Patent Application
20240049928
This disclosure relates to autonomous cleaning systems. More particularly, this disclosure describes components of an autonomous cleaning system used for sweeping debris from an environment.
Conventional vacuum systems can use brush rollers to assist in moving dust and debris to be suctioned by the vacuum. However, brush rollers of conventional vacuum systems have various issues such as cleaning efficiency, noise, and power consumption. Hairs can wrap and accumulate around the outside of the brush roller, which worsens cleaning performance. Hairs can also jam or unseat rotating brush rollers, which completely stops cleaning performance until the brush roller is unjammed or reseated. Flaps of brush rollers can be noisy as they successively strike the ground during cleaning. Conventional vacuum systems may also expend additional power to rotate a brush roller against additional friction caused by hairs that accumulate around the brush roller and may wrap around a rotating portion of the brush roller (e.g., a drive pinion). Cleaning fibrous debris from conventional vacuum systems can be inconvenient for the user and is often challenging because removal or insertion of a vacuum's brush roller requires complex procedures, additional tools, or undue force, which may damage the vacuum or brush roller. Furthermore, large debris may be unable to be ingested into conventional vacuum systems due to insufficient room or because the large debris enters at edges of a brush roller.
Conventional vacuum systems may use a wedge to seal a cavity in which debris is ingested from a floor on which the vacuum travels. This conventional wedge can have a skirted leading edge, which causes an accumulation of debris at the base of the vacuum and dragged along the floor rather than encouraging movement of the debris into an opening to be suctioned from the environment. To move this accumulated debris, conventional cleaning systems may exert a greater airflow and brush roller rotational speed, which both create loud noise, consume excessive power, and require costly motor systems.
Finally, conventional vacuum systems may include a side brush for cleaning vertical surfaces (e.g., walls). To clean a wall, a vacuum closely follows the wall using the side brush. To determine a distance between the side brush and a wall, a conventional vacuum system may use laser-based sensors to detect a wall is within proximity of the vacuum and cause the vacuum to approach the detected wall. However, laser-based sensors may be adequate to accurately measure smaller distances (i.e., with a finer resolution) when the vacuum is closer to the wall.
A cleaning system may include a brush roller that allows for movement of dust and debris towards a duct opening for collection. The cleaning system may be an autonomous vacuum robot or include an autonomous vacuum robot. Flaps of the brush roller are configured to contact debris and move debris towards the duct opening. The material and structure of the flaps may enable them to operate quieter and move debris more effectively than flaps of a conventional brush roller. The cleaning system includes guards that reduce the likelihood that fibrous debris wraps around rotating portions of the brush roller (e.g., around a drive pinion). Buffer zones in the brush roller may receive fibrous debris that would otherwise wrap around the brush roller and increase undesirable friction during operation. The brush roller is configured to be unlocked from a position contacting the inner surface of a cleaning head of the cleaning system without requiring application of excessive force or complex disassembly steps to be followed by a user. The brush roller may be unlocked without turning over the robot vacuum (e.g., without inverting the vacuum so that the brush roller is facing upwards). The fibrous debris stored in the buffer zones may be suctioned into a debris collection compartment of the cleaning system after the brush roller is unlocked.
In one embodiment, a brush roller includes an outer core, an inner core, and flaps connected to the outer core. The outer core may include a first tube. The inner core may be concentric with the outer core and configured to be located within the outer core. The inner core may include a second tube. The inner core may be configured to house a spring and a ball bearing. The spring may be configured to contact an inner surface of the cleaning head (e.g., an inner surface of the second tube). The ball bearing may be configured to contact the spring. The inner core may be configured to house at least part of a pin and an end tip. The pin may be configured to contact the ball bearing at a first side of the pin. The end tip may include a locking mechanism. The end tip may be connected to the pin at a second side of the pin. The locking mechanism may be configured to secure the end tip to the inner surface of the second tube. The pin and the end tip may be connected such that the pin and the end tip are stationary during rotation of the ball bearing and inner core.
The plurality of flaps may include an elastomer having one or more of a hardness within Shore A 40 to 80, a Bayshore rebound resilience within 5-50%, an elongation at break within 50-900%, and a tear strength within 75-250 kilonewtons per meter (kN/m). The flaps may be interleaving. A combined length of two or more of the flaps may extend along a total length of the outer core. A first flap of the flaps can overlap with a second flap of the flaps by an overlapping length of 5-50 mm. The brush roller may have 2-12 flaps. Each flap may include a trailing edge and a leading edge, where the trailing edge can be proximal to the center of the outer core. The outer core may include bases at opposite ends of the outer core. Each leading edge can form an angle within 1-60 degrees with one of the bases of the outer core.
A flap can have a length within 5-35 mm. A flap can include a root section and a tapered section. The root section may have a uniform thickness. The tapered section may have a tapered thickness. A ratio between the uniform thickness of the root section and a height of the flap may be within 1:5 to 1:25. The inner surface of the inner core can include a recession enabling a linear motion of the pin and the end tip within a range of 0.5-30 mm. The linear motion may be parallel with the central axis of the inner core. An outer radius of the outer core may be within 8-50 mm. A total length of the outer core may be within 50-500 mm. The outer core may further include air pathways configured to enable airflow along a length of the outer core.
The brush roller can further include one or more buffer zones. Each buffer zone can include a toroidal cavity configured to receive and store hair. The toroidal cavity may be located between an inner surface of the first tube and an outer surface of the second tube. The one or more buffer zones can be located proximal to an end of the brush roller. The inner core can further include a drive coupler configured to couple to a drive pinion. The drive pinion can be attached to a cleaning head configured to house the brush roller. The inner core may be attached to the outer core.
In one embodiment, a method includes providing a cleaning system, where the cleaning system includes a debris ingestion opening, a brush roller, flaps, one or more buffer zones, and a duct opening. Debris is received at the debris ingestion opening, where the debris includes hair. The hair is caused to travel into a buffer zone of the one or more buffer zones. The buffer zone may be located proximal to an end of the brush roller. Responsive to the end of the brush roller positioned proximal to the duct opening, the hair may be suctioned from the buffer zone.
The features and advantages described in the specification are not all inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.
The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.
The figures (FIGS.) and the following description relate to preferred embodiments by way of illustration only. It should be noted that from the following discussion, alternative embodiments of the structures and methods disclosed herein will be readily recognized as viable alternatives that may be employed without departing from the principles of what is claimed.
Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. It is noted that wherever practicable similar or like reference numbers may be used in the figures and may indicate similar or like functionality. The figures depict embodiments of the disclosed system (or method) for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein.
A cleaning system may include a brush roller that allows for movement of dust and debris towards a duct opening for collection. The cleaning system may be an autonomous vacuum robot or include an autonomous vacuum robot. Flaps of the brush roller are configured to contact debris and move debris towards the duct opening. The brush roller is configured to be unlocked from a position contacting the inner surface of a cleaning head of the cleaning system without requiring excessive force or disassembly by a user.
Furthermore, the cleaning system allows for avoiding increased friction caused by the intake of fibrous debris that wraps around the brush roller. In conventional cleaning systems having brush rollers, fibrous debris wraps around the brush roller and causes increased friction at one or more points of contact between the rotating brush roller and a stationary surface of the cleaning system. In particular, fibrous debris can bind around a rotating location of the brush roller and consequently, increase the likelihood that the brush roller is unseated or the rotation of the brush roller is jammed. The cleaning head can include one or more guards configured to prevent fibrous debris from contacting stationary surfaces of the cleaning system and consequently, prevents the increase of friction at one or more points of contact with the stationary surfaces. Additionally, the brush roller may include one or more buffer zones configured to receive and store fibrous debris that are prevented by the guards from contacting a stationary surface of the cleaning system.
