Irobot Corporation

Erik Amaral

Timothy R Ohm

Annan Michael Mozeika

Mark Robert Claffee

Eric Burbank

Andrew Deschenes

Steven V Shamlian

Nicholas Moretto

Joseph M Johnson

Marcus R Williams

Russell Walter Morin

Thomas P Schregardus

John Reimels

Andrew Stephen Sweezey

Christopher J Fischella

Charles Hudson

A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot can include a base configured to receive at least a portion of the mobile cleaning robot thereon, where the base can include a debris port. The docking station can include a canister connected to the base and located at least partially above the base. The canister can include a debris bin to receive debris from the mobile cleaning robot. The canister can include a debris duct connected to the debris port and to the debris bin. The canister can include a debris collector connected to the debris duct upstream of the debris bin, where the debris collector can collect debris from a debris airstream of the debris duct.

Evacuation station with debris separation

A mobile cleaning robot can be movable within an environment, the mobile cleaning robot can include a body, a drive wheel arm, a drive wheel, a cam, and a cam follower. The drive wheel arm can be connected to the body and can be movable with respect to the body between an extended position and a retracted position. The drive wheel can be connected to the drive wheel arm and can be movable therewith. The drive wheel can be operable to move the mobile cleaning robot. The cam can be connected to the drive wheel arm and can be movable therewith. The cam follower can be connected to the body and can be engaged with the cam to move the drive wheel arm toward the extended position.

Mobile cleaning robot suspension

A cleaning roller mountable to a cleaning robot is featured. The cleaning roller includes an elongate member extending along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning roller, and a vane extending outward from the elongate member. The vane includes a first vane portion attached to the elongate member, and a second vane portion attached to the first vane portion. The first vane portion extends from the elongate member at a location intersecting a radial axis of the cleaning roller. The first vane portion extends along a first axis angled relative to the radial axis and away from the radial axis in a tangential direction. The second vane portion extends along a second axis angled relative to the first axis. A first angle between the first axis and the radial axis is greater than a second angle between the second axis and the radial axis.

Cleaning rollers for cleaning robots

A mobile cleaning robot can include a body, a drive wheel, and a plurality of skids. The drive wheel can be connected to the body and can be engageable with a floor surface of an environment. The drive wheel can be operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment. The skids can be separate skids that can be connected to the body and can be engageable with the floor surface to support, together with the drive wheel, the mobile cleaning robot with respect to the floor surface.

Mobile cleaning robot with skids

A mobile cleaning robot can include a body and a cleaning assembly. The body can include a suction duct. The cleaning assembly can be operable to ingest debris from a surface of an environment. The cleaning assembly can include a dustpan engageable with the surface to direct debris toward the suction duct. The dust pan can be movable with respect to the body.

Mobile cleaning robot dustpan

A cleaning bin mountable to an autonomous cleaning robot operable to receive debris from a floor surface includes a debris compartment to receive a first portion of debris separated from the airflow and a particulate compartment to receive a second portion of debris separated from the airflow. The cleaning bin also includes a debris separation cone having an inner conduit defining an upper opening and lower opening. The upper opening receives the airflow from the air channel. The inner conduit tapers from the upper opening to the lower opening such that the airflow forms a cyclone within the inner conduit.

Cleaning bin for cleaning robot

An autonomous mobile cleaning robot can include a robot body, a bumper, and a coupling. The robot body can include a displacement sensor. The bumper can be moveably coupled to the body. The coupling can include a displacement limiter associated with the displacement sensor. The displacement limiter can inhibit or limit sensing by the displacement sensor of displacement of the bumper from the robot body caused by forces below a threshold horizontal force value.

Floating bumper in autonomous cleaning robot

A robot includes a support, a movable member coupled to the support to permit gimbal rotation about a pitch axis and a yaw axis, and first and second linear actuators connected to each of the support and the movable member and operable to rotate the movable member about the pitch axis and the yaw axis. The first linear actuator is pivotally attached to the movable member at a first pivot point. The second linear actuator is pivotally attached to the movable member at a second pivot point. The first and second pivot points are each angularly offset from the pitch axis and the yaw axis by about 45 degrees and are located on the same side of the pitch axis.

Robotic arm and wrist mechanisms

A robotic end effector includes a finger and at least one actuator. The finger extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a finger axis. The finger includes a first phalanx proximate the proximal end, a second phalanx proximate the distal end, and a knuckle joint including at least one vertebra interposed between and separating the first and second phalanxes. The knuckle joint is configured to permit the second phalanx to pivot relative to the first phalanx about a pivot axis transverse to the finger axis. Each vertebra has an axial thickness extending along the finger axis and a lateral width extending perpendicular to its axial thickness, and its lateral width is greater than its axial thickness. The at least one actuator is operable to move the second phalanx relative to the first phalanx about the pivot axis.

Robotic fingers and end effectors including same

A mobile surface cleaning robot including a robot body having a forward drive direction, a drive system supporting the robot body above a floor surface for maneuvering the robot across the floor surface, and a robot controller in communication with the drive system. The robot also includes a collection volume supported by the robot body and a cleaning module releasably supported by the robot body and arranged to clean the floor surface. The cleaning module includes a first vacuum squeegee having a first duct, a driven roller brush rotatably supported rearward of the first vacuum squeegee, a second vacuum squeegee disposed rearward of the roller brush and having a second duct, and a third duct in fluid communication with the first and second ducts. The third duct is connectable to the collection volume at a fluid-tight interface formed by selectively engaging the cartridge with the robot body.

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Erik Amaral