Cleaning roller for cleaning robots

• US 10,512,384 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Goddard, William, Blouin, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E
• Application Number:
  US15/380,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20180168417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 9/0477 Rolls

Abstract

A cleaning roller mountable to a cleaning robot includes an elongate shaft extending from a first end portion to a second end portion along an axis of rotation. The first and second end portions are mountable to the cleaning robot for rotating about the axis of rotation. The cleaning roller further includes a core affixed around the shaft and having outer end portions positioned along the elongate shaft and proximate the first and second end portions. The core tapers from proximate the first end portion of the shaft toward a center of the shaft. The cleaning roller further includes a sheath affixed to the core and extending beyond the outer end portions of the core. The sheath includes a first half and a second half each tapering toward the center of the shaft.

Claims

1. A cleaning roller mountable to a cleaning robot, the cleaning roller comprising:

an elongate shaft extending from a first end portion to a second end portion along an axis of rotation, the first and second end portions being mountable to the cleaning robot for rotating about the axis of rotation;

a core affixed around the shaft and having outer end portions positioned along the shaft and proximate the first and second end portions of the shaft, the core tapering from proximate the first end portion of the shaft toward a center of the shaft positioned along the axis of rotation;

a sheath affixed to the core and extending beyond the outer end portions of the core, wherein the sheath comprises a first half and a second half each tapering toward the center of the shaft, wherein the sheath comprises

a shell surrounding and affixed to the core, and

a vane extending radially outwardly from the shell, wherein a height of the vane proximate the first end portion of the shaft is less than a height of the vane proximate the center of the shaft, the height defined by a distance from a point of attachment of the vane to the shell to a free end of the vane; and

collection wells defined by the outer end portions of the core and the sheath.

2. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein a length of the cleaning roller is between 20 cm and 30 cm, and the sheath is affixed to the shaft along 75% to 90% of a length of the sheath.

3. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of discontinuous sections positioned around the shaft and within the sheath.

4. The cleaning roller of claim 3, wherein the sheath extends to the shaft at a location between the discontinuous sections of the core.

5. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of posts extending away from the axis of rotation toward the sheath, the posts engaging the sheath to couple the sheath to the core.

6. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein each of the first half and the second half comprises an outer surface that forms an angle between 5 and 20 degrees with the axis of rotation.

7. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the first half of the sheath tapers from proximate the first end portion to the center of the shaft, and the second half of the sheath tapers from proximate the second end portion of the shaft toward the center of the shaft.

8. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the sheath comprises a shell surrounding and affixed to the core, the shell comprising frustoconical halves.

9. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the vane follows a V-shaped path along an outer surface of the sheath.

10. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the height of the vane proximate the first end portion is between 1 and 5 millimeters, and the height of the vane proximate the center of the shaft is between 10 and 30 millimeters.

11. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein a length of one of the collection wells is 5% to 15% of the length of the cleaning roller.

12. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein tubular portions of the sheath define the collection wells.

13. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the sheath further comprises a shell surrounding and affixed to the core, a maximum width of the shell being 80% and 95% of an overall diameter of the sheath.

14. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a drive operable to move the autonomous cleaning robot across a floor surface; and

a cleaning roller comprising;

an elongate shaft extending from a first end portion to a second end portion along an axis of rotation, the first and second end portions being mountable to the autonomous cleaning robot for rotating about the axis of rotation;

a core affixed around the shaft and having outer end portions positioned along the shaft and proximate the first and second end portions of the shaft, the core tapering from proximate the first end portion of the shaft toward a center of the shaft positioned along the axis of rotation;

a sheath affixed to the core and extending beyond the outer end portions of the core, wherein the sheath comprises a first half and a second half each tapering toward the center of the shaft, wherein the sheath comprises

a shell surrounding and affixed to the core, and

a vane extending radially outwardly from the shell, wherein a height of the vane proximate the first end portion of the shaft is less than a height of the vane proximate the center of the shaft, the height defined by a distance from a point of attachment of the vane to the shell to a free end of the vane; and

collection wells defined by the outer end portions of the core and the sheath.

15. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein a length of the cleaning roller is between 20 cm and 30 cm, and the sheath is affixed to the shaft along 75% to 90% of a length of the sheath.

16. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein the core comprises a plurality of discontinuous sections positioned around the shaft and within the sheath.

17. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein the core comprises a plurality of posts extending away from the axis of rotation toward the sheath, the posts engaging the sheath to couple the sheath to the core.

18. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein each of the first half and the second half comprises an outer surface that forms an angle between 5 and 20 degrees with the axis of rotation.

19. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein the first half of the sheath tapers from proximate the first end portion to the center of the shaft, and the second half of the sheath tapers from proximate the second end portion of the shaft toward the center of the shaft.