ROBOTIC POOL CLEANER

Abstract

A robotic pool cleaner includes a chassis having a suction port and a discharge port with wheels supporting the chassis. A pump motor and drive motors are positioned within a watertight motor housing, and a pump housing is secured adjacent to the motor housing. An impeller is positioned within the pump housing and is coupled to the pump motor. The cleaner includes a pressure equalization chamber having a diaphragm to equalize the pressure within the motor housing and the ambient pressure. The cleaner includes a debris chamber removably attached to the top portion of the chassis and divided by a raised tunnel structure formed therein, where the debris chamber is coupled to the suction port and the raised tunnel structure is configured to slide over the pump housing. The impeller vacuums pool water through the suction port, through the debris chamber, and out through the discharge port.

Description

FIELD

The present invention relates to swimming pool maintenance, and more particularly, to a robotic pool cleaner.

BACKGROUND

Cleaning a pool manually involves vacuuming debris from the pool bottom. This includes attaching a vacuum head to a telescoping pole. One end of a vacuum hose is attached to the vacuum head. The vacuum head and hose are submerged in the pool to fill the hose with water, removing all air. The other end of the hose is attached to the skimmer or a dedicated vacuum line, ensuring the pool pump is running. The vacuum head is then slowly moved along the pool floor, covering the entire area systematically, which is a time-consuming process to vacuum the debris.

Automatic pool cleaners have been developed to clean swimming pools with minimal human intervention. For example, suction-side automatic pool cleaners are devices that use the suction power of the pool filtration system to move around and clean the pool. The automatic pool cleaner connects to the pool's skimmer or a dedicated suction line. This connection is usually made via a hose that is submerged in the pool. The pool pump creates suction through the skimmer or dedicated suction line. This suction pulls water through the cleaner, which moves the cleaner around the pool. The cleaner uses the suction force to move, and some models have wheels or rubber flaps that help them navigate the pool floor, walls, and steps. The cleaner often moves in a random pattern, covering the entire pool over time. As the cleaner moves, it vacuums up debris from the pool surfaces. The debris is sucked into the cleaner and then transported through the hose to the pool filtration system, where it is trapped in the pool filter. The pool filter traps the debris and dirt, while the clean water is returned to the pool.

While suction-side automatic pool cleaners are effective and widely used, they can encounter several issues. For example, they may experience a loss of suction: from a clogged skimmer or pump basket, dirty pool filter, or air leaks in the hose. The automatic pool cleaner can get stuck in corners, on steps, or around obstacles, and may not cover the entire pool, missing certain areas. In addition, the vacuum hose can become tangled, preventing the automatic pool cleaner from moving properly.

Robotic pool cleaners include battery-powered or wired pool cleaners that are autonomous devices designed to clean pools. The robotic pool cleaner may be equipped with a rechargeable battery pack or be connected to a 120V power supply that powers the device and a motor drives the movement of the cleaner and powers the suction mechanism. Wheels or tracks that allow the cleaner to move around the pool. Some models have sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles and move in a random pattern, while more advanced models follow a programmed route to ensure comprehensive coverage. The robotic pool cleaner vacuums debris from the pool floor, walls, and sometimes the waterline, depending on its design. The debris is collected in a filter or bag inside the cleaner.

While current robotic pool cleaners have some benefits, they also have shortcomings. For example, the onboard filters need regular cleaning to maintain efficiency, the robotic pool cleaners are heavy, and they are susceptible to moisture entering the electrical components, causing malfunctions. There is therefore a need for an improved robotic pool cleaner, which allows for increased performance and at the same time is more durable and rugged.

