This application relates to pool skimmer devices, systems, and methods.
Swimming pools are enjoyed by many for leisure and exercise in both private and public settings. To provide healthy conditions and maximum enjoyment, it is important to ensure that water within a swimming pool remains clean, clear, and free from debris. For this reason, swimming pools generally include circulation and filtration systems that are designed to clean the water.
Many swimming pools accumulate unwanted debris, such as leaves, pollen, seeds, insects, etc., on the surface of the water. Commonly, existing circulation and filtration systems may be ineffective at removing this debris from the water's surface. Accordingly, pool owners frequently and undesirably are required to manually capture and remove debris from the water's surface using a pool skimmer net.
In a first aspect, a powered pool skimmer device is disclosed. The device includes a bucket that houses a water pump that is placed under a filter basket that is fed swimming pool surface water through a funnel that floats just below the surface water of the skimmer. The pump pulls water through the funnel, through the filter basket, and exhausts the filtered water back into the pool through an exhaust port incorporated into the bucket. This exhaust water is ported back into the swimming pool through the skimmer opening.
The device can include one or more of the following features in any combination: (a) a bucket that fits into an existing skimmer that will house the powered skimmer components; (b) a water pump that is capable of pumping water through the funnel, filter, and exhaust port back into the swimming pool; (c) a filter basket that has various size mesh openings to catch debris in the water flowing through the powered skimmer; (d) a mounting plate that is positioned over the filter basket that supports the filter basket, and also supports the funnel that water will flow through into the filter apparatus; (e) an exhaust port for the exhaust of filtered water back into the swimming pool; (f) a self-adjusting floating funnel that positions itself just below the water surface; (g) a manually adjustable funnel that can be manually positioned just beneath the surface water in the skimmer; (h) a water level sensing switch that will shut off the pump when water flow into the skimmer ceases; (h) the profile of the funnel is defined by an equation −1/x, where x is the distance from the central axis of the curve; (i) the diameter of the funnel openings are implicitly defined by −1/x plus some offset perpendicular to the central axis of the funnel (for example: x(t)=t+0.5, y(t)=−1/t); and/or (j) the pump is DC and of varying voltages that are adjusted to control the water flow through the filter, and thus the position of the funnel.
In another aspect, a pool skimmer device is disclosed. The device includes an adapter that will allow it to adapt to an existing skimmer opening or basket, a filter basket that is fed swimming pool surface water through a funnel that floats just below the surface water of the skimmer. This device is powered by the water that flows into the skimmer and into the existing filter system for the swimming pool.
The device can include one or more of the following features in any combination: (a) an adapter ring that will allow the skimmer device to adhere to the existing skimmer structure; (b) an adapter ring that will allow the skimmer device to adhere to the existing skimmer filter basket; (c) a filter basket that has various size mesh openings to catch debris in the water flowing through the skimmer device; (d) a mounting plate that adheres to the adapter ring or is part of the adapter ring that is positioned over the filter basket that supports the filter basket, and also supports the funnel that water will flow through into the filter apparatus; (e) a self-adjusting floating funnel that positions itself just below the water surface; (f) a manually adjustable funnel that can be manually positioned just beneath the surface water in the skimmer; (g) the profile of the funnel is defined by an equation −1/x, where x is the distance from the central axis of the curve; and/or (i) the diameter of the funnel openings are implicitly defined by −1/x plus some offset perpendicular to the central axis of the funnel (for example: x(t)=t+0.5, y(t)=−1/t).
This application relates to devices, systems, and methods that are configured to clean a pool, such as a swimming pool. The devices, systems, and methods may be configured, in particular, to clean debris, such as pollen, insects, seeds, leaves, etc., from the surface of the water in a pool. As will be described in greater detail below, the devices, systems, and methods may be configured to use the surface tension of the water to pull in debris from the surface of the water.
Generally, swimming pools include pool skimmers in an effort to clear the surface of the water from debris. An example of such a skimmer is shown in
The following discussion presents detailed descriptions of the several embodiments of the pool skimmer devices, systems, and methods shown in the figures. These embodiments are not intended to be limiting, and modifications, variations, combinations, etc., are possible and within the scope of this disclosure. As will be discussed in more detail below, these pool skimmer devices, systems, and methods can be used to efficiently and effectively clean the surface of a pool.
