Turbine-Driven Swimming Pool Cleaning Apparatus

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/840,147, filed Jun. 14, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,385,273, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/813,665, filed Mar. 9, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,359,398, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/156,629, filed Oct. 10, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,584,507, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/891,786, filed Feb. 8, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,145,137, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/976,404, filed Dec. 21, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,036,175, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/685,861, filed Apr. 14, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,217,260 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/017,758, filed Sep. 4, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,032,575, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/720,208, filed Oct. 30, 2012 for Turbine-Driven Swimming Pool Cleaning Apparatus and Method, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

The present invention generally relates to swimming pool cleaners, and more particularly to an automatic pool cleaner driven by a flow of water through a turbine engine for providing movement along and cleaning of submerged surfaces to be cleaned.

Submersible pool cleaners having driving mechanisms carried within a housing that engages the submerged surface of the pool are generally well known, such as the three or four wheeled swimming pool pressure cleaners with internal steering mechanism described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,782,578 and 6,854,148 to Rief et al., the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. Various pool cleaners are turbine driven, as in the aforementioned patents, including a turbine motor as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,970, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. Further, also generally known are the problems associated with debris clogging fluid flow passages, wearing cleaner components rendering the cleaner ineffective or unusable, and the difficulty for a consumer attempting to replace such worn components.

As is well known, and as emphasized in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,227 to Rief et al, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, the proper functioning of swimming pool cleaners typically relies on a skirt bordering and extending downwardly from the body of the pool cleaner. The skirt generally maintains an effective fluid suction within a plenum of water proximate the inlet to the cleaner, generally dislodges loose debris, accommodates uneven surfaces, provides a fluid suction force to keep the pool cleaner pressed against the submerged surface and yet allow the pool cleaner to travel up and across submerged steeply inclined and vertical surfaces.

There remains a need to improve upon performance of the submersible pool cleaner such that the pool cleaner can effectively and efficiently automatically navigate over obstacles such as bottom drains and larger debris, and be able to upright itself in the event it should fall on its back. Yet further, when debris flows through the turbine, it is desirable to have the debris work its way through the cleaner while maintaining maximum power without compromising function, and without having to stop automatic operation and access the housing to clean the debris. Those experienced with submersible pool cleaners appreciate that it is desirable to keep the cleaner below the water surface to prevent it from sucking air as it climbs vertical walls of the pool.

Embodiments of the present invention herein described provide an efficiently run submersible cleaner which includes components that are easily replaceable by the consumer and operate to meet such needs.

By way of example, submersible pool cleaners according to the teachings of the present invention may comprise a turbine motor driven by a flow of water for operation of the pool cleaner along a submerged surface to be cleaned. The turbine comprises a turbine housing having a rotor rotatably mounted in a chamber to provide a flow path for water and debris around the rotor. Turbine vanes may be rigidly attached about and extend from a periphery of the turbine rotor. A valve element may be located proximate the vanes and inlet port such that the valve element is movable with respect to distal ends of the turbine vanes to allow passage of debris of substantial size through the turbine. The pool cleaner may include a roller positioned on a bottom forward portion thereof proximate the inlet port and a retractable element, such as an elongate flap or second roller, pivotably carried by the pool cleaner and positioned on a bottom rearward portion proximate the inlet port. The roller and retractable element, in combination with walls of the housing of the cleaner, form a plenum of water enhancing adherence of the pool cleaner to the pool surface.

A hose connector operable with an outlet port is angled toward the forward direction of movement of the pool cleaner such that a hose connected to the hose connector will be placed slightly ahead of the pool cleaner when climbing a side wall surface. A water filled hose provides weight for keeping the cleaner below the water surface and thus prevents a sucking of air at an inlet port.

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example only. This invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Referring initially to, one embodiment of a pool cleaneraccording to the teachings of the present invention is herein described by way of example. The pool cleanercomprises a housingand first and second wheels,for moving the pool cleaner over a submerged surfaceto be cleaned. The pool cleaneris operable with a hoseconnected to a hose connectorat one end and optionally to a suction pump (not shown) at another end of the hose, as typically known in the industry.

