A push side pool cleaner (1) has a spheroidal overall shape, within this shape two outer segments (9, 10) serve as wheels and a central zone (8) carries a suction passage (33) and a debris collector (32) also located entirely within the overall shape. The wheels are driven directly by water jets (44, 45) without any gears or other transmission. A flow splitter is provided in the cleaner (1) to divide push side water flow between the jets (44, 45) which drive the wheels and jets (43) which provide impulsion to the suction passage (33).
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of and claims priority to (allowed) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/673,873 filed on Feb. 28, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,255, which is the U.S. national phase entry of International Patent Application No. PCT/US99/11035 filed on May 19, 1999, which in turn claims priority to South African Patent Document No. 98/04346 filed on May 22, 1998, South African Patent Document No. 98/09806 filed on Oct. 28, 1998 and South African Patent Document No. 99/02896 filed on Apr. 23, 1999.
Priority Data
May 22, 1998 [ZA] 98/4346 Oct 28, 1998 [ZA] 98/9806 Apr 23, 1999 [ZA] 99/2896
A pressure type pool cleaner includes a head propelled forwardly over a surface. Different portions of water pumped to the head inducts debris into a cleaner system, and is ejected via a thrust nozzle onto a deflector and thence along a thrust line to thrust the head along the line. The deflector is pivotal via a saddle about a longitudinal axis such as to be displaced laterally relative to the thrust nozzle. The deflector includes obliquely opposed deflection surfaces which are respectively aligned with the nozzle in dependence on its relatively laterally displaced position to deflect the water ejected along the line to respectively different oblique directions to adjust the direction of thrust and to effect lateral steering.
A self-actuating robot or vehicle tether capable of moving itself, remaining free while traversing around obstacles, and free itself is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a valve is mounted to the tether or robot. An inflow conduit attached to or in the tether is connected to the valve. A fluid flows through the tether and the valve is opened and closed to create a waterhammer effect in the inflow conduit. The forces created on the tether from the waterhammer effect result in motion of the tether and in freeing of the tether from obstructions. Closing and opening the valve further creates pressure changes in the tether, thereby causing momentary dimensional changes in the tether. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of valves are placed along the tether. Pulsing of the plurality of valves while a fluid flows through the tether results in the tether effectively moving itself.
A pressure type pool cleaner includes a head propelled forwardly over a surface. Water pumped to the head drives wheels turbine fashion; inducts debris into a cleaner system; and is ejected via a thrust nozzle onto a guide and thence along a thrust line to thrust the head along the line. A pivoted director mounts the guide and includes a surface member exposed to the water. During forward movement, water pressure on the member counteracts jet stream pressure on the guide and maintains the guide's orientation for the thrust line to pass closely above a wheel rotation axis. When an obstacle stops forward motion, pressure on the member and its counteracting stop, the guide is reoriented and redirects the thrust to well below the axis to pivot the head about the axis to assist the wheels to scale the obstacle.
