Cleaning roller for cleaning robots

• US 10,595,624 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Blouin, Matthew, Souloumiac, Pierre Paul Richard, Zhou, Pu
• Primary Examiner(s): Aviles, Orlando E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Neibaur, Robert F
• Application Number:
  US15/659,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20190029409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 15179
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/003 made up of a series of annular brush rings; Annular brush rings therefor
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use

Abstract

A cleaning roller is mountable to a cleaning robot. The cleaning roller includes a sheath comprising a shell, an outer diameter of the shell tapering from a first end portion of the sheath and a second end portion of the sheath toward a center of the roller. The cleaning roller further includes a core including a central portion interlocked with the sheath to rotationally couple the core to the sheath and inhibit relative translation of the sheath and the core along an axis of rotation. An inner surface of the sheath and an outer surface of the core define an air gap therebetween, the air gap extending from the central portion of the core longitudinally along the axis of rotation toward the first end portion or the second end portion.

Claims

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

a sheath comprising a shell, an outer diameter of the shell tapering from a first end portion of the sheath and a second end portion of the sheath toward a center of the roller; and

a core extending from a first end portion of the core to a second end portion of the core along an axis of rotation of the roller, the first and second end portions of the core being mountable to the robot for rotating about the axis of rotation, wherein the core includes a central portion interlocked with the sheath to rotationally couple the core to the sheath and inhibit relative translation of the sheath and the core along the axis of rotation,

wherein an inner surface of the sheath and an outer surface of the core define an air gap therebetween, the air gap extending from the central portion of the core longitudinally along the axis of rotation toward the first end portion or the second end portion of the core.

2. The cleaning roller of claim 1, further comprising:

a first circular member proximate the first end portion of the core and extending radially outward from the outer surface of the core toward the inner surface of the sheath, and

a second circular member proximate the second end portion of the core and extending radially outward from the outer surface of the core toward the inner surface of the sheath,

wherein the core extends along the axis of rotation through centers of the first and second circular members.

3. The cleaning roller of claim 2, wherein the first and second circular members are configured to contact the inner surface of the sheath to radially support the sheath.

4. The cleaning roller of claim 2, wherein thicknesses of the first and second circular members are between 2.5 and 7.5 mm.

5. The cleaning roller of claim 2, wherein a distance between the first circular member and the center of the roller is between 60 and 100 mm, and a distance between the second circular member and the center of the roller is between 60 and 100 mm.

6. The cleaning roller of claim 2, wherein the first and second circular members each includes:

an outer ring,

an inner ring coupled to the core, and

a plurality of elongate members extending between the outer ring and the inner ring.

7. The cleaning roller of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of elongate members extends outward at a non-zero angle relative to a radial axis.

8. The cleaning roller of claim 2, wherein the core comprises:

a first locking member abutting the first circular member in a first longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal direction to inhibit relative longitudinal translation of the core and the first circular member, and

a second locking member abutting the second circular member in the first longitudinal direction and the second longitudinal direction to inhibit relative longitudinal translation of the core and the second circular member.

9. The cleaning roller of claim 2, wherein a surface of the first circular member proximate the inner surface of the sheath and a surface of the second circular member proximate the inner surface of the sheath are sloped toward the center of the roller.

10. The cleaning roller of claim 2, wherein a distance between the first circular member and the center of the roller is between 25% and 45% of a length of the roller and a distance between the second circular member and the center of the roller is between 25% and 45% of a length of the roller.

11. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein:

the central portion of the core comprises one or more locking members extending radially outward from a shaft portion of the core, and

the sheath comprises one or more locking members extending radially inward from an inner surface of the shell, the one or more locking members of the sheath abutting the one or more locking members of the central portion of the core in a first longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal direction.

12. The cleaning roller of claim 11, wherein the one or more locking members of the central portion of the core comprises a surface facing the second end portion of the core, the surface forming a non-perpendicular angle with the axis of rotation.

13. The cleaning roller of claim 11, wherein the one or more locking members of the sheath abut the one or more locking members of the central portion of the core in a direction of rotation of the roller.

14. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the air gap has a length at least 25% of a length of the cleaning roller.

15. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the sheath comprises:

a vane extending radially outwardly from an outer surface of the shell and following a first path along the outer surface of the shell, and

a plurality of nubs protruding radially outwardly from the outer surface of the shell and spaced apart from one another along the outer surface of the shell, each of the nubs following a portion of a second path circumferentially offset along the outer surface of the shell from the first path, a first portion of the nubs extending longitudinally from the first end portion of the sheath toward the center of the roller along 15% to 35% of a length of the roller, and a second portion of the nubs extending longitudinally from the second end portion of the sheath toward the roller of the sheath along 15% to 35% of the length of the roller.

16. The cleaning roller of claim 15, wherein a height of the vane relative to the axis of rotation is uniform across a length of the roller, and heights of the nubs are uniform along the portion of the second path relative to the axis of rotation, the height of the vane being 0.5 to 1.5 mm greater than the heights of the nubs.

17. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein the sheath comprises:

a first vane extending radially outwardly from an outer surface of the shell and following a first path along the outer surface of the shell,

a second vane extending radially outwardly from an outer surface of the shell and following a second path along the outer surface of the shell, the second path being circumferentially offset along the outer surface of the shell from the first path, and

a plurality of nubs protruding radially outwardly from the outer surface of the shell and spaced apart from one another along the outer surface of the shell, each of the nubs following a portion of a third path circumferentially offset along the outer surface of the shell from the first path and the second path, wherein the third path is positioned along the outer surface of the shell between the first path and the second path.

18. The cleaning roller of claim 1, wherein a first half of the shell comprises a frustoconical portion tapering toward the center of the cleaning roller, and a second half of the shell comprises a frustoconical portion tapering toward the center of the cleaning roller.

19. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a body;

a drive operable to move the body across a floor surface; and

a cleaning assembly comprising a cleaning roller rotatable about an axis of rotation of the roller, the cleaning roller comprising

a sheath comprising a shell, an outer diameter of the shell tapering from a first end portion of the sheath and a second end portion of the sheath toward a center of the roller;

a core extending from a first end portion of the core to a second end portion of the core along the axis of rotation of the roller, wherein the core includes a central portion interlocked with the sheath to rotationally couple the core to the sheath and inhibit relative translation of the sheath and the core along the axis of rotation,

wherein an inner surface of the sheath and an outer surface of the core define an air gap therebetween, the air gap extending from the central portion of the core longitudinally along the axis of rotation toward the first end portion of the core or the second end portion of the core.

20. The robot of claim 19, wherein the roller comprises:

a first circular member proximate the first end portion of the core and extending radially outward from the outer surface of the core toward the inner surface of the sheath, and

a second circular member proximate the second end portion of the core and extending radially outward from the outer surface of the core toward the inner surface of the sheath,

wherein the core extends along the axis of rotation through centers of the first and second circular members.

21. The robot of claim 19, wherein:

the central portion of the core comprises one or more locking members extending radially outward from a shaft portion of the core, and

the sheath comprises a locking member extending radially inward from an inner surface of the shell, the locking member of the sheath abutting the one or more locking members of the central portion of the core in a first longitudinal direction and a second longitudinal direction.

22. The robot of claim 19, wherein the sheath comprises:

a vane extending radially outwardly from an outer surface of the shell and following a first path along the outer surface of the shell, and

a plurality of nubs protruding radially outwardly from the outer surface of the shell and spaced apart from one another along the outer surface of the shell, each of the nubs following a portion of a second path circumferentially offset along the outer surface of the shell from the first path, a first portion of the nubs extending longitudinally from the first end portion of the sheath toward the center of the roller along 15% to 35% of a length of the roller, and a second portion of the nubs extending longitudinally from the second end portion of the sheath toward the center of the roller along 15% to 35% of the length of the roller.

23. The robot of claim 19, wherein a first half of the shell comprises a frustoconical portion tapering toward the center of the cleaning roller, and a second half of the shell comprises a frustoconical portion tapering toward the center of the cleaning roller.