Floating Pool Cleaner with Integrated Strainer and Pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Above-ground pools are difficult to keep clean due to the lack of effective skimming systems, requiring cumbersome hoses and wall-mounted skimmers that compromise the pool's structure and increase energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A buoyant cleaning device with a housing, strainer, pump, and flotation devices that allows for easy assembly and disassembly, featuring a concave strainer for laminar flow and a detachable design, eliminating the need for hoses and wall-mounted installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wall-mounted skimmers are installed to remove debris, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but pool wall strength is reduced and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the skimmer function from the pool wall structure and relocates it to a free-floating device. The buoyant housing with strainer assembly performs skimming operations independently without requiring wall apertures, thereby maintaining wall integrity while achieving effective debris removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating skimmer device is self-propelled through water circulation created by the pump system. The device automatically positions itself and performs skimming operations without requiring wall mounting or external structural support, serving itself through its own buoyant design and integrated pump mechanism.
2Productivity
If traditional hoses are used to route water from skimmer to pump, then debris removal is achieved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the skimmer body and pump housing into a single integrated floating device. Water is drawn directly into the pump from the strainer assembly without requiring external hoses or piping, simplifying the system architecture while maintaining effective debris removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides buoyancy, houses the strainer for debris capture, contains the pump mechanism, and acts as the collection chamber. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate hoses and external pump connections.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wall-mounted skimmers with apertures are installed, then skimming function is added, but installation difficulty and structural compromise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses buoyant materials and hollow housing structures to counteract the weight of the pump and mechanical components. This buoyancy compensation allows the device to float independently without requiring structural support from pool walls, enabling easy deployment and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The skimmer device is designed to be mobile and adaptable rather than fixed. The floating housing can be easily positioned, moved, and removed from the pool without permanent installation, providing versatility while maintaining ease of operation through its dynamic, non-permanent configuration.
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
Provides efficient debris removal and circulation without additional hoses, maintaining the pool's modularity and reducing energy consumption while ensuring user-friendly operation.
Implementation Method 1
the strainer is concave inwards and provides surface rifling in a spiral fashion to induce laminar flow of fluid through the strainer
Implementation Method 2
one or more flotation devices detachably attached to the housing
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a pool cleaning device having filtering and pumping capabilities. Some embodiments of the disclosed device can be unencumbered by hoses, cables, and the like when in use in the pool. The device may be buoyant and can be configured to float at or just below the surface of the water. The device can comprise a strainer, a pump, a housing for the strainer and pump, and one or more floatation devices. Such a design may allow for a floating skimmer and pump with no need for installation in a side wall. In some embodiments, the device can further comprise a pre-filter. For example, in some embodiments, the strainer and filter can remove large objects and particulates, respectively, before the water passes through the pump. As disclosed in some embodiments, various components of the device may be removeable and replaceable to extend the lifetime of the device.