Patent ID: 7543607

Claim:
A pool cleaning system including: a pool cleaner body responsive to energy supplied thereto for moving through a water pool along a substantially random travel path and for capturing debris as it moves along said path; a stationary fitting for supplying energy; and a conduit configured to couple energy from said stationary fitting to said cleaner body for propelling said body along said travel path without forming persistent coils or knots in said conduit, said conduit comprising: a first axially stiff elongate member configured to transfer energy therealong from a first end to a second end; a second axially stiff elongate member configured to transfer energy therealong from a first end to a second end; an axially flexible means configured to transfer energy therealong from a first end to a second end; said first and second axially stiff members being respectively connected to said first and second ends of said axially flexible means to form an energy transfer path for transferring energy from said first axially stiff member first end to said second axially stiff member second end; a proximal coupling means for coupling said first axially stiff member first end to a stationary fitting; a distal coupling means for coupling said second axially stiff member second end to said cleaner body; said axially flexible means being configured to allow said first and second axially stiff members to assume a substantially aligned axial orientation and a wide range of axially nonaligned orientations; and wherein said axially flexible means includes bias means for resiliently biasing said first and second axially stiff members to said substantially aligned axial orientation.