U.S. patent application number 15/647472 was filed with the patent office on 2019-01-17 for side brush cover for autonomous floor cleaning device.
This patent application is currently assigned to AI Incorporated. The applicant listed for this patent is Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Chen Zhang. Invention is credited to Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Chen Zhang.
Application Number | 20190014960 15/647472 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65000334 |
Filed Date | 2019-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190014960 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ebrahimi Afrouzi; Ali ; et
al. |
January 17, 2019 |
Side Brush Cover for Autonomous Floor Cleaning Device
Abstract
A method for mobile robotic floor cleaning devices to have a
side brush cover. The cover for the side brush is designed in order
to avoid the common issue of entanglement. Entanglement often
occurs with the robot's side brush as the robot cleans a given area
and the side brush encounters a cord or cable laying on the floor.
As the side brush spins the cable or cord becomes wrapped around
the side brush disabling the unit entirely until the user
physically detangles the cord and unit. This invention seeks to
remedy this issue by adding a barrier between the side brush and
any objects. The side brush cover is a hollow cover with at least
one opening covering the side brush in a manner which allows the
bristles to extend out from under the chassis through the opening
to sweep debris and enter the cover as they are spun back under the
device, and the cover preventing objects in the environment such as
chords or cables from winding around the spinning axis of the side
brush by providing a physical barrier that blocks objects as they
are pushed up against the cover opening by the bristles.
Inventors: |
Ebrahimi Afrouzi; Ali; (San
Jose, CA) ; Zhang; Chen; (Dublin, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ebrahimi Afrouzi; Ali
Zhang; Chen |
San Jose
Dublin |
CA
CA |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
AI Incorporated
Toronto
CA
|
Family ID: |
65000334 |
Appl. No.: |
15/647472 |
Filed: |
July 12, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 2201/00 20130101;
A47L 9/0411 20130101; A47L 7/02 20130101; A47L 5/30 20130101; A47L
9/06 20130101; A47L 11/282 20130101; A47L 9/0488 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/06 20060101
A47L009/06; A47L 5/30 20060101 A47L005/30; A47L 9/04 20060101
A47L009/04 |
Claims
1. A surface cleaning device comprising: a chassis, a side brush
disposed on an underside of said chassis comprised of a set of
bristles anchored to a rotatable axis, a hollow cover with at least
one opening covering the side burns such that the bristles are
caused to exit the cover at a first end of the opening and reenter
the cover at a second end of the opening, wherein the hollow cover
prevents objects from becoming entangled in the side brush by
physically blocking them at the second end of the hollow cover.
2. The surface cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the cover further
comprises one or more additional openings that allow debris swept
by the side brush to escape the cover.
3. The surface cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the material
composition of the side brush cover is such that neither objects,
debris nor side brush bristles may pass through save through the
opening.
4. The side brush cover opening of claim 2 wherein the said one or
more openings of the cover are positioned in a manner such that the
side brush bristles extend outward and clean along the side of the
surface cleaning device.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cover prevents objects such as
cords, cables, wires and the like from becoming entangled around
the side brush causing the mobile robotic vacuum to become
inoperable.
6. A surface cleaning device comprising: a chassis, a side brush
positioned on the underside of said chassis comprised of a set of
bristles anchored to a rotatable axis, a hollowed cover positioned
over and around said side brush containing one or more openings
through which side brush bristles exit the opening at a first end
while reentering the cover at a second end of the opening, the
hollow cover preventing objects from entering the cover and
entangling themselves around the side brush by physically blocking
them at the second end of the opening to the hollow cover.
7. The surface cleaning device of claim 6 wherein the cover is
further comprised of one or more additional openings that allow
debris swept by the side brush to escape the cover.
8. The surface cleaning device of claim 6 wherein the material
composition of the side brush cover is of a hardened nature such
that neither debris nor side brush bristles may pass through save
through the opening provided.
9. The side brush cover opening of claim 7 wherein the said one or
more openings of the cover are positioned in a manner such that the
side brush bristles extend outward and clean along the side of the
surface cleaning device.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein the cover prevents objects such
as cords, cables, wires and the like from becoming entangled around
the side brush causing the mobile robotic vacuum to become
inoperable.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent
application Ser. No. 62/364,517, filed Jul. 20, 2016 by the present
inventor.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates in general to vacuum cleaners
and specifically to cleaner brushes.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] The following is a tabulation of some prior art that
presently appears relevant:
U.S. Patent Documents
TABLE-US-00001 [0004] Patent Number Kind Code Issue Date Patentee
WO2011103198 A1 Aug. 25, 2011 iRobot Corporation 20160345792 A1
Dec. 1, 2016 Neato Robotics Inc. EP 2536322 B1 Apr. 5, 2017 iRobot
Corporation 7,571,511 B2 Aug. 11, 2009 iRobot Corporation
20060020369 A1 Jan. 26, 2006 Charles Taylor et al.
[0005] Various vacuum cleaner brushes are known in the art and many
robotic devices benefit from side brushes that assist them in
better cleaning tight corners, working as a supplementary feature
to a robotic device's main brush. One of the major issues for these
brushes has been the entanglement of items such as cords, wires and
cables. While prior art in the field of robotic vacuums has existed
it has focused on areas not addressed by the present invention.
