Autonomous surface cleaning robot for dry cleaning

• US 8,782,848 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Ziegler, Andrew, Morse, Christopher John, Gilbert, Duane L. Jr., Jones, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US13/429,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20120180254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 153/403, 153/45, 153/46
• US Class Current: 15/345
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• 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 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• 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 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0004 Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners floor-scrubbing machines taking-up dirty liquid by suction A47L11/30
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• 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

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. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a chassis of the autonomous cleaning robot having a lower surface defining a channel open to a cleaning surface,

an air jet port and an air intake port disposed in the channel such that the air jet port is disposed along a first transverse edge of the chassis and the air intake port is spaced apart from the air jet port;

a drive system carried by the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels defining a transverse axis and configured to move the robot along an axis substantially perpendicular to the transverse axis;

a waste storage container carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the air intake port;

an air moving system carried by the chassis, the air moving system configured to generate a negative pressure and a positive pressure, and the air moving system comprises conduits applying the positive pressure in a lateral direction at the air jet port to move loose particulates on the cleaning surface and applying the negative pressure at the air intake port to remove the moved particulates from the cleaning surface; and

a debris guiding strip disposed aft of the channel, the debris guiding strip configured to direct the loose particulates moved by air exiting the air jet port toward the air intake port and including a first portion disposed aft of the air jet port and a second portion disposed aft of the air intake port.

2. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the air intake port is aft of the air jet port.

3. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 2, wherein the right and left driven wheels are aft of the air intake port.

4. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the air intake port is disposed along a second transverse edge of the chassis, the second transverse edge of the chassis substantially opposite the first transverse edge of the chassis.

5. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a rotatable brush in contact with the cleaning surface when the autonomous cleaning robot moves over the cleaning surface, and the rotatable brush in fluid communication with the waste storage container.

6. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the chassis is generally cylindrical with a diameter substantially parallel to the transverse axis and a height substantially perpendicular to the transverse axis.

7. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a nose wheel carried by the chassis forward of the right and left drive wheels.

8. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 7, wherein the nose wheel is carried by the chassis forward of the air jet port.

9. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the air intake port is an elongate opening defining a cleaning width of the robot.

10. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the drive system is configured to transport the first transverse edge of the robot adjacent to a wall or obstacle encountered as the robot moves over the cleaning surface.

11. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the waste storage container is removably coupled to the chassis.

15. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the debris guiding strip is disposed aft of the first portion.

12. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a chassis of the autonomous cleaning robot having a lower surface defining a channel;

an air jet port disposed in the channel along a transverse edge of the chassis;

a drive system carried by the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels defining a transverse axis and configured to transport the first transverse edge of the robot adjacent to a wall or obstacle encountered as the robot moves over the cleaning surface; and

an air moving system carried by the chassis, the air moving system configured to generate a positive pressure, and the air moving system comprises conduits applying the positive pressure in a lateral direction at the air jet port to move loose particulates on the cleaning surface, and

a debris guiding strip disposed aft of the channel, the debris guiding strip configured to direct loose particulates moved by air expelled from the air jet port toward another portion of the channel.

13. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 12, wherein the chassis further defines an air intake port apart from the air jet port and the air moving system is further configured to generate a negative pressure at the air intake port to remove the moved particulates from the cleaning surface.

14. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 12, further comprising a waste storage container carried by the chassis and in fluid communication with the air intake port.