Modular robotic floor-cleaning system

• US 20160227975A1
• Filed: 01/18/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ai Incorprated
• Original Assignee: Ai Incorprated
• Inventors: Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 10,548,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers

Abstract

A floor-cleaning system comprised of a mobile robot having compartments to hold modules corresponding to various functions and a base station storing extra modules. The mobile robot runs until one or more modules is expended, at which point the robot navigates to the base station, ejects expended modules, and loads new modules. The robot continues operation with a minimum amount of downtime and a reduced need for human intervention. The base station may be supplied with numerous ready modules so that a human administrator only needs to replenish, replace or empty the modules periodically.

Claims

1. A modular floor-cleaning system comprising a mobile robot and a base station, the mobile robot comprising:

a chassis;

a drive system installed in the chassis operable to enable movement of the robot, the drive system comprising a set of wheels;

a control system in communication with the drive system including a processor operable to control the drive system to provide at least one movement pattern;

a cleaning assembly;

one or more slots for holding removable modules;

a means for loading and ejecting modules; and

a means for navigating to a base station;

the base station comprising one or more removable modules corresponding to system functions,

whereby the mobile robot is operable to periodically eject used modules and load new modules from the base station into open slots.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein modules corresponding to system functions may include any of:

a module for storing debris;

a module for holding a battery;

a module for storing water;

a module for storing cleaning fluid; and

a module for storing a polishing agent.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the base station further comprises a repository for storing used modules.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising sensors within each module that detect when the module has been expended, detection of an expended module triggering the system to return to the base station, eject the expended module, and load a new module.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein exchange of used modules for new modules occurs at predetermined intervals based on the run time of the system.