CLEANING ROBOT ROLLER PROCESSING

• US 20140053351A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Kapoor, Deepak Ramesh, Dubrovsky, Zivthan A.
• Application Number:
  US14/067,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053351A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/52.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• 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 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4091 Storing or parking devices, arrangements therefor; Means allowing transport of the machine when it is not being used
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4097 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Exhaust-air treatment, e.g. air purification; Means for sound or vibration damping
• 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 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• 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 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 : Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 : Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 : the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust

Abstract

A coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a housing and at least one driven cleaning roller including an elongated core with end mounting features defining a central longitudinal axis of rotation, multiple floor cleaning bristles extending radially outward from the core, and at least one compliant flap extending radially outward from the core to sweep a floor surface. The flap is configured to prevent errant filaments from spooling tightly about the core to aid subsequent removal of the filaments. In another aspect, a coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system, a controller, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a housing and at least one driven cleaning roller. The coverage robot includes a roller cleaning tool carried by the chassis and configured to longitudinally traverse the roller to remove accumulated debris from the cleaning roller.

Claims

1. A cleaning brush, comprising:

a rotation shaft in which multiple rows of bristles are implanted, characterized in that, a squeegee is disposed between each two neighboring rows of the bristles.

2. The cleaning brush of claim 1 characterized in that, the height of the bristles is higher than the height of the squeegee.

3. The cleaning brush of claim 1, characterized in that, multiple squeegees are integrally formed into a squeegee assembly.

4. The cleaning brush of claim 1, characterized in that, the multiple rows of bristles have 2 to 5 rows of bristles.

5. The cleaning brush of claim 3 wherein the multiple squeegees are configured to prevent errant filaments from spooling tightly about the rotation shaft to aid subsequent removal of the filaments

6. The cleaning brush of claim 3 wherein the multiple squeegees extend radially outward from the rotation shaft.

7. The cleaning brush of claim 3 wherein the multiple squeegees extend along the rotation shaft in a paddle wheel arrangement parallel to the rows bristles.

8. The cleaning brush of claim 7 wherein a diameter of the squeegee about the rotation shaft is less than a diameter of the bristles about the rotation shaft.

9. The cleaning brush of claim 3 wherein the multiple squeegees are inner pliable flaps that are self-supporting and attached directly to the rotation shaft.

10. The cleaning brush of claim 3 wherein the squeegee assembly comprises a plurality of integral ribs distributed along radial directions about the axis of the rotation shaft and the inner pliable flaps are formed as part of and/or supported by integral ribs.

11. The cleaning brush of claim 2, characterized in that, multiple squeegees are integrally formed into a squeegee assembly.

12. The cleaning brush of claim 11, characterized in that, the multiple rows of bristles have 2 to 5 rows of bristles.

13. The cleaning brush of claim 11 wherein the multiple squeegees are configured to prevent errant filaments from spooling tightly about the rotation shaft to aid subsequent removal of the filaments

14. The cleaning brush of claim 11 wherein the multiple squeegees extend radially outward from the rotation shaft.

15. The cleaning brush of claim 11 wherein the multiple squeegees extend along the rotation shaft in a paddle wheel arrangement parallel to the rows bristles.

16. The cleaning brush of claim 15 wherein a diameter of the squeegee about the rotation shaft is less than a diameter of the bristles about the rotation shaft.

17. The cleaning brush of claim 11 wherein the multiple squeegees are inner pliable flaps that are self-supporting and attached directly to the rotation shaft.

18. The cleaning brush of claim 11 wherein the squeegee assembly comprises a plurality of integral ribs distributed along radial directions about the axis of the rotation shaft and the inner pliable flaps are formed as part of and/or supported by integral ribs.

19. A coverage robot comprising:

a chassis;

a drive system mounted on the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot; and

a cleaning assembly carried by the chassis and comprising;

a cleaning assembly housing; and

at least one driven brush rotatably coupled to the cleaning assembly housing and comprising;

an elongated core defining a central longitudinal axis of rotation;

multiple flaps extending radially outward from the core; and

multiple rows of floor cleaning bristles extending radially outward from the core, each of the multiple flaps disposed between an associated pair of two neighboring rows of the bristles.

20. The coverage robot of claim 19 wherein a diameter of the flap about the core is less than a diameter of the bristles about the core.

21. The coverage robot of claim 19 wherein the multiple flaps are configured to prevent errant filaments from spooling tightly about the core to aid subsequent removal of the filaments

22. The coverage robot of claim 19 wherein the multiple flaps extend along the elongated core parallel to the multiple rows of floor cleaning bristles.