As illustrated with reference to, a driving function is provided to the pool cleanerby a water turbinecarried within a turbine housing. The turbine housingincludes a water flow chamberformed by a chamber wall, as illustrated with reference to, wherein a turbine housing cover, illustrated earlier with reference to, has been removed for clarity. The water flow chamberincludes inlet and outlet ports,allowing a flow of waterthrough the chamber. The inlet portis positioned for receiving water and debris from the submerged pool surface.

With continued reference to, a rotoris rotatably mounted in the chamberand spaced from the chamber wallat all positions about the rotor to provide a flow path, as illustrated reference to the water flowfor water and debris around the rotor. A plurality of turbine rigid vanesare rigidly attached about and extend from a peripheryof the rotor. As herein described, the rigid vaneswill be understood to have sufficient flexibility to accommodate passage of debris through the inlet portwithout blockage, yet sufficiently rigid to accommodate volumes of water moving through the turbine chamberfor rotating the rotor. Many materials will come to the mind of those skilled in the art, now having the benefit of the teachings of the present invention. For the embodiment herein described by way of example, a valve elementis pivotal about a proximal endof the valve element such that a distal endis movable with respect to distal endsof the turbine vanes. However, the valve elementmay be flexible and fixed at its proximal end. The valve elementmay be straight or have an arcuate shape. The valve elementis moveable between a first positionadjacent the vanes' distal endsduring rotation thereof and a second positionspaced from the vanes' distal ends and closer to the chamber wallto allow passage of debris pieces of substantial size through the turbine. For the embodiment herein described by way of example, the valve elementis contoured creating less pressure on its convex side proximate the vaneswhen water flows over it, causing the valve elementto close a gap between the valve element and the vane distal endsto maximizes power generated by the turbine. The valve elementand rotorgenerally define a preferable opening for the flow passage through the chamber. The turbineprovides power to the wheels,through linkages and provides power for steering, both of which occur as water and debris are drawn through the chamberby the action of the suction pump.

The pool cleanerincludes a drive assemblywhich uses the flow of water through the chamberto create the rotary motion of the turbinewhich is transferred to the wheels,by a drive trainas illustrated with continued reference toand now to. As is typical for such swimming pool cleaners, the flexible hose, described earlier with reference to, may be rotatably attached to the hose connectorand draws water from beneath the pool cleaner through the inlet port, turbineand outlet portthrough the hose connector.

As above described, the turbineis the propulsion system of the pool cleaner. In typical pool cleaners, there is always a precise balance in the distance between the turbine and the wallhousing the turbine. If the distance is to close, debris will get trapped in between. If the distance is too great the turbinewill lose power and will not function as desired. With reference again to, one embodiment of the invention further addresses this problem with the optional self-adjusting valve element. When debris flows through the turbine, it will push the valve elementout of the way and as a result the debris will not get trapped. Maximum power is attained without compromising function.

With reference again to, the drive trainoperable from the rotorto primary wheel gearsof the first and second wheels,provides synchronous rotation to both the first and second wheels for driving the pool cleaner along the surfaceto be cleaned. The first wheelcomprises the primary wheel gearradially spaced from a secondary wheel gearopposing one another on an inside peripheral surface of the wheel. The second wheel comprises the primary wheel gearon an inside surface of the wheel, as illustrated with reference to. Commercially, both wheels,may comprise the primary and secondary wheel gears,to accommodate replacement parts and efficiency in manufacturing, both wheels can be used to maneuver the cleaner in the rerouting process. For the embodiment herein illustrated with reference to, only the first wheelis used in the rerouting process. As later described, an alternate embodiment includes independent driving and steering of each of the two wheels. Such a “dual wheel drive” may be more desirable for maneuvering the pool cleaner in a rerouting process.

