Patent Publication Number: US-2022235571-A1

Title: Pool cleaner with releasable brush assembly

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Application Serial No. 201920735173.6 filed May 21, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention relates to the field of pool cleaners, and in particular to a pool cleaner having a releasable brush assembly, and to methods of using the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A pool cleaner may be equipped with a rotating brush. When the pool cleaner is in use, an actuating mechanism of the pool cleaner drives the pool cleaner, causing the pool cleaner to move across the floor and/or sidewalls of the pool. At the same time, the actuating mechanism drives rotation of the brush through a transmission gear set, so that the wheel brush cleans debris from the floor and/or sidewalls of the pool. The rotating brush may become worn as it rubs against the pool and may require frequent replacement. However, current replacement options are cumbersome and time consuming. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a pool cleaner equipped with a rotating brush assembly. The brush assembly is removably coupled to the pool cleaner using clamps that are accessible, supported by the pool cleaner, and operable by hand. The clamps may be manipulated between a ready configuration, a loaded configuration to receive a brush assembly, and a locked configuration to secure the brush assembly. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a pool cleaner configured to clean a pool is disclosed, the pool cleaner including a housing, a driving assembly, a transmission assembly operably coupled to the driving assembly, the transmission assembly including a brush gear, at least one traction assembly operably coupled to the transmission assembly and configured to convey the housing across the pool, a mounting rod coupled to the brush gear, a clamp supported on the mounting rod, and a brush assembly removably coupled to the housing. The pool cleaner has a ready configuration in which the mounting rod is exposed through the clamp and configured to receive the brush assembly, a loaded configuration in which the brush assembly is positioned against the mounting rod, and a locked configuration in which the clamp holds the brush assembly against the mounting rod such that rotation of the brush gear is transferred to the brush assembly via the mounting rod. 
     In certain embodiments, an outer end of the mounting rod is keyed to the brush gear or integrally formed with the brush gear. 
     In certain embodiments, the mounting rod includes a flat connection surface with a positioning slot and the brush assembly includes a flat connection surface with a positioning rod. In the loaded and locked configurations, the flat connection surface of the mounting rod contacts the flat connection surface of the brush assembly, and the positioning slot of the mounting rod receives the positioning rod of the brush assembly. 
     In certain embodiments, the mounting rod includes a rounded connection surface and the brush assembly includes a rounded connection surface. In the loaded and locked configurations, the rounded connection surfaces cooperate to mate with the clamp. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp includes a hollow body with a notch sized to receive a connection post at an end of the brush assembly. In the ready configuration, the mounting rod is exposed through the notch in the clamp. In the loaded configuration, the connection post of the brush assembly has passed through the notch and into contact with the mounting rod. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp inhibits removal of the connection post through the notch in the locked configuration. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp is rotated about the mounting rod from the loaded configuration to the locked configuration. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp includes a hollow body with a groove and the brush assembly includes a rib. In the loaded configuration, the rib is disengaged from the clamp. In the locked configuration, the rib is captured in the groove of the clamp. The groove of the clamp may include at least one positioning recess, and the rib of the brush assembly may include at least one positioning bump sized for receipt in the at least one positioning recess in the locked configuration. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp includes a plate with a through-hole, the mounting rod extending through the through-hole to the brush gear. The housing may include a foot that supports the mounting rod, wherein the plate of the clamp is located inward of the foot. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp is a first clamp configured to receive a first end of the brush assembly, the pool cleaner further comprising a second clamp configured to receive a second end of the brush assembly. 
     According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a pool cleaner configured to clean a pool is disclosed, the pool cleaner including a housing having a foot, a driving assembly, a transmission assembly operably coupled to the driving assembly, the transmission assembly including a brush gear, at least one traction assembly operably coupled to the transmission assembly and configured to convey the housing, across the pool, a brush assembly, a mounting rod supported by the foot of the housing, the mounting rod extending outward to engage the brush gear and inward to support the brush assembly, a clamp rotatable between a first configuration in which the brush assembly is movable relative to the mounting rod and a second configuration in which the brush assembly is secured to the mounting rod such that rotation of the brush gear is transferred to the brush assembly via the mounting rod. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp is supported on the mounting rod at a location inward of the foot. 
     In certain embodiments, the brush assembly and the clamp rotate about the same axis. 
     In certain embodiments, the clamp is captured between the foot on one side and a raised stop ring of the mounting rod on the other side. 
