Autonomous floor-cleaning robot
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A self-propelled floor-cleaning robot comprisinga housing defining a housing perimeter;
- a powered primary brush assembly disposed within the housing perimeter and positioned to engage a floor surface, the primary brush assembly being configured to rotate about an axis generally parallel to the floor surface;
a cliff detector carried by the housing and configured to direct a beam toward the floor surface and to respond to a falling edge of the floor surface; and
a powered side brush extending beyond the housing perimeter and positioned to brush floor surface debris from beyond the housing perimeter, the side brush being configured to rotate about an axis generally perpendicular to the floor surface and to rotate in a direction to direct debris toward the robot along a projected direction of movement of the powered primary brush assembly, the side brush having bundles of bristles and being positioned such that the bundles of bristles pass between the cliff detector and the floor surface during a rotation of the side brush around the axis, the bundles of bristles being separated by a gap, the gap being configured to prevent occlusion of the cliff detector beam during at least part of the rotation of the side brush around the axis;
a particulate receptacle positioned to receive and collect particulates brushed from the floor surface by the primary brush assembly and the powered side brush;
an obstacle detector responsive to obstacles encountered by the robot; and
a control circuit in electrical communication with a motor drive and configured to control the motor drive to maneuver the robot about detected obstacles across the floor surface during a floor-cleaning operation.
3 Assignments
Litigations
2 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A floor cleaning robot comprises a housing, wheels, and a motor driving the wheels to move the robot across a floor, a control module disposed within the housing and directing movement of the robot across the floor, a sensor for detecting and communicating obstacle information to the control module so that the control module can cause the robot to react to the obstacle, a removable bin disposed at least partially within the housing and receiving particulates, a first rotating member directing particulates toward the bin, and a second rotating member cooperating with the first rotating member to direct particulates toward the bin. The removable bin receives particulates directed thereto by the first and second rotating members and the particulates pass from the first rotating member to the removable bin without passing through a filter.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A self-propelled floor-cleaning robot comprising
a housing defining a housing perimeter; -
a powered primary brush assembly disposed within the housing perimeter and positioned to engage a floor surface, the primary brush assembly being configured to rotate about an axis generally parallel to the floor surface; a cliff detector carried by the housing and configured to direct a beam toward the floor surface and to respond to a falling edge of the floor surface; and a powered side brush extending beyond the housing perimeter and positioned to brush floor surface debris from beyond the housing perimeter, the side brush being configured to rotate about an axis generally perpendicular to the floor surface and to rotate in a direction to direct debris toward the robot along a projected direction of movement of the powered primary brush assembly, the side brush having bundles of bristles and being positioned such that the bundles of bristles pass between the cliff detector and the floor surface during a rotation of the side brush around the axis, the bundles of bristles being separated by a gap, the gap being configured to prevent occlusion of the cliff detector beam during at least part of the rotation of the side brush around the axis; a particulate receptacle positioned to receive and collect particulates brushed from the floor surface by the primary brush assembly and the powered side brush; an obstacle detector responsive to obstacles encountered by the robot; and a control circuit in electrical communication with a motor drive and configured to control the motor drive to maneuver the robot about detected obstacles across the floor surface during a floor-cleaning operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A self-propelled floor-cleaning robot comprising:
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wheels operably connected to a motor drive to propel the robot across the floor surface; a controller in electrical communication with the motor drive and configured to control the motor drive to autonomously maneuver the robot about detected obstacles encountered on the floor surface during a floor-cleaning operation; a housing defining a housing perimeter; a cleaning head disposed within the housing perimeter and positioned to engage a floor surface; a cliff detector carried by the housing and configured to direct a beam toward the floor surface and to respond to a falling edge of the floor surface; and a powered rotating side brush extending beyond the housing perimeter and positioned to brush floor surface debris from beyond the housing perimeter toward a projected path of the cleaning head, the powered rotating side brush rotating in a direction that brushes debris toward the robot ahead of a rotating axis of the brush along the projected path of the cleaning head, the side brush having bundles of bristles and being positioned such that the bundles of bristles pass between the cliff detector and the floor surface during a rotation of the side brush around the axis, the bundles of bristles being separated by a gap, the gap being configured to prevent occlusion of the cliff detector beam during at least a portion of a rotation of the side brush around the axis; the controller being configured to move the robot in a wall-following mode to maneuver the robot along a wall in a direction that places the powered rotating side brush adjacent the wall. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification