Autonomous surface cleaning robot for wet and dry cleaning

• US 8,774,966 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Ziegler, Andrew, Gilbert, Duane, Morse, Christopher John, Pratt, Scott, Sandin, Paul, Dussault, Nancy, Jones, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US13/023,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20110271469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/02 Floor surfacing or polishing machines polishing machines in general B24B29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4005 Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements
• 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 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• 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 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 : Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 : Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/10 : Filters in general B01D; cyclones B04C; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters for machines for cleaning floors A47L11/40
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 : Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• 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 9/2857 : User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 : Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 : Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/001 : by snapping, clicking or latching in
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0021 : in the form of a mounting pin
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0028 : Construction of wheels; methods of assembling on axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0039 : Single wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0049 : the rolling axle being horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0057 : the rolling axle being offset from swivel axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0068 : the swivel axis being vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0073 : the swivel axis being symmetrical to wheel or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/028 : being actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 : with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/62 : Quaternary ammonium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/75 : Amino oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4233 : with volutes extending mainly in axial or radially inward direction
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 : ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 : involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 : using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 : comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/40 : Vacuum or mangetic

Abstract

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arraigned to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.

Claims

1. A surface treatment robot comprising:

a robot body having a forward and a rear end, and a fore-aft axis defined therebetween;

right and left drive modules, each drive module comprising

a cup-shaped wheel having a substantially circular outer diameter,

an annular tire having a substantially circular tire outer diameter and an inner diameter, the inner diameter fitting over the outer diameter of the cup-shaped wheel, and a tire thickness corresponding to the difference between the tire outer diameter and the outer diameter of the cup-shaped wheel; and

a scrubbing element disposed along a cleaning width;

wherein the right and left drive modules are disposed aft of the scrubbing element as the robot travels along the cleaning surface in a forward direction and the cleaning robot has a mass of less than about 10 kg, and

the ratio of the tire thickness and the outer diameter of the cup-shaped wheel is in a range of 0.04 to 0.14.

2. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the each tire has a coefficient of traction between 0.25 to 0.47.

3. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the tire thickness is about 1.5 mm to about 4.5 mm.

4. A surface treatment robot comprising:

a robot body having a forward and a rear end, and a fore-aft axis defined therebetween;

right and left drive modules, each drive module comprising

a wheel having a substantially circular outer diameter in the range of 3 cm-20 cm,

an annular tire having a substantially circular outer diameter and an inner diameter, the inner diameter fitting over the outer diameter of the wheel, and a tire thickness corresponding to the difference between the tire outer diameter and the outer diameter of the wheel, the tire thickness being in the range of 1½

mm to 5 mm; and

a scrubbing element disposed along a cleaning width;

wherein the right and left drive modules are disposed aft of the scrubbing element as the robot travels along the cleaning surface in a forward direction and the cleaning robot has a mass of less than about 10 kg and

the ratio of the tire thickness and the outer diameter of the wheel is in a range of 0.04 to 0.14.

5. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein the scrubbing element is configured to support a wipe cloth in contact with the cleaning surface as the robot moves across the cleaning surface.

6. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein the scrubbing element is in contact with the cleaning surface.

7. The surface treatment robot of claim 6, wherein the scrubbing element creates an average drag force along the cleaning surface of up to about 40% of the weight of the robot.

8. The surface treatment robot of claim 7, wherein each tire supports no more than 4 kg.

9. The surface treatment robot of claim 7, wherein the drive modules provide a thrust of about 150% or more of the average drag force on the robot.

10. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the cleaning width is proximate to a circumferential edge of the robot body.

11. The surface treatment robot of claim 10, wherein each wheel is proximate to a circumferential edge of the robot body.

12. The surface treatment robot of claim 10, wherein the cleaning width extends substantially parallel to an axis transverse to the fore-aft axis, the right and left wheels supported to rotate about a common drive axis substantially parallel to the transverse axis.

13. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein each tire is bonded to the outer diameter of each respective wheel.

14. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein each tire is a closed cell foam tire having cell sizes of about 20 microns to about 400 microns.

15. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein the outer diameter of each tire defines a pattern of thin grooves.

16. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein the each tire has a coefficient of traction between 0.25 to 0.47.

17. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein each wheel is biased to move toward the cleaning surface when the wheel is lifted from the cleaning surface.

20. The surface treatment robot of claim 4, wherein the wheel has a substantially circular outer diameter in the range of 30 mm-60 mm.

18. A surface treatment robot comprising:

a robot body having a forward and a rear end, and a fore-aft axis defined therebetween;

right and left drive modules, each drive module comprising

a wheel having a substantially circular outer diameter,

an annular tire having a substantially circular tire outer diameter and an inner diameter, the inner diameter fitting over the outer diameter of the wheel, and the annular tire having a Shore hardness less than the wheel and a tire thickness corresponding to the difference between the tire outer diameter and the outer diameter of the wheel; and

a scrubbing element disposed along a cleaning width;

wherein the right and left drive modules are disposed aft of the scrubbing element as the robot travels along the cleaning surface in a forward direction and the cleaning robot has a mass of less than about 10 kg, and

the ratio of the tire thickness and the outer diameter of the wheel is in a range of 0.04 to 0.14.

19. The surface treatment robot of claim 18, wherein the wheel is plastic and the tire has a post-foamed hardness of about 69 to 75 Shore 00.