Autonomous pool cleaning robot with an external docking station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903130-B2
Application number	US-201514710615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2012
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

An external docking station may be provided and may include a filter manipulator that is arranged to (i) input a filter into a pool cleaning robot that exited a pool and is located in a filter replacement position and to (ii) assist in positioning the filter at a filtering position in which the filter is at least partially disposed within a fluid path formed between a first fluid opening and a second fluid opening of the housing thereby allowing the filter to apply a filtering operation on fluid that passes through the fluid path.

First claim

We claim:

1. An external docking station, comprising: a filter manipulator that is arranged to (i) input without human intervention, a filter into a pool cleaning robot that exited a pool and is located in a filter replacement position and to (ii) assist without human intervention, in positioning the filter at a filtering position in which the filter is at least partially disposed within a fluid path formed between a first fluid opening and a second fluid opening of a housing of the pool cleaning robot thereby allowing the filter to apply a filtering operation on fluid that passes through the fluid path.

2. The external docking station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that comprises a first portion that is arranged to store the filter before the filter is inputted to the pool cleaning robot and a second portion that is arranged to store a used filter after the the used filter was outputted from the pool cleaning robot; wherein when the pool cleaning robot is positioned at the filter replacement position then the pool cleaning robot is positioned between the first portion and the second portion.

3. The external docking station according to claim 1 further comprising a winding and unwinding mechanism that is arranged to wind and unwind an interfacing device that is interfaced by the pool cleaning robot during at least one process out of a pool exit process and a propagation process towards the external docking station.

4. The external docking station according to claim 3 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that comprises a first portion that is arranged to store the filter before the filter is inputted to the pool cleaning robot and a second portion that is arranged to store a used filter after the used filter was outputted from the pool cleaning robot; wherein there is a gap between the first portion and the second portion, wherein when the pool cleaning robot is positioned at the filter replacement position then the pool cleaning robot is positioned in the gap between the first portion and the second portion; wherein the winding and unwinding mechanism is configured to unwind the interface device thereby causing the interface device to propagate through the gap.

5. The external docking station according to claim 4 wherein the first portion is positioned within a first enclosure; wherein the second portion is positioned with a second enclosure.

6. The external docking station according to claim 1 comprising an electric cable winding and unwinding mechanism that is arranged to wind and unwind an electric cable that is configured to supply power to the pool cleaning robot.

7. The external docking station according to claim 6 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that comprises a first portion that is arranged to store the filter before the filter is inputted to the pool cleaning robot and a second portion that is arranged to store a used filter after the used filter was outputted from the pool cleaning robot; wherein the first portion is positioned within a first enclosure; wherein the second portion is positioned with a second enclosure; and wherein the electric cable winding and unwinding mechanism is positioned within the first enclosure or the second enclosure.

8. The external docking station according to claim 5 wherein the first enclosure comprises a first opening for outputting the filter into the pool cleaning robot; wherein the second enclosure comprises a second opening for receiving the used filter from the pool cleaning robot.

9. The external docking station according to claim 8 wherein the first opening and the second opening are positioned at a same relative location on the first and second enclosures respectively.

10. The external docking station according to claim 1 further comprising at least one power supply element for contacting at least one element of the pool cleaning robot and providing power to the at least one element of the pool cleaning robot.

11. The external docking station according to claim 10 wherein the at least one power supply element is positioned in a second housing; wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that comprises a first portion that is arranged to store the filter before the filter is inputted to the pool cleaning robot and a second portion that is arranged to store a used filter after the used filter was outputted from the pool cleaning robot.

12. The external docking station according to claim 11 wherein the first portion, the second portion and the second housing are positioned at three sides of the pool cleaning robot when the pool cleaning robot is positioned at the filter replacement position.

13. The external docking station according to claim 1 comprising at least one rotating element for interfacing between the external docking station and a surface on which the external surface propagates.

14. The external docking station according to claim 1 comprising a first contactless charging element that is arranged to (a) be fed by an electrical supply module and (b) generate an electromagnetic field during at least one period during which a second contactless charging element of a pool cleaning robot is within a charging range from the first contactless charging element, and wherein the electromagnetic field charges the second contactless charging element.

15. The external docking station according to claim 1 comprising at least one radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation.

16. The external docking station according to claim 1 comprising multiple spaced apart radiation sources for emitting electromagnetic radiation that assist in a navigation of the pool cleaning robot towards the external docking station.

17. The external docking station according to claim 1 comprising a washing module for washing the pool cleaning robot internal cavity.

18. The external docking station according to claim 1 comprising a fluid conduit that faces an opening of the pool cleaning robot and is configured to washing an interior of the pool cleaning robot.

19. The external docking station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator is arranged to position the filter at the filtering position.

20. The external docking station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator is arranged to receive multiple filters and to feed at least two filters in the robot.

21. The external docking station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that is arranged to store multiple used filters after the used filters were outputted from the pool cleaning robot.

22. The external docking station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that is arranged to store multiple filters before the multiple filters are inputted to the pool cleaning robot.

23. The external docking station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that is arranged to store multiple used filters after the used filters were outputted from the pool cleaning robot and is arranged to store multiple filters before the multiple filters are inputted to the pool cleaning robot.

24. The external docking station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a first portion for storing the filter and for feeding the filter to the pool cleaning robot and a second portion f

Assignees

• Maytronics Ltd

Inventors

• Witelson Shay
• Golan Oded
• Ben Dov Boaz
• Gilead Amir

Classifications

• E04H4/1672

  Connections to the pool water circulation system · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title

• B25J11/00

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title