SUMMARY

A robotic pool cleaner is disclosed. The robotic pool cleaner includes a chassis having a bottom portion and a top portion, where the bottom portion has at least one suction port and the top portion has at least one discharge port. The robotic pool cleaner also includes a plurality of wheels supporting the chassis, a motor housing secured within the chassis having a watertight seal, and a pump motor positioned within the motor housing. In addition, the robotic pool cleaner includes a pump housing that is secured adjacent to the motor housing and has a first free end and a second opposing end coupled to the at least one discharge port. An impeller is positioned proximal to the first free end of the pump housing and coupled to the pump motor. The pump housing includes an aperture adjacent to the impeller to assist with priming during start-up. The robotic pool cleaner includes a pressure equalization chamber having a diaphragm dividing the pressure equalization chamber into an inner portion and an outer portion, where the inner portion is in communication with an interior of the motor housing and the exterior portion in communication with an exterior of the chassis and the ambient pressure.

The robotic pool cleaner includes a debris chamber that is removably attached to the top portion of the chassis and is divided by a raised tunnel structure formed therein. The debris chamber is coupled to the at least one suction port and the raised tunnel structure is configured to slide over the pump housing. The impeller that is driven by the pump motor is configured to vacuum pool water through the at least one suction port, through the debris chamber, and out through the at least one discharge port.

The robotic pool cleaner may have a plurality of drive motors within the motor housing that are coupled to the plurality of wheels and configured to drive the wheels. A pump housing extension may be coupled to the first free end of the pump housing to create a space between the impeller and the first free end to promote prime upon start-up. In addition, the robotic pool cleaner may include a programmable controller that is configured with program instructions to perform mapping routines of a pool surface. The programmable controller may be further configured with program instructions to perform an automatic pump down of the debris chamber when the robotic pool cleaner is removed from a pool. The robotic pool cleaner may also have at least one sensor that is configured to detect a chassis attitude and movement profile inconsistent with wall climbing during a normal cleaning operation to activate the program instructions for the automatic pump down.

The robotic pool cleaner may have a battery pack having a plurality of battery cells, and the programmable controller may be configured with programming instructions to apply power from battery cells to selectively operate the plurality of drive motors and the pump motor. The robotic pool cleaner may also have a plurality of roller brushes secured to a bottom of the chassis that are configured to be driven by the plurality of drive motors by an arrangement of gears. The pump motor may be centrally positioned between a first drive motor and a second drive motor that extend in opposing directions from the pump motor in a T-shaped configuration.

Each wheel includes an external-toothed spur gear that is engaged with either a rear transfer gear or a forward transfer gear that is mounted to a respective side of the chassis, and a rotatably mounted intermediate gear is configured to engage both the rear and forward transfer gears to transfer rotational motion of a same speed and direction from a rear wheel to a respective front wheel.

The debris chamber of the robotic pool cleaner may have a plurality of mesh screens that are configured to filter debris from the pool water as the pool water is vacuumed. The debris chamber may be removably attached to the chassis by a plurality of side latches and have a debris chamber cover and a separate debris chamber base. The debris chamber cover may include a handle having a base release button positioned on a rear face of the debris chamber handle that is accessible only when the debris chamber is removed from the chassis. The debris chamber base may have a cover engagement arm extending upwardly from a rear wall from the debris chamber base to releasably engage with the base release button located on the rear face of the debris chamber handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of a robotic pool cleaner, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a lower perspective view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially-exploded lower perspective view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an upper perspective view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1, with a debris chamber thereof partially removed;

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of the debris chamber of FIG. 4, with a cover thereof partially removed;

FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1, with the debris chamber completely removed;

FIG. 7 is an upper perspective view of a base of the debris chamber of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a partially-exploded sectional view of a pump assembly and a motor assembly of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an upper perspective view of a lower chassis of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1, including the pump and motor assemblies mounted thereon along with associated powertrain components and an electronics housing;

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the motor assembly of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is an end sectional view of the motor assembly of FIG. 9, taken along the axis of drive motor driveshafts thereof;

FIG. 13 is a partially exploded upper perspective view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1 with wheels removed from a left side thereof to show hidden details;

FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view of a representative one of the wheels of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is an inner perspective view of a representative one of a pair of side panels of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a left side view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1, with left side wheels, side panel covers, and gear box covers removed to show powertrain details;

