Patents Assigned to Zodiac Pool Care Europe
  • Patent number: 10426142
    Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for cleaning a surface immersed in a liquid, notably a swimming pool cleaning robot, including a body, said body including lower, upper and lateral walls configured so that said lower wall is intended to be positioned facing the immersed surface over which the apparatus (10) moves, said upper wall is opposite said lower wall, said lateral walls connect said lower and upper walls, means for moving the body (11) over said immersed surface. Said apparatus also includes a central chamber (15), situated inside the body (11), and including a filter basket (151), said filter basket (151) including a filter wall, and an opening (113) enabling extraction of said filter basket (151) from the body (11). Furthermore, said opening (113) is on a lateral wall of the body (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
    Inventors: Louis Favie, Philippe Blanc Tailleur, Philippe Pichon
  • Patent number: 10400467
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a swimming pool cleaning device comprising: a body, means for driving and guiding the body comprising at least two pairs of wheels: front wheels and rear wheels, characterized in that the drive means of the device further include: an intermediate wheel turning about a rotation axis disposed between the front wheel and the rear wheel on at least one of the two sides of the device, the diameter and the position of the rotation axis of this intermediate wheel being such that said wheel does not touch the guide plane XrYr when the robot is resting on the latter, said guide plane XrYr being defined by the points of contact of the front and rear wheels with the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Philippe Pichon, Philippe Blanc Tailleur, Louis Favie
  • Patent number: 10316534
    Abstract: The invention relates to swimming pool cleaning robot (10) comprising: a body (11); at least one hydraulic circuit through which a liquid flows between at least one liquid inlet (13) and at least one liquid outlet (14), said hydraulic circuit including at least one means for separating debris suspended in the liquid; pumping means for driving the liquid through the hydraulic circuit; means for driving and guiding the cleaning robot on a surface; and means for controlling the operating parameters of the means for driving and guiding the cleaning robot (10). The control means comprise a pressure sensor (21) that can be used to determine the immersion depth of the cleaning robot in a swimming pool, and means for automatically controlling the measured pressure on the basis of a set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Thierry Michelon, Philippe Pichon, Jerome Bonnin, Philippe Blanc Tailleur, Hendrikus Johannes Van der Meijden, Philip John Newman
  • Patent number: 10246894
    Abstract: Mobile swimming pool cleaners are detailed. Determination of adherence of the cleaners on lateral walls of swimming pools may occur in various ways, and power of pumps of the cleaners may be modified as results of the determinations. User input, further, may be provided indicating whether a cleaner has reached the waterline associated with a lateral wall and whether the cleaner is aspirating air into its inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Rémi Deloche, Philippe Pichon
  • Publication number: 20190032357
    Abstract: Apparatus and techniques for indicating loading of filters are described. The apparatus and techniques are especially (although not necessarily exclusively) useful in connection with automatic pool cleaners with on-board filters and pumps. Indicators identifying clogging of the filters may be included in or on the cleaners or transmitted as information to users for further action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
    Inventors: Philippe Pichon, E. Keith McQueen
  • Patent number: 10191483
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for modifying a device for cleaning a submerged surface, the device including a cleaning appliance, a control unit suitable for sending control signals to the appliance, characterized in that a modification device is inserted onto the link between the control unit and the appliance, which modification device includes an antenna for receiving wireless request signals and a signal-processing unit for transmitting signals from the control unit to the appliance and, upon receipt of wireless request signals in the receiving antenna, for ignoring signals from the control unit, and producing and transmitting priority control signals to the cleaning appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
    Inventor: Thierry Michelon
  • Patent number: 9963897
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power lead for a swimming pool cleaning robot. Said power lead comprises a rotary connector and a buoyancy means supporting said rotary connector. An upper part of said buoyancy means is a cap shaped to slide under a swimming pool cover, under the effect of a traction exerted by the swimming pool cleaning robot on the buoyancy means through the power lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Louis Favie, Remi Deloche
  • Patent number: 9887505
