AUTONOMOUS SURFACE CLEANING ROBOT FOR DRY CLEANING

• US 20140259511A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Ziegler, Andrew, Morse, Christopher John, Gilbert, Duane L. Jr., Jones, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,470,629 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;

a drive system carried by the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left driven wheels defining a transverse axis perpendicular to a fore-aft axis in a plane substantially parallel to a cleaning surface;

a waste storage container carried by the chassis; and

an air moving system carried by the chassis, the air moving system configured to generate a negative pressure in a first cleaning zone and a negative pressure in a second cleaning zone aft of the first cleaning zone.

28. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein the first and second cleaning zones are each in fluid communication with the waste storage container.

29. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein the first cleaning zone is substantially parallel to the second cleaning zone.

30. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein each of the first and second cleaning zones are substantially parallel to the transverse axis.

31. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, further comprising a rotatable brush disposed along the second cleaning zone, the rotatable brush in contact with the cleaning surface when the autonomous cleaning robot moves over the cleaning surface.

32. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein the air moving system is configured to generate a positive pressure in the first cleaning zone forward of the negative pressure generated in the first cleaning zone.

33. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 32, wherein the first cleaning zone is a dry cleaning zone.

34. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 33, further comprising a liquid applicator configured to apply a cleaning fluid to the cleaning surface along the second cleaning zone.

35. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 34, wherein the second cleaning zone is aft of the first cleaning zone.