Moreover, the cleaning head and the brush roller allow for removal of fibrous debris. For example, the cleaning head and brush roller are configured to enable fibrous debris to be suctioned from the one or more buffer zones into a duct opening for collection of debris. The brush roller can be unlocked from a cleaning orientation, enabling the fibrous debris at the one or more buffer zones to be exposed to a suctioning air flow into the duct opening for removal of debris (e.g., into a compartment of the cleaning system for debris storage).
A wedge of the cleaning system allows for debris to be led by the brush roller into the duct opening (e.g., rather than becoming accumulated in a space within the cleaning head contacting the surface to be cleaned). The wedge seals a debris ingestion cavity of the cleaning head (e.g., the space where the brush roller operates to move debris into a duct opening) from a surface being cleaned. The wedge has a leading edge that is pointed, where a leading edge is a frontmost portion of the cleaning system that contacts a surface to be cleaned. Conventional cleaning systems may have a leading edge that is prone to digging into carpets and angled improperly to slide over debris rather than encouraging debris from a surface to enter the duct opening of the cleaning head. Additionally, conventional cleaning systems may have wedges that cause debris to become accumulated and dragged against a surface as the cleaning system moves around an environment. To move this accumulated debris, conventional cleaning systems may exert a greater airflow and brush roller rotational speed, which both create loud noise, consume excessive power, and require costly motor systems. The wedge is shaped similar to a plough to avoid this debris accumulation. Furthermore, the wedge includes a strip of compliant material (e.g., fine bristles, foam strips, elastomeric structures, etc.) to reduce the likelihood of being damaged by coarsely textured floors (e.g., from carpets or small stones).
The cleaning system may include a side brush for cleaning vertical surfaces (e.g., walls) as the cleaning system moves around an environment. The cleaning system may perform a homing process to stop the side brush from rotating and conceal the side brush. Additionally, the cleaning system may perform a wall-following process to control a distance between the side brush and a vertical surface. For example, the cleaning system may use laser-based sensors to determine a first distance from a vertical surface. In response to determining that the first distance is within a threshold range of distances corresponding to a proximity of the side brush to the vertical surface, the cleaning system may use a measure of the torque associated with the side brush to determine a second distance from the side brush to the vertical surface, where the second distance is smaller than the first distance. In this way, the wall-following process of the cleaning system involves multiple granularities of distance measurement, where the second distance measurement can improve the measurement of closeness at which the cleaning system follows a vertical surface (e.g., as compared to using laser-based sensors without torque measurement).
As an overview, the chassis 110 is a rigid body that serves as a base frame for the autonomous vacuum. The chassis 110 includes a plurality of motorized wheels for driving the autonomous vacuum 100. The chassis 110 hosts a suite of other components for navigating the autonomous vacuum 100, communicating with external devices, providing notifications, among other operations. The connection assembly 130 serves as a connection point between the cleaning head 140 and the chassis 110. The connection assembly 130 comprises at least a plurality of channels used to direct solvent, water, waste, or some combination thereof between the cleaning head 140 and the chassis 110. The connection assembly 130 also comprises an actuator assembly 138 that controls movement of the cleaning head 140. The cleaning head 140 may include the one or more brush rollers used to perform cleaning operations. In some embodiments, the architecture of the autonomous vacuum 100 includes more components for autonomous cleaning purposes. Some examples include a mop roller, a solvent spray system, a waste container, and multiple solvent containers for different types of cleaning solvents. The autonomous vacuum 100 may support a variety of cleaning functions, for example, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, mopping, and/or deep cleaning.
The chassis 110 is a rigid base frame for the autonomous vacuum 100. In one or more embodiments, the chassis 110 may include at least a waste bag 112, a solvent tank 114, a water tank 116, a sensor system 118, a vacuum pump 120, a display 122, a controller 124, and a battery 126. In other embodiments, the chassis 110 may include additional, fewer, or different components than those listed herein. For example, one embodiment of the chassis 110 omits the display 122. Another embodiment includes an additional output device, such as a speaker. Still another embodiment may combine the solvent tank 114 and the water tank 116 into a single tank.
The waste bag 112 collects the waste that is accumulated from performing cleaning routines. The waste bag 112 may be configured to collect solid and/or liquid waste. In one or more embodiments, there may be two separate waste bags 112, one for solid waste and one for liquid waste. The waste bag 112 may be removably secured within the chassis 110. As the waste bag 112 is filled, the autonomous vacuum 100 may alert the user to empty the waste bag 112 and/or replace the waste bag 112. In other embodiments, the waste bag 112 can remain in the chassis 110 when emptied. In such embodiments, the chassis 110 may further comprise a drainage channel connected to the waste bag 112 to drain the collected waste. The waste bag 112 may further comprise an absorbent material that soaks up liquid, e.g., to prevent the liquid from sloshing out of the bag during operation of the autonomous vacuum 100.
The solvent tank 114 comprises solvent used for cleaning. The solvent tank 114 may include at least a chamber and one or more valves for dispensing from the chamber. The solvent is a chemical formulation used for cleaning. Example solvents include dish detergent, soap, bleach, other organic and/or nonorganic solvents. In some embodiments, the solvent tank 114 comprises dry solvent that is mixed with water from the water tank 116 to create a cleaning solution. The solvent tank may be removable, allowing a user to refill the solvent tank 114 when the solvent tank 114 is empty.
The water tank 116 stores water used for cleaning. The water tank 116 may include at least a chamber and one or more valves for dispensing from the chamber. The water tank 116 may be removable, allowing a user to refill the water tank 116 when the water tank 116 is empty. In one or more embodiments, the water tank 116 may include a valve located on the bottom of the water tank 116, when the water tank 116 is secured in the chassis 110. The weight of the water applies a downward force due to gravity, a spring mechanism, or some combination thereof, to keep the valve closed. To open the valve, some protrusion on the chassis 110 applies a counteracting upward force that opens the valve, e.g., by pushing the valve towards an interior of the chamber revealing an outlet permitting water to escape the water tank 116.
The sensor system 118 comprises a suite of sensors for guiding operation of the autonomous vacuum 100. The sensor system 118 uses the sensor data to map the environment and determine and execute cleaning tasks to handle a variety of messes. The sensor system 118 is further described in
The vacuum pump 120 generates a vacuum force that aids ingestion of waste by the cleaning head 140. In one or more embodiments, to generate the vacuum force, the vacuum pump 120 may include one or more fans that rotate to rapidly move air. The vacuum force flows through the waste bag 112, through the connection assembly 130, and to the cleaning head 140.
