Debris evacuation for cleaning robots

• US 9,788,698 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Morin, Russell Walter, Boeschenstein, Harold, Bursal, Faruk, Grace, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): SCRUGGS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/566,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20160166126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• 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 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays

Abstract

A robot floor cleaning system features a mobile floor cleaning robot and an evacuation station. The robot includes: a chassis with at least one drive wheel operable to propel the robot across a floor surface; a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and arranged to receive debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and a robot vacuum configured to pull debris into the cleaning bin from an opening on an underside of the robot. The evacuation station is configured to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the robot, and includes: a housing defining a platform arranged to receive the cleaning robot in a position in which the opening on the underside of the robot aligns with a suction opening defined in the platform; and an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening.

Claims

1. A robotic floor cleaning system, comprising:

a mobile floor cleaning robot comprising

a chassis with at least one drive wheel operable to propel the robot across a floor surface;

a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and arranged to receive debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and

a robot vacuum comprising a motor and a fan connected to the motor and configured to generate a flow of air to pull debris into the cleaning bin from an opening on an underside of the robot; and

an evacuation station configured to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the robot, the evacuation station comprising

a housing defining a platform arranged to receive the robot in a position in which the opening on the underside of the robot aligns with a suction opening defined in the platform; and

an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the housing through the suction opening,

wherein the robot further comprises a one-way air flow valve disposed within the robot and configured to automatically close in response to operation of the evacuation vacuum, and

wherein the air flow valve is disposed in an air passage connecting the robot vacuum to an interior of the cleaning bin.

2. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the air flow valve is located within the robot such that, with the air flow valve in a closed position, the fan is substantially sealed from the interior of the cleaning bin.

3. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein operation of the evacuation vacuum causes a reverse airflow to pass through the cleaning bin, carrying dirt and debris from the cleaning bin, through the suction opening, and into the housing of the evacuation station.

4. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning bin comprises:

at least one opening along a wall of the cleaning bin; and

a sealing member mounted to the wall of the cleaning bin in alignment with the at least one opening.

5. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4, wherein the at least one opening comprises one or more suction vents located along a rear wall of the cleaning bin.

6. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4, wherein the at least one opening comprises an exhaust port located along a side wall of the cleaning bin proximate the robot vacuum.

7. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4, wherein the sealing member comprises a flexible and resilient flap adjustable from a closed position to an open position in response to operation of the evacuation vacuum.

8. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 4, wherein the sealing member comprises an elastomeric material.

9. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the robot further comprises a cleaning head assembly disposed in the opening on the underside of the robot, the cleaning head assembly comprising a pair of rollers positioned adjacent one another to form a gap therebetween, and

wherein operation of the evacuation vacuum causes a reverse airflow to pass from the cleaning bin to pass through the gap between the rollers.

10. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation station further comprises a robot-compatibility sensor responsive to a metallic plate located proximate a base of the cleaning bin.

11. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 10, wherein the robot-compatibility sensor comprises an inductive sensing component.

12. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation station further comprises:

a debris canister detachably coupled to the housing for receiving debris carried by air drawn into the housing by the evacuation vacuum through the suction opening, and

a canister sensor responsive to attachment and detachment of the debris canister to and from the housing.

13. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the evacuation station further comprises:

at least one debris sensor responsive to debris entering the debris canister via air drawn into the housing; and

a controller coupled to the debris sensor, the controller configured to determine a fullness state of the debris canister based on feedback from the debris sensor.

14. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine the fullness state as a percentage of the debris canister that is filled with debris.

15. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation station further comprises:

a motor-current sensor responsive to operation of the robot vacuum; and

a controller coupled to the motor-current sensor, the controller configured to determine an operational state of a filter proximate the robot vacuum based on sensory feedback from the motor-current sensor.

16. The robotic floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation station further comprises a wireless communications system coupled to a controller, and configured to communicate information describing a status of the evacuation station to a mobile device.

17. A method of evacuating a cleaning bin of a mobile floor cleaning robot, the method comprising:

docking the robot to a housing of an evacuation station,

the robot comprising

the cleaning bin, the cleaning bin being disposed within the robot and carrying debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and

a robot vacuum comprising a motor and a fan connected to the motor, and the evacuation station comprising

a housing defining a platform having a suction opening; and

an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening;

sealing the suction opening of the platform to an opening on an underside of the robot;

drawing air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening by operating the evacuation vacuum; and

actuating a one-way air flow valve disposed within the robot to inhibit air from being drawn through the fan of the robot vacuum by operation of the evacuation vacuum.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein actuating the valve comprises pulling a flap of the valve in an upward pivoting motion via a suction force of the evacuation vacuum.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein actuating the valve further comprises substantially sealing an air passage connecting the robot vacuum to an interior of the cleaning bin with the flap.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein drawing air into the evacuation station by operating the evacuation vacuum further comprises:

drawing a reverse airflow through the robot, the reverse airflow carrying dirt and debris from the cleaning bin, through the suction opening, and into the housing of the evacuation station.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the robot further comprises a cleaning head assembly disposed in the opening on the underside of the robot, the cleaning head assembly comprising a pair of rollers positioned adjacent one another to form a gap therebetween, and

