Brush assembly for self-propelled pool and tank cleaner

Abstract

A rotatable brush assembly for a cleaning apparatus includes a cylindrical roller formed by first and second arcuate members. Each arcuate member has an inner longitudinal portion and an opposing longitudinal free end, the inner longitudinal portions being adjacently hinged together. The longitudinal free ends are positioned adjacently when the hinge is in a closed position. A web includes spaced-apart cleaning members extending outward from its external surface. Opposing longitudinal ends substantially conform to the opposing longitudinal free ends of the roller and its width is dimensioned such that an inner surface of the web wraps around and directly covers an outer surface of the cylindrical roller. Each longitudinal end of the web terminates in a U-shaped flange which defines a channel that conforms to and interfaces with one of the longitudinal free ends of the roller. Opposing end caps are disposed over opposing ends of the elongated cylindrical roller.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A rotatable brush assembly for a self-propelled robotic cleaning apparatus for cleaning a submerged surface of a pool or tank comprising:
 an elongated cylindrical roller formed by a first arcuate member and a second arcuate member, each arcuate member having an inner longitudinal portion and an opposing longitudinal free end, the inner longitudinal portions being positioned adjacently and hinged together, the longitudinal free ends being positioned adjacently when the hinge is in a closed position to form the elongated cylindrical roller;   a web material having spaced-apart cleaning members extending outwardly on an external surface of the web material, opposing longitudinal ends that substantially conform to the opposing longitudinal free ends of the cylindrical roller, and a width dimensioned such that an inner surface of the web material wraps around and directly covers an outer surface of the elongated cylindrical roller, each longitudinal end of the web material terminating in a U-shaped flange which defines a channel that conforms to and interfaces with one of the longitudinal free ends of the roller; and   end caps disposed over the opposing ends of the elongated cylindrical roller.   
     
     
         2 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the arc lengths of the first and second arcuate members are equal. 
     
     
         3 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the arc length of the first arcuate member is greater than the arc length of the second arcuate member. 
     
     
         4 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner longitudinal portions are positioned adjacently and joined by an integral living hinge. 
     
     
         5 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the living hinge extends the entire length along the adjacent inner longitudinal portions. 
     
     
         6 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second arcuate members include an inward shoulder portion formed at each opposing end thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the inward shoulder portions include an outwardly extending ridge formed proximate the longitudinal free ends of the roller and collectively define a pair of adjacent ridges on each end of the roller when the arcuate members are in abutting relation. 
     
     
         8 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the endcaps include a circular flange having a cutout sized to conform to the pair of adjacently positioned ridges. 
     
     
         9 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 8 , wherein each endcap is positioned about a corresponding end of the roller such that the pair of adjacent ridges extends through the corresponding cutout in the circular flange of the endcap. 
     
     
         10 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the circular flange of the endcap is positioned between the inward shoulder portion and the inner surface of the web material. 
     
     
         11 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each endcap includes a mounting hub extending coaxially in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the roller for enabling installation of the brush assembly into the self-propelled robotic cleaning apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The rotatable brush assembly of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the endcap mounting hubs is resiliently mounted to facilitate mounting and removal of the brush assembly from the cleaning apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . A self-propelled cleaning apparatus for cleaning a submerged surface of a pool or tank comprising:
 a housing defining an interior chamber, a water inlet positioned over the submerged surface of the pool or tank, and an outlet for discharging filtered water;   drive means for moving the cleaning apparatus over the submerged surface;   filtering means mounted in said interior chamber and configured to retain debris in the water entering the interior chamber via the water inlet and discharge filtered water from the interior chamber through the water discharge outlet; and   at least one rotatable brush assembly comprising:
 an elongated cylindrical roller formed by a first arcuate member and a second arcuate member, each arcuate member having an inner longitudinal portion and an opposing longitudinal free end, the inner longitudinal portions being positioned adjacently and hinged together, the longitudinal free ends being positioned adjacently when the hinge is in a closed position to form the elongated cylindrical roller; 
 a web material having spaced-apart cleaning members extending outwardly on an external surface of the web material, opposing longitudinal ends that substantially conform to the opposing longitudinal free ends of the cylindrical roller, and a width dimensioned such that an inner surface of the web material wraps around and directly covers an outer surface of the elongated cylindrical roller, each longitudinal end of the web material terminating in a U-shaped flange which defines a channel that conforms to and interfaces with one of the longitudinal free ends of the roller; and 
   end caps disposed over opposing ends of the elongated cylindrical roller and configured to enable rotation of the brush assembly during movement of the cleaning apparatus over the submerged surface of the pool or tank.   
     
     
         14 . The self-propelled cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the drive means includes an electric drive motor mounted in the interior chamber and having a driveshaft, a propeller mounted on at least one end of the driveshaft, rotatable mounted supports rotatably mounted to the housing, and a drive mechanism for rotating at least a portion of the rotatable mounted supports. 
     
     
         15 . The self-propelled cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the drive means includes a water turbine mounted in the interior chamber, the discharge outlet configured for attachment to a hose to receive a pressurized stream of water from an external source to rotate the water turbine, rotatable mounted supports rotatably mounted to the housing, and a drive mechanism for rotating at least a portion of the rotatable mounted supports. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the inner longitudinal portions are positioned adjacently and joined by an integral living hinge. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the living hinge extends the entire length along the adjacent inner longitudinal portions. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second arcuate members include an inward shoulder portion formed at each opposing end thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the inward shoulder portions include an outwardly extending ridge formed proximate the longitudinal ends of the roller and collectively define a pair of adjacent ridges on each end of the roller when the arcuate members are in abutting relation. 
     
     
         20 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the endcaps include a circular flange having a cutout sized to conform to the pair of adjacently positioned ridges. 
     
     
         21 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein each endcap is positioned about a corresponding end of the roller such that the pair of adjacent ridges extends through a corresponding cutout in the circular flange of the endcap. 
     
     
         22 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the circular flange of the endcap is positioned between the inward shoulder portion and the inner surface of the web material. 
     
     
         23 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each endcap includes a mounting hub extending coaxially in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the roller for enabling installation of the brush assembly into the self-propelled robotic cleaning apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the endcap mounting hubs is resiliently mounted to facilitate mounting and removal of the brush assembly from the cleaning apparatus.