AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT

• US 20120311810A1
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Gilbert, Duane L. Jr., Masters, Jeffrey N.
• Application Number:
  US13/370,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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

Abstract

A surface treatment robot including a robot body, a differential drive system mounted on the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, a liquid applicator carried by the robot body, and a collection assembly carried by the robot body and configured to remove waste from the cleaning surface. The robot body has a forward portion and a rear portion, with the forward portion preceding the rear portion as the robot moves in a forward direction over the cleaning surface. The liquid applicator is configured to dispense a liquid to the cleaning surface such that at least a portion of the liquid is dispensed rear of the collection assembly as the robot moves in the forward direction.

Claims

1. A surface treatment robot comprising:

a robot body having a forward portion, a rear portion, the forward portion preceding the rear portion as the robot moves in a forward direction over a cleaning surface;

a cleaning assembly carried by the robot body and configured to remove debris from the cleaning surface; and

a right drive wheel and a left drive wheel, each drive wheel rotatable about an axis parallel to the cleaning surface and transverse to the forward direction of movement of the robot over the cleaning surface, each drive wheel comprising

a rim

a tire disposed about a circumference of a respective drive wheel, the tire comprising

a base having a first side and a second side substantially opposite the first side,

a first and second set of treads, each tread of the first and second set of treads extending radially from the first side of the base toward the cleaning surface, each tread of the first and second set of treads being elongate in a direction substantially parallel to the transverse axis, and each tread of the first set of treads circumferentially offset from each of the treads of the second set of treads.

2. The surface treatment robot of claim 1 wherein each tread of the first and second set of treads has at least one substantially square edge disposed toward the cleaning surface.

3. The surface treatment robot of claim 1 wherein each tread of the first and second set of treads has substantially the same width in the circumferential direction of the tire.

4. The surface treatment robot of claim 3 wherein each tread of the first and second set of treads is circumferentially spaced from a preceding tread of the respective set of treads by a distance about three times the circumferential width of the tread.

5. The surface treatment robot of claim 1 wherein each tread extends radially from the base by a distance between about ⅕

to about ½

of a radial thickness of the base.

6. The surface treatment robot of claim 1 wherein the tire comprises natural rubber and between about 20 percent and about 30 percent particulate matter.

7. The surface treatment robot of claim 6 wherein the particulate matter includes one or more of the following:

kaolin clay and calcium carbonate.

8. The surface treatment robot of claim 1 wherein each wheel is disposed rear of at least a portion of the cleaning assembly as the robot moves in the forward direction over the cleaning surface.

9. The surface treatment robot of claim 8 wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a liquid applicator, and at least a portion of the liquid applicator is disposed forward of each wheel as the robot moves in the forward direction over the cleaning surface.

10. The surface treatment robot of claim 9 wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a vacuum assembly, and at least a portion of the vacuum assembly is disposed rear of each wheel as the robot moves in the forward direction over the cleaning surface.

11. The surface treatment robot of claim 1 wherein each tire comprises a third and fourth set of treads extending radially from the second side of the base toward the respective rim.

12. The surface treatment robot of claim 11 wherein the third set of treads is substantially opposite the first set of treads and the fourth set of treads is substantially opposite the second set of treads.

13. The surface treatment robot of claim 12 wherein each tread of third set of treads is circumferentially offset from each tread of the first set of treads and each tread of the fourth set of treads is circumferentially offset from each tread of the second set of treads.

14. The surface treatment robot of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the base is movable toward the wheel when a tread of the first or second set of treads contacts the cleaning surface.

15. The surface treatment robot of claim 11 wherein the third set of treads and the fourth set of treads define at least a portion of channel extending circumferentially around the tire, along the second surface of the base.

16. The surface treatment robot of claim 15 wherein each wheel includes a circumferential ridge extending radially outward, toward the cleaning surface, the circumferential ridge engageable with the channel at least partially defined by the third and fourth set of treads.

17. The surface treatment robot of claim 11 wherein the tire is reversible such that the third and fourth sets of treads extend toward the cleaning surface and the first and second sets of treads extend toward the respective rim.