Controlling a movement of a pool cleaning robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11274462-B2
Application number	US-202016877416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2020
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A pool cleaning robot that includes a ballast tank for controlling a buoyancy of the submarine pool cleaner; at least one cleaning element for cleaning debris from an underwater surface of a pool while the pool cleaning robot hovers over the underwater surface; a propulsion module that is configured to propel the submersible pool cleaner; and a steering module that comprises a rudder and diving planes.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pool cleaning robot, comprising:
a housing;
a filtering mechanism configured to filter fluid;
at least one cleaning element;
a propulsion module that is configured to propel the pool cleaning robot; and
an inverter that is configured to invert the housing during a part of a diving process of the pool cleaning robot.

2. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the inverter comprises a piston.

3. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the inverter is at least one ballast tank.

4. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 wherein the at least one ballast tank is configured to determine a tilt angle of the pool cleaning robot during the part of the diving process of the pool cleaning robot.

5. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 4 wherein the ballast tanks are incorporated in a front section and an aft section of the pool cleaning robot.

6. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 wherein the at least one ballast tank comprises ballast tanks.

7. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 6 wherein the ballast tanks are configured to tilt the pool cleaning robot by directing water between the ballast tanks.

8. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 wherein the at least one ballast tank is a single ballast tank.

9. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 comprising at least one fluid conduit for selectively filling the at least one ballast tank with fluid; wherein the at least one fluid conduit has an opening that is positioned at a lower part of the pool cleaning robot.

10. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 comprising at least one fluid conduit for selectively filling the at least one ballast tank with fluid; wherein the at least one fluid conduit has an opening that is positioned at an upper part of the pool cleaning robot.

11. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 comprising:
a skimmer that is positioned at a lower part of the pool cleaning robot; and
at least one fluid conduit for selectively filling the at least one ballast tank with fluid; wherein the at least one fluid conduit fluidly couples the skimmer to the at least one ballast tank.

12. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 11 wherein the at least one ballast tank is configured to suck fluid through the at least one fluid conduit when the pool cleaning robot is in an inverted position.

13. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 12 when the pool cleaning robot is configured to be in the inverted position when collecting floating dirt that floats on a fluid of the pool.

14. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 comprising:
a skimmer that is positioned at an upper part of the submersible pool cleaner; and
at least one fluid conduit for selectively filling the at least one ballast tank with fluid; wherein the fluid conduit fluidly couples the skimmer to the at least one ballast tank.

15. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 14 wherein the ballast tank is configured to suck fluid through the fluid conduit when the pool cleaning robot is in a non-inverted position.

16. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 when the pool cleaning robot is configured to be in the non-inverted position when collecting floating dirt that floats on a fluid of the pool.

17. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 wherein the at least one cleaning element comprises one or more bottom brushes that are coupled to a bottom of a housing of the cleaning robot and one or mode side suction brushes that are coupled to sides of the housing.

18. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 wherein the at least one cleaning element comprises one or more bottom brushes that are coupled to a bottom of a housing and one or more balancing wheels that are spaced apart from the one or more bottom suction brushes.

19. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 wherein each of the at least one ballast tank comprises a piston that is contained in a closed space; wherein the piston partitions the closed space to a first and second compartment; wherein the first compartment is filled with gas; wherein the second compartment is filled with fluid; wherein a movement of the piston within the closed space controls the buoyancy of the pool clean robot.

20. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 comprising at least one sensor for sensing debris.

21. A method for operating a pool cleaning robot, the method comprises: executing a diving process of the pool cleaning robot, wherein the executing comprises inverting a housing of the pool cleaning robot, by an inverter, during a part of the diving process of the pool cleaning robot; wherein the method further comprises filtering fluid by a filtering mechanism of the pool cleaning robot; and propelling, by a propulsion module of the pool cleaning robot.

Assignees

• Maytronics Ltd

Inventors

• Tryber Eyal
• Witelson Shay

Classifications

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title

• E04H4/1263

  Floating skimmers · CPC title

• G05D1/6486

  by taking into account surface condition, e.g. soiled · CPC title

• G05D2111/52

  generated by inertial navigation means, e.g. gyroscopes or accelerometers · CPC title

• G05D2111/10

  Optical signals · CPC title