Self-evacuating vacuum cleaner for cleaning ponds or swimming pools

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner for cleaning ponds or swimming pools includes a tank for holding debris and liquid material. Liquid material is filtered prior to being drawn into the tank, to then be pumped out of the tank. Alternately, liquid material is drawn into the tank and is filtered when being pumped out of the tank. A metering device may be provided for restricting flow into the tank, thereby allowing the vacuum cleaner to be operated continuously.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A wet/dry vacuum cleaner for cleaning debris from a surface wetted with liquid material comprising: 
 a tank having an inlet for receiving the liquid material and an outlet for disposing the liquid material;    an air impeller housing having an opening in air flow communication with the tank interior;    an air impeller disposed inside the air impeller housing to create low pressure in the tank;    a motor disposed inside a motor housing and operatively coupled to the air impeller;    an inlet hose removably connected to the inlet;    a nozzle removably attached to the inlet hose and adapted to engage the surface for dislodging the debris from the surface, the debris and liquid material being passed through the inlet hose; and    a filter disposed in the inlet hose and adapted to remove debris from the liquid material;    wherein the nozzle dislodges debris from the surface, and the debris and the liquid material are pulled through the inlet hose.    
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter housing sized to receive the filter, the filter housing having an inlet in fluid communication with an upstream portion of the inlet hose and outlet in fluid communication with a downstream portion of the inlet hose.  
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises a mesh material sized to remove the debris from the liquid material.  
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises a cleaning tool adapted to clean the surface.  
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein the cleaning tool includes a scrubbing brush.  
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein the cleaning tool includes a flexible cleaning head.  
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a metering device disposed in the inlet hose.  
     
     
         8 . A wet/dry vacuum cleaner for cleaning debris from a surface wetted with liquid material comprising: 
 a tank having an inlet for receiving the liquid material and an outlet for disposing the liquid material;    an air impeller housing having an opening in air flow communication with the tank interior;    a pump impeller;    a motor disposed inside a motor housing and operatively coupled to the pump impeller;    an outlet hose removably connected to the outlet; and    a filter disposed in the outlet hose and adapted to remove debris from the liquid material;    wherein the liquid material including debris in the tank are pumped through the outlet hose.    
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , further comprising a filter housing sized to receive the filter, the filter housing having an inlet in fluid communication with an upstream portion of the outlet hose and outlet in fluid communication with a downstream portion of the outlet hose.  
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the filter comprises a mesh material sized to remove the debris from the liquid material.  
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , further comprising an inlet hose removably connected to the inlet.  
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , further comprising a metering device disposed in the inlet hose.  
     
     
         13 . A wet/dry vacuum cleaner for cleaning debris from a surface wetted with liquid material comprising: 
 a tank having an inlet for receiving the liquid material and an outlet for disposing the liquid material;    an air impeller housing having an opening in air flow communication with the tank interior;    a vacuum impeller disposed inside the air impeller housing to create low pressure in the tank;    a pump impeller;    a motor disposed inside a motor housing and operatively coupled to the vacuum impeller and the pump impeller;    an inlet hose removably connected to the inlet;    an outlet hose removably connected to the outlet;    a nozzle removably attached to the inlet hose and adapted to engage the surface for dislodging the debris from the surface, the debris and liquid material being passed through the inlet hose; and    a filter disposed in one of the inlet hose or the outlet hose and adapted to remove debris from the liquid material;    wherein the nozzle dislodges debris from the surface, and the debris and the liquid material are pulled through the inlet hose and disposed through the outlet hose.    
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , in which the filter is disposed in the inlet hose, the vacuum cleaner further comprising a filter housing sized to receive the filter, the filter housing having an inlet in fluid communication with an upstream portion of the inlet hose and an outlet in fluid communication with a downstream portion of the inlet hose.  
     
     
         15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , in which the filter is disposed in the outlet hose, the vacuum cleaner further comprising a filter housing sized to receive the filter, the filter housing having an inlet in fluid communication with an upstream portion of the outlet hose and an outlet in fluid communication with a downstream portion of the outlet hose.  
     
     
         16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the filter comprises a mesh material sized to remove the debris from the liquid material.  
     
     
         17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the nozzle comprises a cleaning tool adapted to clean the surface.  
     
     
         18 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein the cleaning tool includes a scrubbing brush.  
     
     
         19 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein the cleaning tool includes a flexible cleaning head.  
     
     
         20 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , further comprising a metering device disposed in the inlet hose.