WO2014173937A2

WO2014173937A2 - Underwater cleaner

Info

Publication number: WO2014173937A2
Application number: PCT/EP2014/058219
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrés FRÄNKEL
Original assignee: Fränkel Andrés
Priority date: 2013-04-23
Filing date: 2014-04-23
Publication date: 2014-10-30
Also published as: WO2014173937A3; EP2989270A2; AT514319B1; AT513827A4; AT514319A4; EP2989270B1; AT513827B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an underwater cleaner (1), particularly for a swimming pool, having a housing (2), in which a particularly battery-powered pump (3) having an electric motor (4) and an impeller (5) is arranged, wherein the housing (2) comprises an inlet opening (6) and an outlet opening (7), and wherein the impeller axle (5a) is arranged normal to the opening cross-section of the inlet opening (6). An underwater vacuum cleaner (1) with high suction that is simple and inexpensive to produce can be achieved if the impeller (5) is arranged in the area of the inlet opening (6).

Description

An underwater cleaner

The invention relates to an underwater cleaner, in particular for a swimming pool, with a housing in which a particular battery-powered pump with an electric motor and an impeller is arranged, wherein the housing has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and wherein the impeller axis arranged normal to the opening cross-section of the inlet opening is.

From the website http: //www.youtube.com/watch? V = HwwWE2iRVL4 a Unterwasserstaubsauger of the type mentioned is known with an Axialpumpen- impeller, which is driven by a battery-powered electric motor. The electric motor together with the impeller is arranged in a bell-shaped, rotationally symmetrical housing, wherein the electric motor is arranged on the upstream side of the impeller. However, this has the disadvantage that the suction effect is relatively low. A protective grid is not provided.

US 4,204,298 A discloses a vacuum suction device with an axial fan impeller, which is arranged close to the inlet opening of the housing. As protection, a grid is provided upstream of the impeller.

An apparatus for cleaning ships with rotating brushes and an impeller is known from US 5,174,222 A.

Further underwater cleaners are disclosed in US 2011/0314617 A1, US Pat. No. 4,619,217 A, US Pat. No. 4,604,960 A. Known underwater cleaners either have a poor cleaning effect, or are relatively expensive.

The object of the invention is to develop the simplest and most economical underwater vacuum cleaner, which has a high suction.

According to the invention, this is achieved by arranging the impeller, preferably designed as an axial impeller, preferably directly in the region of the inlet opening.

An excellent suction effect can be achieved if the distance between the impeller and the inlet opening corresponds to a maximum of the impeller radius.

In order to avoid injuries by the rotating impeller, the inlet opening upstream of the impeller with a number of Durchtrittsöff- Be provided with protective gratings, wherein the protective grid can be arranged and fixed within the housing.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the protective grid is stepped and at least two spaced from each other in the direction of the impeller axis of the impeller, preferably formed normal to the impeller axis areas, wherein the protective grid a the wheel axis intersecting central region and at least one of the Has housing adjacent annular region and wherein axial passage openings are arranged in the central region and / or in the annular region. As a result, the protective grille has passage openings arranged in different planes, as a result of which dirt can be extracted from the swimming pool floor at different distances. In order to be able to reliably remove larger contaminants such as leaves or the like with the underwater cleaner, it is advantageous if at least one preferably cylindrical annular gap section is formed between the outer edge of the central region and the inner edge of the annular region, wherein preferably the outer edge and the inner edge are connected to each other via at least one preferably parallel to the impeller axis formed connecting web.

The central region and the annular region can have a substantially circular floor plan, but also have a plan deviating from the circular shape. The ring area itself can therefore also have a deviating from the circular ring, for example, angular shape. Thus, in addition to the circular shape, oval, elliptical, but also square-shaped, square, triangular, n-shaped floor plans are conceivable for the central area and the annular area. In particular, in the case of the circular shape of the - preferably average - diameter of the central region about half the diameter of the annular region +/- 10% correspond. The annular gap section or central region can have a cylindrical or truncated cone shape, with general cylindrical or conical shapes deviating from the circular shape being possible in addition to a circular cylindrical or circular conical shape. Furthermore, the annular gap section or central region can also have the shape of a prism.

