Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.

Flextronics Ap, LLC

Leonard Richiuso

Suresh Cherulassery Gopalan

Jayamurali Kaladharan

Brian King

Paul Hopfer

Nitin Agarwal

Brian Deery

Robert Frank Swindell

Brian Everett Cox

John Lipski

Armando J Lucrecio

Jiayin Ma

Nitin Aggarwal

James Lee Miller

Rick Langlois

Jason M Cowell

A pool cleaner with a cover assembly that includes a bottom cover with a cover opening, a supply mast, a distributor manifold, a timer assembly, a scrubber assembly, and a venturi vacuum. The distributor manifold receives water from the supply mast and encircles the suction mast. The venturi vacuum is in fluid communication with the distributor manifold and is designed to vacuum debris from a pool surface.

Pool cleaner with hydraulic timer assembly

A pool cleaner comprises a housing including at least two wheels, a supply mast, and a timer disc assembly configured to receive water from the supply mast. The timer disc assembly includes an outer housing, a plurality of outlet ports extending through the outer housing, and a rotating timer disc positioned within the outer housing adjacent to the plurality of outlet ports. The timer disc assembly also includes at least one stationary port seal liner positioned between one of the plurality of outlet ports and the rotating timer disc. The at least one stationary port seal liner includes an elastomeric piece and a liner piece, and the liner piece is in contact with the rotating timer disc.

Embodiments of the invention include a band clamp assembly. The band clamp assembly includes a drive rack and a housing including a receiving hole, a rotatable drive gear, and a locking pawl. The rotatable drive gear is designed to engage the first side of the drive rack and the locking pawl is designed to engage a second side of the drive rack.

Filter clamp lock

Embodiments of the invention include a band clamp assembly. The band clamp assembly includes a drive rack and a housing including a receiving hole, a rotatable drive gear, and a locking pawl. The band clamp is movable to a locking position by advancing the drive rack through the receiving hole in the housing. A first side of the drive rack is designed to engage the rotatable drive gear and the locking pawl is designed to engage a second side of the drive rack.

A method for removing diatomaceous earth and contaminants from a filter, and for filtering liquid using diatomaceous earth is provided. Embodiments of the method can include a washdown process, a backwash process, and a filtering process. Some embodiments can include one or more filter cartridges with cartridge tubes to increase flow during the backwash process. Some embodiments can also include a backwash sprayer to disturb contaminants during the backwash process.

Diatomaceous earth filter apparatus and method

Pool cleaner

According to some embodiments, a pool cleaner includes a chassis, a housing supported by the chassis, at least one drive wheel supported by the chassis, and a turbine assembly that rotates in one of a first direction and a second direction to drive the at least one drive wheel. The pool cleaner also includes a timer disc assembly with at least one rotating timer disc. The timer disc assembly controls a flow of pressurized fluid away from the housing in a forward direction for backward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a first time period, a rearward direction for forward propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during a second time period, and a sideways direction for turning propulsion assistance of the pool cleaner during at least a portion of one of the first time period and the second time period. The timer disc assembly also controls a flow of pressurized fluid to the turbine assembly through a first opening for driving the turbine assembly in the first direction during the first time period and a second opening for driving the turbine assembly in the second direction during the second time period.

Embodiments of the invention provide a clamp lock to secure a clamp around a pressure vessel, such as a split tank pool filter. The clamp lock includes a drive rack with at least one notch, and a housing with a rotatable drive gear, a locking pawl, and a receiving hole. The rotatable drive gear is capable of laterally moving the drive rack through the receiving hole, and the locking pawl is capable of engaging the at least one notch when the drive rack has been inserted a distance into the receiving hole. The distance correlates to a diameter of the clamp sufficient to secure the clamp around the pressure vessel.

Techniques for charging and optical communication with electronic devices are provided. Specifically, systems and methods to provide charging through laser or optical means and to provide optical communications are presented. Even more specifically, in one embodiment, the systems and methods comprise standard USB interfaces, USB protocols and USB connectors.

Laser and optical charging and communications device and method of use

Embodiments of the invention provide a pool cleaner receiving fluid flow from a pool hose, the pool cleaner comprising a supply mast configured for connection to a pool hose and directing fluid flow from the pool hose and a generator positioned within the pool cleaner. The pool cleaner further includes a paddle wheel coupled to the generator, the paddle wheel and the generator generating electric power using the fluid flow directed through the pool cleaner and control circuitry coupled to the generator, the control circuitry receiving the generated power from the generator for providing energy to operate at least one function of the swimming pool cleaner.

Pool cleaner light module

Embodiments of the invention provide a light module for a pool cleaner. The light module can include a housing, a paddle wheel, a generator, and at least one light emitting diode (LED). The housing can be removably coupled to the pool cleaner and can include a flow directing portion positioned in a fluid path of the pool cleaner. The paddle wheel can be located adjacent to the flow directing portion and can rotate in response to fluid flow through the fluid path. The generator can be coupled to the paddle wheel and can generate power through rotation of the paddle wheel. The LED can be coupled to the generator and can receive the generated power from the generator to illuminate an area adjacent to the pool cleaner.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Leonard Richiuso