Mobile cleaning robot cleaning head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10470636-B2
Application number	US-201715829357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Jan 17, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

This document describes a mobile cleaning robot that includes a chassis that supports a drive system, a debris collection volume; and a cleaning head formed to complete a bottom of the robot. The cleaning head includes a frame for affixing the cleaning head to the chassis, a monolithic housing having an interior cavity, a suspension linkage movably suspending the monolithic housing from the frame, the suspension linkage being configured to lift the monolithic housing, a diaphragm formed of a flexible material and mated to the monolithic housing, a rigid duct mated the frame to form a pneumatic path between the monolithic housing and the rigid duct through the diaphragm, and cleaning extractors disposed in the interior cavity of the monolithic housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
a chassis that supports a drive system;
a debris collection volume; and
a cleaning head formed to complete a bottom of the robot, the cleaning head comprising:
a frame for affixing the cleaning head to the chassis;
a monolithic housing having an interior cavity;
a suspension linkage movably suspending the monolithic housing from the frame, the suspension linkage being configured to lift the monolithic housing;
a diaphragm formed of a flexible material and mated to the monolithic housing;
a rigid duct mated to the frame to form a pneumatic path between the monolithic housing and the rigid duct through the diaphragm; and
cleaning extractors disposed in the interior cavity of the monolithic housing.

2. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a square forward portion comprising a lateral axis from a first side to a second side, the cleaning head being integrated into the square forward portion across the lateral axis of the square forward portion, the cleaning extractors extending across the lateral axis within 1 centimeter of one of the first or second sides.

3. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 2 , further comprising:
a corner brush disposed in a position of the square forward portion between a leading edge of the forward portion and the cleaning extractors; and
a motor for driving the corner brush, the motor being positioned inside the frame in a vertical configuration with the corner brush, and wherein the drive system is further from the leading edge than the cleaning extractors.

4. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , the diaphragm further comprising:
a first seal formed with the rigid duct by compressing an extension of the diaphragm; and
a second seal formed with the monolithic housing and comprising a double flange configuration having a top flange and a bottom flange separated by a receiving channel, the receiving channel receiving a lip of the monolithic housing, the bottom flange received through an aperture of the monolithic housing into the interior cavity of the monolithic housing and the top flange being mated to a top surface of the monolithic housing,
wherein mating the diaphragm to the monolithic housing forms the pneumatic path from the interior cavity of the monolithic housing to an intake port of the debris collection volume.

5. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4 , wherein mating the diaphragm to the monolithic housing comprises forming a chemical bond between the diaphragm and the monolithic housing.

6. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4 , wherein the first seal is formed by a knife-edge seal of the rigid duct pressing into the diaphragm extension.

7. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , the suspension linkage comprising a four-bar assembly coupling the moveable monolithic housing to the chassis, the suspension linkage attached adjacent the pneumatic path and inwardly spaced from lateral ends of the monolithic housing.

8. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , the monolithic housing being constructed from a single molded piece of rigid material shaped to conform the interior cavity to a shape of the cleaning extractors disposed in the interior cavity, and wherein the frame is shaped to form a beveled bottom edge.

9. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , the monolithic housing further comprising:
output gears configured to receive the cleaning extractors, the output gears each comprising a seal, the cleaning extractors being pliable tubular rollers; and
a latch configured to secure the pliable tubular rollers inside the interior cavity.

10. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 9 , further comprising:
a gearbox in communication with the output gears configured to drive the output gears and rotate the cleaning extractors, the gearbox being adjacent to an end of the monolithic housing and extending less than three centimeters from the end of the monolithic housing; and
a motor for driving the gearbox, the motor affixed to a top of the monolithic housing.

11. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning head further comprises a tuned spring that balances the monolithic housing to maintain the monolithic housing approximately parallel to the cleaning surface during operation.

12. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the suspension linkage further comprises:
housing carriers that are formed from the monolithic housing;
frame carriers that are formed from the frame;
suspension links that connect the frame carriers to the housing carriers; and
joints that receive the suspension links on pins of the joints and allow the suspension links to pivot around the pins,
wherein the housing carriers and frame carriers are configured to receive the joints.

13. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the suspension linkage and the diaphragm are configured to allow the monolithic housing to float along the cleaning surface independent of the movement of the frame.

14. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the rigid duct comprises a debris detection sensor.

15. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , further comprising an aft cover, wherein the aft cover mates with the frame to complete the bottom of the robot.

16. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , further comprising a bin well for receiving the debris collection volume, wherein the bin well is covered by a lid during cleaning operation, and wherein the cleaning operation are restricted when the lid is ajar.

17. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm folds when the monolithic housing is in a raised state, and wherein the diaphragm does not reduce a cross-section of the pneumatic airflow path through the diaphragm by folding.

18. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the suspension linkage comprises a flex-bearing hinge.

19. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the rigid duct forms a seal with an intake port of the debris collection volume.

20. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , further comprising a latch configured to secure the cleaning extractors in the monolithic housing, the latch comprising a lap joint to seal with the monolithic housing, wherein the lap joint is oriented to reduce debris buildup in the lap joint relative to another orientation of the lap joint.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Farmer William
• Schregardus Thomas P
• Burbank Eric

Classifications

• A47L9/068

  Nozzles combined with a different cleaning side, e.g. duplex nozzles or dual purpose nozzles · CPC title

• A47L9/12

  Dry filters · CPC title

• A47L9/009

  Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles · CPC title

• A47L9/0472

  Discs · CPC title

• A47L9/22

  Mountings for motor fan assemblies · CPC title