AUTONOMOUS SURFACE CLEANING ROBOT FOR DRY CLEANING

• US 20080134457A1
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Andrew, Ziegler, Andrew, Morse, Christopher John, Gilbert, Duane
• Granted Patent: US 8,739,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• 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 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• 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 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• 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 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• 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 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means

Abstract

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arraigned to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a chassis comprising a fore-aft axis and a perpendicular transverse axis;

a cleaning apparatus, attached to the chassis and defining a cleaning zone, comprising an air moving system disposed along a first axis substantially parallel with the transverse axis, wherein the air moving system comprises a fan assembly configured to generate a negative pressure and a positive pressure, and comprising conduits applying both of the negative pressure and the positive pressure to a channel disposed on the lower surface of the autonomous cleaning robot and extending along the first axis; and

a waste storage container removably coupled to the chassis.

28. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein the air moving system comprises an air jet port.

29. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 28, wherein the air jet port expels air substantially parallel with the transverse axis.

30. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 28, wherein the air moving system comprises an air intake port.

31. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 30, wherein the air intake port entrains air substantially parallel with the first axis.

32. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 31, wherein the channel extends between the air jet port and the air intake port.

33. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein the first axis extends at an acute angle to the transverse axis.

34. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein the cleaning apparatus further comprises a first doctor blade extending along at least a portion of an aft edge of the channel.

35. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 34, wherein the cleaning apparatus further comprises a second doctor blade extending at an angle to the first axis.

36. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, further comprising a motive drive system attached to the chassis for transporting the chassis over a cleaning surface.

37. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 36, further comprising a master control module attached to the chassis for controlling at least one of the motive drive system and the cleaning zone.

38. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 36, further comprising a sensor module in communication with the master control module.

39. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, further comprising a power module attached to the chassis.

40. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a chassis configured with a cleaning width disposed generally perpendicular to a forward transport direction;

a first collecting apparatus for collecting loose particulates from the surface across the cleaning width, said first collecting apparatus being positioned on the chassis to advance over the surface as the chassis is transported in a forward transport direction;

a cleaning fluid applicator for applying cleaning fluid onto the surface across the cleaning width, said cleaning fluid applicator being positioned on the chassis to advance over the surface behind the first collecting apparatus as the chassis is transported in a forward transport direction;

a smearing element for smearing the cleaning fluid applied onto the surface across the cleaning width, said smearing element being positioned on the chassis to advance over the surface behind the cleaning fluid applicator as the chassis is transported in a forward transport direction;

a second collecting apparatus for collecting waste liquid from the surface, said second collecting apparatus being positioned on the chassis to advance over the surface behind the smearing element as the chassis is transported in a forward transport direction; and

,

an integrated storage container module in fluid communication with at least one of the first collecting apparatus, the second collecting apparatus, and the cleaning fluid applicator.

41. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 40, further comprising an active scrubbing element for actively scrubbing the surface across the cleaning width, said active scrubbing element being positioned on the chassis to advance over the surface behind the smearing element and in front of the second collecting apparatus as the chassis is transported in a forward transport direction.

42. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 40, wherein the integrated storage container module comprises at least one of a waste storage container for storing loose particulates collected by said first collecting apparatus and waste liquid collected by said second collecting apparatus, and a cleaning fluid supply container for storing a supply of the cleaning fluid.

43. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 40, wherein the integrated storage container module is configured to be removed from the chassis by a user, filled with cleaning fluid and emptied of waste and then reinstalled onto the chassis by the user.