Station for self-propelled robot

• US 20050212478A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/087,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20050212478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1481 Means for removing bags in suction cleaners, e.g. ejecting means; Means for exchanging bags
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

A control unit of a station concentrically rotates a plurality of unit replacing units by a motor on a first horizontal plane parallel to a floor bearing the station when arrival of the self-propelled cleaner is detected. The control unit activates, as a unit for removing an old battery unit from the self-propelled cleaner, the unit replacing unit included among the plurality of unit replacing units and opposed to the self-propelled cleaner located on the station. After the old battery unit is removed from the self-propelled cleaner, the control unit activates the motor. By the rotation of this motor, another unit replacing unit opposed to the self-propelled cleaner is activated as a unit for attaching a new battery unit to the self-propelled cleaner instead of the unit replacing unit previously activated as the removing unit.

Claims

1. A station for a self-propelled robot including a moving unit for movement, wherein

said self-propelled robot further includes a removable battery unit for supplying an electric power to various portions in said self-propelled robot, and

said station comprises an arrival detecting unit detecting arrival of said self-propelled robot at said station, and

battery replacing means for replacing said battery unit of said self-propelled robot with a charged battery unit prepared in advanced when said arrival detecting unit detects arrival of the self-propelled robot.

2. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 1, wherein

said battery replacing means has a battery removing unit for removing said battery unit from said self-propelled robot located on said station,

a battery attaching unit attaching said charged battery unit to said self-propelled robot after said battery unit was removed, and

a battery replacement control unit selectively activating said battery removing unit and said battery attaching unit.

3. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 2, wherein

said battery replacing means further has:

a battery mount unit holding said battery unit, and

a charging unit charging said battery unit held by said battery mount unit; and

said battery mount unit holds said battery unit removed from said self-propelled robot by said battery removing unit, and

said battery attaching unit attaches said battery unit charged by said charging unit when being held by said battery mount unit to said self-propelled robot.

4. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 3, further comprising:

a battery replacing rotary unit rotating to rotate concentrically said plurality of battery replacing means on a first horizontal plane parallel to a floor surface bearing said station, wherein

said battery replacement control unit includes;

battery removal activating means for activating, as said battery removing unit, said battery replacing means included among said plurality of battery replacing means and opposed to the self-propelled robot located on said station when said self-propelled robot arrives at said station, and

battery attachment activating means for activating said battery attaching unit of said battery replacing means located in a position opposed to said self-propelled robot by rotation by said battery replacing rotary unit after said battery removal activating means activates said battery replacing means opposed to said self-propelled robot.

5. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 4, wherein

said self-propelled robot further includes:

a cleaning unit having a dust collecting function, and a removable dust storage unit storing the dust collected by said cleaning unit; and

said station further comprises dust storage unit replacing means for replacing said dust storage unit of said self-propelled robot located on said station with a cleaned dust storage unit prepared in advance.

6. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 5, wherein

said dust storage unit replacing means has:

a dust storage unit removing unit removing said dust storage unit from said self-propelled robot located on said station,

a dust storage unit attaching unit attaching said cleaned dust storage unit to said self-propelled robot after said dust storage unit was removed, and

a dust storage unit replacement control unit selectively activating said dust storage unit removing unit and said dust storage unit attaching unit.

7. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 6, wherein

said dust storage unit replacing means further has:

a dust storage unit mount unit holding said dust storage unit, and

a cleaning unit cleaning said dust storage unit held by said dust storage unit mount unit; and

said battery mount unit holds the battery unit removed from the self-propelled robot by the battery mount unit, and

said dust storage unit attaching unit attaches said dust storage unit previously held by said dust storage unit mount unit and already cleaned by said cleaning unit to said self-propelled robot.

8. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 7, further comprising:

a dust storage unit replacing rotary unit rotating to rotate concentrically said plurality of dust storage unit replacing means on a second horizontal plane parallel to a floor surface bearing said station, wherein

said dust storage unit replacement control unit includes;

dust storage unit removal activating means for activating, as said dust storage unit removing unit, said dust storage unit replacing means included among said plurality of dust storage unit replacing means and opposed to said self-propelled robot located on said station, and

dust storage unit attachment activating means for activating said dust storage unit attaching unit of said dust storage unit replacing means located in the position opposed to said self-propelled robot by rotation of said dust storage unit replacing rotary unit after said dust storage unit removal activating means activates said dust storage unit replacing means.

9. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 8, wherein

said first and second horizontal planes are different from each other.

10. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 9, wherein

the replacement of the battery unit by said battery replacing means is performed in parallel with the replacement of the dust storage unit by said dust storage unit replacing means.

11. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 8, wherein

said first horizontal plane is the same as said second horizontal plane.

12. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 11, wherein

the replacement of the battery unit by said battery replacing means is performed in parallel with the replacement of the dust storage unit by said dust storage unit replacing means.

13. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery replacing rotary unit rotating to rotate concentrically the plurality of battery replacing means on a first horizontal plane parallel to a floor surface bearing said station, wherein

said battery replacement control unit includes;

battery removal activating means for activating, as said battery removing unit, said battery replacing means included among said plurality of battery replacing means and opposed to said self-propelled robot located on said station when said self-propelled robot arrives at said station, and

battery attachment activating means for activating said battery attaching unit of said battery replacing means located in the position opposed to said self-propelled robot by rotation of said battery replacing rotary unit after said battery removal activating means activates said battery replacing means opposed to said self-propelled robot.

14. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 1, wherein

said self-propelled robot further includes:

a cleaning unit having a dust collecting function, and

a removable dust storage unit storing the dust collected by said cleaning unit; and

said station further comprises dust storage unit replacing means for replacing said dust storage unit of said self-propelled robot located on said station with a cleaned dust storage unit prepared in advance.

15. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 14, wherein

the replacement of the battery unit by said battery replacing means is performed in parallel with the replacement of the dust storage unit by said dust storage unit replacing means.

16. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 14, wherein

said dust storage unit replacing means has:

a dust storage unit removing unit removing said dust storage unit from said self-propelled robot located on said station,

a dust storage unit attaching unit attaching said cleaned dust storage unit to said self-propelled robot after said dust storage unit was removed, and

a dust storage unit replacement control unit selectively activating said dust storage unit removing unit and said dust storage unit attaching unit.

17. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 16, wherein

said dust storage unit replacing means further has:

a dust storage unit mount unit holding said dust storage unit, and

a cleaning unit cleaning said dust storage unit held by said dust storage unit mount unit; and

said battery mount unit holds the battery unit removed from the self-propelled robot by the battery mount unit, and

said dust storage unit attaching unit attaches said dust storage unit previously held by said dust storage unit mount unit and already cleaned by said cleaning unit to said self-propelled robot.

18. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 17, further comprising:

a dust storage unit replacing rotary unit rotating to rotate concentrically said plurality of dust storage unit replacing means on a second horizontal plane parallel to a floor surface bearing said station, wherein

said dust storage unit replacement control unit includes;

dust storage unit removal activating means for activating, as said dust storage unit removing unit, said dust storage unit replacing means included among said plurality of dust storage unit replacing means and opposed to said self-propelled robot located on said station, and

dust storage unit attachment activating means for activating said dust storage unit attaching unit of said dust storage unit replacing means located in the position opposed to said self-propelled robot by rotation of said dust storage unit replacing rotary unit after said dust storage unit removal activating means activates said dust storage unit replacing means.

19. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 18, wherein

said first and second horizontal planes are different from each other.

20. The station for the self-propelled robot according to claim 18, wherein

said first horizontal plane is the same as said second horizontal plane.