# US 10,865,581 B2 · Autonomous cleaning systems principally for swimming pools > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,581 B2 - Document ID: US10865581B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/540,641 - Filed: 2019-08-14 - Published: 2020-02-20 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-14 - Assignees: Zodiac Pool Care Europe - Applicants: Zodiac Pool Care Europe - Inventors: Arnaud Lancry; Simon Duffaut; Remi Deloche; Louis Favie; Philippe Pichon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865581B2 ## CPC - E04H 4/1654: {Self-propelled cleaners} - B01D 29/27: Filter bags - B25J 11/0085: {Cleaning} - A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - 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}) - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) ## Abstract Swimming pool cleaners may operate autonomously within pools and spas. The cleaners need not include any external hoses or cords, and their bodies may be oriented at pool waterlines so as to make their on-board filters readily accessible for removal. The cleaners may dock at docking stations for various purposes, including (but not limited to) for charging any on-board battery and communicating electronically with the docking station or other external equipment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A swimming pool cleaning system comprising: a. a base configured for attachment to a swimming pool having a waterline; and b. a cleaner (i) comprising (A) a body lacking any external electrical cord, (B) motive means configured to cause the body to travel untethered within the swimming pool, and (C) a debris filter and (ii) configured to dock with the base so that (A) at least a portion of the debris filter extends above the waterline and (B) at least a portion of the body extends below the waterline. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 1 in which the debris filter comprises a handle extending above the waterline when the cleaner is docked with the base. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 1 in which the cleaner further comprises an on-board power supply. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 3 in which the cleaner also lacks any external fluid-conveying hose. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A swimming pool. cleaning system according to claim 3 in which the on-board power supply comprises a rechargeable battery. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 5 in which the base is configured to recharge the rechargeable battery when the cleaner is docked. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 1 in which the base comprises means for supplying a homing beacon and the cleaner further comprises a detector for detecting the homing beacon. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 1 in which the base is configured for attachment to at least one of a deck of the swimming pool, a skimmer of the swimming pool, or a wall of the swimming pool. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A swimming pool cleaning system. according to claim 8 in which the base is configured for removable attachment to at least one of the deck, the skimmer, or the wall. ### Claim 10 An auto swimming pool cleaner defining a front region, configured to dock with a base attached to a swimming pool and comprising: a. a body lacking any external electrical cord: b. an electric motor: c. motive means ,driven by the electric motor and (ii) configured cause the body to travel untethered within the swimming pool; and d. a filter (i) configured to be positioned at least partially in the body, (ii) comprising a handle located in the front region, and (iii) removable from the body by grasping and pulling the handle at least when the automatic swimming pool cleaner is docked with the base. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An automatic swimming pool cleaner according to claim 10, further comprising a source of electricity at least partially within the body for supplying electricity to the electric motor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An automatic swimming pool cleaner according to claim 11 in which the source of electricity is a rechargeable battery. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An automatic swimming pool cleaner according to claim 12 in which the motive means comprises a track. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) An automatic swimming pool cleaner according to claim 13 in which the track comprises protrusions configured to fit into notches of the base. ### Claim 15 A method of cleaning a swimming pool having a floor, a and a waterline, comprising: a. causing an automatic swimming pool cleaner to travel untethered along the floor while vacuuming debris into an on-board filter; and b. causing the automatic swimming pool cleaner to climb the wall and dock with a docking station in an orientation such that at least part of the on-board filter is above the waterline and at least part of a body of the automatic swimming pool cleaner is below the waterline. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method of cleaning a swimming pool according to claim 15 further comprising removing the on-board filter from the automatic swimming pool cleaner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method of cleaning a swimming pool according to claim 16 further comprising cleaning the filter and reinserting the filter into the automatic swimming pool cleaner. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method of cleaning a swimming pool according to claim 17 further comprising causing the automatic swimming pool cleaner to disengage from the docking station. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method of cleaning a swimming pool according to claim 18 in which (i) each of the automatic swimming pool cleaner and the docking station comprises a magnet and (ii) the act of causing the automatic swimming pool cleaner to disengage from the docking station comprises causing a change of polarity of either the magnet of the automatic swimming pool cleaner or the magnet of the docking station so as to repel the other magnet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A method of cleaning a swimming pool according to claim 15 in which each of the automatic swimming pool cleaner and the docking station comprises a magnet. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method of cleaning a swimming pool according to claim 20 in which the magnet of the automatic swimming pool cleaner engages the magnet of the docking station in an attractive manner to dock the automatic swimming pool cleaner with the docking station. ### Claim 22 A system for cleaning a swimming pool having a waterline, comprising: a. a trolley comprising a base; and b. a cleaner (i) comprising a body lacking any external electrical cord, motive means configured to cause the body to travel untethered within the swimming pool, and a debris filter and (ii) configured to dock with the base so that (A) at least a portion of the debris filter extends above the waterline and (B) at least a portion of the body extends below the waterline.