U.S. patent application number 15/842497 was filed with the patent office on 2018-04-19 for alternating paddle mechanism for pool cleaner.
The applicant listed for this patent is Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.. Invention is credited to Suresh C. Gopalan, Satheesh Kumar, Narendra Pratap Singh.
Application Number | 20180106059 15/842497 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51527721 |
Filed Date | 2018-04-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180106059 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kumar; Satheesh ; et
al. |
April 19, 2018 |
Alternating Paddle Mechanism for Pool Cleaner
Abstract
A paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner is provided. The
paddle wheel mechanism includes a housing, a paddle wheel shaft,
and a paddle wheel. The housing includes an internal flow area and
the paddle wheel shaft is supported by the housing. The paddle
wheel is supported by the paddle wheel shaft and includes a paddle
wheel base extending along a base width, a first-type blade, and a
second-type blade. The first-type blade extends radially outward
from the paddle wheel base and includes a first blade portion
extending from a first side of the paddle wheel base for a first
blade width less than the base width. The second-type blade extends
radially outward from the paddle wheel base and includes a second
blade portion extending from a second, opposite side of the paddle
wheel base for a second blade width less than the base width.
Inventors: |
Kumar; Satheesh;
(Nagapattinam, IN) ; Singh; Narendra Pratap;
(Uttar Pradesh, IN) ; Gopalan; Suresh C.; (San
Jose, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc. |
Cary |
NC |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51527721 |
Appl. No.: |
15/842497 |
Filed: |
December 14, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14209876 |
Mar 13, 2014 |
9850672 |
|
|
15842497 |
|
|
|
|
61780481 |
Mar 13, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 4/1654 20130101;
E04H 4/16 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04H 4/16 20060101
E04H004/16 |
Claims
1. A paddle wheel mechanism for a pool cleaner, the paddle wheel
mechanism comprising: a housing with an internal flow area; a
paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing; and a paddle wheel
supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel including a
paddle wheel base extending along a base width, a first-type blade
extending radially outward from the paddle wheel base and including
a first blade portion extending from a first side of the paddle
wheel base for a first blade width less than the base width, and a
second-type blade extending radially outward from the paddle wheel
base and including a second blade portion extending from a second,
opposite side of the paddle wheel base for a second blade width
less than the base width.
2. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein a plurality of
the first-type blades and a plurality of the second-type blades are
arranged around the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.
3. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein at least one of
the first-type blade and the second-type blade includes a curved
blade profile.
4. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the housing
includes a fluid path opening configured to direct fluid from a
fluid path of the pool cleaner across the paddle wheel.
5. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first blade
width and the second blade width are each between 30 percent and 60
percent of the base width.
6. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first-type
blade includes a first base portion extending substantially along
an entirety of the base width, the first blade portion extending
outwardly from the first base portion.
7. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 6, wherein the second-type
blade includes a second base portion extending substantially along
an entirety of the base width, the second blade portion extending
outwardly from the second base portion.
8. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 6, wherein the first base
portion includes a first part from which the first blade portion
extends, and a second part; and the second part extends away from
the paddle wheel base to a lesser extent than the first part.
9. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 8, wherein the first part
and the second part are separated by a shoulder.
10. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 6, wherein the first blade
portion is removably coupled to the first base portion.
11. The paddle wheel mechanism of claim 1, wherein the paddle wheel
base includes a shoulder that aligns with a shoulder on the paddle
wheel shaft when the paddle wheel is arranged over the paddle wheel
shaft.
12. A pool cleaner comprising: a pool cleaner housing defining an
internal fluid path; and a paddle wheel mechanism positioned within
the internal fluid path, the paddle wheel mechanism including: a
housing; a paddle wheel shaft supported by the housing; and a
paddle wheel supported by the paddle wheel shaft, the paddle wheel
including: a paddle wheel base extending along a base width, a
first-type blade extending radially outward from the paddle wheel
base and including a first blade portion extending from a first
side of the paddle wheel base for a first blade width less than the
base width, and a second-type blade extending radially outward from
the paddle wheel base and including a second blade portion
extending from a second, opposite side of the paddle wheel base for
a second blade width less than the base width.
