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(11) | EP 4 579 050 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | DETACHABLE FLUID DISTRIBUTOR |
| (57) A pool cleaning robot is provided with a detachable fluid distributor (DFD) in a
fluid path. The DFD is locked to the base of the pool cleaning robot via a connector.
The DPD is coupled between a base of the pool cleaning robot and one or more output
fluid conduits configured to output filtered fluid. The DFD is preferably not connected to the base by screws or the like, and may be detached and/or connected manually, without the use of any tool. |
BACKGROUND
[0001] A pool cleaning robot includes many parts that interface with water and should be cleaned from time to time. It was found that parts that are hard to access remain dirtier than easily accessed parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a pool cleaning robot (PCR) without its cover, the PCR includes a detachable fluid distributor (DFD);
FIGs. 2-3 illustrate an example of a PCR at an open position and an assembly or disassembly process of the DFD;
FIGs. 4-5 illustrate an example of a DFD;
FIGs. 6-7 illustrate another example of a DFD; and
FIG. 8 illustrates a part of a fluid path of the PCR.
[0004] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
SUMMERY
DESCRIPTION
[0006] There is provided a DFD that belongs to a fluid path of a PCR. Fluid enters the PCR, propagates through the fluid path while being filtered by a filtering unit and then exits the PCR. The DFD is detachably coupled between a base (for supporting the DFD) and one or more output fluid conduits configured to output filtered fluid from the base to outlets of a the PCR.
[0007] The base is preceded by (is downstream to) a filtering unit that filters unfiltered fluid to provide the filtered fluid, and is also preceded by an impeller that once rotated (for example along a first rotational direction) directs the filtered fluid towards the DFD.
[0008] According to an embodiment, the DFD is not connected to the base by screws and is detached from the base by moving the DFD away from the base. According to an embodiment, the DFD is detached and/or connected manually - even without using any tool.
[0009] According to an embodiment, the DFD is detachably coupled to the base using a snap-fit connector. One part of the snap-fit connector belongs to the DFD while a second part of the snap-fit connector belongs to the base.
[0010] According to an embodiments the protruding edges are released from the snap in areas by pushing them towards each other and them moving the DFD away from the base.
[0011] According to an embodiment, the first part is a male element (for example a protruding edge) while the second part is a female element (for example a snap in area). Alternatively, the first part is a female element while the second part is a male element.
[0014] According to an embodiment, the snap-fit connector is selected out of an annular snap-fit connector, a cantilever snap-fit connector or a torsional snap-fit connector.
[0015] According to an embodiment, the movement of the DFD away from the base requires moving the output fluid conduits away from the DFD.
[0016] According to an embodiment, the output fluid conduits are moved away from the base by elevating the output fluid conduits.
[0017] According to an embodiment, the elevation includes at least one of (a) a rotational movement of the output fluid conduits, or (b) a linear movement.
[0018] According to an embodiment, the output fluid conduits are connected to an upper part of a housing of the PCR, and the rotational movement includes rotating the upper part about an axis.
[0019] According to an embodiment, the DFD is detachably coupled to the base using a rotating connector. The rotating connector comprises a base that supports a rotating unit that rotates around the base. The rotating unit includes an interfacing element that rotates with the rotation of the rotating unit and moves between (a) a coupling position in which the interfacing element contacts a perturbation of the base thereby temporarily connecting the rotating unit - and hence the DFD to the base, and (b) an detached position in which the rotating unit does not contact the perturbation of the base. See, for example, figures 4 and 5.
[0020] According to an embodiment - the interfacing element fits the perturbation and once located in the coupling position the interfacing element is pressed against the perturbation or at least is rigidly coupled to the perturbation.
[0021] According to an embodiments the protruding edges are released from the snap in areas by moving from the coupling position to the detached position and then moving the DFD away from the base.
[0022] According to an embodiment, the removal of the DFD eases the access to the impeller and/or the filtering unit - and eases the cleaning of the impeller and/or the filtering unit.
[0023] It should be noted that the PCRs illustrated in any one of figure 1-3 may include different parts, other parts, any other number of parts. For example - according to an embodiment, the PCR of figures 1-8 includes more that one impeller.
[0024] Figures 1-3 illustrate examples of PCRs and figures 4-8 illustrate examples of various parts of a PCR - including a DFD.
