JP6686171B1 - Cleaning bins for cleaning robots - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning bin mountable on an autonomous cleaning robot operable to receive debris from the floor includes a debris compartment for receiving a first portion of debris separated from the air stream and a second debris section for debris separated from the air stream. A particulate compartment for receiving the portion. The cleaning bin also includes a dirt separation cone having an inner tube defining an upper opening and a lower opening. The top opening receives airflow from the air channel. The inner tube is tapered from the upper opening to the lower opening so that the air flow forms a cyclone in the inner tube.

Description

  The present specification relates to cleaning robots, and in particular cleaning bins for autonomous cleaning robots.

  Cleaning robots include mobile robots that automatically perform cleaning tasks in an ambient environment such as a house. Many types of cleaning robots have some degree of autonomy in various ways. The cleaning robot can move around in the surrounding environment and move autonomously, and can suck debris when autonomously moving in the surrounding environment. The sucked dust is often stored in a cleaning bin that can be manually removed from the cleaning robot, so that the dust can be taken out of the cleaning bin. In some cases, the autonomous cleaning robot may be designed to automatically dock with an evacuation station for the purpose of removing sucked debris from the cleaning bin and emptying it.

  In one aspect, a cleaning bin mountable on an autonomous cleaning robot operable to receive debris from a floor includes an inlet located between opposite lateral sides of the cleaning bin that defines an inner width of the cleaning bin. The cleaning bin is an outlet configured to be connected to a vacuum assembly, the vacuum assembly being operable to direct an airflow from an inlet of the cleaning bin to an outlet of the cleaning bin; A garbage compartment for receiving the first portion of separated garbage. The cleaning bin also includes an air channel located above the dirt compartment and defined by the top surface of the dirt compartment inclined to the inner surface of the top wall of the cleaning bin. The air channel extends across the inner width of the cleaning bin and receives airflow from the dirt compartment over the top surface of the dirt compartment. The cleaning bin includes a particulate compartment that receives a second portion of debris separated from the air stream. The cleaning bin also includes a debris separation cone having an inner tube defining an upper opening and a lower opening. The top opening receives airflow from the air channel. The inner tube is tapered from the upper opening to the lower opening so that the air flow forms a cyclone in the inner tube.

  In another aspect, an autonomous cleaning robot includes a body, a drive operable to move the body across a floor, and a vacuum assembly carried by the body. The vacuum assembly is operable to generate an air flow to carry debris from the floor as the body moves across the floor. The robot further includes a cleaning bottle mounted on the main body. The cleaning bin includes an inlet, an outlet, an outlet connected to the vacuum assembly such that a debris-containing air stream is directed from the inlet to the outlet, and a debris compartment for receiving a first portion of debris separated from the air stream. Forming a particulate compartment for receiving a second portion of the dust separated from the air stream and a cyclone separating the second portion of the dust from the air stream, the cyclone directing the second portion of the dust towards the particulate compartment And a trash separation cone configured to receive an airflow from the trash compartment.

  In some implementations, the inlet spans 75% to 100% of the inner width of the cleaning bin.

  In some implementations, the top surface of the dirt compartment includes a first filter. In some cases, the first filter is sized to prevent debris having a width of 100 μm to 500 μm from passing into the air channel. In some cases, the filter surface of the first filter and the horizontal plane passing through the cleaning bin make an angle of 5 ° to 45 °.

  In some implementations, the upper surface of the debris compartment and the longitudinal axis of the debris separation cone define an angle of 85 ° to 95 °. The upper surface of the dirt compartment is, for example, inclined downwards towards the dirt separating cone.

  In some implementations, the air channels span 95% to 100% of the inner width of the cleaning bin.

  In some implementations, the cleaning bottle includes an exhaust port configured to be connected to another vacuum assembly operable to direct airflow from the outlet to the exhaust port. The cleaning bin also includes, for example, a first flap that covers an open area that is pneumatically connected to the dirt compartment and the particulate compartment. The first flap is configured to open, for example, when the pressure on the side of the first flap facing the dust section is less than the pressure on the side of the first flap facing the fine particle section. In some cases, the cleaning bin includes a second flap that covers the open area between the dirt compartment and the particulate compartment. The open area covered by the first flap is larger than the open area covered by the second flap, for example, and the first flap is located farther from the discharge port than the second flap.

  In some implementations, the longitudinal axis of the dirt separation cone defines an angle of 5 ° to 25 ° with the vertical axis through the cleaning bin such that the top opening of the dirt separation cone tilts away from the inlet of the cleaning bin. To do.

  In some implementations, the inner tube is a conical structure that defines a slope that makes an angle between 15 ° and 40 ° with the central axis of the conical structure.

  In some implementations, the upper opening of the inner tube has a diameter of 20 mm to 40 mm and the lower opening of the inner tube has a diameter of 5 mm to 20 mm.

  In some implementations, the debris separation cone is a first debris separation cone and the inner tube of the first debris separation cone receives the first portion of the air flow. The cleaning bin includes, for example, a second trash separation cone adjacent to the first trash separation cone. The second dirt separation cone has, for example, an inner tube defining an upper opening and a lower opening. The top opening receives, for example, a second portion of airflow from an air channel. The inner tube is tapered from the upper opening to the lower opening, for example so that the second part of the air flow forms a cyclone in the inner tube.

  In some implementations, the debris separation cone is one of a set of aligned debris separation cones, the set of debris separation cones being oriented such that the top opening of each debris separation cone moves away from the inlet. It has a coplanar longitudinal axis that is angled in a direction away from the inlet so that it is tilted.

  In some implementations, the top surface of the dirt compartment includes a first filter and the cleaning bin further includes a second filter located between the dirt separation cone and the outlet.

  In some implementations, the outlet extends across the inner width of the cleaning bin.

  In some implementations, the cleaning bin further includes an inlet duct pneumatically connected to the air channels and pneumatically connected to the inner tube of the dirt separation cone. The inlet duct has a minimum width of 5% to 15% of the width of the inlet, for example.

  In some implementations, the cleaning bin further includes an outlet duct for directing the air flow from the inner tube of the dirt separation cone toward the outlet. The outlet duct is, for example, tapered towards the inner tube of the dirt separating cone.

  In some implementations, the cleaning bin further includes a door that defines a bottom surface of the dirt compartment and a bottom surface of the particulate compartment. The door is configured to be manually openable, for example, to allow debris in both the dirt compartment and the particulate compartment to be removed from the cleaning bin.

  In some implementations, the maximum cleaning bin height is less than 80 mm.

  In some implementations, the robot further includes a cleaning roller rotatably mounted on the body. The cleaning roller is configured, for example, to take in the dust so as to move the dust toward the inlet of the cleaning bin. The inlet of the cleaning bin extends, for example, over 60% to 100% of the length of the cleaning roller.

  Advantages of the foregoing arrangements may include, but are not limited to, those described below and elsewhere in this specification. The cleaning bin can separate dirt in multiple stages so that less dirt reaches the filter located immediately before the vacuum assembly. At one point, it becomes difficult for dust to reach the filter, and thus it is difficult to block the air flow through the filter. As a result, the total amount of power drawn by the vacuum assembly to generate the air flow is greater than the total amount of power drawn by the vacuum assembly that does not separate most of the debris from the air flow before it reaches the filter. small. In another aspect, less debris reaches the filter during cleaning operations, so the filter does not need to be frequently cleaned or replaced. By the time the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced, the robot can inhale a larger amount of debris.

  Furthermore, the cleaning bin can realize a plurality of dust separation stages with a relatively compact profile (eg, a small profile in the height direction). As a result, the cleaning bin can be used with autonomous cleaning robots of relatively compact profile (eg, profile with low height above the floor). In this regard, it is possible to reduce the space occupied by the autonomous cleaning robot equipped with the cleaning bin in the surrounding environment and make it less visible in the surrounding environment. The cleaning robot can also fit into a smaller space (for example, under furniture or other obstacles) by having a small outer shape. In some examples, the cleaning bin includes a plurality of debris separation cones that are not aligned in a circle but are aligned. By arranging the dust separating cones in a straight line, the height of the entire cleaning bin can be made smaller than the height of the entire cleaning bin when the dust separating cones are arranged in a circle.

  The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other possible features, aspects, and advantages will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention, the drawings, and the claims.

It is a right sectional view of an autonomous cleaning robot and a cleaning bin during cleaning work. It is a bottom view of the autonomous cleaning robot of FIG. FIG. 3 is an upper front perspective view of a cleaning bin for the autonomous cleaning robot of FIG. 1. FIG. 3B is a right side sectional view of the cleaning bottle of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3B is a cutaway top view of the cleaning bin of FIG. 3A with the top side of the cleaning bin removed. 3B is a front perspective view of a trash separator for the cleaning bin of FIG. 3A. FIG. FIG. 4B is a rear cross-sectional view of the dust separator of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4B is a rear cross-sectional view of the dust separator of FIG. 4A. 3B is a right side cross-sectional view of the cleaning bin of FIG. 3A connected to the vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot of FIG. FIG. 5B is a right side cross-sectional view of the cleaning bin of FIG. 5A with the door in the open position, separated from the vacuum assembly of the autonomous cleaning robot of FIG. 1. FIG. 3B is a right side cross-sectional view of the cleaning bin of FIG. 3A when an autonomous cleaning robot with a cleaning bin is docked at a discharge station. FIG. 3B is a cutaway front perspective view of the dust bin of the cleaning bin of FIG. 3A, with the front and side surfaces of the cleaning bin removed.

