REMOVABLE CLAMPING TOOL FOR A POOL MAINTENANCE PUMP

Abstract

The present invention relates to a removable clamping tool (10) for a pump, in particular a pool maintenance pump, comprising: - an elongated key (12) having a stop (21) and an end for insertion into a housing in the maintenance pump, said key (12) further having a groove (16) for cooperating with a locking piece mounted for translational movement on the maintenance pump, and - a handle (13) rotationally linked with the key (12), said handle (13) having a gripping portion (24), a first arm (25.1) having a first opening (26.1) for the passage of the key (12) and a second arm (25.2) having a second opening (26.2) for the passage of the key (12), - the first arm (25.1) being intended to bear against the stop (21) and the second arm (25.2) being intended to bear against the locking piece (18) so as to block the handle (13) in translation relative to the key (12).Figure 1b.

Description

Title of the invention: REMOVABLE CLAMPING TOOL FOR A POOL MAINTENANCE PUMP

[0001] The present invention relates to a removable clamping tool for a pool maintenance pump. The invention finds a particularly advantageous, but not exclusive, application with dual-flow pumps.

[0002] As is known per se, pool maintenance requires the circulation of various water currents. Thus, a first water current circulates through a filtration system to vacuum up debris, leaves and other things deposited on the surface of the pool, and a second water current is transmitted to a pool cleaning robot.

[0003] Document FR2950941 describes a double pump with a single electric motor for ensuring these various water circulations. To this end, the pump comprises a first turbine, namely a centrifugal turbine, called the filtration turbine, with high flow and low pressure intended to generate a filtration current, and a second turbine, called the booster turbine, with low flow and high pressure, intended to generate a power supply current for a cleaning robot.

[0004] Such a pump is intended to be mounted on an auxiliary element, such as a volute having an internal spiral shape and intended to surround the filtration turbine. Water is intended to be drawn in axially, via an inlet formed in the volute, and to be discharged via an outlet provided at a periphery of the volute intended to be connected to the filtration system.

[0005] The pump can be mounted on the volute by means of a fractional turn locking device, in particular a quarter turn locking device.

[0006] However, operating such a pump with bare hands in a cluttered and confined environment like that found at the base of a pool is difficult. Indeed, the operator often has to kneel while carrying the pump to access the area where the pump is attached to the volute.

[0007] The invention aims to effectively remedy this drawback by providing a removable clamping tool for a pump, in particular a pool maintenance pump comprising: - an elongated key having a stop and an end intended to be inserted into a housing of the maintenance pump, said key further having a groove intended to cooperate with a locking piece mounted movably in translation on the maintenance pump, and - a handle linked in rotation with the key, said handle comprising a gripping portion, a first arm provided with a first opening for the passage of the key and a second arm equipped with a second key passage opening, - the first arm being intended to come to rest against the stop and the second arm being intended to come to rest against the locking piece so as to block the handle in translation relative to the key.

[0008] The invention thus allows an operator, thanks to the handle attached to the pump via the key, to easily manipulate the pump to clamp it onto a volute, particularly in a cluttered and narrow environment.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the key has a protruding portion suitable for unlocking a pool slab.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the key has at least one flat on its outer periphery intended to cooperate with a corresponding shape made on an inner face of the opening of the first arm and / or an inner face of the opening of the second arm in order to lock the handle in rotation.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the handle has a U-shaped form.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the key and / or the handle are made in a plastic material.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the key and / or the handle have stiffening ribs.

[0014] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a pool maintenance pump and a clamping tool as previously defined.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the pump includes a movable locking piece that translates between an unlocked position in which the locking piece is away from a receiving housing of a coupling end of the key and a locked position in which the locking piece is brought closer to the receiving housing of the coupling end of the key so as to cooperate with the groove made in the outer periphery of the key.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the pump includes a fastening device with an auxiliary element, such as a volute.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the pump is two-stage.

