Abstract: An air blower for a spa or the like having an outside enclosure formed by a cover that is fitted tightly onto a base, with a blower-and-motor unit centrally located in the enclosure and air inlet passages extending from the bottom wall of the base along opposite sides thereof upwardly into an air chamber in the cover, to the intake of the blower. An acoustical foam lining is provided for the air intake chamber, and the blower is mounted in a nest of acoustical foam and clamped against an internal platform on the base. Blocks of acoustical foam in the air inlet passages in the base, on opposite sides of a central outlet passage, overlie the inlets through the platform into the air chamber, blocking straight-line paths through the passages and partially covering the wall of the outlet passage.

Abstract: A floating fountain device for a swimming pool includes a fountainhead to create a water fountain and a lamp and generator to illuminate the fountain, the generator being sealed in an envelope and driven by a water turbine through a magnetic coupling.

Abstract: An air blower assembly for a spa having a vent valve in the outlet passage from the blower, with a bi-metallic coil for opening the valve and venting the outlet when the temperature reaches a preselected danger level. The valve comprises two telescoped tubular members having elongated vent ports movable angularly into alignment, the inner member being rotatably supported on the assembly for adjustment of the set point and the outer member being rotatable about the inner member by the coil.

Abstract: A hydrotherapy spa having a water jet into which air is aspirated through a conduit and a control valve for varying the effective flow area to the conduit from space inside the spa. The control valve comprises two generally cylindrical valve body members fitted together and defining an inlet passage extending outwardly between the two, and an outlet passage extending inwardly through the inner member and containing a ball check valve for preventing a reverse fluid flow. A cup-shaped cap is snap-fitted on the outer end portion of the valve body and formed with a closure member on its underside for variably opening arcuate ports in the outer end of the body variably connecting the inlet and outlet passages through these ports.

Abstract: An improved pool cleaner hose is provided for use in supplying water under pressure to a water-powered in-the-pool cleaner device for swimming pools and the like. The hose is formed from one or more elongated spiral wound strips of flexible plastic material or the like with adjacent turns interconnected by a continuous laser weld to define an elongated, flexible, and relatively buoyant hose construction. The hose is coupled between a supply of water under pressure and the pool cleaner device, with weights of selected mass being mounted upon the hose at selected positions near the cleaner device to cause the hose to trail the cleaner device with a relatively low profile thereby minimizing drag effects upon the cleaner device as it moves throughout the pool.

Abstract: An improved fixture and related method are provided for making spiral wound hose from elongated strips of thermoplastic material. The fixture includes feed rollers for spirally winding inner and outer interlocking strips from opposite directions onto a rotating mandrel. As the strips are wound together, a laser integrally fuses the strips to each other along a continuous line of contact to form an elongated hose. Rotating channeled guide rollers are spaced circumferentially about the mandrel to advance the formed hose continuously off the mandrel.

Abstract: An improved filter bag is provided for swimming pool cleaners and the like particularly of the type designed for travel along submerged pool surfaces to dislodge and collect debris. The filter bag is formed from an elongated stretch of porous fabric, such as nylon mesh, folded upon itself to define conforming left and right sidewalls joined by front and rear seams and a seamless upper end. The lower ends of the sidewalls are secured to a mounting collar which cooperates therewith to define an open mouth for entry of debris into the bag and means for attachment about the discharge end of a pool cleaner suction mast. Water and debris are drawn by the cleaner through the mounting collar into a primary flow chamber within a forward region of the filter bag and separated from a rear collection chamber by an upstanding divider seam which terminates below the seamless upper end of the bag.

Abstract: An improved pool cleaner is provided of the type for submerged random travel generally along the floor and sidewalls of a swimming pool to dislodge and collect debris. The pool cleaner comprises an hydraulically contoured housing consisting of a limited number of shell shaped housing portions designed for rapid assembly about an integrated drive assembly having a water-powered drive train encased within the housing and rotatable wheels outside the housing for supporting and driving the pool cleaner. Water under pressure is supplied through a water supply mast detachably mounted on the housing for flow into a pressure manifold from which individual water flows are coupled through appropriately sized nozzles to drive a water turbine of the drive train and through a plurality of jet pump orifices opening generally upwardly about the inner diameter of an open central suction mast through which debris is drawn upwardly into a collection bag.

Abstract: An improved collection bag is provided for mounting onto a swimming pool cleaner of the type for traveling along submerged pool surfaces to dislodge and collect debris, wherein the improved collection bag is designed particularly for use in collecting relatively large debris, such as leaves, twigs, and the like. The collection bag is formed from relatively open mesh fabric to have a generally L-shaped configuration including a generally upright forward leg defining a lower open mouth for mounting onto the discharge end of a pool cleaner suction mast, and blending at its upper end with a generally horizontal rear leg releasably suspended from a water supply hose for the pool cleaner by a suspension strap. In use, water and debris suctioned by the pool cleaner flow upwardly into a forward flow chamber within the bag, with the debris guiding rearwardly incident to forward travel of the pool cleaner into a rear collection chamber within the bag rear leg for collection and storage.

Abstract: An improved pool cleaner is provided of the type for submerged random travel generally along the floor and sidewalls of a swimming pool to dislodge and collect debris. The pool cleaner comprises an hydraulically contoured housing consisting of a limited number of shell shaped housing portions designed for rapid assembly about an integrated drive assembly having a water-powered drive train encased within the housing and rotatable wheels outside the housing for supporting and driving the pool cleaner. Water under pressure is supplied through a water supply mast detachably mounted on the housing for flow into a pressure manifold from which individual water flows are coupled through appropriately sized nozzles to drive a water turbine of the drive train and through a plurality of jet pump orifices opening generally upwardly about the inner diameter of an open central suction mast through which debris is drawn upwardly into a collection bag.