Patent Publication Number: US-2011047726-A1

Title: Manual swimming pool cleaning apparatus employing a plurality of water jets

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of swimming pool cleaning devices and more specifically to a water pressure-based apparatus which obviates difficult brushing of underwater pool surfaces. 
     2. Background Art 
     There are approximately 8.6 million in-ground and above-ground swimming pools in the United States. The vast majority of these pools need to be cleaned periodically in order to properly maintain them and keep them aesthetically attractive and hygienically useful. Cleaning of underwater pool surfaces is most often done with a brush at the distal end of a long pole, typically made of aluminum pipe. However, manipulating such a brush over a long distance and under water can be challenging. It can be inherently difficult to apply sufficient force on such a brush to properly clean pool surfaces, particularly at the correct angle (i.e., perpendicular to the pool surface) and at such long distances (i.e., 15 to 30 feet or more). Moreover, there may be a hydraulic pressure effect on the brush head from the pool water, particular at depths of 10 or more feet near the bottom of deeper portions of a swimming pool. Thus, the prior art includes disclosures such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,637,087 and 5,983,431 which teach the use of pool brush head attachments such as hydrofoils to allow the pool water to aid in increasing contact pressure between the brush head and the pool surface by reducing hydro-dynamic resistance to movement of the brush head along the bottom of the pool. 
     It would therefore be highly advantageous if there were an improved pool cleaning apparatus that could be more easily manipulated, less influenced by water pressure and which didn&#39;t require the application of strenuous forces to frictionally engage the underwater pool surface. Moreover, it would be extremely beneficial to facilitate the cleaning of normally difficult pool surfaces such as corners and step recesses. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a swimming pool cleaning apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies of brush-type cleaning devices. It can be easily manipulated to clean all pool surfaces. It is not significantly affected by the water pressure. It does not require that one apply significant force to produce a clean underwater surface. There is no need to frictionally engage the pool surface. It is not particularly subject to hydraulic forces incurred as a result of movement of the apparatus under the water surface. It can be used to easily clean normally difficult pool surfaces such as corners and step recesses. 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed in detail herein, comprises a number of joined sections of tubing or pipe in a generally T-shaped configuration. The pipe is preferably PVC pipe, simply because it is light, readily available, relatively inexpensive and easily joined by gluing. The preferred embodiment comprises an elongated hollow pipe section referred to herein as the head. The head is preferably about 28 inches in length, although lengths of about 20 inches to about 40 inches have been shown to be suitable as well. The PVC pipe used in the preferred embodiment is standard half-inch PVC pipe, but other size PVC may also be suitable. The head pipe has a plurality of aligned 1/16 inch diameter holes drilled through the pipe along its length. In the preferred embodiment, these holes are drilled at different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the head. One or two of these holes are drilled to be perpendicular to the head axis while holes to either side of the perpendicular holes are drilled to have an angular offset of about 5° from hole to adjacent hole. This offset provides a more effective cleaning pattern as will become more evident hereinafter. 
     The center of the head is connected by means of a tee to a perpendicular stub pipe which serves two purposes. It provides a suitable interface for an elongated standard telescopic aluminum pole that can be adjusted, for example, to be from eight feet to fourteen feet in overall length. This pole permits the head to be positioned in the pool below the surface and to be located at or adjacent virtually any portion of most typical swimming pools. The second purpose of the center perpendicular stub pipe is to provide a convenient position in which to connect a hose to the cleaning apparatus. A standard 50 or 100 foot garden hose having a connection to normal household water pressure is contemplated for use with the present invention. Connection to such a hose is facilitated by a standard hose connector being provided along the stub pipe in a direction that is preferably perpendicular to both the head and stub pipes. 
     Once a hose is connected to the hose connector and water pressure is applied, a plurality of thin, high velocity water jets will be emitted by the head through the drilled holes over a pattern dictated by the directions of the axes of the drilled holes. 
     Cleaning the pool surfaces is then simply a matter of positioning the head immediately adjacent such surfaces including corners and steps where cleaning is often difficult. The force of the water jets is normally more than adequate to remove dirt, algae and grime that have formed on such surfaces. Importantly, such cleaning is readily accomplished without requiring application of strong downward force or fighting the hydrodynamic influence of the pool water with movement of the head. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more fully understood herein after as a result of a detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an, isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a depiction of the use of the preferred embodiment in cleaning a swimming pool. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the accompanying figures, it will be seen that a pool cleaning apparatus  10  in accordance with the present invention may comprise a water jet head  12  preferably formed from a pair of capped co-linear elongated PVC pipes  13  and  15  having a common axis and joined at tee  20 . Tee  20  has a connection to a stub  14  which extends perpendicular to the pipes  13  and  15  and terminates in a stub cap  17 . Stub  14  forms a member for receiving the distal end of a standard pool accessory pole which may be a telescopic device commonly used with brush-based pool cleaning apparatus. A pin hole  19  is provided for securing the pole to the stub  14  using a pin (not shown). 
     Extending from stub  14  in a direction which is perpendicular to both the stub and head  12 , is a hose stem  16  which terminates in a hose connector  24 . Connector  24  is adapted to connect to a standard garden hose which is in turn, connected to a source of household-type water pressure for delivering water under pressure to the interior flow paths  21  of stub  14  and  23  of head  12 . 
     Each of pipes  13  and  15  of head  12  is provided with a plurality of drilled holes  18 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , each pipe  13  and  15  has nine such holes that are arranged along a linear path about 45° below the horizontal. Each of the nine drilled holes is preferably drilled to form a pattern of water jets. For example, the center hole of the nine may be drilled precisely perpendicular to the axis of pipe  13  while each other drilled hole may be angled progressively more from the perpendicular by, for example, increments of 5°. In this way, the hole closest to each head cap  22  would be angled about 20° away from perpendicular toward the cap end of the head, and the holes closest to the tee  20  would be angled about 20° away from perpendicular toward the tee.  FIG. 2  shows the resulting dispersal pattern  25  of the water jets formed by the exiting of pressurized water through respective drilled holes  18 . These holes are formed about 45° below the horizontal of pipes  13  and  15  and preferably on the surface of the pipes opposed to hose connector  24 . 
     In the preferred embodiment 10 of the present invention, the total length of head  12  is 32 inches and the height of stub  14  is 8 inches. The PVC pipe used is standard one-half inch and the drilled holes are one-sixteenth inch diameter holes. The apparatus  10  is preferably connected to a telescopic aluminum pool pole which can be adjusted in length from about 8 feet to about 14 feet. The hose may, of course, be any convenient length, however a 50 foot garden hose appears to be suitable for most applications where the water supply is within about fifteen feet of the pool. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein stub  14  terminates in an adjustment flange  31  which mates with a flange  30  of hose stem  32 . Flanges  30  and  31  are interconnected by a bolt  38  which allows angular adjustment of the head  12  relative to the stem  32  and thus relative to the pole. By loosening the bolt  38 , rotating one flange relative to the other and then retightening the bolt, one may reposition the head angle as desired.  FIG. 7  shows the invention in use with a pole  35  and hose  36 . 
     It will now be understood that what has been disclosed herein comprises a swimming pool cleaning apparatus that obviates brushes and simplifies the cleaning process by making it unnecessary to apply high force or to overcome hydrodynamic resistance. While a preferred embodiment has been described, it will be apparent that variations and modifications would be readily achieved without deviating from the inventive concepts herein. By way of example, although the water jet head described is an elongated straight member, it would be within the scope hereof to provide a shorter curved water jet head instead. Therefore, the scope of protection hereof is to be limited only by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.