  Like reference numbers and designations in the individual drawings indicate like elements.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the cleaning bin 100 is mounted on the cleaning robot 102. The cleaning bin 100 receives the dust 104 sucked by the robot 102 during the cleaning operation of the floor surface 106. During the cleaning operation, the vacuum assembly 108 of the robot 102 creates an air flow 110 to lift the debris 104 from the floor surface 106 toward the vacuum assembly 108. Airflow 110 draws debris 104 from floor 106 through plenum 112. The airflow 110 then passes through the inlet 114 of the cleaning bin 100, through the debris compartment 116, through the top surface 118 of the debris compartment 116 and into the air channel 120, through the debris separation cone 122, and then the outlet of the cleaning bin 100. At 126, it is directed through the filter 124. When the air flow 110 including the dust 104 passes through the cleaning bin 100, the dust 104 is separated from the air flow 110 and accumulates in the cleaning bin 100.

  The cleaning bin 100 is a multi-compartment bin that includes a plurality of debris separation stages so that debris is separated from the airflow 110 as the airflow 110 goes through each stage during a cleaning operation. At one or more stages of dust separation, a portion 104a of the dust 104 accumulates within the dust compartment 116. In another debris separation stage, another portion 104b of debris 104 is deposited within particulate compartment 128. In a further debris separation step, a further portion 104c of debris 104 is deposited on the filter 124.

  At the stage when the dust 104 is deposited in the particulate compartment 128, the dust separation cone 122 receives the air flow 110 and causes the air flow 110 to form a cyclone 121. The cyclone 121 facilitates separation of the part 104b of the dust 104 contained in the air flow 110. This portion 104b is then deposited on the particulate compartment 128. The multiple debris separation stages before the filter 124 may reduce the amount of debris 104 reaching the filter 124. Since less of the debris 104 reaches the filter 124, 104c, the unoccupied area of the filter 124 is kept larger during the cleaning operation, available for the vacuum assembly 108 to generate the air flow 110. As a result, the amount of power required by the vacuum assembly 108 during the cleaning operation can be reduced, which improves the overall energy efficiency of the vacuum assembly 108.

  In some implementations, the cleaning robot 102 is an autonomous cleaning robot that traverses the floor surface 106 autonomously while drawing dirt from the floor surface 106. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the robot 102 includes a body 200 that is moveable over the floor 106. As shown in FIG. 2, in some implementations, the body 200 includes a substantially rectangular anterior portion 202a and a substantially semi-circular posterior portion 202b. The front portion 202a includes, for example, two lateral sides 204a, 204b that are substantially perpendicular to the front side 206 of the front portion 202a.

  The robot 102 includes a drive system that includes actuators 208a, 208b operable with drive wheels 210a, 210b. The actuators 208a and 208b are mounted on the main body 200 and are operably connected to drive wheels 210a and 210b rotatably mounted on the main body 200. The drive wheels 210 a and 210 b support the main body 200 on the floor surface 106. The robot 102 includes a controller 212 that operates actuators 208a, 208b such that the robot 102 moves around the floor 106 and advances autonomously during cleaning operations. The actuators 208a, 208b are operable to drive the robot 102 in the forward drive direction 130 (shown in FIG. 1). In some implementations, the robot 102 includes caster wheels 211 that support the body 200 above the floor 106. The caster wheel 211 supports, for example, the rear portion 202b of the body 200 on the floor 106, and the drive wheels 210a, 210b support the front portion 202a of the body 200 on the floor 106.

  The vacuum assembly 108 is also carried within the body 200 of the robot 102, for example, at the rear portion 202b of the body 200. The controller 212 operates the vacuum assembly 108 to generate the air flow 110 and allow the robot 102 to draw in the debris 104 during the cleaning operation. The robot 102 includes a vent 213 in the rear portion 202b of the main body 200, for example. The air flow 110 generated by the vacuum assembly 108 is exhausted to the environment surrounding the robot 102 through the vent 213. In some implementations, the air flow 110 generated by the vacuum assembly 108 is exhausted through a conduit connected to the cleaning head of the robot 102 rather than being exhausted by venting the rear portion 202b of the body. The cleaning head includes, for example, one or more rollers that engage the floor surface 106 and sweep the debris 104 into the cleaning bin 100. The airflow 110 exhausted to the cleaning head can increase the amount of airflow near the cleaning head to stir the dust 104 on the floor surface 106, thereby further improving the performance of collecting dust from the floor surface 106.

  In some cases, the cleaning robot 102 is a self-contained robot that moves autonomously across the floor 106 to draw in debris. The cleaning robot 102 may, for example, carry a battery to power the vacuum assembly 108. The increased energy efficiency may reduce the size required for each compartment of the cleaning robot 102, and thus may reduce the overall size and / or height of the cleaning robot 102. For example, the increased energy efficiency of the vacuum assembly 108 may reduce the size of the vacuum assembly 108 required to draw debris 104 from the floor surface 106. This may also reduce the size of the battery to meet the power requirements of the vacuum assembly 108.

  In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cleaning head of the robot 102 includes a first roller 212a and a second roller 212b. The rollers 212a, 212b are located in front of the cleaning bin 100, and the cleaning bin 100 is located in front of the vacuum assembly 108. The rollers 212a and 212b are operably connected to the actuators 214a and 214b, and rotatably mounted on the main body 200. In particular, the rollers 212a and 212b are mounted on the lower surface of the front portion 202a of the main body 200 so that the rollers 212a and 212b wind up the dust 104 on the floor surface 106. The rollers 212a, 212b are rotatable about an axis parallel to the floor surface 106. Rollers 212a, 212b include, for example, brushes or flaps that wind floor surface 106 to collect debris 104 on floor surface 106. The length of each of the rollers 212a and 212b is, for example, 10 cm to 50 cm, for example, 10 cm to 30 cm, 20 cm to 40 cm, 30 cm to 50 cm. The rollers 212a, 212b extend substantially the entire width of the front portion 202a between the lateral sides 204a, 204b.

  During the cleaning operation, the controller 212 operates the actuators 214a and 214b so as to rotate the rollers 212a and 212b to draw in the dust 104 on the floor surface 106 and move the dust 104 toward the plenum 112. The rollers 212a, 212b rotate in opposite directions with respect to each other, for example to assist in moving the debris 104 towards the plenum 112. For example, one roller rotates counterclockwise and the other roller rotates clockwise. The plenum 112 then guides the air stream 110 containing the debris 104 to the cleaning bin 100. In the description herein, debris 104 accumulates in different compartments of cleaning bin 100 while airflow 110 is directed through cleaning bin 100 toward vacuum assembly 108.

  In some implementations, the robot 102 has a non-horizontal axis (eg, an axis that forms an angle between 75 ° and 90 ° with the floor 106) to sweep the debris 104 toward the rollers 212a, 212b. Includes a brush 214 that rotates with respect to. Robot 102 includes an actuator 216 operably connected to brush 214. The brush 214 extends beyond the peripheral edge of the main body 200 so that the dust 104 on the floor surface 106 that cannot be normally reached by the rollers 212a and 212b can be caught. During the cleaning work, the controller 212 operates the actuator 216 so that the dust 214, which cannot be reached by the rollers 212a and 212b, is caught by rotating the brush 214. In particular, the brush 214 can wind up the dust 104 near the wall of the surrounding environment, and can brush the dust 104 toward the rollers 212a and 212b to facilitate the suction of the dust 104 by the robot 102.

  When the dust 104 is sucked by the robot 102, the cleaning bin 100 stores the sucked dust 104 in a plurality of sections. The cleaning bin 100 is mounted on the body 200 of the robot 102 during the cleaning operation so as to receive the dust 104 sucked by the robot 102 and be in air communication with the vacuum assembly 108. Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cleaning bin 100 includes a body 300 defining an inlet 114, a debris compartment 116, an air channel 120, a debris separation cone 122, and an outlet 126. The body 300 includes lateral sides 302a, 302b, a front side 304, a rear side 306, a top side 308, and a bottom side 310. As shown in FIG. 3C, the lateral sides 302a, 302b define the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100. The inner width W1 is, for example, 15 cm to 45 cm, such as 15 cm to 25 cm, 25 cm to 35 cm, and 35 cm to 45 cm. The inner width W1 is, for example, 65% to 100% of the length of the rollers 212a and 212b, for example, 65% to 75%, 75% to 85%, and 85% to 100% of the length of the rollers 212a and 212b.

  In some implementations, the front side 304, the back side 306, and the side sides 302a, 302b define a rectangular horizontal cross section of the cleaning bin 100. The geometry of the horizontal cross section may be different in other implementations. In some examples, a portion of the cleaning bin 100 geometry matches a portion of the robot 102 geometry. For example, if the robot 102 includes a circular or semi-circular geometry, in some cases either side of the cleaning bin 100 will conform to the circular or semi-circular geometry of the robot 102. The side surface includes, for example, an arcuate portion such that the horizontal cross section of the cleaning bin 100 follows the circular or semi-circular geometry of the robot 102.

