Mobile cleaning robot cleaning head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10966587-B2
Application number	US-201916662548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2019
Priority date	Jan 17, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

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. An autonomous mobile cleaning robot comprising:
a body including a suction duct; and
a cleaning assembly operable to clean a surface of an environment, the cleaning assembly comprising:
a housing defining a suction port therein;
a suspension linkage coupled to the body and to the housing to enable movement of the housing relative to the body; and
a diaphragm flexibly connected to form a passage between the suction duct and to the suction port, the diaphragm configured to allow the housing to move relative to the body while maintaining the passage.

2. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is flexibly connected to form a seal between the suction duct and to the suction port, the suction port extends through an upper portion of the housing, and the diaphragm defines a suction passage between the suction port and the suction duct.

3. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 2 , wherein an extension of the diaphragm is positioned between the suction duct and the housing to form a first seal with the suction duct.

4. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 3 , wherein the diaphragm includes a bottom flange and a top flange configured to receive a lip of the housing therebetween, the suction port extending through the top flange and the bottom flange to form a second seal between the diaphragm and housing.

5. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the suspension linkage comprises:
a four-bar linkage coupled to the housing and to the chassis, the four-bar located laterally inward from lateral ends of the housing.

6. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is configured to fold when the housing moves upward with respect to the body without changing a cross-section of the suction passage when the diaphragm folds.

7. An autonomous mobile cleaning robot comprising:
a body including a suction duct; and
a cleaning assembly operable to clean a surface of an environment, the cleaning assembly comprising:
a frame connected to the body;
a housing defining a suction port therein;
a suspension linkage coupled to the frame and to the housing to enable movement of the housing relative to the frame and the body; and
a diaphragm connected to the suction duct and to the suction port, the diaphragm configured to flex to maintain a seal between the suction port and the suction duct when the housing moves relative to the frame and the body.

8. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 7 , wherein the diaphragm defines a suction passage between the suction port and the suction duct, and wherein the diaphragm is configured to fold when the housing moves upward with respect to the body without changing a cross-section of the suction passage when the diaphragm folds.

9. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 7 , wherein the suction port extends through an upper portion of the housing.

10. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 9 , wherein the diaphragm defines a suction passage between the suction port and the suction duct.

11. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 10 , wherein an extension of the diaphragm is positioned between the suction duct and the housing to form a first seal with the suction duct.

12. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 11 , wherein the first seal is a knife-edge seal formed by a rigid portion of the suction duct pressing into or against the extension of the diaphragm.

13. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 11 , wherein the diaphragm includes a bottom flange and a top flange configured to receive a lip of the housing therebetween, the suction port extending through the top flange and the bottom flange to form a second seal between the diaphragm and housing.

14. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 13 , wherein the second seal is formed at least in part by a chemical bond between the diaphragm and the housing.

15. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 7 , wherein the suspension linkage comprises:
a four-bar linkage coupled to the housing and to the frame the chassis, the four-bar located laterally inward from lateral ends of the housing.

16. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 7 , further comprising:
a spring connected to the housing and the body to bias the housing to a parallel position with respect to a cleaning surface of the environment.

17. An autonomous mobile cleaning robot comprising:
a body including a suction duct; and
a cleaning assembly operable to clean a surface of an environment, the cleaning assembly comprising:
a frame connected to the body;
a housing defining a suction port therein;
a pair of rollers rotatably mounted to the housing;
a suspension linkage coupled to the frame and to the housing to enable movement of the housing relative to the frame and the body; and
a diaphragm connected to the suction duct and to the suction port, the diaphragm configured to flex to maintain a seal between the suction port and the suction duct when the housing moves relative to the frame and the body.

18. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 17 , further comprising:
a spring connected to the housing and the body to bias the housing to a parallel position with respect to a cleaning surface of the environment.

19. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 18 , wherein the diaphragm defines a suction passage between the suction port and the suction duct, and wherein the diaphragm is configured to move when the housing moves upward with respect to the body without changing a cross-section of the suction passage when the diaphragm folds.

20. The autonomous mobile cleaning robot of claim 19 , wherein an extension of the diaphragm is positioned between the suction duct and the housing to form a first seal with the suction duct, wherein the diaphragm includes a bottom flange and a top flange configured to receive a lip of the housing therebetween, the suction port extending through the top flange and the bottom flange to form a second seal between the diaphragm and housing, and wherein the second seal is adhered between the diaphragm and the housing.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Farmer William
• Schregardus Thomas P
• Burbank Eric

Classifications

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title

• A47L9/0472

  Discs · CPC title

• A47L9/12

  Dry filters · CPC title

• A47L2201/06

  Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning · CPC title

• A47L9/02

  Nozzles (suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00) · CPC title