Fluid flow deflector assemblies principally for connection to sweep tail hoses of automatic swimming pool cleaners
View Patent ↗Detailed are fluid flow deflectors principally for use with sweep tail hoses of automatic swimming pool cleaners. The deflectors do not function principally on gravitational forces and need not necessarily employ flexible components or attachments for purposes of effecting deflection. Instead, the deflectors may be rigid and continually position a fixed obstacle in a central portion of a fluid stream. Perforations in a rigid wall, moreover, draw fluid into the deflectors, creating a greater volume of exiting stream when an associated pool cleaner is underwater.
1. A deflector of pressurized fluid, comprising:
a. an inlet for receiving pressurized fluid;
b. a cylindrical wall (i) having a circumference and a cross-sectional diameter D 1 and (ii) comprising means for receiving ambient fluid for entrainment with the pressurized fluid;
c. a section which (i) is generally cylindrical, (ii) has cross-sectional diameter D 2 , where D 2 is less than D 1 , and (iii) defines (A) an exit end comprising (1) a fluid exit, (2) a wall, and (3) a slotted opening through the wall and (B) a path for flow of pressurized fluid to the fluid exit;
d. an obstacle to at least some flow of pressurized fluid positioned in the section, the obstacle having a length and being (i) inflexible, (ii) of non-uniform diameter along its length so as to have teardrop shape, and (iii) configured so that at least some of the pressurized fluid encountering it is deflected substantially normal to the path toward the slotted opening;
e. a plurality of flexible flanges depending from, and spaced about, the circumference of the cylindrical wall, each flexible flange (i) adapted to flex outward and (ii) terminating in a ramp for attachment to a sweep tail hose of an automatic pool cleaner; and
f. beams (i) molded with or connected to the wall and (ii) fixing a position of the obstacle in the section.
2. A method of cleaning a swimming pool comprising:
a. providing an automatic swimming pool cleaner comprising (i) a body, (ii) a sweep tail hose connected to the body, and (iii) a motive mechanism for autonomously moving the body within a swimming pool;
b. connecting a deflector assembly to the sweep tail hose, the deflector assembly comprising (i) an inlet for receiving pressurized fluid exiting the sweep tail hose, (ii) a first opening for receiving ambient fluid for entrainment with the pressurized fluid, (iii) a section defining an exit end comprising (A) a fluid exit, (B) a wall, and (C) a second opening through the wall, and (iv) an obstacle to at least some flow of pressurized fluid positioned in the section, the obstacle configured so that at least some of the pressurized fluid encountering it is deflected toward the second opening; and
c. operating the automatic swimming pool cleaner, thereby causing (i) ambient fluid to be received by the first opening and entrained with the pressurized fluid, (ii) some of the pressurized fluid to exit the deflector assembly via the fluid exit, (iii) some of the pressurized fluid to encounter the obstacle and deflect toward the second opening, and (iv) the motive mechanism to move the body within the swimming pool.
3. A method according to claim 2 in which the ambient fluid received by the first opening and entrained with the pressurized fluid is (a) water when the deflector assembly is below the water surface of the swimming pool and (b) air when the deflector assembly is above the water surface of the swimming pool.