[0025] The parts include lower part 21 of a housing, upper part 22 of a housing, base 50 for supporting the DFD, base opening 53, DFD 30, impeller 61, filtering unit 62, inlet 63 of the housing, output fluid conduits 41 and 42, housing outlets 43 and 44, handle 29 (of the PCR).
[0026] In figures 4 and 5, illustrate a first example of a DFD 30 that is mechanically connected to the base using a rotation based mechanical connector such as an annular snap-fit connector that includes a rotating unit 35-2, rotation axis 35-1, interfacing element 35-3, and base perturbation 51. The base perturbation 51 belongs to base 50 (which is an example of a connector base portion) while a connector DFD portion includes the rotating unit 35-2, rotation axis 35-1, and the interfacing element 35-3.
[0027] Figure 4 illustrates that DFD body 38 includes first and second DFD body parts 31 and 32. Having the DFD body 38 made of the first and second DFD body parts 31 and 32 simplifies the manufacturing of the DFD body. According to another embodiment the DFD body is made of a single part or is made of more than two DFD body parts.
[0028] In figure 4, the first and second DFD body parts 31 and 32 are attached to each other using two body snap-fit connectors - first body snap-fit connector 33 that includes body snap in area 33-1 and body protruding edge 33-2, second body snap-fit connector 34, and third body snap-fit connector 343.
[0029] Figure 4 also illustrates the DFD body 38 as including an intermediate DFD body portion 38-2, a lower DFD body portion 38-1 and an upper DFD body portion 38-3. The connector DFD portion is a part of the DFD intermediate body portion.
[0030] Figures 4 and 5 also illustrates the DFD as further including DFD inlet 36-1, DFD outlet 36-2, DFD perturbation 39. Figures 4 and 5 also illustrate the base 50 as including a base interface 52-1 having an opening 52-2 for receiving the DFD perturbation 39.
[0031] Figure 6 and 7 illustrates an example of a DFD 30' that interfaces with base 50' using a linear movement mechanical connector such as a cantilever snap-fit connector that includes snap on areas 59 (part of base 50) and protruding edges 58.
[0032] According to an embodiment the DFD is shaped as a horn and has a inlet that is tilted in relation to an outlet (of the DFD). The inlet may be oriented by 30-120 degrees, 40-110 degrees, 85-95 degrees, or by any other tilt angle in relation to the outlet.
[0033] According to an embodiment the DFD includes two or more DFD portions that are detachably coupled to each other. Producing two or more DFD portion simplifies the manufacturing process of the DFD. In various figures the DFD is illustrated as including two DFP portions - such as a left DFD portion and a right DFD portion.
[0034] In the foregoing detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.
[0035] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings.
[0036] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
[0037] Any reference in the specification to a system should be applied mutatis mutandis to a method that can be executed by the system.
[0038] Because the illustrated embodiments of the present invention may for the most part, be implemented using electronic components and circuits known to those skilled in the art, details will not be explained in any greater extent than that considered necessary as illustrated above, for the understanding and appreciation of the underlying concepts of the present invention and in order not to obfuscate or distract from the teachings of the present invention.
[0039] Any reference in the specification to a method should be applied mutatis mutandis to a system capable of executing the method.
[0040] There is provided a pool cleaning robot that can, without human intervention, exit the pool, be cleaned, can have its filter replaced, electrically charged and resume to work. In this specification the terms "autonomous", "automatic", "independent" and "without human intervention" are used in an interchangeable manner.
[0041] In the following text any reference to a movement of the pool cleaning robot (or cleaning of) a bottom of a pool may refer to a movement (or cleaning) of the pool cleaning robot along any surface of the pool (including a pool sidewall).
[0042] According to an embodiment, the PCR also includes:
- a. A drive system that is arranged to move the PCR in relation to an environment of the PCR.
- b. A controller for controlling the PCR.
- c. A power source.
[0043] There is provided a pool cleaning robot that includes a housing; a fluid path that includes an impeller, a filtering unit, a detachable fluid distributer (DFD), a base and one or more output fluid conduits; wherein the filtering unit is configured to filter fluid that entered the fluid path to provide filtered fluid; wherein the impeller is configured to direct the filtered fluid towards the DFD; wherein the DFD is detachably mechanically coupled to the base, via a connector that includes a connector DFD portion and a connector base portion; wherein (a) a movement of the DFD in an engagement direction towards the base, and (b) a positioning of the connector DFD portion at a coupling position, lock the DFD to the base.
