Evacuation station system

• US 9,888,818 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Kuhe, Tucker, Smith, Jennifer, Duffley, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/634,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20150223651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 15319, 15339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers

Abstract

A cleaning system includes a robotic cleaner and an evacuation station. The robotic cleaner can dock with the evacuation station to have debris evacuated by the evacuation station. The robotic cleaner includes a bin to store debris, and the bin includes a port door through which the debris can be evacuated into the evacuation station. The evacuation station includes a vacuum motor to evacuate the bin of the robotic cleaner.

Claims

1. A cleaning system comprising:

a portable vacuum comprising a vacuum motor and an evacuation port, the portable vacuum being configured to attach to a standard vacuum attachment;

a robotic cleaner comprising;

a wheeled chassis,

a debris bin, and

an evacuation port assembly for evacuating debris from the debris bin, the evacuation port assembly disposed on a bottom of the chassis; and

an evacuation station including a vacuum interface configured to mate with the evacuation port of the portable vacuum.

2. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum interface comprises an evacuation connector formed of compliant material.

3. The cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the vacuum interface is generally rectangular and defines a hole through which air and debris can flow between the robotic cleaner and the evacuation station.

4. The cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the evacuation connector is configured to move with at least one degree of freedom.

5. The cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the evacuation connector is curved and configured to mate with a spherical shell of the robotic cleaner.

6. The cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the evacuation connector comprises a poker configured to engage a port door of the evacuation port assembly.

7. The cleaning system of claim 6, wherein:

the poker includes a reed switch coupled to a controller of the portable vacuum, and

the port door includes a magnet.

8. The cleaning system of claim 6, wherein the port door is configured to form a seal that is substantially air tight when not in contact with the poker.

9. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the debris bin includes a microprocessor and a serial connection to the robotic cleaner.

10. The cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the debris bin comprises a navigational sensor coupled to the microprocessor, and the microprocessor is configured to communicate a navigation signal from the navigation sensor to the robotic cleaner using the serial connection.

11. The cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is configured to communicate a bin full signal to the robotic cleaner using the serial connection.

12. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the robotic cleaner comprises:

an omnidirectional navigational sensor on a forward end opposite the debris bin, and

a bin sensor on the debris bin.

13. The cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the bin sensor is an omnidirectional sensor.

14. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the standard vacuum attachment comprises at least one of a conical apparatus, a brush, a tube, and a slotted channel.

15. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation station is configured to electrically charge the portable vacuum and to electrically charge the robotic cleaner.

16. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the portable vacuum is a handheld portable vacuum and is disconnectable from the evacuation station to enable air to be drawn into the portable vacuum through the standard vacuum attachment.

17. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the portable vacuum is configured to be pushed onto the evacuation station to mate the vacuum interface of the evacuation station with the evacuation port of the portable vacuum.

18. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation port of the portable vacuum includes a round tube having an airflow of at least 0.0188 cubic meters per second.

19. The cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical alignment structure for mating the portable vacuum with the evacuation station.

20. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum interface of the evacuation station is configured to mechanically align with the evacuation port of the portable vacuum and comprises electrical terminals to electrically connect the portable vacuum to the evacuation station.

21. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the portable vacuum is configured to provide airflow to remove debris from the debris bin of the robotic cleaner.

22. The cleaning system of claim 21, wherein the portable vacuum is configured to store the debris removed from the debris bin.

23. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the portable vacuum is configured to attach to the standard vacuum attachment when the portable vacuum is not mated with the evacuation station.

24. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation port assembly includes a movable port door configured to be substantially airtight when closed and configured to open during debris evacuation.

25. The cleaning system of claim 24, wherein the debris bin of the robotic cleaner includes a downwardly extending baffle behind the port door, the baffle being configured to direct evacuating suction from the vacuum motor of the portable vacuum downwardly to reach a bottom of the bin.

26. The cleaning system of claim 25, wherein the debris bin of the robotic cleaner includes a vertical side wall next to the baffle and the port door, and the baffle is configured to direct evacuating suction along the vertical side wall.

27. The cleaning system of claim 25, wherein the debris bin of the robotic cleaner includes a filter next to the baffle, the filter being configured to block debris from flowing into a vacuum fan of the robotic cleaner and to allow debris to accumulate at the bottom of the debris bin.

28. The cleaning system of claim 25, wherein:

the debris bin of the robotic cleaner includes a bevel on the bottom of the bin, and

the baffle is configured to direct the evacuating suction across the bevel to the bottom of the debris bin.

29. The cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the evacuation connector is configured to rotate about a pivot as the robotic cleaner docks with the evacuation station.