Autonomous floor-cleaning robot

• US 8,656,550 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• 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:
  US12/824,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20100263158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 15/521, 153/401, 153/56, 153/60, 153/403, 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 includes a wheeled housing having a perimeter, a motor drive operably connected to wheels of the housing to move the robot across a floor surface, and a bumper responsive to obstacles encountered by the robot. A controller is in electrical communication with both the bumper and the motor drive and is configured to control the motor drive to maneuver the robot to avoid detected obstacles across the floor surface during a floor-cleaning operation. A driven cleaning brush, rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to an underside of the housing, is disposed substantially across a central region of the underside and is positioned to brush the floor surface as the robot is moved across the floor surface. Additionally, a driven side brush extending beyond the perimeter is positioned to brush floor surface debris from beyond the perimeter toward a projected path of the driven cleaning brush.

Claims

1. A floor-cleaning robot comprising:

a wheeled housing having a perimeter;

a motor drive operably connected to wheels of the housing to move the robot across a floor surface;

a bumper responsive to obstacles encountered by the robot;

a controller in electrical communication with both the bumper and the motor drive and configured to control the motor drive to maneuver the robot to avoid detected obstacles across the floor surface during a floor-cleaning operation;

a driven cleaning brush, rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to an underside of the housing, the driven cleaning brush being disposed substantially across a central region of the underside and positioned to brush the floor surface as the robot is moved across the floor surface; and

a driven side brush, comprising resilient brush arms extending outwardly from a hub and extending beyond the perimeter as the hub rotates and positioned to brush floor surface debris from beyond the perimeter toward a projected path of the driven cleaning brush along the floor surface, each of the brush arms having bristles at a distal end of each brush arm.

2. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum with a vacuum inlet positioned on the underside of the housing and rearward of the driven cleaning brush.

3. The floor cleaning robot of claim 2, further comprising a particulate receptacle positioned to receive and collect particulates ingested through the vacuum inlet.

4. The floor cleaning robot of claim 3, wherein the receptacle comprises a removable dust cartridge.

5. The floor cleaning robot of claim 2, wherein the vacuum inlet comprises an elongated slot extending substantially across the central region of the underside of the housing.

6. The floor cleaning robot of claim 5, further comprising a first resilient blade extending from the underside of the housing immediately rearward of the vacuum inlet slot and having a distal edge configured to wipe the floor surface.

7. The floor cleaning robot of claim 6, further comprising a second resilient blade extending from the underside of the housing immediately forward of the vacuum inlet slot.

8. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a particulate receptacle positioned to receive and collect particulates brushed from the floor surface by the driven cleaning brush.

9. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the driven side brush is configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the floor surface.

10. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a cliff detector which is configured to detect a falling edge of the floor surface when the robot is moving towards the falling edge.

11. The floor cleaning robot of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to redirect the robot in response to detection of the floor surface falling edge.

12. The floor cleaning robot of claim 10, wherein the cliff detector is positioned adjacent to a forward edge of the housing.

13. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising at least one friction pad on the underside of the housing and positioned to engage the floor surface and inhibit robot motion when a forward wheel of the robot travels beyond a falling edge of the floor surface.

14. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the bumper comprises a displaceable bumper positioned along the housing perimeter, the robot further comprising a bumper displacement sensor responsive to displacement of the bumper with respect to the housing.

15. The floor cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein the bumper displacement sensor comprises an infrared break beam sensor.

16. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to move the robot in a wall-following mode to maneuver the robot along a wall in a direction that places the driven side brush against the wall.

17. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the housing perimeter is substantially round.

18. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the driven cleaning brush comprises first and second brushes that counter rotate with respect to one another.

19. The floor cleaning robot of claim 18, wherein the first brush comprises a flapper brush.

20. The floor cleaning robot of claim 18, wherein the second brush comprises a bristle brush.

21. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the driven cleaning brush is mounted on a deck pivotally coupled to a portion of the housing to which the wheels are mounted.

22. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the motor drive comprises separate motors operably connected to respective wheels of the housing, the controller configured to independently drive the separate motors to turn the robot.

23. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the wheels are positioned to enable the robot to spin in place.

