Pool cleaner with brush

Abstract

A pool cleaner device is configured to travel along an enclosing surface of a pool. The device includes at least one elongated brush having a long axis that is oriented at a nonzero angle to a lateral axis of the device and substantially parallel to the surface when the pool cleaner is traveling along the surface. The device also includes a mechanism for causing bristles of the elongated brush to vibrate against the surface when the device is operating on that surface.

1 . A pool cleaner device that is configured to travel along an enclosing surface of a pool, the device comprising:
 at least one elongated brush having a long axis that is oriented at a nonzero angle to a lateral axis of the device and substantially parallel to the surface when the pool cleaner is traveling along the surface; and   a mechanism for causing bristles of said at least one elongated brush to vibrate against the surface when the device is operating on that surface.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is powered by a drive force for causing the device to travel along the surface. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the nonzero angle is selected such that when the device is operating on a wall of the pool at a waterline of the pool, the elongated brush extends above and below the waterline. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the device is configured such that the lateral axis assumes an oblique angle to the waterline when the device is operating on the wall at the waterline and the nonzero angle is selected such that the long axis is substantially vertical when the device is operating on the wall at the waterline. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one elongated brush is configured to vibrate with a rocking motion in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the long axis. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism comprises a transmission for converting a rotational motion of a component of a locomotion assembly of the device to a rocking motion of said at least one elongated brush. 
     
     
         7 . A pool cleaner device that is configured to travel along an enclosing surface of a pool, the device comprising:
 a plurality of rotatable brushes arranged substantially in a row, the row being oriented at a nonzero angle to a lateral axis of the device and substantially parallel to the surface when the pool cleaner is traveling along the surface; and.   a mechanism for causing the brushes to rotate.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the mechanism is powered by a drive force for causing the device to travel along the surface. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of rotatable brushes is configured to extend above and below a waterline of the pool when the device is operating on a wall of the pool at the waterline. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the device is configured such that the lateral axis assumes an oblique angle to the waterline when the device is operating on the wall at the waterline and the nonzero angle is selected such that the row is substantially vertical when the device is operating on the wall at the waterline. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein adjacent rotatable brushes in the row are configured to counter-rotate with respect to one another.