Evacuation station

A system comprising:

• an autonomous robotic cleaner;
• and
• an evacuation station comprising:
• a canister;
• a debris collection bin attached to the canister, wherein the debris collection bin comprises a filter extending across an upper portion of the debris collection bin;
• an intake configured to interface with the autonomous robotic cleaner when the autonomous robotic cleaner is docked to the evacuation station;
• one or more conduits extending from the intake into the debris collection bin;
• an air mover to produce an airflow through the canister;
• and
• a flow control device having multiple states to alter a path of the airflow through the canister,
• wherein, when the flow control device is in a first state of the multiple states, the airflow carries debris from the autonomous robotic cleaner, through the intake,
• through the one or more conduits, into an interior of the debris collection bin, and
• through the filter extending across the upper portion of the debris collection bin,
• wherein the debris collection bin is configured to collect at least a portion of the debris that is separated from the airflow by the filter extending across the upper portion of the debris collection bin;
• and
• wherein, when the flow control device is in a second state of the multiple states,
• the filter is pneumatically isolated from the air mover.

A method of operating an evacuation station, the method comprising:

• activating an air mover of the evacuation station when an autonomous robotic cleaner is docked to the evacuation station and a flow control device of the evacuation station is in a first state,
• wherein activating the air mover when the flow control device is in the first state produces an airflow carrying debris from the autonomous robotic cleaner, through an intake of the evacuation station that is configured to interface with the autonomous robotic cleaner, through one or more conduits extending from the intake into a debris collection of the evacuation station, into an interior of a debris collection bin, and
• through a filter extending across an upper portion of the debris collection bin, and to an exhaust;
• and
• activating the air mover when the flow control device is in a second state,
• wherein activating the air mover when the flow control device is in the second state produces an airflow from an environmental air inlet to the exhaust, the airflow bypassing the debris collection bin,
• wherein when the flow control device is in the second state, the debris collection bin is pneumatically isolated from the air mover.