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A cleaning tool for a pool skimmer basket has a handle with a grip and a lever, a tube that extends from the handle to a pivot assembly at its distal end, and a rod within the tube that connects the actuator to the pivot assembly. The pivot assembly is inserted into a basket fitting and is rotated a

A cleaning tool for a pool skimmer basket has a handle with a grip and a lever, a tube that extends from the handle to a pivot assembly at its distal end, and a rod within the tube that connects the actuator to the pivot assembly. The pivot assembly is inserted into a basket fitting and is rotated about the longitudinal axis to secure the skimmer basket to the cleaning tool. The skimmer basket is then lifted out of its housing and the lever actuates the rod to force the rotation of the pivot assembly. As the pivot assembly moves from its initially aligned arrangement with the tube's longitudinal axis to a position that is askew from the axis, the skimmer basket is rotated so that the debris in the skimmer basket is dumped out.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cleaning tool for a skimmer basket, comprising: a handle comprising a grip and a lever, wherein said lever has a resting position and an actuated position;a tube connected to said handle at a proximal end and extending from said proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis;a pivot ass

1. A cleaning tool for a skimmer basket, comprising: a handle comprising a grip and a lever, wherein said lever has a resting position and an actuated position;a tube connected to said handle at a proximal end and extending from said proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis;a pivot assembly comprising a tube fitting and a mounting joint, wherein said tube fitting is fixedly connected to said distal end of said tube, wherein said mounting joint is rotatably connected to said tube fitting, wherein said mounting joint is comprised of a shoulder section and a distal arm longitudinally extending from said shoulder section away from said tube fitting, wherein said mounting joint has a first orientation aligned with said longitudinal axis and a second orientation rotated askew from said longitudinal axis, and wherein said distal arm has a laterally projecting tab; anda linear transmission extending within said tube with a first end connected to said lever and a second end connected to said mounting joint, wherein said lever forces said linear transmission to move along said longitudinal axis from a first position corresponding with said resting position of said lever to a second position corresponding with said actuated position of said lever, wherein said mounting joint is in said first orientation when said linear transmission is in said first position and wherein said mounting joint is forced to said second orientation when said linear transmission is moved to said second position. 2. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein said linear transmission is comprised of a rod. 3. The cleaning tool of claim 2, wherein said linear transmission is further comprised of a spring and a stop, wherein said spring surrounds said rod within said tube at said proximal end, wherein said stop is fixedly connected to said rod and holds said spring against a proximal flange at said proximal end of said tube, and wherein said spring biases said lever to said resting position. 4. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the basket is comprised of a grid, a rim and a basket fitting, wherein said basket fitting comprises an aperture extending through said basket fitting from a top side to a bottom side and a recess in said bottom side of said basket fitting, wherein said recess is adjacent to said aperture and defines a locking section of said basket fitting, wherein said aperture is comprised of a bore and at least one slot, wherein said distal arm and said laterally projecting tab respectively extend through said bore and said slot in an aligned orientation, and wherein said laterally projecting tab is rotated into said recess in a locked orientation. 5. The cleaning tool of claim 4, wherein said shoulder section of said mounting joint is comprised of a pair of opposing sidewalls, a support wall extending between said opposing sidewalls, an end wall extending between said opposing sidewalls and connected to said support wall along one side, and a pair of open sides opposite to said support wall and said end wall, wherein said distal arm extends from said end wall, wherein said laterally projecting tab is spaced from said end wall by a distance, and wherein said locking section in said basket fitting is situated between said laterally projecting tab and said end wall when said laterally extending tab is in said locked orientation. 6. The cleaning tool of claim 5, wherein said pivot assembly is further comprised of a pivot pin rotatably connecting said mounting joint to said tube fitting around an axis of rotation of said pivot pin. 7. The cleaning tool of claim 6, wherein said pivot pin has a circular end, a circular center and a semicircular end, wherein one of said sidewalls in said shoulder section has a circular hole corresponding with said circular end of said pivot pin and wherein another of said sidewalls has a semicircular hole corresponding with said semicircular end of said pivot pin, wherein said tube fitting is further comprised of a cylindrical section, a flange section and an arch section, wherein said cylindrical section fits around said distal end of said tube, wherein said flange section is buttressed against said distal end of said tube, wherein said arch section has a pair of faceplates with a circular orifice extending through each of said faceplates, wherein said faceplates of said arch section are located between said opposing sidewalls with said circular orifice in alignment with said circular hole and said semicircular hole, and wherein said circular end and said circular center of said pivot pin is positioned in said circular orifice and said circular hole and wherein said semicircular end of said pivot pin is positioned in said semicircular orifice. 8. The cleaning tool of claim 6, wherein said pivot assembly is further comprised of a torque clip connected to said pivot pin at one end and connected to said linear transmission at an opposite end, wherein said torque clip extends substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said pivot pin. 9. The cleaning tool of claim 8, wherein said pivot assembly is further comprised of a set screw, wherein said pivot pin is further comprised of a center hole extending perpendicular to said axis of rotation and an internal threaded hole extending from one side of said pivot pin along said axis of rotation to an intersection with said center hole, wherein said torque clip extends through said center hole, and wherein said set screw is inserted into said internal threaded hole and engages said torque clip at said intersection of said internal threaded hole and said center hole. 10. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein said distal arm extends beyond said laterally projecting tab to a distal end hook. 11. A cleaning tool for a skimmer basket, comprising: a handle comprising a grip and a lever, wherein said lever has a resting position and an actuated position;a tube connected to said handle at a proximal end and extending from said proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis;a pivot assembly comprising a tube fitting and a mounting joint, wherein said tube fitting is fixedly connected to said distal end of said tube, wherein said mounting joint is rotatably connected to said tube fitting around an axis of rotation, wherein said mounting joint is comprised of a shoulder section and a distal arm longitudinally extending from said shoulder section away from said tube fitting, and wherein said mounting joint has a first orientation aligned with said longitudinal axis and a second orientation rotated askew from said longitudinal axis;a linear transmission extending within said tube with a first end connected to said lever and a second end connected to said mounting joint, wherein said lever forces said linear transmission to move along said longitudinal axis from a first position corresponding with said resting position of said lever to a second position corresponding with said actuated position of said lever, wherein said mounting joint is in said first orientation when said linear transmission is in said first position and wherein said mounting joint is forced to said second orientation when said linear transmission is moved to said second position; anda means for connecting said mounting joint to the basket with a temporary connection, wherein said connecting means is comprised of a tab, wherein said tab laterally projects from said distal arm of said mounting joint into a plane perpendicular to said axis of rotation, and wherein said tab is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said tube when said mounting joint is in said first orientation. 12. The cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein said pivot assembly is further comprised of a pivot pin rotatably connecting said mounting joint to said tube fitting around an axis of rotation of said pivot pin. 13. The cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein the basket is comprised of a grid and a rim, wherein said distal arm extends beyond said laterally projecting tab to a distal end hook, and wherein said hook connects to the basket through at least one of the grid and the rim. 14. The cleaning tool of claim 13, wherein the basket is further comprised of a basket fitting, wherein said basket fitting comprises an aperture extending through said basket fitting from a top side to a bottom side and a recess in said bottom side of said basket fitting, wherein said recess is adjacent to said aperture, wherein said aperture is comprised of a bore and at least one slot, wherein said distal arm and said tab respectively extend through said bore and said slot in an aligned orientation, and wherein said tab is rotated into said recess in a locked orientation. 15. The cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein said linear transmission is comprised of a rod. 16. A cleaning tool for a skimmer basket having a grid, a rim and a basket fitting, comprising: a handle comprising a grip and a lever, wherein said lever has a resting position and an actuated position;a tube connected to said handle at a proximal end and extending from said proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis;a pivot assembly comprising a tube fitting and a mounting joint, wherein said tube fitting is fixedly connected to said distal end of said tube, wherein said mounting joint is rotatably connected to said tube fitting and releasably connected to the basket through at least one of the basket fitting, the rim and the grid, wherein mounting joint has a first orientation aligned with said longitudinal axis and a second orientation rotated askew from said longitudinal axis; anda linear transmission extending within said tube with a first end connected to said lever and a second end connected to said mounting joint, wherein said lever translates said linear transmission within said tube along said longitudinal axis from a first position corresponding with said resting position of said lever to a second position corresponding with said actuated position of said lever, wherein said mounting joint is in said first orientation when said linear transmission is in said first position and wherein said mounting joint is forced to said second orientation when said linear transmission is moved to said second position. 17. The cleaning tool of claim 16, wherein said mounting joint is comprised of a shoulder section and a distal arm longitudinally extending from said shoulder section away from said tube fitting, wherein said distal arm has a laterally projecting tab, wherein the basket fitting comprises an aperture extending through the basket fitting from a top side to a bottom side and a recess in said bottom side of the basket fitting, wherein said recess is adjacent to said aperture, wherein said aperture is comprised of a bore and a pair of slots on opposite sides of said bore, wherein said distal arm and said laterally extending tab respectively extend through said bore and said slot in an aligned orientation, and wherein said laterally extending tab is rotated into said recess in a locked orientation. 18. The cleaning tool of claim 16, wherein said distal arm extends beyond said laterally projecting tab to a distal end hook, and wherein said hook releasably connects to the basket through at least one of the grid and the rim. 19. The cleaning tool of claim 16, wherein said linear transmission is comprised of a rod, a spring and a stop, wherein said spring surrounds said rod within said tube at said proximal end, wherein said stop is fixedly connected to said rod and holds said spring against a flange at said proximal end of said tube, and wherein said spring biases said lever to said resting position. 20. The cleaning tool of claim 16, wherein said pivot assembly is further comprised of a pivot pin rotatably connecting said mounting joint to said tube fitting around an axis of rotation of said pivot pin.