  In some implementations, the lateral sides 302a, 302b, the top side 308, and the bottom side 310 define a rectangular vertical cross section of the cleaning bin 100. The vertical cross-section geometry of the cleaning bin 100 may differ in other implementations. In some examples, the vertical cross section has an elliptical shape, a trapezoidal shape, a pentagonal shape, or other suitable shape. The lateral sides 302a, 302b extend along axes that are parallel to each other in one case but intersect with another. Similarly, in some cases top side 308 and bottom side 310 are parallel to each other, while in other cases top side 308 and bottom side 310 extend along axes that intersect one another. In some cases, lateral sides 302a, 302b, top side 308, and / or bottom side 310 include one or more curved portions.

  In the description herein, in addition to storing debris 104, cleaning bin 100 includes a plurality of debris separation stages to separate different sizes of debris from air stream 110. As shown in FIG. 3B, the cleaning bin 100 may have a relatively small height H1 despite having both the function of storing waste and separating waste. The height H1 of the cleaning bin 100 is, for example, 50 mm to 100 mm, for example, less than 100 mm, less than 80 mm, or less than 60 mm. The height of the portion of the cleaning bin 100 between the inlet 114 and the outlet 126 is, for example, the height H1 or less.

  The inlet 114 of the cleaning bin 100 is an opening that penetrates the front side surface 304 of the cleaning bin 100. The inlet 114 is located between the lateral sides 302a, 302b of the cleaning bin 100. Inlet 114 is pneumatically connected to plenum 112 and debris compartment 116. In some implementations, the seal provides a cleaning bin 100 such that the cleaning bin 100 forms a sealing engagement with the body 200 of the robot 102 when the cleaning bin 100 is mounted on the body 200 of the robot 102. It is located on the outer surface of the front side surface 304. In this regard, the inlet 114 directs the air flow 110 containing the debris 104 from the plenum 112 to the debris compartment 116 during the cleaning operation.

  The inlet 114 extends over the length L1, which is, for example, 75% to 100% of the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100, such as 75% to 85%, 80% to 90% of the inner width W1. It is 85% to 95%. The inlet 114 extends, for example, over 60% to 100% of the length of the rollers 212a, 212b, for example 60% -70%, 70% -80%, 80% -90%, 90% of the length of the rollers 212a, 212b. % To 100% and so on. Because the inlet 114 extends substantially the entire length of the rollers 212a, 212b, the airflow 110 generated by the vacuum assembly 108 can pull the airflow 110 along the length of the rollers 212a, 212b. As a result, the air flow 110 may facilitate suction of the dust 104 at a position that extends over the entire length of the rollers 212a, 212b.

  The trash compartment 116 is defined by a front side 304, a bottom side 310, lateral sides 302a, 302b, a rear surface 314 of the trash compartment 116, and an upper surface 118 of the trash compartment 116. The dust compartment 116 stores a large amount of dust sucked by the robot 102. The trash compartment 116 typically stores most of the volume of trash 104 sucked by the robot 102. In this regard, the volume of the dirt compartment 116 is between 25% and 75% of the total volume of the cleaning bin 100 defined by the lateral sides 302a, 302b, the front side 304, the rear side 306, the top side 308, and the bottom side 310. , For example, 25% to 50%, 40% to 60%, and 50% to 75%.

  From the overall image shown in FIG. 3B, the vertical section of the dust section 116 has a trapezoidal shape. In some cases, the rear surface 314 and the front surface of the refuse compartment 116 are substantially parallel, for example making an angle of 0 ° to 15 ° with each other. The front surface corresponds to the inner surface of the front side surface 304 of the cleaning bin 100, for example. The upper surface 118 of the dirt compartment 116 is angled with respect to the front side surface 304 that defines the inlet 114. The upper surface 118 of the dirt compartment 116 is, for example, angled with respect to the direction of the airflow 110 entering the dirt compartment 116 and / or is angled with respect to the direction of the airflow 110 passing through the upper surface 118 of the dirt compartment 116. The upper surface 118 and the direction of the air flow 110 entering the dust compartment 116 form an angle of, for example, 5 ° to 45 °, for example, 5 ° to 25 °, 15 ° to 35 °, and 25 ° to 45 °. The upper surface 118 of the dirt compartment 116 also makes an angle with the inner surface of the upper surface 308 of the cleaning bin 100. In some examples, the top surface 118 is angled such that the airflow 110 through the inlet 114 is directed horizontally toward the top surface 118. The upper surface 118 and the front side surface 304 form, for example, an acute angle, for example, an angle of less than 90 °. The upper surface 118 is angled with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the cleaning bin 100, for example. The upper surface 118 and the horizontal surface form an angle of 5 ° to 45 °, for example, 5 ° to 25 °, 15 ° to 35 °, and 25 ° to 45 °.

  The upper surface 118 includes a filter surface 118a surrounded by a block surface 118b. The filter surface 118a is a filter such as a pre-filter or screen that allows the air flow 110 to flow from the dirt compartment 116 to the air channel 120. The filter surface 118a is in some cases removable and washable. The filter surface 118a is, in some cases, a disposable filter. The filter surface 118a is, for example, a porous surface. The filter surface 118 a is sized to prevent dust having a width of 100 μm to 500 μm from passing through the air channel 120. The filter surface 118a is located along the upper surface 118 so that debris 104 and airflow 110 that travel horizontally from the inlet face the filter surface 118a and enter the air channels 120.

  The blocking surface 118b is located with respect to the filter surface 118a and the inlet 114 so as to block the airflow 110 in a particular portion of the dirt compartment 116. The filter surface 118a is located between the portion 316 of the blocking surface 118b and the inlet 114. A portion 316 of the block surface 118b is located between the filter surface 118a and the rear surface 314 of the dirt compartment 116. The portion 316 of the blocking surface 118b is, for example, a non-horizontal surface that prevents the airflow 110 from entering the dead zone 318 below the portion 316 of the blocking surface 118b. As a result, any debris 104 that has entered dead zone 318 is separated from airflow 110. The dust 104 that has entered the dead zone 318 is, for example, dust 104 that is too large to pass through the filter surface 118a. Some of this dust 104 is stored in the dust compartment 116, but in some cases, the dust 104 continues to recirculate in the dust compartment 116 during the cleaning operation while the air flow 110 is generated. The blocking surface 118b and the resulting dead zone 318 can prevent the dust 104 from interfering with the air flow 110 passing through the filter surface 118a.

  The air channel 120 receives the airflow 110 that has passed through the filter surface 118a from the dirt compartment 116, for example, after the filter surface 118a has separated some of the dirt 104 from the airflow 110. The air channel 120 is located above the dirt compartment 116 and is defined by the top surface 118 of the dirt compartment 116, the inner surface of the top side 308 of the cleaning bin 100, and the lateral sides 302a, 302b of the cleaning bin 100. The bottom surface of the air channel 120 corresponds, for example, to the top surface 118 of the dirt compartment 116. In some cases, the air channels 120 extend substantially the entire length of the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100, for example, 95% to 100% of the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100. The air channel 120 has, for example, a substantially triangular shape or a trapezoidal shape. In particular, the vertical cross section of the air channel 120 has a substantially triangular shape. The bottom surface of the air channel 120 forms an angle of 5 ° to 45 ° with the upper surface of the air channel 120, for example, 5 ° to 25 °, 15 ° to 35 °, and 25 ° to 45 °. The bottom surface of the air channel 120 is inclined downward toward the dust separating cone 122.

  Referring also to FIG. 4A, the cleaning bin 100 includes a housing 322, a vortex finder 324, and a debris separator 320 that includes a debris separation cone 122. Housing 322 defines an inlet duct 326 to receive airflow 110 from air channel 120. In some examples, the bottom surface of inlet duct 326 is parallel to the bottom surface of air channel 120. The inlet duct 326 is pneumatically connected to the air channel 120 and to the internal volume 328 of the trash separator 320 shown in FIG. 4B. The internal volume 328 of the dust separator 320 includes a housing 322 and an upper inner tube 328 a defined by a vortex finder 324. The internal volume 328 further includes a lower inner tube 328b defined by the dirt separation cone 122. The internal volume 328 is a continuous internal volume formed by the upper inner pipe 328a and the lower inner pipe 328b.

  In some examples, as shown in FIG. 4C, the overall height H2 of the dust separator 320 is 40 mm-80 mm, such as 40 mm-60 mm, 50 mm-70 mm, 60 mm-80 mm. The total height H2 of the dust separator 320 is, for example, 50% to 90% of the total height of the cleaning bin 100, for example, 50% to 60%, 60% to 70% of the total height of the cleaning bin 100, 70% to 80%, 80% to 90% and the like.

