Robotic cleaner with dual cleaning rollers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12342979-B2
Application number	US-202318519793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2023
Priority date	May 25, 2017
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A robotic cleaner includes a housing, a suction conduit with an opening, and a leading roller mounted in front of a brush roll. An inter-roller air passageway may be defined between the leading roller and the brush roll wherein the lower portion of the leading roller is exposed to a flow path to the suction conduit and an upper portion of the leading roller is outside of the flow path. Optionally, a combing unit includes a plurality of combing protrusions extending into the leading roller and having leading edges not aligned with a center of the leading roller. Optionally, a sealing strip is located along a rear side of the opening and along a portion of left and right sides of the opening. The underside may define side edge vacuum passageways extending from the sides of the housing partially between the leading roller and the sealing strip towards the opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic cleaner comprising:
a housing with an opening on an underside of the housing;
a debris collector located in the housing for receiving debris;
a first agitator roll rotatably mounted to the housing such that a portion of the first agitator extends below the underside;
a second agitator rotatably mounted in front of the first agitator; and
a combing unit disposed at least partially between the first and second agitators, wherein the combing unit includes at least a first series of spaced combing protrusions extending towards the first agitator and a second series of spaced combing protrusions extending towards the second agitator;
wherein the first series of spaced combing protrusions are disposed above the center of rotation of the first agitator and wherein the second series of spaced combing protrusions are disposed below a center of rotation of the second agitator.

2. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second agitator includes a cleaning element that is softer than a cleaning element of the first agitator.

3. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second series of combing protrusions have angled leading edges that are not aligned with a center of rotation of the second agitator, wherein the angled leading edges are directed into a direction of rotation of the second agitator.

4. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second agitator is rotatably mounted in front of the first agitator and spaced from the first agitator to define an inter-roller air passageway between a lower portion of the first agitator and a lower portion of the second agitator, wherein at least an inside of the lower portion of the second agitator is exposed to a flow path to the suction conduit and wherein at least an inside of an upper portion of the second agitator is outside of the flow path to the suction conduit.

5. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a bumper forming a top part of the front side of the housing and extending at least laterally, wherein at least a portion of the bumper provides a leading edge in front of the second agitator such that the housing contacts a vertical surface before the second agitator, wherein the bumper defines at least one air passageway through the bumper to allow air to pass when the bumper is positioned against a vertical surface.

6. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second series of spaced combing protrusions include spaced combing teeth extending from a back support, wherein the teeth have roots at the back support and tips at an opposite end from the roots, the teeth being wider at the roots than at the tips.

7. The robotic cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the angled leading edges form an acute angle relative to a line extending from an intersection point of the angled leading edge and the second agitator to the rotation center of the second agitator, wherein the acute angle is in a range of 5° to 50°.

8. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second series of spaced combing protrusions include spaced combing teeth extending from a back support to tips, and wherein at least some of the tips are rounded with a diameter in a range less than 3 mm.

9. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second series of spaced combing protrusions include spaced combing teeth extending from a back support to tips, and wherein the teeth engage the second agitator such that a root gap is formed between the back support and an outer portion of the second agitator, wherein the root gap is in a range of 1 to 3 mm.

10. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the second series of spaced combing protrusions extend into the second agitator about 15% to 35% of a radius of the second agitator.

11. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein an upper portion of the second agitator above the second series of spaced combing protrusions is outside of the suction conduit.

12. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one sealing strip located on the underside of the housing along a rear side of the opening, and wherein the underside of the housing defines side edge vacuum passageways extending from left and right sides of the housing towards the opening of the suction conduit to direct air to the opening.

13. The robotic cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the at least one sealing strip further includes left and right side sealing strips extending along left and right sides of the opening, and wherein the side edge vacuum passageways extend between the second agitator and ends of the left and right side sealing strips back towards the opening of the suction conduit.

14. The robotic cleaner of claim 13 , wherein the side edge vacuum passageways are defined as recessed portions on the underside of the housing.

15. The robotic cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the side edge passageways form an acute angle relative to the left and right sides of the housing.

16. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one sensor;
at least one drive motor;
at least one driven wheel coupled to the at least one drive motor; and
a controller coupled to at least one drive motor for controlling movement of the robotic cleaner in response to at least one sensor.

17. The robotic cleaner of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the combing unit is exposed to the inter-roller air passageway.

18. A robotic cleaner comprising:
a housing with an opening on an underside of the housing;
a debris collector located in the housing for receiving debris;
a first agitator roll rotatably mounted to the housing such that a portion of the first agitator extends below the underside;
a second agitator rotatably mounted in front of the first agitator;
a wall extending downwardly towards the underside and disposed between the first agitator and the second agitator, the wall having a first surface facing the first agitator and a second surface facing the second agitator;
a first series of spaced combing protrusions extending from the first surface of the wall towards the first agitator; and
a second series of spaced combing protrusions extending from the second surface of the wall towards the second agitator;
wherein the first series of spaced combing protrusions are disposed above the center of rotation of the first agitator and wherein the second series of spaced combing protrusions are disposed below a center of rotation of the second agitator.

19. A robotic cleaner comprising:
a housing with an opening on an underside of the housing;
a debris collector located in the housing for receiving debris;
a first agitator roll rotatably mounted to the housing such that a portion of the first agitator extends below the underside;
a second agitator rotatably mounted in front of the first agitator;
a wall extending downwardly towards the underside and disposed between the first agitator and the second agitator, the wall having a first surface facing the first agitator and a second surface facing the second agitator;
a first series of spaced combing protrusions extending from the first surface of the wall above a center of rotation of the first agitator towards the first agitator; and
a second series of spaced combing protrusions extending from the second surface of the wall below a center of rotation of the second agitator towards the second agitator; and
an inter-roller air passageway disposed underneath the wall and extending between a lower portion of the first agitator and a lower portion of the second agitator, wherein at least an inside of the lower portion of t

Assignees

• Sharkninja Operating Llc

Inventors

• Carter Steven Paul
• Udy Adam
• Sutter Catriona A
• Pinches Christopher
• Clare David S
• Brown Andre David
• Freese John
• Cleary Patrick
• Calvino Alexander J
• Cottrell Lee
• Meyer Daniel
• INNES Daniel John
• Jalbert David
• Thorne Jason B
• Hutchinson Peter
• Howes Gordon
• Gao Wenxiu
• Wu David
• Poirier David W
• Der Marderosian Daniel R

Classifications

• A47L9/0488

  Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools · CPC title

• A47L9/0477

  Rolls · CPC title

• A47L5/30

  with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes · CPC title

• A47L7/0066

  adapted for removing nail dust, hair or the like · CPC title

• A47L2201/00

  Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation · CPC title