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1, with a battery compartment cover removed to show a battery pack;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the electronics housing of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 21 is a schematic overview of electrical components of the robotic pool cleaner of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a robotic pool cleaner 10 includes a chassis 12 that is supported by a plurality of wheels 14 driven to move the robotic pool cleaner 10 over submerged pool surfaces. The plurality of wheels 14 could be tracks, rollers or other means of movement over a pool surface. As will be explained in greater detail below, pool water is drawn into the chassis 12 through suction ports 16 formed on a bottom portion 20 thereof and subsequently exhausted through a discharge port 22 on a top portion 24 thereof. Dirt and other debris entrained in the water passing through the chassis 12 is deposited in a removable debris chamber 26.

Referring to FIG. 3, pairs of rotatable brushes 30 are located on the bottom portion 20 of the chassis 12 near the front and rear ends 32, 34 thereof. The ends of each brush 30 are rotatably supported by respective bearing assemblies 36 mounted in the bottom of the chassis 12. Rotation of the brushes 30 generates a sweeping motion on underlying pool surfaces and helps unsettle dirt and debris that are then more readily entrained in pool water drawn in through the suction ports 16. It will be appreciated that a single continuous brush, preferably rotatably driven from only one side, could be substituted at each end 32, 34 for the depicted pairs of brushes 30.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a handle 40 extends from the top portion 24 of the chassis 12 at the rear end 34. The handle 40 facilitates grasping of the chassis 12 to facilitate the user grasping the robotic pool cleaner 10 for placement into and removal from the pool, as well as other transport.

The debris chamber 26 is removably attached the chassis 12 by side latches 52 that engage a cover 44 of the debris chamber 26. With the debris chamber 26 inserted to the chassis 12, the cover 44 of the debris chamber 26 forms a portion of the top portion 24 of the chassis 12. To remove the debris chamber 26 from the chassis 12, referring to FIG. 4, the side latches 52 are disengaged and the debris chamber 26 is pivoted up and out of the chassis 12 via a debris chamber handle 54 on the cover 44. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, pivoting the debris chamber 26 relative to the chassis 12 allows disengagement of chassis engagement lips 56, formed on opposite sides of a forward edge 60 of the debris chamber cover 44, from debris chamber engagement recesses 62 formed near the front end 32 of the chassis 12.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 5, with the debris chamber 26 removed from the chassis 12, the debris chamber cover 44 is removable from a debris chamber base 64 to allow emptying dirt and other debris therefrom. Advantageously, the forward edge 60, inwardly of the lips 56, curves under a forward edge 66 of the debris chamber base 64. A cover engagement arm 70 extends upwardly from a rear wall 72 of the base to releasably engage with a base release button 74 located on a rear face of the debris chamber handle 54. The button 74 is depressed to release from the arm 70, allowing the cover 44 to be pivoted up and away from the base 64.

With the debris chamber 26 installed (as in FIG. 1), the debris chamber handle 54 is engageable via a handle recess 76 defined in the cover 44; however, the base release button 74 is inaccessible as it faces a dividing wall 80 of the chassis 12. This arrangement helps prevent inadvertent emptying of the debris chamber 26, and the related mess, when removing the debris chamber 26 from the chassis 12.

Referring again to FIG. 6, a pump assembly 84, including a pump housing 86, is configured to extend into the debris chamber 26 through the dividing wall 80. The pump housing 86 is also coupled to the discharge port 22 on the top portion 24 of the chassis 12. The discharge port 22 is preferably covered with a grate 88. Gaskets 90 extend along the top of side walls 94 of the debris chamber 26 to seal with side flanges 96 of the debris chamber cover 44 (see FIG. 5). Consequently, suction at the pump housing inlet 92 will result in water being drawn into the debris chamber 26 from the suction ports 16, which extend into the debris chamber 26 from the bottom portion 20 of the chassis 12 (see also FIG. 2). In addition, the pump housing 86 includes an aperture 82 to assist with priming during start-up. As those of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, the aperture 82 may be a slot as shown in FIG. 6, but could be a series of holes or other similar configuration. Upon start-up, the impeller 112 creates a linear flow into the pump housing 86 and out the discharge port 22 (i.e. Archimedes screw effect). Centrifugal force is created on water remaining in the pump housing. Accordingly, that water is then discharged out through the aperture 82 in the side of the pump housing 86 and replaced by water being pulled in from the inlet 92. This increases the efficiency for priming and takes less time to prime than existing pumps.

