Autonomous floor-cleaning robot

• US 8,671,507 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• 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:
  US12/824,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 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 includes a housing having an underside, a substantially semi-circular front portion, and a substantially semi-circular rear portion. A displaceable bumper of a substantially semi-circular leading edge is located along a front portion of the housing. A leading wheel is mounted on the underside of the housing located adjacent to a mid-point of the semi-circular leading edge, and a battery pack cover is positioned rearwardly of the leading wheel and covers a battery pack that supplies power to the robot. At least two drive wheels are positioned rearwardly of the leading wheel, and at least one main brush is positioned rearwardly of the at least two drive wheels and is configured to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the underside. The floor cleaning robot also includes at least one side brush having at least two arms extending outwardly from a central hub located in a recess in the underside of the housing, the at least one side brush being attached to the hub such that rotation of the hub causes the brush to direct debris from a floor surface beyond the semi-circular leading edge of the robot housing for collection by the robot. An ejectable dust bin is provided that has a surface forming at least a portion of a semi-circular trailing edge of the housing.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning robot, comprising:

a housing having an underside, a substantially semi-circular front portion, and a substantially semi-circular rear portion;

a displaceable bumper comprising a substantially semi-circular unitary leading edge located along the semi-circular front portion of the housing;

a leading wheel mounted on the underside of the housing located adjacent to a mid-point of the semi-circular unitary leading edge of the bumper;

a battery pack cover positioned rearwardly of the leading wheel and covering a well in the underside of the housing receiving a battery pack that supplies power to the robot;

at least two drive wheels positioned rearwardly of the leading wheel and rearwardly of the battery pack cover, mounted within wells in the housing, and configured to be retracted when moving over a surface to be cleaned;

at least one cleaning brush, at least a portion of which is positioned rearwardly of the at least two drive wheels and configured to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the underside;

at least one side brush having at least two arms extending outwardly from a central hub located in a recess in the underside of the housing, the at least one side brush being positioned substantially between the leading wheel and the at least two drive wheels in a direction of forward movement of the robot and attached to the hub such that rotation of the hub causes the side brush to direct debris from a floor surface beyond the semi-circular leading edge of the robot housing for collection by the robot; and

a removable dust cartridge having a surface forming at least a portion of a semi-circular trailing edge of the housing.

2. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least two drive wheels each comprise a tread configured to provide traction on surfaces having different textures.

3. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of cliff sensors spaced from each other on the underside of the housing, each of the plurality of cliff sensors being positioned adjacent to the semi-circular unitary leading edge of the bumper, the plurality of cliff sensors each comprising an emitter and a detector aimed toward the floor surface and being configured to detect a cliff in the floor surface.

4. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least two arms of the at least one side brush are each resiliently deformable.

5. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least two drive wheels comprise independently powered drive wheels adjacent a peripheral edge of the robot housing.

6. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one side brush is configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the underside of the housing.

7. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one cleaning brush comprises a bristle brush.

8. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the at least one cleaning brush comprises a flapper brush.

9. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the leading wheel is positioned within a perimeter defined by the substantially semi-circular front portion and the substantially semi-circular rear portion of the housing.

10. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two arms includes a plurality of bristles at a distal end.

11. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two side arms are defined by a length greater than a distance between the central hub and a floor contacting surface of one of the at least two drive wheels.

12. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each of the at least two side arms extends beyond a peripheral edge of one of the at least two drive wheels as the hub rotates.

13. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the side brush directs debris along the floor surface into a path of the at least one cleaning brush.

14. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the surface of the removable dust cartridge comprises a curved arcuate member that defines a rear external sidewall structure of the robot.

15. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the recess is formed in a forward quadrant of the underside of the housing.

16. The floor cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the battery pack cover is removably attached to the underside of the housing.

17. A floor cleaning robot, comprising:

a housing having a semi-circular leading edge forming a front of the housing;

a substantially semi-circular unitary bumper movable toward the housing when the bumper contacts an object;

a front wheel rotatably mounted on the underside of the housing and located adjacent to a mid-point of the semi-circular leading edge;

a battery lid positioned rearwardly of the front wheel and covering a well in the underside of the housing receiving a rechargeable battery that supplies power to the robot;

at least two drive wheels positioned rearwardly of the front wheel and rearwardly of the battery lid, mounted within wells in the housing, and configured to be retracted when moving over a surface to be cleaned;

at least one driven brush, at least a portion of which is positioned rearwardly of the at least two drive wheels and configured to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to a floor surface;

at least one side brush positioned substantially between the leading wheel and the at least two drive wheels in a direction of forward movement of the robot and having at least two resiliently deformable curved arms extending outwardly from a central hub located in a recess in the underside of the housing, the at least one side brush being attached to the hub such that rotation of the hub causes the side brush to direct debris from the floor surface beyond the bumper for collection by the robot; and

a removable dust cartridge having a surface forming at least a portion of a semi-circular edge forming a rear edge of the housing.

18. The floor cleaning robot of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of cliff sensors spaced from each other along the underside of the housing, each of the plurality of cliff sensors being positioned adjacent the semi-circular leading edge, the plurality of cliff sensors each comprising an emitter and a detector aimed toward the floor surface and being configured to detect a cliff in the floor surface.

19. The floor cleaning robot of claim 17, wherein the at least two drive wheels comprise independently driven drive wheels.

20. The floor cleaning robot of claim 17, wherein the at least one side brush is configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the floor surface.

21. The floor cleaning robot of claim 17, wherein the at least one driven brush comprises a bristle brush.

22. The floor cleaning robot of claim 17, wherein the at least one driven brush comprises a flapper brush.

23. A floor cleaning robot, comprising:

a housing having an underside;

a substantially semi-circular displaceable bumper having a unitary front edge, the bumper extending around a portion of the housing;

a front wheel rotatably mounted on the underside of the housing located adjacent to a mid-point of the front edge;

a battery cover positioned rearwardly of the front wheel and configured to cover a well in the underside of the housing receiving a rechargeable battery that supplies power to the robot;

two drive wheels positioned rearwardly of the front wheel and rearwardly of the battery cover, mounted within wells in the housing, and configured to be retracted when moving over a surface to be cleaned, the two drive wheels located adjacent a substantially arcuate lateral edge of the housing;

at least one power brush, at least a portion of which is positioned rearwardly of the two wheels and configured to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the underside;

at least one side brush positioned substantially between the leading wheel and the at least two drive wheels in a direction of forward movement of the robot and having at least two curved arms extending outwardly from a central hub located in a recess in the underside of the housing, the at least one side brush being attached to the hub such that rotation of the hub causes the side brush to direct debris from a floor surface beyond the front edge of the robot housing for collection by the robot; and

a removable dust cartridge having a surface forming at least a portion of a semi-circular edge forming a rear side of the housing.

24. The floor cleaning robot of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of cliff sensors spaced from each other on the underside of the housing, each of the plurality of cliff sensors being positioned adjacent to the unitary front edge of the semi-circular bumper, the plurality of cliff sensors each comprising an emitter and a detector aimed toward the floor surface and being configured to detect a cliff in the floor surface.

25. The floor cleaning robot of claim 23, wherein the two drive wheels comprise independently powered drive wheels.

26. The floor cleaning robot of claim 23, wherein the at least one side brush is configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the floor surface.

27. The floor cleaning robot of claim 23, wherein the at least one power brush comprises a bristle brush.

28. The floor cleaning robot of claim 23, wherein the at least one power brush comprises a flapper brush.