The 1960s: Advancements continue
Progression of the pool cleaner continued when, in 1960, a patent application for a pool cleaner resembling a hand-held floor polisher was submitted. Although the device was patented three years later, this cleaner does not appear to have had any commercial impact.
This development period also witnessed what is quite possibly the precursor to today’s robotic electric pool cleaners, the Aqua Queen by AquaVac Systems in West Palm Beach, Fla., in the early 1960s. Said to weigh more than 18 kg (40 lbs), this bulky automated device used a self-contained pump, motor and filter system to vacuum the pool as it travelled from wall to wall. No patent was discovered to have been applied for or issued to this machine.
A wave of suction-side cleaners also started to appear in the 1960s. Perhaps the most famous of these devices was patented in 1965, the Arneson Pool Sweep. This cleaner comprised a central unit with tentacle-like extrusions, which roamed all over the pool. As complex as it seems, the fact it not only worked but became an industry icon is clearly a tribute to the engineering skill of its designer. It is also the likely forerunner to the current-day pressure-side cleaner.
The 1970s: A defining era
During this decade, major turning points were achieved for all three main types of cleaners (suction-side, pressure-side and robotic). In terms of robotics, numerous powered pool cleaner patent applications, dating back to 1967, were submitted, leading to the 1971 patent for a complex electric pool cleaning machine.
This device used numerous sensors, levers and shafts to collect debris in an onboard bag. Although the debris bag was not contained within the body of the device, it may be the first to truly qualify as an electric robotic cleaner.
The progenitor for many of today’s pressure-side cleaners likely evolved from a design that was patented in 1974 by Melvyn L. Henkin, a resident of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. It was to become perhaps the most famous of all pool cleaners, the Polaris. The cleaner’s three-wheel configuration, combined with Venturi action, allowed the unit to easily move along the pool floor, collecting debris in its filter bag along the way.
A groundbreaking suction-side cleaner design was patented in 1977. The device, which resembles a large metal detector, connects to a vacuum line on the side of the pool and uses suction provided by the pool’s pump to move forward along the pool’s floor and walls.
Suction-side cleaners remain the mainstay of the swimming pool cleaner industry. Manufacturers that offered early versions of these cleaners—although varied in design and function—all helped grow the pool cleaner industry, which is why they are still the choice for the majority of pool owners who opt for an automatic pool cleaner.
Finally, in 1979, a patent was issued that served as the basis for many robotic pool cleaners at that time. The progeny of these inventions was a growing line of residential and commercial products that have dominated the robotic pool cleaner market for the last three decades. These continue to be the most technologically advanced pool cleaner designs in the world.
The 2000s: Technology moves forward
In 2004, a battery-powered hand-held pool and spa cleaner was patented by New Jersey’s Guy Erlich. This device uses an onboard, high-quality, nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery and houses a filter and impeller attached to an electric motor within its body. Key features of this design include ease of maintenance and portability, as the cleaner does not require hoses, power cords or booster pumps to operate.
Conclusion
While the patented pool cleaners mentioned in this article may have never become commercially feasible, they all contributed to the evolution of the modern pool cleaner market. Those that were viable became industry icons. As a result, today there is a cleaner or vacuum for every pool, spa/hot tub and budget.
Richard K. Cacioppo, Sr., J.D. is the director of sales and marketing at Water Tech Corp., a manufacturer of swimming pool and spa cleaners in E. Brunswick, NJ. He is also CEO and founder of the Institute for Advanced Marketing Ltd., which manages Water Tech’s marketing department. He can be reached via e-mail at rich@watertechcorp.com or idea2icon@gmail.com.