13. The pool cleaner of claim 12, wherein the housing includes a
fluid path opening configured to direct fluid from the internal
fluid path across the paddle wheel.
14. The pool cleaner of claim 12, wherein a plurality of the
first-type blades and a plurality of the second-type blades are
arranged around the paddle wheel base in an alternating manner.
15. The pool cleaner of claim 12 and further comprising at least
one wheel, wherein the paddle wheel mechanism is configured to
provide kinetic energy to drive the at least one wheel.
16. The pool cleaner of claim 12, wherein the paddle wheel shaft is
coupled to one of a steering system and a drive system and the
paddle wheel mechanism is configured to provide kinetic energy to
power one the steering system and the drive system.
17. The pool cleaner of claim 12, wherein the first-type blade and
the second-type blade are fixed relative to each other to maintain
a first axial clearance between an inner edge of the first blade
portion and a first inner surface of the housing, and a second
axial clearance between an inner edge of the second blade portion
and a second inner surface of the housing.
18. The pool cleaner of claim 12, wherein the first-type blade
includes a first base portion, and the first blade portion is
coupled to the first base portion at a joint and extends outwardly
from the first base portion.
19. The pool cleaner of claim 18, wherein the first blade width of
the first blade portion varies from the joint to a distal tip of
the first blade portion.
20. The pool cleaner of claim 18, wherein the first blade width of
the first blade portion is uniform from the joint to a distal tip
of the first blade portion.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/209,876 filed on Mar. 13, 2014, which
claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/780,481 filed on Mar. 13, 2013, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Mechanical pool cleaners are typically classified as
pressure-side cleaners or suction-side cleaners based on their
connection to a pool pump. More specifically, suction-side pool
cleaners are connected to a suction or inlet port of the pump,
while pressure-side pool cleaners are connected to a pressure or
outlet port of the pump. In both types, water is drawn or forced
through the cleaner and mechanisms are provided to attempt to
harvest energy from water movement through the cleaner in order to
operate one or more functions of the cleaner (e.g., vacuuming,
steering, etc.).
[0003] With respect to suction-side pool cleaners, a turbine or
paddle wheel may be provided within a water flow passage to harvest
energy from the water flow. Generally, design aspects of the paddle
wheel are based on a tradeoff between performance and efficiency.
For example, reducing the clearances between blades of the paddle
wheel and the walls of the flow passage may increase efficiency by
allowing the paddle wheel to harness more kinetic energy from the
fluid flow. However, reduced clearance may detrimentally affect
paddle wheel performance because debris may not be allowed to pass
through the water flow passage, and/or may impede rotation of the
paddle wheel. On the other hand, increasing the clearances may
improve performance by allowing debris to pass through the passage
without impeding the paddle wheel. In this instance, however, more
fluid may flow through the larger clearances without providing
kinetic energy to the paddle wheel, which may result in reduced
efficiency.
[0004] One known pool cleaning system includes a number of paddle
wheel blades that are pivotably mounted to the paddle wheel. When
the blades pivot with respect to the paddle wheel, the clearance
between the blades and the housing in which they rotate may change,
which may allow larger debris to pass between the blades and the
housing. The use of pivoting blades, however, may contribute to
increased drag or reduced efficiency, or may increase the
complexity of manufacturing or assembly of the cleaning system.
[0005] Another known pool cleaning system includes a paddle having
a number of blades that collectively revolve around a central axis,
but are each mounted, independently, on a rotating shaft extending
radially outward from the central axis. The separate rotating
shafts allow the individual blades to pivot with respect to their
bulk movement around the central axis, which may allow debris to
move past the individual blades. Such an arrangement, however, may
significantly increase the complexity of manufacturing and assembly
of the cleaning system, and may also decrease overall
efficiency.
[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a pool cleaner
that addresses one or more of the above deficiencies. For example,
it would be desirable to have a pool cleaner with a paddle wheel
mechanism that allows debris to pass in a manner that does not clog
or otherwise obstruct the pool cleaner, while also providing an
efficient pool cleaner with relatively low complexity of
manufacturing, assembly, or maintenance.
