Buoyant Automatic Cleaner with Thrust Jet Downforce
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automatic pool cleaners lack natural buoyancy, making them difficult to retrieve from pools and prone to getting stuck in complex geometries, and often require additional mechanical or electrical mechanisms for maneuvering.
Innovation Solution
Designing automatic cleaners with positive buoyancy that can naturally float to the surface for retrieval and featuring a sloped bottom surface, rotating scrub brushes, and a thrust jet that exhausts water at an acute angle to generate downforce, allowing for efficient cleaning and navigation through complex geometries without the need for elongated air hoses or mechanical repositioning mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional automatic pool cleaners are designed with negative buoyancy to remain submerged for cleaning, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but retrieval difficulty increases and additional mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the buoyancy parameter of the cleaner from negative (submerged) to positive (floating). The cleaner is designed with a buoyant body that naturally floats on water, eliminating the need for diving cells, air hoses, or complex retrieval mechanisms. When cleaning is needed, the cleaner is simply pushed underwater and will remain submerged due to its operational weight distribution, but will naturally float back to the surface when power is depleted or retrieval is desired.
2Productivity
If cleaners have a planar bottom surface positioned close to the pool floor for improved water intake, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but the risk of getting stuck on obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional planar bottom surface with a curved, rounded bottom surface. This curved geometry allows the cleaner to smoothly navigate over obstacles, steps, and complex pool/spa geometries without getting stuck. The rounded shape distributes contact forces and enables the cleaner to roll over protrusions rather than high-centering on them, significantly reducing the risk of becoming stuck while maintaining effective water intake through the curved inlet design.
3Extent of automation
If electrically-powered cleaners include motors, pumps, and batteries for autonomous operation, then automation level is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a simplified autonomous system where the cleaner uses its own operational components (motor and pump) to generate downforce that counteracts its natural buoyancy during cleaning. The system automatically transitions from floating mode to submerged cleaning mode when power is applied, and automatically returns to floating mode when power is depleted. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex retrieval mechanisms, diving cells, or additional buoyancy control systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining autonomous operation.
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
Enables easy retrieval and effective cleaning of pools and spas with complex geometries, reducing the risk of getting stuck and simplifying the design by eliminating the need for additional mechanical or electrical mechanisms, while maintaining efficient debris collection and movement.
Implementation Method 1
The present innovative cleaners have positive buoyancy. Accordingly, they are capable of naturally floating to the water surface when not subjected to countervailing forces.
Implementation Method 2
In use, therefore, operation of the motor would create down force counteracting the positive buoyancy of the cleaner. This would cause the cleaner to remain submerged within a vessel so as to perform its cleaning functions
Implementation Method 3
featuring a sloped bottom surface, rotating scrub brushes, and a thrust jet that exhausts water at an acute angle to generate downforce
Data Source
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AI summary
Autonomous, mobile cleaners for water-containing vessels such as swimming pools and spas are detailed. The cleaners are especially useful for cleaning spas, although they may function adequately in connection with certain other vessels as well. They may be designed and constructed in particular to avoid high centering so as not to become stuck when encountering obstacles within the spas or other vessels.