Automatic Pool Cleaners

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic pool cleaner which is surface-supported but which has eliminated therefrom any rigid deck arm or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pool cleaner which is able to effect a physical reversal of its direction upon encountering obstructions which normally would cause the cleaner to hang-up without requiring the use of an intermittent water feed system.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pool cleaner of the surface-supported type which accomplishes the cleaning of the pool wall surfaces without employing either a wall cleaning hose or a floor cleaning hose.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a profile view of an automatic pool cleaner of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of an alternate float embodiment for the cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of an automatic pool cleaner constituting a further embodiment of the subject invention;

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing a modified form of the lead float disc for the cleaner of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a similar view of auxiliary control rudder means which may be embodied in the lead hose of the cleaner of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a smaller view of the discharge end of one of the pool wall surface cleaning hoses and an attachment connected to the same to prevent the hose from discharging over the deck as it breaks the surface;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view, partly in section, of the hose and attachment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an automatic pool cleaner constituting a further embodiment of the subject invention; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an automatic pool cleaner constituting still a further embodiment of the subject invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, the cleaner comprises water supply hose 10, a plurality of jets 12 adapted to maintain the upstream portions of the supply hose under tension, a surface float 14, a swivel 15, a jet 16 adapted to push the float 14 and tow the supply hose 10, a lead hose 18 of smaller diameter than the supply hose interconnecting the support float 14 and a lead support float 20, a tandem drive jet 22 for the lead hose 18 and a downwardly directed jet 24. The floats 14 and 20, particularly the latter, are preferably round or rounded in planform. It will be noted that the cleaner employs no cleaning hoses as such. Instead, cleaning action is applied to the pool wall surfaces by the jets 12, 16 and 22 and by contact of the supply hose 10 with the pool wall surfaces.

The cleaner of FIG. 1, as is the case with all of the herein disclosed embodiments of the subject invention, is not provided with means, such as a timer and solenoid system, for intermittently turning the water off and on. Such a control is not needed with the cleaners of this invention as they are able to extricate themselves from hang-up positions.

When the surface-borne parts of the cleaner of FIG. 1 are disposed out of engagement with pool wall structure, the paths of discharge of the jets 16 and 22 are normally in alignment. When the lead float 20 meets an obstruction and is blocked or is materially slowed down, drive jet 16 effects compression and bending of lead hose 18, thereby changing the angle of attack of jet 22 relative to the obstruction and causing the float 20 to be freed.

In the FIG. 2 modification of the cleaner of FIG. 1, the water supply hose is connected to the bottom of float 14 through a vertical swivel 26, and a further jet 28 may be employed to assist the lead hose in freeing itself from an obstruction.

A further embodiment of the cleaner of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. Supply hose 30 having one or more tension jets 32 is connected through a wet swivel 34 with a main support float 36 which is rotatably positioned on a mounting pin 38 to enable the float to rotate when it encounters the pool's side walls. Suspended from the float are a wall cleaning hose 40 and a floor cleaning hose 42. Lead hose 44 having a tendem drive jet 46 and a tension jet 48 extends from the wet swivel 34 to a rotatably mounted lead float 50 which is disc-like in form. The mounting hub 52 for the lead float 50 is provided with a directional fin 54. Between jet 46 and hub 52 a dry swivel 55 is provided. Depending from the float support plate 56 which is fixedly attached to the upper part of the swivel 34 is a baffle 58 which may be provided to tend to slow down movement of float 36 relative to the movement of float 50, thereby causing lead hose 44 to be normally in a stretched towing condition with respect to the float 36.

It will be appreciated that the cleaner of FIG. 3 extricates itself from obstructions encountered by the lead float 50 in substantially the same manner as that described for the cleaner of FIG. 1. In both instances the lead float serves as a light, maneuverable advance scout for the main support float, a function of the lead float being to get into and out of trouble and, in the getting out, to tow the main float away from trouble before it can encounter it.

In the modification of FIG. 4 of the float 50 of FIG. 3, a directional fin 60 is affixed directly to the float rather than being carried by the hub 52. Thus, as the float 50 encounters an obstructing surface and is caused to rotate, the fin 60 likewise turns and enhances a freeing movement of the float in a new direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lead hose 44 may likewise be provided with a directional fin 62.

From time to time the wall cleaning hose 40 will break the water surface and discharge a stream of water over the pool deck. To prevent this, the discharge end of the wall cleaning hose is provided with a flexible deflector 64 comprising a sleeve portion 66 and a semi-round elongated portion 68. When the deflector 64 is submerged it assumes a straight trailing attitude with respect to the hose 40, thereby not interfering with the wall cleaning function of the discharge jet. As the deflector surfaces, as shown in FIG. 6, it readily flexes to redirect the discharging jet back into the pool.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8 comprises water supply hose 70, tension jets 72, drive jet 74, lead hose 76, float 78 and a tandem drive jet 80 for the float 78. This embodiment differs essentially from that of FIG. 1 in that the main support float 14 of the latter has been eliminated. The manner of extrication of float 78 from obstructions is essentially the same as that previously described in connection with FIG. 1.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it is pointed out that two forms of surfacing members are shown, i.e. the float type 20 and the propulsion type 24. Either or both types may be used to dispose selected parts of the cleaner on the pool surface. If the propulsion type is used to the exclusion of the float type, the cleaner would sink to the bottom of the pool when the water to the supply hose was turned off and would thereafter rise to the surface of the pool when the water was turned on. In the absence of floats 14 and 20 the natural resistance of the lead hose 18 to axial twisting would be sufficient, once the water flow has been re-commenced, to orient the direction of jet 24 essentially downwardly. In this process of sinking followed by rising the cleaner of course can be disengaged from a position or condition in which it has been rendered immobile at the pool surface. The expression "surfacing member" is intended to describe one or the other or both of the float and propulsion type of water-actuated surfacing means.

In FIG. 9, the cleaner comprises water supply hose 110, jets 120 adapted to maintain the upstream portions of the supply hose under tension, a surfacing member 114, a jet 116 adapted to push the surfacing member 114 and tow the supply hose 110, a lead hose 118 of greater flexibility than the supply hose 110 interconnecting the latter and the surfacing member 114, and a tandem drive jet 122 for the lead hose 118. The surfacing member 114 is provided with an outwardly angled skirt member 124 adapted to slow down the movement of the surfacing member. The drive jet set 122 is adapted to swivel around the axis of the lead hose 118 and is adapted to swing about the horizontal pivot axis 126. Thus the jet tandem swivels on both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis like a universal joint. The same effect could be achieved by replacing this universal-like joint arrangement with a short length of very flexible hose, i.e., so that the jet tandem 122 could assume almost any position beneath the surfacing member 114. The jet tandem 122 is provided with a blade 128 which is attached to it to prevent excessive spinning of the hose about the surfacing member 114. The blade 128 may of course be attached to the swivel hub to which the jet tandem 122 is attached.

The cleaner of FIG. 9 travels very desirably and slowly and is adapted not to get stuck or immobilized by pool steps, etc. As long as the transporter jet 116 is strong enough, the surfacing member moves to one side or another even when the transporter jet is hanging straight down, as is approximately the case in FIG. 9. As the surfacing member 114 approaches the pool steps, the jet is dragged into a horizontal plane whereby greater power is available to get the unit off of the steps.

The lead hose may be provided with a rotor blade which is swivel-mounted and adapted to rotate about the axis of the lead hose whereby the lead end of the cleaner is inhibited against a tendency to run in circles. The operational function of such a rotor blade would be to rotate the lead hose into a new arc position.