The display 122 is an electronic display that can present visual content. The display 122 may be positioned on a topside of the autonomous vacuum 100. The display may be configured to notify a user regarding operation of the autonomous vacuum 100. For example, notifications may describe an operation being performed by the autonomous vacuum 100, an error message, service needs, or the status of the autonomous vacuum 100, etc. The display 122 may be an output device that includes a driver and/or screen to drive presentation of (e.g., provides for display) and/or present visual information. The display 122 may include a user interface that allows users to interact with and control the autonomous vacuum. In some embodiments, the display may additionally or alternatively include physical interface buttons along with a touch sensitive interface. The display 122 receives data from the sensor system 118 and may display the data. The data may include renderings of a view (actual image or virtual) of a physical environment, a route of the autonomous vacuum 100 in the environment, obstacles in the environment, and messes encountered in the environment. The data may also include alerts, analytics, and statistics about cleaning performance of the autonomous vacuum 100 and messes and obstacles detected in the environment.
The controller 124 is a general computing device that controls operation of the autonomous vacuum 100. As a general computing device, the controller 124 comprises one or more processors and computer-readable storage media for storing instructions executable by the processors. Operations of the controller 124 include navigating the autonomous vacuum 100, simultaneous localization and mapping of the autonomous vacuum 100, controlling operation of the cleaning head 140, generating notifications to provide to the user via one or more output devices (e.g., the display 122, a speaker, or a notification transmittable to the user's client device, etc.), running quality checks on the various components of the autonomous vacuum 100, controlling docking at the docking station 190, etc.
The controller 124 may control movement of the autonomous vacuum 100. In various embodiments, the controller 124 also monitors and manages environment mapping, sensors, detection of items and users in an environment, task lists and assignments, navigation, surface detection, user interfaces, and other logic associated with operation of the autonomous vacuum 100. The controller 124 connects to one more motors connected to one or more wheels that may be used to move the autonomous vacuum 100 based on sensor data captured by the sensor system 118 (e.g., indicating a location of a mess to travel to). The controller 124 may cause the motors to rotate the wheels forward/backward or turn to move the autonomous vacuum 100 in the environment. Based on surface type detection by the sensor system 118, the controller 124 may modify or alter navigation of the autonomous vacuum 100.
The controller 124 of the actuator assembly 138 may also control cleaning operations. Cleaning operations may include a combination of rotation of the brush rollers, positioning or orienting the cleaning head 140 via the actuator assembly 138, controlling dispersion of solvent, activation of the vacuum pump 120, monitoring the sensor system 118, and other functions of the autonomous vacuum 100.
In controlling rotation of the brush rollers, the controller 124 may connect to one or more motors (e.g., the sweeper motor 146, the mop motor 150, and the side brush motor 156) positioned at the ends of the brush rollers. The ends of a brush roller may refer to the bases of the brush roller having a cylindrical shape. The controller 124 can toggle rotation of the brush rollers between rotating forward or backward or not rotating using the motors. In some embodiments, the brush rollers may be connected to an enclosure of the cleaning head 140 via rotation assemblies each comprising one or more of direct drive, geared, or belted drive assemblies that connect to the motors to control rotation of the brush rollers. The controller 124 may rotate the brush rollers based on a direction needed to clean a mess or move a component of the autonomous vacuum 100.
In some embodiments, the sensor system 118 determines an amount of pressure needed to clean a mess (e.g., more pressure for a stain than for a spill), and the controller 124 may alter the rotation of the brush rollers to match the determined pressure. The controller 124 may, in some instances, be coupled to a load cell at each brush roller that is used to detect pressure being applied by the brush roller. In another instance, the sensor system 118 may be able to determine an amount of current required to spin each brush roller at a set number of rotations per minute (RPM), which may be used to determine a pressure being exerted by the brush roller. The sensor system 118 may also determine whether the autonomous vacuum 100 is able to meet an expected movement (e.g., if a brush roller is jammed) and adjust the rotation via the controller 124 if not. Thus, the sensor system 118 may optimize a load being applied by each brush roller in a feedback control loop to improve cleaning efficacy and mobility in the environment. The controller 124 may additionally control dispersion of solvent during the cleaning operation by controlling a combination of the sprayer 152, the liquid channels 134, the solvent tank 114, the water tank 116, and turning on/off the vacuum pump 120.
The autonomous vacuum 100 is powered with an internal battery 126. The battery 126 stores and supplies electrical power for the autonomous vacuum 100. In some embodiments, the battery 126 consists of multiple smaller batteries that charge specific components of the autonomous vacuum 100. The battery 126 may implement a battery optimization scheme to efficiently distribute power across the various components. The battery 126 may be rechargeable and can be recharged when the autonomous vacuum 100 is docked at the docking station 190.
The docking station 190 may be connected to an external power source to provide power to the battery 126. External power sources may include a household power source and one or more solar panels. The docking station 190 also may include processing, memory, and communication computing components that may be used to communicate with the autonomous vacuum 100 and/or a cloud computing infrastructure (e.g., via wired or wireless communication). These computing components may be used for firmware updates and/or communicating maintenance status. The docking station 190 may also include other components, such as a cleaning station for the autonomous vacuum 100. In some embodiments, the cleaning station includes a solvent tray that the autonomous vacuum 100 may spray solvent into and roll the roller 144 or the side brush roller 154 in the solvent tray for cleaning. In other embodiments, the autonomous vacuum may eject the waste bag 112 into a container located at the docking station 190 for a user to remove.
The connection assembly 130 is a rigid body that connects the cleaning head 140 to the chassis 110. A four-bar linkage may join the cleaning head 140 to the connection assembly 130. In some embodiments, the connection assembly 130 comprises a dry channel 132, one or more liquid channels 134, one or more pressure sensors 136, and an actuator assembly 138. Channel refers generally to either a dry channel or a liquid channel. The connection assembly 130 may comprise additional, fewer, or different components than those listed herein. For example, one or more sensors of the sensor system 118 may be disposed on the connection assembly 130.
The dry channel 132 is a conduit for conveying dry waste from the cleaning head 140 to the waste bag 112. The dry channel 132 is substantially large in diameter to permit movement of most household waste.
The one or more liquid channels 134 are conduits for conveying liquids between the cleaning head 140 and the chassis 110. There is at least one liquid channel 134 (a liquid waste channel) that carries liquid waste from the cleaning head 140 to the waste bag 112. In some embodiments, the liquid channel 134 carrying liquid waste may be smaller in diameter than the dry channel 132. In such embodiments, the autonomous vacuum 100 sweeps (collecting dry waste) before mopping (collecting liquid waste). There is at least one other liquid channel 134 (a liquid solution channel) that carries water, solvent, and/or cleaning solution (combination of water and solvent) from the chassis 110 to the cleaning head 140 for dispersal to the cleaning environment.
The one or more pressure sensors 136 measure pressure in one or more of the channels. The pressure sensors 136 may be located at various positions along the connection assembly 130. The pressure sensors 136 provide pressure measurements to the controller 124 for processing.
The actuator assembly 138 controls movement and position of the cleaning head 140, relative to the chassis 110. The actuator assembly 138 comprises one or more actuators configured to generate linear and/or rotational movement of the cleaning head 140. Linear movement may include vertical height of the cleaning head 140. Rotational movement may include pitching the cleaning head 140 to varying angles, e.g., to switch between sweeping mode and mopping mode, or to adjust cleaning by the cleaning head 140 based on detected feedback signals. The actuator assembly 138 may include a series of joints that aid in providing the movement to the cleaning head 140.
The actuator assembly 138 includes one or more actuators (henceforth referred to as an actuator for simplicity) and one or more controllers and/or processors (henceforth referred to as a controller for simplicity) that operate in conjunction with the sensor system 118 to control movement of the cleaning head 140. The sensor system 118 collects and uses sensor data to determine an optimal height for the cleaning head 140 given a surface type, surface height, and mess type.
