Docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12419479-B2
Application number	US-202218077300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2022
Priority date	Dec 17, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner performs maintenance on the autonomous floor cleaner, including removing a mopping implement from the autonomous floor cleaner and/or installing a mopping implement on the autonomous floor cleaner. The docking station can further perform other maintenance services on the autonomous floor cleaner. An autonomous floor cleaning system including an autonomous floor cleaner and a docking station is also disclosed. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on an autonomous floor cleaner by a docking station are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous floor cleaning system comprising:
an autonomous floor cleaner comprising:
an autonomously moveable housing;
a drive system including at least one drive system motor operable to move the autonomously moveable housing about a floor surface; and
a cleaning pad on an underside of the autonomously moveable housing; and

a docking station comprising:
a base; and
a platform configured to underlie the cleaning pad in a docked position of the autonomous floor cleaner at the docking station, the platform moveable upwardly in a direction away from the base and downwardly in a direction toward the base, wherein the platform comprises a lowered position for the autonomous floor cleaner to dock at the docking station and a raised position to engage the cleaning pad of the autonomous floor cleaner.

2. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station comprises a controller configured to execute instructions to raise the platform away from the base after the autonomous floor cleaner is docked at the docking station.

3. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous floor cleaner comprises a pad driver supporting the cleaning pad, wherein the pad driver and the cleaning pad form a pad unit that is removeable from the housing at the docking station.

4. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 3 , wherein the autonomous floor cleaner comprises a pad motor and a drive coupling configured to transmit rotational force provided by the pad motor to a drive shaft, wherein the pad driver comprises a magnetic coupling with the drive shaft to retain the pad unit.

5. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station comprises:
a platform movement mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base;
a platform motor operably coupled with the platform movement mechanism to provide driving input to raise and lower the platform; and
wherein the platform movement mechanism comprises one of:
a four-bar linkage to raise and lower the platform relative to the base;
a cam-based lift mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base; and
a rack-and-pinion lift mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base.

6. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 5 , wherein the docking station comprises:
a platform lifter comprising a horizontally-translating ramp to raise and lower the platform relative to the base; and
the platform motor is operably coupled with the platform lifter via the platform movement mechanism to provide driving input to raise and lower the platform.

7. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein:
the autonomous floor cleaner comprises:
a supply tank configured to hold cleaning fluid;
a tank refill port; and
a push rod configured to apply a force to release the cleaning pad from the housing; and

the docking station comprises:
a refilling port configured to couple with the tank refill port; and
a push rod actuator configured to engage the push rod to release the cleaning pad from the housing; and
a downcomer assembly carrying the refilling port and the push rod actuator, the downcomer assembly configured to move downwardly to establish a fluid connection between the refilling port and the tank refill port and engage the push rod actuator with the push rod.

8. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the platform comprises scrubbers configured to engage the cleaning pad when the autonomous floor cleaner is docked at the docking station and the platform is raised.

9. The autonomous floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous floor cleaner is a wet cleaning robot and the cleaning pad comprises a mopping pad, and wherein the autonomous floor cleaner comprises a controller configured to execute instructions to clean the mopping pad when the docking station is docked at the docking station and the platform is raised away from the base.

10. A docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner, the docking station comprising:
a housing comprising a base;
at least one charging contact; and
a platform moveable upwardly in a direction away from the base and downwardly in a direction toward the base, wherein the platform comprises a lowered position for the autonomous floor cleaner to dock at the docking station and a raised position to engage a cleaning pad on the autonomous floor cleaner.

11. The docking station of claim 10 , comprising a controller configured to execute instructions to raise the platform away from the base after the autonomous floor cleaner is docked at the docking station.

12. The docking station of claim 10 , comprising:
a platform movement mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base;
a platform motor operably coupled with the platform movement mechanism to provide driving input to raise and lower the platform; and
wherein the platform movement mechanism comprises one of:
a four-bar linkage to raise and lower the platform relative to the base;
a cam-based lift mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base; and
a rack-and-pinion lift mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base.

13. The docking station of claim 12 , comprising:
a platform lifter comprising a horizontally-translating ramp to raise and lower the platform relative to the base; and
the platform motor is operably coupled with the platform lifter via the platform movement mechanism to provide driving input to raise and lower the platform.

14. The docking station of claim 10 , comprising:
a refilling port configured to couple with the autonomous floor cleaner;
a push rod actuator configured to engage a push rod on the autonomous floor cleaner to release the cleaning pad from the autonomous floor cleaner; and
a downcomer assembly carrying the refilling port and the push rod actuator, the downcomer assembly configured to move downwardly to establish a fluid connection between the refilling port and the autonomous floor cleaner and engage the push rod actuator with the push rod on the autonomous floor cleaner.

15. The docking station of claim 6 , wherein the platform movement mechanism comprises a rack-and-pinion lift mechanism including a pinion gear that meshes with a rack gear coupled to the platform lifter.

16. The docking station of claim 1 , comprising:
a platform movement mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base;
a platform lifter coupled with the platform; and
a platform motor operably coupled with the platform lifter via the platform movement mechanism to provide driving input to raise and lower the platform.

17. The docking station of claim 16 , wherein the platform movement mechanism comprises a rack-and-pinion lift mechanism including a pinion gear that meshes with a rack gear coupled to the platform lifter.

18. The docking station of claim 13 , wherein the platform movement mechanism comprises a rack-and-pinion lift mechanism including a pinion gear that meshes with a rack gear coupled to the platform lifter.

19. The docking station of claim 10 , comprising:
a platform movement mechanism to raise and lower the platform relative to the base;
a platform lifter coupled with the platform; and
a platform motor operably coupled with the platform lifter via the platform movement mechanism to provide driving input to raise and lower the platform.

20. The docking station of claim 19 , wherein the platform movement mecha

Assignees

• Bissell Inc

Inventors

• Vantongeren Todd R
• Nguyen Justin

Classifications

• A47L2201/028

  Refurbishing floor engaging tools, e.g. cleaning of beating brushes · CPC title

• A47L2201/026

  Refilling cleaning liquid containers · CPC title

• A47L2201/022

  Recharging of batteries · CPC title

• A47L2201/00

  Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation · CPC title

• A47L2201/02

  Docking stations; Docking operations · CPC title