Portable vacuum cleaning device

Abstract

A portable vacuuming device for underwater removal of leaves or the like from pool bottoms and other structural surfaces, the device employing a water pump to feed a water jet within a suction cavity wherein the water inlet for the pump is exterior to the cavity and to the housing of the device.

1 . A cleaning device for underwater vacuuming of debris from structural surfaces such as the bottom of swimming pools or other water bodies and comprises a substantially closed housing formed by wall means and providing a suction cavity, a debris-water feed inlet extending thru said wall means and opening into said suction cavity and adapted to be moved with said device along said surfaces in proximity thereto, a debris-water discharge conduit extending thru said wall means and having an exit end surrounded by a filter container which is affixed to and extends outwardly of said housing for entrapping said debris, said discharge conduit having a flow axis and an entry end opening into said suction cavity, a fluid ejector tube mounted in said suction cavity and extending outwardly thru said wall means and having a flow axis, a fluid inlet port on a distal end portion of said ejector tube and adapted for connection exteriorly of said housing to a high pressure fluid source located exteriorly of said cleaning device, said ejector tube further having a fluid ejector end located within said suction cavity, said ejector end being spaced from said entry end of said discharge conduit and thus providing a debris-water entry gap communicating with the discharge conduit entry end, the ejector tube flow axis and the discharge conduit flow axis being in general alignment, wherein the ratio of the flow area of said discharge conduit to the flow area of said ejector tube is always within the limits of from about 1.5 to about 30.0, whereby when a fluid stream is ejected from said ejector end and across said entry gap and thru said discharge conduit and into said filter container the pressure within said suction cavity will be reduced sufficiently to suck water-debris from said surfaces up to and into said fluid stream for transport into said container without the inlet of said ejector tube and high pressure fluid source being exposed to said debris, and wherein said ejector end is spaced in said suction cavity from about 0.5 in. to about 6.0 in. from said entry end of said discharge conduit.  
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the flow area of said discharge conduit is from about 5.0 times to about 20.0 times the flow area of said ejector tube.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said ejector tube is round in cross section and has an inner portion ( 43 ) of uniform diameter having a length to diameter ratio of from about 1/1 to about 15/1.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said ejector end is spaced in said suction cavity from about 1.0 to about 4.0 in. from said entry end of said discharge conduit.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the flow area of said discharge conduit is from about 10 times to about 20 times the flow area of said ejector tube, wherein the diameter of said discharge conduit is from about 0.75 in. to about 2.0″, and wherein the diameter of said ejector tube is from about 0.125 in. to about 0.5 in.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said ejector end of said ejector tube is spaced in said suction cavity from about 0.5 to about 6.0 inches from said entry end of said discharge conduit, wherein the flow area of said discharge conduit is from about 0.2 in 2  to about 7.0 in 2 , wherein the flow area of said ejector tube is from about 0.02 in 2  to about 0.4 in 2 , wherein said fluid is water, wherein said high pressure fluid source comprises a centrifugal water pump mounted on said housing and having a water feed inlet located outside of said housing, and wherein the operational flow rate of said pump is from about 200 to about 2,000 gal./hr.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said filter container comprises a flexible mesh fabric bag having from about 100μ to about 350μ size openings.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said openings range in size from about 150μ to about 250μ.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said pump is battery operated at between about six and twenty four volts, and wherein said battery is electrically connected to said pump thru elongated handle means affixed to said housing and adapted to extend above a swimming pool edge for maneuvering of said device along a pool surface by an operator outside of said pool.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said battery operates at between about 12 to about 20 volts.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the volumetric water capacity of said suction cavity is from about 400 to about 2500 ml., and wherein said high pressure fluid is water, wherein said fluid source comprises a water pump having a water feed inlet located outside of said device, and wherein the operational flow rate of said pump is from about 200 to about 2,000 gal./hr.  
   