[0044] According to an embodiment, the DFD is configured to distribute the filtered fluid to the one or more output fluid conduits. According to another embodiment the DFD has another role than distributing the filtered fluid to the one or more output fluid conduits. For example - the DFD may provide an interface or a cover the impeller.
[0045] According to an embodiment,(a) a movement of the DFD in a disengagement direction in relation to the base, and (b) a positioning of the connector DFD portion at a detach position, release the DFD from the base.
[0046] According to an embodiment, the movement of the DFD in a disengagement direction in relation to the base is preceded by moving the one or more fluid conduits away from the DFD.
[0047] According to an embodiment, the housing includes a upper part and a lower part, wherein the upper part is configured to upwardly move in relation to the upper part, wherein the upper part is mechanically coupled to the one or more output fluid conduits.
[0048] According to an embodiment, an upwardly movement of the upper part lifts the one or more output fluid conduits.
[0050] According to an embodiment, the connector is an rotation based connector that is configured to rotate between a detached position to the coupling position.
[0051] According to an embodiment, the movement of the DFD in the engagement direction towards the base, and the positioning of the connector DFD portion at the coupling position are executed manually without using any mechanical tool.
[0052] According to an embodiment, the DFD includes a DFD body that includes a DFD inlet, a DFD outlet, and a DFD perturbation, wherein the DFD body is curved, the DFD inlet is oriented to the DFD outlet, the DFD perturbation is positioned at a rear side of the DFD body, and the DFD outlet is located at a front side of the DFD body.
[0053] According to an embodiment, the base includes a base interface that includes an opening that fits the DFD perturbation.
[0054] According to an embodiment, the DFD includes a DFD body that includes a DFD perturbation that is located at a rear side of the DFD body, wherein the base includes a base interface that includes an opening that fits the DFD perturbation.
[0055] According to an embodiment, the DFD includes a DFD body, wherein the DFD body includes DFD body parts that are fastened together using body snap-fit connectors.
[0056] According to an embodiment, the body snap-fit connectors includes a top body snap-fit connector located at a top of the DFD body, and another body snap-fit connector located at a rear side of the DFD body.
[0057] According to an embodiment, the DFD includes a DFD body that includes a DFD inlet, a DFD outlet, wherein the DFD body includes an intermediate DFD body portion, a lower DFD body portion and an upper DFD body portion, wherein the connector DFD portion is a part of the DFD intermediate body portion.
[0058] According to an embodiment, a DFD outlet is formed in the upper DFD body portion and a DFD inlet is formed in the lower DFD body portion.
[0059] According to an embodiment, the DFD outlet is wider than the intermediate DFD body portion, and the lower DFD body portion.
[0060] In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific examples of embodiments of the invention. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
[0061] Moreover, the terms "front, " "back, " "top, " "bottom, " "over, " "under " and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
[0062] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the boundaries between logic blocks are merely illustrative and that alternative embodiments may merge logic blocks or circuit elements or impose an alternate decomposition of functionality upon various logic blocks or circuit elements. Thus, it is to be understood that the architectures depicted herein are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality.
[0063] Any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as "associated with " each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being "operably connected, " or "operably coupled, " to each other to achieve the desired functionality.
[0064] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that boundaries between the above described operations merely illustrative. The multiple operations may be combined into a single operation, a single operation may be distributed in additional operations and operations may be executed at least partially overlapping in time. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include multiple instances of a particular operation, and the order of operations may be altered in various other embodiments.
[0065] Also for example, in one embodiment, the illustrated examples may be implemented as circuitry located on a single integrated circuit or within a same device. Alternatively, the examples may be implemented as any number of separate integrated circuits or separate devices interconnected with each other in a suitable manner.
[0066] Also for example, the examples, or portions thereof, may implemented as soft or code representations of physical circuitry or of logical representations convertible into physical circuitry, such as in a hardware description language of any appropriate type.
