ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20170150861A1
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Published: 06/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: TANAKA, Masatoshi, MACHIDA, Yukio, MORISHITA, Atsushi, OHTSUKA, Yuji, ICHIKAWA, Hiromitsu, MURATA, Hiromitsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,907,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• 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 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• 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: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners

Abstract

An electric vacuum cleaner in which a dust container inside an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit can be fluidically connected to a station using propulsive force of the cleaning unit moving to a dust discharge position. The cleaning unit includes a body case, and a primary dust container including: a container body accumulating dust collected by the cleaning unit; a disposal port discharging dust from inside the container body; and a disposal lid opening and closing the disposal port. The station includes a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port of the primary dust container; a lever hooked by the disposal lid while the cleaning unit is homing, opening the disposal lid and connecting the disposal port and the dust transfer pipe; and a secondary dust container in which dust discharged from the primary dust container through the dust transfer pipe is accumulated.

Claims

1. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising:

an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit autonomously moving on a surface to be cleaned and collecting dust on the surface; and

a station including a charging electrode to charge the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit, wherein

the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit includes;

a body case; and

a primary dust container including a container body provided in the body case and accumulating the dust collected by the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit, a disposal port through which the dust in the container body is discharged, and a disposal lid for opening and closing the disposal port; and

the station includes;

a dust transfer pipe connected to the disposal port of the primary dust container;

a lever hooked by the disposal lid while the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit returns to the station, and opening the disposal lid so as to fluidically connecting the disposal port and the dust transfer pipe to each other; and

a secondary dust container accumulating the dust discharged from the primary dust container through the dust transfer pipe.

2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the disposal lid and the lever swing around a rotation center line crossing a direction toward a home position of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

a rotation center of the lever is supported movably in the direction toward the home position of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

the disposal lid includes a lever receiver in which the lever is hooked;

and

a rotation center of the disposal lid is arranged further than the lever receiver in the direction toward the home position of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

5. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

the rotation center of the lever is arranged on an edge portion where the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit first reaches in an opening edge portion of the dust transfer pipe in the direction toward the home position.

6. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

the disposal lid has an inclined surface guiding the dust from the container body to the dust transfer pipe when being opened by the lever.

7. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the primary dust container is detachably attached to the body case.

8. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the disposal lid is exposed to an appearance of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

9. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the home position is a position where the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit is connected to the charging electrode.

10. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein

the disposal lid includes a lever receiver in which the lever is hooked;

and

a rotation center of the disposal lid is arranged further than the lever receiver in the direction toward the home position of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

11. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein

the rotation center of the lever is arranged on an edge portion where the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit first reaches in an opening edge portion of the dust transfer pipe in the direction toward the home position.

12. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein

the rotation center of the lever is arranged on an edge portion where the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit first reaches in an opening edge portion of the dust transfer pipe in the direction toward the home position.

13. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein

the rotation center of the lever is arranged on an edge portion where the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit first reaches in an opening edge portion of the dust transfer pipe in the direction toward the home position.

14. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

the disposal lid has an inclined surface guiding the dust from the container body to the dust transfer pipe when being opened by the lever.

15. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein

the disposal lid has an inclined surface guiding the dust from the container body to the dust transfer pipe when being opened by the lever.

16. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein

the primary dust container is detachably attached to the body case.

17. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

the disposal lid is exposed to an appearance of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

18. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

the disposal lid is exposed to an appearance of the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit.

19. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

the home position is a position where the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit is connected to the charging electrode.

20. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein

the home position is a position where the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaning unit is connected to the charging electrode.