Automatic swimming pool cleaners and components thereof

Abstract

Automatic swimming pool cleaners (APCs) are detailed herein. The APCs may include features designed to avoid, or reduce adverse effects of, clogging by debris. They also may include easily-removable fluid-powered motors should clogging nevertheless occur. The APCs may also include improved motive assemblies that help the APCs move about the swimming pool or other body of water without interruption.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid-powered motor for an automatic swimming pool cleaner, the fluid-powered motor comprising:
 a core including a rotor;   at least one spoke extending from the rotor; and   a vane moveably attached to the at least one spoke.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 1 , further comprising a seal, wherein the seal is (i) configured to move from a sealed position in a first direction to create space for passage of debris between the seal and the vane and (ii) prevented from moving from the sealed position in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 1 , wherein the vane comprises at least one side portion with a tapered edge. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 1 , wherein a proximal portion of the vane is connected to the at least one spoke and wherein the vane comprises a distal portion, the distal portion comprising:
 a leading portion perpendicular to a direction of motion of the vane; and   a lagging portion having an angled surface.   
     
     
         5 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 1 , further comprising a pin connecting the vane to the at least one spoke, wherein the vane is rotatable about an axis of the pin. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 5 , wherein the pin comprises a generally straight first section and a generally-curved second section. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 1 , wherein the vane comprises a domed portion. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 7 , wherein the domed portion extends across a face of the vane from a distal end to a proximal end of the face. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 1 , wherein the vane is connected to the at least one spoke in a manner permitting a gap to form between the vane and the at least one spoke at first times during operation and for the vane and the at least one spoke to seal against each other at second times during operation. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid-powered motor of  claim 1 , wherein the core is removable from a body of the automatic swimming pool cleaner as a module without using any tool. 
     
     
         11 . An automatic swimming pool cleaner comprising a motive assembly, the motive assembly comprising a drive wheel and a track, the track comprising an external surface and an internal surface, wherein:
 the external surface of the track comprises tread,   the internal surface of the track comprises teeth, and   an axis of each tooth of the teeth intersects at least a portion of the tread.   
     
     
         12 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein gaps between the tread vertically align with gaps between the teeth to create flexible sections of the track. 
     
     
         13 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein the external surface of the track further comprises a plurality of bridges that connect the tread and extend along gaps between the tread, wherein adjacent bridges of the plurality of bridges are vertically offset from one another. 
     
     
         14 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein the drive wheel of the motive assembly comprises a flange that extends beyond the external surface of the track to serve as a stop that restricts lateral movement of the track beyond the flange. 
     
     
         15 . An automatic swimming pool cleaner comprising:
 a body; and   a fluid-powered motor comprising:
 a core including a rotor; 
 a plurality of spokes extending from the rotor; and 
 a plurality of vanes, wherein each of the plurality of vanes is rotatably attached to one of the plurality of spokes, 
 wherein the core is removable from the body as a module without using any tool. 
   
     
     
         16 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 15 , further comprising a pin connecting each of the plurality of vanes to one of the plurality of spokes, wherein each of the plurality of vanes is rotatable about an axis of the pin. 
     
     
         17 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the vanes of the plurality of vanes comprises a domed portion and, during operation of the fluid-powered motor, a cavity is formed between a housing of the fluid-powered motor and the domed portion. 
     
     
         18 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein the domed portion extends across a face of the at least one vane from a distal end to a proximal end of the face. 
     
     
         19 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 15 , further comprising a motive assembly comprising a drive wheel and a track, the track comprising an external surface and an internal surface, wherein:
 the external surface of the track comprises tread;   the internal surface of the track comprises teeth; and   an axis of each tooth of the teeth intersects at least a portion of the tread.   
     
     
         20 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 15 , further comprising a motive assembly comprising a drive wheel and a track, the track comprising an external surface and an internal surface, wherein:
 the external surface of the track comprises tread;   the internal surface of the track comprises teeth; and   gaps between the tread vertically align with gaps between the teeth to create flexible sections of the track.   
     
     
         21 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 15 , further comprising a motive assembly comprising a drive wheel and a track, the track comprising an external surface and an internal surface, wherein:
 the external surface of the track comprises tread and a plurality of bridges that connect the tread, wherein adjacent bridges of the plurality of bridges are vertically offset from one another.   
     
     
         22 . The automatic swimming pool cleaner of  claim 15 , further comprising a motive assembly comprising a drive wheel and a track, wherein the drive wheel comprises a flange that extends beyond an external surface of the track to serve as a stop that restricts lateral movement of the track beyond the flange. 
     
     
         23 . An automatic swimming pool cleaner comprising a motive assembly, wherein the motive assembly comprises a track and a drive wheel, the drive wheel comprising a flange that extends beyond an external surface of the track to serve as a stop that restricts lateral movement of the track beyond the flange.