In some instances, the minimum cross-sectional area of the inlet duct 326 ^is a 50 mm 2 to 300 mm ² or more, and the like for example ^{50mm 2 ~200mm 2, 200mm 2 ~300mm} 2, or more. In a further example, the minimum height H3 of the inlet duct 326 is 10 mm to 25 mm, such as 10 mm to 20 mm, 15 mm to 25 mm. In some cases, the minimum height H3 of the inlet duct 326 is expressed as a percentage of the overall height H2 of the waste separator 320. The minimum height H3 is, for example, 15% to 40% of the total height H2 of the dust separator 320, and is, for example, 15% to 30%, 20% to 35%, 25% to 40% of the total height H2. is there.

  The inlet duct 326 is pneumatically connected to the upper inner tube 328a defined by the housing 322. The housing 322 is fixed to the dust separating cone 122 and the vortex finder 324. The housing 322 receives the vortex finder 324 such that the outlet duct 334 of the vortex finder 324 extends through the upper inner tube 328a. As shown in FIG. 4C, in some examples, the housing 322 has a cylindrical shape and the upper inner tube 328a also has a cylindrical shape. In some examples, the housing 322 has a height H4 of 10 mm to 30 mm, such as 10 mm to 20 mm, 15 mm to 25 mm, 20 mm to 30 mm.

  As shown in FIGS. 3C and 4A, the inlet duct 326 of the dust separator 320 has a first blade 330 that is tangential to the surface of the upper inner pipe 328 a and a second blade that forms an angle with the first blade 330. And a wing 332. In some cases, the height H4 is expressed as a percentage of the total height H2 of the dust separator 320. The height H4 is, for example, 15% to 40% of the total height H2 of the dust separator 320, and is, for example, 15% to 30%, 20% to 35%, 25% to 40% of the total height H2. . In some examples, the height H4 of the housing 322 is substantially equal to the minimum height H3 of the inlet duct 326. In some implementations, the height of the upper inner tube 328a is equal to the height of the housing 322 minus the wall thickness of the vortex finder 324. In some examples, the diameter D1 of the upper inner tube 328a is 20 mm to 40 mm, such as 20 mm to 30 mm, 25 mm to 35 mm, 30 mm to 40 mm. The height of the upper inner pipe 328a is, for example, 0.5 mm to 2 mm smaller than the height H4 of the housing 322.

  The second blade 332 and the first blade 330 form, for example, an angle of 10 ° to 40 °, and form an angle of, for example, 10 ° to 20 °, 20 ° to 30 °, 30 ° to 40 °. In some implementations, the minimum width W2 of the inlet duct 326 is 5 mm to 20 mm, such as 5 mm to 15 mm, 10 mm to 20 mm. The minimum width W2 is, for example, 5% to 15% of the width of the inlet 114 of the cleaning bin 100, and is, for example, 5% to 10%, 10% to 15% of the width of the inlet 114. The diameter D2 is, for example, 70% to 95% of the diameter D1, and is, for example, 70% to 85%, 75% to 90%, 80% to 95% of the diameter D1. Such a size may minimize abrupt reduction of the area of airflow 110 flowing between inlet 114 and outlet 126, thus reducing the overall force drawn by vacuum assembly 108.

  The upper inner pipe 328a is pneumatically connected to the lower inner pipe 328b defined by the dust separating cone 122. The dust separating cone 122 defines an upper opening 346 of the lower inner tube 328b and a lower opening 348 of the lower inner tube 328b. The upper opening 346 pneumatically connects the lower inner pipe 328b to the upper inner pipe 328a. The lower opening 348 connects the lower inner tube 328b to the particulate compartment 128, which allows the particulate compartment 128 to receive the debris 104 from the debris separator 320, as described herein.

  The dust separating cone 122 has a truncated cone shape. In this regard, the lower inner tube 328b also has a frustoconical shape. The height H5 of the dust separating cone 122 and the upper inner tube 328a is 30 mm to 60 mm, for example, 30 mm to 40 mm, 40 mm to 50 mm, 50 mm to 60 mm. In some cases, the height H5 is expressed as a percentage of the total height H2 of the dust separator 320. The height H5 is, for example, 60% to 90% of the total height H2 of the dust separator 320, and is, for example, 60% to 80%, 65% to 85%, 70% to 90% of the total height H2. .

  Returning to FIG. 4B, since the dust separating cone 122 and the lower inner pipe 328b have a truncated cone shape, the dust separating cone 122 and the lower inner pipe 328b can be defined by the angle A1 with respect to the central axis 336 of the truncated cone shape. The central axis 336 of the lower inner tube 328b corresponds to the central axis of a frusto-conical shape, eg, the central axis of the dirt separation cone 122 defined by the lower inner tube 328b. The angle A1 corresponds to the angle between the tilt and the central axis 336 of the dust separating cone 122. The angle A1 is, for example, 7.5 ° to 20 °, for example, 7.5 ° to 15 °, 10 ° to 17.5 °, and 12.5 ° to 20 °.

  In some examples, the diameter D2 of the lower opening 348 of the lower inner tube 328b is 5 mm to 20 mm, such as 5 mm to 10 mm, 10 mm to 15 mm, 15 mm to 20 mm. The diameter of the upper opening 346 of the lower inner pipe 328b is, for example, equal to the diameter D1 of the upper inner pipe 328a. The diameter D2 is, for example, 10% to 50% of the diameter D1, and is, for example, 10% to 30%, 20% to 40%, 30% to 50% of the diameter D1.

  Referring to FIGS. 3B and 4B, in some examples the debris separator 320 and debris separation cone 122 are tilted within the cleaning bin 100. In some implementations, the angle A2 formed by the vertical axis 349 passing through the cleaning bin 100 and the central axis 336 of the dust separating cone 122 is 0 ° to 45 °, for example 0 ° to 10 °, 5 ° to 25 °. °, 10 ° to 40 °, 15 ° to 45 ° and the like. The vertical axis 349 is, for example, perpendicular to the floor surface 106. In some cases, the vertical axis 349 is parallel to the anterior surface 304 and / or the posterior surface 306.

  In some examples, central axis 336 is substantially perpendicular to top surface 118 of dirt compartment 116 and / or bottom surface of air channel 120. The central axis and the bottom surface of the air channel 120 form an angle of, for example, 85 ° to 95 °, such as 87 ° to 93 °, 89 ° to 91 °. Since the dust separating cone 122 is tilted with respect to the vertical axis 349, increasing the depth of the dust separating cone 122 without having to increase the height H1 of the cleaning bin 100 to accommodate the dust separating cone 122. You can As a result, the cleaning bin 100 can effectively form the cyclone 121 for separating the dust 104, while maintaining the compact height H1.

  Vortex finder 324 includes an outlet duct 334 through which airflow 110 exits interior volume 328 of dust separator 320. The outlet duct 334 pneumatically connects the lower inner tube 328b to the outlet channel 340 in front of the filter 124. The upper inner pipe 328a is pneumatically connected to the lower inner pipe 328b, and the lower inner pipe 328b is pneumatically connected to the outlet duct 334. The lower opening 342 of the outlet duct 334 is located in the lower inner pipe 328b. In this regard, the outlet duct 334 extends through the upper inner tube 328a and terminates in the lower inner tube 328b. Due to the tilting of the dust separator 320 and the dust separation cone 122, the restrictions on the airflow 110 going out of the outlet duct 334 may be reduced. In particular, if the outlet duct 334 is arranged in such a direction that the dust separator 320 is tilted so that the air flow is discharged vertically from the dust separator 320, this may occur. The restrictions imposed on are reduced.

  In some examples, the outlet duct 334 tapers toward the lower inner tube 328b. As shown in FIG. 4B, the inner wall surface of the outlet duct 334 and the central shaft 336 of the lower inner pipe 328b form an angle A3 of 5 ° to 30 °, for example, 5 ° to 20 °, 10 ° to 25 °. , And an angle A3 such as 15 ° to 30 °. In some cases, the outer wall surface of the outlet duct 334 and the inner wall surface of the outlet duct 334 make an angle A3 with the central axis 336. The lower opening 342 of the outlet duct 334 has a diameter D3 of 10 mm to 30 mm, and the diameter D3 is, for example, 10 mm to 20 mm, 20 mm to 30 mm. The diameter D3 is, for example, 25% to 75% of the diameter D1, and is, for example, 25% to 50%, 40% to 60%, 50% to 75% of the diameter D1. The upper opening 344 of the outlet duct 334 has a diameter larger than the diameter D3 of the lower opening 342, which diameter is, for example, 0.5 mm to 5 mm larger than the diameter of the lower opening 342. The taper of the outlet duct 334 may increase the depth of the cyclone 121 formed in the lower inner pipe 328b. Particularly, during the cleaning operation, the deepest point of the cyclone 121 may extend further downward toward the lower opening 348 of the lower inner pipe 328b. The taper of the outlet duct 334 may increase the passage of air exiting the outlet duct 334, thus reducing constriction to the airflow 110. In this regard, the taper of the outlet duct 334 may reduce power consumption by the vacuum assembly 108.