Mess types are the form of mess (or waste) in the environment. Examples of messes (or waste) may include dirt, debris, dust, smudges, stains, and spills. They also include the type of phase the mess embodies, such as liquid, solid, semi-solid, or a combination of liquid and solid. Some examples of waste include bits of paper, popcorn, leaves, and particulate dust. A mess typically has a size/form factor that is relatively small compared to obstacles in the environment. For example, spilled dry cereal may be a mess but the bowl it came in would be an obstacle. Spilled liquid may be a mess, but the glass that held it may be an obstacle. However, if the glass broke into smaller pieces, the glass shards would then be a mess rather than an obstacle. Further, if the sensor system 118 determines that the autonomous vacuum 100 cannot properly clean up the glass, the glass may again be considered an obstacle, and the sensor system 118 may send a notification to a user indicating that there is a mess that needs user cleaning. The mess may be visually defined in some embodiments, e.g., in terms of visual characteristics. In other embodiments a mess may be defined by particle size or make up. When defined by size, in some embodiments, a mess and an obstacle may coincide. For example, a small interlocking brick piece may be the size of both a mess and an obstacle.
The actuator assembly 138 automatically adjusts the height of the cleaning head 140 given the surface type, surface height, and mess type. Surface types may be the floorings used in the environment and may include surfaces of varying characteristics (e.g., texture, material, absorbency), for example, carpet, wood, tile, rug, laminate, marble, and vinyl. In particular, the actuator controls vertical movement and rotation tilt of the cleaning head 140. The actuator may vertically actuate the cleaning head 140 based on instructions from the sensor system 118. For example, the actuator may adjust the cleaning head 140 to a higher height if the sensor system 118 detects thick carpet in the environment and may adjust the cleaning head 140 to a lower height if the sensor system 118 detects thin carpet. Further, the actuator may adjust the cleaning head 140 to a higher height for a solid waste spill than for a liquid waste spill.
The autonomous vacuum 100 may detect the height of obstructions and/or obstacles, and if an obstruction or obstacle is over a threshold size, the autonomous vacuum 100 may use the collected visual data to determine whether to climb or circumvent the obstruction or obstacle by adjusting the cleaning head 140 height using the actuator assembly 138. In some embodiments, the actuator may set the height of the cleaning head 140 to push larger messes out of the path of the autonomous vacuum 100. For example, if the autonomous vacuum 100 is blocked by a pile of books, the sensor system 118 may detect the obstruction (i.e., the pile of books) and the actuator may move the cleanings head 105 to the height of the lowest book, and the autonomous vacuum 100 may move the books out of the way to continue cleaning an area.
The cleaning head 140 performs cleaning operations to clean an environment. The cleaning head 140 is a rigid body that forms a cleaning cavity 142, where a sweeper roller 144 and a mop roller 148 are disposed. The cleaning head 140 further comprises a sweeper motor 146, a mop motor 150, a sprayer 152, a side brush roller 154, and a side brush motor 156. The cleaning head 140 may be referred to as a “roller housing.” Collectively, the sweeper roller 144, the mop roller 148, and the side brush roller 154 are referred to as the “brush rollers.” Likewise, the “brush motors” include the sweeper motor 146, the mop motor 150, and the side brush motor 156. In some embodiments, each brush roller may be composed of different materials and operate at different times and/or speeds, depending on a cleaning task being executed by the autonomous vacuum 100. The cleaning head 140 may include additional, fewer, or different components than those listed herein.
The sweeper roller 144 sweeps dry waste into the autonomous vacuum 100. The sweeper roller 144 generally comprises one or more brushes attached to a cylindrical core. The sweeper roller 144 rotates to collect and clean messes. The sweeper roller 144 may be used to handle large particle messes, such as food spills or small items like plastic bottle caps. When the sweeper roller 144 is activated by the sweeper motor 146, the brushes act in concert to sweep dry waste towards a dry inlet connected to the dry channel 132. The brushes may be composed of a compliant material to sweep the most dry waste. In some embodiments, the sweeper roller 144 may be composed of multiple materials for collecting a variety of waste, including synthetic bristle material, microfiber, wool, or felt.
The mop roller 148 mops the cleaning environment and ingests liquid waste into the autonomous vacuum 100. The mop roller 148 generally comprises fabric bristles attached to a cylindrical core. With the aid of a cleaning solution, the fabric bristles work to scrub away dirt, grease, or other contaminants that may have stuck to the cleaning surface. The mop motor 150 provides rotational force to the mop roller 148. In some embodiments, the mop roller 148 may be composed of multiple materials for collecting a variety of waste, including synthetic bristle material, microfiber, wool, or felt.
In normal sweeping mode, as the air flows from the dry channel 132 and the dry inlet towards the vacuum pump 120, the sweeper roller 144 rotates to move dry waste from the cleaning environment towards the inlet, in order to deposit the dry waste in the waste bag 112. In normal mopping mode, the cleaning head 140 sprays the cleaning solution (water, solvent, or solvent mixed with water) onto the cleaning environment or on top of the mop roller 148 itself. The mop roller 148 contacts the sprayed surface to scrub the surface with the fabric bristles. The vacuum force sucks up or ingests the liquid waste to deposit the liquid waste into the waste bag 112.
The side brush roller 154 sweeps dirt near a side of the cleaning head 140. The side brush roller 154 may rotate along an axis that is orthogonal or perpendicular to the ground. The side brush is controlled by a side brush motor 156. The side brush roller 154 may be shaped like a disk or a radial arrangement of bristles that can push dirt into the path of the sweeper roller 144. In some embodiments, the side brush roller 154 is composed of different materials than the sweeper roller 144 to handle different types of waste and mess. The side brush roller 154 may be concealed to minimize a profile of the cleaning head 140 when the side brush roller 154 is not in use.
The sprayer 152 sprays liquid into the cleaning environment. The sprayer 152 is connected to the liquid solution channel 134 that is connected to the solvent tank 114 and/or the water tank 116. A pump on the chassis 110 can dispense solvent and/or water from the solvent tank 114 and/or the water tank 116. The liquid travels to the sprayer 152, which then has a nozzle for spraying the liquid into the cleaning environment. The sprayer 152 may include a plurality of nozzles, e.g., two disposed on either side of the cleaning head 140.
The cleaning head 140 ingests waste 170 as the autonomous vacuum 100 cleans using the sweeper roller 144 and the side brush roller 154 and sends the waste 170 to the waste bag 112. The waste bag 112 collects and filters waste 170 from the air to send filtered air 175 out of the autonomous vacuum 100 through the vacuum pump 120 as air exhaust 180. The autonomous vacuum 100 may also use solvent 160 combined with pressure from the cleaning head 140 to clean a variety of surface types. The autonomous vacuum 100 may dispense solvent 160 from the solvent tank 114 onto an area to remove dirt, such as dust, stains, and solid waste and/or clean up liquid waste. The autonomous vacuum 100 may also dispense solvent 160 into a separate solvent tray, which may be part of a charging station (e.g., docking station 190), to clean the roller 144 and the side brush roller 154.
In other embodiments, any of the components of the autonomous vacuum can be variably distributed among the chassis 110, the connection assembly 130, and the cleaning head 140.
