US 10,766,132 B2Granted

Mobile robot for cleaning

AssigneeiRobot Corporation

InventorsNikolai Romanov, Collin Eugene Johnson, James Philip Case, Dhiraj Goel, Steffen Gutmann, Michael Dooley

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Abstract

A method of cleaning a floor near a vertical surface with a mobile robot. The robot includes a cleaning assembly and a drive assembly having a first wheel and a second wheel. The method includes aligning the robot such that the first wheel and second wheel are configured to roll in a direction substantially parallel to the surface. The method includes driving the robot forward in a direction substantially parallel to the surface. The method further includes: i) turning the first wheel, proximate to the surface, with a first angular velocity, and ii) turning the second wheel, further from the surface, with a second angular velocity. The second angular velocity is greater than the first angular velocity. The robot pushes against the surface while sliding along the same surface.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method of cleaning a floor surface with a mobile robot, wherein the mobile robot comprises a cleaning assembly, the cleaning assembly comprising a cleaning pad, and a drive assembly having a first wheel and a second wheel, the method comprising:

aligning a side edge of the cleaning pad and a vertical surface by
moving the mobile robot towards the vertical surface until a front edge of the cleaning pad contacts the vertical surface, and then
rotating the mobile robot relative to the vertical surface such that a forward drive direction of the mobile robot is substantially parallel to the vertical surface;
and
moving along the vertical surface to maintain contact between the side edge of the cleaning pad and the vertical surface by
turning the first wheel with a first angular velocity, and
turning the second wheel with a second angular velocity, wherein the second angular velocity is larger than the first angular velocity such that wheel axes of the first and second wheels are rotated between 0 and 5 degrees away from a direction orthogonal to the vertical surface.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/627,823Filed 20 Feb 2015 · continuation
Priority: 24 Apr 2008
Published: US 2015/0158174 A111 Jun 2015
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B25J 5/00
Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages
A47L 11/4011
Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles,…:…
A47L 11/4036
Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles,…: parts or…
A47L 11/4066
Driving means; Transmission means therefor: propulsion of the whole machine

Family

Application61/125,684Us provisional application · filed 24 Apr 2008
Application12/429,963Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Apr 2009
Application12/930,260Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Dec 2010
US 8,452,450 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 May 2013
US 2015/0158174 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Jun 2015
US 8,961,695 B2Parent of this continuation
Application12/930,260Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2009/0281661 A1Published application
US 2011/0202175 A1Published application
US 8,290,622 B2Related patent
US 10,766,132 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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