Evacuation station

• US 10,154,768 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2018
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Morin, Russell Walter, Boeschenstein, Harold, Swett, David Orrin, Jonas, Jude Royston
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US15/901,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/149 Emptying means; Reusable bags
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers

Abstract

A mobile robot includes a body configured to traverse a surface and to receive debris from the surface, and a debris bin within the body. The debris bin includes a chamber to hold the debris received by the mobile robot, an exhaust port through which the debris exits the debris bin; and a door unit over the exhaust port. The door unit includes a flap configured to move, in response to air pressure at the exhaust port, between a closed position to cover the exhaust port and an open position to open a path between the chamber and the exhaust port. The door unit, including the flap in the open position and in the closed position, is within an exterior surface of the mobile robot.

Claims

1. An evacuation station comprising:

an intake port configured to engage with a debris bin of a mobile robot;

a canister comprising a cover movable into an open position to allow the canister to receive a bag;

one or more conduits extending from the intake port through the canister, the one or more conduits comprising a conduit movable into contact with the bag when the cover is moved into a closed position such that a flow path from the debris bin, through the one or more conduits, and through the bag is established; and

a motor configured to generate a flow of air carrying debris from the debris bin of the mobile robot through the flow path into the bag.

2. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the conduit is a first conduit, and the one or more conduits comprise a second conduit connected to the first conduit, the first conduit being pivotable relative to the second conduit.

3. The evacuation station of claim 2, further comprising a flexible grommet connecting the second conduit to the first conduit.

4. The evacuation station of claim 1, further comprising a cam mechanism configured to move the conduit into contact with the bag when the cover is moved into the closed position.

5. The evacuation station of claim 4, further comprising a plunger at least partially within the canister, the plunger configured to move in response to the cover being moved into the closed position and to actuate the cam mechanism to move the conduit into contact with the bag.

6. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the conduit is movable away from the bag when the cover is moved into the open position.

7. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the conduit is configured to form a substantially airtight seal with the bag when the conduit contacts the bag.

8. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the conduit is movable into the bag when the cover is moved into the closed position.

9. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a top of the canister.

10. The evacuation station of claim 1, wherein the canister comprises an alignment feature to substantially align the conduit with an interface end of the bag.

11. The evacuation station of claim 10, wherein the alignment feature comprises a slot.

12. An evacuation station comprising:

an intake port configured to engage with a debris bin of a mobile robot;

a cover movable into an open position to allow the evacuation station to receive a bag;

a conduit movable toward the bag when the cover is moved into a closed position such that a substantially airtight seal is formed between the bag and the conduit and such that a flow path from the debris bin, through conduit, and through the bag is established; and

a motor configured to generate a flow of air carrying debris from the debris bin of the mobile robot through the flow path into the bag.

13. The evacuation station of claim 12, wherein the conduit is a first conduit, and the evacuation station further comprises a second conduit connected to the first conduit, the first conduit being pivotable relative to the second conduit.

14. The evacuation station of claim 13, further comprising a flexible grommet connecting the second conduit to the first conduit.

15. The evacuation station of claim 14, further comprising a cam mechanism configured to move the conduit away from the bag when the cover is moved into the closed position.

16. The evacuation station of claim 15, further comprising a plunger configured to move in response to the cover being moved into the closed position and to actuate the cam mechanism to move the conduit toward the bag.

17. The evacuation station of claim 12, wherein the conduit is movable away from the bag when the cover is moved into the open position.

18. The evacuation station of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the conduit is movable into the bag when the cover is moved into the closed position.

19. The evacuation station of claim 12, wherein the cover comprises a top of the evacuation station.

20. The evacuation station of claim 12, further comprising an alignment feature to substantially align the conduit with an interface end of the bag.

21. The evacuation station of claim 20, wherein the alignment feature comprises a slot.