AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT
First Claim
1. A surface treatment robot comprising:
- a chassis having forward and rear ends;
a drive system carried by the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels;
a vacuum assembly carried by the chassis and comprising a collection region engaging the cleaning surface and a suction region in fluid communication with the collection region, the suction region configured to suction waste from the cleaning surface through the collection region;
a collection volume carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the vacuum assembly for collecting waste removed by the vacuum assembly;
a supply volume carried by the chassis and configured to hold a cleaning liquid;
an applicator carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the supply volume, the applicator configured to dispense the cleaning liquid onto the cleaning surface substantially near the forward end of the chassis; and
a wetting element carried by the chassis and engaging the cleaning surface to distribute the cleaning liquid along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the robot is driven in a forward direction, the wetting element arranged substantially forward of a transverse axis defined by the right and left driven wheels, and the wetting element slidably supporting at least about ten percent of the mass of the robot above the cleaning surface.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surface treatment robot includes a chassis having forward and rear ends and a drive system carried by the chassis. The drive system includes right and left driven wheels and is configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface. The robot includes a vacuum assembly, a collection volume, a supply volume, an applicator, and a wetting element, each carried by the chassis. The wetting element engages the cleaning surface to distribute a cleaning liquid applied to the surface by the applicator. The wetting element distributes the cleaning liquid along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the robot is driven in a forward direction. The wetting element is arranged substantially forward of a transverse axis defined by the right and left driven wheels, and the wetting element slidably supports at least about ten percent of the mass of the robot above the cleaning surface.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A surface treatment robot comprising:
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a chassis having forward and rear ends; a drive system carried by the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels; a vacuum assembly carried by the chassis and comprising a collection region engaging the cleaning surface and a suction region in fluid communication with the collection region, the suction region configured to suction waste from the cleaning surface through the collection region; a collection volume carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the vacuum assembly for collecting waste removed by the vacuum assembly; a supply volume carried by the chassis and configured to hold a cleaning liquid; an applicator carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the supply volume, the applicator configured to dispense the cleaning liquid onto the cleaning surface substantially near the forward end of the chassis; and a wetting element carried by the chassis and engaging the cleaning surface to distribute the cleaning liquid along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the robot is driven in a forward direction, the wetting element arranged substantially forward of a transverse axis defined by the right and left driven wheels, and the wetting element slidably supporting at least about ten percent of the mass of the robot above the cleaning surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A surface treatment robot comprising:
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a chassis having forward and rear ends; a drive system carried by the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels; a vacuum assembly carried by the chassis and comprising a collection region engaging the cleaning surface and a suction region in fluid communication with the collection region, the suction region configured to suction waste from the cleaning surface through the collection region; a collection volume carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the vacuum assembly for collecting waste removed by the vacuum assembly; a supply volume carried by the chassis and configured to hold a cleaning liquid; and an applicator carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the supply volume, the applicator configured to dispense the cleaning liquid onto the cleaning surface substantially near the forward end of the chassis, wherein the supply volume and the collection volume are configured to maintain a substantially constant center of gravity along a transverse axis defined by the right and left wheels while at least about 25 percent of the total volume of the robot shifts from cleaning liquid in the supply volume to waste in the collection volume as cleaning liquid is dispensed from the applicator and waste is collected by the vacuum assembly. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An autonomous coverage robot comprising:
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a body having forward and rear ends, a perimeter, and a top region; a drive system carried by the body and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels; an optical receiver carried by the body substantially below the top region and substantially forward of the transverse axis defined by the right and left wheels; a signal channeler in optical communication with the optical receiver, the signal channeler arranged along the top region of the body and extending substantially around the entire perimeter of the body, the signal channeler configured to receive an optical signal from a remote transmitter in substantially any direction around the perimeter of the body, the signal channeler internally reflective to direct the optical signal toward the receiver, and the drive system configured to alter a heading setting in response to the optical signal received by the receiver. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. An autonomous robot comprising:
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a chassis; a biased-to-drop suspension system coupled to the chassis, the biased-to-drop suspension system having a top position and a bottom position; a vacuum assembly carried by the chassis and configured to suction waste from the cleaning surface; a collection volume carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the vacuum assembly for collecting waste suctioned by the vacuum assembly; and a seal movable from an open position to a closed position to interrupt at least a portion of the fluid communication between the vacuum assembly and the collection volume, the seal coupled to the suspension system and configured to move from the open position to the closed position when the biased-to-drop suspension system moves from the top position to the bottom position. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification