Patent ID: 6119293
Filing Date: 2000-09-19
Classification: E04H

Abstract:
A swimming pool cleaning device for automatically cleaning a surface submerged in liquid, the cleaning device comprising:a forwardly inclined housing having rigid walls forming a flow passage extending therethrough from an inlet which in use is proximate a surface to be cleaned, to an outlet for connection to a flexible suction hose;a flow control valve operable within the flow passage, the flow control valve comprising:a rigid flap member having a pivot end pivotably connected to the housing and an opposing seat end movable from a seated position biased against a first wall portion of the housing, to an unseated position in a spaced relation to the first wall portion; anda flexible flap member having first and second ends, and opposing sides therebetween, the first end of the flexible portion attached to a second wall portion of the housing opposing the first wall portion, the second end of the flexible portion attached to the seat end of the rigid flap member, the flexible flap member extending across the flow passage for blocking flow therethrough when the rigid flap member is in the seated position, and retractable from the second wall portion for permitting fluid flow through the flow passage when the rigid flap member is in the unseated position;a shoe carried by the housing at the inlet for engaging a surface of a pool to be cleaned; anda flexible flange extending around the shoe, when in use, the shoe and flange frictionally engaging the surface to be cleaned.