Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.

Zodiac Pool Systems LLC

Polaris Pool Systems Inc.

Kevin J Braidic

John Rotundo

Daniel B Freve

William Sowerwine

Mark J Bauckman

Dustin Borg

Thomas E Veloskey

Christopher Edward Hatch

Mark D Van Etten

Mary Ma

Van Freve

Christopher E Hatch

A pool cleaner is provided. The pool cleaner includes a housing and an imaging device mounted to the housing. The imaging device is configured to acquire at least one image of an aquatic environment. The pool cleaner also includes a controller in communication with the imaging device. The controller identifies candidate debris from the at least one image, determines an optimal cleaning pathway, and navigates the pool cleaner to the candidate debris along the optimal cleaning pathway. The pool cleaner further includes a scrub brush disposed on the housing and configured to move the candidate debris, and a removable filter canister configured to collect the candidate debris.

Algorithm for a pool cleaner

A pool cleaner control system is provided. The pool cleaner control system includes a pool cleaner having an imaging device and a controller. The imaging device is configured to acquire at least one image of an aquatic environment. The controller is in communication with the imaging device. The controller identifies candidate debris from the at least one image, analyzes at least two potential candidate debris-containing pathways, and determines which of the at least two potential candidate debris-containing pathways is an optimal cleaning pathway.

Embodiments of the invention provide a pool cleaner control system to locate and remove debris from an aquatic environment. The control system comprises an imaging device configured to be mounted on a housing of a pool cleaner and a controller in communication with the imaging device and configured to control the imaging device to acquire one or more primary images from the imaging device. The primary image is received by the controller from the imaging device. Debris is identified within the aquatic environment and a path score is calculated for at least two potential paths having debris within the aquatic environment. The pool cleaner is navigated along a selected path, the selected path being the one of the at least two potential paths having a highest path score.

Flow control and indicator assemblies are detailed. The assemblies are especially (although not necessarily exclusively) useful in allowing fluid to bypass automatic pool cleaners (APCs) and may serve as adaptors between APCs and adjacent hoses. The assemblies additionally may provide information about flow rates relative to a desired threshold, for example.

Flow control and indicator assemblies

Flow control and indicator assembly

A pool cleaner is provided of the type powered by a suction or vacuum source, such as by connecting the pool cleaner via a vacuum hose or the like to the suction side of a conventional pool water filtration system. The pool cleaner comprises a compact housing carried on wheels for rolling movement along a submerged pool surface. A debris intake nozzle is formed at a lower end of the housing in close proximity with the pool surface, and communicates through a turbine chamber in the housing to the vacuum hose for water-borne vacuuming of debris from the pool surface. Water draw through the turbine chamber rotatably drives a turbine which in turn powers a drive train to rotatably drive the cleaner wheels together with a downforce fan for improved wheel traction. In addition, the drive train operates at least one timer cam for periodically actuating a reverse clutch assembly to drive at least one of the cleaner wheels in reverse for a brief time interval. The timer cam may also function to open a bypass door venting the turbine chamber to partially relieve the vacuum at the intake nozzle during the reverse drive mode.

Growing community of inventors

Carlsbad, CA, United States of America

Kevin J Braidic