The pool system 10 includes a circulation and filtration system 20 configured to circulate and clean the water of the pool 11. Various types of circulation and filtration systems 20 can be used. As illustrated, the circulation and filtration system 20 includes a water pump 21 that circulates water from the pool 11 through various suction lines 25 and return lines 27. The water pump 21 also circulates the pool water through a filter 23.
Example flow of water through the circulation and filtration system 20 of the pool system 10 will now be described with reference to
The pool system 10 also includes a pool skimmer 31. The pool skimmer 31 can be positioned in a sidewall 13 of the pool 11. An example pool skimmer 31 is shown in greater detail in the cross-sectional side view of
The pool skimmer 31 attempts to clean the surface of the water of the pool 11 as the pump 23 pulls water through the pool skimmer 31. The conventional process by which the pool skimmer 31 will be described with reference to
The pool skimmer 31 can include a weir door 37 configured to close the aperture 35. The weir door 37 can comprise a hinged door and a float 39. The float 39 is configured to raise the weir door 37 to close the aperture 35 (for example, such that the top of the weir door 37 is positioned at the surface 5 of the water). When the pump 21 (
Within the pool skimmer 31, the pool skimmer includes a skimmer basket 43. The skimmer basket 43 can be supported by a ledge 41 or other supporting structure within the pool skimmer 31. An example skimmer basket 43 is shown in
Below the skimmer basket 43, the pool skimmer 31 can, in some embodiments, include a float valve 45. The float valve 45 can be configured as a safety device for the water pump 21. If the water gets low in the pool 11, a float inside the float valve 45 can fall down to shut off the pool skimmer 31 such that the water pump 21 only pulls water from the main drains 29 of the pool 11. This can prevent damage to the water pump 21 caused by running the pump dry. In some embodiments, a pool system 10 can have the line to the bottom filter capped. However, there are many installations where this opening is not capped, and a pipe extends to the bottom filter opening. In these configurations, the float valve 45 is available.
Another problem with pool skimmers 31 such as shown in
The upper opening 51 provides an entrance into the skimmer basket 43. The upper opening 51 can have a diameter 55 as shown. Various pool supply manufacturers provide different types of skimmer baskets 43 for different types of pool skimmers 31. Accordingly, the diameter 55 of the upper opening 51 may be different depending on the specific embodiment of the skimmer basket 53. Although the upper opening 51 is described as having a diameter 55, in some embodiments, the skimmer basket 43 (and in particular the upper opening 51) may be non-circular (e.g., square or rectangular). The rim 53 can be configured to engage with the ledge 41 of the pool skimmer 31 (
Additionally, as illustrated, the main body 49 of the skimmer basket 43 (e.g., the sidewalls 57 and or bottom wall 59 can include a plurality of apertures 55 (such as perforations or openings) configured to provide straining functionality for the skimmer basket 43. The size of the apertures 55 can vary depending on the specific embodiment. In some embodiments, the apertures 55 can be replaced with or include a mesh.
The powered skimmer device can be configured to position the larger opening of the funnel at a predetermined depth just below the surface of the water in the pool for manually adjusted funnel depth, or automatically position for floating funnels. When the opening of the funnel is near the surface, the water level in the skimmer device may be lower than the water level in the pool skimmer. This can cause the water to follow the shape of the funnel into the lower part of the funnel and into the basket below. If the skimmer device's opening is deeper than the water in the pool skimmer, the water may swirl and create a strong vortex that may suck debris into the lower part of the funnel and into the basket below.
Floating debris in pool water is trapped within the surface tension of the water. As will become more fully apparent from the following description, when water enters the funnel of the skimmer device, the surface will warp and be pulled into the wide opening, through the narrow opening, and into the attached debris catching skimmer basket. Along with pulling the surface water into the skimmer basket, all or much of the small floating debris, such as pollen, dust, bugs, small leaves, pieces of deteriorating thermo-pool covers, etc., will also be pulled into the skimmer basket.
