# US 8,784,652 B2 · Swimming pool cleaner with a rigid debris canister > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,784,652 B2 - Document ID: US8784652B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/890,069 - Filed: 2010-09-24 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-24 - Assignees: Poolvergnuegen - Applicants: Manuela Rief; Dieter J. Rief - Inventors: Manuela Rief; Dieter J. Rief - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784652B2 ## CPC - E04H 4/1209: {Treatment of water for swimming pools (filters B01D)} - E04H 4/1654: {Self-propelled cleaners} - C02F 2103/42: from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) ## Abstract A swimming pool cleaner of the type movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom. The pool cleaner includes a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet. A rigid debris-collection canister is secured to the body over the debris outlet to collect debris in the rigid canister and pass filtered water either back into the pool or to a remote suction system such that the collected debris remain at the pool-cleaner body for easy maintenance while allowing free flow of water through the rigid canister. The rigid canister is shaped to minimize obstructions to the pool cleaner movement in the pool by providing improved buoyancy and limiting entrapment of the cleaner by underwater pool structures. The cleaner body is adapted for securement of either a water-suction hose connected to a remote suction system or a venturi-line structure connected to a water-flow line fed by a remote pump such that the pool cleaner is interchangeably usable as a suction cleaner and as a pressure cleaner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In a swimming pool cleaner of the type movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner being a suction cleaner and including a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet, the improvement comprising a rigid debris-collection canister secured to the body over the debris outlet to collect debris in the rigid canister and pass filtered water to a remote suction system such that collected debris remains at the pool-cleaner body for easy maintenance while allowing free flow of water through the rigid canister, the rigid debris-collection canister having a substantially sealed interior to maintain suction, the canister further including (a) a fine-mesh container connected to the debris outlet and positioned for entrapping debris in the sealed interior, a connection to a suction-system hose for passing filtered water thereto. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pool cleaner of claim 1 wherein the connection to the suction-system hose is a swivel connection allowing the pool cleaner turn in different directions without twisting the hose. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pool cleaner of claim 1 wherein the rigid debris-collection canister includes a base portion and a cover portion sealingly connected to the base portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pool cleaner of claim 3 wherein the rigid debris-collection canister includes an o-ring gasket seal between the base and cover portions. ### Claim 5 In a swimming pool cleaner of the type movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner being a pressure cleaner and comprising: a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet, the body including a venturi structure configured for drawing debris into the body through the debris inlet; and a rigid debris-collection canister having (a) a base portion removably secured to the body over the debris outlet to collect debris in the rigid canister and (b) a cover portion movably connected to the base portion, the cover portion having a series of apertures for passing filtered water back into the pool such that collected debris remains at the pool-cleaner body for easy maintenance while allowing free flow of water through the rigid debris-collection canister. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pool cleaner of claim 5 wherein the base portion of the rigid canister has a solid structure to retain fine debris therein. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The pool cleaner of claim 6 wherein the cover portion includes a fine mesh insert positioned opposite the debris outlet to entrap fine debris such as sand and pollen. ### Claim 8 In a swimming pool cleaner of the type movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner including a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet, the improvement comprising: a rigid debris-collection canister secured to the body over the debris outlet to collect debris in the rigid canister and pass filtered water either back into the pool or to a remote suction system such that collected debris remains at the pool-cleaner body for easy maintenance while allowing free flow of water through the rigid canister, the rigid canister includes a base portion and a cover portion connected to the base portion, the base portion including an L-shaped protrusion extending from a base-portion edge, the cover portion defining an aperture configured to receive the L-shaped protrusion therein, thereby forming a hinge connection between the base and cover portions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pool cleaner of claim 8 wherein the rigid canister has a debris-receiving region about the debris outlet and a debris-collecting region extending from the debris-receiving region along the body of the pool cleaner, the rigid canister being configured such that debris flows from the debris-collecting region toward the debris-receiving region to fill up the canister substantially uniformly and substantially free of interference with pool-cleaner operation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The pool cleaner of claim 9 wherein the hinge connection is positioned at an end of the canister which is opposite the debris-collecting region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The pool cleaner of claim 10 wherein the canister includes a retaining latch for securely locking the base portion to the cover portion during the pool cleaner operation. ### Claim 12 In a swimming pool cleaner of the type movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner including a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet, the improvement comprising: a rigid debris-collection canister secured to the body over the debris outlet to collect debris in the rigid canister and pass filtered water either back into the pool or to a remote suction system such that collected debris remains at the pool-cleaner body for easy maintenance while allowing free flow of water through the rigid