Referring to FIG. 7, the debris chamber base 64 includes suction passages 100 extending up from a bottom surface 102 thereof and proximate to the rear wall 72. The bottom surface 102 also includes a raised tunnel structure 104 which extends over the portion of the pump housing 86 extending into the debris chamber 26. The bottom surface 102, including the raised tunnel structure 104, includes a plurality of mesh panels 106 which allow water to flow therethrough while blocking the passage of dirt and other debris larger than a fineness of the mesh.

As discussed above, with reference to FIG. 5, the forward edge 60 of the debris chamber cover 44 engages the forward edge 66 of the base 64. Additionally, cover sidewalls 110 and rear wall 108 extend closely inside of the side walls 94 and rear wall 72 of the base 64, effectively sealing the cover 44 and the base 64 when connected. With the debris chamber 26 installed in the chassis 12, the suction passages 100 seal to the suction ports 16.

Referring to FIG. 8, it will be seen with this configuration that the water that is drawn into the debris chamber 26 through the suction ports 16 must first pass through the mesh panels 106 of the debris chamber 26 before reaching the pump housing inlet 92. Thus, dirt and debris in the water will be retained in the debris chamber 26 and not pass through an impeller 112 of the pump assembly 84 and exit the discharge port 22.

Referring also to FIG. 9, the housing 86 of the pump assembly 84 includes an impeller section 114 in which the impeller 112 is rotatably mounted, a discharge section 116 extending upwardly from an outlet end 120 of the impeller 112 toward the discharge port 22, and a housing extender 122 extending forwardly of an inlet end of the impeller 112. A drive shaft opening 126 on the back of the impeller section 114 receives an impeller drive shaft 130 from a motor assembly 132 for driving the pump impeller 112.

Latch arms 138 extend rearwardly from the impeller section 114 to secure the pump housing 86 to the motor assembly 132. Similarly, latch arms 134 extend rearwardly of the housing extender 122 to secure the extender 122 to the impeller section 114. The housing extender 122 advantageously facilitates priming of the pump assembly 84 when the robotic pool cleaner 10 is placed in the water and also facilitates an automatic pump down of the debris chamber 26 when the robotic pool cleaner is removed from the water, as will be explained in greater detail below.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the motor assembly 132 includes an air-and watertight motor housing 136 seated at the rear 34 of the chassis 12 (shown uncovered in FIG. 10 for clarity) between the rear set of wheels 14. The motor housing 136 includes a central section 140 from which left and right drive motor arms 142, 144 extend.

Referring also to FIG. 11, the central section 140 houses a pump motor 146 which drives the impeller drive shaft 130. The impeller drive shaft 130 extends through a shaft opening 126 defined in a forward end of the central section 140 and sealed by sealing ring 154. The rear end of the central section 140 is closed by an end cap 160 sealed by a peripheral seal ring 162. Latch arms 164 secure the end cap 160 to an exterior of the central section 140. A rear motor support 166 is formed on an interior of the end cap 160 to support a rear end of the pump motor 146.

Referring also to FIG. 12, the left and right drive motor arms 142, 144 hold the left and right drive motors 170, 172, respectively. Outer ends 174, 176 of the drive motor arms 142, 144 are closed by left and right drive motor end caps 180, 182, each of which is sealed by a peripheral seal ring 184 and secured to exteriors of the respective drive motor arms 142, 144 by latch arms 186. Left and right motor drive shafts 190, 192 extend through drive shaft openings 194 in the respective end caps 180, 182. Drive pinions 196 are secured to outer ends of the drive shafts 190, 192 for driving the left and right wheels 14, as will be explained in greater detail below. Rear axle mounts 200 are also formed on the end caps 180, 182.

