Autonomous coverage robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9320398-B2
Application number	US-54088409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2009
Priority date	Dec 2, 2005
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

An autonomous coverage robot includes a body, a drive system disposed on the body, and a cleaning assembly disposed on the body and configured to engage a floor surface while the robot is maneuvered across the floor surface. The cleaning assembly includes a driven cleaning roller, a cleaning bin disposed on the body for receiving debris agitated by the cleaning roller, and an air mover. The cleaning bin includes a cleaning bin body having a cleaning bin entrance disposed adjacent to the cleaning roller and a roller scraper disposed on the cleaning bin body for engaging the cleaning roller. The cleaning bin body has a holding portion in pneumatic communication with the cleaning bin entrance, and the air mover is operable to move air into the cleaning bin entrance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous coverage robot comprising:
a body;
a drive system disposed on the body and configured to maneuver the robot; and
a cleaning assembly disposed on the body and configured to engage a floor surface while the robot is maneuvered across the floor surface, the cleaning assembly comprising:
a driven cleaning roller defining a rotational center about which the cleaning roller is configured to rotate;
a cleaning bin disposed on the body for receiving debris agitated by the cleaning roller, the cleaning bin comprising:
a cleaning bin body having a cleaning bin entrance disposed adjacent to the cleaning roller, the cleaning bin body having a holding portion in pneumatic communication with the cleaning bin entrance for receiving debris; and
a roller scraper disposed on the cleaning bin body for engaging the cleaning roller, the roller scraper being positioned such that, during operation of the robot, the roller scraper engages a downwardly rotating portion of the cleaning roller; and

an air mover operable to move air into the cleaning bin entrance;
wherein the roller scraper is disposed at a lower edge of the cleaning bin entrance during the operation of the robot and arranged to engage the cleaning roller above its rotational center, the lower edge being substantially linear, substantially parallel to the cleaning roller, and of a length sufficient to substantially span the cleaning roller.

2. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the roller scraper is disposed an interference distance D of between about 0.25 mm and about 3 mm into an outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

3. The robot of claim 2 , wherein the roller scraper is disposed an interference distance D of about 0.75 mm into the outer diameter of the cleaning roller.

4. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the air mover is disposed inside the cleaning bin body substantially near an upper rear portion of the cleaning bin body.

5. The robot of claim 4 , wherein the air mover defines a longitudinal axis disposed at an angle of between about 15° and about 75° with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by the cleaning bin body.

6. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising an air mover guard disposed between the air mover and the holding portion of the cleaning bin, the air mover guard comprising a filter for filtering debris from air passing therethrough.

7. The robot of claim 6 , wherein the air mover guard is removably attached to the cleaning bin body and defines an asymmetric shape, wherein the air mover guard is received by the cleaning bin body in a single orientation.

8. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the air mover comprises at least one cleaning roller.

9. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises:
a cleaning assembly housing; and
first and second driven cleaning rollers rotatably coupled to the cleaning assembly housing, the first cleaning roller comprising bristles and the second cleaning roller comprising flexible flaps;
wherein the roller scraper is disposed to engage the first cleaning roller.

10. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning assembly further comprises an air guide configured to direct an air flow of the air mover over the cleaning roller and into the cleaning bin entrance.

11. The robot of claim 10 , wherein the air guide is arranged to direct the flow of air along a path substantially tangent to the cleaning roller and coincident with a point slightly above the rotational center of the cleaning roller.

12. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning bin comprises an access door comprising the roller scraper, the access door being disposed at the cleaning bin entrance and being hingedly attached to the cleaning bin body.

13. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the air mover is configured to draw air from below the robot, past the cleaning roller, and through the cleaning bin entrance and the holding portion.

14. A cleaning bin for a coverage robot, the cleaning bin comprising:
a cleaning bin body having a cleaning bin entrance, the cleaning bin body having a holding portion in pneumatic communication with the cleaning bin entrance for receiving debris;
an air mover disposed on the cleaning bin body and configured to draw air into the cleaning bin entrance; and
a roller scraper disposed on the cleaning bin body for engaging a cleaning roller of the robot above a rotational center of the cleaning roller, the roller scraper being positioned such that, during operation of the robot, the roller scraper engages a downwardly rotating portion of the cleaning roller;
wherein the roller scraper is positioned so as to be disposed at a lower edge of the cleaning bin entrance during the operation of the robot, the lower edge being substantially linear, substantially parallel to the cleaning roller, and of a length sufficient to substantially span the cleaning roller.

15. The cleaning bin of claim 14 , wherein the air mover is disposed inside the cleaning bin body substantially near an upper rear portion of the cleaning bin body.

16. The cleaning bin of claim 15 , wherein the air mover defines a longitudinal axis disposed at an angle of between about 15° and about 75° with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by the cleaning bin body.

17. The cleaning bin of claim 14 , further comprising an air mover guard disposed between the air mover and the holding portion of the cleaning bin, the air mover guard comprising a filter for filtering debris from air passing therethrough.

18. The cleaning bin of claim 17 , wherein the air mover guard is removably attached to the cleaning bin body and defines an asymmetric shape, wherein the air mover guard is received by the cleaning bin body in a single orientation.

19. The cleaning bin of claim 14 , further comprising an access door comprising the roller scraper, the access door being disposed at the cleaning bin entrance and being hingedly attached to the cleaning bin body.

20. The cleaning bin of claim 14 , wherein the air mover is configured to draw air from below the robot, past the cleaning roller, and through the cleaning bin entrance and the holding portion.

21. A cleaning bin for a coverage robot, the cleaning bin comprising:
a cleaning bin body having a cleaning bin entrance, the cleaning bin body having a holding portion in pneumatic communication with the cleaning bin entrance for receiving debris;
an air conduit in pneumatic communication with the holding portion, the air conduit establishing pneumatic communication with an air mover of the robot while received by the robot, the air mover being configured to draw air into the cleaning bin entrance; and
an access door disposed at the cleaning bin entrance and hingedly attached to the cleaning bin body, the access door comprising a roller scraper for engaging a cleaning roller of the robot above a rotational center of the cleaning roller, the roller scraper being positioned such that, during operation of the robot, the roller scraper engages a downwardly rotating portion of the cleaning roller;
wherein the roller scraper is positioned so as to be disposed at a lower edge of the cleaning bin entrance during the operation of the robot, the lower edge being substantially linear, substantially parallel to the cleaning roller, and of a length sufficient to substantially span the cleaning roller.

22. The cleaning bin of claim 21 , wherein the air mover is configured to draw air from below the robot, past the cleaning roller, and through the cleaning bin entrance and the

Assignees

• Hussey Patrick Alan
• Roy Robert Paul
• Neumann Rogelio Manfred
• Svendsen Selma
• Ozick Daniel N
• Casey Christopher M
• Kapoor Deepak Ramesh
• Campbell Tony L
• Won Chikyung
• Morse Christopher John
• Burnett Scott Thomas
• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Hussey Patrick Alan
• Roy Robert Paul
• Neumann Rogelio Manfred
• Svendsen Selma
• Ozick Daniel N
• Casey Christopher M
• Kapoor Deepak Ramesh
• Campbell Tony L
• Won Chikyung
• Morse Christopher John
• Burnett Scott Thomas

Classifications

• A47L11/4027

  Filtering or separating contaminants or debris · CPC title

• B60L15/2036

  Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles · CPC title

• A47L2201/00

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

• B60L2250/10

  by alarm · CPC title

• Y10S901/50

  Miscellaneous · CPC title