# US 11,299,899 B2 · Autonomous cleaning systems principally for swimming pools

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- Number: US 11,299,899 B2
- Document ID: US11299899B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/076,512
- Filed: 2020-10-21
- Published: 2021-02-04
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- 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/US11299899B2

## 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 method of cleaning a swimming pool having a floor, a wall, and a waterline, comprising:
a. causing an automatic swimming pool cleaner to travel along the floor under its own power while vacuuming debris into an on-board filter;
b. causing transmission of a signal, from a device external to the automatic swimming pool cleaner, directing the automatic swimming pool cleaner to travel under its own power toward the waterline; and
c. causing the automatic swimming pool cleaner, after receiving the signal from the external device, to climb the wall under its own power to a position on the wall in which at least part of the on-board filter is above the waterline for removal from a body of the automatic swimming pool cleaner while at least part of the body is below the waterline.

### Claim 2

A method of cleaning a swimming pool having a wall and a waterline, comprising:
a. causing an automatic swimming pool cleaner to travel under its own power within the swimming pool while vacuuming debris into an on-board filter, the automatic swimming pool cleaner (i) sensing information regarding when the on-board filter should be emptied, (ii) conveying the sensed information to a device of a human external to the automatic swimming pool cleaner, and (iii) based on the sensed information, climbing the wall under its own power at least to the waterline to facilitate emptying of the on-board filter;
b. receiving the sensed information at the device of the human; and
c. emptying the on-board filter.