The chassis 110 includes the frame, a plurality of wheels 210, a cover 220, an opening flap 230, and a display 122. The cover 220 is an enclosed hollow structure that covers containers internal to the base that contain solvent and waste (e.g., in the waste bag 112). The opening flap 230 may be opened or closed by a user to access the containers (e.g., to add more solvent, remove the waste bag 112, or put in a new waste bag 112). The cover may also house a subset of the sensors of the sensor system 118 and the actuator assembly 138, which may be configured at a front of the cover 220 to connect to the cleaning head 140. The display 122 is embedded in the cover 220 of the autonomous vacuum 100 and may include physical interface buttons and a touch sensitive interface.
The network 300 may comprise any combination of local area and/or wide area networks, using wired and/or wireless communication systems. In one embodiment, the network 300 uses standard communications technologies and/or protocols. For example, the network 300 includes communication links using technologies such as Ethernet, 802.11 (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), 3G, 4G, 5G, code division multiple access (CDMA), digital subscriber line (DSL), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or any combination of protocols. In some embodiments, all or some of the communication links of the network 300 may be encrypted using any suitable technique or techniques.
The client device 310 is a computing device capable of receiving user input as well as transmitting and/or receiving data via the network 300. Though only two client devices 310 are shown in
In some embodiments, the sensor system 118 includes a camera system 320, microphone 330, inertial measurement device (IMU) 340, a glass detection sensor 345, a lidar sensor 350, and lights 355.
The camera system 320 comprises one or more cameras that capture visual data about the environment (e.g., in the form of images and/or video signals). In some embodiments, the camera system 320 includes an IMU (separate from the IMU 340 of the sensor system 118) for capturing visual-inertial data in conjunction with the cameras. The visual data captured by the camera system 320 may be used for image processing.
The microphone 330 captures audio data by converting sound into electrical signals that can be stored or processed by other components of the sensor system 118. The audio data may be processed to identify voice commands for controlling functions of the autonomous vacuum 100. In one embodiment, sensor system 118 uses more than one microphone 330, such as an array of microphones.
The IMU 340 captures inertial data describing the autonomous vacuum's 100 force, angular rate, and orientation. The IMU 340 may include one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, and/or magnetometers. In some embodiments, the sensor system 118 employs multiple IMUs 340 to capture a range of inertial data that can be combined to determine a more precise measurement of the autonomous vacuum's 100 position in the environment.
The glass detection sensor 345 detects glass in the environment. Glass may be transparent material that may be stained, leaded, laminate or the like and may be part of furniture, flooring, or other objects in the environment (e.g., cups, mirrors, candlesticks, etc.). The glass detection sensor 345 may be an infrared sensor and/or an ultrasound sensor. In some embodiments, the glass detection sensor 345 is coupled with the camera system 320 to remove glare from the visual data when glass is detected. For example, the camera system 320 may have integrated polarizing filters that can be applied to the cameras of the camera system 320 to remove glare. In some embodiments, the glass sensor is a combination of an IR sensor and neural network that determines if an obstacle in the environment is transparent (e.g., glass) or opaque.
The lidar sensor 350 emits pulsed light into the environment and detects reflections of the pulsed light on objects (e.g., obstacles or obstructions) in the environment. Lidar data captured by the lidar sensor 350 may be used to determine a 3D representation of the environment.
The lights 355 are one or more illumination sources that may be used by the autonomous vacuum 100 to illuminate an area around the autonomous vacuum 100. In some embodiments, the lights may be LEDs, e.g., having a static color such as white or green, or changeable colors (such as green of operating, red for stopped and yellow indicating slowing down).
The cleaning head 400 travels in a direction 470 of cleaning along a ground plane 440, encountering the debris 450 from the environment. The debris 450 enters the cleaning head 400 at an ingestion opening 460 proximal to the brush roller 410. The ingestion opening 460 has a ground clearance 470 corresponding to a maximum height at which the debris 450 may be sized to enter the cleaning head 400. The outer diameter (e.g., as measured at the tips of the flaps) and the inner core diameter (e.g., as measured at the outer radius of the body of the inner core) of the brush roller 410 may correspond to a maximum vertical gap at which debris 450 (e.g., solid, non-malleable debris) may be sized to enter the cleaning head 400. The debris is migrated by a rotating brush roller 410 and transported through a pathway 430 to a container within the cleaning system for debris. Although this container is not depicted in
The cleaning head 400 may be coupled to a brush roller 410 that allows for movement of debris 450 through a pathway 430. Flaps of the brush roller 410 are configured to cause debris 450 to move towards an opening of the pathway 430. The brush roller 410 is configured to be unlocked from a cleaning orientation without requiring excessive force or disassembly by a user. The brush roller 410 is in a cleaning orientation when the brush roller is locked at two or more contact points between the brush roller and an inner surface of the cleaning head. For example,
Furthermore, the cleaning system allows for avoiding increased friction caused by the intake of fibrous debris that wraps around the brush roller 410. In conventional cleaning systems having brush rollers, fibrous debris wraps around the brush roller and causes increased friction at one or more points of contact between the rotating brush roller and a stationary surface of the cleaning system. In particular, fibrous debris can bind around a rotating location of the brush roller 410 and consequently, increase the likelihood that the brush roller 410 is unseated or the rotation of the brush roller 410 is jammed. The cleaning head 400 includes one or more guards configured to prevent fibrous debris from contacting stationary surfaces of the cleaning system and consequently, prevents the increase of friction at one or more points of contact with the stationary surfaces. The guards may also be referred to herein as “hair guards” or “fiber guards.” Additionally, the brush roller 410 may include one or more buffer zones configured to receive and store fibrous debris that are prevented by the guards from contacting a stationary surface of the cleaning system.
Additionally, the cleaning head 400 and the brush roller 410 allow for removal of fibrous debris. For example, the cleaning head 400 and brush roller 410 are configured to enable fibrous debris to be suctioned from the one or more buffer zones into the pathway 430. The brush roller 410 can be unlocked from the cleaning orientation, enabling the fibrous debris at the one or more buffer zones to be exposed to the pathway 430 for removal of debris (e.g., into a compartment of the cleaning system for debris storage).
The wedge 420 of the cleaning head allows for debris to be led by the brush roller 410 into a duct opening (e.g., rather than becoming accumulated in a space within the cleaning head 400 contacting the surface to be cleaned). The wedge 420 seals a debris ingestion cavity of the cleaning head 400 (e.g., the space where the brush roller 410 operates to move debris into a duct opening) from a surface being cleaned. The wedge 420 has a leading edge that is pointed, where a leading edge is a frontmost portion of the cleaning system that contacts a surface to be cleaned. Conventional cleaning systems may have a leading edge that is prone to digging into carpets and angled improperly to slide over debris rather than encouraging debris from a surface to enter the duct opening of the cleaning head. Additionally, conventional cleaning systems may have wedges that cause debris to become accumulated and dragged against a surface as the cleaning system moves around an environment. To move this accumulated debris, conventional cleaning systems may exert a greater airflow and brush roller rotational speed, which both create loud noise, consume excessive power, and require costly motor systems. The wedge 420 is shaped similar to a plough to avoid this debris accumulation. Furthermore, the wedge 420 includes a strip of compliant material (e.g., fine bristles, foam strips, elastomeric structures, etc.) to reduce the likelihood of being damaged by coarsely textured floors (e.g., from carpets or small stones).
