# US 10,501,955 B2 · Underwater station > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,955 B2 - Document ID: US10501955B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/870,956 - Filed: 2018-01-14 - Published: 2018-05-17 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-14 - Assignees: Maytronics Ltd. - Applicants: Maytronics Ltd. - Inventors: Shay Witelson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501955B2 ## CPC - E04H 4/1672: {Connections to the pool water circulation system} - A61L 2/10: Ultraviolet [UV] radiation - B25J 11/00: Manipulators not otherwise provided for - B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors} - B60L 50/52: characterised by DC-motors - C02F 1/001: {Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00)} - E04H 4/1654: {Self-propelled cleaners} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - H02K 7/1823: {structurally associated with turbines or similar engines} - B60L 2240/62: Vehicle position - B60L 2260/32: Auto pilot mode - C02F 2103/42: from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract An underwater station that may include a filter manipulator that is arranged to input, without human intervention, a filter into a pool cleaning robot that is located in a filter replacement position and to 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 the housing thereby allowing the filter to apply a filtering operation on fluid that passes through the fluid path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An underwater station, comprising: a filter manipulator that is arranged to input, without human intervention, a filter into a pool cleaning robot that is located in a filter replacement position and to position, without human intervention, 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The underwater station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator is arranged to position, without human intervention, the filter at the filtering position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The underwater station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator is arranged to receive multiple filters and to feed, without human intervention, at least two filters in the robot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The underwater 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The underwater 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The underwater 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The underwater station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator comprises a filter storage module that is arranged to store multiple filters and a movement mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The underwater station according to claim 7 wherein the movement mechanism is arranged to move, without human intervention, at least one of the filter storage module and the filter in order to input the filter into the pool cleaning robot. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The underwater station according to claim 7 wherein the movement mechanism is further arranged to input another filter of the multiple filters in the pool cleaning robot and to move, without human intervention, the filter within the housing thereby placing the other filter at the filtering position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The underwater station according to claim 1 wherein the filter manipulator is arranged to output, without human intervention, the filter from the robot. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The underwater station according to claim 1 further comprising a processing module for processing, without human intervention, used filters that were outputted from the pool cleaning robot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The underwater station according to claim 11 wherein the processing module is arranged to compress the used filters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The underwater station according to claim 12 wherein the processing module is arranged to shred the used filters. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The underwater station according to claim 12 wherein the processing module is arranged to sanitize the used filters. ### Claim 15 A method for autonomous underwater operation, the method comprises performing in an autonomous manner, without human intervention, by an underwater station, pool cleaning robot filter replacement. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15 comprising storing, at a filter storage module of the underwater station, multiple used filters after the used filters were outputted from the pool cleaning robot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15 further comprising processing, by a processing module of the underwater station and without human intervention, used filters that were outputted from the pool cleaning robot. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17 wherein the processing comprises compressing, without human intervention, the used filters. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17 wherein the processing comprises shredding, without human intervention, the used filters. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17 wherein the processing comprises sanitizing, without human intervention, the used filters.