wherein drawing a reverse airflow through the robot comprises routing the reverse airflow from the cleaning bin to pass through the gap between the rollers.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein drawing air into the evacuation station by operating the evacuation vacuum further comprises:

pulling a flap of a sealing member away from an opening along a wall of the cleaning bin via a suction force of the evacuation vacuum.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the opening comprises one or more suction vents located along a rear wall of the cleaning bin.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the opening comprises an exhaust port located along a side wall of the cleaning bin proximate the robot vacuum.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring a robot-compatibility sensor responsive to a presence of a metallic plate located proximate a base of the cleaning bin; and

in response to detecting the presence of the metallic plate, initiating operation of the evacuation vacuum.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the robot-compatibility sensor comprises an inductive sensing component.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring at least one debris sensor responsive to debris entering a detachable canister of the evacuation station via air drawn into the evacuation station housing to detect a fullness state of the canister; and

in response to determining that the canister is substantially full based on the fullness state, inhibiting operation of the evacuation vacuum.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring a motor-current sensor responsive to operation of the robot vacuum to detect an operational state of a filter proximate the robot vacuum; and

in response to determining that the filter is dirty, providing a visual indication of the operational state of the filter to a user via a communications system.

29. A mobile floor cleaning robot, comprising:

a chassis with at least one drive wheel operable to propel the robot across a floor surface;

a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and arranged to receive debris ingested by the robot during cleaning;

a robot vacuum comprising a motor and a fan connected to the motor and configured to motivate air to flow along a flow path extending from an inlet on an underside of the robot, through the cleaning bin, to an outlet, thereby pulling debris through the inlet into the cleaning bin; and

a one-way air flow valve disposed within the robot and configured to automatically close in response to air flow moving through the underside of the robot and along the flow path from the outlet to the inlet.

30. The mobile floor cleaning robot of claim 29, wherein the valve is located within the robot such that, with the valve in a closed position, the fan is substantially sealed from an interior of the cleaning bin.

31. The mobile robot of claim 29, wherein the cleaning bin comprises:

at least one opening along a wall of the cleaning bin; and

a sealing member mounted to the wall of the cleaning bin in alignment with the at least one opening.

32. The mobile floor cleaning robot of claim 31, wherein the at least one opening comprises one or more suction vents located along a rear wall of the cleaning bin.

33. The mobile floor cleaning robot of claim 31, wherein the at least one opening comprises an exhaust port located along a side wall of the cleaning bin proximate the robot vacuum.

34. The mobile floor cleaning robot of claim 31, wherein the sealing member comprises a flexible and resilient flap adjustable from a closed position to an open position in response to a suction force.

35. The mobile floor cleaning robot of claim 31, wherein the sealing member comprises an elastomeric material.

36. The mobile floor cleaning robot of claim 29, wherein the robot further comprises a cleaning head assembly disposed in an opening on the underside of the robot, the cleaning head assembly comprising a pair of rollers positioned adjacent one another to form a gap therebetween, the gap being configured to receive a forward airflow carrying debris to the cleaning bin during cleaning operations of the robot and a reverse airflow carrying debris from the cleaning bin during evacuation operations of the robot.

37. A cleaning bin for use with a mobile robot, the cleaning bin comprising:

a frame attachable to a chassis of the mobile robot, the frame defining a debris collection cavity and comprising;

a vacuum housing; and

a rear wall having one or more suction vents;

a vacuum sealing member coupled to the frame in an air passage proximate the vacuum housing, wherein the vacuum sealing member comprises a flexible and resilient flap adjustable from an open position to a closed position in response to a reverse suction airflow out of the cleaning bin and through an underside of the mobile robot; and

an elongated sealing member coupled to the frame proximate the rear wall in alignment with the suction vents, wherein the elongated sealing member comprises a flexible and resilient flap adjustable from a closed position to an open position in response to the reverse suction airflow.

38. The cleaning bin of claim 37, further comprising an auxiliary sealing member located along a side wall of the frame in alignment with an exhaust port proximate a lower portion of the vacuum housing, and wherein the auxiliary sealing member is adjustable from a closed position to an open position in response to the reverse suction airflow.

39. The cleaning bin of claim 37, wherein the vacuum housing is oriented at an oblique angle, such that an air intake of a robot vacuum supported within the vacuum housing is tilted relative to the air passage.

40. The cleaning bin of claim 37, wherein at least one of the flap of the vacuum sealing member and the flap of the elongated sealing member comprises an elastomeric material.

41. The cleaning bin of claim 37, wherein the flap of the vacuum sealing member is located with the air passage such that, with the flap of the vacuum sealing member in a closed position, a fan of a robot vacuum supported within the vacuum housing is substantially sealed from the debris collection cavity.

42. The cleaning bin of claim 37, further comprising a passive roller mounted along a bottom surface of the frame.

43. The cleaning bin of claim 37, further comprising a bin detection system configured to sense an amount of debris present in the debris collection cavity, the bin detection system comprising at least one debris sensor coupled to a microcontroller.