     According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of using a pool cleaner is disclosed including the steps of inserting a brush assembly into a clamp and into contact with a mounting rod, rotating the clamp to secure the brush assembly against the mounting rod, and operating a driving assembly to rotate at least one traction mechanism, the mounting rod, and the brush assembly via the mounting rod. 
     In certain embodiments, the inserting step comprises inserting a positioning rod of the brush assembly into a positioning slot of the mounting rod. 
     In certain embodiments, the rotating step comprises capturing a rib of the brush assembly in a groove of the clamp. 
     In certain embodiments, the method further includes rotating the clamp in an opposite direction, separating the brush assembly from the mounting rod, and replacing the brush assembly with a new brush assembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pool cleaner including an exemplary brush assembly of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a first perspective view of the brush assembly showing a first side of the brush assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a second perspective view of the brush assembly showing a second side of the brush assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an exemplary clamp of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an exemplary mounting rod of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an exemplary brush gear of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the clamp, the mounting rod, and the brush gear in a ready configuration; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic axial view of the ready configuration of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the clamp, the mounting rod, the brush gear, and the brush assembly in a loaded configuration; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic axial view of the loaded configuration of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the clamp, the mounting rod, the brush gear, and the brush assembly in a locked configuration; and 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic axial view of the locked configuration of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  provides a pool cleaner  1  configured to clean a floor and/or sidewalls of a pool. The pool cleaner  1  includes a housing  10  having a longitudinal axis L and front feet  102 R, L. The pool cleaner  10  also includes a hydraulic driving assembly  12  including a water inlet  122 , a water outlet  124 , and an impeller (not shown) disposed within the housing  10  and in fluid communication between the water inlet  122  and the water outlet  124 . The pool cleaner  1  also includes a filtration assembly (not shown) disposed within the housing  10  to collect debris. The pool cleaner  1  further includes a transmission assembly  14  operably coupled to the driving assembly  12  and including a plurality of gears, including brush gears (shown elsewhere). The pool cleaner  1  further includes one or more traction assemblies, illustratively two right wheels  16 R and two left wheels  16 L, operably coupled to the transmission assembly  14 . 
     The pool cleaner  1  also includes at least one rotating brush assembly  2  having opposing right and left ends  20 R,  20 L removably coupled to the housing  10  using right and left clamps  3 R,  3 L, respectively. Advantageously, the clamps  3 R,  3 L are readily accessible, are supported by the pool cleaner  1  (i.e., are not detachable), and are operable by hand without the use of additional tools. These clamps  3 R,  3 L are described in detail below. In  FIG. 1 , the brush assembly  2  extends laterally across a front end of the housing  10  between feet  102 R,  102 L, along an axis A that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  1 , of the housing  10 , but this position may vary. It is also within the scope of the present disclosure for the pool cleaner  1  to include more than one brush assembly  2 , such as a second brush assembly (not shown) that extends laterally across a rear end of the housing  10 . 
     In operation, water travels through the water inlet  122 , across the impeller, and out of the water outlet  124 , which rotates the impeller. The impeller&#39;s rotation is transferred to the wheels  16 R,  16 L via the transmission assembly  14 , which causes the pool cleaner  1  to drive across the pool. The impeller&#39;s rotation is also transferred to the brush assembly  2  via the transmission assembly  14 , which causes the brush assembly  2  to rotate about the axis A to clear debris from the pool. 
     The brush assembly  2  is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The brush assembly  2  includes a shaft  22  that extends along the rotation axis A and a plurality of bristles  24  extending radially outward from the shaft  22 . At each end  20 R,  20 L, brush assembly  2  includes a connection arm  21 R,  21 L, which may be integrally formed with shaft  22  or otherwise attached to shaft  22  (e.g., welded, adhered, fastened). Each connection arm  21 R,  21 L has a flat connection surface  211 R,  211 L on one side ( FIG. 2 ) and a rounded connection surface  212 R,  212 L on the opposing side ( FIG. 3 ). A positioning pin  2111 R,  2111 L extends radially outward from each flat connection surface  211 R,  211 L ( FIG. 2 ). A limiting rib  213 R,  213 L extends radially outward from each rounded connection surface  212 R,  212 L, with one or more positioning, bumps  2131 R,  2131 L centrally located on each limiting rib  213 R,  213 L. 
