An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle.

Claims

19 · 2 independent · depth 5

19 granted claims

›1.independentA household autonomous coverage robot comprising:na chassis having a substantially rectangular forward portion and a substantially semicircular rearwa…+13

A household autonomous coverage robot comprising:na chassis having a substantially rectangular forward portion and a substantially semicircular rearward portion, the forward portion having a front edge and the rearward portion defined by a radius of a profile circle;a robot body contoured substantially along the shape of the chassis and having a curved rearward portion;a rectangular bumper disposed along a front edge of the robot body and along lateral sides of the robot body such that the rectangular bumper is about three forwardmost sides of the chassis;a battery carried by the chassis;a cleaning assembly powered by the battery and mounted forward of the battery, on the forward portion of the chassis, the cleaning assembly comprising a roller brush motor and a roller brush rotatable by the roller brush motor, each of the roller brush and the roller brush motor being between sides of the rectangular bumper, and the roller brush being adjacent the front edge of the chassis and below the roller brush motor;a bin rearward of the cleaning assembly to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly;an idler wheel within the profile circle and disposed along a transverse axis; anda drive system carried by the rearward portion of the chassis and powered by the battery to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface, the drive system comprising right and left drive wheels differentially driven by corresponding right and left motors, the right and left drive wheels defining a drive axis parallel to the transverse axis and substantially along or rearward of a parallel diameter of the profile circle such that(i) the roller brush and roller brush motor are held above the cleaning surface forward of the idler wheel to clean corners ahead of the robot and(ii) the center of gravity of the robot is between the drive axis and the idler wheel, the center of gravity of the robot determined by a variable mass of debris within the bin, a mass of the roller brush motor, and a mass of the battery.

›2.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the cleaning assembly is cantilevered above the cleaning surface.d2+1

›4.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of the robot is forward of the drive axis.d2

›5.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein a wheelbase is defined between the drive axis and the idler wheel and the wheelbase is substantially…d2

›6.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the drive axis is equal to or less than 9 cm rearward of the cleaning assembly.d2

›7.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the battery is disposed between the right and left drive wheels.d2

›8.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor disposed along the bumper to detect proximity of an object relative to…d2+1

›10.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, wherein the bumper is supported on the chassis and movable in the direction of travel and movable in a direc…d2+3

›14.↳ 1The autonomous coverage robot of claim 1, further comprising only two cliff sensors disposed along a forward portion of the robot and suspended at res…d2

›15.independentA household autonomous coverage robot comprising:na chassis having a substantially rectangular forward portion and an arcuate rearward portion, the fo…+4

Classifications

5 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section A — Human necessities

A47L11/24

USPC · US Patent Classification

15/41.115/31915/340.415/52.1

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Pendency

1.0 y

365 days filing → grant

Office actions

non-final + final

Responses

2 RCE

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Examiner

Michael Jennings

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Citations: 248 back · 0 forward

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Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

17 May 2007

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 60938699	17 May 2007
related publication	US 20120011668 A1	19 Jan 2012

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