Removing Debris From Cleaning Robots

Abstract

A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway.

1 . A cleaning robot system comprising:
 a robot comprising:
 a robot body, 
 a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot as directed by a controller in communication with the drive system; 
 a cleaning assembly carried by the robot body; and 
 a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly; and 
   a robot maintenance station comprising:
 a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance, the station housing having an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot; 
 an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway; and 
 a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway; 
 wherein the station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot, the air mover evacuating debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway. 
   
   
   
       2 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 1 , wherein the maintenance station further comprises a locking assembly configured to secure the robot to the station housing, the station evacuation passageway being substantially sealed to the cleaning bin when the robot is received in the maintenance station for maintenance. 
   
   
       3 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 1 , wherein the collection bin and air mover are removable from the station housing as an assembly that also includes a graspable handle and forms a manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       4 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 3 , wherein the station housing fluidly connects the air mover of the manually operable vacuum cleaner to the evacuation passageway and the cleaning bin while the robot is received by the maintenance station, the air mover evacuating the cleaning head of the received robot into the collection bin of the manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       5 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 3 , wherein the station housing fluidly connects a vacuum cleaner cleaning head of the manually operable vacuum cleaner to the robot cleaning bin to evacuate the robot cleaning bin into the collection bin of the manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       6 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 1 , wherein the station housing comprises a station blower passageway spaced from the evacuation passageway and arranged to be exposed to a top portion of the received robot, the station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the blower passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot, the air mover moving air through the station blower passageway into the robot cleaning bin while drawing air through the station evacuation passageway and evacuating debris from the robot cleaning bin into the collection bin. 
   
   
       7 . A cleaning robot system comprising:
 a robot comprising:
 a chassis, 
 a drive system supporting the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot as directed by a controller in communication with the drive system; 
 a cleaning assembly carried by the chassis; and 
 a cleaning bin carried by the chassis and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly, the cleaning bin defining a service opening in a top portion of the cleaning bin for removing debris held in a debris holding area of the cleaning bin; and 
   a robot maintenance station comprising:
 a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance, the station housing defining an evacuation port arranged to be exposed to the top portion of the robot cleaning bin when the robot is received in the maintenance station for maintenance; 
 an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation port; and 
 a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation port; 
 wherein the air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the service opening and the evacuation port. 
   
   
   
       8 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the station housing defines a station blower port spaced from the evacuation port and arranged to be exposed to the top portion of the robot cleaning bin when the robot is received in the maintenance station for maintenance, the air mover moving air through the station blower port into the robot cleaning bin while drawing air through the station evacuation port and evacuating debris from the robot cleaning bin into the collection bin. 
   
   
       9 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the maintenance station further comprises a locking assembly configured to secure the robot to the station evacuation port, the station evacuation port being substantially sealed to the cleaning bin when the robot is received in the maintenance station for maintenance. 
   
   
       10 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the collection bin and air mover are removable from the station housing as an assembly that also includes a graspable handle and forms a manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       11 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 10 , wherein the station housing fluidly connects the air mover of the manually operable vacuum cleaner to the cleaning bin while the robot is received by the maintenance station, the air mover evacuating the cleaning head of the received robot into the collection bin of the manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       12 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 10 , wherein the station housing fluidly connects a vacuum cleaner cleaning head of the manually operable vacuum cleaner to the robot cleaning bin to evacuate the robot cleaning bin into the collection bin of the manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       13 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the robot further comprises an internal bin maintenance sensor that monitors the contents of the robot cleaning bin for a maintenance condition, and wherein the controller of the robot causes the robot to begin seeking the maintenance station in order to dock and evacuate the robot cleaning bin in response to the maintenance condition. 
   
   
       14 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises:
 a cleaning assembly housing; and   a driven cleaning roller rotatably coupled to the cleaning assembly housing.   
   
   
       15 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the robot cleaning bin is removable from the robot and the collection bin is removable from the maintenance station. 
   
   
       16 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a vacuuming cleaning head configured to evacuate debris from a floor into the cleaning bin. 
   
   
       17 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 7 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a sweeping cleaning head configured to agitate debris from the floor and sweep the debris into the cleaning bin. 
   
   
       18 . A cleaning robot system comprising:
 a robot comprising:
 a chassis; 
 a drive system supporting the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot as directed by a controller in communication with the drive system; 
 a driven cleaning head rotatably carried by the chassis; and 
 a cleaning bin carried by the chassis and configured to receive debris from the cleaning head during cleaning, the cleaning bin defining a service opening in a top portion of the cleaning bin for removing debris held in a debris holding area of the cleaning bin; 
   a robot maintenance station comprising:
 a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance; 
 a collection bin received by the station housing; and 
 a motorized vacuum pump housed by the station housing; 
 a hose having first and second ends, the first hose end in pneumatic communication with the vacuum pump, the second hose end receivable by the service opening of the cleaning bin; 
 wherein the vacuum pump draws air and debris through the hose received by the robot cleaning bin to deposit the debris into the debris collection bin. 
   
   
   
       19 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 18 , wherein the collection bin, vacuum pump and hose are removable from the station housing as an assembly that also includes a graspable handle and forms a manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       20 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 18 , wherein the station housing fluidly connects the hose of the manually operable vacuum cleaner to the cleaning bin while the robot is received by the maintenance station, the motorized vacuum pump evacuating the cleaning head of the received robot into the collection bin of the manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       21 . The cleaning robot system of  claim 20 , wherein the station housing fluidly connects a vacuum cleaner cleaning head of the manually operable vacuum cleaner to the robot cleaning bin to evacuate the robot cleaning bin into the collection bin of the manually operable vacuum cleaner. 
   
   
       22 . A cleaning robot comprising:
 a robot body,   a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot as directed by a controller in communication with the drive system;   a cleaning assembly carried by the robot body;   a cleaning bin carried by the chassis and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly, the cleaning bin defining a service opening in a top portion of the cleaning bin for removing debris held in a debris holding area of the cleaning bin; and   a cover disposed on the cleaning bin and configured to move between a first, closed position substantially sealing the service opening to prevent escapement therethrough of debris held in the cleaning bin and a second, open position that permits substantially vertical evacuation of debris out of the debris holding area of the cleaning bin.   
   
   
       23 . The cleaning robot of  claim 22 , wherein the cleaning bin defines a blower port spaced from the service opening on the top portion of the cleaning bin for receiving forced air into the cleaning bin while debris is evacuated out of the service opening of the cleaning bin. 
   
   
       24 . The cleaning robot of  claim 22 , wherein the robot cleaning bin is removable from the robot. 
   
   
       25 . The cleaning robot of  claim 22 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises first and second cleaning heads rotatably coupled to the robot body to rotate substantially parallel to a cleaning surface. 
   
   
       26 . The cleaning robot of  claim 25 , wherein the first cleaning head comprises a brush and the second cleaning head comprises pliable beater flaps.