Multi-purpose vacuum cleaner brush for cleaning swimming pools

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of pool maintenance devices and the like, in particular submersible vacuum cleaners, and relates more particularly to a modular multi-function vacuum cleaner for cleaning swimming pools. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] For cleaning swimming pools, there are a multitude of so-called autonomous vacuum cleaners, insofar as they are powered by an onboard battery.

[0003] These vacuum cleaners are often distinguished by basic parameters, including battery life, power, weight, filtration fineness, etc.

[0004] Sometimes these vacuum cleaners, despite their great diversity, do not properly remove very fine debris.

[0005] Very fine, volatile debris can accumulate in large quantities on the bottom of swimming pools, especially after a sandstorm (such as a Saharan dust storm) or flocculation, which creates an algae deposit. This problem is often encountered when pools are reopened after winter storage.

[0006] Conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaners used for routine maintenance can vacuum up very fine deposits, but their filters release fine particles that cloud the pool water and then slowly settle back down.

[0007] Autonomous vacuum cleaners equipped with very fine pleated cartridge filters, such as the one described in patent FR3095827 filed by the applicant, can capture these types of deposits, but the pleated filters quickly become clogged when large quantities of deposits need to be removed. This necessitates multiple cleaning cycles during operation. Furthermore, according to patent FR3095827, the fine filter(s) must be specially manufactured to fit the body of the vacuum cleaner, which can pose cost and availability issues in various distribution networks.

[0008] Fine deposits can also be vacuumed with a brush connected to the pool's filtration system's suction line, but they are not stopped by sand filters and return to the pool, clouding the water. For pools with cartridge filtration, this operation would very quickly clog the filter, rendering the suction ineffective.

[0009] The only effective solution to permanently eliminate large quantities of volatile deposits is to vacuum the bottom and discharge the contaminated water directly into the sewer.

[0010] Two methods of sewer connection are currently available for this operation: 1. Use the pool filtration pump.

[0011] This solution is only practical for pools equipped with a sand filtration system that has a drain valve. With a cartridge filter, the pump's discharge hose would need to be disconnected before the filter and connected to the drain. In both cases, because these pumps operate at high flow rates of several cubic meters per hour, this operation results in a very large volume of water being discharged into the sewer. 2. Use a gravity siphon.

[0012] This method only works if there is a siphon outlet located below the water level in the pool. In this case, its effectiveness depends on the difference between the water level in the pool and the level of the outlet. For proper operation, this difference should be between 0.5 and 1 meter, which is not always possible. This low-flow operation is very slow and consumes a large amount of water.

[0013] Thus, current systems are not universal and require very large quantities of water during their operation.

[0014] For example, US2020 / 061502 discloses a submersible pool cleaning vacuum, comprising a body, a turbine coupled to an electric motor, a battery, a suction head inlet, and a discharge outlet to a debris bag. However, this solution lacks any universal means of connecting it to different outlets. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention aims to overcome all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art described above by offering a self-contained and universal solution for permanently removing large quantities of fine and volatile deposits using a self-contained vacuum cleaner that can also be used for routine maintenance. This versatile device also offers significant economic advantages. To this end, the present invention relates to a submersible vacuum cleaner for cleaning an artificial basin such as a swimming pool, comprising a main body, a suction turbine or propeller coupled to an electric motor, a battery, a suction inlet, an optional pre-filter providing initial filtration, and a discharge outlet.This vacuum cleaner is remarkable in that it includes a fitting, allowing a hose to be connected to the discharge outlet to expel the sucked-up water outside the pool, and a removable filter element that can be attached to the discharge outlet to provide a second, finer filtration than the first, and in that said discharge outlet is designed to receive, one at a time, the hose or the filter element.

[0016] Thus, the vacuum cleaner becomes versatile and provides: a classic filtration when neither pipe nor filter element is fixed on the discharge outlet; a finer additional filtration when the filter element is fixed on the discharge outlet; and a direct discharge to the sewer of the aspirated water which contains the unfiltered fine particles in suspension.

[0017] Unlike conventional pool vacuums that discharge filtered water directly into the pool, the multi-purpose pool vacuum according to the invention is designed to discharge the vacuumed water, laden with fine particles, outside the pool via any flexible hose. This reduces water consumption compared to using a filtration system and, unlike a siphon, can be used regardless of the terrain surrounding the pool.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment, the fitting is removable and the discharge outlet is designed to receive, one at a time, said fitting or the filter element.

[0019] The vacuum cleaner can therefore be sold as a kit with different fittings and filter elements.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment, the filter element is a pleated cartridge.

