BRUSH FOR AUTONOMOUS CLEANING ROBOT

• US 20180338655A1
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Published: 11/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Schregardus, Thomas P., Gschrey, Travis James
• Granted Patent: US 11,103,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• 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 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles

Abstract

An autonomous cleaning robot includes a drive configured to move the robot across a floor surface, a brush proximate a lateral side of the robot, and a motor configured to rotate the brush about an axis of rotation. The brush includes a hub configured to engage the motor of the robot and arms each extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation and each being angled relative to a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the brush. Each of the arms include a first portion extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation and a second portion extending outwardly from the first portion away from the axis of rotation. An angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the plane is larger than an angle between the second portion of the each of the arms and the plane.

Claims

1. A autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

a drive configured to move the robot across a floor surface;

a side brush proximate a lateral side of the robot; and

a motor configured to rotate the side brush about an axis of rotation,

wherein the side brush comprises

a hub configured to engage the motor of the robot,

a plurality of arms each extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation and each being angled relative to a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the side brush, each of the arms comprising a first portion extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation and a second portion extending outwardly from the first portion away from the axis of rotation, an angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the plane being larger than an angle between the second portion of the each of the arms and the plane, and

a plurality of bristle bundles, each of the bristle bundles attached to a respective one of the plurality of arms and extending outwardly from the second portion of the respective arm.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein:

the side brush is a corner brush,

the robot further comprises a main brush rotatable about an axis parallel to the floor surface, and

the side brush is configured such that at least a portion of the bristle bundles of the side brush is positionable below the main brush during a portion of rotation.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation is substantially perpendicular to the floor surface.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the side brush is a corner brush, and the robot further comprises:

a front portion having a substantially rectangular shape, and

a main brush disposed along the front portion of the robot, the main brush extending across 60% to 90% of a width of the front portion of the robot.

5. The robot of claim 4, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the side brush such that a distal end of each of the bristle bundles is swept through a circle defined by a diameter between 15% and 35% of the width of the front portion of the robot.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein:

the robot further comprises;

a cleaning head module comprising a main brush rotatable about an axis parallel to the floor surface, and the side brush is mounted proximate a corner portion of the cleaning head module.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein:

the side brush is positioned proximate a corner portion of the robot formed by a front surface of the robot and a lateral side of the robot, and

the motor is configured to rotate the side brush such that each of the bristle bundles is positionable beyond the front surface and the lateral side of the robot.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein a top portion of the hub comprises an inset portion to collect filament debris engaged by the side brush.

9. The robot of claim 8, further comprising a housing,

wherein a bottom surface of the housing comprises an inset portion configured to receive the inset portion of the hub, and

wherein the hub is configured to collect the filament debris in a region defined by the inset portion of housing and the inset portion of the hub.

10. The robot of claim 8, further comprising an opening to receive the hub of the side brush, the opening configured to collect filament debris received from the inset portion of the hub.

11. The robot of claim 1, wherein a height of the hub is between 0.25 cm and 1.5 cm.

12. The robot of claim 1, wherein the hub is formed from a rigid polymer material having an elastic modulus between 1 and 10 GPa, and the arms are formed from an elastomeric material having an elastic modulus between 0.01 and 0.1 GPa.

13. The robot of claim 1, wherein the angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the plane is between 70 and 90 degrees.

14. The robot of claim 1, wherein the angle between the second portion of each of the arms and the plane is between 15 and 60 degrees.

15. The robot of claim 1, wherein an angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the second portion of each of the arms is between 100 and 160 degrees.

16. The robot of claim 1, wherein the second portion of each of the arms is angled relative to the first portion of each of the arms away from a direction of rotation of the side brush.

17. The robot of claim 1, wherein an angle between an axis along which the second portion extends and a circle defined by an outer perimeter of the hub is between 30 and 60 degrees.

18. A side brush mountable to an autonomous cleaning robot, the side brush comprising:

a hub configured to engage a motor of the autonomous cleaning robot such that the side brush rotates about an axis of rotation to agitate debris on a floor surface when the motor is driven;

a plurality of arms each extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation and each being angled relative to a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the side brush, each of the arms comprising a first portion extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation and a second portion extending outwardly from the first portion away from the axis of rotation, an angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the plane being larger than an angle between the second portion of the each of the arms and the plane, and

a plurality of bristle bundles, each of the bristle bundles attached to a respective one of the plurality of arms and extending outwardly from the second portion of the respective arm.

19. The side brush of claim 18, wherein a top portion of the hub comprises an inset portion to collect filament debris on the floor surface and engaged by the side brush.

20. The side brush of claim 18, wherein a height of the hub is between 0.25 cm and 1.5 cm.

21. The side brush of claim 18, wherein the hub is formed from a rigid polymer material having an elastic modulus between 1 and 10 GPa, and the arms are formed from an elastomeric material having an elastic modulus between 0.01 and 0.1 GPa.

22. The side brush of claim 18, wherein the angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the plane is between 70 and 90 degrees.

23. The side brush of claim 18, wherein the angle between the second portion of each of the arms and the plane is between 15 and 60 degrees.

24. The side brush of claim 18, wherein an angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the second portion of each of the arms between 100 and 160 degrees.

25. The side brush of claim 18, wherein the second portion of each of the arms is angled relative to the first portion of each of the arms away from a direction of rotation of the side brush.