    Abstract: Detailed is a device for guiding a cable for linking a submerged robot, in particular a robot for cleaning swimming pools, to the device for controlling and powering same, said guiding device including: a. a coupling including a rotary connector, connected by one side to a first floating portion of the linking cable extending from the control and power device to said coupling and, by the other side, to a second portion of the linking cable extending from said coupling to the submerged robot; b. a floating mounting including: b(i). a float; b(ii). an interface for mechanically linking the rotary connector to said float; and b(iii). a hood extending above the surface when the floating mounting is submerged in a liquid and removably connected to the float; c. in which the mechanical link between the float and the rotary coupling is a ball-and-socket link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Louis Favie, Remi Deloche
  • Patent number: 9809989
    Abstract: The invention is a swimming pool cleaning apparatus comprising a cleaning unit intended to be immersed in the swimming pool, at least one liquid filter circuit between at least one liquid net and at least one liquid outlet via a filter chamber removable from the body of the cleaning unit. The filter chamber comprises a cover and a filter basket. The cover including releasable means for fastening the filter basket and means for locking the filter chamber to the body of the cleaning unit, these locking means being releasable and, when released, causing an extraction handle to be deployed from the filter chamber and urged towards a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Philippe Blanc Tailleur, Faustine Munoz, Philippe Pichon
  • Patent number: 9791840
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for modifying a device for cleaning a submerged surface, the device including a cleaning appliance, a control unit suitable control signals to the appliance, characterized in that a modification device is inserted onto the link between the control unit and the appliance, which modification device includes an antenna for receiving wireless request signals and a signal-processing unit for transmitting signals from the control unit to the appliance and, upon receipt of wireless request signals in the receiving antenna, for ignoring signals from the control unit, and producing and transmitting priority control signals to the cleaning appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventor: Thierry Michelon
  • Patent number: 9740199
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device and a method of remotely controlling a motorized submerged surface cleaning apparatus (1) comprising a body and a drive device, said remote control device comprising a control terminal (15) having a housing, a device (16) for transmitting control signals for the drive device, characterized in that the housing comprises an orientation detector furnishing at least one orientation parameter of the housing, and in that said device comprises a unit for processing orientation parameters, producing a first command for the drive device for an orientation parameter that is within a first interval of values, and a second command for the drive device for an orientation parameter that is within a second predetermined interval of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventor: Thierry Michelon
  • Patent number: 9708826
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pool cleaning apparatus and a method for controlling such an apparatus comprising a body, a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a drive device, a pumping device, a hydraulic circuit between a liquid inlet and a pumping outlet and via a cleaning device, a monitoring device providing electronic signals which are representative of a state of the apparatus, an electronic signal processing unit receiving and analyzing the signals of the monitoring device and controlling the pumping device, wherein, on detection of a removal event of the body from the liquid, the processing unit stops the pumping device after a predetermined emptying time in order to allow active emptying of the hydraulic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Thierry Michelon, Louis Favie
  • Patent number: 9657488
    Abstract: The invention relates to a swimming pool cleaning apparatus comprising: at least one hydraulic liquid circulation circuit between at least one liquid inlet (3) and at least one liquid outlet (4), and through a removable filtration device of the cleaning apparatus. The filtration device comprises at least one filtration chamber (8) comprising: a cover (2), a filtration basket (17), the hydraulic fluid circulation circuit comprising a liquid discharge tube (20) emerging from the apparatus through an opening (4) formed in the cover (2) of the filtration device, the filtration basket (17) comprising a central filtering wall (9) surrounding the liquid discharge tube (20) over at least a part of its length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Philippe Pichon, Rémi Deloche, Philippe Blanc-Tailleur
  • Patent number: 9631389
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning an immersed surface, comprising a hollow body, guiding and driving members, a filtration chamber which is provided in the hollow body and which has at least one liquid inlet, at least one liquid outlet and a hydraulic circuit for circulation of liquid through a filtering device. An accelerometer device is fixedly joined to the hollow body and which is adapted to provide instantaneous measurements of at least one acceleration component of the terrestrial gravity in at least one fixed direction which is fixed relative to the hollow body, and a processing unit for processing the acceleration measurements supplied by the accelerometer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