Respective inner ends 202, 204 of the left and right drive motor arms 142, 144 both open into the central section 140, where a common wiring conduit 206 is formed. Power cables for each of the motors 146, 170, 172 enter the wiring conduit 206 through a cable gland 210 mounted to the central section 140. This facilitates wiring of the motor assembly 132 within the confined volume of the motor housing 136.

During initial assembly, the pump motor 146 is first inserted into the central section 140 through the open rear end while end cap 160 is removed. The left and right wheel drive motors 170, 172 are inserted into their respective arms 142, 144 through the open outer ends 174, 176, which are then closed with the respective end caps 180, 182. The ends of all three motors 146, 170, 172 then extend into the wiring conduit 206, where connections are made before closing the rear end 156 of the central section 140 with the end cap 160.

The close accommodation of the three motors 146, 170, 172 within the central section 140 and motor arms 142, 144 minimizes the air volume within the motor housing 136. This advantageously decreases permanent positive buoyancy associated with the air volume of the motor housing 136, as well as reducing the volumetric effects of temperature-and pressure-related changes.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 10 and 12, the motor housing 136 incorporates a pressure equalization chamber 212 which functions to equalize pressure inside and outside the motor housing 136 to compensate for pressure changes due to thermal effects and submersion. This helps avoid the development of a negative pressure differential between the interior and exterior, which would tend to draw water past the seals into the motor housing 136. As those of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, the pressure equalization chamber 212 could be fitted to other elements such as the battery compartment, controller box, or any watertight compartments of the robotic pool cleaner 10.

The pressure equalization chamber 212 includes a flexible diaphragm 214 extending across a mounting opening 216 defined in the motor housing 136. In the depicted embodiment, the mounting opening 216 is formed in the top of the right drive motor arm 144; however, it will be appreciated that any available location coupled to the motor housing 136 could be selected.

The diaphragm 214 is protected and held in place by a cap 220 placed thereover and secured around a periphery of the mounting opening 216. An equalization orifice 222 is formed in the cap 220 (also see FIG. 9), allowing the outer side of the diaphragm 214 to be exposed to ambient pressure. The diaphragm 214 will consequently flex inwardly or outwardly in response to changes in the interior and/or ambient pressure.

The pressure equalization chamber 212 is preferably dimensioned to be able to accommodate the maximum differential pressure range expected during operation of the robotic pool cleaner 10. Because the geometry of the motor housing 136 closely conforms to dimensions of the three motors 146, 170, 172 therein, the requisite capacity of the pressure equalization chamber 212, and corresponding dimensions, are reduced.

Referring again to FIG. 10, the chassis 12 of the robotic pool cleaner 10 includes a bottom portion 20 which carries the pump and motor assemblies 84, 132, and to which the wheels 14 and rotatable brushes 30 are mounted. More particularly, each of the wheels 14 (see also FIG. 13) is rotatably mounted to an axle 226 extending from a respective left or right side 230, 232 of the chassis 12 via a wheel bearing assembly 234. Each bearing assembly 234 is received in a central hub 236 of the respective wheel 14. It will be appreciated the wheel 14 mounting and gearing arrangements on the left and right sides 230, 232 are substantially mirror images, such that a complete understanding can be attained via detailed illustration of only one side.

Referring also to FIG. 14, each axle 226 extends through a respective rear or front gearbox 240, 242. A drive gear 244 of each gearbox 240, 242 is rotatably mounted about the corresponding axle 226 and connected to the central hub 236 by screws 246, such that rotation of the drive gear 244 will impart the same rotation to the central hub 236 and its wheel 14. Inner ends of the rear axles 226 seat in the rear axle mounts 200 of the left and right motor end caps 180, 182 of the motor housing 136.

