Apparatus for robotic appliances
AssigneeKillis Ltd.
InventorsTibor Killi, Rob Harrison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for use with a plurality of robotic appliances, the apparatus comprising a plurality of receiving spaces each configured to receive at least one robotic appliance, wherein each of the receiving spaces comprises: a shelf comprising an upper surface on which a robotic appliance can be located; a charging element configured to charge a robotic appliance when it is located on the shelf; and one or more locating formations arranged to abut said robotic appliance, such that the one or more locating formations provide support against movement of the robotic appliance when the robotic appliance is located on the shelf, wherein the one or more locating formations are provided at or above the upper surface of said shelf.
Claims20
A robotic vacuum cleaner storage and charging apparatus comprising a plurality of receiving spaces each configured to receive at least one robotic vacuum cleaner, wherein each of the receiving spaces comprises:
- a shelf comprising an upper surface on which a robotic vacuum cleaner can be located;
- a charging element configured to charge a robotic vacuum cleaner when it is located on the shelf;
- one or more locating formations arranged to abut said robotic vacuum cleaner, such that the one or more locating formations provide support against movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner when the robotic vacuum cleaner is located on the shelf, wherein the one or more locating formations are provided at or above the upper surface of said shelf, and
- a frame comprising one or more side panels, bars or plates to which the shelf of each of the receiving spaces is attached and supported by;
- wherein the receiving spaces are spaced apart and arranged generally one above another in a vertical direction;
- wherein the shelf of each receiving space defines a forward end for loading and unloading of the robotic vacuum cleaner and a rearward end opposite the forward end, wherein the shelf of each receiving space is fixed to the frame such that the forward end is at least partially offset in a rearward direction from the forward end of the shelf of an adjacent receiving space.
A robotic vacuum cleaner storage apparatus comprising a plurality of receiving spaces each configured to receive at least one robotic vacuum cleaner, wherein each of the receiving spaces comprises:
- a shelf comprising a forward end for loading and unloading of robotic vacuum cleaners, a rearward end opposite the forward end, and an angled upper surface on which a robotic vacuum cleaner can be located, wherein the angled upper surface of the shelf is angled downwards from the forward end to the rearward end relative to a horizontal plane when the apparatus is positioned on a horizontal surface;
- and
- one or more locating formations extending transverse to the upper surface of the shelf, wherein the one or more locating formations are positioned such that a robotic vacuum cleaner located on said angled upper surface of the shelf is urged down the angled upper surface towards the one or more locating formations by gravity and thereby located on the shelf by the one or more locating formations.
A robotic vacuum cleaner storage and charging apparatus comprising a plurality of receiving spaces each configured to receive at least one robotic vacuum cleaner, wherein each of the receiving spaces comprises:
- a shelf comprising an upper surface on which a robotic vacuum cleaner can be located;
- a charging element configured to charge a robotic vacuum cleaner when it is located on the shelf;
- one or more locating formations arranged to abut said robotic vacuum cleaner, such that the one or more locating formations provide support against movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner when the robotic vacuum cleaner is located on the shelf, wherein the one or more locating formations are provided at or above the upper surface of said shelf;
- a frame comprising one or more side panels, bars or plates to which the shelf of each of the receiving spaces is attached and supported by;
- and
- a plurality of wheels, rollers or friction-reducing elements attached to a base of the frame, for transporting the apparatus.
A robotic vacuum cleaner storage and charging apparatus comprising a plurality of receiving spaces each configured to receive at least one robotic vacuum cleaner, wherein each of the receiving spaces comprises:
- a shelf comprising an upper surface on which a robotic vacuum cleaner can be located;
- a charging element configured to charge the robotic vacuum cleaner when it is located on the shelf;
- one or more locating formations arranged to abut said robotic vacuum cleaner, such that the one or more locating formations provide support against movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner when the robotic vacuum cleaner is located on the shelf, wherein the one or more locating formations are provided at or above the upper surface of said shelf;
- wherein the one or more locating formations comprise a pair of walls configured to abut a robotic vacuum cleaner located in the receiving space at a plurality of contact points for locating said robotic vacuum cleaner in lateral and longitudinal directions on the shelf, wherein each of the pair of walls has an inboard end, wherein the inboard ends of the pair of walls are spaced apart from each other to define a retaining channel therebetween, and wherein the charging element is located and retained within the retaining channel by the one or more locating formations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.