Patent ID: 11925306
Assignee: BISSELL INC.
Field: Furniture, games (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A  G  H  Y | IPC A  G  H

Claim 0:
1. A docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner, comprising:
a housing having a bottom side on which the docking station rests and a backstop;
charging contacts disposed on the housing configured to charge a battery of the autonomous floor cleaner;
springs biasing the charging contacts to a neutral position corresponding to a condition in which the autonomous floor cleaner is not docked with the docking station, the charging contacts moveable to a contact position corresponding to a condition in which the autonomous floor cleaner is docked with the docking station, wherein the charging contacts are located on the backstop;
an activating switch controlling the supply of power to the charging contacts, the activating switch configured to be actuated by at least one of the charging contacts in the contact position;
docking signal transmitters within the housing configured to transmit light signals that are detectable by the autonomous floor cleaner, wherein the housing comprises a portion aligned with the docking signal transmitters that is one of transparent and translucent to admit light signals therethrough;
a shroud within the housing, the shroud comprising a plurality of opaque enclosures, each one of the plurality of opaque enclosures enclosing one of the docking signal transmitters; and
at least one of the plurality of opaque enclosures comprising a wall around one of the docking signal transmitters and an aperture in the wall through which light is emittable, the aperture defining a direction and angle of a transmission zone for the one of the docking signal transmitters.