A surface of the outer core 610 includes a length and a first end and a second end. The flaps 620 can include a first length and a second length. The first length aligns along an exterior surface of the outer core 610. For example, a flap 610 may couple at a first edge (e.g., leading edge) with the first end of the surface of the outer core 610 and a second edge (e.g., trailing edge) of the flap may couple approximately within a middle of the surface of the outer core 610. Further, a second edge of one flap 620 and a second edge of another flap 620 may overlap within a middle region of the outer surface of the outer core 610. Further, each flap 620 may be positioned so that the first edge of the flap 610 may be in an offset position from the second edge of the flap 620 thereby creating a wave pattern with the offsets. The second length of each flap is opposite the first length and extends outward so that during operation of the brush roller 410 the second length of a flap 620 may be close to a surface. The flap 620 may be a unitary piece extending from the surface of the outer 610. Alternatively, or additionally, the flap 620 may be a second piece securely coupled with the outer surface of the outer core (e.g., glued or molded). The second length of the flaps 620 on the brush roller 410 may direct debris towards the duct opening 500 as the cleaning system is in operation to clean an environment.
The first and second ends of the inner core 600 may couple with respective structures of the cleaning head 400. For example, the tip 710 at the first end of the inner core 600 may couple with a recession in the inner surface of the cleaning head 400. A user can couple and/or decouple the tip 710 to the cleaning head 400. This coupling is further described with respect to
The ball bearing 810 may be configured to contact the spring 820. The ball bearing 810 may be located between the spring 820 and the pin 800. In alternative embodiments, a bearing spike may be used in place of the ball bearing 810. The ball bearing 810 can create a low-friction point contact with the pin 800. The ball bearing 810 may rotate with respect to the pin 800 along with other components of the brush roller 410 (e.g., the spring 820). In some embodiments, the pin 800 and the tip 710 may move independent of each other while the brush roller 410 is rotating due to force provided by a drive pinion. For example, the drive pinion may rotate the outer core 610, the flaps 620, the body 700 of the inner core 600, the spring 820 (due to a contact between the spring 820 and the inner surface of the body 700), and the ball bearing 810 (due to a contact between the ball bearing 810 and the spring 820). However, the force exerted by the drive pinion may not extend through the contact between the ball bearing 810 and the pin 800 such that the pin 800 can freely rotate with respect to the ball bearing 810 or the pin 800 may be stationary with respect to the ball bearing 810.
The spring 820 is configured to contact an inner surface of the inner core 600 (e.g., the inner core 600 includes a tube and the spring 820 contacts the inner surface of the tube). The spring 820 may be configured to be located proximal to the center of the inner core 600. Additionally, the spring 820 may be configured to be the innermost component housed in the inner core 600. The spring 820 may be a wire helix, a formed metal or plastic component, magnet pair, any suitable compressible element, or combination thereof. The spring 820 may provide adequate force so as to bias the spring 820 towards the outboard end of the linear range 870 when the brush roller 410 is not inserted between inner surfaces of the cleaning head 400. The spring 820 may be sufficiently flexible to reduce a force required for insertion (e.g., by a user) of the brush roller 410 in between the inner surfaces of the cleaning head 400.
One end of the tip 710 may include a locating cutout 850, where the locating cutout 850 is configured to interface with an inner surface of the cleaning head 400 to engage the tip 710 to the inner surface. The locating cutout 850 may be a rotationally locating cutout (e.g., the cutout 850 is structured to rotate about a center axis of the inner core 600 while the tip 710 and the pin 800 are coupled to the body 700 via the locking mechanism 830). For example, the locating cutout 850 fits into a recess in the inner surface of the cleaning head 400 such that the tip 710 is secured against the inner surface but for a sufficient force to pull the locating cut out 850 from its position against the inner surface. In some embodiments, the tip 710 may be secured against the inner surface such that the tip 710 may not be displaced horizontally or vertically but for the sufficient force, but may rotate about a center axis of the inner core 600 freely.
The pin-tip assembly 900 may be stationary or free-rotating relative to the rotating components of the brush roller 410 (e.g., the drive coupler 720, the body 700, the spring 820, the ball bearing 810, the outer core 610, and the flags 620). The pin-tip assembly 900 enables a reduced rotational friction when the brush roller 410 is in operation. As fibrous debris wraps around the rotating brush roller 410, the fibrous debris will wrap around a portion of the brush roller 410 with a smaller diameter. The end tip 710 has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the outer core 610. If the end tip 710 was also rotating, the fibrous debris would likely wrap and tighten around the end tip 710, causing an increase in friction. Alternatively, if the end tip 710 was rotating, the fibrous debris could also tighten into a small ball and get in between the end tip 710 and the side plate. In these instances, the fibrous debris may cause the brush roller to dislodge from the side plate and interrupt the autonomous vacuum's cleaning session. However, because the end tip 710 does not rotate, the end tip 710 does not provide a driving force for fibrous debris to tighten around the end tip 710. Thus, the stationary end tip 710 reduces friction during operation of the brush roller 410. Furthermore, the stationary end tip 710 reduces the likelihood of fibrous debris becoming caught in between the end tip 710 and the side plate 1000, which consequently reduces friction caused by fibrous debris at that point.
The air pathways 1240 may be located in the area between the outer core inner dimension 1210 and the outer core outer dimension 1220. Although six air pathways 1240 are depicted, in alternative embodiments, there may be greater or fewer air pathways 1240. The air pathways 1240 may be cavities within the main body of the outer core 610, where the cavities run along the length of the outer core 610. The radius of the brush roller 410 at the outer core outer dimension 1220 may be within the range of 8-50 mm. The flaps 620 are connected to the outer core 610 at the outer surface (i.e., corresponding to the outer core outer dimension 1220). The length of the flaps 620 are within a range of 5-35 mm. Additional dimensions of the flaps 620 are described with respect to
The flaps 620 may interleave with each other towards the center of the brush roller 410. The flaps 620 may interleave with an overlap length 1710 within 5-50 mm. In some embodiments, the flaps 620 may be formed along the length of the outer surface of the outer core 610 without overlapping (e.g., the flaps 620 form a pattern closer in appearance to a chevron pattern than a herringbone pattern). The flaps 620 may be positioned at a helix angle 1720 such that the flaps 620 are not positioned straight along the length of the outer core 610. Although the term “helix angle” is used to refer to the spiral appearance of the flaps 620, the flaps 620 may not necessarily form a true helix (i.e., they may take the form of parabolas, splines, or other suitable arcs for causing debris to move towards the center of the brush roller 410 in response to contacting the flaps 620). The helix angle 1720 may be an angle between one edge of a flap 620 and a base of the outer core 610. The flaps 620 may taper with a helix angle 1720 of within 1-60 degrees. The flaps 620 may be made of an elastomer. The properties of the elastomer may include one or more of a hardness within Shore A 40-80, a Bayshore rebound resilience within 5-50%, an elongation, and a tear strength within 75-250 kilonewtons (kN) per meter (m).
