Battery assembly for autonomous mobile robot

• US 10,581,038 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Neumann, Rogelio Manfred, Grande, Daniel E. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US15/844,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20190189981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 320112
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• 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 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2260/024 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/588 outside the batteries, e.g. incorrect connections of terminals or busbars
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An autonomous mobile cleaning robot includes a cavity along a bottom portion of the robot, and a drive configured to support the robot above a floor surface. The drive is configured to propel the robot along the floor surface. The robot further includes a first electrical terminal disposed in the cavity and connected to electrical circuitry of the robot, a battery assembly, and a dovetail joint. The battery assembly includes a battery housing, a battery contained within the battery housing, and a second electrical terminal mounted to the battery housing and configured to engage with the first electrical terminal. The dovetail joint includes a vertically extending projection portion and a vertically extending socket portion.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile cleaning robot, the robot comprising:

a cavity along a bottom portion of the robot;

a drive configured to support the robot above a floor surface, the drive being configured to propel the robot along the floor surface;

a first electrical terminal disposed in the cavity and connected to electrical circuitry of the robot;

a battery assembly comprising;

a battery housing,

a battery contained within the battery housing, and

a second electrical terminal mounted to the battery housing and configured to engage with the first electrical terminal; and

a dovetail joint comprising a vertically extending projection portion and a vertically extending socket portion, one of the projection portion and the socket portion being disposed along walls defining the cavity, another one of the projection portion and the socket portion being disposed on the battery housing, and the projection portion being slidable into the socket portion to detachably engage the battery housing and the cavity to one another and inhibit relative horizontal movement of the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal such that the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal are aligned relative to one another in a mating configuration.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the socket portion comprises:

a first vertically extending socket member protruding from a lateral portion of the battery housing, and

a second vertically extending socket member protruding from the lateral portion of the battery housing,

wherein the second electrical terminal is positioned between the first socket member and the second socket member.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein the vertically extending projection portion is disposed along the walls defining the cavity of the robot, and the vertically extending socket portion is disposed on the battery housing.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the projection portion and the socket portion are tapered along an axis along which the projection portion and the socket portion are slidable relative to one another, the projection portion being vertically tapered away from the first electrical terminal, and the socket portion being vertically tapered away from the second electrical terminal.

5. The robot of claim 3, wherein a taper angle of the projection portion relative to a vertical axis and a taper angle of the socket portion relative to a vertical axis are between 0.5 and 5 degrees.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein the projection portion comprise:

a first vertically extending engagement area configured to engage a corresponding first vertically extending engagement area of the socket portion, and

a second vertically extending engagement area connected to the first vertically extending engagement area of the projection portion, the second vertically extending engagement area configured to engage a corresponding second vertically extending engagement area of the socket portion, the first vertically extending engagement area and the second vertically extending engagement area forming an angle between 30 and 60 degrees.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein the projection portion comprises a first vertically extending projection member and a second vertically extending projection member spaced apart from the first projection member, and

the robot further comprises a deflectable arm disposed on the robot housing between the first projection member and the second projection member, the deflectable arm configured to engage the battery to inhibit relative vertical movement of the robot housing and the battery housing.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the socket portion extends substantially along an entire height of the battery housing.

9. The robot of claim 1, wherein a maximum width of a socket of the socket portion is between 20 and 80% of an overall width of the battery housing.

10. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a deflectable arm disposed on the robot housing, wherein the deflectable arm is configured to engage an engagement area on a bottom portion of the battery housing to inhibit relative vertical movement of the robot and the battery housing,

wherein the second electrical terminal is disposed on a top portion of the battery housing.

11. The robot of claim 10, wherein the deflectable arm extends along a vertical plane through a center of the dovetail joint.

12. The robot of claim 10, wherein the engagement area is below the second electrical terminal such that the deflectable arm maintains engagement between the first electrical terminal and the second electrical terminal when engaged with the engagement area.

13. The robot of claim 1, wherein the first electrical terminal comprises a first blade type connector, and the second electrical terminal comprises a second blade type connector, the first electrical terminal configured to contact the second electrical terminal in a horizontal direction.

14. A battery assembly detachably engageable to an autonomous mobile cleaning robot, the battery assembly comprising:

a battery housing,

a battery unit contained within the battery housing,

electrical contacts mounted to the battery housing, the battery assembly electrical contacts engageable to electrical contacts of the robot; and

a first portion of a dovetail joint disposed on the battery housing, the first portion of the dovetail joint including a socket configured to receive a projection portion of a second portion of the dovetail joint of the robot and the socket configured to slide along the projection portion of the dovetail joint to detachably engage the battery housing with the robot so as to align the battery housing electrical contacts with the electrical contacts of the robot, and so as to inhibit relative horizontal movement of the electrical contacts of the robot and the electrical contacts of the battery assembly.

15. The battery assembly of claim 14, wherein the socket portion is vertically tapered away from the electrical contacts of the robot and the electrical contacts and the battery assembly.

16. The battery assembly of claim 14, wherein the socket portion comprises:

a first vertically extending socket member protruding from a lateral portion of the battery housing, and

a second vertically extending socket member protruding from the lateral portion of the battery housing,

wherein the second electrical terminal is positioned between the first socket member and the second socket member.

17. The battery assembly of claim 14, wherein the socket portion extends substantially along an entire height of the battery housing.

18. The battery assembly of claim 14, wherein:

an engagement area on a bottom portion of the battery housing is configured to engage a deflectable arm on the robot to inhibit relative vertical movement of the robot and the battery housing, and

the electrical contacts of the battery assembly are disposed on a top portion of the battery housing.

19. The battery assembly of claim 18, wherein the engagement area is above the electrical contacts of the battery assembly.