SUMMARY
[0007] Some embodiments provide a pool cleaner including a turbine
paddle wheel with paddle wheel blades that are offset from each
other in an alternating manner. Debris in the fluid flow is able to
pass the paddle wheel without excessively choking or clogging the
paddle wheel while still efficiently utilizing kinetic energy from
the fluid flow.
[0008] In some embodiments, a paddle wheel mechanism for a pool
cleaner is provided. The paddle wheel mechanism includes a housing,
a paddle wheel shaft, and a paddle wheel. The housing includes an
internal flow area and the paddle wheel shaft is supported by the
housing. The paddle wheel is supported by the paddle wheel shaft
and includes a paddle wheel base extending along a base width, a
first-type blade, and a second-type blade. The first-type blade
extends radially outward from the paddle wheel base and includes a
first blade portion extending from a first side of the paddle wheel
base for a first blade width less than the base width. The
second-type blade extends radially outward from the paddle wheel
base and includes a second blade portion extending from a second,
opposite side of the paddle wheel base for a second blade width
less than the base width.
[0009] In some embodiments, a pool cleaner is provided. The pool
cleaner includes a pool cleaner housing defining an internal fluid
path and a paddle wheel mechanism positioned within the internal
fluid path. The paddle wheel mechanism includes a housing, a paddle
wheel shaft supported by the housing, and a paddle wheel. The
paddle wheel is supported by the paddle wheel shaft and includes a
paddle wheel base extending along a base width, a first-type blade,
and a second-type blade. The first-type blade extends radially
outward from the paddle wheel base and includes a first blade
portion extending from a first side of the paddle wheel base for a
first blade width less than the base width. The second-type blade
extends radially outward from the paddle wheel base and includes a
second blade portion extending from a second, opposite side of the
paddle wheel base for a second blade width less than the base
width.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIGS. 1A and 1B are isometric views of a pool cleaner for
use with a paddle mechanism;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an example paddle wheel
mechanism for the pool cleaner of FIGS. 1A and 1B;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the paddle wheel
mechanism of FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a paddle wheel and a paddle
wheel shaft of the paddle wheel mechanism of FIG. 2; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the paddle wheel and paddle
wheel shaft of FIG. 4, with example fluid and debris paths
depicted.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including,"
"comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to
encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as
well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise,
the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled" and
variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and
indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further,
"connected" and "coupled" are not restricted to physical or
mechanical connections or couplings.
[0016] The following discussion is presented to enable a person
skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention.
Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic
principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and
applications without departing from embodiments of the invention.
Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited
to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope
consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The
following detailed description is to be read with reference to the
figures, in which like elements in different figures have like
reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to
scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit
the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will
recognize the examples provided herein have many useful
alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the
invention.
[0017] Various types of suction-side (or other) swimming pool
cleaners are operated using energy harvested from the flow of fluid
drawn through them. More specifically, suction-side pool cleaners
are connected to a suction side of a pool pump that causes fluid to
be drawn along a fluid path within the pool cleaner. A paddle wheel
mechanism positioned within the fluid path may accordingly be
utilized to harvest energy from the fluid flow along the fluid
path.
[0018] As noted above, it may be useful to provide a paddle wheel
mechanism that balances concerns of efficiency with other
performance considerations. For example, it may be useful to
provide a paddle wheel mechanism that harnesses kinetic energy from
a fluid flow with relatively high efficiency, while also preventing
debris from excessively interfering with performance of the system.
In certain embodiments, such a paddle wheel mechanism may include a
paddle wheel with two different types of paddle wheel blades
arranged in an alternating fashion around the wheel. For example,
one type of paddle wheel blade may extend from a first side of a
paddle wheel base (and a first side of the cavity in which the
paddle wheel is housed) part, but not all, of the way toward the
other (second) side of the paddle wheel base (and the other side of
the cavity in which the paddle wheel is housed). In contrast,
another type of paddle wheel blade may extend from the other
(second) side of the paddle wheel base part, but not all, of the
way toward the first side of the paddle wheel base. With these two
blade types arranged in an alternating configuration around the
paddle wheel, the blades may accordingly harvest a substantial
portion of kinetic energy of a fluid flow across the paddle wheel,
while at the same time still providing a path for debris to travel
past the paddle wheel without becoming lodged on the wheel or
otherwise impeding its rotation (i.e., a path traveling toward the
second side of the paddle wheel base to clear the first-type blade,
back toward the first side of the paddle wheel base to clear the
second-type blade, and so on).
