Global Patent Index - EP 1290298 A4

EP 1290298 A4 20040407 - FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE AUTOMATIC SWIMMING POOL CLEANER

Title (en)

FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE AUTOMATIC SWIMMING POOL CLEANER

Title (de)

AUTOMATISCHER SCHWIMMBECKENREINIGER MIT VIERRADANTRIEB

Title (fr)

DISPOSITIF AUTOMATIQUE DE NETTOYAGE DE PISCINE A QUATRE ROUES MOTRICES

Publication

EP 1290298 A4 20040407 (EN)

Application

EP 00941156 A 20000526

Priority

US 0014771 W 20000526

Abstract (en)

[origin: WO0192664A1] A four-wheel pool cleaner (20) motivated by water flow to move along a pool surface, and having: a body (24); the four wheels rotatably mounted thereon and including two sets of two wheels (22) each, one wheel of each set on each side; a drive mechanism (36) in position to be moved by water flow and having a rotatable drive member (76); a drive train extending to the first wheel set (22a, b) and to the second wheel set (22c, d), to drive all four wheels. Preferred embodiments include: wheel-to-wheel drive links (88) along the side; a turbine (36) as drive mechanism; a pair of spaced wheelgears (32, 34), preferably integrally formed with the wheel, facilitating drive linkages and steering; a pair of end-to-end drive shafts (80, 82) joined by a coupler (84c), one shaft end (80a) being a ball joint allowing fore-and-aft movement of a drive-shaft distal end; a spring (102) and cam (100) for alternately moving that distal end between a driving position engaging one of the spaced wheelgears (32), and a steering position engaging the other of the spaced wheelgears (34); wheel treads (108) with radial fingers (110), some (110a-c) of longer length; and a segmented articulated skirt (56) to help enclose a plenum beneath the pool cleaner.

IPC 1-7

E04H 4/16

IPC 8 full level

E04H 4/16 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP)

E04H 4/1654 (2013.01)

Citation (search report)

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

WO 0192664 A1 20011206; AT E308652 T1 20051115; AU 2000255905 A1 20020228; AU 2000255905 B2 20060727; AU 5590500 A 20011211; CA 2414117 A1 20011206; CA 2414117 C 20071030; DE 60023756 D1 20051208; DE 60023756 T2 20060427; EP 1290298 A1 20030312; EP 1290298 A4 20040407; EP 1290298 B1 20051102; ES 2250146 T3 20060416

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 0014771 W 20000526; AT 00941156 T 20000526; AU 2000255905 A 20000526; AU 5590500 A 20000526; CA 2414117 A 20000526; DE 60023756 T 20000526; EP 00941156 A 20000526; ES 00941156 T 20000526