Evacuation Station

• US 20160183752A1
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Morin, Russell Walter, Bursal, Faruk Halil, Boeschenstein, Harold
• Granted Patent: US 9,931,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0085 adapted for special purposes not related to cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/14 Bags or the like; Rigid filtering receptacles; Attachment of, or closures for, bags or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1436 Connecting plates, e.g. collars, end closures
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1472 combined with security means, e.g. for preventing use, e.g. in case of absence of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• 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 9/2815 : using optical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 : Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 : Suction motors or blowers
• 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

Abstract

An evacuation station includes a base and a canister removably attached to the base. The base includes a ramp having an inclined surface for receiving a robotic cleaner having a debris bin. The ramp defines an evacuation intake opening arranged to pneumatically interface with the debris bin. The base also includes a first conduit portion pneumatically connected to the evacuation intake opening, an air mover having an inlet and an exhaust, and a particle filter pneumatically the exhaust of the air mover. The canister includes a second conduit portion arranged to pneumatically interface with the first conduit portion to form a pneumatic debris intake conduit, an exhaust conduit arranged to pneumatically connect to the inlet of the air mover when the canister is attached to the base, and a separator in pneumatic communication with the second conduit portion.

Claims

1. An evacuation station comprising:

a base comprising;

a ramp having a receiving surface for receiving and supporting a robotic cleaner having a debris bin, the ramp defining an evacuation intake opening arranged to pneumatically interface with the debris bin of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is received on the receiving surface in a docked position;

a first conduit portion of a pneumatic debris intake conduit pneumatically connected to the evacuation intake opening;

an air mover having an inlet and an exhaust, the air mover moving air received from the inlet out the exhaust; and

a particle filter pneumatically connected to the exhaust of the air mover; and

a canister removably attached to the base, the canister comprising;

a second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit arranged to pneumatically interface with the first conduit portion to form the pneumatic debris intake conduit when the canister is attached to the base;

a separator in pneumatic communication with the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit, the separator separating debris out of a received flow of air;

an exhaust conduit in pneumatic communication with the separator and arranged to pneumatically connect to the inlet of the air mover when the canister is attached to the base; and

a collection bin in pneumatic communication with the separator.

2. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the separator defines at least one collision wall and channels arranged to direct the flow of air from the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit toward the at least one collision wall to separate debris out of the flow of air.

3. The evacuation station of claim 2, wherein the at least one collision wall defines a separator bin having a substantially cylindrical shape.

4. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the separator comprises an annular filter wall defining an open center region, the annular filter wall arranged to receive the flow of air from the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit to remove debris out of the flow of air.

5. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the separator comprises another particle filter filtering larger particles than the other particle filter.

6. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the separator comprises a filter bag arranged to receive the flow of air from the second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit to remove debris out of the flow of air.

7. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the collection bin comprises a debris ejection door movable between a closed position for collecting debris in the collection bin and an open position for ejecting collected debris from the collection bin.

8. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the canister and the base have a trapezoidal shaped cross section.

9. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the canister and the base define a height of the evacuation station, the canister defining greater than half of the height of the evacuation station.

10. The evacuation station of claim 9, wherein the canister defines at least two-thirds of the height of the evacuation station.

11. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the ramp further comprises a seal pneumatically sealing the evacuation intake opening and a collection opening of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is in the docked position.

12. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the ramp further comprises:

one or more charging contacts disposed on the receiving surface and arranged to interface with one or more corresponding electrical contacts of the robotic cleaner when received in the docked position; and

one or more alignment features disposed on the receiving surface and arranged to orient the received robotic cleaner so that the evacuation intake opening pneumatically interfaces with the debris bin of the robotic cleaner and the one or more charging contacts electrically connect to the electrical contacts of the robotic cleaner when received in the docked position.

13. The evacuation station of claim 12, wherein the one or more alignment features comprise:

wheel ramps accepting wheels of the robotic cleaner while the robotic cleaner is moving to the docked position; and

wheel cradles supporting the wheels of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is in the docked position.

14. The evacuation station of claim 12, further comprising a controller in communication with the air mover and the one or more charging contacts, the controller activating the air mover to move air when the controller receives an indication of electrical connection between the one or more charging contacts and the one or more corresponding electrical contacts.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a first indication of whether a robotic cleaner is received on a receiving surface of an evacuation station in a docked position;

receiving, at the computing device, a second indication of whether a canister of the evacuation station is connected to a base of the evacuation station;

when the first indication indicates that robotic cleaner is received on the receiving surface of the evacuation station in the docked position and the second indication indicates that the canister is connected to the base;

actuating a flow control valve, using the computing device, to move to a first position that pneumatically connects an exhaust conduit of the canister or base to an inlet of an air mover of the canister or base; and

activating, using the computing device, the air mover to draw air into an evacuation intake opening defined by the evacuation station pneumatically interfacing with a debris bin of the robotic cleaner to draw debris from the debris bin of the docked robotic cleaner into the canister; and

when the first indication indicates that robotic cleaner is not received on the receiving surface of the evacuation station in the docked position or the second indication indicates that the canister is disconnected from the base;

actuating the flow control valve, using the computing device, to move to a second position that pneumatically connects an environmental air inlet of the air mover to a particle filter; and

activating, using the computing device, the air mover to draw air into the environmental air inlet and move the drawn air through the particle filter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the first indication comprises receiving an electrical signal from one or more charging contacts disposed on the receiving surface and arranged to interface with one or more corresponding electrical contacts of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is received in the docked position.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the second indication comprises receiving a signal from a connection sensor sensing connection of the canister to the base.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the connection sensor comprises an optical-interrupt sensor, a contact sensor, and/or a switch.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the base comprises:

a first conduit portion of a pneumatic debris intake conduit pneumatically connected to the evacuation intake opening;

the air mover having an inlet and an exhaust, the inlet pneumatically connected to the flow control valve, the air mover moving air received from the inlet or the flow control valve out the exhaust; and

the particle filter pneumatically connected to the exhaust.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the canister comprises:

a second conduit portion of the pneumatic debris intake conduit arranged to pneumatically interface with the first conduit portion to form the pneumatic debris intake conduit when the canister is attached to the base;

a separator in pneumatic communication with the second conduit portion, the separator separating debris out of a received flow of air;

the exhaust in pneumatic communication with the separator and arranged to pneumatically connect to the inlet of the air mover when the canister is attached to the base and when the flow control valve is in the first position; and

a collection bin in pneumatic communication with the separator.

21. A method comprising:

receiving a robotic cleaner on a receiving surface, the receiving surface defining an evacuation intake opening arranged to pneumatically interface with a debris bin of the robotic cleaner when the robotic cleaner is received in a docked position;

drawing a flow of air from the debris bin through a pneumatic debris intake conduit using an air mover;

directing the flow air to a separator in communication with the pneumatic debris intake conduit, the separator defining at least one collision wall and channels arranged to direct the flow of air from the pneumatic debris intake conduit toward the at least one collision wall to separate debris out of the flow of air; and

collecting the debris separated by the separator in a collection bin in communication with the separator.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a first indication of whether the robotic cleaner is received on the receiving surface in the docked position;

receiving a second indication of whether the canister is connected to the base; and

when the first indication indicates that the robotic cleaner is received on the receiving surface in the docked position and the second indication indicates that the canister is connected to the base, drawing the flow of air from the debris bin and directing the flow air to the separator.