IN-FLOOR SWIMMING POOL CLEANING HEAD WITH REMOVABLE STATIONARY CAM UNIT
An incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head with a retainer body, a nozzle stem, a ratcheting pin, a cam unit having a plurality of cam teeth on an inner surface, and a removable top ring. The cam unit is stationary in relation to itself and without moving parts. When the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a first orientation, the nozzle stem reciprocally operates to ratchet in a clockwise direction, and when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a second orientation, the nozzle stem operates to ratchet in a counter-clockwise direction. An outer surface of the cam unit comprises a positioning key that mates with the retainer body to positionally retain the cam unit during reciprocating use and a ratcheting surface permitting ratcheting rotation of the cam unit in a first rotational direction and restricting rotational movement in a second rotational direction.
1 . An incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head comprising:
a retainer body comprising a first end, and a second end opposite the first end of the retainer body with a plurality of locking lugs on an outer surface of the retainer body adjacent the second end of the retainer body;
a nozzle stem extending through the retainer body, the nozzle stem comprising a cleaning nozzle adjacent a first end of the nozzle stem;
a cleaning head cap coupled to the first end of the nozzle stem;
a ratcheting pin coupled to the nozzle stem;
a cam unit surrounding a side-wall of the cleaning head cap and engaging the ratcheting pin, the cam unit having a cam first half with a plurality of cam first half teeth on an inner surface of the cam first half oriented with a narrow end of each tooth of the plurality of cam first half teeth closer to a center of the cam unit than to a first outer edge of the cam first half, and having a cam second half with a plurality of cam second half teeth on an inner surface of the cam second half oriented with a narrow end of each tooth of the plurality of cam second half teeth closer to the center of the cam unit than to a second outer edge of the cam second half, wherein the cam unit is stationary without moving parts; and
a removable locking top ring removably coupled to the first end of the retainer body around the cleaning head cap;
wherein the cam first half is permanently attached to the cam second half, and wherein when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a first orientation with the first outer edge of the cam first half oriented closest to the removable locking top ring, the nozzle stem is configured to reciprocally ratchet in a clockwise direction in response to intermittent water pressure passing through the nozzle stem, and when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a second orientation with the second outer edge of the cam second half closest to the removable locking pin top ring, the nozzle stem is configured to reciprocally ratchet in a counter-clockwise direction in response to intermittent water pressure passing through the nozzle stem.
2 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the cam unit comprises a positioning key configured to mate with an inner surface of the retainer body to positionally retain an angular orientation of the cam unit in relation to the retainer body when the positioning key is mated with the retainer body during reciprocating use: the inner surface of the retainer body further comprising a ratcheting surface having angled surfaces permitting ratcheting rotation of the cam unit in a first rotational direction through manual manipulation of the nozzle stem, and restricting rotational movement of the cam unit in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction.
3 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cam first half teeth includes at least one cam first half tooth shaped different from a shape of a remainder of the cam first half teeth, and the plurality of cam second half teeth includes at least one cam second half tooth shaped different from a shape of a remainder of the cam second half teeth, the at least one cam second half tooth cooperatively aligned with the at least one cam first half tooth, and wherein when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin and the ratcheting pin incrementally rotates through the at least one cam first half tooth and the at least one cam second half tooth, the nozzle stem incrementally rotates a greater incremental distance than when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin and the ratcheting pin incrementally rotates through any of the remainder of the cam first half teeth and any of the remainder of the cam second half teeth.
4 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 1 , further comprising a reversible bayonet connector configured to reversibly couple to a second end of the nozzle stem opposite the first end of the nozzle stem, wherein the reversible bayonet is configured to removably engage the nozzle stem in a first orientation to configure the nozzle stem to receive a weight around the nozzle stem for retracting the nozzle stem with the weight, and removably engage the nozzle stem in a second orientation 180 degrees opposite the first orientation to configure the nozzle stem to receive a spring around the nozzle stem for retracting the nozzle stem with the spring.
5 . An incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head comprising:
a retainer body comprising a first end;
a nozzle stem extending through the retainer body and having a cleaning nozzle at a first end of the nozzle stem;
a ratcheting pin coupled to the nozzle stem;
a cam unit, removable from the retainer body as a unit and stationary without moving parts, the cam unit surrounding the nozzle stem and engaging the ratcheting pin, the cam unit having a cam first half with a plurality of cam first half teeth on an inner surface of the cam first half oriented with a narrow end of each tooth of the plurality of cam first half teeth closer to a center of the cam unit than to a first outer edge of the cam first half, and having a cam second half in fixed positional relationship with respect to the cam first half, the cam unit having no moving parts; and
a top ring removably coupled to the first end of the retainer body around the first end of the nozzle stem;
wherein the cam first half is fixedly attached to the cam second half, and wherein when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a first orientation with the first outer edge of the cam first half oriented closest to the top ring, the nozzle stem is configured to reciprocally ratchet in a clockwise direction in response to intermittent water pressure passing through the nozzle stem.