In this case, at least one preferably cylindrical annular gap section may be formed between the outer edge of the central region and the inner edge of the annular region, wherein preferably the outer edge and the inner edge are connected to each other via at least one preferably parallel to the impeller axis connecting web. The annular gap section has at least one preferably ring-segment-shaped radial passage opening. Larger impurities can be sucked in without problems if the radial passage opening of the annular gap section has a larger cross-sectional area. has cut, as the largest axial passage opening of the central region or the annular region. Thus, larger contaminants are sucked directly through the annular gap section.

A first embodiment variant of the invention provides that the distance between the impeller and the central region is greater than between the impeller and the annular region. Alternatively, it is also possible that the distance between the impeller and the central area is smaller than between the impeller and ring area.

In order to optimize the suction effect, it can be provided that the central region and the annular region have differently sized passage openings and / or different passage opening densities. Alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided that the central region or the annular region has-at least in sections-at least one closed wall region, preferably without an opening.

Instead of a fixed design of the passage openings can also be provided that the passage openings of the protective grating - preferably the Zentralbereichs- and / or the annular region and / or the annular gap portion - are designed adjustable and / or lockable via at least one control member. Thus, the suction effect can be adapted quickly to the respective cleaning case quickly. The control members can be formed by simple slide or flap elements, which can block or release a number of passages.

In order to prevent backscattering when switching off the electric motor within the pool, it is advantageous if the outlet opening is arranged laterally on the housing, wherein preferably the main flow axis of the outlet opening is arranged transversely to the impeller axis, particularly preferably normal to the impeller axis.

The housing may have a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart support elements in the peripheral region of the inlet opening, wherein preferably the support elements are formed by sliders, scooters or brushes. The support elements ensure that the edge of the inlet opening of the housing is always at the correct distance from the bottom of the pool in order to achieve a good cleaning effect.

The invention will be described below with reference to FIG. explained in more detail. Show it :

1 shows an underwater cleaner according to the invention in section along the line I-I in Fig. 2; 2 shows the underwater cleaner in a side view;

3 shows a protective grille of the underwater cleaner in a plan view;

Fig. 4 shows the protective grid in a section along the line IV - IV in FIG. 3;

and

Fig. 5 shows the protective grid in an oblique view.

The underwater cleaner 1, for example for a pool, has a housing 2, in which a battery-powered pump 3 is arranged. The pump 3 has a driven by an electric motor 4 impeller 5, which is designed as Axiallaufrad 5. The power supply of the electric motor 4 may be via a rechargeable battery, which may be located in or on the housing 2 or in a non-illustrated battery case outside the water. The impeller axis is designated by 5a. The pump 3 sucks water through the inlet opening 6 of the housing 2 and conveys it according to the arrows S to the side outlet opening 7, to which a non-illustrated collecting container can be connected. The lateral outlet opening 7 with the main flow axis 7a, which is formed normal to the rotor axis 5a, has the advantage that the contaminants remain in the collecting container when the pump 3 is switched off and at least makes it difficult, if not impossible, to return to the pool.

The impeller 5 is arranged immediately downstream of the inlet opening 6 in the housing 2. The distance a between the impeller 5 and the inlet opening 6 is smaller than the impeller radius r of the impeller. 5

To protect against injury, a protective grid 8 is provided upstream of the impeller 5. The protective grid 8 is arranged in the inlet opening 6 and screwed to the housing 2 via fastening screws 9. The protective grid 8 is stepped and has at least two mutually spaced apart in the direction of the impeller axis 5a from the impeller 5 areas, namely a wheel axis 5a intersecting central region 8a and at least one adjacent to the housing 2 ring portion 8b, wherein axial passage openings 10a, 10b are arranged in the central area 8a and / or in the ring area 8b. In the exemplary embodiment, the central region 8a is further away from the impeller 5 than the annular region 8b. But it is also conceivable vice versa. It is essential that cylindrical annular gap sections 11 are formed between connecting webs 12 between the outer edge 8a 'of the central region 8a and the inner edge 8b' of the annular region 8b. About the parallel to the impeller axis 5a formed connecting webs 12, the outer edge 8a 'and the inner edge 8b' are interconnected. In the annular gap sections 11 radial passage openings 10c are provided whose cross sections are larger than the cross sections of the axial passage openings 10a, 10b. This makes it possible to suck larger contaminants, such as leaves or the like, which do not fit through the smaller axial passage openings 10a, 10b, through the radial passage openings 10c. The height h of the radial passage openings 10c may correspond substantially to the maximum transverse extent of the largest axial passage opening.