  In some examples, the length L2 of the outlet duct 334 is long enough that the lower opening 342 of the outlet duct 334 is located within the lower inner tube 328b. The length L2 is, for example, 10.5 mm to 30.5 mm, and is, for example, 11 mm to 26 mm, 16 mm to 30 mm, or the like. The length L2 is, for example, 0.5 mm to 5 mm smaller than the height H4 of the housing 322.

  Referring to FIG. 3B, the particulate compartment 128 is located below the dust separator 320. The particulate compartment 128 is defined by the bottom side 310 of the cleaning bin 100, the lateral sides 302a, 302b of the cleaning bin 100, the wall 350 of the particulate compartment 128, and the separating wall 352 between the particulate compartment 128 and the dirt compartment 116. . The wall 350 defines the top surface of the particulate compartment 128. The particulate compartment 128 has a substantially triangular shape or a substantially trapezoidal shape. In this regard, the wall 350 is angled to the bottom side 310 of the cleaning bin 100. The wall 350 forms, for example, an angle with the bottom side 310 of the cleaning bin 100 that is similar to the angle between the bottom surface of the air channel 120 and the top side 308 of the cleaning bin 100.

  Separation wall 352 blocks the air flow between dust compartment 116 and particulate compartment 128 and thus also prevents dust 104 from moving between compartments 116, 128. The larger size debris is separated by the filter surface 118a and accumulates in the debris compartment 116, so that the particulate compartment 128 receives smaller size debris (eg, particulates). The dust compartment 128 stores less dust 104 than the dust compartment 116. In this regard, the volume of the particulate compartment 128 is 1% to 10% of the volume of the dust compartment 116, for example 1% to 5%, 4% to 8%, 5% to 10% of the volume of the dust compartment 116. is there. The volume of the dust compartment 116 is, for example, 600 mL to 1000 mL, and is, for example, 600 mL to 800 mL, 700 mL to 900 mL, 750 mL to 850 mL, 800 mL to 1000 mL, or the like. The volume of the fine particle compartment is, for example, 20 mL to 100 mL, and is, for example, 20 mL to 50 mL, 30 mL to 70 mL, 40 mL to 60 mL, 45 mL to 55 mL, 60 mL to 100 mL.

  The outlet channel 340 in front of the filter 124 is defined by the top side 308 of the cleaning bin 100, the side sides 302a, 302b of the cleaning bin 100, the debris separator 320, the filter 124, and the wall 350 of the particulate compartment 128. The filter 124 is located on the rear side 306 of the cleaning bin 100 at the outlet 126 of the cleaning bin 100. In some cases, the filter 124 is removably attached to the back side 306 of the cleaning bin 100. The filter 124 allows the airflow 110 to pass through the outlet 126 of the cleaning bin 100 towards the vacuum assembly 108 of the robot 102. In some examples, filter 124 is a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. In some cases, the filter 124 is removable, replaceable, disposable, and / or washable.

  In some cases, the outlet 126 extends across the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100. In addition, the filter 124 extends across the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100 and the outlet channel 340 extends across the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100. The outlet 126 extends, for example, over 90% to 100% of the length of the inner width W1. When the outlet 126 extends over the entire inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100, the rear surface 306 of the cleaning bin 100 corresponds to the outlet 126.

  Although a single trash separator 320 has been described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3C, in some examples the trash separator 320 is one of several trash separator sets 320a-320f. is there. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3C, the dust separators 320 and 320a are one of the six dust separators 320a to 320f. In some implementations, there are less or more debris separators 320a-320f present in the cleaning bin 100, such as 1-5 or 7 or more. In some implementations, the cleaning bin 100 includes 2 to 16 trash separators, such as 2 to 4 trash separators, 4 to 8 trash separators, 4 to 12 trash separators. Trash separator, 4 to 16 trash separators, and the like. In some cases, the debris separators 320a-320f are aligned. The dust separators 320a to 320f are arranged along a horizontal axis 356 that passes through the cleaning bin 100. The horizontal axis 356 is parallel to the front side surface 304 of the cleaning bin 100. The dust separator sets 320a to 320f are arranged over the inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100. The dust separators 320a to 320f are spread over the entire inner width W1 of the cleaning bin 100, for example. The dust separators 320a to 320f are arranged so that the airflow 110 is directed in the same direction toward the dust separators 320a to 320f. In particular, each portion of the airflow 110 received by the dust separators 320a-320f is directed rearward toward the rear side surface 306 of the cleaning bin 100. Similarly, each part of the air flow 110 exhausted from the dust separators 320 a to 320 f is directed to the rear side surface 306 of the cleaning bin 100.

  Dust separators 320a-320f each include structures and conduits similar to those described for dust separator 320 (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C). The inlet ducts 326a-326f of the dust separators 320a-320f are each pneumatically connected to the air channel 120 to receive a portion of the airflow 110. The inlet ducts 326a to 326f direct the airflow 110 entering the dust separators 320a to 320f toward the rear side 306 of the cleaning bin 100 (eg, along a plurality of parallel axes toward the rear side 306 of the cleaning bin 100). Orient it in the same direction. The inlet ducts 326a-326f direct air into the dust separators 320a-320f in a manner that reduces the overall power increase that the vacuum assembly 108 may require to draw air into the dust separators 320a-320f. It can have such a shape. In particular, the flow path through the inlet ducts 326a-326f may be shaped to reduce the constriction of air along the flow path. In this regard, although the combined width of the inlet ducts 326a-326f may be less than the width of the air channel 120, the shape of the inlet ducts 326a-326f provides a flow path for the airflow 110 in the inlet ducts 326a-326f. The power increase that can occur due to the narrowing can be reduced.

  The outlet ducts 334a-334f of the dust separators 320a-320f are pneumatically connected to the outlet channels 340, respectively. The outlet ducts 334a to 334f move the airflow 110 from the dust separators 320a to 320f rearward toward the rear side surface 306 of the cleaning bin 100 and upward toward the upper side surface 308 of the cleaning bin 100 (for example, the cleaning bin 100). 100 towards the rear side 306 of the cleaning bin 100 and toward the rear side 306 of the cleaning bin 100 in the same direction (along a plurality of parallel upward axes).

  The longitudinal axes of the dust separators 320a to 320f are parallel to each other. In some cases, each longitudinal axis of the dust separators 320a-320f (eg, the central axis of the dust separation cone of the dust separators 320a-320f) is coplanar. Each longitudinal axis is angled away from the inlet 114 of the cleaning bin 100 such that the upper opening of the dust separator cones of the dust separators 320a-320f are tilted away from the inlet 114. The lower openings of the dust separation cones of the dust separators 320a-320f are each connected to the particulate compartment 128 so as to deposit a small amount of dust separated from the air stream 110 in the particulate compartment 128.

  In some cases, the dust separators 320a, 320c, 320e are clocked by the inlet ducts 326a, 326c, 326e in the inner tube of the dust separators 320a, 320c, 320e (from the perspective shown in FIG. 3C). It is different from the dust separators 320b, 320d, and 320f in that it is positioned so as to surround it. In contrast, the inlet ducts 326b, 326d, 326f are positioned so that the direction of the air flow 110 is counterclockwise (from the perspective shown in FIG. 3C) within the inner tubes of the dust separators 320b, 320d, 320f. In some cases, the debris separators 320a-320f are arranged in pairs such that any inlet duct 326a-326f is adjacent to one of the other inlet ducts 326a-326f. In this regard, the air channel 120 need not include a separate conduit for each of the inlet ducts 326a-326f. Rather, as shown in FIG. 3C, the air channel 120 includes three separate conduits 354a-354c for guiding the airflow 110 from the air channel 120 to the inlet ducts 326a-326f. In some cases, the clockwise debris separators 320a, 320c, 320e are respectively (i) a counterclockwise debris separator 320b, 320d, 320f and another counterclockwise debris separator 320b, 320d, 320f. Or (ii) between the counterclockwise dust separators 320b, 320d, 320f and one of the lateral sides 302a, 302b of the cleaning bin 100. In addition, the counterclockwise dust separators 320b, 320d, 320f are respectively (i) between the clockwise dust separators 320a, 320c, 320e and the other clockwise dust separators 320a, 320c, 320e. Or (ii) between the clockwise dust separators 320a, 320c, 320e and one of the lateral sides 302a, 302b.

  With reference to FIG. 5A, the outlet 126 is configured to be connected to the housing 500 of the vacuum assembly 108 of the robot 102 such that the debris-laden airflow 110 is directed from the inlet 114 to the outlet 126. The housing 500 and outlet 126 form a sealing engagement when connected to ensure that the air flow 110 generated by the vacuum assembly 108 travels through the cleaning bin 100. Referring again to FIG. 1, during the cleaning operation, the vacuum assembly 108 operates to draw air from near the cleaning rollers 212a, 212b through the cleaning bin 100 and toward the vacuum assembly 108, forming an airflow 110.

  An air stream 110 containing debris 104 is directed through the plenum 112 of the robot 102 and then into the cleaning bin 100 through an inlet 114 of the cleaning bin 100. In particular, the airflow 110 is directed into the waste compartment 116. In some implementations, the inlet 114 directs the airflow 110 entering the debris compartment 116 such that the debris 104 contained therein is toward the upper surface 118 of the debris compartment 116.

