Robotic floor cleaning apparatus with shell connected to the cleaning assembly and suspended over the drive system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725013-B2
Application number	US-97678610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2010
Priority date	Apr 24, 2008
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A robotic cleaner includes a cleaning assembly for cleaning a surface and a main robot body. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and a width of the cleaning assembly is greater than a width of the main robot body. A robotic cleaning system includes a main robot body and a plurality of cleaning assemblies for cleaning a surface. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and each of the cleaning assemblies is detachable from the main robot body and each of the cleaning assemblies has a unique cleaning function.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic cleaner, comprising:
a body;
a drive assembly comprising two wheels coupled to the body and configured to move the robotic cleaner, wherein the two wheels are configured to rotate about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to a forward direction of travel of the robotic cleaner;
a microcontroller operatively coupled to the drive assembly for control of movement of the robotic cleaner;
a shell connected to the body;
a cleaning assembly movably connected to the body and configured to clean a floor, the cleaning assembly being positioned along a second axis substantially parallel to and ahead of the first axis in the forward direction of travel of the robotic cleaner, and
a sensor configured to detect a collision of the robotic cleaner with an overhanging obstacle, wherein the microcontroller is configured to reverse the direction of travel of the robotic cleaner in response to the sensor detecting the collision with the overhanging obstacle.

2. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the shell is sloped upwards in a straight line with respect to the floor from the cleaning assembly back towards the one or more wheels such that the shell is pivoted downwards and actuates a switch in response to a collision of the robotic cleaner with the overhanging obstacle.

3. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a switch configured to signal detection of movement of the shell with respect to the one or more wheels by a predefined displacement.

4. The robotic cleaner of claim 3 , further comprising a spring configured to bias the shell upward with respect to the one or more wheels.

5. The robotic cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the spring exerts a force on the shell at a position vertically aligned with a longitudinal axis of the robotic cleaner, the longitudinal axis centrally traversing the cleaning assembly and drive assembly.

6. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the one or more wheels comprise two wheels sharing the first axis of rotation at all times, thereby allowing the two wheels to pivot together with respect to the shell.

7. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a rubber pad placed along a bottom of the shell and configured to contact the floor when the shell is displaced downward by a first amount.

8. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect when the shell has moved beyond a certain point, wherein the microcontroller is configured to cause the robotic cleaner to reverse course upon a detection by a second sensor that the shell has moved beyond the certain point.

9. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein a second sensor coupled to the microcontroller is configured to detect increases in a motor current of the drive assembly for bump detection.

10. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sensor configured to detect the collision with the overhanging obstacle detects a vertical force on the robotic cleaner.

11. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to modify the direction of travel of the robotic cleaner in a first avoidance path in response to the sensor detecting the overhanging obstacle and a second avoidance path in response to a second sensor detecting a horizontal collision.

12. The robotic cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a bump sensor positioned to extend along a front edge of the robotic cleaner, wherein the bump sensor is configured to detect a contact at a point on the front edge of the robotic cleaner while the robotic cleaner is being directed to move in the direction of travel.

Assignees

• Romanov Nikolai
• Dooley Michael
• Pirjanian Paolo
• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Romanov Nikolai
• Dooley Michael
• Pirjanian Paolo

Classifications

• B60L2240/62

  Vehicle position · CPC title

• B60L2240/465

  Slip · CPC title

• B60L2240/463

  Torque · CPC title

• B60L2240/461

  Speed · CPC title

• B60L2240/32

  Driving direction · CPC title