# US 11,111,686 B2 · Swimming pool cleaning apparatus having a debris separation device operating by centrifugal spinning and filtration > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,111,686 B2 - Document ID: US11111686B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/648,005 - Filed: 2018-09-24 - Published: 2020-08-27 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-22 - Assignees: Zodiac Pool Care Europe - Applicants: Zodiac Pool Care Europe - Inventors: Philippe Pichon; Philippe Blanc Tailleur; E. Keith McQueen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111686B2 ## CPC - E04H 4/1654: {Self-propelled cleaners} - E04H 4/1245: {Recirculating pumps for swimming pool water} - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) ## Abstract The invention relates to a device (18) for separating out debris suspended in a liquid, for a swimming pool cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising: —a body (11), —at least one hydraulic circuit circulating liquid between at least one liquid inlet (15) and at least one liquid outlet (16), and through the separation housing (18) that separates out debris suspended in the liquid, —a fluid circulation pump installed in the hydraulic circuit. The device (18) for separating out debris suspended in a liquid comprises means for the centrifugal spinning of the debris suspended in the liquid and a tank for collecting said centrifugally separated debris. The separation device (18) comprises a liquid supply duct (24) opening into a filtration chamber (22) defining a substantially cylindrical volume, tangentially to a cylindrical wall (201) of said filtration chamber, said filtration chamber (22) communicating with the collecting tank (23) that collects the centrifugally separated debris. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Device for separating out debris suspended in a liquid, for a swimming pool cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising: a body, at least one hydraulic circuit circulating liquid between at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet, and through the device for separating out debris suspended in the liquid, at least one fluid circulation pump installed in the hydraulic circuit, the device for separating out debris suspended in a liquid including means for the centrifugal spinning of the debris suspended in the liquid and a non-cylindrical tank for collecting said centrifugally separated debris, wherein the separation device includes a liquid supply duct opening into a filtration chamber defining a substantially cylindrical volume, tangentially to a cylindrical wall of said filtration chamber, said filtration chamber communicating with the collecting tank that collects the centrifugally separated debris. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Separation device according to claim 1, wherein the filtration chamber and the collecting tank that collects the centrifugally separated debris communicate by an opening present in the cylindrical wall of the filtration chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Separation device according to claim 1, wherein said device also includes a filtration device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) Separation device according to claim 3, wherein the filtration device includes a tangential filtration device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) Separation device according to claim 3, wherein the filtration device includes a front filtration device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Separation device according to claim 5, wherein the front filtration device is inserted into the tangential filtration device detachably. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) Separation device according to claim 3, wherein the filtration device can be detached from said debris separation device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Separation device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes two lateral faces, with one of the faces forming a cover and being hermetically mounted, detachably, on the filtration chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Separation device according to claim 1, wherein the filtration device forms a mainly cylindrical volume mounted coaxially in the central portion of the filtration chamber, and configured to separate the internal volume of said chamber from at least one orifice of filtered liquid outlet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Separation device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes, between the debris separation chamber and the collecting tank that collects the centrifugally separated debris, a deflector formed by a portion of the cylindrical wall of the filtration chamber that is extended above the collecting tank that collects the centrifugally separated debris. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Swimming pool cleaning apparatus including a separation device according to claim 1, the separation device being detachably mounted in the swimming pool cleaning apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Swimming pool cleaning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an axis of the cylindrical filtration chamber is parallel to a horizontal plane of the apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) Swimming pool cleaning apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the liquid supply duct opens into the filtration chamber above the axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) Swimming pool cleaning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an axis of the cylindrical filtration chamber is parallel to a transversal axis of the apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Swimming pool cleaning apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the liquid supply duct opens into the filtration chamber above the axis of the cylindrical filtration chamber. ### Claim 16 Device for separating out debris suspended in a liquid, for a swimming pool cleaning apparatus, said cleaning apparatus comprising: a body, at least one hydraulic circuit circulating liquid between at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet, and through the device for separating out debris suspended in the liquid, at least one fluid circulation pump installed in the hydraulic circuit, the device for separating out debris suspended in a liquid including means for the centrifugal spinning of the debris suspended in the liquid and a tank for collecting said centrifugally separated debris, wherein the separation device includes (i) a liquid supply duct opening into a filtration chamber defining a substantially cylindrical volume, tangentially to a cylindrical wall of said filtration chamber, said filtration chamber communicating with the collecting tank that collects the centrifugally separated debris, and (ii) a deflector formed by a portion of the cylindrical wall that is extended above the collecting tank, and wherein the deflector determines an angular opening of about 60° from the filtration chamber to the collecting tank. ### Claim 17 Modification kit for a swimming pool cleaning apparatus comprising a body, at least one hydraulic circuit circulating liquid between at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet, and through a device for separating out debris suspended in the liquid, and at least one fluid circulation pump installed in the hydraulic circuit, said kit including the separation device comprising means for the centrifugal spinning of the debris suspended in the liquid, a tank for collecting said centrifugally separated debris, a liquid supply duct opening into a filtration chamber defining a substantially cylindrical volume, tangentially to a cylindrical wall of said filtration chamber, said filtration chamber communicating with the collecting tank that collects the centrifugally separated debris, and means for adapting this separation device on the body of the swimming pool cleaning apparatus. ### Claim 18 Swimming pool cleaning apparatus comprising: a. a body having an inlet and an outlet; b. members for driving and guiding the body on an immersed surface of a swimming pool; c. a pump configured to draw water through the inlet; and d. a debris separation device positioned in a flow path between the inlet and the outlet and comprising (i) a filtration chamber having a cylindrical wall and defining a longitudinal axis, (ii) a liquid supply duct having a lower portion extending from the inlet and an upper portion opening into the filtration chamber tangentially to the cylindrical wall above the longitudinal axis, and (iii) a tank for collecting debris separated from water in the flow path.