Autonomous floor-cleaning robot

• US 8,474,090 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Joseph L., Mack, Newton E., Nugent, David M., Sandin, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCRUGGS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/201,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 15/521, 153/401, 153/56, 153/60, 700/245
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/282 having rotary 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 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: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/02 with driven tools for special purposes with floor-polishing tools A47L11/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0494 Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/32 Handles

Abstract

A floor cleaning robot comprises a housing, wheels, and a motor driving the wheels to move the robot across a floor, a control module disposed within the housing and directing movement of the robot across the floor, a sensor for detecting and communicating obstacle information to the control module so that the control module can cause the robot to react to the obstacle, a removable bin disposed at least partially within the housing and receiving particulates, a first rotating member directing particulates toward the bin, and a second rotating member cooperating with the first rotating member to direct particulates toward the bin. The removable bin receives particulates directed thereto by the first and second rotating members and the particulates pass from the first rotating member to the removable bin without passing through a filter.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning robot comprising:

a housing and a chassis;

wheels and at least one motor to drive the wheels disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to move the floor cleaning robot across a floor, each of the wheels being attached to the chassis via a respective arm having a distal end and a proximal end;

a control module disposed within the housing and directing movement of the floor cleaning robot across the floor;

at least one sensor for detecting an obstacle and communicating obstacle information to the control module so that the control module can cause the floor cleaning robot to react to the obstacle;

a removable bin disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to receive particulates; and

a first rotating member configured to direct particulates toward the bin,

wherein one of the wheels is rotatably attached to the distal end of each arm, and the proximal end of each arm is pivotably attached to the chassis,

wherein each wheel is biased to an extended position away from the robot chassis by a spring extending between the arm and the robot chassis, and

wherein, during cleaning, the weight of the floor cleaning robot overcomes a force from the spring biasing the wheels to an extended position.

2. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a second rotating member configured to cooperate with the first rotating member to direct particulates toward the bin.

3. The floor cleaning robot of claim 2, wherein the first rotating member contacts the floor and agitates particulates and directs the particulates toward the second rotating member.

4. The floor cleaning robot of claim 3, wherein the second rotating member is positioned to receive particulates from the first rotating member and direct the particulates toward the removable bin.

5. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising an air moving system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to ingest particulates and direct particulates toward the removable bin.

6. The floor cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein the first rotating member cooperates with the air moving system to direct particulates toward the bin.

7. The floor cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein air moved by the air moving system passes through a filter before exiting the housing.

8. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a wheel drop sensor for sensing when one of the wheels of the floor cleaning robot has dropped to an extended position, and

wherein the control module causes the floor cleaning robot to stop moving across the floor when the wheel drop sensor senses that a wheel of the floor cleaning robot has dropped to an extended position.

9. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the first rotating member is a brush.

10. A floor cleaning robot comprising:

a housing and a chassis;

a first wheel and a first arm for attaching the first wheel to the chassis, the first arm having a proximal end pivotably attached to the chassis and a distal end to which the first wheel is rotatably mounted;

a first resilient member connecting the first arm to the chassis and biasing the distal end of the first arm and the first wheel to an extended position;

a second wheel and a second arm for attaching the second wheel to the chassis, the second arm having a proximal end pivotably attached to the chassis and a distal end to which the second wheel is rotatably mounted;

a second resilient member connecting the second arm to the chassis and biasing the distal end of the second arm and the second wheel to an extended position;

at least one motor disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to drive the first and second wheels to move the floor cleaning robot across a floor;

a control module disposed within the housing and directing movement of the floor cleaning robot across the floor;

at least one sensor for detecting an obstacle and communicating obstacle information to the control module so that the control module can cause the floor cleaning robot to react to the obstacle;

a removable bin disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to receive particulates;

a rotating brush configured to agitate particulates and direct particulates toward the removable bin;

wherein, during cleaning, the weight of the floor cleaning robot overcomes a force from the first and second resilient members that biases the wheels to an extended position.

11. The floor cleaning robot of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a wheel drop sensor for sensing when one of the wheels of the floor cleaning robot has dropped to an extended position, and

wherein the control module causes the floor cleaning robot to stop moving across the floor when the wheel drop sensor senses that a wheel of the floor cleaning robot has dropped to an extended position.

12. The floor cleaning robot of claim 10, wherein the removable bin is configured to receive particulates directed thereto by the rotating brush and the rotating member, and the particulates pass from the rotating brush to the removable bin without passing through a filter.

13. The floor cleaning robot of claim 12, wherein the rotating member is disposed at least partially within the housing and is spaced from the floor a greater distance than the rotating brush.

14. The floor cleaning robot of claim 10, further comprising an air moving system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to ingest particulates.

15. The floor cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein the rotating brush cooperates with the air moving system to direct particulates toward the bin.

16. The floor cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein air moved by the air moving system passes through a filter before exiting the housing.

17. A method for directing particulates from a floor into a bin, the method comprising:

driving wheels to move a cleaning robot across a floor, the wheels being attached to a chassis of the cleaning robot by a pivoting arm and being biased to an extended position by a spring extending between the arm and the chassis;

allowing the weight of the cleaning robot to overcome the spring force biasing the wheels to an extended position when the cleaning robot is positioned for use;

sensing obstacles;

causing the cleaning robot to avoid the sensed obstacles;

agitating particulates from the floor and directing the particulates toward a removable bin of the cleaning robot;

generating a negative pressure to direct agitated particulates toward the removable bin; and

holding particulates in the removable bin.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising filtering air used to direct particulates toward the removable bin after particulates carried by the air are held by the removable bin.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein agitating particulates from the floor and directing the particulates toward the removable bin comprises directing the particulates toward a rotating member disposed at least partially within the cleaning robot, and rotating the rotating member to direct particulates toward the removable bin.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sensing when one of the wheels of the floor cleaning robot has dropped to an extended position; and

causing the floor cleaning robot to stop moving across the floor when the wheel drop sensor senses that a wheel of the floor cleaning robot has dropped to an extended position.