Cleaning Device for Ponds

Abstract

A cleaning device for ponds (1) for interaction with at least one pond filter for removal of solids (2) from the pond (1) has a sediment swirling device (3) with a pump (11) which sucks in a swirling medium and discharges the latter through at least one ejector channel (4, 5) in the area of sedimented solids (2). The cleaning device is self-floating and is provided with a motion drive (14) and a location determination device for the purpose of directional control.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a pond, the method comprising: positioning a telescoping length-variable ejector channel of a sediment swirling device near a bottom of the pond; ejecting a swirling medium at an ejection pressure toward the bottom of the pond through a lower end of the telescoping length-variable ejector channel to swirl up sediments from the bottom of the pond, wherein the lower end is balanced with respect to a weight thereof relative to the ejection pressure; spacing apart the lower end from the bottom of the pond by the ejection pressure to follow a contour of the bottom of the pond and to keep a constant working height of the lower end relative to the bottom of the pond.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising floating the sediment swirling device on a surface of the pond.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sucking in air as the swirling medium.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising moving the sediment swirling device by a motion drive across the pond.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising moving the sediment swirling device across the pond by an angled ejector channel acting as a jet propulsion drive.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising motorically adjusting the angled ejector channel for direction setting of a movement of the sediment swirling device across the pond.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising supplying an electromotively driven pump of the sediment swirling device ejecting the swirling medium with energy from a rechargeable battery pack.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the sediment swirling device, equipped with a sender-receiver, communicating wireless with a control unit.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the sediment swirling device by providing a location determination means on the sediment swirling device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the sediment swirling device with an evaluation unit for position information and connecting the evaluation unit to a motion drive of the sediment swirling device to form a navigation system.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a charging station and connecting the sediment swirling device to the charging station to recharge a rechargeable battery pack of sediment swirling device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further advantages and details result from the claims as well as from an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings which will be explained in the following.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows schematically the cleaning device according to the invention in use.

[0018] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of the cleaning device of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 2a shows the cleaning device with a telescoping length-variable ejector channel.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a vertical section of the article of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] In the situation illustrated in FIG. 1, a pond 1 is illustrated where sediments 2 have deposited at the bottom areas. A sediment swirling device 3 for ponds is floating on the water surface. The illustration is only schematic and is not true to scale. Normally, the pond 1 in relation to the sediment swirling device 3 will be significantly larger than illustrated here. The sediment swirling device 3 sucks in a swirling mediumhere a pond water/air mixtureand discharges the latter again through ejector channels 4, 5 in the area of the sedimented solids 2, also referred to as mulm. For the basic function of the sediment swirling device 3, one ejector channel 4 or 5 is sufficient. The embodiment illustrated here however is provided with an ejector channel 4, which penetrates by a preferably partially flexible tube or e.g. a hose into deeper areas of the pond, while the ejector channel 5 is oriented such that it swirls up sediments 2 in shallower areas and rim areas of the pond. The solids 2 which are swirled up by the swirling medium can then be filtered out from the pond water by a filter, not illustrated here.

[0022] The sediment swirling device illustrated in FIG. 1 is an embodiment which is not provided with a cable. It comprises rechargeable power packs which can be recharged as needed at a charging station 6 preferably in the pond rim area. Arrow 7 indicates the movement direction of the sediment swirling device 3 toward the charging station which can be initiated by the ejection direction of the second ejector channel 5. The charging station 6 is preferably also at least partially movably supported, for example, floatingly, in order to adjust to the water level.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the sediment swirling device 3 in perspective illustration in a view slightly from below. Here, it can be in particular seen that the second ejector channel 5 is connected at the opposite end with a rudder 8. Because of this and due to the slightly slanted angled arrangement of the ejector channel 5, the latter is acting as a jet propulsion drive with the rudder 8 as a direction guide so that even a sediment swirling device 3 embodied, as herein, with a round outer circumference does not move forward with random rotation but with directed movement. This could be achieved alternatively also by a fin or a daggerboard arranged at the bottom side of the sediment swirling device 3.

[0024] The ejector channel 4 is illustrated in FIG. 2 interrupted in regard to its length and is significantly longer in practice than illustrated here. In particular, it is possible to embody the ejector channel 4a in a telescoping length-variable way (see FIG. 2a). When the lower end 4b of the telescoping length-variable ejector channel 4a is balanced with respect to its weight such that it is spaced apart from the bottom of the pond by the ejection pressure of the swirling medium, a constant working height for optimal sediment swirling action can be achieved in this way. The lower end 4b of the ejector channel 4a functions thus as a dabbling nozzle.

[0025] The details of the sediment swirling device 3 for ponds can be seen in particular in the section illustration of FIG. 3. Here, it can be seen that the sediment swirling device 3 within its housing 9 is provided with floating bodies 10 that hold the device 3 at the water surface. In the interior of the device 3, a pump 11 is provided which sucks in pond water and discharges it again through the two ejector channels 4, 5. By means of a Venturi effect, air is admixed to this pond water by means of an air intake 12 which increases the action of the thus formed swirling medium and also aerates the pond at the same time. The swirling medium is then discharged again through the ejector channels 4 and 5 wherein in the illustration according to FIG. 3 the long lower area of the ejector channel 4 is not illustrated. Both ejector channels 4, 5 are connected to each other by a connecting line 13 so that both of them can also be supplied by the same pump 11. This is however not mandatory.

[0026] The ejector channel 5 serves at the same time as a jet propulsion drive and is arranged for this purpose at a slant at an angle between 10 and 50, preferably approximately 30, relative to the horizontal and, as illustrated, is rotatably supported. Its direction can be actively controlled by a motion drive 14 with motor. The rudder 8 is also functioning as a directional drive in this context.

[0027] In the upper area of the sediment swirling device 3, a rechargeable battery packhere not illustrated separately in the section illustrationfor energy supply of energy consumers such as the pump and the motion drive can be accommodated as well as optionally an electronic control device for active control of pump 11 and in particular motion drive 14. By means of control of the motion drive 14, the surface of the pond can be traveled across in a targeted fashion or it is possible to have the sediment swirling device 3 move purely by random control in a chaotic system.

[0028] In such a completely automated operation of the cleaning device, the sediment swirling device 3 works as a pond robot. Even for non-automated utilization, the sediment swirling device 3 in cold weather provides due to its movement the additional function of keeping the pond surface free of ice.