SELF-PROPELLED, DUST-COLLECTING ROBOT

• US 20160095487A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: KOURA, Kentaro, SHINMA, Yasutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,463,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/1418 Impermeable dust collecting bags
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2868 Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

A self-propelled, dust-collecting robot includes a chassis, an electric motor supported by the chassis, and first and second rechargeable battery packs disposed inside the chassis for supplying current to the electric motor. First and second castors are respectively disposed immediately underneath the first and second battery packs. Each of the battery packs has a pair of rails that respectively slide into and engage with complementary guide rails coupled to the chassis. A dust-collection box is removably disposed within the chassis. A dust-collection motor rotates a suction fan that is in fluid communication with the dust-collection box. At least one rotatable brush sweeps dust towards a suction port in fluid communication with the dust-collection box.

Claims

1. A self-propelled, dust-collecting robot powered by a power tool battery pack configured to supply electric power to a power tool selected from a driver-drill, an impact driver, a circular saw, a jig saw and an orbital sander.

2. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a main-body part comprising a dust-collection box;

wherein the battery pack is configured to be mounted in and removed from the main-body part; and

the battery pack comprises a case, one or more battery cells disposed within the case, discharge terminals, and a control circuit board disposed within the case and configured to monitor for discharge abnormalities.

3. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 2, further comprising:

a cover body configured to simultaneously expose the dust-collection box and the battery pack, the cover body being provided on the main-body part.

4. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 2, wherein:

the battery pack comprises a pair of rails configured to couple to a battery pack mounting part of the power tool; and

an engaging portion, to which the battery pack rails can couple from an up-down direction, is formed on the main-body part.

5. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 4, wherein the engaging portion is arranged such that, in plan view, it faces the outer side of the main-body part.

6. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second power tool battery pack configured to supply electric power to a power tool selected from a driver-drill, an impact driver, a circular saw, a jig saw and an orbital sander.

7. A self-propelled, dust-collecting robot, comprising;

a main-body part;

a dust-collection unit provided on the main-body part; and

first and second battery packs disposed inside the main-body part.

8. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 7, further comprising:

first and second castors provided in a lower part of the main-body part;

wherein the first and second castors are respectively disposed immediately below the first and second battery packs.

9. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 8, wherein the first and second battery packs are disposed either at a rear part or at a front part of the main-body part, and each of the first and second battery packs houses a plurality of battery cells inside a case.

10. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 9, wherein a notched part is formed in the rear part of the main-body part and has a bottom surface that is higher than a bottom surface of the front part of the main-body part.

11. The self-propelled, dust-collecting robot according to claim 7, wherein:

the dust-collection unit comprises a dust-collection motor; and

the first and second battery packs are disposed such that they sandwich the dust-collection motor on the left and right thereof.

12. An autonomous floor cleaning robot, comprising;

a chassis;

an electric motor supported by the chassis; and

first and second battery packs disposed inside the chassis and configured to supply current to the electric motor.

13. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 12, further comprising:

first and second castors respectively disposed immediately underneath the first and second battery packs.

14. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 13, wherein the first and second battery packs and the first and second castors are respectively disposed in a mirror-symmetric manner with respect to a center line extending in a front-rear direction of the robot.

15. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 14, wherein:

the first and second battery packs each comprise a case, a plurality of battery cells disposed within the case and a pair of parallel rails disposed on an exterior surface of the case; and

first and second battery pack mounting parts are disposed within the chassis, each of the first and second mounting parts having a pair of parallel guide rails that are complementary to, and engage, the pair of parallel rails disposed on the battery pack case.

16. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 15, wherein:

each of the first and second battery packs has a pair of slits disposed in parallel between the pair of rails and discharge terminals are respectively disposed within the slits; and

each of the first and second mounting parts has contact terminals configured to respectively slide into the slits and contact the discharge terminals when the battery packs are respectively inserted into the mounting parts.

17. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 16, wherein:

each of the first and second mounting parts has a hole or recess; and

each of the first and second battery packs has a retractable hook configured to engage in the hole or recess and thereby lock the battery pack in the mounting part.

18. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 17, further comprising:

a controller configured to alternately supply current to the contact terminals from one of the first and second battery packs at a time.

19. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 18, wherein:

each of the first and second battery packs has a plurality of first signal terminals electrically connected to a microcontroller disposed within the case; and

each of the first and second mounting parts has a plurality of second signal terminals configured to respectively electrically contact the plurality of first signal terminals when the battery packs are respectively inserted into the mounting parts, the plurality of second signal terminals being electrically connected to the controller.

20. The autonomous floor cleaning robot according to claim 19, further comprising:

a dust-collection box removably disposed within the chassis;

a dust-collection motor configured to rotate a suction fan that is in fluid communication with the dust-collection box, the centerline intersecting the dust-collection motor and the dust-collection motor being interposed between the first and second mounting parts; and

at least one rotatable brush configured to sweep dust towards a suction port in fluid communication with the dust-collection box.