Robotic cleaning head

• US 8,136,200 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Splinter, Alexander Poul
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US12/523,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20100050366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 153/401
• US Class Current: 15/319
• 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 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/24 Hoses or pipes; Hose or pipe couplings hoses or hose joints in general F16L

Abstract

A robotic cleaning head (1; 101) for use as part of an autonomous vacuum cleaning system (2) including a canister unit (3) and a hose assembly (4; 104) connecting the cleaning head (1; 101) to the canister unit (3). The cleaning head (3) has a chassis (5; 105), a drive system (6; 18; 27), a vacuum cleaning nozzle (8; 108) and a conduit (9; 109). The conduit (9; 109) communicates with an air passage bound by the cleaning nozzle (8; 108). It is suspended pivotable about a pivot axis (10; 110) and includes an inlet (11; 111) provided on top of said chassis (5; 105), and an elbow section (12; 112) downstream of the inlet (11; 111), and the conduit (9; 109) is suspended and shaped such that a line of action (15; 115) of a tension force (20; 120) exerted by the hose assembly (4; 104) onto the chassis (5; 105), via the conduit (9; 109) to which the hose assembly (4; 104) is connected, extends spaced below a downstream end of the elbow section (12; 112).

Claims

1. A robotic cleaning head for use as part of an autonomous vacuum cleaning system (2) further including a canister unit (3) and a hose assembly (4;

104) connecting the cleaning head (1;

101) to the canister unit (3), said cleaning head (1;

101) comprising;

a chassis (5;

105);

a drive system (6;

18;

27) for driving and steering displacement of the cleaning head (1;

101) over a floor surface (7;

107);

a vacuum cleaning nozzle (8;

108) bounding an air passage (30); and

a conduit (9;

109) communicating with the cleaning nozzle (8;

108) for conducting air received via said air passage (30) to the hose assembly (4;

104);

wherein

the conduit (9;

109) is pivotable relative to the chassis about a pivot axis (10;

110);

the conduit (9;

109) includes an inlet (11;

111) provided on top of said chassis (5;

105), and an elbow section (12;

112) downstream of the inlet (11;

111); and

the conduit (9;

109) is suspended relative to the chassis and shaped such that, in operating condition, a line of action (15;

115) of a tension force exerted by the hose assembly (4;

104) onto the chassis (5;

105) via the conduit (9;

109), extends spaced below a downstream end of said elbow section (12;

112).

2. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the conduit (9;

109) includes, a boom section (13;

113) extending from the elbow section (12;

112) radially relative to the pivot axis and an outlet end section (14;

114) downstream of the boom section (13;

113) and at least partially extending horizontally outside of the chassis (5;

105) and the drive system (6;

18;

27) and downwardly from the boom section (13;

113), such that, when in operating condition, a lowermost portion of the outlet end portion (14;

114) is at a level below an uppermost portion of at least the chassis (5;

105), the drive system (6;

18;

27) or the nozzle (8;

108).

3. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the conduit (9;

109) is a substantially rigid structure.

4. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the elbow section (112) is suspended swivably relative to the chassis (105) about a swivel axis (116) perpendicular to the pivot axis (110) and extending spaced below the downstream end of said elbow section (112).

5. A cleaning head according to claim 4, wherein the swivel axis (116) is a virtual swivel axis defined by a linkage (117) linking the elbow section to the chassis.

6. A cleaning head according to claim 5, wherein the linkage (117) includes at least two links (135;

136) of at least one four bar linkage including the elbow section (112) and the chassis (105).

7. A cleaning head according to claim 5, wherein, for at least one position of the linkage (117), the swivel axis (116) extends below the chassis (105).

8. A cleaning head according to claim 1, further comprising a support member (124) under the outlet end portion (114) of the conduit (109) for supporting the conduit (109) relative to the floor surface (107).

9. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein said pivot axis (10;

110) extends closely adjacent to an axis of rotation about which the chassis (5;

105) rotates when changing its direction of displacement over the floor surface (7;

107).

10. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the drive system (6;

18;

27) includes at least two circulatable members (18) for displacing the cleaning head (1;

101) in a driving direction (29) when driven to circulate in unison, the at least two circulatable members (18) being spaced apart transversally to the driving direction (29) to the right and to the left of a central plane of the chassis (5;

105) oriented in the driving direction (29), the drive system (6;

18;

27) further being controllable for driving the circulatable members (18) at different velocities of circulation for steering the cleaning head (1;

101).

11. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the inlet end (111) of the conduit (109) is facing upwardly and wherein the pivotable conduit (109) connects from underneath to an air duct portion (125) communicating with the nozzle (108).

12. An autonomous vacuum cleaning system comprising a cleaning head (1;

101)acording to claim 1 and further including a canister unit (3) and a hose assembly (4;

104) for connecting the cleaning head (1;

101) to the canister unit (3).