AUTONOMOUS PLANAR SURFACE CLEANING ROBOT

• US 20150257622A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecovacs Robotics, Inc. (Ecovacs Robotics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ecovacs Robotics, Inc. (Ecovacs Robotics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Qian, Dongqi
• Granted Patent: US 9,215,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/02 Power-driven machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/38 Machines, specially adapted for cleaning walls, ceilings, roofs, or the like
• 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 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/04 by means of separate power sources
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/06 with tracks without ground wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/16 comprising worm and worm-wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/28 with gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/041 for conveying rotary motion with constant gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles

Abstract

Autonomous planar surface cleaning robots are disclosed. The robot includes a main body having a bottom portion defining an outer portion defining a surface area about a perimeter thereof and an inner portion defining a cavity formed within the outer portion. The main body supports a driving mechanism, a vacuum source, a vacuum sensor, and a control unit. The vacuum source, cavity, and vacuum sensor are in fluid communication. The control unit is electrically coupled to the driving mechanism, the vacuum source, and the vacuum sensor, and is configured to control the robot to turn direction when the control unit receives a signal from the vacuum sensor indicating that a degree of vacuum pressure within the cavity is below a predetermined vacuum pressure. Also disclosed is robot that includes multiple vacuum sources. Also disclosed is an apparatus that includes a connector pole.

Claims

1. An autonomous planar surface cleaning robot, comprising:

a main body having a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining an outer portion defining a surface area about a perimeter thereof and an inner portion defining a cavity formed within the outer portion;

a driving mechanism supported by the main body;

a vacuum source supported by the main body and in fluid communication with the cavity;

a vacuum sensor supported by the main body and in fluid communication with the cavity; and

a control unit supported by the main body and electrically coupled to the driving mechanism, the vacuum source, and the vacuum sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot to turn direction when the control unit receives a signal from the vacuum sensor indicating that a degree of vacuum pressure within the cavity is below a predetermined vacuum pressure.

2. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a handle, wherein the vacuum source further comprises a vacuum motor and an impeller, and wherein at least a portion of the vacuum motor is located within a cavity of the handle.

3. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising at least one aperture formed in the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body, wherein the at least one aperture is in fluid communication with the cavity and the vacuum sensor.

4. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a cleaning component disposed over the surface area defined by the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body.

5. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the cleaning component is removably connected to the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body.

6. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the cleaning component extends outwardly beyond the driving mechanism and the vacuum source to provide a vacuum seal.

7. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 6, wherein the cleaning component provides the vacuum seal between a planar surface and the cavity when the cleaning component is applied against the planar surface.

8. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 4, further comprising at least one aperture formed in the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body, wherein the at least one aperture is in fluid communication with the cavity and the vacuum sensor and wherein the cleaning component is disposed over the at least one aperture.

9. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism further comprises:

a first transmission component; and

a second transmission component spaced apart in parallel relationship relative to the first transmission component;

wherein the first and second transmission components are located on either side of a longitudinal axis defined by the main body; and

wherein each of the first and second transmission components are independently controllable by the control unit.

10. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 9, wherein each of the transmission components further comprises:

a motor electrically coupled to the control unit;

a gear reducer operatively coupled to the motor; and

a transmission system operatively coupled to the gear reducer.

11. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 10, wherein the gear reducer further comprises:

a first gear box component comprising a cover, a worm gear, and a worm;

a second inner gear component comprising an inner gear cover, multiple planet gears, and output driving mechanism.

12. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 10, wherein the transmission system further comprises:

a synchronization belt;

a synchronization driving wheel; and

a synchronization wheel, wherein the motor is configured to rotatably drive the synchronization driving wheel to rotate the synchronization wheel via the synchronization belt.

13. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 12, wherein the synchronization belt is formed of single material.

14. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 13, wherein the synchronization belt is a material with hard and soft together character.

15. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 12, wherein the synchronization belt is formed of at least two different materials having different rigidity characteristics.

16. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 15, wherein the at least two different materials comprise:

a first material forming an outer layer of the belt; and

a second material forming an inner layer of the belt;

wherein the first material is made of rubber or silica gel to supply large friction for moving the robot across the planar surface and the second material is made of hard rubber to provide adequate hardness for rotating the synchronization driving wheel and the synchronization wheel via the belt.

17. An autonomous planar surface cleaning robot, comprising:

a main body having a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining an outer portion defining a surface area about a perimeter thereof and an inner portion defining a cavity formed within the outer portion;

a driving mechanism supported by the main body;

a first vacuum source supported by the main body and in fluid communication with the cavity;

a second vacuum source supported by the main body and fluidically isolated from the cavity;

a vacuum sensor supported by the main body and in fluid communication with the second vacuum source through a fluid channel; and

a control unit supported by the main body and electrically coupled to the driving mechanism, the first and second vacuum sources, and the vacuum sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot to turn direction when the control unit receives a signal from the vacuum sensor indicating that a degree of vacuum pressure within the fluid channel is below a predetermined vacuum pressure.

18. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 17, further comprising at least one aperture formed in the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body, wherein the at least one aperture is in fluid communication with the fluid channel and the vacuum sensor and is in fluid isolation with the cavity.

19. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 17, further comprising another vacuum sensor supported by the main body and in fluid communication with the cavity.

20. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 17, further comprising a cleaning component disposed over the surface area defined on the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body.

21. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the cleaning component is removably connected to the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body.

22. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the cleaning component extends outwardly beyond the driving mechanism and the vacuum source to provide a vacuum seal.

23. The autonomous planar surface cleaning robot of claim 22, wherein the cleaning component provides the vacuum seal between a planar surface and the cavity when the cleaning component is applied against the planar surface.

24. A driving mechanism for an autonomous planar surface cleaning robot, the robot comprising a main body, a vacuum source, a vacuum sensor, and a control unit, the driving mechanism comprising:

a first transmission component; and

a second transmission component spaced apart in parallel relationship relative to the first transmission component;

wherein each of the first and second transmission components defines first and second ends and first and second sides, wherein the first sides face each other and the second sides face away from each other in a direction transverse from the direction of motion and the first and second ends are oppositely spaced along the direction of motion; and

wherein each of the first and second transmission components are independently controllable by the control unit.

25. The driving mechanism of claim 24, wherein the first transmission component comprises a first motor operatively coupled to the control unit and the second transmission component comprises a second motor operatively coupled to the control unit.

26. The driving mechanism of claim 25, wherein the first and second motors are positioned at the first sides of the first and second transmission components and at the first ends of the first and second transmission components.

27. The driving mechanism of claim 25, wherein the first and second motors are positioned at the second sides of the first and second transmission components and at the first ends of the first and second transmission components.

28. The driving mechanism of claim 25, wherein the first and second motors are positioned at the first sides of the first and second transmission components and the first motor is positioned at the first end of the first transmission component and the second motor is positioned at the second end of the second transmission component.

29. A planar surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a main body having a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining an outer portion defining a surface area about a perimeter thereof and an inner portion defining a cavity formed within the outer portion;

at least one vacuum source supported by the main body and in fluid communication with the cavity;

a cleaning component disposed over the surface area defined on the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body; and

a connector pole comprising;

a handle portion; and

a U portion connected to the handle portion, wherein the U portion is pivotally connected to the main body.

30. The planar surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29, wherein the cleaning component is removably connected to the outer portion of the bottom portion of the main body.

31. The planar surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29, wherein the cleaning component provides a vacuum seal between a planar surface and the cavity when the cleaning component is applied against the planar surface.