Robotic vacuum cleaning system

• US 10,433,696 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Gilbert, Jr., Duane Leigh, Bursal, Faruk Halil, Therrien, Richard Joseph, Morin, Russell Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David
• Application Number:
  US15/590,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4063 Driving means; Transmission means therefor
• 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 2201/028 Refurbishing floor engaging tools, e.g. cleaning of beating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/02 with driven tools for special purposes with floor-polishing tools A47L11/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0494 Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/066 with adjustably mounted brushes, combs, lips or pads; Height adjustment of nozzle or dust loosening tools for suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casing A47L5/34
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0666 with tilting, floating or similarly arranged brushes, combs, lips or pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An autonomous coverage robot includes a cleaning assembly having forward roller and rearward rollers counter-rotating with respect to each other. The rollers are arranged to substantially maintain a cross sectional area between the two rollers yet permitting collapsing therebetween as large debris is passed. Each roller includes a resilient elastomer outer tube and a partially air-occupied inner resilient core configured to bias the outer tube to rebound. The core includes a hub and resilient spokes extending between the inner surface of the outer tube and the hub. The spokes suspend the outer tube to float about the hub and transfer torque from the hub to the outer tube while allowing the outer tube to momentarily deform or move offset from the hub during impact with debris larger than the cross sectional area between the two rollers.

Claims

1. A resilient compressible roller rotatably engaged with an autonomous coverage robot, the resilient compressible roller comprising:

a resilient tubular member having a longitudinal axis spanning between a first end and a second end of the resilient tubular member and including;

an outer surface, and

one or more vanes integrally formed with the resilient tubular member and extending outwardly from the outer surface, the one or more vanes defining V-shaped chevrons, each chevron having a central tip, a first leg extending from the central tip to near the first end of the resilient tubular member and a second leg extending from the central tip to near the second end of the resilient tubular member;

a resilient compressible material disposed within the resilient tubular member; and

a bushing housing extending into the first or second end of the tube and forming an overlap region where the tube does not deform.

2. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, further comprising a hub disposed along the longitudinal axis of the resilient tubular member within the outer surface.

3. The resilient compressible roller of claim 2, wherein the hub occupies about 10% to 20% of a length of the resilient tubular member.

4. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of resilient spokes extending between an inner surface of the resilient tubular member and the hub.

5. The resilient compressible roller of claim 4, wherein the tube, the spokes, and the hub are integrally and homogenously formed from a resilient material having a durometer of between 60 A and 80 A.

6. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, the bushing housing further comprising a busing surrounding a pin in axial alignment with the longitudinal axis.

7. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, wherein the resilient compressible material is glued to an inner surface of the resilient tubular member.

8. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, wherein the resilient compressible material comprises a foamed elastomer.

9. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, the resilient compressible material further comprising two foam inserts.

10. The resilient compressible roller of claim 8, where the foamed elastomer is one of thermoplastic polyurethane foam, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, or polypropylene foam.

11. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, wherein the one or more vanes are equidistantly spaced around a circumference of the resilient tubular member.

12. The resilient compressible roller of claim 11, wherein the one or more vanes comprises at least five vanes.

13. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, wherein the one or more vanes have a height that is at least 10% of a diameter of the resilient tubular member.

14. The resilient compressible roller of claim 1, wherein resilient tubular member has a wall thickness between ½

mm and 3 mm.

15. A cleaning robot, comprising:

a debris collection volume;

a vacuum inlet configured to deliver debris to the debris collection volume;

a roller housing in pneumatic communication with the vacuum inlet; and

a compressible roller opposing the vacuum inlet, the compressible roller comprising a resilient tubular member having a longitudinal axis spanning between a first end and a second end of the resilient tubular member and including;

an outer surface,

one or more vanes integrally formed with the resilient tubular member and extending outwardly from the outer surface, the one or more vanes defining V-shaped chevrons, each chevron having a central tip, a first leg extending from the central tip to near the first end of the resilient tubular member and a second leg extending from the central tip to near the second end of the resilient tubular member, and

a resilient compressible material disposed within the resilient tubular member.

16. The cleaning robot of claim 15, the compressible roller further comprising a bushing housing extending into the first or second end of the tube and forming an overlap region where the tube does not deform.

17. The cleaning robot of claim 15, wherein the one or more vanes extend from the circumferential wall by a height of at least 10% of a diameter of the shape-changing tube.

18. The cleaning robot of claim 15, wherein the roller housing is spaced from a radially outermost part of the compressible roller by less than or equal to about 1 mm.

19. The cleaning robot of claim 15, wherein the longitudinal axis is in parallel longitudinal alignment with the vacuum inlet.

20. The cleaning robot of claim 15, further comprising a hub disposed along the longitudinal axis of the resilient tubular member within the outer surface.

21. The cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the hub occupies about 10% to 20% of a length of the resilient tubular member.

22. The cleaning robot of claim 15, wherein the resilient compressible material comprises two foam inserts.