Referring to FIG. 15, each wheel 14 is substantially identical in structure, such that the same replacement wheel could be used at the front or rear on either side 230, 232 of the chassis 12. Each wheel 14 includes the central hub 236 connected to a rim 250 by a web 252. It will be appreciated that the web 252 could be a continuous structure or composed of a plurality of discrete spokes or the like. A tire 254 composed of rubber or other elastomeric material is preferably mounted around the exterior of the rim 250. The central hub 236 is covered by a removable cap 256.

An external-toothed spur gear 260 extends inwardly of each rim 250. Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, each spur gear 260 engages a respective, rear or forward transfer gear 262, 264 rotatably mounted on the inside of side panels 266 connected to the left and right sides 230, 232 of the chassis 12. Referring also to FIG. 16, in addition to the side latches 42, each side panel 266 carries a rotatably mounted intermediate gear 270 that engages both the rear and forward transfer gears 262, 264. The transfer gears 262, 264 and intermediate gear 270 cooperate to transfer rotational motion of the same speed and direction from each rear wheel 14 to each front wheel 14.

Referring to FIG. 17, each rear gearbox 240 serves to transfer rotational motion from the drive pinion 196 of the left or right drive shaft 190, 192 of the pump motors 170, 172 to the drive gear 244 connected to the rear wheel 14 and to the rear rotatable brush 30. Each front gearbox 242 serves to transfer rotational motion from the drive gear 244 connected to the front wheel 14 to the front rotatable brush 30. (Only interiors of the left side gearboxes 240, 242 are shown in FIG. 17—it will be appreciated that right side gearboxes are a mirror image thereof and function the same.)

In the rear gearbox 240, the drive pinion 196 engages both an intermediate drive gear 272 and an intermediate brush gear 274. The intermediate drive gear 272 is a concentric double gear with larger diameter tooth set 276 and a smaller diameter tooth set 280. The drive pinion 196 engages the larger diameter tooth set 276 (which is also a larger than the drive pinion), resulting in a speed reduction and torque increase, while the smaller diameter tooth set 280 engages the wheel drive gear 244 (which is larger than the smaller diameter tooth set), resulting in a further speed reduction and torque increase.

The intermediate brush gear 274 is larger than the drive pinion 196, though smaller than the larger diameter tooth set 276, such that the speed reduction and torque increase imparted thereto are both smaller in magnitude than those imparted to the intermediate drive gear. A further small speed reduction and torque increase are imparted by the engagement of the intermediate brush gear 274 with the larger diameter rear brush drive gear 282. Consequently, the rear brush 30 rotates somewhat faster than the rear wheel 14.

As discussed above, due to the operation of the gears 262, 264, 270 on the side panels 266, the rear and front wheel drive gears 244 (and the wheels 14, themselves) rotate in the same direction and at the same speed. The front gearbox 242 includes an intermediate brush gear 284, that is smaller than the drive gear 244, to increase the speed while reducing torque supplied to a front brush drive gear 286. The intermediate brush gear 284 is a double gear with a smaller diameter tooth set 290 and a larger diameter tooth set 292. The front wheel drive gear 244 engages the smaller tooth set 290 while the larger tooth set 292 engages, and is larger than, the front brush drive gear 286-resulting in a further speed increase and torque reduction.

It will be appreciated from the above description that each wheel drive motor 170, 172 drives its respective front and rear wheels 14 and front and rear brushes 30 in the same direction, with the brushes 30 rotating at a somewhat faster speed for vigorous brushing action of the underlying pool surfaces. Additionally, the gears needed to transfer power between the drive pinions 196, wheel drive gears 244 and brush drive gears 282, 286 are conveniently contained within gearboxes 240, 242 or mounted on side panels 266. In addition to protecting the gearing and helping prevent fouling, this configuration simplifies final assembly and any necessary future repairs or replacements to the powertrain.

