Autonomous surface cleaning robot for dry cleaning

• US 8,966,707 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Morse, Christopher John, Ziegler, Andrew, Gilbert, Duane Jr., Jones, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US12/836,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20100275405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/20, 153/401, 153/403, 153/45, 153/46
• US Class Current: 15/319
• 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 at least a portion of a channel open toward a cleaning surface;

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

a waste storage container carried by the chassis; and

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 configured to apply the positive pressure at a first portion of the channel and configured to apply the negative pressure at a second portion of the channel, the second portion of the channel in fluid communication with the waste storage container, wherein

the first portion of the channel defines an air jet port lateral to the fore-aft axis,

the second portion of the channel defines an air intake port aft of the air jet port, and

the air jet port directs air along the channel in a lateral direction toward the air intake port.

2. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the channel is elongate in a direction substantially parallel to the transverse axis.

3. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein a dimension of the channel is substantially equal to the distance between the right and left driven wheels.

4. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the channel is substantially rectangular.

5. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a first doctor blade attached to the chassis and extending from the autonomous cleaning robot, toward the cleaning surface.

6. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the first doctor blade extends substantially parallel to the transverse axis.

7. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein the length of the first doctor blade is substantially equal to the distance between the right and left driven wheels.

8. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein the first doctor blade is 1-2 mm thick and compliant.

9. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 5, further comprising a second doctor blade attached to the chassis and extending from the autonomous cleaning robot, toward the cleaning surface, the second doctor blade disposed at an angle between 30-60 degrees with respect to the transverse axis.

10. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the transverse axis is substantially aft of the channel.

11. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a rotatable brush disposed rearward of the first portion of the channel, the 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.

12. 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.

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

14. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 13, wherein the nose wheel is carried by the chassis forward of the channel.

15. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the air intake port is unimpeded with respect to the cleaning surface to apply the negative pressure to the cleaning surface.

16. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the air jet port is unimpeded with respect to the cleaning surface to apply the positive pressure to the cleaning surface.

21. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a first debris guiding strip disposed aft of the channel, the first debris guiding strip configured to direct loose particulates toward the air intake port, and including a first debris guiding strip portion disposed aft of the air jet port and a second debris guiding strip portion disposed aft of the air intake port.

33. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 13, wherein the nose wheel is carried by the chassis forward of the channel.

17. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a chassis of the autonomous cleaning robot having a lower surface defining at least a portion of a channel open toward a cleaning surface;

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

a waste storage container carried by the chassis; and

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 configured to apply the positive pressure at a first portion of the channel and configured to apply the negative pressure at a second portion of the channel, the second portion of the channel in fluid communication with the waste storage container, wherein

the second portion of the channel defines an air intake port that is unimpeded with respect to the cleaning surface to apply the negative pressure to the cleaning surface.

18. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the channel defines an air jet port that is unimpeded with respect to the cleaning surface to apply the positive pressure to the cleaning surface.

19. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the channel defines an air jet port, the air jet port and the air intake port define a path for the unimpeded flow of air, along the channel, from the air jet port to the air intake port.

22. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 18, further comprising a first debris guiding strip disposed aft of the channel, the first debris guiding strip configured to direct loose particulates toward the air intake port, and including a first debris guiding strip portion disposed aft of the air jet port and a second debris guiding strip portion disposed aft of the air intake port.

20. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a chassis of the autonomous cleaning robot having a lower surface defining at least a portion of a channel open toward a cleaning surface;

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

a waste storage container carried by the chassis;

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 configured to apply the positive pressure at a first portion of the channel and configured to apply the negative pressure at a second portion of the channel, the second portion of the channel in fluid communication with the waste storage container;

a first debris guiding strip attached to the chassis and extending from the autonomous cleaning robot, toward the cleaning surface; and

a second debris guiding strip attached to the chassis and extending from the autonomous cleaning robot, toward the cleaning surface, the second debris guiding strip disposed at an angle between 30-60 degrees with respect to the transverse axis.

23. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, further comprising a first debris guiding strip disposed aft of the channel, the first debris guiding strip configured to direct loose particulates toward the second portion of the channel, and including a first debris guiding strip portion disposed aft of the air jet port and a second debris guiding strip portion disposed aft of the second portion of the channel.

24. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein at least a portion of the first debris guiding strip extends substantially parallel to the transverse axis.

25. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the length of the first debris guiding strip is substantially equal to the distance between the right and left driven wheels.

26. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the first debris guiding strip is 1-2 mm thick and compliant.

27. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the channel is elongate in a direction substantially parallel to the transverse axis.

28. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein a dimension of the channel is substantially equal to the distance between the right and left driven wheels.

29. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the channel is substantially rectangular.

30. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, further comprising a rotatable brush disposed rearward of the first portion of the channel, the rotatable brush in contact with the cleaning surface when the autonomous cleaning robot moves over the cleaning surface, and the rotatable brush is in fluid communication with the waste storage container.

31. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the chassis is generally cylindrical with a diameter substantially parallel to the transverse axis and a height substantially perpendicular to the transverse axis.

32. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 20, further comprising a nose wheel carried by the chassis forward of the right and left drive wheels.