Evacuation station
AssigneeiRobot Corporation
InventorsRussell Walter Morin, Harold Boeschenstein, David Orrin Swett, Jude Royston Jonas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile robot includes a body configured to traverse a surface and to receive debris from the surface, and a debris bin within the body. The debris bin includes a chamber to hold the debris received by the mobile robot, an exhaust port through which the debris exits the debris bin; and a door unit over the exhaust port. The door unit includes a flap configured to move, in response to air pressure at the exhaust port, between a closed position to cover the exhaust port and an open position to open a path between the chamber and the exhaust port. The door unit, including the flap in the open position and in the closed position, is within an exterior surface of the mobile robot.
Claims38
An evacuation station comprising:
- an intake port configured to align with an exhaust port of a debris bin of an autonomous mobile robot;
- one or more conduits connected to the intake port;
- a canister above the intake port, the intake port positioned outside of the canister, the canister comprising
- a first compartment;
- and
- a second compartment configured to receive a bag, wherein the one or more conduits extend from the intake port, through the first compartment, and to an exit port positioned along an interface within the canister separating the first compartment and the second compartment,
- one or more slots positioned within the second compartment at the interface separating the first compartment and the second compartment, the one or more slots configured to interface with the bag to align the bag with the one or more conduits, wherein a length of a vertical extension of the one or more slots is larger than a length of a horizontal extension of the one or more slots, and
- a lid movable between an open position in which the first compartment and the second compartment are uncovered and a closed position in which the first compartment and the second compartment are covered;
- and
- a motor positioned below the canister, the motor being operable to evacuate debris from the debris bin by drawing an airflow through the exhaust port of the debris bin, into the intake port of the evacuation station, through the one or more conduits of the evacuation station, and through the bag, the airflow carrying the evacuated debris from the debris bin, and the bag being configured to store at least a portion of the evacuated debris.
An evacuation station comprising:
- an intake port configured to align with an exhaust port of a debris bin of an autonomous mobile robot;
- one or more conduits connected to the intake port;
- a canister above the intake port, the intake port positioned outside of the canister, the canister comprising
- a first compartment;
- and
- a second compartment configured to receive a bag, wherein the one or more conduits extend from the intake port, through the first compartment, and to an exit port positioned along an interface within the canister separating the first compartment and the second compartment, and
- a lid movable between an open position in which the first compartment and the second compartment are uncovered and a closed position in which the first compartment and the second compartment are covered;
- and
- a motor positioned below the canister, the motor being operable to evacuate debris from the debris bin by drawing an airflow through the exhaust port of the debris bin, into the intake port of the evacuation station, through the one or more conduits of the evacuation station, and through the bag, the airflow carrying the evacuated debris from the debris bin, and the bag being configured to store at least a portion of the evacuated debris.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.