Mobile Pool Nozzle Navigation for Hose-Free Debris Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pool cleaning systems require costly installation of pipes and nozzles within the pool walls, are visually distracting with hoses and wires, and necessitate removal between cleanings, posing a need for efficient and hassle-free debris removal solutions.
Innovation Solution
A mobile nozzle system with a body, water intake, discharge nozzle, and computer system that identifies debris collection zones, moves autonomously, and expels pressurized water to dislodge debris, utilizing inductive power and beacons for navigation, without requiring installation of pipes or visible connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If in-floor nozzle systems with pipes are installed in pool walls, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the nozzle system from the fixed in-wall installation and makes it mobile and removable. The cleaning system is taken out of the pool structure entirely, allowing it to be deployed only when needed and removed afterward, eliminating permanent piping installation while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile nozzle system is designed to be self-contained with its own propulsion and navigation capabilities. It autonomously moves to designated cleaning zones and returns to its storage location without requiring permanent infrastructure, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating complex installation requirements.
2Use of energy by moving object
If hoses and wires are used for pool cleaning devices, then power and water supply are provided, but visual distraction and aesthetic appeal deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates hoses and wires by extracting the power and water supply connections from the system. The mobile nozzle receives water from the pool itself and uses an internal pump, completely removing visible connections and improving aesthetic appeal while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pool's existing water as its fluid source and employs an internal pump for water circulation and propulsion. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external hoses and wires, removing visual distractions while providing all necessary functions.
3Ease of manufacture
If automated pool cleaners are removed from the pool between cleanings, then maintenance and storage are simplified, but convenience and continuity of cleaning deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile nozzle system autonomously returns to its designated storage location in the pool floor after each cleaning cycle and remains stationed there until needed again. This self-service behavior eliminates the need for manual removal and installation, providing both maintenance simplicity and continuous availability for cleaning operations.
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 mobile nozzle effectively dislodges and directs debris to collection zones, eliminating the need for costly installations and visible hoses/wires, providing efficient and autonomous pool cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
a first inductive power coupling (102) including an inductor circuit and configured to receive power wirelessly from a power source (104)
Data Source
AI summary
Mobile nozzles and associated systems for cleaning pools and spas are provided. One or more mobile nozzles traverse a pool or spa, dislodge settled debris from the floors thereof, and direct the debris to one or more outlets for removal and/or filtration. Each of the mobile nozzles can include a body, a water intake, a discharge nozzle configured to expel pressurized water, one or more sensors adapted for navigation and/or to locate debris within the pool or spa, a propulsion system, and a control system including a memory and a processor. The discharge nozzle can be movable between a plurality of orientations relative to the body, or can have a fixed orientation. The processor is operable to identify debris in the pool or spa and cause the discharge nozzle to be positioned such that the pressurized water expelled therethrough directs the debris toward a debris collection zone or outlet.