W.O. Pat. No. 2,011,103,198 and U.S. Pat. No. 20,160,345,792
focused on the entanglement of hair and similar debris in a
device's main brush. However these inventions do nothing to fix the
common issue of the entanglement of cords, wires, cables and the
like in the side brush. This invention does remedy this common
issue.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0006] It is a goal of the present invention to provide the side
brush mechanism of mobile robotic devices to have a level of
protection against entanglements with objects such as cables,
wires, and cords and the like.
[0007] It is a goal of the present invention to utilize a barrier
over the side brush of mobile robotic devices in order to protect
the side brush from entanglements with cords, wires, cables and the
like.
[0008] It is a goal of the present invention to utilize a barrier
around the side brush of mobile robotic devices in order to protect
the side brush from entanglements with cords, wires, cables and the
like.
[0009] It is a goal of the present invention to prevent mobile
robotic devices from becoming stalled or temporarily inoperable due
to entanglements of the side brush by objects such as cables,
wires, cords and the like.
[0010] It is a goal of the present invention to still allow for the
side brush to clean in a manner whereby the bristles extend out of
one or more openings in the side brush cover whereby the bristles
will push any debris under the mobile robotic vacuum whereby the
main brush will then sweep this debris into the dust bin.
[0011] It is a goal of the present invention for the side brush
cover opening to consist of a hardened material whereby no object
could potentially pierce through this material.
[0012] It is a goal of the present invention for the side brush
cover to not be limited to a specific shape or size so long as it
is able to cover the side brush in a manner that it is able to
achieve the goal of preventing entanglements of the side brush with
objects.
[0013] It is a goal of the present invention for the openings in
the side brush cover to potentially consist of one or more openings
and come in a variety of shapes for the opening so long as the
opening is able to achieve the goal of preventing entanglements of
the side brush with objects.
[0014] The present invention achieves these goals by the addition
of a cover device with one ore more openings for the side brush
bristles which is positioned over and or around the side brush on
the underside of the robotic vacuum. A side brush is positioned in
the chassis on the underside of the mobile robotic vacuum with
flexible bristles extending out from a rotating axis under the
chassis through the opening of the cover to sweep debris and enter
the cover as they are spun back under the device, the cover
preventing objects from the environment from winding around the
spinning axis of the side brush by providing a physical barrier
that blocks objects as they are pushed up against the cover opening
by the bristles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive features of the present
invention are described and depicted with reference to the
following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like
parts throughout the various figures.
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a bottom view of an autonomous surface
cleaning device with a side brush cover with one opening embodying
features of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of an autonomous surface
cleaning device with a side brush cover encountering a cord
embodying features of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 3A illustrates a partial bottom view of an autonomous
surface cleaning device without a side brush encountering a
cord;
[0019] FIG. 3B illustrates a partial bottom view of an autonomous
surface cleaning device without a side brush cover sweeping up a
cord;
[0020] FIG. 3C illustrates a bottom view of an autonomous surface
cleaning device without a side brush cover entangling a cord around
the axis of its side brush;
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of an autonomous surface
cleaning device with a side brush cover with two openings embodying
features of the present invention; and
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a partial front elevation view of an
autonomous surface cleaning device with a side brush cover
embodying features of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The present invention will now be described in detail with
reference to a few embodiments thereof as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent,
however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may
be practiced without some or all of these specific details. This
invention is intended to be non-inclusive and non-exhaustive in
regards to what is referenced herein. For instance, the side brush
cover referenced herein can take multiple shapes or forms and is
not limited in terms of construction to a specific type of
material.
[0024] The present invention relates in general to robotic vacuum
cleanings and more specifically to vacuum cleaner side brushes. The
present invention introduces a cover for the side brush of a mobile
robotic vacuum in order to reduce the chance of entanglements with
objects in a work environment such as cords, cables, wires and the
like.
[0025] As used herein, the term "mobile robotic vacuum" may be
defined generally to include one or more autonomous devices having
communication, mobility, processing elements, and/or cleaning
apparatuses. For example, an autonomous surface cleaning device may
comprise a casing or shell, a chassis including a set of wheels, a
motor to drive these wheels, a receiver that acquires signals
transmitted from, for example, a transmitting beacon, a processor,
and/or controller that processes and/or controls motor and other
robotic autonomous or cleaning operations, network or wireless
communications, power management, etc., and one or more clock or
synchronizing devices.
