Debris evacuation for cleaning robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016166126-A1
Application number	US-201414566243-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A robot floor cleaning system features a mobile floor cleaning robot and an evacuation station. The robot includes: a chassis with at least one drive wheel operable to propel the robot across a floor surface; a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and arranged to receive debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and a robot vacuum configured to pull debris into the cleaning bin from an opening on an underside of the robot. The evacuation station is configured to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the robot, and includes: a housing defining a platform arranged to receive the cleaning robot in a position in which the opening on the underside of the robot aligns with a suction opening defined in the platform; and an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A robotic floor cleaning system, comprising:
a mobile floor cleaning robot comprising:
a chassis with at least one drive wheel operable to propel the robot across a floor surface;
a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and arranged to receive debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and
a robot vacuum comprising a motor and a fan connected to the motor and configured to generate a flow of air to pull debris into the cleaning bin from an opening on an underside of the robot; and
an evacuation station configured to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the robot, the evacuation station comprising:
a housing defining a platform arranged to receive the cleaning robot in a position in which the opening on the underside of the robot aligns with a suction opening defined in the platform; and
an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening;
wherein the floor cleaning robot further comprises a one-way air flow valve disposed within the robot and configured to automatically close in response to operation of the vacuum of the evacuation station, and wherein the air flow valve is disposed in an air passage connecting the robot vacuum to the interior of the cleaning bin.

2 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the air flow valve is located within the robot such that, with the air flow valve in a closed position, the fan is substantially sealed from the interior of the cleaning bin.

3 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein operation of the evacuation vacuum causes a reverse airflow to pass through the cleaning bin, carrying dirt and debris from the cleaning bin, through the suction opening, and into the housing of the evacuation station.

4 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning bin comprises:
at least one opening along a wall of the cleaning bin; and a sealing member mounted to the wall of the cleaning bin in alignment with the at least one opening.

5 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one opening comprises one or more suction vents located along a rear wall of the cleaning bin.

6 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one opening comprises an exhaust port located along a side wall of the cleaning bin proximate the robot vacuum.

7 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4 , wherein the sealing member comprises a flexible and resilient flap adjustable from a closed position to an open position in response to operation of the vacuum of the evacuation station.

8 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4 , wherein the sealing member comprises an elastomeric material.

9 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the robot further comprises a cleaning head assembly disposed in the opening on the underside of the robot, the cleaning head comprising a pair of rollers positioned adjacent one another to form a gap therebetween, and
wherein operation of the evacuation vacuum causes a reverse airflow to pass from the cleaning bin to pass through the gap between the rollers.

10 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the evacuation station further comprises a robot-compatibility sensor responsive to a metallic plate located proximate a base of the cleaning bin.

11 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 10 , wherein the robot-compatibility sensor comprises an inductive sensing component.

12 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the evacuation station further comprises:
a debris canister detachably coupled to the housing for receiving debris carried by air drawn into the evacuation station housing by the evacuation vacuum through the suction opening, and a canister sensor responsive to the attachment and detachment of the debris canister to and from the housing.

13 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 12 , wherein the evacuation station further comprises:
at least one debris sensor responsive to debris entering the canister via air drawn into the evacuation station housing; and a controller coupled to the debris sensor, the controller configured to determine a fullness state of the canister based on feedback from the debris sensor.

14 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the fullness state as a percentage of the canister that is filled with debris.

15 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the evacuation station further comprises:
a motor-current sensor responsive to operation of the robot vacuum; and a controller coupled to the motor-current sensor, the controller configured to determine an operational state of a filter proximate the robot vacuum based on sensory feedback from the motor-current sensor.

16 . The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the evacuation station further comprises a wireless communications system coupled to a controller, and configured to communicate information describing a status of the evacuation station to a mobile device.

17 . A method of evacuating a cleaning bin of an autonomous floor cleaning robot, the method comprising:
docking a mobile floor cleaning robot to a housing of an evacuation station,
the mobile floor cleaning robot comprising:
a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and carrying debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and
a robot vacuum comprising a motor and a fan connected to the motor, and

the evacuation station comprising:
a housing defining a platform having a suction opening; and
an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening;

sealing the suction opening of the platform to an opening on an underside of the robot; drawing air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening by operating the evacuation vacuum; and actuating a one-way air flow valve disposed within the robot to inhibit air from being drawn through the fan of the robot vacuum by operation of the evacuation vacuum.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein actuating the air flow valve comprises pulling a flap of the valve in an upward pivoting motion via a suction force of the evacuation vacuum.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein actuating the air flow valve further comprises substantially sealing an air passage connecting the robot vacuum to the interior cleaning bin with the flap.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein drawing air into the evacuation station by operating the evacuation vacuum further comprises:
drawing a reverse airflow through the robot, the reverse airflow carrying dirt and debris from the cleaning bin, through the suction opening, and into the housing of the evacuation station.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the robot further comprises a cleaning head assembly disposed in the opening on the underside of the robot, the cleaning head comprising a pair of rollers positioned adjacent one another to form a gap therebetween, and
wherein drawing a reverse airflow through the robot comprises routing the reverse airflow from the cleaning bin to pass through the gap between the rollers.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein drawing air into the evacuation station by operating the evacuation vacuum further comprises:

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Morin Russell Walter
• Boeschenstein Harold
• Bursal Faruk
• Grace Chris

Classifications

• A47L9/106 Primary

  Dust removal · CPC title

• A47L2201/024

  Emptying dust or waste liquid containers · CPC title

• A47L9/281

  the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust · CPC title

• A47L7/0004

  Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners (floor-scrubbing machines taking-up dirty liquid by suction A47L11/30) · CPC title

• A47L9/2805 Primary

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title