Robotic vacuum cleaner

• US 10,448,794 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2013
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Original Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Inventors: Haegermarck, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David
• Application Number:
  US14/784,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,381 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• 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 5/22 with rotary fans
• 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 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0472 Discs
• 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: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0203 Cleaning or polishing vehicle

Abstract

A robotic cleaning device including a main body having a front end portion with a front end wall, a rear end portion, a right side wall connecting the front end wall and the rear end portion and a left side wall connecting the front end wall and the rear end portion. At least one driving wheel is arranged to move the robotic cleaning device across a surface to be cleaned. A cleaning member is arranged at a bottom side of the main body for removing debris from the surface to be cleaned, the cleaning member being arranged in the front end portion of the main body. The main body is arranged such that its width is greatest between the right side wall and the left side wall, and the greatest width is located at the front end portion of the main body.

Claims

1. A robotic cleaning device comprising:

a main body having a front end portion with a front end wall, a rear end portion, a right side wall connecting the front end wall and the rear end portion and a left side wall connecting the front end wall and the rear end portion;

at least one driving wheel arranged to move the robotic cleaning device across a surface to be cleaned; and

a cleaning member arranged at a bottom side of the main body for removing debris from the surface to be cleaned, the cleaning member being arranged in the front end portion of the main body;

wherein the front end portion of the main body is beveled at a first beveled section where the front end wall meets the right side wall, and the front end portion of the main body is beveled at a second beveled section where the front end wall meets the left side wall, and

wherein the main body has a greatest width located between the first beveled section and the second beveled section.

2. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the right side wall and the left side wall are curved.

3. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a rear end wall of the main body connecting the right side wall and the left side wall, the rear end wall being substantially flat.

4. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member comprises a rotatable brush roll in an opening in the bottom side of the main body.

5. The robotic cleaning device of claim 4, wherein the cleaning member further comprises a suction fan arranged in the main body for creating an air flow via the opening in the bottom side of the main body.

6. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is adjacent to the front end wall and extends laterally in an opening in the main body along a greater part of the front end wall.

7. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising obstacle detecting means arranged to detect obstacles and provide a control means with a navigation information for enabling navigation of the robotic cleaning device.

8. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible bumper enclosing at least a portion of the front end portion of the main body.

9. The robotic cleaning device of claim 7, wherein the obstacle detecting means comprises a flexible bumper enclosing at least the front end portion of the main body, and at least one sensor with which the flexible bumper is arranged to cooperate in order to register the robotic cleaning device contacting an obstacle.

10. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the at least one driving wheel comprises at least a pair of coaxially arranged driving wheels, each wheel being arranged at a respective side wall of the main body.

11. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first rotatable side brush arranged in the front end portion at the bottom side of the main body adjacent a first location where the front end wall meets a first one of the right side wall and the left side wall.

12. The robotic cleaning device of claim 11, further comprising:

an indentation in the first side wall in the front end portion of the main body adjacent to and behind the first rotatable side brush.

13. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the greatest width of the main body extends in a lateral direction perpendicular to a straight-forward moving direction of the robotic cleaning device.

14. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the front end portion of the main body is substantially quadrilateral.

15. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein a distance (C) from a rotational axis of the at least one driving wheel to a front-most point of the robotic cleaning device relates to the greatest width (A) according to the formula:

A=C×

(1+√

{square root over (2)}).

16. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the greatest width is located between a rotational axis of the at least one driving wheel and the front end wall.

17. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, wherein an outermost point from one of the right side wall or the left side wall from which the greatest width is taken in a direction towards an opposite side wall is located adjacent to the front end wall.

18. The robotic cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a bumper mounted to the main body and configured to press resiliently against the main body upon the robot cleaning device contacting an obstacle, wherein the bumper surrounds the front end portion of the main body.

19. The robotic cleaning device of claim 18, wherein the bumper extends from a first end located along the right side wall adjacent a rotation axis of the at least one driving wheel, to a second end located along the left side wall adjacent the rotation axis of the at least one driving wheel.

20. The robotic cleaning device of claim 18, further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect when the bumper presses resiliently against the main body.

21. The robotic cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the front-most point of the robotic cleaning device comprises the front end wall or a front-most portion of a bumper mounted to the main body.