6 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 5 , wherein an outer surface of the cam unit comprises a positioning key configured to positionally engage with an inner surface of the retainer body to retain an angular orientation of the cam unit in relation to the retainer body when the positioning key is engaged with the retainer body.
7 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of cam first half teeth includes at least one cam first half tooth shaped different from a shape of a remainder of the cam first half teeth, and the plurality of cam second half teeth includes at least one cam second half tooth shaped different from a shape of a remainder of the cam second half teeth, the at least one cam second half tooth cooperatively aligned with the at least one cam first half tooth, and wherein when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin and the ratcheting pin incrementally rotates through the at least one cam first half tooth and the at least one cam second half tooth, the nozzle stem incrementally rotates a greater incremental distance than when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin and the ratcheting pin incrementally rotates through any of the remainder of the cam first half teeth and any of the remainder of the cam second half teeth.
8 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 5 , further comprising a cleaning head cap coupled to the first end of the nozzle stem, the ratcheting pin extending from the cleaning head cap and coupled to the nozzle stem by way of the cleaning head cap.
9 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 5 , the cam second half further comprising a plurality of cam second half teeth on an inner surface of the cam second half oriented with a narrow end of each tooth of the plurality of cam second half teeth closer to the center of the cam unit than to a second outer edge of the cam second half, wherein when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a second orientation with the second outer edge of the cam second half closest to the pin top ring, the nozzle stem is configured to reciprocally ratchet in a counter-clockwise direction in response to intermittent water pressure passing through the nozzle stem.
10 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 5 , further comprising a reversible bayonet connector configured to reversibly couple to a second end of the nozzle stem opposite the first end of the nozzle stem in either of a first orientation or a second orientation opposite the first orientation to adapt the cleaning head between a weighted retraction system and a spring retraction system.
11 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 10 , the cleaning head further comprising a weight removably coupled around the nozzle stem with the reversible bayonet connector attached to the second end of the nozzle stem oriented in the first orientation.
12 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 10 , the cleaning head further comprising a spring removably coupled around the nozzle stem with the reversible bayonet connector attached to the second end of the nozzle stem oriented in the second orientation.
13 . An incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head comprising:
a retainer body comprising a first end;
a nozzle stem extending through the retainer body;
a ratcheting pin coupled to the nozzle stem;
a cam unit surrounding the nozzle stem and engaging the ratcheting pin, the cam unit having a plurality of cam first half teeth on an inner surface of the cam unit, and having a plurality of cam second half teeth on the inner surface of the cam unit; and
a top ring removably coupled to the first end of the retainer body;
wherein when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a first orientation with a first outer edge of the cam unit oriented closest to the top ring, the nozzle stem is configured to reciprocally ratchet in a clockwise direction in response to intermittent water pressure passing through the nozzle stem; and
wherein the cam unit is replaceable as a unit, and without moving parts.
14 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 13 , wherein an outer surface of the cam unit comprises a positioning key configured to positionally engage with an inner surface of the retainer body to retain an angular orientation of the cam unit in relation to the retainer body when the positioning key is engaged with the retainer body.
15 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 14 , the inner surface of the retainer body further comprising a ratcheting surface having angled surfaces permitting ratcheting rotation of the cam unit in a first rotational direction through manual manipulation of the nozzle stem, and restricting rotational movement of the cam unit in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction.
16 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 13 , further comprising a cleaning head cap coupled to the first end of the nozzle stem, the ratcheting pin extending from the cleaning head cap and coupled to the nozzle stem by way of the cleaning head cap.
17 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 13 , the retainer body comprising a second end opposite the first end, the retainer body second end comprising a plurality of lugs on an outer surface of the retainer body configured to engage a housing mounted in a swimming pool floor.
18 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 13 , further comprising a reversible bayonet connector configured to reversibly couple to a second end of the nozzle stem opposite the first end of the nozzle stem in either of a first orientation or a second orientation opposite the first orientation to adapt the cleaning head between a weighted retraction system and a spring retraction system.
19 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 18 , the cleaning head further comprising a weight removably coupled around the nozzle stem with the reversible bayonet connector attached to the second end of the nozzle stem oriented in the first orientation.
20 . The incrementally rotating in-floor swimming pool cleaning head of claim 18 , wherein when the cam unit engages the ratcheting pin in a second orientation with a second outer edge of the cam unit, opposite the first outer edge, closest to the pin top ring, the nozzle stem is configured to reciprocally ratchet in a counter-clockwise direction in response to intermittent water pressure passing through the nozzle stem.