A47L9/108

DUST CUP SHUTTER FOR ROBOTIC CLEANER
20200288930 · 2020-09-17 ·

A robotic cleaner may include a body, an agitator chamber within the body, an agitator disposed within the agitator chamber, a dust cup removably coupled to the body, the dust cup including a debris inlet, the debris inlet fluidly coupling the dust cup to the agitator chamber, and a shutter configured to transition between a cleaning position and an evacuation position in response to rotational movement of the agitator.

Dust collecting apparatus

A dust collecting apparatus includes a dust separation unit to separate dust from suctioned air; a dust storage unit to store the dust separated in the dust separation unit; a pressing member to compress the dust stored in the dust storage unit, and having a pressing plate support part, and a pressing plate supported by the pressing plate support part; a fixing member disposed between an inner circumferential surface of the dust storage unit and the pressing plate support part; and a path formed by a part of the fixing member, located between the pressing plate support part and the inner circumferential surface of the dust storage unit, and through which the air between the pressing plate and the fixing member passes, wherein one or more holes through which the air between the pressing plate and the fixing member passes are formed at the pressing plate.

DOCKING STATION FOR ROBOTIC CLEANER
20200214524 · 2020-07-09 ·

A docking station for a robotic vacuum cleaner may include a suction motor, a collection bin, and a filter system fluidly coupled to the suction motor. The suction motor may be configured to suction debris from a dust cup of the robotic vacuum cleaner. The filter system may include a filter medium to collect debris suctioned from the dust cup, a compactor configured to urge a first portion of the filter medium towards a second portion of the filter medium such that a closed bag can be formed, and a conveyor configured to urge the closed bag into the collection bin.

Vacuum cleaner

A vacuum cleaner that includes: a cleaner body; a wheel; a dust container; a cover member that is configured to (i) rotate, about an axis that is outside of a plane of the cover member, between a first position and a second position and (ii) cover, based on the cover member being located at the first position or the second position, the first opening of the cleaner body and a portion of the dust container; a cover member coupling portion that couples the cover member to the cleaner body and that is configured to rotate about the second axis with the cover member; a suction nozzle that is coupled to the dust container and that is configured to guide dust into the dust container; and a display that is coupled to the cover member and that is configured to display operating information of the vacuum cleaner is disclosed.

REMOVING DEBRIS FROM CLEANING ROBOTS

A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway.

REMOVING DEBRIS FROM CLEANING ROBOTS

A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway.

Coverage robots and associated cleaning bins

An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning assembly housing and at least one driven sweeper brush. The robot includes a controller and a removable sweeper bin configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper brush. The sweeper bin includes an emitter disposed on an interior surface of the bin and a receiver disposed remotely from the emitter on the interior surface of the bin and configured to receive an emitter signal. The emitter and the receiver are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the sweeper bin blocks the receiver from receiving emitter emissions. The robot includes a bin controller disposed in the sweeper bin and monitoring a detector signal and initiating a bin full routine upon determining a bin debris accumulation level requiring service.

DEBRIS COMPACTOR FOR A VACUUM CLEANER AND VACUUM CLEANER HAVING THE SAME
20200138258 · 2020-05-07 ·

A debris compactor may include an inlet configured to receive debris, an auger chamber having an auger extending therein, and a dust cup disposed at a distal end of the auger chamber. The auger may be configured to urge the debris into the dust cup.

ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANING APPARATUS

An electric vacuum cleaning apparatus includes a station and an electric vacuum cleaner connectable/disconnectable from the station. The electric vacuum cleaner includes: a coarse-dust collecting chamber that accumulates coarse dust separated with a first separator; a filter chamber that accumulates fine dust separated with a filter; a coarse-dust waste-outlet that discharges the coarse dust from the coarse-dust collecting chamber; a fine-dust waste-outlet adjacent to the coarse-dust waste-outlet and discharges the fine dust from the filter chamber; and a waste-outlet lid that opens/closes both the coarse-dust waste-outlet and fine-dust waste-outlet together. The station includes: a secondary dust container accumulating coarse dust to be discharged from a primary dust container through the coarse-dust waste-outlet port and fine dust to be discharged from the primary dust container through the fine-dust waste-outlet; and a secondary electromotive blower that applies negative pressure to the primary dust container to transfer the coarse and fine dust.

Docking station for robotic cleaner

A docking station for a robotic vacuum cleaner may include a suction motor, a collection bin, and a filter system fluidly coupled to the suction motor. The suction motor may be configured to suction debris from a dust cup of the robotic vacuum cleaner. The filter system may include a filter medium to collect debris suctioned from the dust cup, a compactor configured to urge a first portion of the filter medium towards a second portion of the filter medium such that a closed bag can be formed, and a conveyor configured to urge the closed bag into the collection bin.