[0021] According to a particular embodiment, the fitting comprises a base, which can be fixed to a neck of a discharge conduit passing through the discharge outlet, and a nozzle for connecting the pipe.

[0022] According to an advantageous aspect, the discharge outlet is eccentric relative to the axis of the main body, in order to allow for easier configuration of the different functions of the vacuum cleaner.

[0023] Advantageously, the vacuum cleaner also includes a protective grille for the turbine or suction propeller.

[0024] According to a particular embodiment, the vacuum cleaner also includes a locking lever to rigidly hold the filter element on the discharge outlet.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the filter element is placed in a protective grid or cage.

[0026] The fundamental concepts of the invention having been set forth above in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will become clearer upon reading the following description and in view of the attached drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of a multi-purpose vacuum cleaner, in accordance with the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0027] The figures are provided for illustrative purposes only to aid understanding of the invention without limiting its scope. The various elements may be represented schematically and are not necessarily to scale. Throughout the figures, identical or equivalent elements are identified by the same numerical reference.

[0028] This is illustrated as follows: Figure 1 : a front perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2: a rear perspective view of the vacuum cleaner broom; Figure 3 : a front view of the vacuum cleaner broom; Figure 4 : a longitudinal section, along the section plane AA, of the figure 3 ; Figure 5 : a side view of the vacuum cleaner equipped with a... according to a first configuration of the invention; Figure 6 : a view from underneath the vacuum cleaner broom figure 5 ; Figure 7 : a front view of the vacuum cleaner according to the first configuration; Figure 8 : a longitudinal section, along the section plane AA, of the figure 7 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF IMPLEMENTATION METHODS

[0029] It should be noted that certain technical elements well known to those skilled in the art are described here to avoid any insufficiency or ambiguity in the understanding of the present invention.

[0030] The embodiment described below refers to a versatile, self-contained vacuum cleaner primarily intended for removing fine debris from swimming pool bottoms. This non-limiting example is given for the sake of clarity and does not preclude the use of the vacuum cleaner for cleaning other types of pools.

[0031] In this description, the term "vacuum brush" refers to an automatic pool cleaning device, having an elongated shape and intended to be handled by a user.

[0032] THE figures 1 to 3represent a versatile vacuum cleaner 100, comprising a debris collection compartment 10, a watertight functional housing 20, surmounting said compartment and containing suction and power supply means, a suction nozzle 30 at the lower end of the debris compartment 10, intended to be flush with the surface to be cleaned, and a pre-filter 40 placed inside the debris compartment 10, of which only the grid is visible in the figures.

[0033] The vacuum cleaner 100 advantageously features a versatile discharge outlet 50, which can be connected either to a drain pipe for water containing fine particles that have passed through the pre-filter 40, or to a filter cartridge providing finer filtration than that of the pre-filter 40, as will be described later.

[0034] The debris collection compartment 10 defines a usable volume in which debris drawn in and trapped by the pre-filter 40 located therein can be collected. The walls of the debris compartment 10 may be transparent to allow the user to see the fill level of the compartment with debris for cleaning purposes.

[0035] The debris compartment 10 may have any shape, for example frustoconical, circular or elliptical base, or pyramidal with rectangular or other polygonal base, said shape converging towards the suction mouth 30 to increase the velocity of the water sucked in at the inlet.

[0036] In addition, the suction inlet 30 has a valve 31 which opens under the effect of suction and closes when there is no suction to prevent debris from falling back into the water of the basin.

[0037] The debris compartment 10, at its opposite end to the suction mouth 30, is connected in a sealed and removable manner to the functional housing 20 by means of a locking lever 60.

[0038] The functional housing 20, according to the example of implementation of the figure 4 , defines an internal volume containing the means of suction and electrical supply.

[0039] These suction and power supply means include, for example, a turbine or propeller 21, coupled to an electric motor 22, and a power supply battery 23 to provide the electrical energy required by the motor 22. The battery 23 is rechargeable and can be fixed or removable, thus ensuring autonomy for the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0040] The functional unit 20 also includes an on / off button, and may optionally have other electronic components, known to those skilled in the art, such as a power controller, a power regulator with a control knob, battery charge status indicator lights, etc.

[0041] The functional housing 20 is topped with a handle head 70 for attaching a handle or any other means of gripping the vacuum cleaner broom 100.

[0042] For the sake of the intelligence of the invention, the debris collection compartment 10 and the functional housing 20 can be considered as constituting a single element which will be called the "main body" of the vacuum cleaner.

[0043] The discharge outlet 50, according to the illustrated embodiment example, is positioned on an eccentric part 25 of the main body.

