Articulated joint and three areas of contact

• US 9,725,012 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Pirjanian, Paolo, Romanov, Nikolai, Dooley, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US12/976,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20110160903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,421 Days
• Field of Search: 15319, 700245-264, 901 46, 901 50
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• 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 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• 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 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/32 Driving direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/463 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/465 Slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 : Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/106 : for maintaining or recovering the adhesion of the drive wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 : characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 : ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 : using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A robotic cleaner includes a cleaning assembly for cleaning a surface and a main robot body. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and a width of the cleaning assembly is greater than a width of the main robot body. A robotic cleaning system includes a main robot body and a plurality of cleaning assemblies for cleaning a surface. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and each of the cleaning assemblies is detachable from the main robot body and each of the cleaning assemblies has a unique cleaning function.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a motorized drive assembly of a robotic cleaner configured to move the robotic cleaner in a cleaning pattern along an overall path of parallel rows, the motorized drive assembly comprising two drive wheels, and the cleaning pattern comprising;

a first forward motion turning left from an axis of a row of the parallel rows;

a reverse motion back to the axis of the row;

a second forward motion turning right from the axis of the row;

the reverse motion back to the axis of the row; and

a third forward motion along the axis of the row;

a cleaning assembly configured to clean the surface, the cleaning assembly configured to hold a cleaning cloth; and

a holding tank configured to hold a cleaning solution, wherein the robotic cleaner is configured to spray the cleaning solution onto the surface with a sprayer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning assembly is further configured to hold a cleaning cloth via cloth holders mounted to the cleaning assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to hold a cleaning cloth such that the cleaning cloth has a face that is continuously facing the surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a shell rigidly connected to the cleaning assembly such that the shell and the cleaning assembly are moveably connected to the motorized drive assembly, wherein the shell is configured to move with respect to the two drive wheels; and

a sensor configured to detect when the shell has moved beyond a certain point.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the shell is sloped upwards in a straight line with respect to the surface from the cleaning assembly back towards the one or more drive wheels such that the shell is pushed down in response to a collision between the robotic cleaner and an overhanging obstacle.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a switch configured to signal detection of movement of the shell with respect to the one or more drive wheels by a predefined displacement.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the sensor further comprises a spring configured to bias the shell upwards with respect to the one or more drive wheels.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bump sensor configured to detect changes in floor surface and prevent the robotic cleaner from driving onto carpet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the robotic cleaner is configured to prevent spraying the cleaning solution onto the surface when the surface is carpet.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sprayer is a forward spraying jet that dispenses the solution in the area in front of the robotic cleaner.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a programmable controller configured to drive the robotic cleaner to a point, and then back away a fixed distance before spraying the cleaning solution.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the cleaning pattern of the robotic cleaner based on different types of floor surfaces.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning assembly is forward of the drive wheels and is a primary suspension point for the robotic cleaner.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning cloth is wider than a distance between the drive wheels.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning cloth is slightly curved in the front, the back or both the front and the back.