Liquid management for floor-traversing robots

• US 9,757,004 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Neumann, Rogelio Manfred, Leech, Adam Daniel, Swett, David Orrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung V
• Application Number:
  US14/621,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers
• 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 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 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 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/32 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An autonomous floor-traversing robot includes: a wheeled body including a chassis and at least one motorized wheel configured to propel the chassis across a floor, the chassis defining an interior compartment disposed beneath a chassis ceiling; a cover extending across at least a central area of the chassis ceiling; and a graspable handle connected to the chassis and located outside the cover so as to be accessible from above the robot, the handle arranged to enable lifting of the robot. The chassis ceiling defines drainage channels configured to conduct the liquid away from the central area of the chassis ceiling.

Claims

1. An autonomous floor-traversing robot, comprising:

a wheeled body comprising a chassis and at least one motorized wheel configured to propel the chassis across a floor, the chassis defining an interior compartment disposed beneath a chassis ceiling;

a cover extending across at least a central area of the chassis ceiling; and

a graspable handle connected to the chassis and located outside the cover so as to be accessible from above the robot, the handle arranged to enable lifting of the robot;

wherein the chassis ceiling defines a primary drainage channel outside the cover configured to catch liquid from an outer surface of the cover and conduct the liquid away from the central area.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the handle is pivotally coupled to the chassis and extends over a mounting bay defined in the chassis ceiling.

3. The robot of claim 2, wherein a floor of the mounting bay includes one or more drainage gutters to direct liquid from within the mounting bay out of the robot.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the handle is mounted to the chassis at a position offset from the robot'"'"'s center of gravity, such that the robot tilts when lifted.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the chassis ceiling defines at least one secondary drainage channel extending beneath the cover and configured to conduct away from the central area.

6. The robot of claim 5, wherein the secondary drainage channel extends from a corner of a mounting bay retaining the handle.

7. The robot of claim 5, wherein the secondary drainage channel is defined by a plurality of struts extending integrally from a surface of the chassis ceiling to support the cover atop the chassis.

8. The robot of claim 5, wherein the secondary drainage channel defines an arcuate path leading across the chassis without traversing the central area.

9. The robot of claim 8, wherein the arcuate path of the secondary drainage channel leads to a downwardly sloped egress region near a back end of the chassis.

10. The robot of claim 9, wherein the egress region leads to an opening to the interior of a cleaning bin of the robot.

11. The robot of claim 5, wherein the secondary drainage channel is located radially inwards of the primary drainage channel.

12. The robot of claim 5, wherein the secondary drainage channel is downwardly sloped along a radial direction from the center of the chassis, so as to guide liquid away from the central area when the robot placed substantially flat on the floor.

13. The robot of claim 1, wherein the primary drainage channel comprises a circular race surrounding the cover.

14. The robot of claim 1, wherein the primary drainage channel comprises a recessed lower surface of the chassis ceiling traced by a raised outer rim of the body.

15. The robot of claim 14, wherein the cover is surrounded by the outer rim, and wherein the primary drainage channel is configured to conduct the liquid towards a discharge gap formed in the outer rim.

16. The robot of claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the primary drainage channel is downwardly sloped along a radial direction from the center of the chassis, so as to guide liquid to egress from the robot through an area along a side of the robot when the robot is placed substantially flat on the floor.

17. The robot of claim 1, wherein the cover is removably coupled to the chassis ceiling.

18. The robot of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a continuous sealing lip tracing an edge of the chassis ceiling when the cover is coupled to the chassis ceiling.

19. The robot of claim 18, wherein the cover further comprises a plurality of locking tabs distributed intermittently along an inner face of the sealing lip to grip the edge of the chassis ceiling.

20. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a button plate coupled to an inner surface of the cover, the button plate comprising:

a substantially flat base;

a grommet situated within the base, the grommet comprising a flexible diaphragm; and

a disk retained by an inner flange of the grommet, the disk positioned above an activatable mechanical button disposed beneath the chassis ceiling.

21. The robot of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the cover defines a domed contour sloping downwardly toward the primary drainage channel.

22. An autonomous floor-traversing robot, comprising:

a wheeled chassis comprising a chassis housing and at least one motorized wheel configured to propel the chassis across a floor, the chassis defining an interior compartment disposed beneath a chassis ceiling;

a cover extending across at least a central area of the chassis ceiling; and

a graspable handle connected to the chassis and located outside the cover so as to be accessible from above the robot, the handle arranged to enable lifting of the robot;

wherein the chassis ceiling has an upper surface defining one or more open drainage channels extending beneath the cover from a corner of a mounting bay retaining the handle and configured to conduct liquid toward an edge region of the robot.

23. The robot of claim 22, wherein at least one of the drainage channels is defined by a plurality of struts extending integrally from a surface of the chassis ceiling to support the cover atop the chassis.

24. The robot of claim 22, wherein at least one of the drainage channels defines an arcuate path leading across the chassis without traversing the central area.

25. The robot of claim 24, wherein the arcuate path leads to a downwardly sloped egress region near a back end of the chassis.

26. The robot of claim 25, wherein the egress region leads to an opening to the interior of a cleaning bin of the robot.

27. The robot of claim 22, wherein at least one of the drainage channels is located radially inwards of a primary drainage channel outside the cover configured to catch liquid from an outer surface of the cover and conduct the liquid away from the central area.

28. The robot of claim 22, wherein at least one of the drainage channels is downwardly sloped along a radial direction from the center of the chassis, so as to guide liquid away from the central area when the robot placed substantially flat on the floor.