US2007256257A1PendingUtilityA1

Submerged surface pool cleaning device

59
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jul 11, 1997Filed: Jul 5, 2007Published: Nov 8, 2007
Est. expiryJul 11, 2017(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Brian PhillipsonPaul SeborDaniela Sebor
E04H 4/1663
59
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

A swimming pool cleaning device for automatically cleaning a submerged surface includes a forwardly inclined housing forming a flow passage including a flow control valve. A flexible planar disc extends around an inlet to the flow passage for engaging the surface to be cleaned. The flexible planar member includes slits extending from the peripheral edge inward toward the central opening to form a pedal-like segmented flange for splaying of each segment in response to travel of the cleaner over an irregularly contoured surface and facilitate an effective frictional contact with the surface. A steering mechanism driven by fluid flow through the housing causes the housing to rotate about the planar disc.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A cleaner for a fluid environment, the cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a flow passage extending from an inlet to an outlet;    a flow control valve coupled to the flow passage;    a sealing flange coupled to the housing, the sealing flange having at least one intake aperture providing a fluid flow to the inlet; and    at least one resilient flap coupled to each one of the at least one intake apertures.    
   
   
       2 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least one resilient flaps extends into one of the at least one intake apertures to adjust a size of each one of the at least one intake apertures in response to the fluid flow.  
   
   
       3 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one resilient flap is integrally coupled to the sealing flange.  
   
   
       4 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing flange includes a peripheral portion defining a petal-like shape.  
   
   
       5 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least one resilient flaps includes a rib-like projection.  
   
   
       6 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the housing rotates about the sealing flange.  
   
   
       7 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the flow control valve includes a substantially rigid element and a substantially flexible element.  
   
   
       8 . The cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the substantially flexible element is coupled to the substantially rigid element to at least partially interrupt the fluid flow, vibrate the housing, and help provide a propulsive force.  
   
   
       9 . A cleaner for a fluid environment having a submerged surface, the cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a flow passage extending from an inlet to an outlet;    a flow control valve coupled to the flow passage;    a sealing flange coupled to the housing; and    at least one weight coupled to the sealing flange to bias the sealing flange toward the submerged surface.    
   
   
       10 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one weight is integrally coupled to the sealing flange.  
   
   
       11 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the sealing flange includes a peripheral portion defining a petal-like shape.  
   
   
       12 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the housing rotates about the sealing flange.  
   
   
       13 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the flow control valve includes a substantially rigid element and a substantially flexible element.  
   
   
       14 . The cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the substantially flexible element is coupled to the substantially rigid element to at least partially interrupt a fluid flow, vibrate the housing, and help provide a propulsive force.  
   
   
       15 . A cleaner for a fluid environment having a submerged surface, the cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a flow passage extending from an inlet to an outlet;    a flow control valve coupled to the flow passage;    a shoe coupled to the housing, the shoe including a resilient body having an opening coupled to the inlet;    a sealing flange coupled to the shoe, the sealing flange having a central opening and at least one intake aperture; and    at least one resilient flap coupled to each one of the at least one intake apertures.    
   
   
       16 . The cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein each one of the at least one resilient flaps extends into one of the at least one intake apertures to adjust a size of each one of the at least one intake apertures in response to a fluid flow.  
   
   
       17 . The cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one resilient flap is integrally coupled to the sealing flange.  
   
   
       18 . The cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the sealing flange includes a peripheral portion defining a petal-like shape.  
   
   
       19 . The cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one resilient flap includes a rib-like projection.  
   
   
       20 . The cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the resilient body includes a groove extending radially outward from the opening to form a channel.  
   
   
       21 . The cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the housing rotates about the sealing flange.  
   
   
       22 . The cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the flow control valve includes a substantially rigid element and a substantially flexible element.  
   
   
       23 . The cleaner of  claim 22 , wherein the substantially flexible element is coupled to the substantially rigid element to at least partially interrupt a fluid flow, vibrate the housing, and help provide a propulsive force.  
   
