Patent Application
20240271450
The invention relates to systems and apparatuses for cleaning water-containing vessels such as swimming pools and spas and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to automatic swimming pool cleaners (APCs).
Numerous cleaning devices capable of autonomous movement within swimming pools and spas currently exist. The most common of these devices are APCs, which often are either hydraulic or robotic in type. Hydraulic cleaners vary water flow for movement, while robotic cleaners typically employ electric motors to cause motion. Hydraulic APCs, furthermore, subdivide into “pressure-side” and “suction-side” cleaners, with pressure-side cleaners being fluidly connected to outputs of pumps of pool water circulation systems and suction-side cleaners being fluidly connected to inputs of such pumps. Traditional APCs may include a single on-board battery pack such that the APC does not require cabling for receiving power from outside the pool or spa. However, APCs for large pools may run out of charge before completing an operation such as a cleaning cycle, thereby requiring an interruption to the cleaning cycle such that the APC can be recharged.
Embodiments covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various embodiments and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings, and each claim.
According to certain embodiments, an APC for a swimming pool or spa includes more than one battery pack.
According to various embodiments, a method includes supporting more than one battery packs on an APC based on a size of a swimming pool or spa to be cleaned.
Various implementations described herein can include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which cannot necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.
The specification makes reference to the following appended figures, in which use of like reference numerals in different figures is intended to illustrate like or analogous components.
Described herein are APCs with more than one battery pack. In certain embodiments, the APCs described herein are operable with a single battery pack or the plurality of battery packs (e.g., two or more battery packs). The battery packs disclosed herein may allow for improved modularization and customization of the APC such that the onboard power supply may be adjusted as needed or desired, and power may be supplied without the APC needing recharging if so desired. As examples, the number of battery packs utilized may be based on a size of the pool or spa to be cleaned, a type of cleaning operation, etc. Various other benefits and advantages may be realized with the systems and methods provided herein, and the aforementioned advantages should not be considered limiting.
In certain embodiments, more than one battery pack 18 may be provided with the APC 10. In various embodiments, the APC 10 may be operable with a single battery pack 18 supported on the APC 10 and/or with more than one of the battery packs 18 supported on the APC 10. As non-limiting examples, the APC 10 may utilize a single battery pack 18 for cleaning a small swimming pool or spa, and in such cases the unused battery pack(s) 18 may be charging and/or otherwise stored as desired. In some embodiments, an unused battery pack may be charged externally/separately while other battery packs are being used. In another non-limiting example, the APC 10 may include two battery packs 18, three battery packs 18, etc. to clean a large swimming pool or spa.
Each battery pack 18 of the more than one battery packs 18 includes a store of electricity (e.g., one or more batteries). In certain embodiments, each battery pack 18 may be a same type of battery pack (e.g., same type of battery, same battery size, same energy storage capacity, same chemical construction, all rechargeable, all single-use or non-rechargeable, same number of batteries, etc.). However, in other embodiments, the battery packs 18 need not be the same. As non-limiting examples, the type of battery and/or number of batteries provided within one battery pack 18 may be the same as or different from the type and/or number of batteries provided within another battery pack 18.
Optionally, one or more of the battery packs 18 may be rechargeable, and in such embodiments, the one or more battery packs 18 may include electrically conductive portions and/or other features that may be used to charge and/or recharge the stores of electricity as desired.
As mentioned, the APC 10 may be operable with one battery pack 18 and/or with more than one battery pack 18 as desired. In embodiments where the APC 10 operates with more than one battery pack 18, the motor and/or other electronic components of the APC 10 may draw power from the battery packs 18 sequentially (e.g., one at a time) or concurrently as desired. In certain embodiments, the number of battery packs 18 supported on the APC 10 may be based on a size of the pool or spa to be cleaned, a type of cleaning operation to be performed by the APC 10, a desired time until recharge of the battery pack(s) 18, etc.
In some embodiments, the APC 10 (and/or electronic components of the APC 10) may be controlled to draw power from the battery packs 18 sequentially or concurrently based on an onboard controller (e.g., processor and/or memory), user input, sensed or detected input, and/or as otherwise desired. As non-limiting examples, a user may provide an input to the APC 10 (e.g., via a user interface on the APC 10, via wired communication, via wireless communication from a remote user device, etc.) indicating and/or controlling the APC 10 such that the power is drawn concurrently or sequentially as desired.
As another non-limiting example, the APC 10 (e.g., via the controller) may control electronic components of the APC 10 such that power is drawn concurrently or sequentially based on an input, determined, and/or sensed size of the pool or spa to be cleaned, a type of cleaning operation to be performed by the APC, a desired time until recharge of the battery packs, a type of battery pack, a current charge level of the battery packs, combinations thereof, and/or as otherwise desired. As a non-limiting example, the APC 10 may be in a first operation mode (e.g., drawing power from a single battery pack) or a second operation mode (e.g., drawing power from a plurality of battery packs) based on a pool size being above, below, or at a threshold pool area and/or a desired time until recharge being above, below, or at a threshold duration. As another non-limiting example, the APC 10 may be in the first operation mode or the second operation mode based on a cleaning operation being a first type of cleaning operation predicted or determined to draw a first amount of power (e.g., travelling along a floor with brushes active), a second type of cleaning operation predicted or determined to draw a second amount of power (e.g., travelling along both a floor of the pool and vertical walls of the pool with brushes active), etc. As yet another non-limiting example, the APC 10 may be in the first operation mode or the second operation mode based on the batteries being rechargeable or non-rechargeable, energy storage capacity, etc.
Various other control of power draw from the battery packs may be implemented as desired, and the aforementioned examples are for illustrative purposes only.
Exemplary concepts or combinations of features of the invention may include:
These examples are not intended to be mutually exclusive, exhaustive, or restrictive in any way, and the invention is not limited to these example embodiments but rather encompasses all possible modifications and variations within the scope of any claims ultimately drafted and issued in connection with the invention (and their equivalents). For avoidance of doubt, any combination of features not physically impossible or expressly identified as non-combinable herein may be within the scope of the invention. Further, although applicant has described devices and techniques for use principally with APCs, persons skilled in the relevant field will recognize that the present invention conceivably could be employed in connection with other objects and in other manners. Finally, references to “pools” and “swimming pools” herein may also refer to spas or other water containing vessels used for recreation, training, or therapy and for which cleaning of debris is needed or desired.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/445,287, filed on Feb. 13, 2023, and entitled AUTOMATIC SWIMMING POOL CLEANER WITH MORE THAN ONE BATTERY PACK, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63445287 | Feb 2023 | US |
