Evacuation station

Abstract

A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot can include a base and a canister. The base can be configured to receive at least a portion of the mobile cleaning robot thereon. The base can include an electrical power interface configured to provide electrical power to the mobile cleaning robot. The canister can be connected to the base and can be located at least partially above the base. The canister can include a debris bin to receive debris from the mobile cleaning robot.

1 . A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot, the docking station comprising:
 a base configured to receive at least a portion of the mobile cleaning robot, the base including an electrical power interface configured to provide electrical power to the mobile cleaning robot; and   a canister connected to the base and located at least partially above the base, the canister comprising:
 a debris bin to receive debris from the mobile cleaning robot. 
   
     
     
         2 . The docking station of  claim 1 , wherein the base defines a pair of wheel wells configured to receive respective drive wheels of the mobile cleaning robot therein to align robot charging contacts of the mobile cleaning robot with the electrical power interface of the base. 
     
     
         3 . The docking station of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a pair of wheel switches located in the pair of wheel wells, respectively, the pair of wheel switches independently engageable by respective drive wheels when the drive wheels are positioned in respective ones of the wheel wells to produce independent docking signals.   
     
     
         4 . The docking station of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical power interface includes a pair of dock charging contacts connected to the base and configured to engage the robot charging contacts when the mobile cleaning robot is docked on the base, the dock charging contacts movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the dock charging contacts engageable with the robot charging contacts when in the extended position. 
     
     
         5 . The docking station of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a switch connected to the base and engageable with the mobile cleaning robot to move the dock charging contacts to the extended position.   
     
     
         6 . The docking station of  claim 5 , wherein the dock charging contacts are biased to the retracted position. 
     
     
         7 . The docking station of  claim 6 , wherein the switch is engageable with a wheel of the mobile cleaning robot to overcome bias of the dock charging contacts. 
     
     
         8 . The docking station of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a pair of magnets associated with respective ones of the dock charging contacts and attractable to the robot charging contacts, respectively.   
     
     
         9 . The docking station of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fluid tank connected to the canister to deliver cleaning fluid to the mobile cleaning robot.   
     
     
         10 . The docking station of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a fill spout connected to the canister and fluidly connected to the fluid tank, the fill spout insertable into a portion of the mobile cleaning robot to deliver cleaning fluid from the fluid tank to the mobile cleaning robot.   
     
     
         11 . The docking station of  claim 9 , wherein the fluid tank is insertable through a front portion of the canister. 
     
     
         12 . The docking station of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a fill valve connected to the fluid tank and engageable with a port of the canister to move the fill valve to an open position when the fluid tank is secured to the canister.   
     
     
         13 . The docking station of  claim 12 , wherein the port of the canister is secured by a brace. 
     
     
         14 . The docking station of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an evacuation fan connected to the canister and connectable to the mobile cleaning robot to evacuate debris from a debris bin of the mobile cleaning robot to a debris bag of the canister.   
     
     
         15 . The docking station of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an evacuation discharge connected to a discharge side of the evacuation fan and extending through the canister, the evacuation discharge configured to discharge evacuation air toward the base.   
     
     
         16 . A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot, the docking station comprising:
 a base configured to receive at least a portion of the mobile cleaning robot, the base including an electrical power interface configured to provide electrical power to the mobile cleaning robot; and   a canister connected to the base and located at least partially above the base, the canister comprising:
 a debris bin to receive debris from the mobile cleaning robot, the debris bin; and 
 a door connected the canister and movable between an open position and a closed position, a front portion of the canister user-accessible when the door is in the open position. 
   
     
     
         17 . The docking station of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an evacuation fan connected to the canister and connectable to the mobile cleaning robot to evacuate debris from a debris bin of the mobile cleaning robot to a debris bag of the canister.   
     
     
         18 . The docking station of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a bag drawer slidably insertable into a bag compartment of the canister between an open position and a closed position, the bag drawer configured to releasably receive the debris bag therein.   
     
     
         19 . The docking station of  claim 18 , wherein the bag drawer includes a seal connected to an inner front face of the bag drawer, the seal engageable with the bag compartment to seal the bag drawer when the bag drawer is in the closed position. 
     
     
         20 . The docking station of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an evacuation discharge connected to a discharge of the bag drawer and extending through the canister, the evacuation discharge configured to discharge evacuation air toward the base.