Robotic vacuum cleaning system
First Claim
1. A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
- a chassis defining a vacuum airway;
a cleaning head supported by the chassis and arranged proximate to a floor surface supporting the mobile cleaning robot, the cleaning head in pneumatic communication with the vacuum airway; and
a collection bin releasable received by the chassis and comprising;
a bin housing defining a debris collection volume and a debris intake opening arranged to pneumatically interface the debris collection volume with the vacuum airway when the collection bin is received by the chassis, the bin housing having a top portion and a side portion relative to the floor surface, the top portion defining a filter access opening and a filter seat within the debris collection volume and accessible through the filter access opening, the side portion defining an exhaust port;
an impeller disposed within the bin housing and having an impeller intake in pneumatic communication with the debris intake opening and an impeller outlet in pneumatic communication with the exhaust port, the impeller configured to pull air into the debris collection volume from the vacuum airway through the debris intake opening and out the exhaust port;
a filter door coupled to the top portion of the bin housing at the filter access opening, the filter door moveable between a closed position and an open position that allows access through the filter access opening; and
a filter releasably received and seated in the filter seat, the filter having an inlet surface in pneumatic communication with the debris intake opening and an outlet surface opposing the filter door, the filter arranged between the debris collection volume and the impeller to define an airflow cavity between the outlet surface of the filter and the filter door, the airflow cavity pneumatically interfacing with the impeller intake and defining a longitudinal axis, wherein a cross-sectional area taken transverse to the longitudinal axis of the airflow cavity is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of the impeller intake.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous coverage robot includes a cleaning assembly having forward roller and rearward rollers counter-rotating with respect to each other. The rollers are arranged to substantially maintain a cross sectional area between the two rollers yet permitting collapsing therebetween as large debris is passed. Each roller includes a resilient elastomer outer tube and a partially air-occupied inner resilient core configured to bias the outer tube to rebound. The core includes a hub and resilient spokes extending between the inner surface of the outer tube and the hub. The spokes suspend the outer tube to float about the hub and transfer torque from the hub to the outer tube while allowing the outer tube to momentarily deform or move offset from the hub during impact with debris larger than the cross sectional area between the two rollers.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
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a chassis defining a vacuum airway; a cleaning head supported by the chassis and arranged proximate to a floor surface supporting the mobile cleaning robot, the cleaning head in pneumatic communication with the vacuum airway; and a collection bin releasable received by the chassis and comprising; a bin housing defining a debris collection volume and a debris intake opening arranged to pneumatically interface the debris collection volume with the vacuum airway when the collection bin is received by the chassis, the bin housing having a top portion and a side portion relative to the floor surface, the top portion defining a filter access opening and a filter seat within the debris collection volume and accessible through the filter access opening, the side portion defining an exhaust port; an impeller disposed within the bin housing and having an impeller intake in pneumatic communication with the debris intake opening and an impeller outlet in pneumatic communication with the exhaust port, the impeller configured to pull air into the debris collection volume from the vacuum airway through the debris intake opening and out the exhaust port; a filter door coupled to the top portion of the bin housing at the filter access opening, the filter door moveable between a closed position and an open position that allows access through the filter access opening; and a filter releasably received and seated in the filter seat, the filter having an inlet surface in pneumatic communication with the debris intake opening and an outlet surface opposing the filter door, the filter arranged between the debris collection volume and the impeller to define an airflow cavity between the outlet surface of the filter and the filter door, the airflow cavity pneumatically interfacing with the impeller intake and defining a longitudinal axis, wherein a cross-sectional area taken transverse to the longitudinal axis of the airflow cavity is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of the impeller intake. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification