VACUUM HEAD FOR SWIMMING POOLS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES

Abstract

An improved vacuum head is defined by upper and lower sub-housings that are secured together to form the vacuum head assembly. A set of spherical balls are captured in appropriately sized ball-receiving pockets or sockets formed between the upper and lower sub-housings to support the vacuum head assembly a selected distance above the surface being swept. The ball-receiving sockets include a “stand-off” formation to minimize the probability of a ball-receiving socket becoming clogged with debris sufficient to the impair the ability of the ball to roll within its ball-receiving chamber. The use of balls as the rolling members allows omnidirectional control of the vacuum head while minimizing the propensity for disturbing the debris in the vicinity of the vacuum head and the formation of a undesired water-borne “cloud” of debris. The perimeter edges of the vacuum head are radiused to provide a low-resistance flow path to the underside of vacuum head to also allow the vacuum head to pull any water-borne debris from areas above the vacuum head in addition to vacuuming debris on the pool surface beneath the vacuum head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary vacuum head embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a first side view of the vacuum head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a second side view of the vacuum head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of the vacuum head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top or plan view of the vacuum head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the vacuum head of FIG. 5 taken allow line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a detailed enlargement of a selected portion of the vacuum head illustrating the mounting of a ball element;

FIG. 8 is a simplified view of the vacuum head illustrating water flow patterns;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention in which ball-retaining cartridges are received within sockets formed in the upper piece part;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of embodiment of the FIG. 9 from the opposite perspective to that shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a single ball-retaining cartridge shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;

FIG. 12 is a view of the underside of another embodiment of the upper piece-part of the vacuum head illustrating another ball element accommodating structure;

FIGS. 13A and 13B are views of the upper and lower piece-parts consistent with FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a cross-section side-view detail of the structure of FIG. 12 taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 12 with a ball element in its assembled position;

FIG. 15 is a view, in dotted-line illustration, of a first alternative planform for the vacuum head;

FIG. 16 is a view, in dotted-line illustration of another alternative planform for the vacuum head; and

FIG. 17 is a detailed enlargement of a selected portion of the vacuum head illustrating a molded-in-place socket for a ball element.

Claims

1. A vacuum head for pool vacuuming comprising: a vacuum head having a water outlet and having a water inlet side with a water inlet in fluid communication with said water outlet,at least two spheroid or spheroidal-like elements for supporting said vacuum head, each of said spheroid or spheroidal-like elements having at least a portion thereof extending from the water inlet side to space said vacuum head a selected distance from a surface being vacuumed, each spheroid or spheroidal-like element contained within a respective receiving structure for omnirotational movement, the receiving structure including a stand-off portion to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of the receiving structure and the surface of said spheroid or spheroidal-like element.

2. The vacuum head of claim 1, wherein said vacuum head includes structure defining a respective socket for receiving a respective spheroid or spheroidal-like element at least partially therein, said socket including a stand-off portion to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of the socket and the surface of said spheroid or spheroidal-like element.

3. The vacuum head of claim 1, wherein said vacuum head includes structure for receiving a respective holder assembly, the holder assembly having a spheroid or spheroidal-like element at least partially contained therein, said holder assembly including a stand-off portion to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of the holder assembly structure and the surface of said spheroid or spheroidal-like element.

4. The vacuum head of claim 1, wherein said vacuum head structure defines a respective socket for receiving a respective spheroid or spheroidal-like element at least partially therein, said socket portion at least including intersecting ribs having a stand-off portion to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of the intersecting ribs and the surface of said spheroid or spheroidal-like element.

5. The vacuum head of claim 1, wherein said vacuum head is defined by a first piece-part and a second piece-part assembled together to form a body portion; said first piece-part having a respective socket portion for receiving a respective spheroid or spheroidal-like element at least partially therein, said socket portion including a stand-off portion to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of the receiving structure and the surface of said spheroid or spheroidal-like element.

6. The vacuum head of claim 1, wherein said vacuum head is defined by a first piece-part and a second piece-part assembled together to form a body portion; said first piece-part having a portion for receiving a respective holder assembly having a spheroid or spheroidal-like element at least partially contained therein, said holder assembly including a stand-off portion to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of the holder assembly structure and the surface of said spheroid or spheroidal-like element.

7. The vacuum head of claim 1, wherein said vacuum head is defined by a first piece-part and a second piece-part assembled together to form a body portion; said first piece-part having a respective socket portion for receiving a respective spheroid or spheroidal-like element at least partially therein, said socket portion at least including intersecting ribs having a stand-off portion to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of the intersecting ribs and the surface of said spheroid or spheroidal-like element.

8. The vacuum head of claim 1, wherein said vacuum head is defined by a body portion having a perimeter surface, at least a portion of said perimeter surface defining a curved surface sufficient to induce a Coanda effect when water flows about said perimeter surface toward and to said water inlet.

9. The vacuum head of claim 1, further comprising: means for attaching said vacuum head to a handle to effect manual manipulation thereof

10. A vacuum head for pool vacuuming comprising: a vacuum head having a water outlet and having a water inlet side with a water inlet in fluid communication with said water outlet,a plurality of ball elements for supporting said vacuum head, each of said elements having at least a portion thereof extending from the water inlet side to space said vacuum head a selected distance from a surface being vacuumed;a respective means for receiving a respective ball element for omnirotational movement;a stand-off portion associated with each means for receiving to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of said means for receiving and the surface of said ball element.

11. The vacuum head of claim 10, wherein said vacuum head is defined by a body portion having a perimeter surface, at least a portion of said perimeter surface defining a curved surface sufficient to induce a Coanda effect when water flows about said perimeter surface toward and to said water inlet.

12. The vacuum head of claim 10, further comprising: means for attaching said vacuum head to a handle to effect manual manipulation thereof.

13. The vacuum head of claim 10, wherein said vacuum head is defined by a first piece-part and a second piece-part assembled together to form a body portion.

14. A vacuum head for pool vacuuming comprising: a vacuum head having a water outlet and having a water inlet side with a water inlet in fluid communication with said water outlet,a plurality of ball elements for supporting said vacuum head, each of said elements having at least a portion thereof extending from the water inlet side to space said vacuum head a selected distance from a surface being vacuumed;a respective means for receiving a respective ball element for omnirotational movement;the vacuum head defined by a body portion having a perimeter surface, at least a portion of said perimeter surface defining a curved surface sufficient to induce a Coanda effect when water flows about said perimeter surface toward and to said water inlet.

15. The vacuum head of claim 14, further comprising a stand-off portion associated with each means for receiving to maintain a selected clearance between a portion of said means for receiving and the surface of said ball element.

16. The vacuum head of claim 15, wherein said vacuum head is defined by a first piece-part and a second piece-part assembled together to form a body portion.