Pool cleaning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11505960-B2
Application number	US-202117301892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2021
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A method for charging a pool cleaning robot, the method may include positioning a first wireless charging element of a pool cleaning robot within a charging range of a second wireless charging element of a floating unit; wherein the floating unit is electrically and mechanically coupled to an external power source, wherein the positioning comprises moving at least one of the pool cleaning robot and the floating unit; and wirelessly charging, by the second wireless charging element, the first wireless charging element, wherein the charging occurs while maintaining the first wireless charging element within the charging range of the floating unit, despite movements of the floating unit.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for charging a pool cleaning robot, the method comprises:
moving the pool cleaning robot without colliding with a floating unit in a manner that diverts the floating unit from a current location of the floating unit;
positioning a first wireless charging element of a pool cleaning robot within a charging range of a second wireless charging element of the floating unit; wherein the floating unit is electrically and mechanically coupled to an external power source, wherein the positioning comprises moving at least one of the pool cleaning robot and the floating unit; and
wirelessly charging, by the second wireless charging element, the first wireless charging element; wherein the charging occurs while maintaining the first wireless charging element within the charging range of the floating unit, despite movements of the floating unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising delaying the charging of the pool cleaning robot by the floating unit when determining, by the pool cleaning robot, that the chances of successfully powering the pool cleaning robot are below a threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising determining at least one of a duration of charging and a frequency of charging of the pool cleaning robot based on at least one of movements of the floating unit and turbulence.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising determining at least one of a duration of charging and a frequency of charging of the pool cleaning robot based on a movement parameter determined by the floating unit.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising travelling on a floor of a pool or on a pool wall, by the pool cleaning robot, until the pool cleaning robot is vertically underneath the floating unit; and moving the pool cleaning robot vertically to attach the pool cleaning robot to the floating unit to a position in which the first wireless charging element is within a charging range of a second wireless charging element of a floating unit.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising moving the pool cleaning robot by maintaining a horizontal position of the pool cleaning robot to the water surface or to the bottom of the pool.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising determining at least one of a duration of charging and a frequency of charging of the pool cleaning robot based on a movement parameter determined by the floating unit.

8. A pool cleaning system, comprising:
a floating unit and a pool cleaning robot;
wherein at least one of the floating unit and the pool cleaning robot is configured to move to a position in which a first wireless charging element of the pool cleaning robot is within a charging range of a second wireless charging element of the floating unit;
wherein the pool cleaning system is configured to move without colliding with the floating unit in a manner that diverts the floating unit from a current location of the floating unit;
wherein the floating unit is electrically and mechanically coupled to an external power source; and
wherein the second wireless charging element is configured to charge the first wireless charging element, wherein the charging occurs while maintaining the first wireless charging element within the charging range of the floating unit, despite movements of the floating unit.

9. The pool cleaning system according to claim 8 wherein the pool cleaning system is configured to delay a charging of the pool cleaning robot by the floating unit when determining, by the pool cleaning robot, that the chances of successfully powering the pool cleaning robot are below a threshold.

10. The pool cleaning system according to claim 8 wherein the pool cleaning system is configured to reduce a battery power consumption of the pool cleaning robot when determining that a chances of successfully charging the pool cleaning robot are below a threshold.

11. The pool cleaning system according to claim 8 wherein the pool cleaning system is configured to determine at least one of a duration of charging and a frequency of charging of the pool cleaning robot based on at least one of movements of the floating unit and turbulence.

12. The pool cleaning system according to claim 8 wherein the pool cleaning system is configured to determine at least one of a duration of charging and a frequency of charging of the pool cleaning robot based on a movement parameter determined by the floating unit.

13. The pool cleaning system according to claim 8 wherein the pool cleaning system is configured to travel on a floor of a pool or on a pool wall, by the pool cleaning robot, until the pool cleaning robot is vertically underneath the floating unit; and move vertically to attach the pool cleaning robot to the floating unit to a position in which the first wireless charging element is within a charging range of a second wireless charging element of a floating unit.

14. The pool cleaning system according to claim 8 wherein the pool cleaning system is configured to move by maintaining a horizontal position of the pool cleaning robot to the water surface or to the bottom of the pool.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that once executed by a pool cleaning system, causes the pool cleaning system to:
move the pool cleaning robot without colliding with a floating unit in a manner that diverts the floating unit from a current location of the floating unit;
position a first wireless charging element of the pool cleaning robot within a charging range of a second wireless charging element of the floating unit;
wherein the floating unit is electrically and mechanically coupled to an external power source, wherein the positioning comprises moving at least one of the pool cleaning robot and the floating unit; and wirelessly being charged, by the second wireless charging element via the first wireless charging element; wherein the charging occurs while maintaining the first wireless charging element within the charging range of the floating unit, despite movements of the floating unit.

Assignees

• Maytronics Ltd

Inventors

• Witelson Shay
• Hadari Yair

Classifications

• B60L53/12

  Inductive energy transfer · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• E04H4/1672 Primary

  Connections to the pool water circulation system · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title