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1, an example pool cleaner 10 is
depicted, which may utilize a paddle wheel mechanism 12 (see, e.g.,
FIG. 2) to harvest kinetic energy of fluid moving through the pool
cleaner 10. The pool cleaner 10 may be configured as a suction-side
pool cleaner, or as various other types of pool cleaners (e.g., a
pressure-side pool cleaner) known in the art. The pool cleaner 10
generally includes a housing 14, which is designed to retain a
paddle wheel mechanism 12. The pool cleaner 10 further includes in
an inlet (not shown) disposed on a lower surface of the pool
cleaner that allows for fluid and debris to enter into the pool
cleaner 10. The pool cleaner 10 also includes an outlet 14a
provided in the form of a cylindrical connection extending from an
upper portion of the housing 14, which is designed to interact with
a hose (not shown) that transports debris and/or water to a pool
filtering mechanism and/or collection device. In certain
embodiments, a paddle wheel mechanism 12 may provide kinetic energy
for the wheels 16 and 18, or for various other features of
components.
[0020] Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, paddle wheel mechanism 12
is depicted, for optimizing debris handling and energy harvesting
within the suction-side swimming pool cleaner 10. The paddle wheel
mechanism 12 includes a paddle wheel housing 30 (shown with an
upper housing portion removed), and a paddle wheel 34 supported by
a paddle wheel shaft 36. The housing 30 defines an internal paddle
wheel cavity 32 surrounding the paddle wheel 34, and includes an
inlet fluid path opening 38, and an outlet fluid path opening (not
shown) on the opposing side of the paddle wheel 34 from the opening
38. During operation of the cleaner 10, accordingly, fluid may flow
into the cavity 32 via the opening 38 and out of the cavity 32 via
the outlet opening (not shown), such that the cavity 32 defines, at
least in part, an internal fluid flow area for housing 30.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 30 also includes shaft
supports 40, each of which receive a shaft bearing 42 through which
the paddle wheel shaft 36 extends. The shaft bearings 42
accordingly allow the paddle wheel shaft 36, and thus the paddle
wheel 34, to rotate freely within the cavity 32 of the housing 30.
It will be understood, that in other embodiments, the paddle wheel
34 may be mounted within the housing 30 for rotation in a variety
of other known ways. For example, the shaft 36 may be rotatably
mounted directly to the housing 30, may be fixedly mounted to the
housing 30 with the paddle wheel 34 rotating around the shaft 36,
or may extend through the housing 30 to mounting points removed
from the housing 30. Similarly, the shaft 36 may be a single-body
shaft, may include two half-shafts, or may take a variety of other
configurations.
[0022] The cavity 32 of the housing 30 is defined, at least in
part, by a curved inner surface 56, which may be designed to
generally provide relatively small clearance for the rotation of
paddle wheel 34. For example, the inner surface 56 may be generally
curved to follow the path traced by the radially outermost (or
other) portions of the blades 52 of the paddle wheel 34 (as
discussed in greater detail below), the inner surface 56 generally
defining a relatively small clearance between those outermost blade
(or other) portions and the surface 56. In certain embodiments,
relatively larger clearance may be provided for paddle wheel 34
over a surface portion 56a corresponding, for example, to a region
in which fluid flows from the opening 38 into the cavity 34. The
cavity 34 is also defined by internal surfaces (e.g., side walls)
78 and 80, which may be designed to provide relatively small
clearances between lateral features of the paddle wheel 34 (e.g.,
sides 70 and 72 of paddle wheel base 50), lateral edges of blades
of the paddle wheel 34, or other components (e.g., a flange 20 on
the paddle wheel shaft 36).
