Cleaning Pad

• US 20160242613A1
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Dooley, Michael J., Romanov, Nikolai, Williams, Marcus, Johnson, Joseph M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,398,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/12 with reciprocating or oscillating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/125 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/284 having reciprocating tools
• 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 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/408 Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/16 Cloths; Pads; Sponges metal scraping sponges A47L13/07
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/20 Mops
• 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 2201/04 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: A61F 13/36 Surgical swabs, e.g. for absorbency or packing body cavities during surgery A61F13/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/12 on paper layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/04 Cellulosic plastic fibres, e.g. rayon
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/067 Wood fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/14 Mixture of at least two fibres made of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7145 : Rot proof, resistant to bacteria, mildew, mould, fungi
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 : Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/726 : Permeability to liquids, absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/73 : Hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2432/00 : Cleaning articles, e.g. mops or wipes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/14 : comprising synthetic rubber copolymers B32B25/18 and B32B25/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 29/002 : as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/06; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/06; next to a water-setting substance layer B32B13/08; next to a metal layer B32B15/12; next to a glass layer B32B17/065; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/046; next to a wood layer B32B21/06; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/06; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/06; next to a synthetic resin layer B32B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/04 : characterised by at least one layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer ; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties

Abstract

A pad particularly adapted for surface cleaning. The pad includes an absorbent core having the ability to absorb and retain liquid material, and a liner layer in contact with and covering at least one side of the absorbent core. The liner layer has the ability to retain and wick liquid material through the liner layer. Cleaning apparatus containing such pads and methods of using such pads are also described.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A floor cleaning robot comprising:

a robot body;

one or more drive wheels supporting the robot body above a floor surface and configured to maneuver the robot body across the floor surface;

a pad holder disposed forward of the one or more drive wheels and configured to receive a cleaning pad; and

a fluid applicator to apply a fluid to the floor surface such that the received cleaning pad absorbs the fluid during forward movement of the robot body; and

a controller to initiate operations of the fluid applicator to;

apply sprays of the fluid at a first volumetric flow rate during a first spraying period to wet the floor surface, and then

apply sprays of the fluid at a second volumetric flow rate during a second spraying period to wet the floor surface, the second volumetric flow rate of the second spraying period being less than the first volumetric flow rate of the first spraying period.

31. The robot of claim 30, wherein the first volumetric flow rate is defined by:

a predefined distance travelled by the robot body between consecutive sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period, and

a predefined volume of the fluid in each of the consecutive sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period,

wherein the predefined distance is greater than a corresponding distance for the second volumetric flow rate or the predefined volume is greater than a corresponding volume for the second volumetric flow rate.

32. The robot of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured to:

during the first spraying period, initiate application of the sprays of the fluid at the first volumetric flow rate when the cleaning pad is dry to moisten the cleaning pad, and

during the second spraying period, initiate application of the sprays of the fluid at the second volumetric flow rate when the moistened cleaning pad is absorptive.

33. The robot of claim 30, wherein the first spraying period has a predefined length of time or being associated with a total travel distance, and the controller is configured to initiate application of the sprays of the fluid during the second spraying period after applying the sprays of the fluid for the first spraying period for the predefined length of time or after causing the robot body to travel the total travel distance during the first spraying period.

34. The robot of claim 33, wherein the controller is configured to cause the robot body to move in birdsfoot movement patterns while applying the sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period.

35. The robot of claim 33, wherein the controller is configured to

initiate application of a spray of the fluid each instance the robot body travels a first predefined distance during the first spraying period, and

initiate application of a spray of the fluid each instance the robot body travels a second predefined distance during the second spraying period,

wherein the first predefined distance is less than the second predefined distance.

36. The robot of claim 30, wherein the sprays of the fluid applied during the first spraying period each has a first volume, and the sprays of the fluid applied during the second spraying period each has a second volume, the first volume being larger than the second volume.

37. The robot of claim 30, wherein a first spray frequency is used to apply the fluid at the first volumetric flow rate and a second spray frequency is used to apply the fluid at the second volumetric flow rate, the first spray frequency being larger than the second spray frequency.

38. The robot of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured to initiate application of the sprays during the first spraying period at a start of a cleaning run.

39. The robot of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured, after the first spraying period, to apply the sprays during the second spraying period until an end of a cleaning run.

40. A method of cleaning a floor surface with a floor cleaning robot, the method comprising:

during a first spraying period, applying sprays of a fluid at a first volumetric flow rate to wet the floor surface while causing forward movement of the robot across the floor surface such that a cleaning pad of the robot absorbs the fluid, and then

during a second spraying period, applying sprays of the fluid at a second volumetric flow rate to wet the floor surface while causing forward movement of the robot across the floor surface such that the cleaning pad of the robot absorbs the fluid,

wherein the first volumetric flow rate of the first spraying period is larger than the second volumetric flow rate of the second spraying period.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the first volumetric flow rate is defined by:

a predefined distance travelled by the robot between consecutive sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period, and

a predefined volume of the fluid in each of the consecutive sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period,

wherein the predefined distance is greater than a corresponding distance for the second volumetric flow rate or the predefined volume is greater than a corresponding volume for the second volumetric flow rate.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein:

applying the sprays at the first volumetric flow rate comprises initiating application of the sprays of the fluid at the first volumetric flow rate when the cleaning pad of the robot is dry to moisten the cleaning pad of the robot, and

applying the sprays at the second volumetric flow rate comprises initiating application of the sprays of the fluid at the second volumetric flow rate when the moistened cleaning pad of the robot is absorptive.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the first spraying period has a predefined length of time or being associated with a total travel distance, and the method further comprises:

initiating application of the sprays of the fluid during the second spraying period after applying the sprays of the fluid for the first spraying period for the predefined length of time or after causing the robot to travel the total travel distance during the first spraying period.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising causing the robot to move in birdsfoot movement patterns while applying the sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein:

applying the sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period comprises initiating application of a spray of the fluid each instance the robot travels a first predefined distance during the first spraying period, and

applying the sprays of the fluid during the second spraying period comprises initiating application of a spray of the fluid each instance the robot travels a second predefined distance during the second spraying period,

wherein the first predefined distance is less than the second predefined distance.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the sprays of the fluid applied during the first spraying period each has a first volume, and the sprays of the fluid applied during the second spraying period each has a second volume, the first volume being larger than the second volume.

47. The method of claim 40, wherein a first spray frequency is used to apply the fluid at the first volumetric flow rate and a second spray frequency is used to apply the fluid at the second volumetric flow rate, the first spray frequency being larger than the second spray frequency.

48. The method of claim 40, wherein applying the sprays of the fluid during the first spraying period comprises initiating application of the sprays during the first spraying period at a start of a cleaning run.

49. The method of claim 40, wherein applying the sprays of the fluid during the second spraying period comprises, after applying the sprays during the first spraying period, applying the sprays during the second spraying period until an end of a cleaning run.