Wet floorcare robot cleaner tank latch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712138-B2
Application number	US-202017073877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

In one aspect, an autonomous cleaning robot includes a drive configured to propel the robot along the floor surface and a tank assembly. The tank assembly includes a reservoir, left and right receptacles, and a handle extending across a cover of the tank assembly, the handle being moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein when the handle is in the second position, the tank assembly is locked in position. The tank assembly also includes left and right latch assemblies receivable by the left and right receptacles, respectively. Each latch assembly includes a moveable assembly configured to lock the tank assembly in position when the handle is in the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tank assembly of an autonomous cleaning robot, the tank assembly comprising:
a bottom surface comprising a protrusion extending upward from the bottom surface; and
a snorkel assembly positioned along the bottom surface of the tank assembly, the snorkel assembly comprising:
a plunger configured to move from a first position away from the bottom surface to a second position, and
a snorkel configured to interface with the plunger such that the snorkel separates from the bottom surface of the tank assembly when the plunger is in the second position,

wherein the snorkel comprises (i) a top portion configured to form a seal with the protrusion of the bottom surface of the tank assembly when the plunger is in the first position and configured to provide a fluid pathway between the snorkel and the protrusion when the plunger is in the second position and (ii) a bottom portion that extends downward from the top portion and is configured to contact the bottom surface, and
wherein the snorkel is located above or on the bottom surface of the tank assembly and is configured to allow draining a fluid from the tank assembly.

2. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal is positioned between approximately 16 and 24 mm above a level of the bottom surface of the tank assembly.

3. The tank assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring configured to bias the plunger into the first position.

4. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the tank assembly comprises a recessed portion below a level of the bottom surface of the tank assembly.

5. The tank assembly of claim 4 , wherein the recessed portion of the bottom surface of the tank assembly is ribbed to allow the fluid to pass between the snorkel and the protrusion of the bottom surface of the tank assembly.

6. The tank assembly of claim 4 , wherein the bottom portion of the snorkel comprises a rim configured to contact the recessed portion of the bottom surface of the tank assembly when the plunger is in the first position.

7. The tank assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rim of the snorkel is configured to be lifted off of the recessed portion of the bottom surface of the tank assembly to provide the fluid pathway between the snorkel and the protrusion when the plunger is in the second position.

8. The tank assembly of claim 4 , wherein the protrusion of the bottom surface comprises a stepped portion.

9. The tank assembly of claim 4 , wherein the protrusion is configured to surround a seal member of the autonomous cleaning robot when the tank assembly is positioned within the autonomous cleaning robot.

10. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plunger comprises a shaft portion connected to a head portion, wherein the shaft portion extends through the protrusion of the tank assembly.

11. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the top portion of the snorkel comprises a conical portion.

12. The tank assembly of claim 11 , wherein a shaft portion of the plunger extends through the top portion of the snorkel.

13. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plunger is configured to contact a filter of the autonomous cleaning robot when the plunger is in the second position.

14. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the snorkel assembly is positioned in an interior portion of the tank assembly.

15. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of the snorkel is sized to at least partially surround the bottom surface of the tank assembly.

16. The tank assembly of claim 15 , wherein the bottom surface of the tank assembly and the bottom portion of the snorkel define a vertically extending portion of the fluid pathway.

17. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of the snorkel extends downward from an outer circumference of the top portion.

18. The tank assembly of claim 17 , wherein the bottom surface of the tank assembly and the top portion of the snorkel define a horizontally extending portion of the fluid pathway.

19. The tank assembly of claim 18 , wherein the bottom surface of the tank assembly and the bottom portion of the snorkel define a vertically extending portion of the fluid pathway.

20. The tank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the tank assembly and the snorkel define a first vertically extending portion of the fluid pathway, a first horizontally extending portion of the fluid pathway, a second vertically extending portion of the fluid pathway, and a second horizontally extending portion of the fluid pathway.

21. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:
a drive configured to propel the autonomous cleaning robot along a floor surface, wherein the autonomous cleaning robot is configured to receive a cleaning pad to clean the floor surface as the drive propels the autonomous cleaning robot along the floor surface; and
a tank assembly received by the autonomous cleaning robot, the tank assembly comprising:
a reservoir configured to hold fluid to be applied by the autonomous cleaning robot to the floor surface, and
a snorkel movable between a first position and a second position, the snorkel comprising (i) a top portion configured to form a seal with an upwardly extending protrusion of a bottom surface of the tank assembly to prevent the fluid from draining from the reservoir when the snorkel is in the first position and configured to provide a fluid pathway for the fluid when the snorkel is in the second position and (ii) a bottom portion that extends downward from the top portion and is configured to contact the bottom surface, and
wherein the snorkel is located above or on the bottom surface of the tank assembly and is configured to allow draining the fluid from the tank assembly.

22. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 21 , wherein the tank assembly further comprises a plunger connected to the snorkel, wherein the plunger is movable from a first position to a second position in response to contact with a portion of the autonomous cleaning robot, wherein the snorkel is configured to be in the first position when the plunger is in the first position and is configured to be in the second position when the plunger is in the second position.

23. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 22 , further comprising:
a receiving surface configured to receive the tank assembly, and
a filter positioned on the receiving surface, wherein the portion of the autonomous cleaning robot is the filter.

24. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 21 , wherein the bottom surface of the tank assembly comprises a recessed portion below a level of the bottom surface of the tank assembly.

25. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 24 , wherein the bottom portion of the snorkel comprises a rim configured to contact the recessed portion of the bottom surface of the tank assembly when the snorkel is in the first position.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Suchman Jason Jeffrey
• Farmer William
• Hsu Johnson

Classifications

• A47L7/0028 Primary

  Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow · CPC title

• A47L7/0038

  with means for emptying the tanks · CPC title

• A47L7/0042

  Gaskets; Sealing means · CPC title

• A47L11/28 Primary

  Floor-scrubbing machines, motor-driven (A47L11/29 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47L11/4016

  specially adapted for collecting fluids · CPC title