Patents by Inventor Erik Amaral

Erik Amaral has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12290228
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Publication number: 20250089958
    Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot can be movable within an environment, the mobile cleaning robot can include a body and a drive arm movable with respect to the body between an extended position and a retracted position. The robot can include a drive wheel connected to the drive arm and movable therewith. The drive wheel can be operable to move the mobile cleaning robot. The robot can include a first link connected to the body and connected to the drive arm. The robot can include a second link connected to the body and connected to the drive arm to, together with the first link, the body, and the drive arm, define a center of rotation about which the drive arm and the drive wheel rotate between the extended position and the retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2023
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Patent number: 12239279
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Publication number: 20240374095
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2024
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Andrew Deschenes
  • Publication number: 20240324833
    Abstract: A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot can include a base and a cannister. The base can be configured to receive at least a portion of the mobile cleaning robot thereon, where the base can include a debris port. The cannister can be connected to the base and can be located at least partially above the base. The cannister can include a debris duct connected to the debris port and configured to receive an air stream from the mobile cleaning robot. The lid assembly can be connected to the debris duct and can be configured to receive at least a portion of the air stream from the mobile cleaning robot. A receptacle can be connected to the lid assembly, where the receptacle can be configured to receive at least a portion of debris from the air stream or the lid assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Brian W. Doughty, Erik Amaral, Isaac Fowler, Nicholas Coleman
  • Patent number: 12075963
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Andrew Deschenes
  • Publication number: 20240260800
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2024
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Inventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Publication number: 20240188780
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Erik Amaral, Charles Hudson
  • Publication number: 20240172906
    Abstract: A roller for a mobile cleaning robot can include a roller core, a first elongated member, a second elongated member, and a spacer. The roller core can extend along a longitudinal axis of the roller. The first elongated member can be engageable with a floor surface. The first elongated member can at least partially surround a first portion of the roller core. The second elongated member can also be engageable with the floor surface. The second elongated member can at least partially surround a second section of the roller core. The spacer can at least partially surround the roller core between the first elongated member and the second elongated member. The spacer can be engageable with the floor surface and can be configured to prevent debris collection between the first elongated member and the second elongated member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Andrew Deschenes, Erik Amaral
  • Publication number: 20240099529
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Andrew Deschenes
  • Publication number: 20240065498
    Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot can include a body movable within an environment and a debris bin located at least partially within the body. The robot can include a cleaning assembly connected to the body, where the cleaning assembly includes a first debris port connected to the debris bin and a second debris port connected to the debris bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Patent number: 11871888
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Patent number: 11832780
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Andrew Deschenes
  • Publication number: 20230270299
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Patent number: 11641991
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Nicholas Moretto
  • Publication number: 20230031127
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Andrew Deschenes
  • Publication number: 20230036749
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Andrew Deschenes
  • Publication number: 20220047131
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
  • Patent number: 11213181
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Andrew Deschenes
  • Patent number: 11109727
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral