Gutter cleaning robot

• US 8,453,289 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Lynch, James
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US13/439,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20120192898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 151/040.9, 152/360.4, 700/245
• US Class Current: 15/236.04
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/12 Brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/32 using rotary cleaning members
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/024 Cleaning by means of spray elements moving over the surface to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/0765 Cleaning tools

Abstract

A gutter cleaning robot can traverse rain gutters to agitate and remove debris. The gutter cleaning robot is equipped with a debris auger at a front end that contacts and ejects the debris, and has a drive system for propelling the gutter cleaning robot along the rain gutter. The debris auger can include a spiral screw or various other forms of auger, and may be interchangeable by the user so as to enhance the effectiveness of the gutter cleaning robot in various environments or modes of operation.

Claims

1. A gutter cleaning robot, comprising:

a main body;

a drive motor carried on the main body;

an auger motor carried on the main body;

an auger mechanically coupled to the auger motor and movable to agitate debris out of a rain gutter;

a controller carried on the main body and configured to control the operating speed and direction of each of the drive motor and the debris auger motor based at least in part on a measured current to the auger motor and/or a measured current to the drive motor.

2. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to reduce a commanded drive speed of the drive motor based at least in part on whether the measured current of the drive motor is above a threshold value.

3. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to stop the drive motor and the auger motor based at least in part on whether the measured current of the drive motor is above a threshold value.

4. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a first wheel and a second wheel, each of the first and second wheels is operably connected to the drive motor.

5. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to control the drive motor to rotate the first and second wheels in a direction opposite a direction of movement of the gutter cleaning robot based at least in part on whether the measured current of the drive motor is above a threshold value.

6. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the auger motor to spin in a direction opposite a direction of movement of the auger based at least in part on whether the measured current of the auger motor is above a threshold value.

7. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a main body including a robot connector configured to mechanically drive the auger; and

an auger connector disposed on the debris auger and configured to interface with the robot connector, wherein the auger connector includes a plurality of connector concavities extending into the auger connector, each connector concavity aligned substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the auger connector, and wherein the robot connector includes a plurality of tines each configured to extend into a respective connector concavity of the auger connector.

8. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the auger includes an auger configured to drill into debris.

9. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the debris auger includes one or more selected from the group consisting of:

a flail-type auger, a bristle-type auger, a flap-type auger, a twisting flap-type auger, an irregular protrusion-type auger, a revolving horizontal tines-type auger, a screw-and-flaptype auger, a plow-type auger, or a pneumatic auger.

10. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a remote control configured to operate the gutter cleaning robot via a wireless signal transmitted to the gutter cleaning robot.

11. The gutter cleaning robot of claim 10, further comprising:

a first light emitting diode disposed on the remote control and configured to blink when the remote control transmits a signal; and

a second light emitting diode disposed on the gutter cleaning robot and configured to blink when the gutter cleaning robot receives a signal.

12. A method of operating a gutter cleaning robot, the method comprising:

providing power to a drive motor carried on a main body, the drive motor coupled to a first wheel and a second wheel rotatable to move the robot along the rain gutter;

providing power to an auger motor carried on the main body, the auger motor coupled to an auger movable to agitate debris out of a rain gutter;

determining current to one or both of the auger motor and the drive motor;

controlling the operating speed and direction of each of the drive motor and the debris auger motor based at least in part on the determined current to one or both of the auger motor and the drive motor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the operating speed and direction of the drive motor comprises reducing a commanded drive speed of the drive motor based at least in part on whether the determined current of the drive motor is above a threshold value.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the operating speed and direction of the drive motor comprises moving the drive motor to rotate the first and second wheels in a direction opposite a direction of movement of the gutter cleaning robot based at least in part on whether the measured current of the drive motor is above a threshold value.

15. The method of claim 12, 13, or 14, wherein controlling the operating speed and direction of each of the drive motor and the auger motor comprises stopping the drive motor and the auger motor based at least in part on whether the measured current of the drive motor is above a threshold value.

16. The method of claim 12, 13, or 14, wherein controlling the operating speed and direction of the debris auger motor comprises moving the auger motor in a direction opposite a direction of movement of the auger based at least in part on whether the determined current of the auger is above a threshold value.