Autonomous pool cleaning robot

• US 9,920,545 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytronics Ltd (Kibbutz Yizreel)
• Original Assignee: Maytronics Ltd (Kibbutz Yizreel)
• Inventors: Witelson, Shay, Ben Dov, Boaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/501,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20150101135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 15 17, 180 932, 180901, 238 14
• 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 9/18 Liquid filters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/47 Climbing vehicles, e.g. facade climbing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/0655 Articulated endless track vehicles steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00; articulated buses B62D47/025; tractor-trailer combinations or road trains comprising a uni-axle unit and a uni-axle trailer B62D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/084 Endless-track units or carriages mounted separably, adjustably or extensibly on vehicles, e.g. portable track units B62D55/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/265 having magnetic or pneumatic adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/00 Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures characterised by control systems B66B1/00; apparatus for raising or lowering persons on stages of theatres A63J5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 23/48 Manually-movable jib cranes for use in workshops
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/14 Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 : characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 : for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A pool cleaning robot for cleaning a pool, comprising: a housing; and a drive system that is arranged to move the pool cleaning robot in relation to an environment of the pool cleaning robot; wherein the environment comprises the pool and an exterior surface; wherein the drive system comprises: a drive motor system; a group of interfacing modules; a transmission system that is arranged to couple the drive motor system to the group of interfacing modules; and an interface manipulator; wherein interfacing modules of the group are arranged to interface between the pool cleaning robot and the environment; wherein the interface manipulator is arranged to change a spatial relationship between (a) the housing and (b) a selected interfacing module of the group, during an exit process during which the pool cleaning robot exits the pool.

Claims

1. A pool cleaning robot for cleaning a pool, comprising:

a filtering path for filtering a fluid of the pool, a housing, and a drive system that is arranged to move the pool cleaning robot in relation to an environment of the pool cleaning robot;

wherein the environment comprises the pool and an exterior surface;

wherein the drive system comprises;

a drive motor system, a group of interfacing modules, a transmission system that is arranged to couple the drive motor system to the group of interfacing modules, and an interface manipulator;

wherein interfacing modules of the group are arranged to interface between the pool cleaning robot and the environment;

wherein the interface manipulator is arranged to change a spatial relationship between (a) the housing and (b) a selected interfacing module of the group that is a track, during an exit process during which the pool cleaning robot is configured to climb a pool sidewall interface, and exit the pool.

2. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the drive system comprises a main portion that comprises an engine and an auxiliary portion that comprises another engine;

wherein the main portion is arranged to move the pool cleaning robot in relation to a surface of the pool;

wherein the auxiliary portion is arranged to move the pool cleaning robot during the exit process.

3. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the interface manipulator is arranged to change the spatial relationship by rotating the selected interfacing module in relation to the housing.

4. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 wherein the interface manipulator is arranged to rotate the selected interfacing module about an axis.

5. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the interface manipulator is arranged to change the spatial relationship thereby inducing the pool cleaning robot to move along the exterior surface.

6. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein at least one interfacing module of the group comprises attachment elements that are arranged to be attached to a pool sidewall interface on which the pool cleaning robot climbs during the exit process.

7. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 further comprising a fastening element for fastening the pool cleaning robot to an elevating unit that is arranged to elevate the pool cleaning robot outside the pool.

8. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the pool cleaning robot is arranged to enter the pool without interfacing with the pool sidewall interface.

9. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the pool cleaning robot is arranged to enter the pool by climbing down the pool sidewall interface.

10. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the group of interfacing modules comprises a left front track, a right front track, a right rear track and a left rear track, wherein a distance between the left rear track and the housing is smaller than a distance between the left front track and the housing.

11. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the group of interfacing modules comprises a left front track, a right front track, a right rear track and a left rear track;

wherein the interface manipulator is configured to move the group of interfacing modules between a folded position and an un-folded position;

wherein when in folded position the rear right track is positioned between the housing and the front right track.

12. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the group of interfacing modules comprises a left front track, a right front track, a right rear track and a left rear track, wherein the interface manipulator is configured to rotate the left front track and the right front track between (a) a folded position in which the left front track and the right front track are lower than a top of the housing to (a) another position in which a top of the left front track and a top of the right front track are higher than the top of the housing.

13. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein at least one interfacing module of the group is a track that comprises external protuberances that are oriented in relation to the track.

14. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1, comprising a controller that is configured to control the interface manipulator to change the spatial relationship between (a) the housing and (b) the selected interfacing module of the group, during the exit process.

15. A pool cleaning robot for cleaning a pool, comprising:

a filtering path for filtering a fluid of the pool, a housing, and a drive system that is arranged to move the pool cleaning robot in relation to an environment of the pool cleaning robot;

wherein the environment comprises the pool and an exterior surface;

wherein the drive system comprises;

a drive motor system, a group of interfacing modules, a transmission system that is arranged to couple the drive motor system to the group of interfacing modules, and an interface manipulator;

wherein interfacing modules of the group are arranged to interface between the pool cleaning robot and the environment;

wherein the interface manipulator is arranged to change a spatial relationship between (a) the housing and (b) a selected interfacing module of the group, during an exit process during which the pool cleaning robot is configured to climb a pool sidewall interface, and exit the pool;

wherein the group of interfacing modules comprises a first sub-group of tracks and a second sub-group of tracks and wherein the interface manipulator is arranged to change a spatial relationship between the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks during the exit process.

16. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 wherein the interface manipulator is configured to position the first sub-group of tracks at a position in which the first sub-groups of tracks are vertical to a bottom of the housing when the pool cleaning robot climbs the pool sidewall interface and to position the first sub-groups of tracks in another position in which the first sub-groups of tracks are parallel to the bottom of the housing before the pool cleaning robot finishes to climb the pool sidewall interface.

17. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 wherein the interface manipulator is configured to position the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks to be oriented in relation to a pool sidewall interface and to the external surface before the pool cleaning robot finishes to climb the pool sidewall interface.

18. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 wherein the interface manipulator is configured to position at least one out of the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks in a folded position when the pool cleaning robot cleans a surface of the pool;

and to position one or more of the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks in an unfolded position during at least one part of the exit process.

19. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 wherein the interface manipulator is configured to position both the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks in a folded position when the pool cleaning robot cleans a surface of the pool;

and to position both the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks in an unfolded position during at least one part of the exit process.

20. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 wherein at least a part of the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks does not contact a bottom of the pool when the pool cleaning robot cleans the bottom of the pool.

21. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 wherein the interface manipulator is configured to move each one of the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks between a folded position and an un-folded position;

wherein each track of the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks is shorter than the housing; and

wherein (a) an overlap between the housing and a certain track when positioned in the folded position exceeds (b) an overlap between the housing and the certain track when positioned in the non-folded position.

22. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 15 wherein the interface manipulator is configured to move each one of the first sub-group of tracks and the second sub-group of tracks between a folded position and an un-folded position;

wherein each track of the first sub-group of tracks is positioned between the housing and a track of the second sub-group of tracks.