24. A self-propelled floor-cleaning robot comprising

a housing defining a substantially round housing perimeter;

a driven cleaning brush disposed within the round housing perimeter and positioned to engage a floor surface;

a driven side brush, comprising resilient brush arms extending outwardly from a hub and extending beyond the round housing perimeter as the hub rotates and positioned to brush floor surface debris from beyond the round housing perimeter along the floor surface, each of the brush arms having bristles at a distal end of each brush arm;

a bumper responsive to obstacles encountered by the robot; and

a controller in electrical communication with a motor drive and configured to control the motor drive to maneuver the robot about detected obstacles located on the floor surface, during a floor-cleaning operation.

25. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, further comprising a vacuum with a vacuum inlet positioned on the underside of the housing and rearward of the driven cleaning brush.

26. The floor cleaning robot of claim 25, further comprising a particulate receptacle positioned to receive and collect particulates ingested through the vacuum inlet.

27. The floor cleaning robot of claim 26, wherein the receptacle comprises a removable dust cartridge.

28. The floor cleaning robot of claim 25, wherein the vacuum inlet comprises an elongated slot extending across a central region of the underside of the housing.

29. The floor cleaning robot of claim 28, further comprising a first resilient blade extending from the underside of the housing immediately rearwardly of the vacuum inlet slot and having a distal edge configured to wipe the floor surface.

30. The floor cleaning robot of claim 29, further comprising a second resilient blade extending from the underside of the housing forward of the vacuum inlet slot.

31. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, further comprising a particulate receptacle positioned to receive and collect particulates brushed from the floor surface by the driven cleaning brush.

32. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, wherein the driven cleaning brush is rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the floor surface and wherein the driven side brush rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the floor surface.

33. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, further comprising a cliff detector which is configured to detect a falling edge of the floor surface when the robot is moving towards the falling edge.

34. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, further comprising at least one friction pad on the underside of the housing and which is positioned to engage the floor surface and inhibit robot motion when a forward wheel of the robot travels beyond a falling edge of the floor surface.

35. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, wherein the bumper comprises a displaceable bumper positioned along the housing perimeter, the robot further comprising a bumper displacement sensor responsive to displacement of the bumper with respect to the housing.

36. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to move the robot in a wall-following mode to maneuver the robot along a wall in a direction that places the driven side brush against the wall.

37. The floor cleaning robot of claim 24, wherein the driven cleaning brush is mounted on a deck pivotally coupled to a portion of the housing to which the wheels are mounted.

38. A floor-cleaning robot, comprising:

a housing including a chassis and having a periphery,

a motor drive operable to generate movement of the robot across a surface during floor-cleaning,

a vacuum having a vacuum inlet disposed at least in part within the chassis and operable to ingest particulates and thereby provide floor-cleaning,

a cleaning brush operable to collect particulates from the surface during floor-cleaning;

a side brush, comprising resilient brush arms extending outwardly from a hub and extending beyond the periphery as the hub rotates and configured to direct particulates from outside of the periphery of the housing structure along the surface, toward the vacuum inlet during floor-cleaning, each of the brush arms having bristles at a distal end of each brush arm;

a removable dust cartridge which is removably connected to the housing and which is in communication with at least one of the vacuum or the cleaning brush, and which is operable to store particulates ingested by the vacuum or collected by the cleaning brush,

a cliff detector operable to generate a cliff signal upon detection of a cliff during movement over the surface during floor cleaning, and

a controller, in communication with the motor drive and responsive to a cliff signals generated by the cliff detector,

wherein the controller is responsive to the cliff signal to control movement of the robot upon detection of a cliff to enable the robot to move away from the cliff and to continue movement.

39. The robot of claim 38, wherein the controller is responsive to the cliff signal to reduce velocity of movement of the robot upon detection of a cliff.

40. The robot of claim 38, wherein the controller is responsive to the cliff signal to change direction of movement of the robot upon detection of a cliff.

41. The robot of claim 38, further comprising:

an obstacle detection sensor operable to generate an obstacle signal upon detection of an obstacle, and wherein the controller is responsive to the obstacle signal to control movement of the robot upon detection of an obstacle.

42. The robot of claim 41, wherein:

the obstacle detection sensor comprises a tactile sensor, and

the controller is responsive to the obstacle signal generated by the tactile sensor to cause the robot to execute an escape behavior and continue movement.

43. The robot of claim 38, wherein:

the controller is configured to operate the robot in, and to select from any of a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising;

a spot-coverage mode whereby the robot provides coverage of a spot on the floor, an obstacle following mode whereby the robot travels adjacent to an obstacle, and

a bounce mode whereby the robot travels substantially in a direction away from an obstacle after detecting an obstacle.