IP Library Granted Patent US 11,497,363
Granted Patent B2
US 11,497,363 · App. 16/517,473 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

Robotic cleaner debris removal docking station

Inventors: Aaron Gill (Needham, MA); David Harting (Mansfield, MA); Hamish Thompson (Needham, MA); Christopher Meyer-Rassow (London, GB); Catriona C. A. Sutter (Brookline, MA); Isaku D. Kamada (Brighton, MA); Kai Xu (Suzhou, CN); Devin Feng (Suzhou, CN); Jason B. Thorne (Dover, MA); Rahat Kahn (Needham, MA); Margaret Mathieu (East Greenwich, RI)
Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
A47L9/0054A47L9/0063A47L9/102A47L9/1409A47L9/1436A47L9/1463A47L9/1683A47L9/2805A47L11/4025A47L2201/024A47L2201/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,497,363
App. No.
16/517,473
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A robotic cleaning system may include a robotic cleaner having a robotic cleaner dust cup and a docking station having a docking station dust cup configured to fluidly couple to the robotic cleaner dust cup. The docking station dust cup may include a first debris collection chamber, a second debris collection chamber fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber, and a filter fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber and the second debris collection chamber.

Claims (36)

1. A robotic cleaning system comprising:

a robotic cleaner having a robotic cleaner dust cup; and

a docking station having a docking station dust cup configured to fluidly couple to the robotic cleaner dust cup, the docking station dust cup including:

a first debris collection chamber;

a second debris collection chamber fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber;

an up-duct extending within the first debris collection chamber, the up-duct including a flow director configured to change a flow direction of air exiting the up-duct;

a plenum fluidly coupling the first debris collection chamber to the second debris collection chamber, at least a portion of a top surface of the flow director forms at least a portion of a bottom surface of the plenum; and

a filter fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber and the second debris collection chamber.

2. The robotic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station dust cup includes a cyclonic separator having a debris outlet, the debris outlet being configured such that debris separated from air flowing through the cyclonic separator is deposited in the second debris collection chamber.

3. The robotic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plenum includes at least a portion of the filter.

4. The robotic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station dust cup includes an openable door, the up-duct extending between the openable door and the plenum.

5. The robotic cleaning system of claim 4 , wherein the up-duct includes an up-duct air outlet that is spaced apart from the openable door and the flow director extends from the up-duct air outlet, the flow director being configured to urge at least a portion of air flowing from the up-duct air outlet in a direction away from the plenum.

6. The robotic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the filter is a vertical cyclonic separator.

7. A docking station for a robotic cleaner having a robotic cleaner dust cup comprising:

a base; and

a docking station dust cup removably coupled to the base and configured to be fluidly coupled to the robotic cleaner dust cup, the docking station dust cup including:

a first debris collection chamber;

a second debris collection chamber fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber;

an up-duct extending within the first debris collection chamber, the up-duct including a flow director configured to change a flow direction of air exiting the up-duct;

a plenum fluidly coupling the first debris collection chamber to the second debris collection chamber, at least a portion of a top surface of the flow director forms at least a portion of a bottom surface of the plenum; and

a filter fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber and the second debris collection chamber.

8. The docking station of claim 7 , wherein the docking station dust cup includes a cyclonic separator having a debris outlet, the debris outlet being configured such that debris separated from air flowing through the cyclonic separator is deposited in the second debris collection chamber.

9. The docking station of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the plenum includes at least a portion of the filter.

10. The docking station of claim 7 , wherein the filter is a vertical cyclonic separator.

11. The docking station of claim 7 , wherein the docking station dust cup includes an openable door, the up-duct extending between the openable door and the plenum.

12. The docking station of claim 11 , wherein the up-duct includes an up-duct air outlet that is spaced apart from the openable door and the flow director extends from the up-duct air outlet, the flow director being configured to urge at least a portion of air flowing from the up-duct air outlet in a direction away from the plenum.

13. A dust cup for a robotic cleaner docking station comprising:

a first debris collection chamber;

a second debris collection chamber fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber;

an up-duct extending within the first debris collection chamber, the up-duct including a flow director configured to change a flow direction of air exiting the up-duct;

a plenum fluidly coupling the first debris collection chamber to the second debris collection chamber, at least a portion of a top surface of the flow director forms at least a portion of a bottom surface of the plenum; and

a filter fluidly coupled to the first debris collection chamber and the second debris collection chamber.

14. The dust cup of claim 13 further comprising a cyclonic separator having a debris outlet, the debris outlet being configured such that debris separated from air flowing through the cyclonic separator is deposited in the second debris collection chamber.

15. The dust cup of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the plenum includes at least a portion of the filter.

16. The dust cup of claim 13 , further comprising an openable door, the up-duct extending between the openable door and the plenum.

17. The dust cup of claim 16 , wherein the up-duct includes an up-duct air outlet that is spaced apart from the openable door and the flow director extends from the up-duct air outlet, the flow director being configured to urge at least a portion of air flowing from the up-duct air outlet in a direction away from the plenum.

Assignments (2)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 20, 2023
From: SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 064600/0098 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2020
From: GILL, AARON; HARTING, DAVID; THOMPSON, HAMISH; MEYER-RASSOW, CHRISTOPHER J.; SUTTER, CATRIONA C.A.; KAMADA, ISAKU D.; XU, KAI; FENG, DEVIN; THORNE, JASON B.; KAHN, RAHAT; MATHIEU, MARGARET
To: SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC
Reel/Frame 054201/0718 →
Continuity (6)
Provisional Application 62700973 · Jul 20, 2018
Provisional Application 62727747 · Sep 6, 2018
Provisional Application 62732274 · Sep 17, 2018
Provisional Application 62748797 · Oct 22, 2018
Provisional Application 62782545 · Dec 20, 2018
Related Publication 20200022553A1 · Jan 23, 2020