[0026] An autonomous mobile robotic vacuum cleaning device
comprising a chassis, set of wheels, motor to drive the wheels,
side brush positioned in the chassis with flexible bristles
extending out from a rotating axis under the chassis through the
opening of the cover to sweep debris and enter the cover as they
are spun back under the device, the cover preventing objects in the
work environment from winding around the spinning axis of the side
brush by providing a physical barrier that blocks objects as they
are pushed up against the cover opening by the bristles.
[0027] In the preferred embodiment, the cover has a disk-like form.
However, alternatively shaped covers that effectively block objects
from becoming entangled with the brush may be implemented without
departing from the scope of the invention.
[0028] In some embodiments, additional or alternative openings or
perforations are provided on the cover through which debris may
pass so as not to amass inside the cover.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, a bottom view of an embodiment of an
autonomous surface cleaning device with a side brush cover
embodying features of the present invention is illustrated.
Autonomous surface cleaning device 100 is comprised of a chassis
101, set of wheels 102, motor to drive wheels 103, vacuum apparatus
107, and side brush 110 comprised of bristles 104 connected to
spinning axis 105. A partial cover 106 is disposed around the side
brush 110. In the preferred embodiment, the side brush is
positioned toward the edge of the chassis, allowing the bristles to
sweep up debris 109 that may otherwise be out of reach of a main
cleaning apparatus 107 of the device by spinning in a direction
108. In some embodiments, the diameter of the cover may be slightly
smaller than the diameter of the brush, provided that the bristles
are made of a flexible or semi-flexible material. As the brush
rotates in direction 108, the bristles enter the cover when they
reach the area beneath the chassis 101 and exit the cover when they
reach the area not beneath the chassis. Obstacles that could
otherwise become entangled around the spinning side brush such as
cords and wires, are prevented from winding around the side brush
as they are blocked by the cover when pushed up against it by the
bristles.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 2, a bottom view of an autonomous surface
cleaning device with a side brush cover embodying features of the
present invention is illustrated. Autonomous surface cleaning
device 100 is comprised of a chassis 101, set of wheels 102, motor
to drive wheels 103, vacuum apparatus 107, and side brush 110
comprised of bristles 104 connected to spinning axis 105. A partial
cover 106 is disposed around the side brush 110. As can be seen,
when the side brush 110 encounters an obstacle such as a cord 200,
the cover 106 blocks the cord from being spun around the axis 105
and becoming further entangled in the side brush. Instead of
entering the area underneath the chassis 101 with the bristles 104,
the cord is pushed off the bristles as they rotate into the cover,
and the cord remains outside of the cover.
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, partial views of the operation of
a side brush without a cover are illustrated to demonstrate the
problem that the side brush cover solves. In FIG. 3A, the bristles
104 come into contact with cord 200 as the brush is spinning in
direction 108. FIG. 3B shows the progression of the device in FIG.
3A after a short amount of time. In FIG. 3B, the brush has turned
further in direction 108, causing the cord 200 to be swept up by
the bristles 104 and dragged under the chassis 101. FIG. 3C shows
the further progression of FIG. 3B after a short amount of time. In
FIG. 3C, the brush has turned further in direction 108 and cord 200
is beginning to become wound about the brush's turning axis 105. As
can be seen, without a brush cover, objects in a work environment
like cords and wires may easily become entangled in a side brush.
Conversely, a brush cover, as shown in FIG. 2, would force a cord
off of the bristles, preventing it from becoming wound about the
turning axis.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of the
invention is illustrated. Autonomous surface cleaning device 100 is
comprised of a chassis 101, set of wheels 102, motor to drive
wheels 103, vacuum apparatus 107, and side brush 110 comprised of
bristles 104 connected to spinning axis 105. A partial cover 106 is
disposed around the side brush 110. In this embodiment, the cover
has an additional opening 400 beneath the chassis that allows
debris 109 swept by the bristles to exit the cover and be suctioned
by a vacuum apparatus 107. In some embodiments, a plurality of
perforations or openings may be disposed on the cover beneath the
chassis to facilitate debris exiting the cover.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 5, a partial front elevation view of an
autonomous surface cleaning device with a side brush cover is
illustrated. Autonomous surface cleaning device 100 is comprised of
a chassis 101, set of wheels 102, motor to drive the wheels (not
illustrated), vacuum apparatus (not illustrated), and side brush
110 comprised of bristles 104 connected to spinning axis 105. A
partial cover 106 is disposed around the side brush 110, serving to
prevent objects from the work area, such as cords and wires, from
becoming entangled around the side brush as it spins.
[0034] In some embodiments, the cover may have an open bottom or
different configurations of holes or openings.
[0035] In some embodiments, the cover may be made of a hardened
material such that objects cannot pierce it.
[0036] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and
description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many
modifications and variations are possible in light of the above
teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to
explain the principles and the application of the invention,
thereby enabling others skilled in the art to utilize the invention
in its various embodiments and modifications according to the
particular purpose contemplated. The scope of the invention is
intended to be defined by the claims appended hereto and their
equivalents.
* * * * *