Turbine-driven automatic swimming pool cleaners

In an automatic pool cleaner motivated by flow of water therethrough, established by the pumping action of a remote pump, to move along a pool surface to be cleaned, the improvement comprising:

• a turbine housing having a water-flow chamber formed by a chamber wall, the water-flow chamber having inlet and outlet ports, the inlet port being immediately adjacent to the pool surface to facilitate pickup and intake of debris into the chamber;
• a turbine rotor rotatably mounted in the housing and spaced substantially equidistantly from the chamber wall at all positions thereabout to provide a flow path for water and debris around the rotor;
• a plurality of turbine vanes spaced around the rotor and each having a proximal end connected to the rotor and a distal end each vane being pivotable about its proximal end with respect to the rotor such that its distal end is movable with respect to the rotor between extended positions adjacent to the wall and retracted positions spaced from the wall and closer to the rotor, thereby to allow passage of debris pieces of substantial size through the turbine;
• and
• a plurality of springs secured to the rotor, each spring juxtaposed to one of the vanes to pivot the vane into a generally extended position.