canister; an attachment mechanism locking the rigid canister to the pool cleaner body, the attachment mechanism including (a) a connector mechanism secured to the debris outlet and defining a pair of oppositely-positioned slots and (b) a locking mechanism forming a pair of oppositely-positioned locking projections, the locking mechanism being configured to snap the projections into the corresponding slots of the connector mechanism for securely attaching the rigid canister to the pool cleaner body for operation and to withdraw the projections from the slots for detaching the rigid canister from the cleaner for emptying and pool cleaner maintenance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The pool cleaner of claim 12 wherein the rigid canister includes a base portion and a cover portion connected to the base portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The pool cleaner of claim 12 wherein the locking mechanism includes a pair of locking members each including one of the locking projections, each locking member having (a) a fixed end secured to the rigid canister and (b) a free end, in a released state the locking members maintain the projections in the corresponding slots and when the free ends are pressed toward each other the projections are withdrawn from the slots thereby releasing the rigid canister from the cleaner body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The pool cleaner of claim 14 wherein each of the locking members includes a finger grip at its free end for a simple finger pressing of the free ends toward each other to withdraw the projections from the slots to detach of the rigid canister from the pool-cleaner body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The pool cleaner of claim 14 wherein: each fixed end of the locking member defines a hole therethrough; and a fastener stud extends through the holes and a canister wall, thereby affixing the fixed ends to the rigid canister. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The pool cleaner of claim 16 wherein the fastener stud has a U-like shape and includes a gripping wedge extending outwardly substantially perpendicular along each leg of the U-shaped stud and sloping to terminate at the end of the leg, the perpendicular surfaces of the wedges engaging an interior surface of the rigid canister, thereby securely mounting the locking mechanism to the rigid canister. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The pool cleaner of claim 12 wherein the connector mechanism includes a pair of corresponding keys, one on each of first and second connector portions, the first connector portion extending from the pool-cleaner body around the debris outlet, the second connector portion being secured to the first connector portion by interengagement of the corresponding keys which engage by rotation of the first and second connector portions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The pool cleaner of claim 18 wherein the second connector portion defines the pair of oppositely-positioned slots. ### Claim 20 In a swimming pool cleaner of the type movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner including a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet, the improvement comprising: the body being adapted for securement of either a water-suction hose connected to a remote suction system or a venturi-line structure connected to a water-flow line fed by a remote pump, such that the pool cleaner is interchangeably usable as a suction cleaner and as a pressure cleaner; and a rigid debris-collection canister secured to the body over the debris outlet to collect debris in the rigid canister and pass filtered water either back into the pool or to a remote suction system such that collected debris remains at the pool-cleaner body for easy maintenance while allowing free flow of water through the rigid canister, the rigid canister having a smooth curved shape to facilitate pool-cleaner movement in the pool and limit entrapment of the cleaner by underwater pool structures. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The pool cleaner of claim 20 wherein, when the pool cleaner operates as suction cleaner, the rigid debris-collection canister is configured to have a substantially sealed interior to maintain suction, the canister further including: a fine-mesh container connected to the debris outlet and positioned for entrapping debris in the sealed interior; and a connection to a suction-system hose for passing filtered water thereto. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The pool cleaner of claim 21 wherein the rigid debris-collection canister includes: a base portion and a cover portion connected to the base portion; and an o-ring gasket seal between the base and cover portions. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The pool cleaner of claim 20 wherein: the rigid debris-collection canister includes a base portion and a cover portion connected to the base portion; and when the pool cleaner operates as pressure cleaner, the cover portion is configured to have a series of open apertures for passing filtered water back into the pool, and the base portion has a solid structure to retain fine debris therein. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The pool cleaner of claim 23 wherein the cover portion includes a fine mesh insert positioned opposite the debris outlet to entrap fine debris such as sand and pollen. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The pool cleaner of claim 20 wherein the rigid canister has a debris-receiving region about the debris outlet and a debris-collecting region extending from the debris-receiving region to the rear of the pool cleaner, rigid canister being configured such that the debris flow to the rear and accumulate from the debris-collecting region toward the debris-receiving region to fill up the canister substantially uniformly and substantially free of interference with the pool-cleaner operation. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The pool cleaner of claim 20 further including an attachment mechanism securely locking the rigid canister to the pool cleaner body, the attachment mechanism including: a connector mechanism secured to the debris outlet and defining a pair of oppositely-positioned slots; and a locking mechanism forming a pair of oppositely-positioned locking projections, the locking mechanism being configured to snap the projections into the corresponding slots of the connector mechanism for securely attaching the rigid canister to the pool cleaner body for operation and to withdraw the projections from the slots for detaching the rigid canister from the cleaner for emptying and pool cleaner maintenance.