  The dust 104 that is too large to pass through the filter surface 118a remains in the dust compartment 116. The filter surface 118a acts as a dirt separation stage that ensures the separated dirt is retained within the dirt compartment 116. A portion 104a of the dust 104 that is too large to pass through the filter surface 118a contacts the filter surface 118a. A portion 104 a of this dust 104 is moved toward the rear of the dust compartment 116 by the air flow 110 and the downward inclination of the upper surface 118 of the dust compartment 116 with respect to the upper side surface 308 of the cleaning bin 100. In addition, as the airflow 110 is tangential along the filter surface 118a as it travels through the air channel 120, the airflow 110 strips off a portion 104a of the debris 104 that accumulates along the filter surface 118a. take. In some implementations, the air flow 110 moves the accumulated debris 104 along the filter surface 118a toward the blocking surface 118b. When the dust 104 reaches the block surface 118b, the dust 104 is separated from the filter surface 118a and thus separated from the air flow 110. After that, the dust 104 falls into the dust section 116. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the dust 104 from blocking the filter surface 118a and obstructing the air flow 110 passing through the filter surface 118a when the dust 104 is peeled off. Then, the part 104a of the dust 104 goes to the dead zone 318 of the dust compartment 116, so that it is separated from the filter surface 118a and falls in the dust compartment 116 (for example, by gravity). The dust compartment 116 stores the separated portion 104a of the dust 104 during the cleaning operation.

  In some cases, the portion 104a of the dust 104 stored in the dust compartment 116 corresponds to the dust separated from the air flow 110 during the multiple stages. Alternatively or additionally, the debris compartment 116 acts as a debris separation stage in which debris 104, which is too heavy to ride on the air stream 110, falls by gravity to the bottom of the debris compartment 116. In some examples, the filter surface 118a functions as another debris separation stage as described herein. The debris compartment 116 receives debris 104 separated from the air stream 110 during both of these debris separation stages.

  The portion 104a of the debris 104 separated from the air flow 110 is different than the portion 104b separated from the air flow 110 through the cyclone 121 as described herein. In particular, a part 104a of the dust 104 is separated through a part 110a of the air flow 110 that does not form a cyclone. A portion 110a of the airflow 110 traveling through the dirt compartment 116 travels, for example, along a loop that extends over the top surface 118, along the rear surface of the dirt compartment 116, along the bottom surface of the dirt compartment 116, and the garbage compartment 116. Along the front surface of the car and pass through the top surface 118. In some examples, some of the portion 110a of the air flow 110 travels directly from the inlet 114 through the dirt compartment 116 and through the top surface 118 of the dirt compartment 116. A part 110a of the air flow 110 does not form a cyclone. In this regard, the debris compartment 116 separates the portion 104a from the airflow 110 in the absence of cyclones.

  After the air flow 110 passes through the dust compartment 116, the air flow 110 goes out of the dust compartment 116 through the filter surface 118a. The airflow 110 is then directed through the air channels 120, which directs the airflow 110 to the dust separators 320a-320f. The airflow 110 forms a cyclone (for example, cyclone 121) in each dust separator 320a-320f. FIG. 5A shows a single dust separator 320 in which the cyclone 121 is formed. The dust separator 320 receives a part 110b of the airflow 110 and forms a cyclone 121 in the part 110b of the airflow 110. In particular, a portion 110b of the air flow 110 rotates around the internal volume 328 of the dust separator 320. As the portion 110b of the airflow 110 continues to rotate around the interior volume 328, the diameter of the path taken by the portion 110b of the airflow 110 decreases. This path includes, for example, a plurality of generally circular loops that decrease in diameter toward the bottom of the interior volume 328. In this regard, a portion 110b of the air flow 110 forms a cyclone 121. Although a single cyclone 121 is illustrated, each of the debris separators 320a-320f receives a different portion of the airflow 110 and is formed in the corresponding portion of the airflow 110 by another debris separator 320a-320f. Form a cyclone different from the cyclone.

  The dust separators 320a-320f serve as another dust separation stage that separates a portion 104b of the dust 104 and deposits the portion 104b in the particulate compartment 128. Since the filter surface 118a separates a part 104a of the dust 104 from the airflow 110 before the airflow 110 reaches the dust separators 320a to 320f, the dust 104 reaching the airflow 110 may tend to be smaller. The filter surface 118a can also separate fibrous or filamentous debris from the air flow 110. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that large dust particles or filamentous dust particles cannot get out of the relatively small spaces in the dust separators 320a to 320f. In some implementations, the airflow 110 is directed into the interior volume 328 through the inlet duct 326 of the dust separator 320, as described for the dust separator 320 of FIGS. 4A-4C. In particular, the airflow 110 is directed into the upper inner tube 328a. In some cases, the debris 104 contained in the airflow 110 going into the upper inner tube 328a strikes the outer surface of the vortex finder 324 as it enters the upper inner tube 328a. As a result, the debris 104 slows down and begins to fall downward toward the lower inner pipe 328b.

  In addition, since the upper inner pipe 328a is pneumatically connected to the lower inner pipe 328b, the air flow 110 including the dust 104 also goes from the upper inner pipe 328a to the lower inner pipe 328b. As the airflow 110 travels through the interior volume 328, the airflow 110 forms a cyclone 121. Vortex finder 324 facilitates formation of cyclone 121 as airflow travels through upper inner tube 328a. The conical shape of the lower inner tube 328b further facilitates formation of a cyclone 121 as the airflow 110 flows through the lower inner tube 328b. The cyclone 121 extends at least through a portion of the lower inner pipe 328b.

  The vacuum assembly 108 tends to draw the air stream 110 through the outlet duct 334 at the top of the debris separator 320, which applies a vacuum suction force in a direction opposite to the downward flow direction of the cyclone 121. In some implementations, this vacuum suction creates a decompression zone towards the center of the dust separator 320, which causes the air stream 110 to move rapidly around the decompression zone in the form of a cyclone 121. become. The dust 104 included in the airflow 110 contacts the wall portion of the lower inner pipe 328b, whereby the dust 104 is decelerated with respect to the airflow 110 and moves downward along the slope of the wall portion of the lower inner pipe 328b. . Friction between the debris 104 and the wall can further reduce the speed of the debris 104. Gravity causes the debris 104 to experience a downward force towards the particulate compartment 128. In this regard, a part 104 b of the dust 104 is separated from the air flow 110 by the cyclone 121 formed in the dust separator 320. The lower opening 348 is positioned with respect to the particulate compartment 128 such that the particulate compartment 128 receives debris 104 traveling through the lower inner tube 328b. The dust 104 separated from the air flow 110 is subjected to a force from gravity so as to pass through the lower inner pipe 328b toward the lower opening 348 and enter the particle section 128.

  Although the dust separator 320 has been described, this flow dynamics is applicable to each of the dust separators 320a-320f. In particular, each of the dust separators 320a-320f receives a portion of the air flow 110 so as to form a cyclone in each inner tube. Each of the dust separators 320a to 320f separates a part of the sucked dust 104 from the air flow 110, and deposits the separated dust in the fine particle section 128.

  The airflow 110 follows the cyclone formed by the dust separators 320a to 320f, and is drawn out through the outlet ducts of the dust separators 320a to 320f. Since the envelope of the cleaning bin 100 is short (for example, the height H1 is short), the dust separators 320a to 320f have a small constriction for a part of the air flow 110 exiting from the dust separators 320a to 320f through the outlet duct. Is tilted to. Portions of the air flow 110 from the dust separators 320a-320f mix again at the outlet channels 340. The mixed airflow 110 is drawn through the outlet channel 340, which directs the airflow 110 through the outlet 126 and the filter 124. The filter 124 acts as an additional debris separation stage for the cleaning bin 100. The filter 124 separates the dust 104 larger than a predetermined size (for example, the dust 104 having a width larger than about 0.1 μm to about 0.5 μm) from the air flow 110. In some cases, vacuum assembly 108 then exhausts airflow 110 through vent 213 to the environment surrounding robot 102. In another example, the air flow 110 is exhausted to the cleaning head to stir the debris on the floor 106 more strongly.

  In this regard, in one implementation, the cleaning bin 100 facilitates separation of debris 104 in four different stages. The separation of dust 104 from the air flow 110, which is promoted by gravity, is the first separation stage. Separation of debris 104 from airflow 110 facilitated by filter surface 118a is the second separation stage. Separation of the dust 104 from the air flow 110 facilitated by the dust separation cone 122 is the third separation stage. Separation of debris 104 from airflow 110 facilitated by filter 124 is the fourth separation stage.

  The dust 104 remaining in the dust compartment 116 after the cleaning operation corresponds to the first portion 104a of the dust 104 accumulated in the cleaning bin 100. The second portion 104b of the dust 104 is deposited in the particulate compartment 128, and the third portion 104c of the dust 104 is deposited on the filter 124 at the outlet 126 of the cleaning bin 100. The airflow 110 then passes through the inlet 114 of the cleaning bin 100, through the debris compartment 116, through the top surface 118 of the debris compartment 116 and into the air channel 120, through the debris separation cone 122, and then the outlet of the cleaning bin 100. At 126, it is directed through the filter 124. The dust 104 in the dust compartment 116 generally includes large dust (eg, dust having a width of 100 μm to 500 μm or more), and the dust 104 in the particulate compartment 128 includes dust having a width of 100 μm to 500 μm or less.

