# US 11,896,190 B1 · Vacuum cleaner and docking station configured to cooperate with the same

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- Number: US 11,896,190 B1
- Document ID: US11896190B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/085,009
- Filed: 2022-12-20
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-09-15
- Assignees: SharkNinja Operating LLC
- Applicants: Sharkninja Operating LLC
- Inventors: Kai Xu; Baodong Lu; Yuang Xie; Jingjiang Wu; Queena Li Tan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896190B1

## CPC

- A47L 9/149: {Emptying means; Reusable bags}
- A47L 5/12: with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum
- A47L 5/24: Hand-supported suction cleaners
- A47L 9/0063: {External storing devices; Stands, casings or the like for the storage of suction cleaners}
- A47L 9/106: {Dust removal}
- A47L 9/2873: {Docking units or charging stations (for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02)}
- 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

A cleaning system may include a vacuum cleaner and a docking station. The vacuum cleaner may include an air inlet, a suction motor having a suction motor inlet and a suction motor outlet, and a cleaner dust cup configured to transition between a collection position and an emptying position, the cleaner dust cup being upstream of the suction motor inlet when in the collection position and downstream of the suction motor outlet when in the emptying position. The docking station may include a base, a support extending from the base, a station dust cup removably coupled to the support, and a receptacle coupled to the support and configured to receive at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner, the cleaner dust cup being fluidly coupled to and upstream of the station dust cup when the vacuum cleaner is inserted in the receptacle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cleaning system comprising:
a vacuum cleaner including:
an air inlet;
a suction motor having a suction motor inlet and a suction motor outlet; and
a cleaner dust cup configured to transition between a collection position and an emptying position, the cleaner dust cup being upstream of the suction motor inlet when in the collection position and downstream of the suction motor outlet when in the emptying position; and
a docking station, the docking station including:
a base;
a support extending from the base;
a station dust cup removably coupled to the support; and
a receptacle coupled to the support and configured to receive at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner, the cleaner dust cup being fluidly coupled to and upstream of the station dust cup when the vacuum cleaner is received in the receptacle;
wherein the docking station does not include a suction motor for emptying the cleaner dust cup.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes a dust cup region for receiving at least a portion of the cleaner dust cup, an inlet region for receiving at least a portion of the air inlet of the vacuum cleaner, and a divider that extends between the dust cup region from the inlet region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner further includes a manifold assembly configured to selectively fluidly couple the cleaner dust cup to one of the suction motor inlet or the suction motor outlet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The cleaning system of claim 3, wherein the manifold assembly includes a manifold plate coupled to a main body of the vacuum cleaner and a manifold connector coupled to the cleaner dust cup.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The cleaning system of claim 4, wherein the manifold assembly further comprises a plurality of pivot arms pivotally coupling the manifold plate to the manifold connector.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the docking station further includes a station air exhaust, at least a portion of the station air exhaust is formed from the station dust cup.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The cleaning system of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the station air exhaust is formed from the support.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the station air exhaust includes a plurality of filters, a first filter being coupled to the station dust cup and a second filter being coupled to the support, the second filter being configured to filter smaller debris than the first filter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes a plurality of ramps configured to engage corresponding protrusions of the cleaner dust cup to transition the cleaner dust cup from the collection position to the emptying position in response to the vacuum cleaner being inserted into the receptacle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the cleaner dust cup includes an open end and an openable door pivotally coupled to the cleaner dust cup to selectively enclose the open end.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The cleaning system of claim 10, wherein the openable door is transitioned to an open position in response to the vacuum cleaner being inserted into the receptacle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the docking station further includes one or more charging contacts configured to generate a signal, the suction motor being activated in response to receiving the signal.

### Claim 13

A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a single suction motor having a suction motor inlet and a suction motor outlet; and
a cleaner dust cup configured to transition between a collection position and an emptying position, the cleaner dust cup being upstream of the suction motor inlet of the single suction motor when in the collection position and downstream of the suction motor outlet of the single suction motor when in the emptying position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the cleaner dust cup includes an open end and an openable door pivotally coupled to the cleaner dust cup to selectively enclose the open end.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 13 further comprising a manifold assembly configured to selectively fluidly couple the cleaner dust cup to one of the suction motor inlet of the single suction motor or the suction motor outlet of the single suction motor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein the manifold assembly includes a manifold plate coupled to a main body of the vacuum cleaner and a manifold connector coupled to the cleaner dust cup.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the manifold plate includes a suction opening and an exhaust outlet and the manifold connector includes an air passthrough configured to selectively fluidly couple to one of the suction opening or the exhaust outlet.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the suction opening is formed in a first surface of the manifold plate and the exhaust outlet is formed in a second surface of the manifold plate, the first and second surfaces being angled relative to each other.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the manifold assembly further comprises a plurality of pivot arms pivotally coupling the manifold plate to the manifold connector.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the plurality of pivot arms are configured to pivot such that the manifold connector moves relative to the manifold plate in response to the cleaner dust cup transitioning between the collection position and the emptying position.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 20, wherein the pivot arms are biased to urge the cleaner dust cup towards the collection position.

### Claim 22

A cleaning system comprising:
a vacuum cleaner including:
an air inlet;
a single suction motor having a suction motor inlet and a suction motor outlet; and
a cleaner dust cup configured to transition between a collection position and an emptying position, the cleaner dust cup being upstream of the suction motor inlet of the single suction motor when in the collection position and downstream of the suction motor outlet of the single suction motor when in the emptying position; and
a docking station, the docking station including:
a base;
a support extending from the base;
a station dust cup removably coupled to the support; and
a receptacle coupled to the support and configured to receive at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner, the cleaner dust cup being fluidly coupled to and upstream of the station dust cup when the vacuum cleaner is received in the receptacle.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The cleaning system of claim 22, wherein the docking station does not include a suction motor for emptying the cleaner dust cup.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The cleaning system of claim 22, wherein the vacuum cleaner further includes a manifold assembly configured to selectively fluidly couple the cleaner dust cup to one of the suction motor inlet of the single suction motor or the suction motor outlet of the single suction motor.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The cleaning system of claim 24, wherein the manifold assembly includes a manifold plate coupled to a main body of the vacuum cleaner and a manifold connector coupled to the cleaner dust cup.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 25, wherein the manifold plate includes a suction opening and an exhaust outlet and the manifold connector includes an air passthrough configured to selectively fluidly couple to one of the suction opening or the exhaust outlet.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The vacuum cleaner of claim 26, wherein the suction opening is formed in a first surface of the manifold plate and the exhaust outlet is formed in a second surface of the manifold plate, the first and second surfaces being angled relative to each other.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The cleaning system of claim 25, wherein the manifold assembly further comprises a plurality of pivot arms pivotally coupling the manifold plate to the manifold connector.

### Claim 29 (depends on 22)

The cleaning system of claim 22, wherein the receptacle includes a plurality of ramps configured to engage corresponding protrusions of the cleaner dust cup to transition the cleaner dust cup from the collection position to the emptying position in response to the vacuum cleaner being inserted into the receptacle.

### Claim 30 (depends on 22)

The cleaning system of claim 22, wherein the docking station further includes one or more charging contacts configured to generate a signal, the single suction motor being activated in response to receiving the signal.