Dust container

• US 10,231,591 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Original Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Inventors: Wennerstrom, Magnus, Andersson, Bankt
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David
• Application Number:
  US15/102,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20170020355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 15347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683

Abstract

A dust container for an autonomous cleaner. The dust container includes: a container wall enclosing a dust chamber; a first side; a second side; an inlet opening to the dust chamber for dust particles and air arranged in the first side of the container; an outlet opening from the dust chamber for air arranged in the second side of the dust container; and a filter arranged in the dust container such that the flow of air through the dust container pass through the filter. Also provided is an autonomous cleaner having the dust container.

Claims

1. A dust container for an autonomous cleaner, the dust container comprising:

a container wall enclosing a dust chamber;

a first side;

a second side;

an inlet opening to the dust chamber for dust particles and air arranged in the first side of the dust container;

an outlet opening from the dust chamber for air arranged in the second side of the dust container;

a filter arranged in the dust container such that the flow of air through the dust container extends through the filter the first side and the second side of the dust container are connected by side surfaces extending between the first side and the second side to enclose the dust chamber, and the dust container is divided into an upper section and a lower section to be openable; and

the filter is arranged in the upper section of the dust container between the outlet opening and an edge of the upper section that is facing an upper edge of the lower section.

2. The dust container according to claim 1, wherein the upper section forms a container lid.

3. The dust container according to claim 1, wherein the first side of the dust container and the second side of the dust container are arranged opposite to each other such that the flow of air extends in a substantially straight direction through the dust container from the inlet opening in the first side to the outlet opening in the second side of the dust container.

4. The dust container according to claim 2, wherein the inlet opening is arranged in the lower section of the dust container, and the outlet opening is arranged in the upper section of the dust container.

5. The dust container according to claim 1, wherein the inlet opening extends across substantially the entire first side of the dust container forming an elongated inlet opening.

6. The dust container according to claim 1, wherein the upper section and the lower section are movably connected to each other and movable between a closed position and an open position, and the dust container comprises releasable securing device configured to selectively hold the upper section and the lower section in the closed position.

7. The dust container according to claim 1, wherein the filter is arranged within a frame and covers the entire cross-section of the dust chamber between the inlet opening and the outlet opening.

8. The dust container according to claim 1, wherein the filter is fitted in the upper section of the dust container by at least one hinge and is movable between a position secured in the upper section, and an open position where the space inside the filter adjacent to the outlet opening is accessible.

9. The dust container according to claim 8, wherein the filter is removably fitted within the upper section of the dust container in order to make it possible to change the filter.

10. The dust container according to claim 1, further comprising a securing features for securing the dust container in the autonomous cleaner fitted in the container wall on the outside surface of the container wall.

11. The dust container according to claim 1, wherein the container wall comprises a top surface arranged on the upper section and intended to constitute an outside upper surface of the cleaner housing when correctly fitted in the autonomous cleaner.

12. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body with a forward end and an aft end;

a rotating brush roll arranged in the forward end of the cleaner body;

a fan arranged in the aft end of the cleaner body; and

a dust container comprising;

a container wall enclosing a dust chamber,

a first side intended to be arranged in the forward end of the cleaner body,

a second side intended to be arranged in the aft end of the cleaner body,

an inlet opening to the dust chamber for dust particles and air arranged in the first side of the dust container,

an outlet opening from the dust chamber for air arranged in the second side of the dust container, and

a filter;

wherein the dust container is arranged between the brush roll and the fan with the inlet opening facing the brush roll and the outlet opening facing the fan such that a flow of air generated by the fan, together with collected particles and dust, enters the dust container via the inlet opening where the particles and dust are collected before the air continues through the filter and exits the dust container via the outlet opening.

13. The autonomous cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the first side and the second side of the dust container are arranged opposite to each other such that the flow of air extends in a substantially straight direction through the dust container from the inlet opening in the first side to the outlet opening in the second side of the dust container substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the autonomous cleaner.

14. The autonomous cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the dust container is divided into an upper section and a lower section to be openable, and the inlet opening is arranged in the lower section adjacent to the brush roll and the outlet opening is arranged in the upper section of the dust container such that the air flow from the inlet opening extend slightly upwards through the filter and exists the dust container via the outlet opening.

15. The autonomous cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the inlet opening is elongated and extending across substantially the entire first side of the dust container, and the inlet opening is arranged adjacent and parallel to the brush roll in the forward end of the cleaner.

16. The autonomous cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the dust container comprises securing features for securing the dust container in the autonomous cleaner, the securing features are fitted in the container wall on the outside surface of the wall arranged to fit in corresponding features in the cleaner housing.

17. The autonomous cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the cleaner body is enclosed by a cleaner housing and the dust container wall comprises a top surface intended to constitute an outside upper surface of the cleaner housing when the dust container is correctly fitted in the cleaner body.

18. The autonomous cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the top surface of the dust container constitutes a central area of the outside upper surface of the cleaner housing.