The radial and axial passage opening should be dimensioned in their extent so that a penetration of fingers can be prevented by children in the impeller area reliably to avoid injury.

D is the diameter of the central region 8a, denoted by D the largest diameter of the annular region 8b. The diameter d of the central region 8a is slightly larger than half the diameter D of the annular region 8b.

The passage openings 10a, 10b of the central area 8a and of the annular area 8b can be of different sizes or with different density (number per unit area). Alternatively or additionally, the central region 8a or the annular region 8b may be designed to be closed at least in sections in order to generate targeted pressure differences and thus to optimize the suction effect in individual regions.

In the peripheral region of the inlet opening 6 a plurality of circumferentially spaced support members 13 are arranged. The support elements 13 may be formed by sliders, scooters, brushes or the like.

The underwater cleaner 1 can be guided over the guide rod 14 along the bottom of the pool. The fact that the impeller 5 is then arranged directly on the protective grid 8 in the region of the inlet opening 6, a high cleaning effect can be achieved.

Claims

PATENT APPLICATIONS

1. Underwater cleaner (1), in particular for a swimming pool, with a housing (2) in which a particular battery-operated pump (3) with an electric motor (4) and an impeller (5) is arranged, wherein the housing (2) a Having inlet opening (6) and an outlet opening (7), and wherein the impeller axis (5a) is arranged normal to the opening cross-section of the inlet opening (6), characterized in that - preferably formed as Axiallaufrad - impeller (5), preferably directly, in Region of the inlet opening (6) is arranged.

2. Underwater cleaner (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance (a) between the impeller (5) and inlet opening (6) corresponds to a maximum of the impeller radius (r).

3. Underwater cleaner (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inlet opening (6) upstream of the impeller (5) with a number of passage openings (10 a, 10 b, 10 c) having protective grid (8) is provided, preferably the protective grid (8) is arranged inside the housing (2).

4. Underwater cleaner (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the protective grid (8) is stepped and at least two from each other in the direction of the impeller axis (5a) from the impeller (5) differently spaced stood, preferably normal to the impeller axis (5a) in which the protective grid (8) has a central region (8a) intersecting the impeller axis (5a) and at least one annular region (8b) adjacent to the housing (2), and axial through-openings (10a, 10b) in the central region (8a) and / or in the ring area (8b) are arranged.

5. Underwater cleaner (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that between the outer edge (8a ') of the central region (8a) and the inner edge (8b') of the annular region (8b) at least one preferably cylindrical annular gap portion (11) is formed , wherein preferably the outer edge (8a ') and the inner edge (8b') are connected to each other via at least one preferably parallel to the impeller axis (5a) formed connecting web (12).

6. Underwater cleaner (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the annular gap section (11) at least one preferably ringsegmentför- shaped radial passage opening (10c), wherein preferably the radial passage opening (10c) of the annular gap portion (11) has a larger Cross-section, as the largest axial passage opening (10a, 10b) of the central region (8a) or the annular portion (8b).

7. Underwater cleaner (1) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the central region (8a) and the annular region (8b) have different sized passage openings (10a, 10b) and / or different passage opening densities.

8. Underwater cleaner (1) according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the central region (8a) or the annular region (8b) - at least in sections - at least one closed wall region, preferably formed without an opening.

9. Underwater cleaner (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the passage openings (10a, 10b, 10c) of the protective grid (8) - preferably the central region (8a) - and / or the annular region (8b) and / or the annular gap portion (11) - are designed to be adjustable and / or closed by at least one control member.

10. underwater cleaner (1) according to one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that the - preferably average - diameter (d) of the central region (8a) about half the diameter (D) of the annular region (8b) +/- 10%, equivalent.

11. Underwater cleaner (1) according to one of claims 3 to 10, characterized in that the distance between the impeller (5) and the central region (8a) is greater than between the impeller (5) and annular region (8b).

12. Underwater cleaner (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 10, characterized in that the distance between the impeller (5) and the central region (8a) is smaller than between the impeller (5) and annular region (8b).

13. Underwater cleaner (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the housing (2) in the peripheral region of the inlet opening (6) has a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart support elements (13), wherein preferably the support elements (13) by sliders , Scooters or brushes are formed.

14. Underwater cleaner (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the outlet opening (7) is arranged laterally on the housing (2), wherein preferably the main flow axis (7a) of the outlet opening (7) transversely to the impeller axis (5a) , Particularly preferably normal to the impeller axis (5a) is arranged.