Referring to FIG. 18, a watertight battery pack 294 is located in a battery compartment 296 defined in the bottom portion 20 of the chassis 12. A removable cover 300 (see FIG. 2) allows access to the battery compartment 296 and battery pack 294. Referring to FIG. 19, the battery pack 294 includes a frame 302 with a watertight cover 304 held on with latches 306, allowing internal cells to be removed and replaced as necessary. Electrical cable leaves the frame 302 through a cable gland 310. Referring to FIG. 10, a charging port 312 on the rear 34 of the chassis 12 releasably receives a charging cable 314 for charging on the battery pack 294.

An electronics housing 316 is carried by the chassis 12 forward of the motor assembly 132. Referring also to FIG. 20, the electronics housing 316 includes a frame 320 with a watertight cover 322 secured by latches 324. A power button 326 is arranged on top of the housing 316 and operable from the top 24 of the robotic pool cleaner 10 (see FIG. 1). Cable glands 330 allow watertight entry of cables from the motor assembly 132, the battery pack 294 and the charging port 312.

Referring to FIG. 21, the electronics housing 316 holds a programmable controller 332 in communication with the power button 326, a transceiver 334, one or more sensors 336 and, via a power switching arrangement 340, the motor assembly 132, battery cells 342 within the battery pack 294, and the charging port 312. The controller 332 is configured with programming instructions to apply power from the battery cells 342 to operate the left and right drive motors 170, 172 and pump motor 146, as well as to monitor the charge level of the battery cells 342 and charge the battery cells 342 with external power received from the charging port 312.

The status and programming of the robotic pool cleaner 10 and controller 332 can be monitored and altered wirelessly via the transceiver 334. The controller 332 can be configured with program instructions to perform mapping routines, as well as to navigate the robotic pool cleaner 10 over pool surfaces and avoid obstacles using data from the sensor(s) 336. In one implementation, the controller 332 is configured with program instructions to perform an automatic pump down of the debris chamber 26 when the robotic pool cleaner 10 is removed from the pool.

When the controller 332 detects, for instance via input from one or more sensors 336, that the robotic pool cleaner 10 is being removed from a pool, the controller 332 will automatically operate the pump motor 146 to empty water from the debris chamber 26 to reduce the effective weight of the robotic pool cleaner 10. Initiation of the automatic pump down routine can be based, for instance, on detection of a chassis 12 attitude and movement profile inconsistent with wall climbing during normal cleaning operation. Cessation of the pump down routine can occur after a predetermined time or be based on indications of debris chamber water level, such as pump motor 146 current draw.

Advantageously, the controller 332 monitors charge remaining in the battery cells 342 during cleaning operations in the pool to determine whether sufficient charge remains to power the automatic pump down routine. The controller 332 can automatically terminate cleaning operations before charge decreases to a level insufficient to perform the pump down routine.

The above-described embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes; the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, as well as adaptations to particular circumstances, will fall within the scope of the invention herein shown and described.

Claims

1. A robotic pool cleaner comprising: a chassis having a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion having at least one suction port and the top portion having at least one discharge port;a plurality of wheels or tracks supporting the chassis;a motor housing secured within the chassis having a watertight seal;a pump motor positioned within the motor housing;a pump housing secured adjacent to the motor housing and having a first free end and a second opposing end coupled to the at least one discharge port, the pump housing having an aperture configured to assist with priming;an impeller positioned proximal to the first free end of the pump housing and coupled to the pump motor;a pressure equalization chamber having a diaphragm dividing the pressure equalization chamber into an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion in communication with an interior of the motor housing and the exterior portion in communication with an exterior of the chassis; anda debris chamber removably attached to the top portion of the chassis, the debris chamber coupled to the at least one suction port and configured to slide over the pump housing;wherein the impeller is configured to vacuum pool water entrained with debris through the at least one suction port, through the debris chamber, and out through the at least one discharge port.

2. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of drive motors within the motor housing and coupled to the plurality of wheels or tracks.

3. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a pump housing extension coupled to the first free end of the pump housing to create a space between the impeller and the first free end.

4. The robotic pump cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a programmable controller configured with program instructions to perform mapping routines of a pool surface.

