Articulated Cleaning Members for Uneven Pool Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automated pool cleaning devices struggle to effectively clean pool surfaces with varying elevations, such as raised drain covers, steps, and intersections, as they often move away from these areas, reducing their cleaning effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The development of a pool cleaner with articulated cleaning members that can pivot and rotate to accommodate changes in terrain, maintaining close proximity to the pool surface through a combination of suction force and biasing members, ensuring efficient traversal and cleaning of uneven surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional automated pool cleaning devices are used, then the cleaning device can traverse pool surfaces, but it cannot effectively accommodate changes in terrain elevation, causing it to move away from surfaces to be cleaned
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device employs articulated cleaning members that can dynamically adjust their position and orientation relative to the device body. These members are connected through joints allowing rotation and pivoting, enabling them to adapt to varying terrain elevations while maintaining contact with the pool surface for effective cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning device is divided into separate functional segments: a device body and multiple articulated cleaning members. This segmentation allows each component to independently respond to terrain changes, with the cleaning members articulating relative to the body to maintain optimal cleaning position on uneven surfaces.
2Productivity
If the suction inlet is positioned to clean the pool surface, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but raised drain covers and steps cause the cleaner to move away from the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated cleaning members provide dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the suction inlet to maintain close proximity to the pool surface even when encountering raised drain covers, steps, or intersections. The members can pivot and rotate to accommodate terrain variations while keeping the suction inlet positioned for effective cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated cleaning members act as intermediaries between the device body and the pool surface. They absorb the impact of terrain variations and transmit the necessary cleaning force to the surface, allowing the suction inlet to remain positioned effectively without being displaced by obstacles like drain covers or steps.
3Adaptability or versatility
If articulated cleaning members are added to accommodate terrain changes, then adaptability to varying surfaces is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated cleaning members incorporate joints and connections that enable rotation and pivoting movements. These dynamic connections allow the members to adapt to terrain changes through simple rotational movements rather than complex mechanical systems, maintaining relative simplicity while achieving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated cleaning members serve multiple functions: they maintain contact with the pool surface, accommodate terrain elevation changes, and transmit cleaning force to various surface conditions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The articulated cleaning members allow the pool cleaner to maintain effective contact with the pool surface, ensuring thorough cleaning of varying terrain features while preventing the suction inlet from being pushed away, thus enhancing cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
The first biasing member is operatively coupled between the body and the first articulated cleaning member to urge the articulated cleaning member towards a surface to be cleaned
Implementation Method 2
rotating the articulated cleaning member with respect to the body in response to a difference in an elevation of the immersed surface between the articulated cleaning member and the body
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments include a pool cleaner having a body and articulated cleaning member extending from the body. The articulated cleaning member can be pivotally and/or rotatably coupled to the body. The articulated cleaning member can be pivoted or rotated with respect to the body to accommodate changes in the terrain of a pool. A method for cleaning a swimming pool is also provided where a pool cleaner having articulated cleaning members is submerged in a pool and allowing the pool cleaner to traverse an immersed surface of the pool. The method further rotates the articulated cleaning member in response to a difference in an elevation of the immersed surface between the articulated cleaning member and the body.