With continued reference to, the drive trainis operable with both the primary wheel gearsof the first and second wheels,for driving the pool cleanerin a first or forward directionalong the submerged surfaceof the pool, as illustrated with reference again to. The drive trainincludes a drive shafthaving one endmoveable between a driving positionwhen operable with the primary wheel gearsof the first and second wheels,through pinion gearsat ends thereof and the steering positionwhen the drive shaftcontacts a lesser radius portionof a cam, as illustrated with reference again to. Such forward and reverse wheel gears,are radially spaced from one another by a distance in excess of the diameter of the pinion gearwhich alternately engages such gears on the one drive wheel. As illustrated with reference to, a driveshaft contactorcontacts the camand the driveshaft one endfor movement of the one end of the driveshaft into and out of contact with the primary and secondary wheel gears,.

As above described with reference to, the drive trainis operable with both the primary wheel gearsof the first and second wheels,for driving the pool cleanerin a first or forward directionalong the submerged surfaceof the pool, as illustrated with reference again to.

In an alternate embodiment, now described with reference to, the drive shaftearlier described may be split between a left shaft portionand a right shaft portionA employing bearingsC that enable each portion of the split drive shaft to be manipulated independently and synchronously driven as desired. The drive gearsare driven by the turbine and in turn drive the drive shaft portions,A communicating through the bearingsC. The left and right reductions gears,A control rotation of the cams,A rotate, wherein each cam (Left and right) manipulates bearings in the drive shaft contactors,A which in turn move the drive shafts,A forwards and backwards engaging the teeth on the inner and outer wheel gears,. The drive shaft,A has both ends,A moveable between the driving positionwhen operable with the primary wheel gearsof the first and second wheels,through pinion gears,A at ends thereof and the steering positionwhen the drive shaft,A contacts a lesser radius portionof a cam, as illustrated with reference again to. Such forward and reverse wheel gears,are radially spaced from one another by a distance in excess of the diameter of the pinion gears,A which alternately engage such gears on now drive wheels,. as may be desired. As illustrated with reference to, and again with reference to, the driveshaft contactors,A contact the cam,A and the driveshaft ends,A for movement of ends of the driveshaft into and out of contact with the primary and secondary wheel gears,.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that coordination of the driving functions of the two wheels will be arranged to avoid any undesirable combinations of driving and steering. Rotation of the cams,A and contacting of the pinion gears,A will be such to provide a desired driving and interrupted steering of each wheel,without the operation of one wheel detrimental to the operation of the second wheel.

As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the direction of travelof the pool cleanerwill change during the intermittent periods of a reverse rotation of the one wheelby the drive shaft one enddriving the secondary gear. This steering function, together with the power provided by wheel drive provides a desired cleaning coverage of underwater pool surfaces. The dual drive embodiment drives the first and second wheels,in a similar manner, thus effectively enabling the pool cleaner to rotate in both directions (left & right) and also travel forward and reverse.

The cams,A have portions of greaterand the lesserradii and are rotatable by the rotorof the turbinethrough use of reduction gears,A. The drive shaft contactors,A extend from the cams,A to appropriate operable wheels,and intermittently interrupt rotation of the wheels and reverses direction of rotation to thus cause a change in direction of movement of the pool cleaner.

Operation of the driving and steering mechanisms are similar for each wheel,depending upon the embodiment of interest, whether using a single wheel for steering the pool cleaner of both wheels. By way of example, and with reference again to, a contact roller(A for the embodiment of) at one end of the drive shaft contactorengages the camwhich determines driving and steering positions,to provide forward or reverse movement of the wheels,. The drive shaft contactoris biased into frictional engagement with the camusing springs, as illustrated with reference to(or optionally) and. The pinion gearengages the primary wheel gearof the one wheelin a forward moving of the pool cleaner, and in a steering movement, the pinion gear engages the secondary wheel gearwhich results in reverse rotation of the one wheel. As above described, optionally, it may be desirable to provide steering using a reversing of both wheels.

