Two-wheel actuator steering system and method for pool cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10156082-B2
Application number	US-201615332847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments provide a pool cleaner with a housing, a first drive wheel positioned along a first side of the housing, and a second drive wheel positioned along a second side of the housing. The pool cleaner also includes a steering system engaged with the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel. The steering system includes a rotating cam with a first cam profile and a second cam profile different from the first cam profile. The steering system drives the housing in a cycle of forward and turn movements by rotating the first drive wheel based on the first cam profile and rotating the second drive wheel based on the second cam profile.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pool cleaner comprising:
a housing;
a first drive wheel positioned along a first side of the housing;
a second drive wheel positioned along a second side of the housing; and
a steering system engaged with the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel,
the steering system including a rotating cam with a first cam profile and a second cam profile different from the first cam profile,
the steering system driving the housing in a cycle of forward and turn movements by rotating the first drive wheel based on the first cam profile and rotating the second drive wheel based on the second cam profile.

2. The pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the steering system includes a turbine paddle positioned within the housing and rotated by fluid flow through the housing.

3. The pool cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the turbine paddle rotates the cam.

4. The pool cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the cycle includes a full rotation of the cam and the steering system repeats the cycle.

5. The pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cycle includes forward, turn, and reverse movements.

6. The pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an outlet orifice configured to receive a suction source.

7. A pool cleaner including a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, the pool cleaner comprising:
a rotating cam including a first cam profile and a second cam profile different than the first cam profile;
a first drive shaft in communication with the first drive wheel;
a second drive shaft in communication with the second drive Wheel;
a first actuator in communication with the first drive shaft and the first cam profile, the first actuator following the first cam profile as the cam rotates, the first actuator causing the first drive shaft to drive the first drive wheel in one of a forward direction and a reverse direction based on a position of the first actuator along the first cam profile; and
a second actuator in communication with the second drive shaft and the second cam profile, the second actuator following the second cam profile as the cam rotates, the second actuator causing the second drive shaft to drive the second drive wheel in one of a forward direction and a reverse direction based on a position of the second actuator along the second cam profile.

8. The pool cleaner of claim 7 further comprising a first pivot gear in communication with the first drive shaft, the first pivot gear engaging inner teeth of the first drive wheel, and a second pivot gear in communication with the second drive shaft, the second pivot gear engaging inner teeth of the second drive wheel, wherein the first drive shaft drives the first drive wheel via the first pivot gear, and the second drive shaft drives the second drive wheel via the second pivot gear.

9. The pool cleaner of claim 7 further comprising a first actuator pin coupled to the first actuator, the first actuator pin following the first cam profile during rotation of the cam, the first actuator moving the first drive shaft between a forward position and a reverse position based on a position of the first actuator pin along the first cam profile, the first drive shaft driving the first drive wheel in a forward direction when the first drive shaft is in the forward position and in a reverse direction when the first drive shaft is in the reverse position.

10. The pool cleaner of claim 7 further comprising a cam link and a second actuator pin, the second actuator pin being coupled to the second actuator via the cam link, the second actuator pin following the second cam profile during rotation of the cam, the second actuator moving the second drive shaft between a forward position and a reverse position based on a position of the second actuator pin along the second cam profile, the second drive shaft driving the second drive wheel in a forward direction when the second drive shaft is in the forward position and in a reverse direction when the second drive shaft is in the reverse position.

11. The pool cleaner of claim 7 further comprising a turbine paddle and a turbine paddle gear rotating with the turbine paddle, wherein the cam rotates in response to rotation of the turbine paddle.

12. The pool cleaner of claim 11 further comprising a forward drive change gear rotating based on rotation of the turbine paddle gear, and a reverse drive change gear rotating based on rotation of the turbine paddle gear, wherein the forward drive change gear and the reverse drive change gear rotate simultaneously in opposite directions with respect to each other, based on rotation of the turbine paddle gear, and wherein the first drive shaft engages the forward drive change gear when in the forward position and the reverse drive change gear when in the reverse position.

13. The pool cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the cam includes a cam body, the first cam profile being oriented on a first side of the cam body and the second cam profile being oriented on a second side of the cam body that is opposite the first side.

14. The pool cleaner of Claim 7 further comprising a turbine paddle and a turbine paddle gear rotating with the turbine paddle; and a timing gear set in communication with the turbine paddle gear and the cam, the timing gear set driving rotation of the cam based on rotation of the turbine paddle.

15. The pool cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the first actuator includes a sleeve portion surrounding a portion of the first drive shaft.

16. The pool cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the sleeve portion of the first actuator extends into an opening through the cam, the sleeve portion surrounding the portion of the first drive shaft within the opening.

Assignees

• Pentair Water Pool & Spa Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Satheesh
• Maurya Om Prakash
• Sanwal Narender

Classifications

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title

• B62D11/10

  using gearings with differential power outputs on opposite sides, e.g. twin-differential or epicyclic gears · CPC title

• Y10T74/18296

  Cam and slide · CPC title