Automatic pool cleaner gear mechanism

A device for cleaning a submerged surface in a fluid comprising a drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is connected to a fluid inlet and outlet, wherein movement of fluid through the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet will allow the drive mechanism to provide rotational input to a worm, wherein an oscillatable gear carrying assembly will include a first and a second gear, wherein the first and second gear will be permanently meshed with a third gear where the third gear is mounted on a fixed axial position in relationship to a cleaner body, wherein the first and second gear together with the oscillatable gear carrying assembly will rotate around the fixed axial position of the third gear, wherein a means to pivot the oscillatable gear carrying assembly around the axially fixed positon of the third gear axis will allow the first and second gear to alternatively directly engage and disengage with the worm, wherein the third gear forms a fixed axially orientated position for output drive to a remainder of a drivetrain, wherein the device will move in one direction when the first gear is engaged to the worm while the second gear is disengaged and an opposed direction when the second gear is engaged to the worm while the first gear is disengaged from the worm;

• wherein the orientation of rotation of the gears is such that when friction or load applied to the third gear carrying assembly will, upon initial contact with the worm, bias a corresponding one of the first or second gears to pivot towards a fully engaged position with the worm;
• and wherein the worm will have a left hand type thread and a right hand type thread, such that the first gear will engage to left hand type thread to rotate in an opposed direction to the second gear when the second gear engages to the right hand type thread.

In an automatic pool cleaner comprising a first gear and a second gear, a mechanism for changing between the first gear and the second gear, the mechanism comprising:

• an oscillatable gear carrying assembly moveable between a first position wherein the first gear is directly engaged to a worm and a second position wherein the second gear is directly engaged to the same worm;
• an actuating arrangement for selecting one of the positions by initiating movement of the oscillatable gear carrying assembly to urge the oscillatable gear carrying assembly towards the selected one of the positions;
• the first gear and the second gear being mounted on the oscillatable gear carrying assembly and when the first gear is engaged, the cleaner is driven to move in a first direction and when the second gear is engaged the cleaner is driven in a second direction;
• and
• wherein the worm has a left hand directional thread and a right hand directional thread such that, when the first gear engages the left hand directional thread on the worm, the cleaner is driven to move in a first direction, and, when the first gear disengages the left hand direction thread and the second gear engages the right hand directional thread, the cleaner is driven to move in a second direction.