Pool cleaner

A pool cleaner for travel along submerged surfaces of a swimming pool to collect and dislodge debris, comprising:

• an internal frame;
• a hydraulically contoured cleaner housing including upper and lower housing shells mounted on said frame;
• a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame and positioned outside said housing for supporting the cleaner on a pool surface;
• a mast unit mounted on said frame and including a supply mast having an upper end positioned outside said housing for connection to a supply of water under pressure, and a suction mast having an open lower end exposed through said lower housing shell to an underside of said housing and an upper end positioned outside said housing for removable mounting of a debris collection bag;
• a water distribution manifold carried by said frame and coupled to said supply mast for receiving and distributing water under pressure from said supply mast, said water distribution manifold including at least one upwardly directed jet nozzle for inducing an upward hydraulic vacuum flow through said suction mast for drawing water and entrained debris upwardly through said suction mast;
• a water powered drive system carried by said frame and including a water driven turbine for rotatably driving at least one of said wheels, said water distribution manifold further including at least one drive jet for supplying a portion of the water under pressure for rotatably driving said turbine;
• a sweep hose fitting mounted on said water distribution manifold and rearwardly exposed at the exterior of said housing for connection to a flexible sweep hose;
• and
• said housing substantially enclosing and encasing said frame and said water distribution manifold and said water powered drive system carried thereby, said upper and lower housing shells being separately removable from said frame for access to said frame and said water distribution manifold and said water powered drive system;
• said water distribution manifold including a seat with an off-axis orifice formed therein, said sweep hose fitting including a base end rotatably supported within said seat and having an off-axis orifice formed therein, said sweep hose fitting being rotatable relative to said seat for variably aligning said off-axis orifices to regulate water flow rate from said water distribution manifold through said sweep hose fitting.

A pool cleaner for travel along submerged surfaces of a swimming pool to collect and dislodge debris, comprising:

• an internal frame;
• a hydraulically contoured cleaner housing including upper and lower housing shells mounted on said frame;
• a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame and positioned outside said housing for supporting the cleaner on a pool surface;
• a mast unit mounted on said frame and including a supply mast having an upper end positioned outside said housing for connection to a supply of water under pressure, and a suction mast having an open lower end exposed through said lower housing shell to an underside of said housing and an upper end positioned outside said housing for removable mounting of a debris collection bag;
• a water distribution manifold carried by said frame and coupled to said supply mast for receiving and distributing water under pressure from said supply mast, said water distribution manifold including at least one upwardly directed jet nozzle for inducing an upward hydraulic vacuum flow through said suction mast for drawing water and entrained debris upwardly through said suction mast;
• and
• a water powered drive system carried by said frame and including a water driven turbine for rotatably driving at least one of said wheels, said water distribution manifold further including at least one drive jet for supplying a portion of the water under pressure for rotatably driving said turbine;
• said housing substantially enclosing and encasing said frame and said water distribution manifold and said water powered drive system carried thereby, said upper and lower housing shells being separately removable from said frame for access to said frame and said water distribution manifold and said water powered drive system;
• said water distribution manifold further including a pair of spaced-apart ribs formed generally at an upstream end of said at least one upwardly directed jet nozzle, said spaced-apart ribs defining an inter-rib spacing that is equal to or less than the diametric size of said jet nozzle to prevent passage of water-entrained debris to said jet nozzle.

A pool cleaner for travel along submerged surfaces of a swimming pool to collect and dislodge debris, comprising:

• an internal frame;
• a hydraulically contoured cleaner housing including upper and lower housing shells mounted on said frame;
• a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame and positioned outside said housing for supporting the cleaner on a pool surface;
• a unitary mast unit module removably mounted on said frame and including a supply mast having an upper end positioned outside said housing for connection to a supply of water under pressure, and a suction mast having an open lower end exposed through said lower housing shell to an underside of said housing and an upper end positioned outside said housing for removable mounting of a debris collection bag;
• a water distribution manifold module removably mounted on said frame and coupled to said supply mast for receiving and distributing water under pressure from said supply mast, said water distribution manifold module including at least one upwardly directed jet nozzle for inducing an upward hydraulic vacuum flow through said suction mast for drawing water and entrained debris upwardly through said suction mast;
• and
• a water powered drive system module removably mounted on said frame and including a water driven turbine for rotatably driving at least one of said wheels, said water distribution manifold module further including at least one drive jet for supplying a portion of the water under pressure for rotatably driving said turbine;
• said housing substantially enclosing and encasing said frame and mast unit and water distribution manifold and water powered drive system modules carried thereby, said upper and lower housing shells being separately removable from said frame for access to said frame and said modules.

In a pool cleaner for travel along submerged surfaces of a swimming pool to collect and dislodge debris, said pool cleaner including a housing supported for rolling movement on a plurality of wheels, the improvement comprising:

• a nameplate on said housing, said nameplate bearing selected indicia and presenting the appearance of a vehicle license plate;
• at least one strut extending upwardly and rearwardly from said housing to an upper end positioned substantially above and behind a center of gravity for the pool cleaner;
• and
• a stabilizer float at said strut upper end, said nameplate being disposed at a rear side of said stabilizer float.