US 11,889,962 B2
Robotic vacuum cleaner and docking station for a robotic vacuum cleaner
Wayne Ernest Conrad, Hampton (CA)
Assigned to Omachron Intellectual Property Inc., Hampton (CA)
Filed by Omachron Intellectual Property Inc., Hampton (CA)
Filed on Jul. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/926,279.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/013,781, filed on Apr. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0330155 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. A47L 11/40 (2006.01); A47L 9/10 (2006.01); A47L 9/28 (2006.01); B01D 46/00 (2022.01); A47L 9/14 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 11/4025 (2013.01) [A47L 9/102 (2013.01); A47L 9/106 (2013.01); A47L 9/149 (2013.01); A47L 9/2873 (2013.01); A47L 11/4011 (2013.01); A47L 11/4027 (2013.01); A47L 11/4091 (2013.01); A47L 11/4097 (2013.01); B01D 46/0032 (2013.01); B01D 46/0043 (2013.01); A47L 2201/024 (2013.01); B01D 2273/30 (2013.01); B01D 2279/55 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising a docking station and an autonomous surface cleaning apparatus, the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
(a) a primary air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;
(b) a primary suction motor positioned in the primary air flow path;
(c) an air treatment unit positioned in the primary air flow path wherein, when the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus is positioned on a floor, the air treatment unit has an upper side, a lower side, a first end having a first side positioned between the upper and lower sides and a second end having a second side positioned between the upper and lower sides, the second side is spaced apart from the first side in a first direction;
(d) a mechanical transfer member moveable in the first direction from a first position to a second position, wherein as the mechanical transfer member moves from the first position to the second position, the mechanical transfer member directly engages the dirt and moves dirt collected in the air treatment unit through at least a portion of the air treatment unit and into an enclosed region of the docking station after the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus has automatically docked to the docking station; and
(e) an automatic electrical activation mechanism which comprises a control unit that is operatively connected to an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the mechanical transfer member whereby, upon the control unit receiving an actuation signal, the electric motor is energized and moves the mechanical transfer member from the first position to the second position,
wherein the actuation signal is issued when the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus docks at the docking station.