Submerged robot with learning capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138646-B2
Application number	US-201213731118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2012
Priority date	Jun 12, 2008
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A suction-powered pool cleaning robot that may include a fluid outlet, adapted for connection to a suction hose; a fluid inlet, with a fluid path between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a turbine at least partially disposed within the fluid path so as to extract energy from flow of fluid through the fluid path; an electrical generator for providing power thereto and adapted to be driven by the turbine; a sensor arranged to generate rotation information indicative of a speed of rotation of the turbine; and an electronic controller that is arranged to control an operation of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot in response to at least the rotation information.

First claim

We claim:

1. A suction-powered pool cleaning robot comprising: a fluid outlet, adapted for connection to a suction hose; a fluid inlet, with a fluid path between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a turbine at least partially disposed within the fluid path so as to extract energy from flow of fluid through the fluid path; an electrical generator for providing power thereto and adapted to be driven by the turbine; a sensor arranged to generate rotation information indicative of a speed of rotation of the turbine; and an electronic controller that is arranged to control an operation of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot in response to at least the rotation information; wherein the electronic controller is arranged to trigger a rotation of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot if the rotation information indicates that the suction-powered pool cleaning robot attempts to climb a wall of the pool.

2. The suction-powered pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is arranged to trigger the rotation of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot by triggering a movement of a flexible axle that selects which gear out of a pair of gears will drive a driving wheel of the suction-powered pool cleaning, wherein the pair of gears rotate at opposite directions.

3. A suction-powered pool cleaning robot comprising: a fluid outlet, adapted for connection to a suction hose; a fluid inlet, with a fluid path between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a turbine at least partially disposed within the fluid path so as to extract energy from flow of fluid through the fluid path; an electrical generator for providing power thereto and adapted to be driven by the turbine; a sensor arranged to generate rotation information indicative of a speed of rotation of the turbine;
an electronic controller that is arranged to control an operation of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot in response to at least the rotation information; and a suction sensor that is arranged to generate suction information indicative of suction applied via the suction hose;
wherein the electrical controller is arranged to update an expected inter-wall propagation rotational value in response to the suction information.

4. The suction-powered pool cleaning robot according to claim 3 , wherein the electrical controller is arranged to update the expected inter-wall propagation rotational value in response an expected decline of the suction resulting from clogging of a filter of a device that applies the suction.

5. A suction-powered pool cleaning robot comprising: a fluid outlet, adapted for connection to a suction hose; a fluid inlet, with a fluid path between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a turbine at least partially disposed within the fluid path so as to extract energy from flow of fluid through the fluid path; an electrical generator for providing power thereto and adapted to be driven by the turbine; a sensor arranged to generate rotation information indicative of a speed of rotation of the turbine;
an electronic controller that is arranged to control an operation of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot in response to at least the rotation information; and a suction sensor that is arranged to generate suction information indicative of suction applied via the suction hose;
wherein the electrical controller is arranged to compare the suction information and the rotation information and evaluate a status of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot suction-powered pool cleaning robot based upon a result of the comparison.

6. A suction-powered pool cleaning robot comprising: a fluid outlet, adapted for connection to a suction hose; a fluid inlet, with a fluid path between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a turbine at least partially disposed within the fluid path so as to extract energy from flow of fluid through the fluid path; an electrical generator for providing power thereto and adapted to be driven by the turbine; a sensor arranged to generate rotation information indicative of a speed of rotation of the turbine; an electronic controller that is arranged to control an operation of the suction-powered pool cleaning robot in response to at least the rotation information; and a flexible axle that is movable between different first and second positions such as to cause the suction-powered pool cleaning robot to change a direction of propagation.

7. The suction-powered pool cleaning robot according to claim 6 , comprising a hydraulic circuit that selectively provides suction, wherein a provision of suction causes the flexible axle to move to a first position and wherein a lack of provision of the suction to a diaphragm allows the flexible axle to move to the second position.

8. The suction-powered pool cleaning robot according to claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic circuit is arranged to receive suction applied via the fluid outlet.

Assignees

• Garti Efraim
• Cohen Itamar
• Eisner Oz
• Maytronics Ltd

Inventors

• Garti Efraim
• Cohen Itamar
• Eisner Oz

Classifications

• H02K5/12

  specially adapted for operating in liquid or gas (combined with cooling arrangements H02K9/00) · CPC title

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title

• H02K7/11

  with dynamo-electric clutches · CPC title

• H02K5/132

  Submersible electric motors (H02K5/128 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K11/38

  Control circuits or drive circuits associated with geared commutator motors of the worm-and-wheel type · CPC title