Autonomous coverage robot

• US 10,299,652 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Gilbert, Jr., Duane L., Williams, Marcus R., Okerholm Huttlin, Andrea M., Kristant, Elaine H., Longo, Sheila A., Kee, Daniel E., Strauss, Marc D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David
• Application Number:
  US14/219,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/125 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/145 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/161 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/201 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/282 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/292 having rotary tools A47L11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• 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 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• 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 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/408 Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 : Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 : Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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 2240/12 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 : Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 : Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 : characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 : involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 : using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 : using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 : using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• 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 surface treatment robot includes a chassis having forward and rear ends and a drive system carried by the chassis. The drive system includes right and left driven wheels and is configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface. The robot includes a vacuum assembly, a collection volume, a supply volume, an applicator, and a wetting element, each carried by the chassis. The wetting element engages the cleaning surface to distribute a cleaning liquid applied to the surface by the applicator. The wetting element distributes the cleaning liquid along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the robot is driven in a forward direction. The wetting element is arranged substantially forward of a transverse axis defined by the right and left driven wheels, and the wetting element slidably supports at least about ten percent of the mass of the robot above the cleaning surface.

Claims

1. A surface treatment robot comprising:

a drive system configured to maneuver the surface treatment robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels;

a supply volume configured to hold a cleaning liquid;

an applicator in fluid communication with the supply volume, the applicator configured to dispense the cleaning liquid onto a portion of the cleaning surface;

a pad configured to engage the cleaning surface to support a forward portion of the surface treatment robot above the cleaning surface and collect the cleaning liquid distributed along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the surface treatment robot is driven, the pad arranged forward of all of the wheels, the pad extending at least along a cleaning width defined by the right and left driven wheels, and the pad slidably supporting at least ten percent of a mass of the surface treatment robot above the cleaning surface; and

a baseplate configured to hold the pad.

2. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the surface treatment robot weighs less than 10 kg and has at least 1 cm of cleaning width for every 1 kg of robot mass.

3. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the applicator sprays the cleaning surface directly through one or more injection orifices.

4. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the pad can be mounted and dismounted from the baseplate and wherein the pad comprises a woven or nonwoven pad or sheet material configured to contact the cleaning surface.

5. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the pad extends across an entire width of the surface treatment robot.

6. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the drive system is configured to maneuver the surface treatment robot with a volume of less than 3 L.

7. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the supply volume is configured to hold 600 mL or greater of cleaning liquid.

8. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, wherein the drive system is configured to provide between 100 grams-force and 700 grams-force at each wheel to propel the surface treatment robot at a maximum forward rate of between 200 mm/s and 400 mm/s.

9. The surface treatment robot of claim 1, further comprising a chassis having forward and rear ends.

10. The surface treatment robot of claim 9, wherein the baseplate is detachably coupled to the chassis.

11. The surface treatment robot of claim 9, wherein the applicator is mounted directly to the chassis.

12. The surface treatment robot of claim 9 in which the chassis has a generally rectangular cross-section.

13. The surface treatment robot of claim 9 in which the baseplate is mounted to the chassis.

14. The surface treatment robot of claim 13, further comprising a vibrating element coupled to the baseplate mounted to the chassis, the vibrating element configured to vibrate the baseplate and the pad held by the baseplate.

15. The surface treatment robot of claim 1 in which the pad is configured to collect the cleaning liquid distributed along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the surface treatment robot is driven in a forward direction.

16. A surface treatment robot comprising:

a drive system configured to maneuver the surface treatment robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising at least two driven wheels;

a supply volume configured to hold a cleaning liquid;

an applicator in fluid communication with the supply volume, the applicator configured to dispense the cleaning liquid onto a portion of the cleaning surface; and

a pad configured to engage the cleaning surface to support a forward portion of the surface treatment robot above the cleaning surface and collect the cleaning liquid distributed along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the surface treatment robot is driven, the pad arranged forward of all of the wheels, the pad slidably supporting at least ten percent of a mass of the surface treatment robot above the cleaning surface.

17. The surface treatment robot of claim 16, further comprising a chassis having forward and rear ends.

18. The surface treatment robot of claim 17, further comprising a baseplate detachably coupled to the chassis, in which the baseplate is configured to hold the pad.

19. The surface treatment robot of claim 17 in which the applicator is mounted directly to the chassis.

20. The surface treatment robot of claim 17, further comprising a baseplate that is mounted to the chassis, in which the baseplate is configured to hold the pad.

21. The surface treatment robot of claim 20, further comprising a vibrating element coupled to the baseplate mounted to the chassis, the vibrating element configured to vibrate the baseplate and the pad held by the baseplate.

22. The surface treatment robot of claim 16 in which the applicator sprays the cleaning surface directly through one or more injection orifices.

23. The surface treatment robot of claim 16 in which the pad extends across an entire width of the surface treatment robot.

24. The surface treatment robot of claim 16 in which the supply volume is configured to hold 600 mL or greater of cleaning liquid.

25. A method of operating a surface treatment robot, the method comprising:

maneuvering, using a drive system comprising at least two driven wheels, the surface treatment robot over a cleaning surface;

holding, using a supply volume, a cleaning liquid;

dispensing, using an applicator in fluid communication with the supply volume, the cleaning liquid onto a portion of the cleaning surface;

engaging, using a pad, the cleaning surface to support a forward portion of the surface treatment robot above the cleaning surface and collecting the cleaning liquid distributed along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the surface treatment robot is driven, in which the pad is arranged forward of all of the wheels; and

slidably supporting, using the pad, at least ten percent of a mass of the surface treatment robot above the cleaning surface.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising detachably coupling a baseplate to the chassis, and holding the pad using the baseplate.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising vibrating the baseplate and the pad held by the baseplate.

28. The method of claim 25 in which dispensing the cleaning liquid comprises spraying, using the applicator, the cleaning surface through one or more injection orifices.

29. The method of claim 25 in which holding the cleaning liquid comprises holding 600 mL or greater of cleaning liquid using the supply volume.

30. The method of claim 25 in which collecting the cleaning liquid comprises collecting the cleaning liquid distributed along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the surface treatment robot is driven in a forward direction.