     The right clamp  3 R is shown in  FIG. 4 . The following description is written in terms of the right clamp  3 R, but it is understood that this description may also apply to the left clamp  3 L, which may be a mirror image of the right clamp  3 R. The right clamp  3 R includes an inner hollow body  31 R coupled to an outer fixing plate  32 R. The hollow body  31 R may be knurled or otherwise textured to facilitate gripping by a user. The hollow body  31 R is interrupted by a notch  311 R such that the hollow body  31 R is arc-shaped (e.g., C-shaped) with a radian greater than 90° and less than 180°. A circumferential limiting groove  312 R extends from the notch  311 R and through a central portion of the hollow body  31 R, with one or more positioning recesses  3121 R centrally located in the limiting groove  312 R. A limiting step  313 R extends radially inward from the hollow body  31 R adjacent to the fixing plate  32 R. A through-hole  321 R extends through the fixing plate  32 R and communicates with the hollow interior of the body  31 R. 
     A right mounting rod  4 R (which may also be referred to herein as a torsion rod) is shown in  FIG. 5 . The following description is written in terms of the right mounting rod  4 R, but it is understood that this description may also apply to the left mounting rod (not shown), which may be a mirror image of the right mounting rod  4 R. The right mounting rod  4 R includes an inner connection post  41 R, an intermediate body  42 R having a stop ring  422 R that extends radially outward from the intermediate body  42 R, and an outer driven end  43 R having a hexagonal profile, although this profile may vary. The connection post  41 R has a flat connection surface  411 R on one side and a rounded connection surface  412 R on the opposing side. The flat connection surface  411 R or the connection post  41 R includes a positioning slot  4111 R. 
     A right brush gear  142 R is shown in  FIG. 6 . The following description is written in terms of the right brush gear  142 R, but it is understood that this description may also apply to the left brush gear (not shown), which may be a mirror image of the right brush gear  142 R. The right brush gear  142 R includes outer gear teeth  144 R configured to mesh with other gears of the transmission assembly  14  ( FIG. 1 ). The right brush gear  142 R also includes a driving end formed by an internal notch  146 R having a hexagonal shape, although this shape may vary. 
     The right brush gear  142 R, the right mounting rod  4 R, and the right clamp  3 R are shown together in  FIG. 7 . The right mounting rod  4 R is rotatably supported by the right foot  102 R of the housing  10  ( FIG. 1 ), with the right brush gear  142 R located outward relative to the foot  102 R (i.e., further from the longitudinal axis L of  FIG. 1 ) and the right clamp  3 R located inward relative to the foot  102 R (i.e., closer to the longitudinal axis L of  FIG. 1 ). 
     Outward from (or concealed within) the foot  102 R, the right brush gear  142 R is coupled to the right mounting rod  4 R, such that rotation of the right brush gear  142 R is transferred to the right mounting rod  4 R. In  FIG. 7 , the hexagonal driving end  146 R of the right brush gear  142 R receives the hexagonal driven end  43 R of the right mounting rod  4 R in a keyed manner. As noted above, these hexagonal profiles may vary. It is also within the scope of the present disclosure for the right brush gear  142 R and the right mounting rod  4 R to be integrally formed together or otherwise attached together (e.g., welded, adhered, fastened). 
     Inward of the foot  102 R, the right clamp  3 R is supported on the right mounting rod  4 R. In  FIG. 7 , the hollow body  31 R of the right clamp  3 R receives the connection post  41 R of the right mounting rod  4 R, and the fixing plate  32 R of the right clamp  3 R is supported on the intermediate body  42 R ( FIG. 5 ) of the right mounting rod  4 R. In this position, the stop ring  422 R of the right mounting rod  4 R abuts the limiting step  313 R of the right clamp  3 R ( FIG. 4 ) to retain the right clamp  3 R on the right mounting rod  4 R. Thus, the right clamp  3 R is retained between the foot  102 R on the outside and the stop ring  422 R on the inside. The driven end  43 R of the right mounting rod  4 R extends outwardly through the through-hole  321 R ( FIG. 4 ) in the fixing plate  32 R and through the right foot  102 R to mate with the right brush gear  142 R, as described above. 
     The insertion of a new brush assembly  2  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 7-12 . 
     The components are shown in a ready configuration in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In this ready configuration, the hollow body  31 R of the right clamp  3 R and/or the connection post  41 R of the right mounting rod  4 R have been rotated such that the flat connection surface  411 R and the positioning slot  4111 R of the right mounting rod  4 R are aligned with the notch  311 R in the right clamp  3 R. In other words, the positioning slot  4111 R is visible and accessible through the notch  311 R. Such rotation may be achieved by gripping and rotating the textured hollow body  31 R. 