   
       12 . A cleaning device ( 10 ) for underwater vacuuming of debris ( 11 ) from structural surfaces ( 12 ) such as the bottom of swimming pools or other water bodies and comprises a substantially closed housing ( 14 ) provided by wall means ( 16 ) which is formed to provide an upstream suction cavity ( 18 ), for opening into a water body thru a rim ( 22 ) defining a debris-water feed inlet ( 20 ) adapted to be brought into close proximity to a structural surface to be cleaned, and to provide a debris-water discharge conduit ( 26 ) downstream of said suction cavity and having an open exit end ( 28 ) which is surrounded by a debris container ( 30 ) positioned exteriorly of said housing ( 14 ) for entrapping said debris ( 11 ) carried into said container by debris-water discharge stream ( 52 ), said discharge conduit ( 26 ) having a flow axis ( 34 ) and an entry end portion ( 32 ) opening into said suction cavity ( 18 ), a fluid ejector tube ( 40 ) mounted thru said wall means ( 16 ) and having a distal end portion extending exteriorly of and outwardly from said housing and providing a high pressure water inlet ( 44 ), said ejector tube ( 40 ) having an ejector end portion ( 48 ) extending into said suction cavity ( 18 ) within said housing, said ejector tube ( 40 ) having a flow axis ( 42 ) substantially in alignment with the flow axis ( 34 ) of said discharge conduit ( 26 ), said inlet ( 44 ) being connected to a high pressure water source located exteriorly of said housing and upstream of said debris-water discharge stream ( 52 ) and communicating with stream ( 52 ) only thru ejector tube ( 40 ) whereby said discharge stream ( 52 ) cannot flow towards or into the proximity of said high pressure water source, said ejector end portion ( 48 ) being spaced from said entry end portion ( 32 ) of said discharge conduit ( 26 ) and thus providing a debris-water entry gap ( 50 ) communicating with said entry end portion ( 32 ), and wherein the flow area of said discharge conduit ( 26 ) is from about 1.5 to about 30.0 times the flow area of said ejector tube ( 40 ), whereby when a fluid stream is ejected from said ejector nozzle ( 48 ) and across said gap ( 50 ) and out thru said discharge conduit and into said container the pressure within said suction cavity will be reduced sufficiently to suck debris-water from said structural surfaces up to and into said stream ( 52 ) for transport out into said container without the inlet port ( 44 ) of said ejector tube and the high pressure water source ( 46 ) being exposed to any surface debris either outside of said housing ( 14 ) or within said suction cavity or within said discharge conduit.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein said ejector end portion of said tube is spaced along said axes ( 34 ,  42 ) in said cavity from about 0.5 to about 4.0 inches from said entry end portion of said discharge conduit, wherein the flow area of said conduit is from about 1.0 in 2  to about 2.0 in 2 , and wherein the flow area of said ejector tube is from about 0.1 in 2  to about 0.4 in 2 .  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 13  wherein said high pressure fluid source comprises a water pump ( 46 ) having a water feed inlet located outside of said housing and spaced above said inlet rim ( 22 ), and wherein the operational flow rate of said pump is from about 500 to about 1,000 gal./hr.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 14  wherein the volumetric water capacity of said suction cavity is from about 800 to about 1800 ml.  16 .  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 12  wherein said ejector end of said tube is spaced in said cavity from about 0.5 to about 6.0 inches from said entry end of said discharge conduit, wherein the flow area of said conduit is from about 0.2 in 2  to about 7.0 in 2 , wherein the flow area of said tube is from about 0.02 in 2  to about 0.4 in 2 , wherein said fluid is water, wherein said high pressure fluid source comprises a centrifugal water pump mounted on the outside of said housing and having a water feed inlet located outside of said housing, and wherein the operational flow rate of said pump is from about 200 to about 2,000 gal./hr.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 14  wherein said debris container comprises a flexible mesh fabric bag having from about 150μ to about 250μ size openings.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 16  wherein said pump is battery operated at between about six and fourteen volts, and wherein said battery is electrically connected to said pump thru elongated handle means affixed to said housing and adapted to extend above a swimming pool edge for maneuvering of said device along a pool surface by an operator outside of said pool.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said ejector end of said tube is spaced in said cavity from about 0.5 to about 4.0 inches from said entry end of said discharge conduit, wherein the flow area of said discharge conduit is from about 0.2 in 2  to about 3.0 in 2 , wherein the flow area of said tube is from about 0.004 in 2  to about 0.2 in 2 , wherein said fluid is water, wherein said high pressure fluid source comprises a centrifugal water pump mounted on the outside of said housing and having a water feed inlet located outside of said housing, and wherein the operational flow rate of said pump is from about 200 to about 2,000 gal./hr.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 19  wherein said debris container comprises a flexible mesh fabric bag of natural or synthetic fibers and having from about 100μ to about 350μ size openings, wherein said pump is battery operated at between about six and fourteen volts, and wherein said battery is electrically connected to said pump thru elongated handle means affixed to said housing and adapted to extend above a swimming pool edge for maneuvering of said device along a pool surface by an operator positioned outside of said pool.