COMPACT AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT

• US 20150020326A1
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Schnittman, Mark Steven, Dubrovsky, Zivthan A., Mammen, Jeffrey W., Solochek, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 9,480,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/52.1
• 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

An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. An autonomous robot comprising:

a chassis having a substantially rectangular forward portion and a substantially arcuate rearward portion when viewed from above;

a cleaning assembly carried by the chassis and positioned forward of two drive wheels;

a proximity sensor carried by the chassis and responsive to object proximity with respect to a lateral side of the robot;

a bumper extending along at least a forward edge of the chassis; and

a drive system carried by the chassis and configured to change a direction of travel of the robot in response to contact between the bumper and an obstacle while the robot is moving in a forward direction and alter the direction of travel of the robot in response to a signal from the proximity sensor indicative of a detected object proximate the lateral side of the robot.

27. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the drive system is configured to perform a first obstacle following maneuver in response to the detection of the object proximate the lateral side of the robot and a second obstacle following maneuver in response to detection of an obstacle by the bumper, in which second obstacle following maneuver the robot backs up, turns in place to deactivate the bumper and position the robot to perform an obstacle-following arc, and then maneuvers about the obstacle in an arc while the lateral side of the robot continues to face the obstacle.

28. The autonomous robot of claim 26, further comprising two cliff sensors configured to detect a cliff and disposed along the forward portion of the chassis.

29. The autonomous robot of claim 28, wherein the cliff sensors are located at respective right and left edges of the bumper.

30. The autonomous robot of claim 26, further comprising a battery carried by the chassis rearward of the cleaning assembly, the battery powering the drive system and the cleaning assembly, the cleaning assembly further comprising a roller brush motor to rotate a roller brush.

31. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the bumper is configured to detect contact with the obstacle in one of the direction of travel and the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel without detecting contact with the obstacle in the remaining direction.

32. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the robot is configured to turn to follow a wall in response to contact with the wall by the bumper.

33. The autonomous robot of claim 32, wherein the bumper has flat vertical surfaces directed toward lateral sides of the robot and which are positioned to skim along the followed wall.

34. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the robot is configured to semi-passively wall follow by:

detecting a proximate wall,

turning to align a dominant side of the robot with the proximate wall, and

driving along the wall while turning slightly into the wall so as to skim along the wall, while

repeatedly sensing contact with the wall via the bumper or the proximity sensor.

35. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the robot comprises a navigational sensor system in communication with a controller that controls the drive system to maneuver the robot as a function of sensed surroundings about the robot, in response to signals from the navigational sensor system.

36. The autonomous robot of claim 35, wherein the navigational sensor system comprises a stasis detector responsive to whether the robot is moving or stationary.

37. The autonomous robot of claim 36, wherein the stasis detector comprises a stasis wheel configured to roll along a surface as the robot is maneuvered.

38. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a roller brush rotatably mounted adjacent a front edge of the chassis.

39. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a side brush mounted so as to extend beyond the chassis.

40. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the autonomous robot further comprises:

a controller in communication with the drive system, the controller configured to maneuver the robot to pivot in place; and

an accelerometer in communication with the controller, the controller configured to control the drive system in response to a signal received from the accelerometer.

41. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the bumper comprises bump sensors responsive to contact between the bumper and an obstacle.

42. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the bumper comprises bump sensors responsive to relative motion between the bumper and the chassis.

43. The autonomous robot of claim 26, wherein the bumper also extends along lateral sides of the chassis.

44. The autonomous robot of claim 43, wherein the drive system is configured to distinguish between bumper contact on the lateral side of the robot and bumper contact along the forward portion of the chassis.