[0067] Also, the invention is not limited to physical devices or units implemented in non-programmable hardware but can also be applied in programmable devices or units able to perform the desired device functions by operating in accordance with suitable program code, such as mainframes, minicomputers, servers, workstations, personal computers, notepads, personal digital assistants, electronic games, automotive and other embedded systems, cell phones and various other wireless devices, commonly denoted in this application as 'computer systems'.
[0068] However, other modifications, variations and alternatives are also possible. The specifications and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.
[0069] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word 'comprising' does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps then those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the terms "a " or "an, " as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. Also, the use of introductory phrases such as "at least one " and "one or more " in the claims should not be construed to imply that the introduction of another claim element by the indefinite articles "a " or "an " limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more " or "at least one " and indefinite articles such as "a " or "an. " The same holds true for the use of definite articles. Unless stated otherwise, terms such as "first" and "second " are used to arbitrarily distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
[0070] Any system, apparatus or device referred to this patent application includes at least one hardware component.
[0071] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
1. A pool cleaning robot (PCR), comprising:
a housing;
a fluid path that comprises an impeller, a filtering unit, a detachable fluid distributer (DFD), a base and one or more output fluid conduits;
wherein the filtering unit is configured to filter fluid that entered the fluid path to provide filtered fluid; and
wherein the impeller is configured to direct the filtered fluid towards the DFD;
wherein the DFD is detachably mechanically coupled to the base, via a connector that comprises a connector DFD portion and a connector base portion; wherein (a) a movement of the DFD in an engagement direction towards the base, and (b) a positioning of the connector DFD portion at a coupling position, lock the DFD to the base.
2. The PCR according to claim 1 wherein (a) a movement of the DFD in a disengagement
direction in relation to the base, and (b) a positioning of the connector DFD portion
at a detach position, release the DFD from the base.
3. The PCR according to claim 2, wherein the movement of the DFD in a disengagement direction
in relation to the base is preceded by moving the one or more fluid conduits away
from the DFD.
4. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a upper part and a lower
part, wherein the upper part is configured to upwardly move in relation to the upper
part, wherein the upper part is mechanically coupled to the one or more output fluid
conduits.
5. The PCR according to claim 4, wherein a upwardly movement of the upper part lifts
the one or more output fluid conduits.
6. The PCR according to claim 1 wherein the connector is a cantilever snap-fit connector.
7. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the connector is an rotation based connector
that is configured to rotate between a detached position to the coupling position.
8. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the DFD in the engagement direction
towards the base, and the positioning of the connector DFD portion at the coupling
position are executed manually without using any mechanical tool.
9. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the DFD comprises a DFD body that comprises
a DFD inlet, a DFD outlet, and a DFD perturbation, wherein the DFD body is curved,
the DFD inlet is oriented to the DFD outlet, the DFD perturbation is positioned at
a rear side of the DFD body, and the DFD outlet is located at a front side of the
DFD body.
10. The PCR according to claim 9, wherein the base comprises a base interface that comprises
an opening that fits the DFD perturbation.
11. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the DFD comprises a DFD body that comprises
a DFD perturbation that is located at a rear side of the DFD body, wherein the base
comprises a base interface that comprises an opening that fits the DFD perturbation.
12. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the DFD comprise a DFD body, wherein the DFD
body comprises DFD body parts that are fastened together using body snap-fit connectors.
13. The PCR according to claim 12, wherein the body snap-fit connectors comprises a top
body snap-fit connector located at a top of the DFD body, and another body snap-fit
connector located at a rear side of the DFD body.
14. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the DFD comprises a DFD body that comprises
a DFD inlet, a DFD outlet, wherein the DFD body comprises an intermediate DFD body
portion, a lower DFD body portion and an upper DFD body portion, wherein the connector
DFD portion is a part of the DFD intermediate body portion.
15. The PCR according to claim 14, wherein a DFD outlet is formed in the upper DFD body
portion and a DFD inlet is formed in the lower DFD body portion.
16. The PCR according to claim 15, wherein the DFD outlet is wider than the intermediate
DFD body portion, and the lower DFD body portion.
17. The PCR according to claim 1, wherein the DFD is configured to distribute the filtered
fluid to the one or more output fluid conduits.
18. A method for operating the PCR of any claim of claims 1-17.