ROBOT CLEANER, DUST DISCHARGE STATION, AND MULTI-STAGE VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20130031744A1
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tetsu Ota
• Original Assignee: Tetsu Ota
• Inventors: Ota, Tetsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,192,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/348
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/14 Bags or the like; Rigid filtering receptacles; Attachment of, or closures for, bags or receptacles

Abstract

An objective of the invention is to eliminate the need of a frequent dust waste by the user and to provide efficient device for wasting the dust that has been collected in the robot cleaner. The invention provides a robot cleaner capable of discharging dust out to a dust discharge station, wherein the robot cleaner is capable of moving autonomously to collect dust, the robot cleaner comprising: a dust container for storing dust; a dust inlet for collecting dust into the dust container; and an opening and closing mechanism of the dust container, provided at a bottom surface of the robot cleaner, for discharging dust collected in the dust container.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner capable of discharging dust out to a dust discharge station, wherein the robot cleaner is capable of moving autonomously to collect dust, the robot cleaner comprising:

a dust container for storing dust;

a dust inlet for collecting dust into the dust container; and

an opening and closing mechanism of the dust container, provided at a bottom surface of the robot cleaner, for discharging dust collected in the dust container.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner moves to a dust discharge position in the dust discharge station autonomously.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner has a dust discharge enhancing mechanism for enhancing the discharge of dust.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust discharge enhancing mechanism is a blower for blowing dust in the dust container and discharging the blown dust into the robot cleaner station.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust discharge enhancing mechanism is a shake mechanism for shaking dust in the dust container and discharging the shaken dust into the dust discharge station.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust discharge enhancing mechanism is an agitator comprised of a flexible string for removing dust from the dust container of the robot cleaner.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the opening and closing mechanism includes:

a cover plate for covering an opening of the dust container; and

a closing bar for pushing the cover plate and closing the cover plate.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing mechanism includes:

a cover plate for covering an opening of the dust container; and

rail guides that engage with the cover plate for guiding the cover plate upon opening and closing of the cover plate.

9. A dust discharge station capable of collecting dust from a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a vacuum cleaner pedestal for providing a pedestal for the vacuum cleaner and locating the vacuum cleaner at a dust discharge position;

a dust receiver provided at the vacuum cleaner pedestal and adapted to receive dust from the vacuum cleaner at the dust discharge position; and

a container holder located beneath the dust receiver, for holding a station dust container; and

wherein

the dust discharge station receives dust collected by the vacuum cleaner from the vacuum cleaner as a result of at least a gravity force and stores into the station dust container by providing a path of dust by the dust receiver and the station dust container.

10. The dust discharge station according to claim 9, further comprising

an opening and closing mechanism for preventing dust in the station dust container to go outside the dust discharge station.

11. The dust discharge station according to claim 9, wherein

the dust discharge is done automatically without an instruction of the user.

12. The dust discharge station according to claim 9, wherein the dust discharge station has a dust discharge enhancing mechanism for enhancing the discharge of dust.

13. The dust discharge station according to claim 10, wherein

the opening and closing mechanism includes:

a cover plate for covering the path of dust in the dust discharge station; and

a closing bar for pushing the cover plate and closing the cover plate.

14. The dust discharge station according to claim 10, wherein

the opening and closing mechanism includes:

a cover plate for covering the path of dust in the dust discharge station; and

rail guides that engage with the cover plate for guiding the cover plate upon opening and closing of the cover plate.

15. A multi-stage cyclone cleaner comprising:

a first cyclone having a floor air inlet and an outlet at center of the first cyclone, for separating dust;

a plurality of second cyclones for separating relatively smaller dust than the first cyclone, wherein each of the second cyclones is smaller than the first cyclone, and air from the outlet of the first cyclone is supplied into inlets of the second cyclones; and

a dust discharge enhancing mechanism for enhancing a removal of dust inside the dust container, selected from a group consisting of a blower, a shake mechanism, and an agitator.