Supply and/or disposal system for autonomous deep cleaner

• US 10,709,308 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Inventors: Buehler, Eric Daniel, Scholten, Jeffrey A., Brown, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Cahill, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afful, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US16/018,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20180368646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 4662
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/28 Floor-scrubbing machines, motor-driven A47L11/29 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/026 Refilling cleaning liquid containers

Abstract

A system for refilling, emptying and/or recharging of an autonomous floor cleaner includes a docking station adapted to be coupled with a household plumbing infrastructure. The docking station can be provided on a household appliance, which may be a toilet, a dishwasher, or another appliance coupled with the plumbing infrastructure.

Claims

1. A supply and disposal system, comprising:

a toilet forming a docking station for docking an autonomous floor cleaner, the docking station comprising;

a liquid supply system configured to fill a supply tank onboard the autonomous floor cleaner and comprising a supply conduit and a supply coupling configured to couple with a corresponding receiver coupling on the autonomous floor cleaner;

a disposal system configured to empty a recovery tank onboard the autonomous floor cleaner and comprising a waste receiver coupling configured to couple with a corresponding waste disposal coupling on the autonomous floor cleaner; and

a charging system configured to recharge the autonomous floor cleaner;

wherein the docking station is configured to be fluidly coupled to a plumbing infrastructure, and to fill the supply tank and to empty the recovery tank via the plumbing infrastructure.

2. The supply and disposal system of claim 1, wherein the supply conduit is in fluid communication with one of a toilet tank of the toilet or a water supply line of the toilet.

3. The supply and disposal system of claim 2, wherein the docking station further comprises an intermediate reservoir with a float-style shut-off valve, wherein the intermediate reservoir fluidly couples the supply conduit with the supply coupling.

4. The supply and disposal system of claim 1, wherein the toilet comprises a handle in communication with the docking station, wherein the docking station is configured to send a signal to the handle to flush the toilet.

5. The supply and disposal system of claim 1, wherein the toilet comprises a siphon and a drain, and wherein the disposal system comprises:

a disposal conduit plumbed to the toilet downstream from the siphon and upstream of the drain; and

a disposal pump mounted to the toilet and comprising;

an inlet side fluidly coupled to the waste receiver coupling; and

an outlet side fluidly coupled to the disposal conduit.

6. The supply and disposal system of claim 1, further comprising an autonomous floor cleaner comprising:

an autonomously moveable housing;

a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank and a receiver coupling in fluid communication with the supply tank; and

a fluid recovery system comprising a recovery tank and a waste disposal coupling in fluid communication with the recovery tank;

wherein the fluid delivery system and the fluid recovery system are carried on the autonomously moveable housing.

7. The supply and disposal system of claim 6, wherein the autonomous floor cleaner comprises a fill pump between the receiver coupling and the supply tank for drawing liquid into the supply tank via the receiver coupling.

8. A supply and disposal system, comprising:

a dishwasher forming a docking station for docking an autonomous floor cleaner, the docking station comprising;

a liquid supply system configured to fill a supply tank onboard the autonomous floor cleaner and comprising a supply conduit and a supply coupling configured to couple with a corresponding receiver coupling on the autonomous floor cleaner;

a disposal system configured to empty a recovery tank onboard the autonomous floor cleaner, the disposal system including a dishwasher pump and an evacuation conduit in fluid communication with the dishwasher pump and a waste receiver coupling configured to couple with a corresponding waste disposal coupling on the autonomous floor cleaner;

a diverter valve configured to divert a fluid pathway to the dishwasher pump between either of a sump of the dishwasher and the waste receiver coupling; and

a charging system configured to recharge the autonomous floor cleaner;

wherein the docking station is configured to be fluidly coupled to a plumbing infrastructure, and to fill the supply tank and to empty the recovery tank via the plumbing infrastructure.

9. A supply and disposal system, comprising:

an autonomous floor cleaner, comprising;

an autonomously moveable housing;

a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank and a receiver coupling in fluid communication with the supply tank;

a fluid recovery system comprising a recovery tank and a waste disposal coupling in fluid communication with the recovery tank wherein the fluid delivery and the fluid recovery systems are carried on the autonomously moveable housing; and

a fill pump between the receiver coupling and the supply tank for drawing liquid into the supply tank via the receiver coupling; and

a docking station for docking the autonomous floor cleaner wherein the docking station is configured to be fluidly coupled to a plumbing infrastructure, and to fill the supply tank and to empty the recovery tank via the plumbing infrastructure, the docking station comprising;

a liquid supply system configured to fill the supply tank onboard the autonomous floor cleaner and comprising a supply conduit and a supply coupling configured to couple with the receiver coupling on the autonomous floor cleaner;

a disposal system configured to empty the recovery tank onboard the autonomous floor cleaner and comprising a waste receiver coupling configured to couple with the waste disposal coupling on the autonomous floor cleaner; and

a charging system configured to recharge the autonomous floor cleaner;

further comprising.

10. The supply and disposal system of claim 9, wherein the docking station further comprises a shut-off valve for closing a fluid pathway through the supply conduit when the autonomous floor cleaner is not docked with the docking station, and wherein the shut-off valve is configured to automatically open when the autonomous floor cleaner docks with the docking station.

11. The supply and disposal system of claim 9, wherein the disposal system comprises a disposal conduit and a disposal pump having an outlet side coupled with the disposal conduit and an inlet side coupled with the waste receiver coupling.

12. The supply and disposal system of claim 9, wherein the docking station comprises a power cord, and the docking station is configured to be connected to a power supply by the power cord.

13. The supply and disposal system of claim 9, wherein the docking station comprises a converter for converting AC voltage into DC voltage.

14. The supply and disposal system of claim 9, further comprising a dishwasher, wherein the dishwasher comprises the docking station.

15. The supply and disposal system of claim 14, wherein the disposal system comprises a dishwasher pump and an evacuation conduit in fluid communication with the dishwasher pump and the waste receiver coupling.

16. The supply and disposal system of claim 15, further comprising a diverter valve configured to divert a fluid pathway to the dishwasher pump between either of a sump of the dishwasher and the waste receiver coupling.

17. The supply and disposal system of claim 9, further comprising an appliance, wherein the docking station is provided at a front side of the appliance.

18. The supply and disposal system of claim 17, wherein the appliance comprises a door and the docking station is provided below the door.

19. The supply and disposal system of claim 17, wherein the appliance comprises one of a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a humidifier, or a clothes dryer.

20. The supply and disposal system of claim 17, further comprising an autonomous floor cleaner comprising an autonomously moveable housing and a trim piece on the autonomously moveable housing that matches the portion of the appliance surrounding the docking station for an integrated appearance.