Battery charger for mobile robotic vacuum cleaner

• US 8,680,816 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Egenpower Inc.
• Original Assignee: Egenpower Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Steve T
• Application Number:
  US12/982,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20120086389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/114, 320/115, 320/137, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.2, 901/24, 901/35, 901/47, 901/1, 73/18.2, 737/03, 702/39, 702/159, 702/171
• US Class Current: 320/137
• 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 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• 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: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0203 Cleaning or polishing vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery charger having a charging side at the body thereof for receiving and charging a mobile robotic vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The charging side has a groove, a sound wave transmitter mounted in the groove and a baffle mounted in the groove in front side of the sound wave transmitter for reflecting the sound wave transmitted by the ultrasonic transmitter toward two opposite lateral sides of the charging side along the groove to form two opposing sound wave beams to form two opposing sound wave beams for receiving by a sound wave receiver of the mobile robotic vacuum cleaner for determination of the steering direction. Subject to the guide of the sound wave beams, the mobile robotic vacuum cleaner is accurately guided to the battery charger and will not pass over or impact the battery charger.

Claims

1. A battery charger for use with a mobile robotic vacuum cleaner, said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner comprising at least one ultrasonic sound wave receiver and a plurality of electrodes, said battery charger comprising:

a battery charger body, said battery charger body comprising a charging side for receiving said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner and a plurality of electrically conductive members located on said charging side for the contact of the electrodes of said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner for enabling said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner to be electrically charged by said battery charger body, said charging side comprising a groove, a sound wave transmitter mounted in said groove and adapted for transmitting a sound wave and a baffle mounted in said groove in a front side relative to said sound wave transmitter and adapted for reflecting the sound wave transmitted by said ultrasonic transmitter toward two opposite lateral sides of said charging side along said groove to form two opposing sound wave beams for receiving by said sound wave receiver of said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner for determination of the steering direction.

2. The battery charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sound wave transmitter is mounted in a mid point in said groove;

said groove has a width gradually increasing from said mid point toward two distal ends thereof.

3. The battery charger as claimed in claim 2, wherein said groove is made relatively deeper in direction from said mid point toward the two distal ends thereof.

4. The battery charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery charger body further comprises a signal transmitter mounted in said charging side and adapted for transmitting a signal;

said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner further comprises a signal receiver adapted for receiving the signal transmitted by said signal transmitter of said battery charger body for controlling said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner to move toward said charging side of said battery charger body.

5. The battery charger as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery charger body further comprises two sub charging units disposed at two opposite lateral sides of said charging side for charging at least one virtual wall generator, each said virtual wall generator comprising a sound wave transmitter adapted for transmitting a sound wave;

said sound wave receiver of said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner is capable of receiving the sound wave transmitted by the sound wave transmitter of each said virtual wall generator for controlling the steering direction of said mobile robotic vacuum cleaner.