By way of further example, and with reference again to, a contact rollerat one end of the drive shaft contactorengages the camwhich determines driving and steering positions,to provide forward or reverse movement of the wheels,. The drive shaft contactoris biased into frictional engagement with the camusing springs, as illustrated with reference to. The pinion gearengages the primary wheel gearof the second wheelin a forward moving of the pool cleaner, and in a steering movement, the pinion gear engages the secondary wheel gearwhich results in reverse rotation of the second wheel. The intermittent movement of the drive shaft contactormoves the drive shaft one endand its pinion gearwhich interrupts the synchronized rotation of the drive wheels,and causes a turning of the pool cleaner. The camis rotatably supported on an extension of the rotor, as are the reduction gearsused for reducing rotational speed such that the camturns at a slower rate and provide the intermittent movement for a desirable period.

In a similar fashion, as above described with reference tofor an alternate embodiment, the intermittent movement of the drive shaft contactorA moves the drive shaft one endA and its pinion gearA which interrupts the synchronized rotation of the drive wheeland causes a turning of the pool cleaner. The camA is rotatably supported on an extension of the rotor, as are the reduction gearsA used for reducing rotational speed such that the camA turns at a slower rate and provides the intermittent movement for a desirable preset period. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the drive and steering mechanism for one wheel is generally a mirror image of that of the second wheel.

A tread elementis carried about the periphery of the drive wheels,to provide traction on the pool surfacebeing cleaned. The tread elementin combination with the size of the drive wheels,is larger in diameter than the housingis high. This allows the pool cleanerto ride over commonly encountered impediments and obstacles in a swimming pool.

With reference again to, a protrusionis affixed at a portion of the tread elementof each wheel,and provides additional traction for dislodgement of the pool cleaner. The large wide wheels with one protrusion on each help dislodge the pool cleanerin the event it gets stuck on objects in a pool. It has been found that when the pool cleaner is equipped with the independent wheel steering, it is likely that the protrusionwill not be necessary in some pool configurations, thus allowing the pool cleaner to transition and traverse the submerged surface of the pool with less interruption, and thus an improved performance.

With reference again toand now to, by way of example, a first rolleris positioned on a forward bottom portionof the housingforward the inlet port, The first roller, herein a forward rolleris moveable about a first axlecarried between opposing side wall portions,of the housingfor retracting within a perimeterdefined by radial outermost portions of the at least two wheels,, as further described with reference to.

With continued reference to, a second rolleris positioned at an aft bottom portionof the housingaft the inlet portand generally opposing the first roller. The second roller(herein an aft roller) extends between the opposing side wall portions,and is moveable about a second axle. The second rolleris moveable from outside the perimeterfor contact with the surface to be cleanedto inside the perimeter, as illustrated with reference again to, for permitting the second roller to roll along uneven portions of the submerged surfaceto be cleaned. The first and second rollers,, in combination with the opposing side wall portions,of the housing, form a plenumfor water, where the plenum of water enhances adherence of the pool cleaner to the submerged surface.

With reference again to, by way of example, the rollers,comprise multiple roller portionsa, b, c, d anda, b, c, d, wherein each of the multiple roller portions moves independently of one another about the axles,, respectively, for generally conforming to the uneven portions of the surfaceto be cleaned. Further, rollers,are loosely rotatable about their respective axles,.

With reference again to, a forward partitionand an aft partitionextend between the opposing side wall portions,. The forward partitionis fixed forward the inlet portand the aft partitionis fixed aft the inlet port, wherein free ends of the partitions extend toward the perimeterbut only extend to inside the perimeter, thus spaced from the perimeter. An outer surfaceof the first rollercontinuously forms a fixed gapwith an outer surfaceof the forward partitionduring movement of the first rollerfrom outside to inside the perimeter, as further illustrated with reference again to. As herein illustrated, the outer surfaceof the forward partitionhas an arcuate shape extending from the free endof the forward partition toward the forward directionof movement of the pool cleaner. As further illustrated, in one commercial embodiment, the rollers,are formed from tubes having their inner surfaces loosely slidable along their respective axles during rotation. For the first roller, its inner surfaceis dimensioned to maintain the gapduring movement of the first roller from outside the perimeterto inside the perimeter. For providing reinforcement to the first axle, the first axle is formed as a rib having an elongate cross section, as illustrated with continued reference to.