    Inventors: Emmanuel Mastio, Thierry Michelon, E. Keith McQueen, Tawny Jean Cothran
  • Patent number: 9487963
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automobile apparatus (1) for cleaning surfaces submerged in a basin (2) comprising a driving mechanism, a programmed controlling device for the driving mechanism, a man-machine interface consisting of an input device, and a filter chamber, characterized in that, on activation of a return command button (12), a return setpoint is emitted to the programmed controlling device, which is adapted to inhibit a cleaning program and control the driving mechanism such that it drives the apparatus up to the surface of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventor: Thierry Michelon
  • Patent number: 9267300
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning a surface which is immersed in a liquid, comprising a hollow body, guiding and driving members, a filtration chamber in the hollow body, at least one liquid inlet, at least one liquid outlet out of the hollow body, at least one axial pumping propeller, a single reversible electric motor whose drive shaft, in order to move it, is simultaneously mechanically connected to at least one motorized member and to each pumping propeller. In a first rotation direction of the drive shaft, each motorized member is driven in a forward direction, and each pumping propeller generates the flow of liquid in the normal direction ensuring the cleaning of the immersed surface. In a second rotation direction of the drive shaft, each motorized member is driven in a backward direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Emmanuel Mastio, Philippe Blanc-Tailleur, Philippe Pichon
  • Patent number: 9250626
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device and a method of remotely controlling a motorized submerged surface cleaning apparatus (1) comprising a body and a drive device, said remote control device comprising a control terminal (15) having a housing, a device (16) for transmitting control signals for the drive device, characterized in that the housing comprises an orientation detector furnishing at least one orientation parameter of the housing, and in that said device comprises a unit for processing orientation parameters, producing a first command for the drive device for an orientation parameter that is within a first interval of values, and a second command for the drive device for an orientation parameter that is within a second predetermined interval of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventor: Thierry Michelon
  • Patent number: 9212498
    Abstract: A self-propelled apparatus for cleaning an immersed surface including a hollow body, a guiding and driving device for guiding and moving the hollow body over the immersed surface, the hollow body having a base immediately facing immersed surface, at least one liquid inlet, at least one member protruding from the base of the hollow body towards the immersed surface, wherein it includes, immediately in front of a protruding member, in a movement direction of the hollow body, at least one member, called an anti-blocking member, which can rotate about a rotation axis which is fixed in relation to said protruding member, the anti-blocking member being provided in order to be able to roll over an obstacle of the immersed surface, and to drive the protruding member in movement so as to overcome the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Philippe Pichon, Philippe Blanc-Tailleur, Emmanuel Mastio
  • Patent number: 8997293
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cleaning an immersed surface including a body and members for driving the body over the immersed surface; a filtration chamber which is provided in the body and which has: a liquid inlet; a liquid outlet; a hydraulic circuit for the flow of liquid between the inlet and the outlet through a filtering device, wherein the filtering device includes a filtering casing which is removably mounted in the filtration chamber and which can be inserted into and removed from the filtration chamber in one piece, and the filtering casing has at least a lower end which opens at the base of the body and which constitutes a liquid inlet into the body of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
    Inventors: Philippe Pichon, Emmanuel Mastio
  • Publication number: 20140251884
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning a surface which is immersed in a liquid, comprising a hollow body, guiding and driving members, a filtration chamber in the hollow body, at least one liquid inlet, at least one liquid outlet out of the hollow body, at least one axial pumping propeller, a single reversible electric motor whose drive shaft, in order to move it, is simultaneously mechanically connected to at least one motorized member and to each pumping propeller. In a first rotation direction of the drive shaft, each motorized member is driven in a forward direction, and each pumping propeller generates the flow of liquid in the normal direction ensuring the cleaning of the immersed surface. In a second rotation direction of the drive shaft, each motorized member is driven in a backward direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventors: Emmanuel Mastio, Philippe Blanc-Tailleur, Philippe Pichon