  In some implementations, the cleaning bin 100 is removably mounted on the body 200 of the robot 102 and is removed from the robot 102 after a cleaning operation. Referring specifically to FIG. 5B, the cleaning bin 100 is disconnected from the housing 500 of the vacuum assembly 108 to allow the debris 104 stored in the cleaning bin 100 to be removed. The vacuum assembly 108 is, for example, part of the robot 102. In some cases, the housing and vacuum assembly 108 is attached to the cleaning bin 100, and the cleaning bin 100, the vacuum assembly 108, and the housing 500 are removed as a unit to allow the debris 104 to be removed from the cleaning bin 100. In some cases, debris is removed from the cleaning bin 100 while the cleaning bin 100 remains mounted on the body 200 of the robot 102. The bottom side 310 of the cleaning bin 100 includes a door 502 that defines the bottom of the dirt compartment 116 and the bottom of the particulate compartment 128. Opening the door 502 allows the debris 104 in both the debris compartment 116 and the particulate compartment 128 to be removed from the cleaning bin 100 (eg, from the door 502). The door 502 is rotatably attached to the cleaning bin 100. The user manually rotates the door 502 from each compartment 116, 128 so that the garbage 104 can be ejected from each compartment 116, 128. Alternatively, the door 502 may be slidably mounted to the cleaning bin 100, or otherwise mounted such that the door 502 can be manually opened to allow removal of debris 104 in both the debris compartment 116 and the particulate compartment 128.

  In some cases, in addition to ejecting the contents of the dirt compartment 116 and the particulate compartment 128, the user removes the cleaning bin 100 from the robot 102 and then removes the filter 124 from the cleaning bin 100. The user then cleans the filter 124 and repositions the filter 124 in the cleaning bin 100. In some cases, the user discards the filter 124 and repositions the new filter in the cleaning bin 100. In some cases, the filter surface 118a is removed and cleaned and repositioned, or the filter surface 118a is discarded and replaced with a new filter surface.

  In some implementations, after the cleaning operation, the robot 102 is docked at an evacuation station 600 (shown schematically in FIG. 6) that includes a vacuum assembly. The discharging station 600 executes a discharging operation. In the evacuation operation, the vacuum assembly operates to generate an air flow 602 through the cleaning bin 100 to the evacuation station 600. FIG. 6 shows the vacuum assembly 108 of the robot 102 in the present context, but for simplicity the other components of the robot 102 are not shown. Further, the discharge station 600 is schematically illustrated. An example of an ejection station to which the robot 102 can be docked is described in US Pat. No. 9,462,920 issued Oct. 11, 2016, entitled "Evacuation Station", which is incorporated herein in its entirety. ing.

  During the discharging operation, the air flow 602 causes the dust 104 in the cleaning bin 100 toward the discharging station 600. The evacuation station 600 forms a seal with the cleaning rollers 212a, 212b, for example, so that the vacuum assembly of the evacuation station 600 creates airflow 602 shown in FIG. 6 by drawing air through the vent 213 of the robot 102 during operation. . Airflow 602 carries dust 104 contained within dust compartment 116 and particulate compartment 128 to discharge station 600. In this regard, the user does not have to manually remove the dust 104 from the cleaning bin 100.

  FIG. 7 is a cutaway perspective view of the dust compartment 116 with the lateral side surface 302b and the front side surface 304 of the cleaning bin 100 removed so that the interior of the dust compartment 116 can be seen. To allow air to be drawn by the vacuum assembly of the evacuation station 600, the cleaning bin 100 includes an evacuation port 700 configured to connect to the vacuum assembly of the evacuation station 600. The evacuation station 600 vacuum assembly is operable to direct the air flow 602 from the outlet 126 of the cleaning bin 100 to the evacuation port 700. Airflow 602 travels from the ambient environment through vent 213, through outlet 126, through outlet channel 340, and toward waste separators 320a-320f. A portion 602a of the air flow 602 from the dust separators 320a-320f passes through the air channel 120 and then through the upper surface 118 of the dust compartment 116 toward the dust compartment 116. In some cases, a portion 602a of the airflow 110 carries debris within the debris compartment 116 at the filter surface 118a to the exhaust port 700, thereby reducing debris build-up that may impede airflow through the filter surface 118a. Another portion 602b of the air flow 602 from the dust separators 320a-320f passes through the particulate compartment 128 and then through the separation wall 352 to the dust compartment 116, as described herein. Portion 602b of airflow 602 carries a portion 104b of debris 104 in particulate compartment 128 to exhaust port 700. The portions 602a, 602b, after remixing in the garbage compartment 116, pass through the discharge port 700 to the discharge station 600.

  Separation wall 352 includes an open area 704a, an open area 704b, and an open area 704c between dust compartment 116 and particulate compartment 128 to allow emptying of particulate compartment 128 by evacuation station 600. The open areas 704a, 704b, 704c are pneumatically connected to the dust compartment 116 and the particulate compartment 128. As illustrated in FIG. 7, open areas 704a correspond to the discontinuous sets of open areas between particulate compartment 128 and dust compartment 116. In other cases, the open areas 704a, 704b, 704c are each a single continuous open area that is discontinuous with the other open areas 704a, 704b, 704c. In another implementation, there are fewer or more open areas along the separation wall 352.

  The open areas 704a, 704b, 704c are covered by openable flaps 706a, 706b, 706c. The flaps 706a, 706b, 706c are configured to open when the pressure of the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c facing the dust compartment 116 is less than the pressure of the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c facing the particulate compartment 128. In some implementations, the tops of flaps 706a, 706b, 706c are secured to (e.g., glued to) separation wall 352 and the bottoms of flaps 706a, 706b, 706c are unfastened and described above. It is possible to separate from the separating wall 352 under the pressure condition of. The flaps 706a, 706b, 706c are formed from a deformable and elastic material. The flaps 706a, 706b, 706c are responsive to high pressure on the side of the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c that faces the particulate compartment 128 to the open position. When the high pressure is released and the pressure on both sides is equalized, the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c elastically return to the closed position.

  In some cases, open areas 704a, 704b, 704c located further from exhaust port 700 are larger than open areas 704a, 704b, 704c located near exhaust port 700. For example, open area 704a is larger than open area 704b, and open area 704b is larger than open area 704c. The open area 704a is located farther from the discharge port 700 than the open area 704b, and the open area 704b is located farther from the discharge port 700 than the open area 704c. Accordingly, flap 706a is longer than flap 706b and flap 706b is longer than flap 706c. The relative size of the open areas 704a, 704b, 704c and the relative distance to the exhaust port 700 determine the relative position of the airflow 602 flowing through each of the open areas 704a, 704b, 704c. As a result, the relative size and relative distance can be selected such that a similar amount of airflow 602 flows through each of the open areas 704a, 704b, 704c. As a result, the dust 104 from the fine particle section 128 and the dust section 116 can be discharged from the discharge station 600 more uniformly. In particular, by increasing the size of the open area 704a that is farthest from the discharge port 700, the dust 104 that is farthest from the discharge port 700 in the fine particle section 128 and the dust section 116 can be removed from the cleaning bin 100 during the discharge operation. Can be more easily discharged from. The plurality of inflow points from which the airflow 602 enters the dust section 128 into the dust section 116 promotes the swirling motion of the airflow 602 mixed in the dust section 116, whereby the dust 104 is stirred and the dust 104 from the dust section 116 is stirred. The dischargeability of is improved.

  The dust and particulate compartments 128 are pneumatically connected when the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c are in the open position (shown in FIG. 6). As a result, the air flow 602 containing the dust 104 can flow between the dust compartment 116 and the particulate compartment 128. In particular, a portion 602b of the air flow 602 flows through the dust separators 320a-320f into the particulate compartment 128 and then into the dust compartment 116, which causes the discharge station 600 to discharge the dust 104 from the particulate compartment 128. Will be possible. When the evacuation station 600 performs an evacuation operation such that the vacuum assembly produces the air flow 602, the operation of the vacuum assembly reduces the pressure on the side of the dust compartment 116 of the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c, which causes the flap 706a, Deform 706b, 706c to the open position.

  When the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c are in the closed position (shown in FIG. 7), the open areas 704a, 704b, 704c are not pneumatically connected to the dust compartment 116 and the particulate compartment 128. As a result, air cannot flow directly from the particulate compartment 128 through the open areas 704a, 704b, 704c to the dirt compartment 116. When the vacuum assembly 108 of the robot 102 operates during the cleaning operation, the pressure on the side of the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c that faces the dust compartment 116 is greater than the pressure on the other side of the flaps 706a, 706b, 706c, thereby causing the flap 706a. , 706b, 706c remain in the closed position. As a result, the dust 104 accumulated in the dust section 116 and the dust 104 accumulated in the fine particle section 128 remain in each section during the cleaning operation.

  Although a number of implementations have been described, it will be appreciated that they can be variously modified. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the claims.

