Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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UNDERWATER VACUUM CLEANER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pool cleaners and more particularly, relates
to a
vacuum type pool cleaner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The problem of contamination of outdoor swimming pools is well known in the
art. Thus, outdoor pools which may include residential, municipal and
commercial pools
must frequently remove foreign matter such as leaves, twigs, small stones,
sand, insects
and the like which accumulate on the bottom of the pool. Such foreign matter
may be
introduced into the pool by users and/or by natural elements such as wind,
rain, etc.
Typically, a pool must be cleaned at least once every several days in order to
remove such
extraneous matter.
Attempts have been made to remove such matter when it initially enters into
the
pool mtn a suestanna~ amount or it r~oaung on the surface of the pool. 1 hus,
most pools
utilize skimmers and the like to attempt to remove such debris. However, such
skimmers
are inherently not efficient enough to make a substantial difference in the
amount of
debris deposited on the bottom of the pool.
A variety of devices have been proposed in the prior art to clean the
submerged
surfaces of the swimming pools to remove the dirt, debris, algae and the like.
One of the
basic types is a manual pool cleaner which is connected to the intake of the
skimmer by a
hose which in turn is connected to a vacuum head. The pool owner must then
manually
guide the vacuum head over the bottom and sides of the pool utilizing a pole.
The debris
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will then accumulate in the pool filter.
It is also known in the art to utilize pool cleaners which are of the robotic
type.
These robotic type cleaners are similar in that they are connected to the
intake of the
skimmer by a hose to a vacuum head. However, the vacuum head utilizes the
vacuum
created by the pool pump to propel the vacuum head around the pool in a random
pattern.
Although substantially less labor intensive than the manual system, the random
pattern
followed by the robotic head means that a substantial length of time is
required to clean
the pool and even then, portions are frequently missed due to the particular
configuration
of the pool structure or obstructions in the pool. Furthermore, the robotic
type of cleaner
will not function with a pool cover on which, in cooler climates, means a
substantial loss
of heat from the pool water.
It is also known in the art to use completely automated pool cleaners which
are
self propelled by electric motors and endless belt drive means and which can
be
preprogramed to cover the entire bottom and sidewaiis of the pool. ~Nhile such
cleaners
provide excellent results, because of their complexity of construction and
operation, such
cleaners are too expensive for the average residential pool.
Various portable systems have also been used. These portable systems are
mounted on a wheeled vehicle and include a pump and filter cartridge which is
attached
to a flexible pole and then through a hollow section of tubing to a brush or
molded head
which is manually directed to contact the bottom and sides of the pool.
Naturally, the
pumps can be powered either electrically or by internal combustion means.
Frequently the cleaning of residential pools only requires "spot" cleaning in
that
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the majority of the surfaces are relatively clean but debris has accumulated
in, for
example, the corners of the pool. Also, there may be the odd extraneous matter
such as a
twig, leaf, or the like. For such cleaning, the home owner is typically
reticent to connect
the various hoses and the like to remove a relatively small amount of debris.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pool cleaner which is
portable
and can quickly and efficiently clean a pool or portions thereof with a
minimum of set up.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pool cleaner
which is
portable and does not need to be connected to the water circulation system of
the pool.
According to one aspect to the present invention, there is provided a pool
vacuum
unit comprising a housing, an inlet formed in a bottom portion of the housing,
an outlet
formed in an upper portion of the housing, and a fluid passageway extending
between the
inlet and the outlet, a pump mounted in the fluid passageway to pump a liquid
from the
inlet to the outlet, an electric motor operatively connected to the pump, at
least one
battery to power the pump, a filter mounted in the fluid passageway, and a
base, the base
being removably attached to the housing.
The pool vacuum has two main components - the vacuum unit itself and a base
which is removably securable to the vacuum unit. By utilizing this
arrangement, the
vacuum unit may be used by itself for "spot" cleaning requirements.
The housing preferably comprises a plurality of molded parts of a plastic
material.
Included in the parts would be a filter cover which provides ready access to
the filter area
for cleaning thereof.
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As is conventional, the inlet for the vacuum unit will be formed in the bottom
thereof. The outlet may be located in the sidewalk or top walls of the unit.
Preferably,
the outlet will be threaded such that a hose can be connected thereto when it
is desired to
discharge the fluid. Thus, the unit would be useful for removing the water
from a pool
cover where one does not wish to discharge the water into the pool.
The pump portion of the vacuum unit may be of any conventional design.
Similarly, a conventional battery driven electrical motor may be utilized to
drive the
pump.
The battery or batteries are preferably mounted in a battery compartment which
is
secured within the housing. Thus, one would be able to rapidly access the
battery
compartment to change the same. This arrangement would permit the user to
vacuum for
longer periods of time by replacing the battery pack and recharging the spent
batteries.
Preferably, the unit will also include means for being powered directly from a
power source other than the batteries. Thus, one could employ a transformer to
step
down normal house voltage and drive the motor and pump directly.
The filter is preferably in the form of a "bag filter" with the narrower end
thereof
being located upstream of the broader end.
The handle portion of the pool vacuum is preferably adaptable such that it can
be
used as a handle when the vacuum unit is removed from the base while it will
also
function as the receptacle for a conventional pole as is used with many pool
accessories.
BRIEF DESCRIPT10N OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the
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accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating removal of the filter cover;
!=~igure .s is an expiocieci view thereof with certain portions being removed
for
clarity of illustration;
Figure 4 is a side sectional view thereof; and
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference characters
thereto,
there is illustrated a pool vacuum which is generally designated by reference
numeral 10.
Pool vacuum 10 includes a base 12 and a housing 14 which encloses the various
components. Housing 14 includes a first sidewall panel 16, a second sidewall
panel 18, a
tin wall panel 20_ and a h~ttom wall vane) 26. There is also nrwided a filter
ewer 77
which includes a latch 23 to fit within an aperture 24 provided in top wall
panel 20.
As maybe seen in Figure 4, bottom wall panel 26 includes a cone shaped water
inlet 28.
Enclosed within housing 14 is an electric motor 30 and which is operatively
connected to an impeller 32. Surrounding the impeller 32 is a shroud 34 which
has a
water inlet 36 and a water outlet 38.
Secured to shroud 34 is a filter retainer 40. There is also provided a gasket
42 and
a cone shaped filter 44 for filtering the water.
The pool vacuum 10 further includes a battery compartment 46 having batteries
48
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enclosed therein. There is also provided, as aforementioned, a base generally
designated
by reference numeral 12 . Base 12 is removably attached to housing 14 such
that the
vacuum may be used in conjunction with base 12 or as a stand alone unit. Base
12
includes a plurality of wheels 52 for a movement along the bottom of the pool.
When it
is desired to use the vacuum unit as a hand held device, the vacuum may be
gripped by
means of recesses 35 (only one shown) formed in top wall panel 20.
There is also provided a pole retainer assembly generally designated by
reference
numeral 54 and which has an overall U-shaped configuration with a pair of legs
56. Pole
retainer 54 includes a pole receptacle 58 having side apertures 60 which are
designed to
receive in a locking manner the standard pole used for most swimming pool
accessories.
Formed within top wall panel 20 is an outlet 62 which preferably is a threaded
aperture designed to receive a hose such as may be typically used in
residences.
Thus, as may be seen in Figure 4, the water is pumped upwardly from base 12
and
exits through aperture 62 after passing through filter 44. As above mentioned,
base 12
can be removed and the unit can then be utilized as a hand held unit to
gripping
recesses 3 5.
It will be understood that the above described embodiment is for purposes of
illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto
without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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