Properties of the flaps 620 described with respect to
As fibrous debris migrates into the buffer zone 1010 proximal to the drive coupler 720, a guard 2010 may prevent fibrous debris from wrapping around a drive pinion 2000. The drive pinion 2000 may be a component of the cleaning head 400. A distance 2020 between a surface of the guard 2010 and a surface of the drive pinion 2000 is within 0-10 mm. This surface of the guard 2010 may be the surface proximal to the center of the brush roller 410 and orthogonal to the length of the brush roller 410 when the brush roller 410 is in a cleaning orientation. This surface of the drive pinion 2000 may be parallel to this surface of the guard 2010. The guard 2010 may couple with the body 700 of the inner core 600 (e.g., coupling such that a gap between the guard 2010 and the body 700 is minimized to reduce the likelihood of fibrous debris entering between their surfaces). In some embodiments, the guard 2010 is located at an end of the brush roller 410 having the free rotating or stationary tip 710.
A controller of the cleaning system may be coupled to the brush roller 410, where the controller is configured to monitor a motor current draw needed to power the brush roller 410. The controller may determine whether the motor current draw exceeds a threshold current draw. In response to determining that the motor current draw exceeds a threshold current, the controller may generate a notification that the accumulated fibrous debris should be removed from the one or more buffer zones 1010. The notification may comprise a light (e.g., turning on an LED at the cleaning head 400), a sound, a message (e.g., a short message service (SMS) text to a user's phone), any suitable notification for informing a user of the status of a buffer zone 1010, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the motor current draw exceeds a threshold current, the controller may cause the motor to pause or stop executing (e.g., until the fibrous debris has been emptied and the motor current draw no longer exceeds the threshold current).
To remove fibrous debris from the buffer zone 1010, a user may unlock the brush roller 410 from the cleaning orientation. The contact between the cutout 850 at the brush roller 410 and the inner surface of the cleaning head 400 may be broken by the user. For example, the contact may be maintained by a spring force from the spring 820 against the ball bearing 810 and subsequently, against the pin-tip assembly 900 that contacts the inner surface of the cleaning head 400. The user applies a force to pull the brush roller 410 in the direction 2410 such that the contact at the cutout 850 is broken. Once this contact is broken and/or after the drive coupler 720 of the brush roller 410 has also been uncoupled from the drive pinion 2000, the brush roller 410 may be in the removed configuration 2420.
In response to the brush roller 410 positioned in the buffer zone suction orientation, the cleaning system may suction debris from a buffer zone proximate to the duct opening 500 through the path 430 and into a container for debris. The cleaning system causes air to flow through the air pathways 1300, and the air flow, suction, or a combination thereof causes the debris in the buffer zone proximate to the duct opening 500 to be suctioned into the duct opening 500. After debris has been suctioned from one of the buffer zones 2100, the brush roller 410 can be rotated so that another one of the buffer zones 2100 may be positioned proximate to the duct opening 500 and debris may be suctioned from the other buffer zone. For example, a user may rotate the brush roller 410 approximately one hundred eighty degrees and position the other buffer zone proximate to the duct opening 500. Similarly, air flow through the air pathways 1300 may assist in moving the debris from the other buffer zone through the path 430.
The cleaning system provides 2710 a cleaning head. The cleaning head includes a debris ingestion opening (e.g., the ingestion opening 460 of
The cleaning system receives 2720 debris at the debris ingestion opening. The debris may include fibrous debris like hair. For example, the cleaning system travels through a dining room and food and hair on the floor are ingested into the ingestion opening 460 and moved by the brush roller 410. The ingestion opening 460 may have an ingestion zone ground clearance 470 sufficiently tall and/or wide to receive large debris such as food scraps. The larger debris may be brushed by the brush roller 410 into the duct opening 500. Fibrous debris may be wrapped around the brush roller 410 as the brush roller 410 continues to rotate while cleaning the dining room.
The cleaning system causes 2730 the hair to travel into a buffer zone of the one or more buffer zones. Following the previous example, the hairs that have wrapped around the brush roller 410 may migrate away from the center of the brush roller 410 and towards the one or more buffer zones 1010 (e.g., as depicted in
The cleaning system may suction 2750 the hair from the buffer zone or maintain 2760 the hair in the buffer zone depending on the condition 2740 of the brush roller's position. In particular, the condition 2740 may be that an end of the brush roller is positioned proximal to the duct opening. For example, a user may apply force to disengage the cutout 850 from its contact with an inner surface of the cleaning head 400 and rotate the brush roller 410 such that an end of the brush roller 410 is positioned proximal to the duct opening 500. In response to this condition 2740 that the brush roller is positioned proximal to the duct opening, the cleaning system suctions 2750 hair from the buffer zone that is proximal to the duct opening. Alternatively, the condition 2740 may be that the end of the brush roller is not positioned proximal to the duct opening. For example, the brush roller may be in a cleaning orientation or the brush roller may be in a transitional orientation between the cleaning orientation and a buffer zone suction orientation, where a buffer zone is not yet proximal to a duct opening for debris in the buffer zone to be suctioned through the duct opening.
The cleaning system may ingest large debris (e.g., on the order of 20-30 mm in width, length, diameter, etc.). The ingestion opening 460 may have a minimum height within 20-30 mm to ingest the large debris. Accordingly, the front face of the cleaning head 400 (i.e., the side at the front of the cleaning head 400 as the head moves forward) may be away from the floor by at least the minimum height and consequently, debris may not contact the front face as it is ingested into the cleaning head 400. The wedge 420 of the cleaning head 400 thus can become the surface along which debris is moved up and into the duct opening 500. The surface of the wedge 420 may be configured to trace the path of the flaps 620 of the brush roller 410. For example, the surface of the wedge 420 may be curved such that a vertical cross section (i.e., perpendicular to the base of the wedge 420 that is configured to contact a surface to be cleaned) may resemble an arc that is tangential to the floor. This is depicted in
The strip 2810 of the wedge 420 may be composed of an arrangement of fine bristles, foam or sponge strips, elastomeric structure, inflated structure, other passive spring-damper like materials, or a combination thereof. The material of the strip 2810 may be configured to conform to floor textures, reducing the sliding friction and scuffing of the cleaning head 400 against the ground plane 2940. The material of the strip 2810 may be compliant over a Z-Compliance distance in the range of 0.5-55 mm. The tip 2820 may be coupled to the main body 2800 such that the surfaces are continuous. The tip 2820 may have radii 2910 or similar arced features within a range of 0.15-3 mm. The tip depth 2920 may be within a range of 1-8 mm. The tip 2820 may be attached to the main body 2800 by mechanical coupling, chemical or molecular bonding, or a combination thereof. The tip 2820 may be made of an elastomeric material with hardness in the range Shore A 40-80. A wedge angle 2930 may be within 5-60 degrees.
A controller of the cleaning system may be coupled to the side brush 3500 to control the operation of the side brush 3500 (e.g., speed of whisker movement, duration of movement, etc.). The cleaning system may clean walls or other vertical surfaces using the side brush 3500. The controller may determine to activate and/or change a parameter of whisker movement (e.g., speed, duration, etc.) based on the distance between the side brush 3500 at a target vertical surface. This wall-following process is described further with respect to the description of
The controller may determine to position the side brush 3500 in an active orientation or a concealed orientation. The controller may execute a homing process to position the side brush 3500 from an active orientation to a concealed orientation. In some embodiments, when the cleaning system determines to stop cleaning operations, the controller may execute a homing process to conceal the side brush 3500. In one embodiment of a homing process, the side brush 3500 may be located proximal to a peg, or tooth, that the side brush 3500 may contact during rotation. When moving in a first direction (e.g., counterclockwise), the whiskers 3520 may rotate past the tooth and when moving in a second direction (e.g., clockwise), the whiskers 3520 may stall against the tooth (e.g., the whiskers 3520 may stall if the rotational force is not sufficient). The tooth may be ramped. One example of a tooth used in a homing process is depicted in
The controller may instruct the whiskers 3520 to rotate in the second direction at a high duty setting (e.g., a rotation per minute (RPM) frequency that is sufficient for the whiskers 3520 not to be stalled against the peg). The controller may then instruct the whiskers 3520 to rotate in the second direction at a slower RPM and iteratively slow the RPM until there is sufficient force for the whiskers 3520 to rotate but will stall once the whiskers contact the peg. In some embodiments, the duration of the homing process (e.g., beginning from the controller instructing rotation in the second direction at a high duty setting until the whiskers are stalled by the peg) is approximately one second.