[0023] Referring also to FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the paddle
wheel 34 includes a paddle wheel base 50 surrounding the paddle
wheel shaft 36. A plurality of paddle wheel blades 52 protrude
radially outwardly from the base 50 into the cavity 32 and,
thereby, into a flow path of fluid entering the cavity 32 via the
inlet opening 38. In the embodiment depicted, the paddle wheel
blades 52 include a generally curved profile over the majority of
their extension away from the base 50, in order to effectively
harvest kinetic energy from passing fluid. It will be understood,
however, that other configurations are possible.
[0024] In the embodiment depicted, two types of blades 52 extend
from the paddle wheel 34 and are characterized by first-type blades
60 and second-type blades 90, although other embodiments may
include a different number of blade types (e.g., three or more
different blade types). Similarly, the two types of blades 52
depicted may be generally viewed as similarly shaped, but
differently oriented. However, other embodiments may include
various blade types that are less similar in shape. Likewise,
although the depicted embodiment includes six total blades 52, with
three blades of each blade type, various other numbers of blades
(and respective blade types) may be utilized.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, first-type blades 60 include curved
blade portions 62 extending radially away from the paddle wheel
base 50. The blade portions 62 are each defined by curved body
portions 64 that extend outwardly and terminate at rounded distal
tips 66 at the radially outermost end of the body portions 64. The
distal tips 66 are configured to be generally thicker than the body
portions 64, and may travel along inner surfaces 56 of the cavity
32 with a relatively small clearance.
[0026] Generally, the blade portions 62 of first-type blades 60
extend along the width 54 of the paddle wheel base 50 (e.g.,
axially along the base 50) from exterior edges 68 at a first side
70 of the base 50 toward a second, opposite side 72 of the base 50,
but do not extend the entire length of the width 54 to reach the
second side 72. Rather, each blade portion 62 terminates at an
interior edge 74, which is spaced interiorly from the second side
72. In certain embodiments, for example, the width 76 of the blade
portion 62 may be between about 30% and about 60% of the width 54
of the base 50. In this way, the blade portions 62 may provide a
close clearance between the edges 68 and the surface 78 of the
internal cavity 32, but a substantially larger clearance between
the edges 74 and the surface 80 of the internal cavity 32.
[0027] Still referring to FIG. 4, in certain embodiments,
first-type blades 60 further include elongate base portions 82,
which may extend along the paddle wheel base 50 toward the second
side 72 further than blade portions 62. This may, for example,
provide additional area to harvest kinetic energy from passing
fluid, as well as providing additional support and stability to the
blade portions 62. In certain embodiments, the base portions 82 may
extend across substantially all of the width of the internal cavity
32. In other embodiments, the width 76 of the blade portion 62 is
about half of the width of the base portion 82. In a further
embodiment, the width 76 of the blade portion 62 is about a third
of the width of the base portion 82. In still a further embodiment,
the width 76 of the blade portion 62 is less than half of the width
of the base portion 82. As depicted in the various figures, the
base portions 82 also extend radially away from the paddle wheel
base 50, but to a lesser extent than the blade portions 62. In
certain embodiments, the base portions 82 may include a shoulder
86, such that a part of the base portion 82 that attaches to the
blade portion 62 extends farther away from the paddle wheel base 50
than does a part of the base portion 82 that does not attach to the
blade portion 62. In certain embodiments, the shoulder 86 may be
mirrored by a similar shoulder 88 in the paddle wheel base 50,
which in turn may correspond to one or more shoulders 36a on paddle
wheel shaft 36 (see FIG. 3). This may, for example, allow the
paddle wheel base 50 to be slid fully onto the paddle wheel shaft
36 only in one direction. The base portions 82 may be formed
integrally with the base 50, or may be otherwise attached to the
base 50 using a variety of known attachment means.
[0028] In certain embodiments, and as depicted in the various
figures, the blade portions 62 are detachable from the base
portions 82 at an attachment joint 84. For example, the blade
portions 62 may be attached to the base portions 82 with snap-fit
or other separable attachment means at the joint 84. In this way,
the blade portions 62 may be removed and reattached to allow for
relatively simple repair and maintenance of the paddle wheel 34, as
well as to provide customizability through the use of different
numbers or orientations of blades, or the use of blade portions 62
with various profiles, thicknesses, types of tips 66, blade widths
76, and so on.
