# US 12,178,385 B2 · Vacuum cleaner station, vacuum cleaner system, and method for controlling vacuum cleaner station > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,385 B2 - Document ID: US12178385B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/984,168 - Filed: 2022-11-09 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-03 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Sungjun Kim; Jinhyouk Shin; Ingyu Yang; Youngsoo Kim; Jungwan Ryu; Jeahyuk Wie; Dongjae Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178385B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/2873: {Docking units or charging stations (for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02)} - A47L 5/24: Hand-supported suction cleaners - A47L 7/0095: {Suction cleaners or attachments adapted to collect dust or waste from power tools} - A47L 9/0063: {External storing devices; Stands, casings or the like for the storage of suction cleaners} - A47L 9/106: {Dust removal} - A47L 9/1683: {Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles} - A47L 9/22: Mountings for motor fan assemblies - A47L 9/2815: {using optical detectors} - A47L 9/2842: {Suction motors or blowers} - A47L 9/2884: {Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation} - A47L 9/322: {for hand-supported suction cleaners} - A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries - A47L 2201/024: Emptying dust or waste liquid containers - 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 The present disclosure relates to a cleaner system including: a cleaner; a cleaner station; and an imaginary plane including an imaginary suction flow path through line penetrating a suction flow path in a longitudinal direction and an imaginary suction motor axis defined by extending a rotation axis of a suction motor, in which when the cleaner is coupled to the cleaner station, the plane penetrates at least a part of the cleaner station, such that a center of gravity of the cleaner is disposed to pass through a space for maintaining balance of the station, and as a result, it is possible to stably support the cleaner and the station while preventing the cleaner and the station from falling down. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cleaner system comprising: a cleaner comprising: a suction part that defines a suction flow path configured to receive air, a suction motor configured to rotate about a rotation axis to thereby generate suction force for suctioning the air through the suction part, a cyclone configured to separate dust from the air introduced through the suction part, and a dust bin configured to receive the dust separated by the cyclone; and a cleaner station that is configured to couple to the cleaner and extends in a vertical direction with respect to a ground surface that supports the cleaner station, the vertical direction intersecting a longitudinal axis of the dust bin, the cleaner station comprising: a housing that defines a dust collecting space configured to receive the dust from the dust bin of the cleaner, a dust collecting motor configured to generate a suction force for suctioning the dust in the dust bin into the dust collecting space, the dust collecting motor and the dust collecting space being arranged in the housing along the vertical direction, a dust bin guide surface configured to couple to an outer circumferential surface of the dust bin based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, a guide protrusion configured to guide coupling of the cleaner and the cleaner station, and a pair of sidewalls that are disposed laterally outside the dust bin guide surface and inside an exterior surface of the housing, the pair of sidewalls extending forward relative to a surface of the housing that is configured to face a bottom surface of the dust bin, wherein the pair of sidewalls extend toward each other and face each other, the pair of sidewalls being disposed at an upper side of the dust bin guide surface, wherein at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the dust bin is configured to be disposed between the pair of sidewalls based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, wherein the cleaner station is configured to, based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, accommodate at least a portion of the cleaner such that the guide protrusion is disposed above the dust bin in the vertical direction, wherein a longitudinal axis of the dust collecting motor intersects the longitudinal axis of the dust bin, and wherein the cleaner is configured to move relative to the cleaner station in a first direction intersecting a longitudinal axis of the suction part and then to move in a second direction different from the first direction to thereby couple to the cleaner station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the cleaner station is configured to, based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, accommodate the dust bin at a position between the dust bin guide surface and the guide protrusion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the cleaner station further comprises a sealer that is disposed at the dust bin guide surface and configured to, based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the dust bin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the dust bin has a cylindrical shape, and the dust bin guide surface has a shape corresponding to the cylindrical shape of the dust bin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the dust bin guide surface is disposed vertically lower than the pair of sidewalls. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the cleaner station further comprises: a charging part configured to electrically connect to the cleaner based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station; and a controller disposed in the housing and configured to control the dust collecting motor, and wherein the controller is configured to: determine that the cleaner is coupled to the cleaner station based on the charging part supplying power to the cleaner, and operate the dust collecting motor based on a determination that the cleaner is coupled to the cleaner station. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cleaner system of claim 6, wherein the charging part is disposed between the dust bin guide surface and the guide protrusion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The cleaner system of claim 6, wherein the cleaner further comprises a battery configured to supply power to the suction motor, the battery comprising a charging terminal that is configured to connect to the charging part of the cleaner station based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cleaner system of claim 8, wherein the dust bin guide surface is configured to support the outer circumferential surface of the dust bin such that the charging part is connected to the charging terminal at a position between the guide protrusion and an upper end of the bottom surface of the dust bin. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the guide protrusion is one of a pair of guide protrusions that protrude from the surface of the housing that is configured to face the bottom surface of the dust bin, and wherein a distance between the pair of guide protrusions is less than a distance between the pair of sidewalls. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cleaner system of claim 10, wherein the distance between the pair of guide protrusions is less than a diameter of the dust bin. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The cleaner system of claim 10, wherein the cleaner further comprises a battery configured to supply power to the suction motor, and wherein the cleaner station is configured to support the cleaner such that at least a portion of the battery is disposed between the pair of guide protrusions based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cleaner system of claim 12, wherein the distance between the pair of guide protrusions corresponds to a width of the battery. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the suction flow path extends in the longitudinal axis of the suction part. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the second direction is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the suction part, and wherein the cleaner is configured to move in the first direction and then move in the second direction relative to the cleaner station to thereby couple to the cleaner station. ### Claim 16 A cleaner system comprising: a cleaner comprising: a suction part that defines a suction flow path configured to receive air, a suction motor configured to rotate about a rotation axis to thereby generate suction force for suctioning the air through the suction part, a cyclone configured to separate dust from the air introduced through the suction part, and a dust bin configured to receive the dust separated by the cyclone; and a cleaner station that is configured to couple to the cleaner and extends in a vertical direction with respect to a ground surface that supports the cleaner station, the vertical direction intersecting a longitudinal axis of the dust bin, the cleaner station comprising: a housing that defines a dust collecting space configured to receive the dust from the dust bin of the cleaner, a dust collecting motor configured to generate a suction force for suctioning the dust in the dust bin into the dust collecting space, the dust collecting motor and the dust collecting space being arranged in the housing along the vertical direction, a dust bin guide surface configured to couple to an outer circumferential surface of the dust bin based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, and a pair of sidewalls that are disposed laterally outside the dust bin guide surface and inside an exterior surface of the housing, the pair of sidewalls extending forward relative to a facing surface of the housing that is configured to face a bottom surface of the dust bin based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, wherein the pair of sidewalls extend toward each other and face each other, the pair of sidewalls being disposed at an upper side of the dust bin guide surface, wherein at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the dust bin is configured to be disposed between the pair of sidewalls based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the dust collecting motor intersects the longitudinal axis of the dust bin. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cleaner system of claim 16, wherein the cleaner station further comprises a plurality of guide protrusions that protrude from the facing surface of the housing and are configured to be disposed above the dust bin based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The cleaner system of claim 16, wherein the cleaner station further comprises a charging part disposed at the facing surface of the housing and configured to electrically connect to the cleaner based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station, and wherein the cleaner further comprises a battery configured to supply power to the suction motor, the battery comprising a charging terminal that is configured to connect to the charging part of the cleaner station based on the cleaner being coupled to the cleaner station.