[0018] The present invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description, which includes embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the accompanying figures, presented by way of non-limiting examples, which may serve to complete the understanding of the present invention and the explanation of its implementation and, where appropriate, contribute to its definition, on which:

[0019] [Fig. 1a][Fig. 1b] Figures 1a and 1b are perspective views of a removable clamping tool for a pool maintenance pump according to the invention respectively in the disassembled and assembled states;

[0020] [Fig.2a] [Fig.2b] Figures 2a and 2b are perspective views illustrating the use of a removable clamping tool according to the invention with a two-stage pool maintenance pump.

[0021] It should be noted that, in the figures, the structural and / or functional elements common to the different embodiments have the same reference numerals. Thus, unless otherwise stated, such elements have identical structural, dimensional and material properties.

[0022] Figures 1a and 1b show a removable clamping tool 10 according to the invention allowing a pump 11, in particular a pool maintenance pump, to be manipulated to clamp it on an auxiliary element, such as a volute.

[0023] For this purpose, the clamping tool 10 includes an elongated key 12, in particular a cylindrical key having an axis X and an attached handle 13 intended to cooperate with the key 12.

[0024] More specifically, the key 12 has a coupling end 15 for insertion into a correspondingly shaped housing 14 in the maintenance pump 11. The coupling end 15 may, for example, have a parallelepiped shape. The key 12 further has a groove 16 for cooperating with a locking piece 18 mounted for translational movement on the maintenance pump 11.

[0025] The key 12 further comprises a stop 21 against which an arm of the handle 13, described in more detail below, is intended to bear. The stop 21 is, for example, formed by a radial extension collar with respect to the X-axis. The stop 21 is provided at the end opposite the coupling end 15.

[0026] The key 12 may also include a projecting portion 22 suitable for unlocking a pool slab. For this purpose, the projecting portion 22 is designed to cooperate with a correspondingly shaped hollow portion of the slab. The projecting portion 22 preferably has the shape of a flathead screwdriver. Alternatively, the projecting portion 22 has the shape of a Phillips screwdriver or any other shape adapted to the complementary shape of the slab. The projecting portion 22 may be formed in an end face of the key 12 opposite the coupling end 15.

[0027] Furthermore, the handle 13 is rotationally linked with the key 12. The handle 13 comprises a gripping portion 24 by which an operator can grasp the handle 13, a first arm 25.1 having a first opening 26.1 for the passage of the key 12 and a second arm 25.2 having a second opening 26.2 for the passage of the key 12. Preferably, the gripping portion 24, the first arm 25.1 and the second arm 25.2 are made as a single unit, i.e. there is a continuity of material between these different elements 24, 25.1, 25.2. The handle 13 has a U-shaped form.

[0028] The first arm 25.1 is intended to bear against the stop 21 and the second arm 25.2 is intended to bear against the locking piece 18 so as to lock handle 13 in translation relative to key 12.

[0029] In order to ensure the rotational connection between the handle 13 and the key 12, the key 12 has at least one flat 29 on its external periphery intended to cooperate with a corresponding form made on an internal face of the opening 26.1 of the first arm 25.1 and / or an internal face of the opening 26.2 of the second arm 25.2.

[0030] The key 12 and / or the handle 13 are preferably made of a plastic material. The key 12 and / or the handle 13 may be made by injection molding. The key 12 and / or the handle 13 may have stiffening ribs 27.

[0031] The use of the clamping tool 10 according to the invention with a two-stage pump 11 is described below with reference to Figures 2a and 2b. The pump 11 comprises a single electric motor enabling various water circulations. To this end, the pump 11 includes a first turbine 31, in particular a high-flow, low-pressure centrifugal turbine, referred to as the filtration turbine, designed to generate a filtration current. The pump 11 also includes a second turbine 32, referred to as the booster turbine, designed to generate a power supply current for the cleaning robot. The housing 14 is located at the booster stage.

[0032] Such a pump 11 is intended to be mounted on an auxiliary element, such as a volute (not shown) having an internal spiral shape and intended to surround the filtration turbine 31. The water is intended to be drawn in axially, via an inlet made in the volute and to be discharged via an outlet made at a periphery of the volute intended to be connected to the filtration system.

