Abstract:
Filters principally for automatic swimming pool cleaners are detailed. The filters include bags of porous material formed into at least two lobes. At least one divider separates a primary flow path through the bags from multiple debris-collecting pockets.

Description:
REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based on and hereby refers to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/837,171, filed Aug. 11, 2006, and having the same title as appears above, the entire contents of which provisional patent application are incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to debris filters and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to filter bags for swimming pool cleaners. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,425 to Herlehy, et al. illustrates a conventional filter bag for use with certain automatic pool cleaners. As disclosed in the Herlehy patent, the bag may be mounted onto a suction mast of a pool cleaner. Debris-laden water is drawn through the suction mast into a mouth of the filter bag, with the bag capturing much of the debris while allowing the drawn water to pass through its porous material. The bag further may include a divider seam defining a rear pocket and a rear seam that may be separated when desired to facilitate removal of debris collected in the rear pocket. A clip may be used to connect the bag to an associated pressure hose to inhibit collapse of the bag under certain conditions. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,550 to Silverstein details another filter bag. Generally similar to the bag of the Herlehy patent, that of the Silverstein patent includes a mouth, a divider seam, and a separable rear seam in the form of a zipper. The Silverstein patent also discloses using a loop attached to the bag for connecting it to a pressure hose for stability. 
         [0005]    Described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0236310 of Meritt-Powell is yet another filter bag of the types disclosed in the Herlehy and Silverstein patents. The bag of the Meritt-Powell publication includes, among other things, a divider seam defined by a spaced series of welds. It also incorporates a ported tab at an upper end for engaging a support member in turn connecting to a pressure hose. According to the Meritt-Powell publication:
       the support member engages with the integral tab to prevent the filter bag from draping downwardly over and about the pool cleaner where the bag could otherwise become entangled in the cleaner wheels and/or scrape against pool surfaces.       
 
       See Meritt-Powell Publication, p. 4, ¶ 0031, ll. 22-26 (numerals omitted). 
       [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,583 to Meritt-Powell, finally, depicts filter bags with improved support members in the form of hose clasps. Such clasps, like other support members, tend “to prevent the bag from falling and draping downwardly over the pool cleaner.” See Meritt-Powell patent, col. 2, ll. 35-36. Need for the clasps exists because prior
       component wear in combination with prolonged exposure to water, sun and chemicals in a swimming pool environment can result in inadvertent separation of the filter bag from the supply hose particularly in response to increased weight attributable to collected debris. In addition, such removable support devices are often removed with the filter bag each time the bag is removed to discard the debris accumulated therein, whereby the removable support device is sometimes misplaced or inadvertently thrown away with the discarded debris.       
 
