Swimming Pool Surface Cleaning Device

This invention relates to pool cleaning devices and, more particularly, to a pool cleaning device for urging floating debris towards an opening of a skimmer.

As is perhaps well known, many pools include an opening which is arranged at about the normal water level of a pool and the skimmer is connected to the pool pump so that debris is trapped in it. One of the problems in the past has been that the debris does not flow rapidly towards the skimmer and this invention is of a device which can be mounted to the pool edge and it includes an arm which is of tubular material so that, from the distal end, a spray can be directed through an opening which faces the proximal end to urge debris on the surface of the pool toward the skimmer for more rapid cleaning of it.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a pool cleaning device which includes an arm swingable with respect to a vertical axis and which has a distal end which extends well out over a pool and downwardly to the pool surface and in which there is an opening, so that, when water is directed through the arm, it will be ejected in a spray towards the distal end and the device also includes a means for pivotally mounting the proximal end to the pool edge for swinging movement about a location at which it is mounted above a pool skimmer opening.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which: whuch:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pool having the instant invention mounted to the edge at about the opening of a skimmer arranged at the water level of the pool;

FIG. 2 is a vertical view of the lower left-hand portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar ro FIG. 2 in cross section;

FIG. 4 is a vertical view in cross section taken on a separate plane of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a pool is generally designated by the numeral 12 which is filled to a normal water level 14. The pool is equipped with a conventional skimmer having an opening 16 at the normal water level. The device, which is generally designated by the numeral 18 is mounted to the edge 20. The device includes a support 22 which is fastened as by the bolts 24 and 26 to the pool edge. In the preferred embodiment a semi-spherical or dome-shaped hollow 30 is provided in the lower surface 32 of the support with a through opening 34 in the upper surface 35. In the preferred embodiment the upper surface includes a transverse rounded groove 36 thereacross, bisected by the through opening 34.

The device also includes an arm generally designated by the numeral 37 which extends outwardly and is connected at its proximal end zone 38 to the support. The tubular arm includes a distal end zone 40 and an intermediate zone 42 which extends outwardly and downwardly between the proximal and distal end zones of the tubular arm. The arm extends downwardly so that the distal end zone is slightly above the normal waterline of the pool and the distal end zone is provided with an opening 44 which is smaller than the inside diameter of the tube and this opening faces inwardly toward the proximal end zone. Preferably a fitting 46 is provided which has a mouth 48 sized to fit over the terminal end 50 of the distal end zone and includes an angularly downwardly extending portion 52 terminating in a closed end 54 with an extending stud 56 to which a float 58 with a central through opening 60 is mounted and captivated by means of a bolt 62 in threaded engagement with the exterior or distal surface 66 of the float captivating it on the stud. The opening 44 may be a pattern of openings to direct a spray toward the proximal end.

With respect to the means to mount the proximal end, it may comprise a fitting 70 having a central recess 72 sized to receive the proximal end 38 therein with the terminal end 74 in close abutting relation with the shoulder 76 in the end wall 78 which has a through opening 80 and an extending portion 82 terminating in an enlarged rim 84 sized for receipt in the end of a hose to supply water. The distal end is rotatably mounted or journaled on a pivot pin 90 which extends downwardly from the fitting and through the opening 34 in the support and is captivated therein by a bolt 93 which is threadably engaged on the stud.

In use, waterflow is provided through a hose 98 and thence to the distal end where it is ejected in a spray indicated by the arrows 99 toward the mouth of the skimmer which urges debris toward it. The device may be rotated through an arc and stored as indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment a relatively rigid polyvinyl chloride material is utilized for the tubular length and the float means may be of any cellular material characterized by buoyancy including a disc of wood.

As best indicated in FIG. 2, a transverse, downwardly extending rib 100 is formed across the underside of fitting 70 for seated engagement in the groove 36. In a preferred embodiment, the rib 100 is generally triangular in cross section to define a bottom knife edge 102 which engages in said groove 36 to loosely maintain the arm 37 in the normal operating position as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 by gravity forces.

With reference to FIG. 3 it can be seen that the nut 93 is engaged on the bottom end portion of stud 90 to provide a sufficient stud length thereabove to permit the arm to be manually, vertically lifted until the nut 93 engages the surface of hollow 30 whereupon the rib 100 is free of groove 36. The arm 37 may then be rotated to the position of FIG. 4 which corresponds with the dotted line position 30' of FIG. 1.

Because the water level of the pool will vary somewhat, and consequently the float will cause the distal terminal end zone to move upwardly or downwardly to adjust for this, the arm will flex somewhat; and it is preferred that the pivot means be of a construction such that it will respond to this movement. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, see FIG. 2, the upper face of the support 22 with the groove 36 coacts with the knife edge 102 to act as a fulcrum and the length of the pivot pin 90 between the keeper nut 93 is such that, when the arm is swung to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 1, the knife edge 102 will climb out of the groove; and that when in the position shown in FIG. 2, the knife edge permits a range of tilting adjustment in response to the changes of water level in the pool.