   
       24 . A cleaner for a fluid environment having a submerged surface, the cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a flow passage extending from an inlet to an outlet;    a flow control valve coupled to the flow passage;    a shoe coupled to the housing, the shoe including a resilient body having an opening coupled to the inlet;    a sealing flange coupled to the shoe; and    at least one weight coupled to the sealing flange to bias the sealing flange toward the submerged surface.    
   
   
       25 . The cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one weight is integrally coupled to the sealing flange.  
   
   
       26 . The cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the sealing flange includes a peripheral portion defining a petal-like shape.  
   
   
       27 . The cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the resilient body includes a groove extending radially outward from the opening to form a channel.  
   
   
       28 . The cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the housing rotates about the sealing flange.  
   
   
       29 . The cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the flow control valve includes a substantially rigid element and a substantially flexible element.  
   
   
       30 . The cleaner of  claim 29 , wherein the substantially flexible element is coupled to the substantially rigid element to at least partially interrupt the flow, vibrate the housing, and help provide a propulsive force.  
   
   
       31 . A cleaner for a fluid environment, the cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a flow passage extending from an inlet to an outlet;    a flow control valve coupled to the flow passage, the flow control valve having a substantially rigid element and a substantially flexible element, the substantially flexible element coupled to the substantially rigid element to at least partially interrupt fluid flow, vibrate the housing, and help provide a propulsive force; and    at least one of a shoe and a sealing flange coupled to the housing.    
   
   
       32 . The cleaner of  claim 31 , wherein the substantially rigid element includes a first end and a second end, and the substantially flexible element includes a first end and a second end; wherein the first end of the substantially rigid element is coupled to a first wall portion of the housing, the second end of the substantially rigid element is coupled to the first end of the substantially flexible element, and the second end of the substantially flexible element is coupled to a second wall portion.  
   
   
       33 . The cleaner of  claim 31 , wherein the substantially rigid element and the substantially flexible element define a first position to substantially restrict fluid flow through the flow passage and a second position to allow fluid flow through the flow passage.  
   
   
       34 . The cleaner of  claim 31 , wherein the flow control valve includes a stop to engage the substantially rigid element to define a rate of reciprocating movement of the substantially rigid element between the first position and the second position.  
   
   
       35 . The cleaner of  claim 31 , wherein the substantially flexible element includes a first side and a second side cooperating with a first wall and a second wall of the flow passage to at least partially restrict fluid flow.  
   
   
       36 . The cleaner of  claim 35 , wherein the substantially rigid element includes sealing portions cooperating with the first wall and the second wall to at least partially restrict fluid flow.  
   
   
       37 . The cleaner of  claim 35 , wherein the substantially flexible element includes a first portion and a second portion, a first end of the first portion and a first end of the second portion being coupled to a second end of the substantially rigid element, a second end of the first portion being coupled to the second wall, a second end of the second portion being coupled to the second wall at a distance from the second end of the first portion.  
   
   
       38 . The cleaner of  claim 37 , wherein the first portion, the second portion, the first wall, and the second wall define a chamber.  
   
   
       39 . The cleaner of  claim 31 , wherein the housing rotates about the sealing flange.  
   
   
       40 . The cleaner of  claim 31 , and further comprising a shoe coupled to the housing, the shoe including a resilient body having an opening coupled to the inlet.  
   
   
       41 . The cleaner of  claim 40 , wherein the resilient body includes a groove extending radially outward from the opening to form a channel.  
   
   
       42 . A cleaner for a fluid environment, the cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a flow passage extending from an inlet to an outlet;    a flow control valve coupled to the flow passage;    a shoe coupled to the housing, the shoe including a resilient body having an opening coupled to the inlet;    a sealing flange coupled to the shoe; and    a steering device including an upper member coupled to the housing and a lower member coupled to the shoe.    
   
   
       43 . The cleaner of  claim 42 , wherein the upper member includes a pivot pin and the lower member defines a cylindrical surface.  
   
   
       44 . The cleaner of  claim 43 , wherein the steering device includes a pawl pivotally attached to the pivot pin and engaging the cylindrical surface.  
   
   
       45 . The cleaner of  claim 44 , wherein the upper member rotates about the lower member.

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