotational rate for a second predetermined time period, and (iii) rotating said first and second pair of rotational support members at a second predetermined rotational rate which is greater than said first predetermined rotational rate.

9. The method of claim 8, 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 said second predetermined time period and in the angularly displaced second direction for a third 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 or counter-clockwise direction around said pool.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cleaning program includes instructions for cleaning the side walls of the pool.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of adjusting the second predetermined time period to enable the pool cleaner to traverse greater than one-half of the distance along the bottom surface in the first direction between the side walls of the pool, wherein said pool is non-conventional in at least one of shape and size.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said adjusting of the second predetermined time period comprises receiving an electrical signal in response to a manually actuated a switch.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said adjusting of the second predetermined time period comprises magnetically actuating a reed switch.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said adjusting of the second predetermined time period comprises pressing a button on the switch.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of incrementally increasing the second predetermined time period by repeatedly actuating said switch until a maximum predetermined time period is set.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of resetting said second predetermined time period by activating said switch after said maximum predetermined period of time is set.

17. A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner comprising:

(a) a pool cleaner housing having a first and 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 first pair of rotational support members being mounted on one side and the second pair of rotational support members mounted on the opposite side of the cleaner, the pool cleaner being propelled by the rotation of the rotational support members;

(b) at least one reversible drive motor operatively connected for synchronously driving the first pair of rotational support members; and

(c) a controller for controlling the direction of rotation of the at least one drive motor and thereby the directional movement of the pool cleaner, said controller including memory and a processor for respectively storing and executing at least one executable cleaning pattern program to propel the pool cleaner in a generally straight path in a first direction, and a distance along said path that is greater than the midpoint between opposing walls of the pool.

18. The pool cleaner of claim 17, wherein upon reaching said distance greater than the midpoint between the opposing walls, said controller initiates a control signal to stop and pivot said pool cleaner through a predetermined angular change in direction;

and initiates a second control signal to resume movement of said pool cleaner in a second direction along a generally straight path that is angularly displaced from the first direction.

19. The pool cleaner of claim 17, wherein said controller initiates a control signal to increase the duration that power is applied to a drive-motor to propel said pool cleaner along the sidewalls of said pool while traversing in at least one of the first and second directions.

20. The pool cleaner of claim 19, further comprising a manually-actuated switch mounted to the housing for providing a user command signal to the controller, wherein said controller initiates said control signal to increase the distance that the pool cleaner is propelled past the midpoint between the opposing sidewalls.

21. The pool cleaner of claim 20, wherein said manually-actuated switch comprises a push button switch.

22. The pool cleaner of claim 20, wherein said manually-actuated switch comprises a reed switch that is actuated by a magnet positioned externally to said housing.

23. The pool cleaner of claim 20, wherein said manually-actuated switch is adapted to enable an end-user to provide a series of signals that incrementally increase the distance the pool cleaner is propelled past said midpoint between the opposing sidewalls.

24. The pool cleaner of claim 17, wherein said controller further comprises a counter for counting a first predetermined time period that the pool cleaner is propelled in the first direction a distance greater than the midpoint between opposing sidewalls of the pool.

25. The pool cleaner of claim 24 further comprising a user-actuated switch to incrementally increase said first predetermined time period by a second predetermined time period.