[0044] The discharge outlet 50 is designed to receive at least two different outlets, including a discharge hose to the sewer such as a garden hose and a filter cartridge, so as to make the vacuum cleaner 100 versatile and multifunctional.

[0045] THE figures 1 to 4 represent the first configuration in which the discharge outlet 50 is intended to receive a discharge pipe to evacuate the aspirated water and the fine deposits suspended therein to the outside of the basin.

[0046] The discharge outlet 50 is provided for this purpose with a removable fitting 51, as illustrated, allowing a pipe to be fixed directly or via another suitable fitting.

[0047] According to the illustrated example, the fitting 51 has a hollow base 511 surmounted by a tubular end 512, the assembly allowing the passage of water to the drain pipe.

[0048] The fitting 51 can be fixed to the discharge outlet 50 in particular by clipping or screwing its base 511 onto a neck 551 of a discharge conduit 55.

[0049] The discharge duct connects the suction duct of the vacuum cleaner broom 100 to the discharge outlet 50.

[0050] In order for the discharge pipe to be securely fixed to the 512 fitting, the latter has one or more collars of progressive diameters adapting to conventional garden hoses.

[0051] Of course, the shape and method of fixing the fitting may differ from the example shown.

[0052] As mentioned above, the discharge outlet 50 is offset from the main body of the vacuum cleaner 100. This facilitates the connection of a hose according to the first configuration, but also allows the mounting of a filter cartridge according to a second configuration.

[0053] THE figures 5 to 8represent the vacuum cleaner broom 100 according to this second configuration in which the discharge outlet 50 receives a filter cartridge 52 which ensures finer filtration than that achieved by the pre-filter 40.

[0054] The purpose of this second level of filtration is to remove fine debris that has passed through the pre-filter 40.

[0055] Indeed, the 40 pre-filter is a primary filter with a "coarse" mesh that blocks the largest debris while allowing the finest debris to pass through. In other words, it has a mesh size designed to prevent the passage of the largest debris, which constitutes the majority of the debris—at least the visible debris—but which is not small enough to filter the finest particles. Therefore, the risk of clogging this primary filter is limited.

[0056] The filter cartridge 52, as illustrated, has a hollow cylindrical shape with a circular cross-section, defining filtering side walls characterized by their thickness and porosity. These filter walls are suitable for filtering fine particles and can be of various types, preferably pleated fabric, so that the filtering surface area of ​​the cartridge is considerably increased.

[0057] The filter cartridge 52 can be attached to the discharge outlet 50 by screwing, clipping, or any other quick-release fastening method. The attachment is made at an annular rim of the discharge outlet 50, which is equipped with suitable means such as a thread, clips, etc.

[0058] The 52 filter cartridge is preferably placed in a transparent grid or cage allowing its level of fouling to be seen in order to clean or replace it.

[0059] The vacuum cleaner 100 described is therefore characterized by its universal discharge outlet 50 which gives it versatility in operation, namely: classic filtration in the absence of a hose connection or filter cartridge; additional finer filtration with the filter cartridge; and discharge of water to the sewer when said outlet is connected to a hose via the fitting.

[0060] It is apparent from the present description that certain non-essential elements of the vacuum cleaner can be modified, replaced or removed without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims below.

Claims

1. Submersible suction brush (100) for cleaning an artificial basin such as a swimming pool, comprising a main body (10, 20), a suction turbine or propeller (21) coupled to an electric motor (22), a battery (23), a suction mouth (30), a pre-filter (40) ensuring a first filtration, and a discharge outlet (50), said suction brush being characterized in that it comprises a connector (51), allowing connecting any hose to the discharge outlet to discharge the sucked water out of the basin, and a removable filter element (52) which could be fastened to the discharge outlet to ensure a second filtration finer than the first filtration, and in that said discharge outlet is designed to receive the hose or the filter element (52) one at a time.

2. Suction brush according to claim 1, wherein the connector (51) is removable and the discharge outlet (50) is configured to receive said connector or the filter element (52), one at a time.

3. Suction brush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter element (52) is a pleated cartridge.

4. Suction brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector (51) comprises a base (511), which can be attached to a neck (551) of a discharge pipe (55) passing through the discharge outlet (50), and a fitting (512) for connecting the hose.

5. Suction brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the discharge outlet (50) is eccentric with respect to the axis of the main body (10, 20).

6. Suction brush according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a protective grille of the turbine or suction propeller (21).

7. Suction brush according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a locking lever (65) for rigidly holding the filter element (52) on the discharge outlet (50).

8. Suction brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filter element (52) is placed in a protective grille or cage.