ROBOTIC VACUUM CLEANER
A robotic vacuum cleaner is provided having a suction source, a dirt collector, a floor sensor, a primary brush, and an auxiliary brush. The floor sensor includes an emitter and a detector having an intersecting region. The auxiliary brush includes microfiber fingers that are spaced around a perimeter of the brush, or the auxiliary brush includes a pad having apertures, the apertures allow the emitter and detector to sense whether a floor surface is present.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/610,581, filed Nov. 4, 2019, which is a national phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2018/031348, filed May 7, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/503,143, filed May 8, 2017, the entire contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates to vacuum cleaner and more particular to robotic vacuum cleaners.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONReferring to
As illustrated in
A position of the intersecting region 30 depends on the orientation of the infrared emitter 20 and detector 22 of the floor sensor 18 relative to one another. In one embodiment, the emitter 20 and the detector 22 are orientated such that the intersecting region 30 is formed at a position distanced away from the center of the auxiliary brush 14. By shifting the formed intersecting region 30 away from the auxiliary brush 14, additional space is provided below the housing of the floor sensor 18 in which to accommodate at least a portion of the auxiliary brush 14 (e.g., brush tips 32) below the housing of the floor sensor 18, such that a portion of the auxiliary brush extends underneath the housing of the floor sensor 18 without extending into the intersecting region 30 interfering with operation of the floor sensor 18. In a specific embodiment, a portion of the auxiliary brush 14 is positioned below the housing of the floor sensor 18 but does not extend into the intersecting region 30.
The auxiliary brush 14 has a radial extent 17, or radius, and is positioned a predetermined distance 15 from the housing of the floor sensor 18. In one embodiment, the radial extent 17, or radius of the auxiliary brush 14 is between 0.8 and 1.6 times the distance 15 between the center of the auxiliary brush 14 and the housing of the floor sensor 18. In another embodiment, the radius 17 of the auxiliary brush 14 is between 1.0 and 1.25 times the distance 15 between the center of the auxiliary brush 14 and the housing of the floor sensor 18. In yet another embodiment, the radius 17 of the auxiliary brush 14 is approximately 1.2 times the distance 15 between the center of the auxiliary brush 14 and the housing of the floor sensor 18.
Claims
1.-2. (canceled)
3. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a suction source;
- a dirt collector;
- a floor sensor including an emitter and a detector, the emitter and detector having an intersecting region;
- a primary brush; and
- an auxiliary brush rotatable about a generally vertical axis positioned at a predetermined distance from the floor sensor, wherein the auxiliary brush includes microfiber fingers that are spaced around a perimeter of the brush.
4. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the microfiber fingers are generally the same length.
5. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the microfiber fingers are spaced such that there are gaps between adjacent microfiber fingers, the gaps allowing the emitter and detector to sense whether a floor surface is present.
6. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the emitter has an emission field and the detector has a detection field, and wherein the gaps are configured such that the emission and detection fields are able to pass through the gaps.
7. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary brush has a radial extent, wherein the auxiliary brush is configured to not interfere with operation of the floor sensor, and wherein a radius of the auxiliary brush is in a range from 1.0 to 1.6 times the predetermined distance measured from the generally vertical axis to the floor sensor.
8. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the floor sensor includes a sensor housing and wherein the radial extent of the auxiliary brush extends under the sensor housing.
9. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary brush is configured to clean a floor surface underneath the sensor housing.
10. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein a distance from the generally vertical axis of the auxiliary brush to the nearest one of the emitter and the detector is less than a radial extent of the brush.
11. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the emitter and detector are oriented such that the intersecting region is formed at a position distanced away from the generally vertical axis of the auxiliary brush.
12. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a suction source;
- a dirt collector;
- a floor sensor including an emitter and a detector, the emitter and detector having an intersecting region;
- a primary brush; and
- an auxiliary brush rotatable about a generally vertical axis positioned at a predetermined distance from the floor sensor, wherein the auxiliary brush includes a pad having apertures and wherein the apertures allow the emitter and detector to sense whether a floor surface is present.
13. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the pad is formed of microfiber.
14. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the emitter has an emission field and the detector has a detection field, and wherein the apertures are configured such that the emission and detection fields are able to pass through the apertures.
15. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the pad is defined by a circular perimeter, and wherein the apertures become wider in a direction moving from the generally vertical axis toward the circular perimeter.
16. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary brush has a radial extent, wherein the auxiliary brush is configured to not interfere with operation of the floor sensor, and wherein a radius of the auxiliary brush is in a range from 1.0 to 1.6 times the predetermined distance measured from the generally vertical axis to the floor sensor.
17. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the floor sensor includes a sensor housing and wherein the radial extent of the auxiliary brush extends under the sensor housing.
18. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the auxiliary brush is configured to clean a floor surface underneath the sensor housing.
19. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein a distance from the generally vertical axis of the auxiliary brush to the nearest one of the emitter and the detector is less than a radial extent of the brush.
20. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the emitter and detector are oriented such that the intersecting region is formed at a position distanced away from the generally vertical axis of the auxiliary brush.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 10, 2022
Publication Date: Apr 13, 2023
Inventors: Kevin L. Thomas (Indian Trail, NC), David Khalil (College Park, MD), James Materdo (Charlotte, NC), Todd Zimmerman (Simpsonville, SC)
Application Number: 18/045,218