5. The robotic pump cleaner of claim 4, wherein the programmable controller is further configured with program instructions to perform an automatic pump down of the debris chamber when the robotic pool cleaner is removed from a pool.

6. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 4, further comprising at least one sensor configured to detect a chassis attitude and movement profile inconsistent with wall climbing during a normal cleaning operation to activate the program instructions for the automatic pump down.

7. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a battery pack having a plurality of battery cells, and a programmable controller configured with programming instructions to apply power from battery cells to selectively operate the plurality of drive motors and the pump motor.

8. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of roller brushes secured to a bottom of the chassis and configured to be driven by the plurality of drive motors.

9. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, wherein the debris chamber has a plurality of mesh screens configured to filter debris from the pool water.

10. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, wherein the pump motor is centrally positioned between a first drive motor and a second drive motor that extend in opposing directions from the pump motor in a T-shaped configuration.

11. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, wherein the debris chamber is removably attached the chassis by a plurality of side latches.

12. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, wherein the debris chamber comprises a debris chamber cover and a debris chamber base, the debris chamber cover including a handle having a base release button positioned on a rear face of the debris chamber handle that is accessible only when the debris chamber is removed from the chassis.

13. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 12, wherein the debris chamber base having a cover engagement arm extending upwardly from a rear wall from the debris chamber base to releasably engage with the base release button located on the rear face of the debris chamber handle.

14. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 2, wherein each wheel comprises an external-toothed spur gear that is engaged with either a rear transfer gear or a forward transfer gear mounted to a respective side of the chassis, and a rotatably mounted intermediate gear engages both the rear and forward transfer gears to transfer rotational motion of a same speed and direction from a rear wheel or track to a respective front wheel or track.

15. A robotic pool cleaner comprising: a chassis having a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion having at least one suction port and the top portion having at least one discharge port;a plurality of front wheels or tracks and rear wheels or tracks supporting the chassis;a plurality of drive motors coupled to the plurality of wheels or tracks;a pump motor;a motor housing secured within the chassis having a watertight seal around the plurality of drive motors and the pump motor positioned within the motor housing;a pump housing secured adjacent to the motor housing and having a first free end and a second opposing end coupled to the at least one discharge port, the pump housing having an aperture configured to assist with priming;an impeller positioned proximal to the first free end of the pump housing and coupled to the pump motor; anda debris chamber removably attached to the top portion of the chassis, the debris chamber coupled to the at least one suction port;wherein the impeller is configured to vacuum pool water through the at least one suction port, through the debris chamber, and out through the at least one discharge port.

16. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 15, further comprising a pressure equalization chamber having a diaphragm dividing the pressure equalization chamber into an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion in communication with an interior of the motor housing and the exterior portion in communication with an exterior of the chassis.

17. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 15, further comprising a pump housing extension coupled to the first free end of the pump housing to create a space between the impeller and the first free end to promote prime upon start-up.

18. The robotic pump cleaner of claim 15, further comprising a programmable controller configured with program instructions to perform an automatic pump down of the debris chamber when the robotic pool cleaner is removed from a pool.

19. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 18, further comprising at least one sensor configured to detect a chassis attitude and movement profile inconsistent with wall climbing during a normal cleaning operation to activate the program instructions for the automatic pump down.

20. A robotic pool cleaner comprising: a chassis having a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion having at least one suction port and the top portion having at least one discharge port;a debris chamber removably attached to the top portion of the chassis, the debris chamber coupled to the at least one suction port;a pump motor configured to be powered electrically;a motor housing secured within the chassis having a watertight seal around the pump motor;an impeller coupled to the pump motor, the impeller in communication with the debris chamber and is configured to vacuum pool water through the at least one suction port, through the debris chamber, and out through the at least one discharge port; anda pressure equalization chamber having a diaphragm dividing the pressure equalization chamber into an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion in communication with an interior of the motor housing and the exterior portion in communication with an exterior of the chassis.