Swimming pool cleaning apparatus
OwnerPavel Seborinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A submersible cleaner includes a valve within a flow passage for interrupting fluid flow and thus drive the cleaned over submerged surfaces to be cleaned. An element moveable between the valve and a wall surface within the passage reduces a gap formed between them such that flow through the passage is directed along one side of the valve resulting in improved driving power and reduced clogging by debris passing through the passage. The element may be attached to either the valve or the wall, and may make slideable engagement with them. A flexible plate engaging the surface includes a plurality of tongues radially extending about the periphery with each tongue having a lower surface portion contacting the surface to be cleaned and an outmost portion contoured away from the surface.
Claims25
An apparatus for cleaning surfaces submerged in a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a flow passage extending from an inlet to an outlet for a flow of fluid and debris therethrough;
- a generally rigid wall surface extending generally perpendicular into the flow passage, the generally rigid wall surface forming a portion of the flow passage such that fluid and debris are constrained to flow past the wall surface;
- a valve operable within the flow passage for interrupting the flow through the passage during an oscillation of the valve about a proximal end thereof;
- and
- an element operable between a distal end of the valve and the wall surface for reducing a gap therebetween, the element extending sufficiently toward the wall surface to substantially limit the flow toward the outlet to only one side of the valve.
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a flow passage including top and bottom walls extending therethrough from an inlet to an outlet;
- a generally rigid wall surface extending generally perpendicular into the flow passage;
- a valve operable within the flow passage for interrupting fluid flow therethrough, the valve moveable between the top and bottom walls during an oscillation of the valve;
- and
- an element extending between the valve and the generally rigid wall surface for reducing a gap formed therebetween, the element extending from at least one of the valve and the wall surface to substantially limit the flow to only one side of the valve and along one of the top and bottom walls.
An apparatus for cleaning surfaces submerged in a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a flow passage extending therethrough, wherein a generally rigid wall surface extending generally perpendicular into the flow passage forms a portion of the flow passage;
- a valve operable within the flow passage for interrupting the flow through the passage during an oscillation of the valve about a proximal end thereof, the valve having a longitudinal axis extending toward the wall surface;
- and
- an element operable between a distal end of the valve and the wall surface for reducing a gap therebetween, wherein the element is positioned for substantially limiting the flow of fluid to only one side of the valve along the longitudinal axis thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.