Almost all of today's swimming pools are filtered by a centralized pump, as shown in
The interface between the skimmer and the pool water is the funnel 60. In the powered skimmer device of
The funnel 60 can attach to the bucket 65 via the funnel plate 62. For the free-floating funnel 60, there can be tracks in the funnel plate 62 for the funnel to freely rise and fall in. However, if properly fitted into the tracks, the funnel 60 cannot be lifted off the funnel plate 62. Therefore, the funnel 60 can freely vertically move within a specified range that is determined by the length of the rails (
The funnel plate 62 can attach to the basket holder plate 63 via a twisting motion that locks it into place. The basket holder plate 63 can serve three purposes: (1) it can adhere or attach the funnel 60 to the bucket 65, (2) it can attach itself to the bucket 65, and (3) it can provide support for the filter basket 64.
The filter basket 64 can be course or fine mesh or other suitable structures. If course mesh, then it will filter out larger debris from the pool. If fine mesh, then it will filter out small debris from the surface water of the pool, such as pollen, ants, bugs, wasps, seeds, saw dust, and any other small particles that may land and float on the surface water of a swimming pool.
In the illustrated embodiment, the pump 66 is located beneath the filter basket in the bucket 65. As it pumps water out of the bucket, surface water will be pulled through the funnel 60 and down through the filter basket 64. Currently, we are using a 1100 GPH bilge pump that provides great water flow. Water flow that is much greater than the average water following through a normal swimming pool skimmer (e.g., as shown in
The pump 66 sucks water through the funnel 60, and it exhausts the filtered water into exhaust port 67. At the exhaust port 67, there can be an exhaust manifold 68, that ports the water away from the powered skimmer device and into the skimmer opening, and then out into the swimming pool. The height of the exhaust manifold 68 is adjustable, and the opening should be level with the bottom of the skimmer opening, which will usually place it under the surface of the water. Since the pump 66 is pumping water out an opening that is lower than the surface of the water, the pump 66 will require much less energy than typical above water pumps. The following parts can help aid the flow of exhaust water into the swimming pool: adapter 69, pipes 70, and directional fittings 71.
The depth of funnel 60 can be determined by the buoyancy of the funnel, the size of the openings, and the velocity of the water through the funnel. In view of these parameters, the opening diameters of the funnel may vary from model to model to suit particular circumstances. Even the length of the funnel extension 61 can be a factor. In some powered skimmer models, there may be a pump speed control that will allow the velocity of the water through the funnel to be adjusted. With this speed adjustment, the depth of the funnel may be adjusted without changing the buoyancy of the funnel 60 of the size of the diameter of the openings.
The non-powered skimmer device in
One advantage that the non-powered skimmer device may have over traditional skimmers (e.g., as shown in
The interface between the skimmer and the pool water is the funnel 60. In
In the illustrated embodiment, the funnel 60 attaches to the bucket via the funnel plate 62. For the free-floating funnel, there can be tracks in the funnel plate 62 for the funnel to freely rise and fall in. However, if properly fitted into the tracks, the funnel cannot be lifted off the funnel plate 62. Therefore, the funnel can freely vertically move within a specified range that is determined by the length of the rails. For the fixed funnel 60, the height is set for the funnel and it will stay at that height.
The funnel plate 62 can attach to the basket holder plate 63 via a twisting motion that locks it into place. The basket holder plate 63 can serve two purposes: (1) it can adhere the funnel 60 to the basket 64, and (2) it can attach itself to the basket 64.
The filter basket 64 can be course or fine mesh or other suitable structure. If course mesh, then it will filter out larger debris from the pool. If fine mesh, then it will filter out small debris from the surface water of the pool, such as pollen, ants, bugs, wasps, seeds, saw dust, and any other small particles that may land and float on the surface water of a swimming pool. It can even be the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basket that came with the traditional skimmer (
The skimmer adapter ring 72 can seal the non-powered skimmer device so that all suction provided by the swimming pools central pump (
The depth of floating funnel 60 can be determined by the buoyancy of the funnel, the size of the openings, and the velocity of the water through the funnel. It is because of these parameters that the opening diameters of the funnel may vary from model to model. Even the length of the funnel extension 61 is a factor. With the non-powered skimmer device, the pool's central pump defines the velocity of the water through funnel 60, and thus the depth of the funnel below the surface of the water. In single port skimmer (
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/893,730, filed Aug. 29, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. Nos. 16/516,021, 16/516,030, and 16/516,013, each filed on Jul. 18, 2019, each of which are also incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20210062527 A1 | Mar 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62893730 | Aug 2019 | US |