Aqua Products, Inc.

Zodiac Pool Systems LLC

Zodiac Pool Sysiems LLC

Ethan Hanan

Kameshwar Durvasula

Aleksandr Klebanov

William Londono

Anthony Meletta

William Londono Correa

Jason Zerweck

Tony Gatta

Mark Sphilman

Glenn Weismann

Kamesh Durvasula

Aleksandr Kelbanov

An autonomous pool cleaner includes a main body, a filter that is removably coupled to the main body, and an edge engagement assembly. The main body includes a top, a bottom, and one or more peripheral walls that extend between the top and the bottom. The filter is accessible for removal or installation via a particular peripheral wall of the one or more peripheral walls. The edge engagement assembly is configured to extend beyond the particular peripheral wall of the main body and removably secure the autonomous pool cleaner to an edge of a swimming pool so that the filter is accessible and vertically removable when the autonomous pool cleaner is secured to the edge.

Automatic pool cleaner with edge engagement assembly

A self-propelled robotic pool cleaner includes a housing with a lower portion having an inlet and an upper portion having an outlet, the lower and upper portions define an internal chamber therebetween. A filter and a water pump are mounted in the internal chamber for suctioning pool water into the inlet and discharging filtered water through said outlet. Rotationally-mounted elements are mounted to the housing for supporting and guiding said cleaner on a surface of the pool. An arm assembly extends outward from said housing, and a rotary brush assembly is mounted at a distal end of the arm assembly. An electric motor is coupled to at least one of said water pump, the rotationally-mounted elements and the rotary brush. The pool cleaner is configured to continue climbing upward on a pool wall and tell the rotary brush assembly is above the water level and climbs over the pool coping edge propelling said pool cleaner onto the pool deck.

Robotic pool cleaner with extended brush assembly

Systems and methods of detecting when an automatic swimming pool cleaner (APC) has contacted a main drain cover or other object protruding from a surface of a swimming pool are described. An APC may include equipment for detecting a change in its pitch or yaw (or both its pitch and yaw). Changes in pitch and yaw may be determined as a function of time, identifying encounters of the APC with certain protruding objects.

Drain cover detection systems and methods

A floating platform dimensioned and configured to receive and transport an automated pool cleaner on the surface of the water is disclosed. For convenience, the floating platform is referred to as a pontoon. The pontoon is also configured to control the retrieval of the pool cleaner. The pontoon includes a buoyant housing having a first end and a second end. An inclined platform ramp is positioned in the pontoon housing at an angle from the first end towards the second end. The pontoon includes a winch for winding and unwinding a cable connected to the pool cleaner to thereby selectively release and retrieve the cleaner.

Ramped pontoon for retrieving a pool cleaner

A robotic pool cleaner can operate while submerged to clean floor and side wall surface areas of the pool. A second embodiment of the pool cleaner can clean debris while skimming water along the top surface of the pool water. A third embodiment of the pool cleaner when inverted from submerged cleaning mode into skimmer mode, exposes on its bottom surface solar panels by which the pool cleaner's internal batteries can be recharged. A fourth embodiment of the pool cleaner includes different combinations of the submerged cleaning mode, the skimming mode and the battery charging mode.

Self-propelled robotic pool cleaner and water skimmer

A drive module for submersible autonomous vehicles is disclosed. The drive module includes a propulsion element configured to engage and rotate against a surface, a motor configured to drive the propulsion element, and a controller configured to cause the motor to drive the propulsion element. The drive module also includes a housing configured to be removably, releasably coupled to the exterior of a submersible autonomous vehicle. The motor and the controller are disposed within the housing.

Drive module for submersible autonomous vehicle

A filter door for an autonomous, submersible vehicle is disclosed. The filter door includes a living hinge that biases the panel to a closed position. The living hinge may be provided by mesh that extends beyond the periphery of a panel to create a living hinge. The mesh may also prevent dirt and debris from entering or escaping around a pivot edge of the panel. This increases the life span of the filter door and the cleaning efficiency of the autonomous, submersible vehicle.

Enhanced filter door

A robotic pool cleaner for cleaning surfaces of a pool including a housing having an upper portion disposed over a base to define an interior chamber. The base includes a water inlet and the upper portion has at least one water discharge port for discharging filtered water. Rotatably-mounted supports support and guide the cleaner along a pool surface. A filter assembly filters water drawn through the water inlet. An electric motor mounted in the interior chamber is configured to move the cleaner on a pool surface. The electric motor receives power from a remote power source via a two-wire power cable. An electrical circuit having at least one orientation sensor is provided on-board the cleaner. The circuit is configured to provide an electrical signal to the remote power supply over the two-wire cable when the cleaner changes its orientation by a predetermined amount with respect to the pool surface.

Method and apparatus for providing orientation related electrical signals from a robotic pool cleaner having an orientation sensor to a remote power supply via a two-wire cable

A method and apparatus for raising a self-propelled pool cleaner from a surface of a pool. The cleaner includes an interior chamber, a lower portion with an inlet and an upper portion with an outlet. Rotatably-mounted supports guide the cleaner along the pool surface. An interior water pump draws water/debris through the inlet, the debris is filtered in the interior chamber, and filtered water exits through the outlet to propel the cleaner during a cleaning operation. A buoy assembly is tethered to the cleaner via a retractable cable. When the cleaner is submerged, the cable is released and the buoy assembly floats on the water surface while tethered to the submerged cleaner. The cleaner can receive a command signal from a controller to exit from the pool, and the cable is retracted to cause the cleaner to rise from the submerged surface of the pool.

Self-propelled robotic swimming pool cleaner with retractably tethered floating buoy

Robotic cleaner with extended brush assembly

An endless track belt for a submersible, autonomous vehicle is disclosed. The track belt includes an outer surface with raised track elements that are configured to both engage a supporting surface and selectively receive external grip elements configured to engage the supporting surface. The track belt also includes an inner surface with continuous, annular ridges. The continuous ridges are configured to secure the endless track belt to a drive pulley in a manner that prevents lateral movement while allowing for some longitudinal slip during rotational movement of the belt.

Endless track for submersible, autonomous vehicle

A docking station which can releasably engage and hold a robotic pool cleaner, the docking station optionally including a pre-filter for coarse debris, the pool cleaner including an internal filter and a pump to suction in, filter and eject filtered water while the pool cleaner is coupled to the docking station. The pool cleaner's pump creates water jets to provide propulsion for the pool cleaner and to aid in decoupling the pool cleaner from the docking station.

Growing community of inventors

Teaneck, NJ, United States of America

Ethan Hanan