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).
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Publication number: 20240099529Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Andrew Deschenes
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Publication number: 20240065498Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2022Publication date: February 29, 2024Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
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Patent number: 11871888Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 3, 2021Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
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Patent number: 11832780Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Andrew Deschenes
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Publication number: 20230270299Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2022Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
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Patent number: 11641991Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 25, 2019Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Nicholas Moretto
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Publication number: 20230031127Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2021Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Andrew Deschenes
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Publication number: 20230036749Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2021Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Andrew Deschenes
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Publication number: 20220047131Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2021Publication date: February 17, 2022Inventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
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Patent number: 11213181Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 20, 2019Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Andrew Deschenes
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Patent number: 11109727Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 28, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
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Publication number: 20210145236Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2019Publication date: May 20, 2021Inventors: Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Andrew Deschenes
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Publication number: 20200275812Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2019Publication date: September 3, 2020Inventors: Eric Burbank, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral
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Patent number: 10578197Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2017Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mark R. Claffee, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Annan M. Mozeika
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Publication number: 20200054182Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2019Publication date: February 20, 2020Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Nicholas Moretto
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Publication number: 20200000302Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot system can include a mobile clearing robot and a vacuum system. The mobile cleaning robot can include a support structure and a drive system operative to move the mobile cleaning robot. The vacuum system can be configured to vacuum a surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2019Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Russell Walter Morin, Eric J. Burbank, Erik Amaral, Rogelio Manfred Neumann, David O. Swett
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Patent number: 10456002Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 22, 2016Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Nicholas Moretto
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Publication number: 20180177367Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2016Publication date: June 28, 2018Inventors: Erik Amaral, Timothy R. Ohm, Nicholas Moretto
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Publication number: 20180073614Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2017Publication date: March 15, 2018Inventors: Mark R. Claffee, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Annan M. Mozeika
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Patent number: 9845850Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2015Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mark R. Claffee, Timothy R. Ohm, Erik Amaral, Annan M. Mozeika