Robotic vacuum cleaning system

A robot cleaning system comprising:

• a debris collection volume;
• a vacuum airway configured to deliver debris to the debris collection volume;
• and
• a cleaning head in pneumatic communication with the vacuum airway, the cleaning head comprising:
• two resilient shape-changing tubes separated by an air gap opposing the vacuum airway, each shape-changing tube having a circumferential wall;
• a plurality of agitator vanes extending outwardly along the circumferential wall of each shape-changing tube to agitate and direct debris from a cleaning surface location directly beneath the vacuum airway through the air gap, the agitator vanes extending into the air gap, the agitator vanes of one shape-changing tube non-overlapping with the agitator vanes of the other shape-changing tube;
• and
• a form-following housing surrounding between about 125 degrees and about 175 degrees of an outer circumferential periphery of each of the shape-changing tubes, the housing spaced from a radially outermost part of each of the shape-changing tubes by a distance that allows one or more air dams to form between the agitator vanes and the housing;
• wherein the cleaning head is operable in:
• a first configuration wherein the two shape-changing tubes rotate against a cleaning surface engaged by the cleaning head to agitate debris on the cleaning surface to pass through the air gap and into the vacuum airway;
• and
• a second configuration wherein both shape-changing tubes deform opposite one another to roll an object larger than the air gap to pass into the vacuum airway.

A robot cleaning system comprising:

• a debris collection volume;
• a vacuum airway configured to deliver debris to the debris collection volume;
• and
• a cleaning head in pneumatic communication with the vacuum airway, the cleaning head comprising:
• two resilient shape-changing tubes separated by an air gap opposing the vacuum airway;
• a plurality of agitator vanes extending outwardly along the circumferential wall of each shape-changing tube;
• and
• a form-following housing surrounding between about 125 degrees and about 175 degrees of an outer circumferential periphery of each of the shape-changing tubes, the housing spaced from a radially outermost part of each of the shape-changing tubes by a distance that allows one or more air dams to form between the agitator vanes and the housing;
• wherein the cleaning head is operable in:
• a first configuration wherein the two shape-changing tubes rotate against a cleaning surface engaged by the cleaning head to agitate debris on the cleaning surface to pass through the air gap and into the vacuum airway;
• and
• a second configuration wherein both shape changing resilient tubes deform opposite one another to roll an object larger than the air gap to pass into the vacuum airway.