[0033] The pump 11 includes a fastening device 33 for ensuring a mechanical connection between the pump 11 and the volute after the pump 11 has been rotated by a fraction of a turn, in particular one-eighth of a turn or one-quarter of a turn. For this purpose, the fastening device 33 may include inclined ramps on its outer periphery designed to cooperate with correspondingly shaped inclined ramps formed on the volute.

[0034] The U-shaped locking piece 18 is movable in translation between an unlocked position in which the locking piece 18 is away from the receiving housing 14 of the coupling end 15 and a locked position in which the locking piece 18 is brought closer to the receiving housing 14 of the coupling end so as to cooperate with the groove 16 made in the external periphery of the key 12.

[0035] In order to ensure the assembly between the key 12 and the handle 13, the key 12 is inserted inside the first opening 26.1 of the first arm 25.1 and the second opening 26.2 of the second arm 25.2 until the stop 21 comes to rest against the first arm 25.1.

[0036] With the locking piece 18 in the unlocked position, the end of Coupling end 15 of the key 12 is inserted into the correspondingly shaped housing 14 of the pump 11. Then, the locking piece 18 is moved to the locked position so as to cooperate with the groove 16 to ensure that the coupling end 15 is retained inside the housing 14 and to prevent the handle 13 from moving relative to the key 12. The clamping tool 10 is then secured to the pump 11.

[0037] The operator can then grasp the "clamping tool 10-pump 11" assembly so as to move the pump 11 to the volute and then clamp the pump 11 onto the volute via the fixing device 33.

[0038] Of course, the different features, variants and / or embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other in various ways insofar as they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

[0039] Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and provided solely by way of example. It encompasses various modifications, alternative forms, and other variants that a person skilled in the art may consider within the scope of the present invention, and in particular all combinations of the different modes of operation described above, which may be taken separately or in combination.

Claims

Claims

1. Removable clamping tool (10) for a pump (11), in particular a swimming pool maintenance pump, characterized in that said clamping tool (10) comprises: - a key (12) of elongated shape comprising a stop (21) and an end intended to be inserted inside a housing (14) of the maintenance pump (11), said key (12) further comprising a groove (16) intended to cooperate with a locking part (18) mounted movable in translation on the maintenance pump (11), and - a handle (13) linked in rotation with the key (12), said handle 13 comprising a gripping portion (24), a first arm (25.1) provided with a first opening (26.1) for the passage of the key (12) and a second arm (25.2) provided with a second opening (26.2) for the passage of the key (12), - the first arm (25.1) being intended to come into contact with the stop (21) and the second arm (25.2) being intended to come into contact with the locking part (18) so as to block the handle (13) in translation relative to the key (12).

2. Clamping tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the key (12) comprises a projecting portion (22) capable of unlocking a swimming pool slab.

3. Clamping tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the key (12) comprises at least one flat (29) at its external periphery intended to cooperate with a corresponding shape produced on an internal face of the opening of the first arm (25.1) and / or an internal face of the opening of the second arm (25.2) in order to lock the handle (13) in rotation.

4. Clamping tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle (13) has a U-shape.

5. Clamping tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the key (12) and / or the handle (13) are made of a plastic material.

6. Clamping tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the key (12) and / or the handle (13) comprise stiffening ribs (27).

7. Assembly comprising a swimming pool maintenance pump (11) and a clamping tool (10) defined according to any one of the preceding claims. previous.

8. Assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that the pump (11) comprises a locking part (18) movable in translation between an unlocked position in which the locking part (18) is distant from a housing (14) for receiving a coupling end (15) of the key (16) and a locked position in which the locking part (18) is brought closer to the housing (14) for receiving the coupling end (15) of the key (16) so as to cooperate with the groove (16) made in the external periphery of the key (12).

9. Assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the pump 11 comprises a fixing device (33) with an ancillary element, such as a volute.

10. Assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the pump (11) is double-stage.

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