100 cleaning bin 102 cleaning robot 104 dust 104a first portion 104b second portion 104c third portion 106 floor surface 108 vacuum assembly 110 air flow 112 plenum 114 inlet 116 dust compartment 118 top surface 118a filter surface 118b block surface 120 air channel 121 cyclone 122 dust Separation cone 124 Filter 126 Outlet 128 Fine particle compartment 130 Front drive direction 200 Main body 202a Front part 202b Rear part 204a, 204b Side surface 206 Front side surface 208a, 208b Actuator 210a, 210b Drive wheel 211 Castor wheel 212 Controller 212a First roller 212b Second Roller 213 Vent 214 Brush 214a, 214b Actuator 216 Actuator 300 main body 302a, 302b lateral side surface 304 front side surface 306 rear side surface 308 upper side surface 310 bottom side surface 314 rear surface 316 part 318 dead zone 320, 320a to 320f dust separator 322 housing 324 vortex finder 326, 326a to 326f inlet duct 328 inside Volume 328a Upper inner pipe 328b Lower inner pipe 330 First blade 332 Second blade 334, 334a to 334f Outlet duct 336 Central shaft 340 Outlet channel 342 Lower opening 344 Upper opening 346 Upper opening 348 Lower opening 349 Vertical shaft 350 Wall portion 352 Separation Walls 354a, 354b, 354c Conduit 356 Horizontal axis 500 Housing 502 Door 600 Discharge station 602 Airflow 700 Discharge port 704a, 704b, 704c Open area 706 a, 706b, 706c flap

Claims (24)

A cleaning bin that can be mounted on an autonomous cleaning robot that can operate to receive dust from the floor,
A front side surface extending along the vertical axis;
An inlet located between the lateral sides of the cleaning bin along the front side, the lateral side defining an inner width of the cleaning bin between the lateral sides ;
A outlet configured to be connected to a vacuum generator, said vacuum generator is operable from the inlet of the cleaning bin to direct air flow to the outlet of the cleaning bottle, and an outlet ;
A trash compartment for receiving a first portion of trash separated from the air stream;
Wherein an air channel defined by the upper surface of the front Symbol dust compartment together when located on the dust compartment, the upper surface of the waste compartment, the dust compartment than in front of the rearward flat surface portion of the planar portion A flat portion inclined with respect to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis so as to be located near a bottom surface of the cleaning bin , the air channel extending over the inner width of the cleaning bin, and from the dust compartment to the dust compartment. An air channel that receives the airflow that has passed through the upper surface of;
A particulate compartment for receiving a second portion of debris separated from the air stream;
A dust separator comprising a dust separation cone having an inner tube that defines an upper opening and a lower opening, said upper opening, receiving the air flow from said air channel, the inner pipe, the air flow within said tube Tapered from the upper opening to the lower opening to form a cyclone, the longitudinal axis of the debris separating cone is such that the debris separator inlet duct is directed toward the air channel and the inlet of the cleaning bin. A dust separator that is oriented at a non-zero angle with the vertical axis so that the dust separator outlet duct is inclined toward the outlet ;
Cleaning bin equipped with.   The cleaning bin of claim 1, wherein the inlet extends over a length that is 75% to 100% of the inner width of the cleaning bin.   The cleaning bin of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the dirt compartment includes a first filter.   The cleaning bottle according to claim 3, wherein the first filter is sized to prevent dust having a width of 100 μm to 500 μm from passing through the air channel. The cleaning bin according to claim 3, wherein the non-zero angle is a first angle, and the filter surface of the first filter and the horizontal axis form a second angle of 5 ° to 45 °. Angle said non-zero, a first angle, said A the upper surface and the longitudinal axis of the dust separation cone trash compartment defines a second angle of 85 ° to 95 °, the upper surface of the waste compartment The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning bottle is inclined downward toward the dust separating cone.   The cleaning bin of claim 1, wherein the air channel extends over a length of 95% to 100% of the inner width of the cleaning bin. An exhaust port configured to be connected to another vacuum generator operable to direct an airflow from the outlet to the exhaust port;
A first flap that covers a first open area pneumatically connected to the dust compartment and the particulate compartment, wherein the pressure on the side of the first flap facing the dust compartment causes the particulate compartment of the first flap to A first flap configured to open when less than the pressure on the opposite side;
The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, further comprising: Further comprising a second flap covering a second open area between the dust compartment and the particulate compartment,
The cleaning bin according to claim 8, wherein the first opening area is larger than the second opening area, and the first flap is located farther from the discharge port than the second flap. Angle said non-zero, a first angle, the longitudinal axis of the dust separation cone, so that the upper opening of the dust separation cone is inclined in a direction away from said inlet of said cleaning bottle, and the vertical axis 5 The cleaning bin of claim 1, defining a second angle between 0 ° and 25 °. The non-zero angle is a first angle and the inner tube is a conical structure that defines a second angle of inclination of 15 ° to 40 ° with the longitudinal axis of the dirt separation cone. The cleaning bottle described in 1.   The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the upper opening of the inner tube is 20 mm to 40 mm, and the diameter of the lower opening of the inner tube is 5 mm to 20 mm. The dust separation cone is a first dust separation cone, the inner pipe is a first inner pipe, the upper opening is a first upper opening, the lower opening is a first lower opening, The cyclone is a first cyclone, the first inner tube receives a first portion of the air flow,
The cleaning bin comprises a second waste separation cone adjacent the first waste separation cone, the second waste separation cone having a second inner tube defining a second upper opening and a second lower opening, The second upper opening receives a second portion of the airflow from the air channel, and the second inner tube is configured such that the second portion of the airflow forms a second cyclone within the second inner tube . The cleaning bin according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning bottle tapers from a second upper opening to the second lower opening. The dust separation cone is one of a set of dust separation cones each having a longitudinal axis , each longitudinal axis of the set of dust separation cones includes the longitudinal axis of the dust separation cone, and the one set Of the dust separating cones are aligned, each longitudinal axis is coplanar, each longitudinal axis is such that each upper opening of the set of dust separating cones is inclined in a direction away from the inlet, The cleaning bin of claim 1, wherein the cleaning bin is angled away from the inlet.   The cleaning bin of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the dirt compartment includes a first filter and the cleaning bin further comprises a second filter located between the dirt separation cone and the outlet.   The cleaning bin of claim 1, wherein the outlet extends across the inner width of the cleaning bin. Said inlet duct, said being pneumatically connected to the air channel to the inner tube of the dust separation cone with pneumatically connected, with 5% to 15% of the minimum width of the inlet, according to claim 1 Cleaning bin. The outlet duct, Rutotomoni directing the air flow to be directed to the outlet from the inner tube of the dust separation cone, towards the inner tube of the dust separation cone are tapered, according to claim 1 Cleaning bin. Further comprising a door defining a bottom surface and a bottom surface of said particulate compartment trash compartment, the door, the second part component of waste in the first portion and the fine partition of dust in the dust compartment from the cleaning bin The cleaning bottle of claim 1, wherein the cleaning bottle is configured to be opened manually so that it can be removed.   The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, wherein the maximum height of the cleaning bottle is less than 80 mm. With the main body;
A drive operable to move the body over the floor;
A vacuum generator which is supported on the main body, and said body operable vacuum generator to generate an airflow from the floor when moving to carry the dust across the floor surface;
A cleaning bottle mounted on the main body,
An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:
The cleaning bin is
A front side surface extending along the vertical axis;
An inlet located between the lateral sides of the cleaning bin along the front side, the lateral side defining an inner width of the cleaning bin between the lateral sides ;
An outlet that is connected to the vacuum generator so that the air flow containing the dust is directed from the inlet to the outlet;
A waste compartment for receiving a first portion of the waste separated from the air stream;
An air channel located above the trash compartment and defined by a top surface of the trash compartment, wherein the top surface of the trash compartment has a bottom portion of the cleaning bin that is rearward of a flat portion as compared to front of the flat portion. A flat portion that is inclined with respect to a horizontal axis that is orthogonal to the vertical axis so that the air channel extends over the inner width of the cleaning bin, and is located from the waste compartment to the waste compartment. An air channel that receives the airflow coming through the upper surface;
A particulate compartment for receiving a second portion of the debris separated from the air stream;
So as to form a cyclone directing the second portion of the dust as well as separating the second portion of the debris from the air flow to be directed to the fine partition, configured to receive the airflow from the dust compartment A waste separator with a longitudinal axis of the waste separator cone such that the inlet duct of the waste separator faces the inlet of the cleaning bin, and A dust separator making a non-zero angle with the vertical axis such that the outlet duct is inclined towards the outlet ;
An autonomous cleaning robot.   The cleaning roller is rotatably mounted on the main body, and further includes a cleaning roller configured to move the dust toward the inlet of the cleaning bin by winding the dust, and the cleaning roller of the cleaning bin. 22. The autonomous cleaning robot of claim 21, wherein the entrance extends over 60% to 100% of the length of the cleaning roller. The cleaning bottle according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the dust section is flat. The cleaning bin of claim 1, wherein the front side surface of the cleaning bin defines a front surface of the waste compartment.

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