Autonomous surface cleaning robot for wet cleaning
AssigneeiRobot Corporation
InventorsStefanos Konandreas, Andrew Ziegler, Christopher John Morse
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arraigned to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.
Claims26
A method for cleaning a surface with a cleaning apparatus, the method comprising:
- transporting a chassis over the surface in a forward transport direction defined by a fore-aft axis, said chassis including cleaning elements supported thereon, wherein the cleaning elements have a cleaning width disposed generally perpendicular to the fore-aft axis;
- ejecting a volume of cleaning fluid from at least one liquid applicator disposed substantially perpendicular to the fore-aft axis, wherein the cleaning fluid is ejected with sufficient volume and pressure to distribute cleaning fluid across the cleaning width;
- and
- smearing the cleaning fluid across the cleaning width using a smearing element attached to the chassis aft of the at least one liquid applicator,
- wherein the smearing element extends substantially across the cleaning width, and
- wherein the smearing element comprises a plurality of smearing bristles configured to wick up excess cleaning fluid applied to one location of the cleaning surface and distribute the wicked up cleaning fluid to other locations of the cleaning surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.