     The components are shown in a loaded configuration in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , with the brush assembly  2  coupled to the right mounting rod  4 R. In this loaded configuration, the connection arm  21 R of the brush assembly  2  has been inserted radially through the notch  311 R and into the hollow body  31 R of the right clamp  3 R in a radial direction  500 . The radial extent of the notch  311 R may be sufficiently large to receive the connection arm  21 R. The flat connection surface  211 R of the brush assembly  2  abuts the flat connection surface  411 R of the right mounting rod  4 R, with the positioning pin  2111 R of the brush assembly  2  extending radially into the positioning slot  4111 R of the right mounting rod  4 R, thereby inhibiting axial movement of the brush assembly  2  relative to the right mounting rod  4 R. It is within the scope of the present disclosure to reverse the placement of the positioning pin  2111 R and the positioning slot  4111 R, such that the positioning pin  2111 R is instead located on the right mounting rod  4 R and the positioning slot  4111 R is instead located on the brush assembly  2 . 
     The components are shown in a locked configuration in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , with the brush assembly  2  further coupled to the right clamp  3 R. In this locked configuration, the hollow body  31 R of the right clamp  3 R has been rotated in a direction  502  (e.g., upward) to capture the limiting rib  213 R of the brush assembly  2  within the limiting groove  312 R of the right clamp  3 R, thereby inhibiting both radial and axial movement of the brush assembly  2  relative to the right clamp  3 R. Such rotation may be achieved by gripping and rotating the textured hollow body  31 R. This locked configuration may be retained by forcing the positioning bumps  2131 R of the limiting rib  213 R into corresponding positioning recesses  3121 R of the limiting groove  312 R, which act as detent mechanisms to inhibit further rotation of the right clamp  3 R. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , the locked configuration captures the connection arm  21 R of the brush assembly  2  and the connection post  41 R of the right mounting rod  4 R within the hollow body  31 R of the right clamp  3 R. With the flat connection surface  211 R of the connection arm  21 R abutting the flat connection surface  411 R of the connection post  41 R, the rounded connection surface  212 R of the connection arm  21 R and the rounded connection surface  412 R of the connection post  41 R ( FIG. 7 ) cooperate to define a generally cylindrical outer profile that fits within the generally cylindrical hollow body  31 R. The outer diameter of the connection arm  21 R and the connection post  41 R. (measured between the rounded connection surfaces  212 R,  412 R) may be equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical hollow body  31 R to facilitate close contact between the components. In this way, the hollow body  31 R clamps the connection arm  21 R and the connection post  41 R together and firmly retains the positioning pin  2111 R in the positioning slot  4111 R. It is understood that the connection arm  21 R, the hollow body  31 R, and the connection post  41 R may vary in shape while ensuring this clamped connection. 
     With the brush assembly  2  in the locked configuration, the pool cleaner  1  of  FIG. 1  may be operated to clean the pool. As noted above, this operation involves rotating the impeller (not shown) and various gears of the transmission assembly  14 , including the right brush gear  142 R that interacts with the right end  20 R of the brush assembly  2  in  FIG. 11 . The rotation of the right brush gear  142 R is transferred to the right mounting rod  4 R via the keyed connection therebetween, as described above. Then, the rotation of the right mounting rod  4 R is transferred to the connection arm  21 R of the brush assembly  2  via the clamped connection therebetween, as described above. The left end  201  of the brush assembly  2  ( FIG. 1 ) may be rotated in a similar manner. 
     The brush assembly  2  may become worn over time. The worn brush assembly  2  may be removed by reversing the above-described insertion process. First, the worn brush assembly  2  may be unlocked by moving the components from the locked configuration of  FIGS. 11 and 12  to the loaded configuration of  FIGS. 9 and 10 . This unlocking step may involve rotating the hollow body  31 R of the right clamp  3 R opposite the direction  502  (i.e., downward) to free the limiting rib  213 R of the connection arm  21 R from the limiting groove  312 R of the right clamp  3 R. Then, the brush assembly  2  may be removed by moving the components from the loaded configuration of  FIGS. 9 and 10  to the ready configuration of  FIGS. 7 and 8 . This removing step may involve pulling the connection arm  21 R through the exposed notch  311 R of the hollow body  31 R opposite the direction  500 , which also frees the positioning pin  2111 R of the connection arm  21 R from the positioning slot  4111 R of the connection post  41 R. With the components in the ready configuration, the insertion process may be repeated with a fresh, replacement brush assembly  2 . 
     While this invention has been described as having exemplary designs, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.