[0029] As discussed above, the paddle wheel 34 also includes one or
more second-type blades 90. Each second-type blade 90 includes
curved blade portions 92 extending radially away from the paddle
wheel base 50. The blade portions 92 include body portions 94 that
curve outwardly and terminate at distal tips 96 at the radially
outermost end of the body portions 94. The distal tips 96 are
configured to be generally thicker than the body portions 94, and
may travel along the inner surfaces 56 of the cavity 32 with
relatively small clearance.
[0030] Generally, the blade portions 92 of second-type blades 90
extend along the width 54 of the paddle wheel base 50 (e.g.,
axially along the base 50) from exterior edges 98 at the second
side 72 of the base 50 toward a first side 70 of the base 50, but
do not extend the entire length of the width 54 to reach the first
side 70. Rather, each blade portion 92 terminates at an interior
edge 100, which is spaced interiorly from the first side 70. In
certain embodiments, for example, the width 102 of the blade
portion 92 may be between about 30% and about 60% of the width 54
of the base 50. In this way, the blade portions 92 may provide a
close clearance between the edges 98 and the surface 80 of the
internal cavity 32, but a substantially larger clearance between
the edges 100 and the surface 78 of the internal cavity 32.
[0031] Still referring to FIG. 4, in certain embodiments,
second-type blades 90 further include elongate base portions 104,
which may extend along the paddle wheel base 50 toward the first
side 70 further than the blade portions 92. This may, for example,
provide additional area to harvest kinetic energy from passing
fluid, as well as providing additional support and stability to the
blade portions 92. In certain embodiments, the base portions 104
may extend across substantially all of the width of the internal
cavity 32. In other embodiments, the width 102 of the blade portion
92 is about half of the width of the base portion 104. In a further
embodiment, the width 102 of the blade portion 92 is about a third
of the width of the base portion 104. In still a further
embodiment, the width 102 of the blade portion 92 is less than half
of the width of the base portion 92. As depicted in the various
figures, the base portions 104 also extend radially away from the
paddle wheel base 50, but to a lesser extent than the blade
portions 92. In certain embodiments, the base portions 104 may
include a shoulder 108, such that a part of the base portion 104
that attaches to the blade portion 92 extends further away from the
paddle wheel base 50 than does a part of the base portion that does
not attach to the blade portion 92. In certain embodiments, the
shoulder 104 may be mirrored by the shoulder 88 in the paddle wheel
base 50, which in turn may correspond to one or more shoulders 36a
on paddle wheel shaft 36 (see FIG. 3). The base portions 104 may be
formed integrally with the base 50, or may be otherwise attached to
the base 50 using a variety of known attachment means.
[0032] In certain embodiments, and as depicted in the various
figures, the blade portions 92 are detachable from the base
portions 104 at an attachment joint 106. For example, the blade
portions 92 may be attached to the base portions 104 with snap-fit
or other separable attachment means at a joint 106. In this way,
the blade portions 92 may be removed and reattached to allow for
relatively simple repair and maintenance of the paddle wheel 34, as
well as to provide customizability through the of different numbers
or orientations of blades, or use of the blade portions 92 with
various profiles, thicknesses, types of tips 96, blade widths 102,
and so on. Where the blade portions 62 and 92 are similar (e.g., as
in the embodiment depicted in the various figures), this detachable
configuration may sometimes allow for the manufacturing of a single
type of blade portion, which may be connected to either of the base
portions 62 or 82 to complete, respectively, first-type blades 60
or second-type blades 90.
