Pool cleaning robot with a detachable sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11111687-B2
Application number	US-202016747576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A pool cleaning robot that may include a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections.

First claim

I claim:

1. A pool cleaning robot comprising a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing by a locking and unlocking mechanism.

2. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a camera.

3. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing in a magnetic manner.

4. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing in an electrostatic manner.

5. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is an optical sensor that comprises:
at least one light source that illuminates an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle;
a detector able to generate, based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; and
a processor arranged to receive the detection signals and to determine a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot.

6. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is an acoustic sensor.

7. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a motion sensor.

8. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a laser wall recognition device.

9. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is a heading direction measurement sensor.

10. The pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 wherein the detachable sensor is an impact sensor.

11. A pool cleaning robot according to claim 1 whereby a detachable sensor comprises a detachable module.

12. A method for cleaning a pool, the method comprises receiving by a pool cleaning robot a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; and cleaning at least one region of the pool by the pool cleaning robot; and wherein the detachable sensor is detacheably coupled to the housing in a magnetic manner.

13. The method according to claim 12 comprising illuminating by at least one light source of the detachable sensor an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle; generating, by a detector of the detachable sensor based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; receiving by a processor of the detachable sensor the detection signals; and determining by the processor, a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot.

14. A pool cleaning robot comprising a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; wherein the detachable sensor is selected out of (a) an acoustic sensor, (b) a motion sensor, (c) a heading direction measurement sensor, and (d) an optical sensor that comprises: at least one light source that illuminates an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle; a detector able to generate, based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; and a processor arranged to receive the detection signals and to determine a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot.

15. A pool cleaning robot comprising a housing, a propulsion mechanism configured to propel the pool cleaning robot along an interior surface of a pool; brushes to clean surfaces of the pool during a cleaning cycle, a filtering system, a suction mechanism to draw liquid from the pool through an inlet into the housing and to discharge it from an outlet; and a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; wherein the detachable sensor comprises a detachable module.

16. A method for cleaning a pool, the method comprises receiving by a pool cleaning robot a detachable sensor that is detachably coupled to the housing and comprises inductive electrical and data transfer connections; and cleaning at least one region of the pool by the pool cleaning robot;
wherein the method further comprises illuminating by at least one light source of the detachable sensor an area of a surface of the pool being cleaned by the cleaning robot through optical lens at a non-vertical angle; generating, by a detector of the detachable sensor based upon light from the area of the surface of the pool, detection signals indicative of a motion of the pool cleaning robot; receiving by a processor of the detachable sensor the detection signals; and determining by the processor, a motion characteristic or a location characteristic of the pool cleaning robot.

Assignees

• Maytronics Ltd

Inventors

• Witelson Shay

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title

• B25J3/00

  Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements · CPC title

• B25J11/0085

  Cleaning · CPC title

• G05D2201/0203

  Physics · mapped topic