       See id., ll. 43-52. The contents of the Herlehy, Silverstein, and Meritt-Powell patents and of the Meritt-Powell publication are incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides alternate designs for filter bags similar to the types of bags described in the preceding section of this application. Unlike conventional filter bags, which include a single rear pocket behind the divider seam, bags of the present invention incorporate at least two such pockets rearward of the divider. Accordingly, the present bags have a substantially greater volume for retaining debris, reducing the frequency at which they must be emptied. 
         [0010]    The dual-lobe structure of preferred embodiments of the invention additionally provides a bag configuration symmetric rearward of the divider seam. This structure provides improved water flow and drag characteristics for cleaners and increases the total area of the openings through which water may pass, thereby reducing back pressure to which the debris-collection components of the cleaners are subjected in use. The lobes, further, may effectively capture an associated hose if desired to facilitate connection of the bag thereto. If, for example, the lobes themselves are fitted with complementary hook-and-loop (Velcro) fasteners, they may be fastened together so as to surround a position of the hose. This approach avoids the need for any separate hose-grasping component. Alternatively or additionally, a conventional loop, clamp, or other device may be used to connect the bag to the associated hose. 
         [0011]    Each lobe of the bag advantageously may be emptied independently of the other lobes. Accordingly, each lobe may include a separable rear (or other) seam to permit its being opened alone. Such separate openable seams are not necessarily required, however, if independent lobe emptying is not desired. 
         [0012]    Bags of the present invention may include cuffs or similar structures permitting their attachment to suction masts of automatic pool cleaners. They may be formed of nylon or other porous mesh material. A seam internal to the bag may connect forward portions of the lobes, and conventional external seams may form top, bottom, and forward boundaries or margins of the filters. 
         [0013]    It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide dual- or multi-lobe filter bags. 
         [0014]    It is an additional optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide filter bags with more than one pocket for retaining debris. 
         [0015]    It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide filter bags symmetric rearward of a divider seam. 
         [0016]    It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide filter bags with both increased debris-containing volume and increased total area of openings through which water may flow. 
         [0017]    It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide filter bags whose lobes may be fastened around a section of an associated hose. 
         [0018]    It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide filter bags whose multiple debris-containing pockets may be opened independently to facilitate removal of contained debris. 
         [0019]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the remaining text and the drawings of this application. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of an exemplary filter bag of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the filter bag of  FIG. 1  illustrating its dual-lobe structure as in use. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view of the filter bag of  FIG. 1  showing the lobes fully extended. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Depicted in  FIGS. 1-3  is exemplary bag  10  of the present invention. Bag  10  preferably is to be used with an automatic pool cleaner, such as those shown or referenced in any of the Herlehy, Silverstein, or Meritt-Powell patents or the Meritt-Powell publication. Use of the invention is not necessarily so limited, however, as bag  10  conceivably could be utilized elsewise as appropriate or desired. 
         [0024]    Bag  10  advantageously comprises primary walls  14  and  18  and secondary walls  22  and  26 . Each of walls  14 ,  18 ,  22 , and  26  may be formed of one or more sheets or pieces of porous material. In use, water should be able to pass through walls  14 ,  18 ,  22 , and  26 , whereas most or all debris entrained in the water should not. As a result, bag  10  may serve to filter debris from flowing water and retain the filtered debris within the confines of walls  14 ,  18 ,  22 , and  26 . 
         [0025]    Sheets forming primary walls  14  and  18  are generally complementary in shape. Walls  14  and  18  are connected to define front margin  30  extending from a generally open lower bag mouth  34  to approximately the top  38  of bag  10 . Front margin  30  preferably is curved as shown in  FIG. 1 . Front margin  30  need not necessarily be curved, however, nor if curved need it be curved in the manner depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0026]    Bag mouth  34  may be created by not interconnecting forward lower edges of walls  14  and  18 .  FIG. 1  illustrates forward lower edge  42  of wall  14 ; a similar edge exists for wall  18 . Instead, forward lower edge  42  and the corresponding edge of wall  18  may be connected to cuff  46  designed for direct or indirect attachment to, preferably, a suction mast of a pool cleaner. Thus, as so mounted, the entirety of bag  10  is intended to extend above the suction mast. 
         [0027]    Unlike conventional bags, bag  10  includes two top margins  50  and  54  and two bottom rear margins  55  and  56 . Top margin  50  may be formed by connecting primary wall  14  with secondary wall  22  at top  38  of bag  10 . Top margin  54 , by contrast, may be formed by connecting primary wall  18  with secondary wall  26  at top  38 . Bottom rear margin  55  is formed by connecting primary wall  14  with secondary wall  22  at bottom  57  of bag  10 , and bottom rear margin  56  is created by connecting walls  18  and  26  at bottom  57 . 
         [0028]    Primary wall  14  and secondary wall  22  additionally may be interconnected to form one rear margin  58  at rear  62  of bag  10 . A second rear margin  66 , also at rear  62 , may be created by connecting primary wall  18  and secondary wall  26 . Portions of walls  14  and  22  forming rear margin  58  may be fitted with hook-and-loop fasteners, as may portions of walls  18  and  26  forming second rear margin  66 . Accordingly, walls  14  and  22  form a first lobe  70  that may be opened at rear margin  58 , whereas walls  18  and  26  form a second lobe  74  that may be opened at second rear margin  66 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 2-3  illustrate optional loop  78 . If present, loop  78  preferably, but not necessarily, may be connected to top margin  54  (or top margin  50 ) adjacent seam  82  connecting forward edges  86  and  90  of respective secondary walls  22  and  26 . Loop  78  additionally may be comprised of strips  94  and  98  adapted to be fastened together (to form loop  78 ) and unfastened (so as to be placed around a suction mast or other supporting object). In a preferred version of loop  78 , strips  94  and  98  contain complementary hook-and-loop fasteners. 
         [0030]    Alternatively, the loop fastener of loop  78  may be connected instead to second rear margin  66  of second lobe  74 , with the corresponding hook fastener being connected to rear margin  58  of first lobe  70  (or vice-versa), so that the hook-and-loop fasteners are in shear as lobes  70  and  74  pull apart during debris fill. This configuration allows lobes  70  and  74  to surround or capture a hose or other object and help to maintain the upright and symmetrical position of bag  10 . As yet another alternative, the hook-and-loop fasteners may be configured to create a tensile joint as lobes  70  and  74  pull apart during fill. As the lobes  70  and  74  fill, the complementary hook portion and loop portion of the fasteners could detach to provide visual indication of the filled state of lobes  70  and  74 . 
         [0031]    Divider seam  102  extends upward from bottom  57  of bag  10  but terminates prior to top  38 . Seam  102  interconnects all of walls  14 ,  18 ,  22 , and  26 , defining a primary fluid flow path  106  from mouth  34  upward through forward section  110  of bag  10 . Seam  102 , further, preferably is generally coincident with (although shorter than) seam  82 . To the rear of seam  102  are thus two debris-containing pockets  114  and  118 . As debris-laden water flows along path  106  through bag  10 , debris too large to exit the bag  10  eventually will settle (under gravity) into either of pockets  114  or  118 . 
         [0032]    The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.