As above described with reference to the first and second rollers,, with use of the wiper elementinstead of the second roller, the side wall portions,, front/first rollerand the wiper elementcreate the plenumby essentially forming a skirt around the inlet portenabling the cleanerto have enhanced suction and thus enhanced attachment to the pool surface. Since the rollers,move freely, they are able to retract within the outside perimeterof the wheels,and have little resistance which enables the cleanerto desirably transition into steep or angled walls. As above described, the rollers,having multiple segments moving independently of one another further enable them to conform to uneven surfaces in the pool. This also enables the cleanerto navigate over obstacles such as bottom drains and larger debris. The rollers or roller and wiper in combination with the housing lower side wall portions keep the plenum substantially closed, thus providing a desirable flow and collection of debris from beneath the pool cleaner by a suction action.

As illustrated with reference again to, the wiper elementcomprises a hinge pinslidable in an aperturein the side wall portions,. The apertures, herein slots, allow the hinge pinand thus the wiper elementto move up and down or in and out within and beyond the perimeter. The slotallows the wiper elementto be recessed within the perimeterof the wheels,, and thus avoid a locking against the surfacebeing cleaned which would be the case if the wiper elementwere fixedly hinged. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the aperturemay be an elongate hole, an oval, or the like, now having the benefit of the teachings of the present invention. The wiper elementis therefore able to conform to uneven surfaces. The retraction of the wiper elementenhances capability of the cleanerto right itself. When in the process of righting itself, the wiper element, or the second rollerabove described, will retract within the perimeterof the wheels,allowing the cleanerto upright itself without obstruction. In an alternate embodiment, the wiper element comprises multiple elements operable with the hinge pin, as earlier described for the rollers,.

With continued reference to, the aft partitionis in close proximity to a proximal end of the wiper element, yet preferably not in frictional contact. Further, the outside surface of the rolleris in close proximity, yet preferably not in frictional contact with the forward partition, thus desirably maintaining the gap. Such an arrangement creates a sufficient seal for improved performance of the pool cleaner, as above described.

As will come to the mind of those skilled in the art, now having the benefit of the teachings of the present invention, one embodiment of the wiper elementmay include the aperture as the slotcarried within the proximal end of the wiper elementand slidable along a fixed hinge pin, as illustrated with reference to, wherein the hinge pin may be fixed to the side wall portions,as earlier described.

Typical pool cleaners that are able to transition onto the pool side walls have problems climbing above the water line and therefore suck air which is well known to be detrimental for the pump. The embodiment of the pool cleaner, herein described by way of example, solves this problem by forwardly anglingthe hose connectorrelative to an upright positionof the pool cleaner during normal operation, as illustrated with reference again to. As a result of the forwardly angledhose connector, when the cleanerclimbs a side wall, the hosewill be placed slightly ahead of the cleaner. Since the hoseis full of water during operation of the cleaner, the hose acts as a weight forcing the cleaner to generally stay submerged and below the water surface level of the pool, thus preventing the pool cleaner from adversely sucking air.

As illustrated with reference again to, and now to, the housingcomprises a top coverconnected to a housing bottom portionA with a front latch, rear taband slot. The tabsare placed into the slotson the rear portion of the bodyof the pool cleaner. The coveris then latched at the front end of the pool cleanerusing the front latch. As illustrated with continued reference to, the latchcomprises a hooked portionA at a lower end removably secured to a pin or optional detentfixed to a lower portionA of the housing. An upper portion of the latchcomprises a protrusionB that is removably secured to a portion of the cover. A screwmay also be used to secure the top coverto the lower housing portionA.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of those skilled in the art now having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.