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United States Patent (19) 1 3,822,754 Henkin et al. 45 July 9, 1974 54 AUTOMATIC SWIMMING POOL CLEANER car adapted to travel underwater along a random path on the pool vessel surface for dislodging debris there 76 Inventors: Melvyn L. Henkin, 19640 from. The car wheels are driven by a water powered Greenbriar Dr., Tarzana, Calif. turbine to propel the car in a forward direction, along 91356; Jordan M. Laby, 3940 the vessel surface. In order to prevent the car from Davana Rd., Sherman Oaks, Calif. being driven into a position, as for example against a 9 1403 vertical wall, from which it cannot emerge, a wheel 22 Filed: July 26, 1972 geometry is employed which, upon contact, develops a horizontal force component parallel to the vertical 21 Appl. No.: 275,173 wall, to thus enable the car to spin off. Alternatively, or in combination, a water flow produced reaction 52 U.S. Cl.................... 180/1 R, 1 15/17, 180/7J, force can produce a torque to turn the car with re 239/240 spect to the engaged wheel to enable the car to spin 51 int. Cl............................ E04h 3/20, A475/00 off. The car is designed with a low center of gravity 58) Field of Search............... 15/17, 387; 114/222; and a relatively buoyant top portion so as to produce 180/66 R, 7 T, 1 R, 1 VS a torque which maintains the car correct side up when on the pool bottom. Means are provided on the car for 56) References Cited producing a water flow having a force component per UNITED STATES PATENTS pendicular to the vessel surface to provide good trac 1466,315 8/1923 Thorsen.......................... 15/1.7 UX tion between the car wheels and the vessel surface. 2,314,675 3/1943 Wilson.............................. 180/66 R Further, a water flow produced suction is created ad 3,238,549 3/1966 Burlin et al............................ 15/17 jacent to the vessel surface for collecting debris into a 3,551930 1/1971 Myers.................................... 1511.7 basket carried by the car. In addition, one or more hoses is pulled by the car and whipped by water flow Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts to sweep dirt from the vessel surface. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lindenberg, Freilich & Wasserman 57 ABSTRACT An automatic swimming pool cleaner comprised of a 19 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures SEITISresearcassassissSS Rs. S. PATENTED JEL 9.1974 3,822,754 SHEET 1. Of 4 PATENTEDJL 9.1974 3,822,754 SIihistiNSŠišS. st(As Zile 3 ec ge (1T CETY - ...48- I L 7th: 9-N 44 C W 3. PATENTEDJUL 9.1974 3,822,754 SHEET 3 OF 4 -7- - SC [-ULUK 3 (ab | 1| 2 PATENTEDUL 9 1974 3,822,754 SHEET 4 OF 4 : 2 2 as usualAl l Ef 3,822,754 2 AUTOMATIC SWMMING POOL CLEANER so as to produce a torque tending to maintain it correct side up when on the pool bottom. In accordance with a still further aspect of the inven BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION tion, one or more hoses are coupled to the car and This invention relates generally to an automatic 5 whipped by water flow therethrough to sweep the ves swimming pool cleaner and more particularly to a sel surface and put any dirt thereon in suspension. cleaner comprised of a car adapted to travel under In accordance with a still further aspect of the inven water along a random path on the surface of a pool ves tion, means are provided on the car for producing a sel. suction adjacent to the vessel surface for pulling debris Many different types of apparatus are disclosed in the 10 into a collection basket or bag carried by the car. prior art for cleaning swimming pools. An example is In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the car U.S. Pat. No. 3,291, 145 which discloses a cleaner em is formed of a platform supported on three wheels ploying a floating head carrying high pressure liquid which engage the pool vessel surface. Two of the dispensing hoses which sweep the pool vessel walls so wheels are driven through gearing by a turbine which as to put any dirt thereon in suspension where it can be 5 in turn is powered by water flowing thereto through a filtered out by the pool's standard filtration system. As supply hose. In order to achieve the aforementioned further examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,923,954 and spinoff effect, the two driven wheels are mounted for 3,108,298 disclose cleaners in which wheeled vehicles rotation about parallel, but spaced, axes. As a conse move underwater along the pool vessel surface to col quence, the leading edges of the driven wheels lie on a lect debris and sweep the walls. 20 line which is not perpendicular to their direction of Prior art underwater cleaners have thus far met with travel thus enabling the car to spin off obstructions and only limited success for several reasons. Initially, in steep surfaces. The third wheel is mounted for rotation order to develop adequate traction between the wheels on an axis which pivots in a plane parallel to the plane and pool vessel surface, they have typically had to be 25 tangential to the wheels so that this third wheel may be very heavy and cumbersome. Moreover, those under differently oriented for different pool surface slopes, water cleaners which employ an electric motor have thereby helping to randomly steer the car. Alterna proved to be somewhat inconvenient because of the tively, positive drive means such as a linkage to the tur potential shock hazard. That is, since it is normally rec bine can be provided to gradually pivot the third wheel ommended that the motor not be operated while there 30 or vary the discharge angle of a water jet to assure ran are swimmers in the pool, the cleaner cannot safely be dom car movement. left in the pool under the control of a time clock. As a The water flow producing a force component per consequence, the use of such cleaners has, for the most pendicular to the vessel surface is preferably developed part, been restricted to commercial applications. by diverting a low volume, high velocity water flow Further, it is characteristic of most prior art underwa 35 from the supply hose to an orifice to thus pull water ter cleaners to utilize relatively complex reversing and into the lower end of a venturi having a directional steering mechanisms in order to achieve adequate sur component extending perpendicular to the car plat face coverage. Such complex mechanisms are generally form which water is then discharged at the venturi's costly and relatively unreliable. upper end. The force reaction presses the wheels In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present 40 against the pool vessel surface to thus develop signifi invention to provide an improved underwater swim cantly greater traction for propulsion than the weight ming pool cleaner. of the car alone could provide. As a consequence, the car can be constructed of relatively light and low cost SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION materials and have the capability of climbing vertical Briefly, the present invention is directed to a swim 45 surfaces. The suction produced adjacent the vessel sur ming pool cleaner including a car adapted to travel un face by the water being pulled into the lower tube end derwater along a random path on the pool vessel sur draws debris from the pool surface into a collection face. The car is supported on power driven wheels basket carried by the car. Although a single water flow which frictionally engage the vessel surface to drive it is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention in a forward direction. In accordance with an important 50 for providing the primary hold down force as well as aspect of the invention, means are provided on the car suction for picking up debris, it will be readily recog for developing one or more water flows having a force nized that separate flows could be provided for this component perpendicular to a plane tangential to the purpose if desired. wheels for increasing traction between the wheels and In accordance with another aspect of the invention, vessel surface. The water flows can, in addition, pro 55 a portion of the water supply is diverted through the duce a forwardly directed force component which aids trailing sweep hoses to randomly whip them against the in propulsion and facilitates the climbing or spinning pool vessel surface. off of a vertical surface when encountered. In accordance with a still further aspect of the inven In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, tion, means are provided within the collection basket a car wheel geometry is employed which produces a 60 for pulverizing leaves so that the remains can then be sidewise force component when the car wheels engage discharged and put in suspension in the pool water for a vertical surface to thus cause the car to spin off and later removal by the main filter system. free itself from the surface without necessitating a re BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS versal of driving direction. 65 In accordance with a still further aspect of the inven FIG. 1 is an isometric sectional view illustrating a tion, the car structure is configured so that its center of pool cleaner in accordance with the present invention gravity is close to the bottom of its vertical dimension in a typical swimming pool; 3,822,754 3 4.