[0033] As noted above, and as depicted in the various figures,
first-type blades 60 and second-type blades 90 may be oriented in
an alternating arrangement around the paddle wheel 34. For example,
three first-type blades 60 may be provided, extending radially away
from the paddle wheel base 50 in an alternating configuration with
three second-type blades 92. It will be understood that various
other configurations may be possible, including configurations
having additional blade types, different numbers of one or both of
first-type blades 60 and second-type blades 90, and so on. For
example, one embodiment may include two offirst-type blades 60 and
three of second-type blades 90. Another embodiment may include two
of first-type blades 90 and three of second-type blades 60. Still
another embodiment may include two of first-type blades 60, two of
second-type blades 90, and two of a third-type blade (not shown)
with a different blade width (or other geometry) than first-type
blades 60 and second-type blades 90. Yet another embodiment may
include two or four of first-type blades 60 and two or four of
second-type blades 90.
[0034] In certain embodiments, the paddle wheel base width 54 may
be approximately equal to the width of the internal cavity 32. In
this way, for example, where the exterior edges 68 of first-type
blades 60 are generally adjacent to the side 70 of the paddle wheel
base 50, the edges 68 may pass near the surface 78 of the cavity 32
with relatively small clearance, while the interior edges 74 may
provide relatively large clearances with respect to the surface 80
of the cavity 32. Similarly, the exterior edges 98 of second-type
blades 90 are generally adjacent to the side 72 of the paddle wheel
base 50 causing the edges 98 to pass near the surface 80 of the
cavity 32 with relatively small clearance, while the interior edges
100 may provide relatively large clearances with respect to the
surface 78 of the cavity 32.
[0035] As noted above, the paddle wheel mechanism 12 is positioned
within a fluid path of the pool cleaner 10, within the flow area
provided by the internal cavity 32 so that fluid flow through the
housing 30 (i.e., into the housing 30 through the inlet opening 38,
across the paddle wheel 34, and out of the housing 30 through the
outlet opening 14a causes rotation of the paddle wheel 34 and the
paddle wheel shaft 36. In other words, kinetic energy of fluid flow
across the paddle wheel 34 can be harvested through rotation of the
paddle wheel 34 and the paddle wheel shaft 36. In certain
embodiments, the paddle wheel shaft 36 may be further connected to
other components of the pool cleaner, such as steering or drive
systems, so that the energy harvested by the paddle wheel 34 can
provide the power to operate such components.
[0036] In this light, the alternating-blade design of the paddle
wheel mechanism 12 may help to prevent the paddle wheel 34 from
becoming clogged or otherwise restricted by debris being carried
along the noted fluid path. Conventionally, for example, a
relatively large radial clearance between the distal tips 66 and 96
and the surfaces 56 of cavity 32 would be required in order to
allow debris to pass through the cavity 32 without clogging or
otherwise impeding the paddle wheel 34. The alternating
configuration of first-type blades 60 and second-type blades 90,
however, reduces (and may even remove) the need for such a large
radial clearance because debris may pass through the axial
clearances between the inner edges 74 and 100 and, respectively,
the surfaces 78 and 80 of the housing 30.
[0037] Referring also to FIG. 5, a portion of fluid (e.g., water)
moving through the cavity 32 may travel along fluid paths 110 and
112 to impact the first-type blade 60 and the second-type blade 90
and thereby transfer a portion of its kinetic energy to the paddle
wheel 34. At the same time, debris may be carried along a debris
path 114 around the blade portions 62 and 92 of the blades 60 and
90 and thereby pass through and out of the cavity 32. Accordingly,
as one beneficial result, the alternating-blade design of the
paddle wheel mechanism 12 may provide both relatively high
performance characterized by a low incidence of clogging, and
relatively high efficiency.
[0038] In certain embodiments, various aspects of the geometries of
first-type and second-type blades 60 and 90 (or other blade types)
may be varied depending on the expected operating conditions of a
particular cleaner 10. For example, the blade widths 76 and 100 may
be selected based upon expected debris sizes in a particular
cleaning application. Likewise, in certain embodiments (not shown),
the blade portions 62 or 92 may exhibit non-uniform widths over the
length of their extension away from the paddle wheel base 50. For
example, the blade portion 62 may exhibit a first width at joint
84, various different widths along the body portion 64, and a
different width still at the distal tip 66.
[0039] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
while the invention has been described above in connection with
particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not
necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments,
examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments,
examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims
attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and
publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each
such patent or publication were individually incorporated by
reference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention
are set forth in the following claims.
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