US 8,881,339 B2 · Robotic vacuum

Abstract

An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions. A drive system is mounted to the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface. A cleaning assembly is mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and has two counter-rotating rollers mounted therein for retrieving debris from the cleaning surface, the longitudinal axis of the forward roller lying in a first horizontal plane positioned above a second horizontal plane on which the longitudinal axis of the rearward roller lies. The cleaning assembly is movably mounted to the chassis by a linkage affixed at a forward end to the chassis and at a rearward end to the cleaning assembly. When the robot transitions from a firm surface to a compressible surface, the linkage lifts the cleaning assembly from the cleaning surface.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A resilient compressible roller rotatably engaged with an autonomous coverage robot, the resilient compressible roller comprising:

a rigid drive shaft;
a resilient tubular member having a longitudinal axis and including:
an outer surface;
one or more vanes extending outwardly from the outer surface;
a hub disposed along the longitudinal axis of the resilient tubular member within the outer surface, the hub having one or more engagement elements formed therein for engaging securely with the rigid drive shaft;
and
a plurality of resilient curvilinear spokes extending between an inner surface of the resilient tubular member and the hub;
wherein the one or more vanes are integrally formed with the resilient tubular member and define V-shaped chevrons, each chevron having a central tip, a first leg extending from the central tip to a first end of the resilient tubular member and a second leg extending from the central tip to a second end of the resilient tubular member.

5 more elements

An autonomous coverage robot having a chassis with forward and rearward portions,

a drive system mounted to the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, and
a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis, the cleaning assembly comprising two counter-rotating rollers mounted therein and configured to retrieve debris from the cleaning surface, the two counter-rotating rollers comprising:
a forward roller and a rearward roller each defining a longitudinal axis and formed of
an integrally and homogenously formed resilient elastomer outer tube of a durometer between 60 A and 80 A and between 1/2 mm and 3 mm wall thickness to substantially maintain a predetermined cross sectional area between the two counter-rotating rollers yet permit collapsing therebetween as large debris is passed, and
a partially air-occupied inner resilient core that is more resilient than the resilient elastomer outer tube and configured to bias the resilient elastomer outer tube to rebound,
the longitudinal axis of the forward roller lying in a first horizontal plane positioned above a second horizontal plane on which the longitudinal axis of the rearward roller lies.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Robotic vacuum

Life of this patent

Robotic vacuum

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27