A ramped tooth 3610 may be structured to contact the side brush 3520. The structure of the ramped tooth 3610 is described in additional detail with respect to
As the driving pinion 3910 rotates, the ratcheting tooth 3820 may contact the driven coupler 3920. In response to the side brush 3520 rotating in a first direction (e.g., counterclockwise), the ratcheting tooth 3820 may slide over a ramped feature on the driven coupler 3920 (i.e., in a manner that does not cause the motor to stall due to a force by the ratcheting tooth 3820 against the driven coupler 3920). In response to the side brush 3520 rotating in a second direction (e.g., clockwise), the driven coupler 3920 may push against the driven coupler 3920 (e.g., at a ramp feature of the driven coupler 3920) and in turn, cause the motor to stall. The controller may then cause the motor to be turned off. The controller may, in response to the motor turning off, cause the side brush to be moved to a hidden position (e.g., in a location that the whiskers of the side brush are not visible to a user looking towards the external surface of the cleaning head 3840).
The cleaning system detects 4310 a first distance between a cleaning head and a wall. A controller of the cleaning system may use laser-based sensors to detect 4310 the first distance between the cleaning head 400 and a wall of an environment in which the cleaning head 400 is ingesting debris. The cleaning system may use one or more cameras, which may be onboard the motorized robot as it moves around the environment, stationary within the environment (e.g., coupled to a wall), or a combination thereof. The controller may receive image data from one or more cameras to detect the wall and determine the first distance.
The cleaning system determines 4320 whether the first distance is within a threshold proximity range to the wall. The controller of the cleaning system may compare the first distance to the threshold proximity range to determine 4320 whether the first distance is within the threshold proximity range. The threshold proximity range may be within 0.1-0.5 meters.
The cleaning system measures 4330 a current associated with a torque of a side brush. The side brush is configured to rotate about a base (e.g., the base 3510 depicted in
The cleaning system determines 4340 whether the measured current has exceeded an upper threshold current and determines 4360 whether the measured current has fallen below a lower threshold current. Example current values may range from 22-28 mA while the autonomous vacuum is in a no-load condition (e.g., no resistance is applied from contact between the side brush 3510 and a surface) and 90-100 mA while the autonomous vacuum is in a fully engaged condition (e.g., resistance occurs from contact between the side brush 3510 and a surface). In response to determining 4340 that the measured current has not exceeded an upper threshold current and determining 4360 that the measured current has not fallen below a lower threshold current, the cleaning system continues to measure 4330 the current associated with the side brush torque.
In response to determining 4340 that the measured current has exceeded the upper threshold current, the cleaning system generates 4350 a first command causing the cleaning head to turn away from the wall. In some embodiments, in response to determining 4340 that the measured current has exceeded the upper threshold current, the cleaning system navigates the cleaning head away from the wall. In response to determining 4360 that the measured current has fallen below the lower threshold current, the cleaning system generates 4370 a second command causing the cleaning head to turn towards the wall. In some embodiments, in response to determining 4340 that the measured current has fallen below the lower threshold current, the cleaning system navigates the cleaning head towards the wall.
The cleaning system described here includes a brush roller that reduces the friction from ingesting fibrous debris relative to conventional brush rollers. Buffer zones at the brush roller also collect fibrous debris as the structure of the brush roller directs the fibrous debris towards the buffer zones. In this way, the fibrous debris is less likely to wrap around the brush roller and cause friction during rotation of the brush roller. The brush roller also reduces friction at rotating portions of the brush roller by including a guard to prevent fibrous debris from contacting the rotating drive pinion. Another aspect of the brush roller that reduces friction is the pin-tip assembly that may be stationary or free-rotating relative to other components of the brush roller. Fibrous debris is likely to be wrapped around the rotating portions of the brush roller and less likely to wrap around the stationary or free-rotating pin-tip assembly. This reduces friction caused by fibrous debris at the pin-tip assembly.
Furthermore, the brush roller is detachable to facilitate removal of fibrous debris from the buffer zones. The buffer zones can be positioned at a duct opening to have the fibrous debris suctioned from the buffer zones with minimal or no contact by a user, which may be more sanitary for operation than conventional brush rollers where users must manually grab fibrous debris away from the brush rollers. The brush roller is configured to be unlocked from a position contacting the inner surface of a cleaning head of the cleaning system without requiring application of excessive force or complex disassembly steps to be followed by a user. The brush roller may be unlocked without turning over the robot vacuum (e.g., without inverting the vacuum so that the brush roller is facing upwards).
The cleaning system also includes a side brush that uses a torque-based technique for following a vertical surface (e.g., a wall) to clean the vertical surface. By measuring a current draw associated with a torque from the rotating side brush and determining, based on the measured current draw, to navigate the wheels of the cleaning system towards or away from the vertical surface, the cleaning system can follow the vertical surface with the side brush with greater precision as compared to conventional cleaning systems which may only use laser-based sensors.
The cleaning system further includes a wedge that serves as a seal between a debris ingestion cavity of the cleaning system's cleaning head and the environment. The wedge is structured to reduce the likelihood of debris accumulating in a space between the wedge and the brush roller. Wedges of conventional cleaning systems may cause debris to accumulate there (e.g., a skirted leading edge). Furthermore, the wedge may include a strip that is structured to conform to floor textures, reducing the sliding friction and scuffing of the cleaning head against the surface being cleaned.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure.
Some portions of this description describe the embodiments of the invention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on information. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are commonly used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work effectively to others skilled in the art. These operations, while described functionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to be implemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits, microcode, or the like. Furthermore, it has also proven convenient at times, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, without loss of generality. The described operations and their associated modules may be embodied in software, firmware, hardware, or any combinations thereof.
Where values are described as “approximate” or “substantially” (or their derivatives), such values should be construed as accurate +/−10% unless another meaning is apparent from the context. From example, “approximately ten” should be understood to mean “in a range from nine to eleven.”
Terms referencing orientation such as “top” and “bottom” are used for convenience and should not require orientation of the components described herein (e.g., orientation of the cleaning head).
Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein may be performed or implemented with one or more hardware or software modules, alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, a software module is implemented with a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code, which can be executed by a computer processor for performing any or all of the steps, operations, or processes described.
Embodiments may also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, and/or it may comprise a general-purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium, or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, which may be coupled to a computer system bus. Furthermore, any computing systems referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability.
Embodiments may also relate to a product that is produced by a computing process described herein. Such a product may comprise information resulting from a computing process, where the information is stored on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium and may include any embodiment of a computer program product or other data combination described herein.
Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the disclosed subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope, which is set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/396,887 filed on Aug. 10, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63396887 | Aug 2022 | US |
