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 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A robotic cleaning system comprising:
 a mobile robot comprising:
 a drive system configured to maneuver the mobile robot about an environment; 
 a cleaning bin located in a rear portion of the mobile robot, the cleaning bin comprising an evacuation port in a sidewall of the cleaning bin; and 
 a cleaning system comprising:
 a side brush; and 
 a roller brush; 
 wherein the cleaning system is configured to move debris from the environment to the cleaning bin; and 
 
   an evacuation station comprising:
 an evacuation port configured to interface with the evacuation port in the sidewall of the cleaning bin; 
 a first portion and a second portion, the second portion comprising a collection bin and a graspable handle, the second portion being removable from the first portion; and 
 an air mover configured to remove debris from the cleaning bin in the cleaning bin to the collection bin in the evacuation station. 
   
     
     
         17 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 16 , wherein the evacuation station comprises a controller configured to provide a bin full indicator to a user interface device. 
     
     
         18 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 16 , wherein the collection bin of the evacuation station comprises the graspable handle. 
     
     
         19 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 16 , wherein the second portion of the evacuation station comprises a first bin connector and the first portion of the evacuation station comprises a second bin connector configured to mate with the first bin connector. 
     
     
         20 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 19 , wherein the first bin connector and the second bin connector provide a flow path for debris from the cleaning bin of the mobile robot to the collection bin of the evacuation station. 
     
     
         21 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 16 , wherein the mobile robot comprises an infrared homing system configured to position the mobile robot with respect to the evacuation station. 
     
     
         22 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 21 , wherein the infrared homing system comprises an infrared receiver. 
     
     
         23 . A robotic cleaning system comprising:
 a mobile robot comprising:
 a drive system configured to maneuver the mobile robot about an environment; 
 a cleaning bin located in a rear portion of the mobile robot, the cleaning bin comprising an evacuation port in a sidewall of the cleaning bin; and 
 a cleaning system comprising:
 a side brush; and 
 a roller brush; 
 wherein the cleaning system configured to move debris from the environment to the cleaning bin; and 
 
   an evacuation station comprising:
 an evacuation port configured to interface with the evacuation port in the sidewall of the cleaning bin; 
 a first portion and a second portion removable from the first portion, the second portion comprising a collection bin; and 
 an air mover configured to remove debris from the cleaning bin in the cleaning bin to the collection bin in the evacuation station. 
   
     
     
         24 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 23 , wherein the evacuation station comprises a controller configured to provide a bin full indicator to a user interface device. 
     
     
         25 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 23 , wherein the second portion of the evacuation station comprises a graspable handle. 
     
     
         26 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 23 , wherein the collection bin of the evacuation station comprises a graspable handle. 
     
     
         27 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 23 , wherein the second portion of the evacuation station comprises a first bin connector, and the first portion of the evacuation station comprises a second bin connector configured to mate with the first bin connector. 
     
     
         28 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 27 , wherein the first bin connector and the second bin connector provide a flow path for debris from the cleaning bin of the mobile robot to the collection bin of the evacuation station. 
     
     
         29 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 23 , wherein the mobile robot comprises an infrared homing system configured to position the mobile robot with respect to the evacuation station. 
     
     
         30 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 29 , wherein the infrared homing system comprises an infrared receiver. 
     
     
         31 . A robotic cleaning system comprising:
 a mobile robot comprising:
 a drive system configured to maneuver the mobile robot about an environment; 
 a cleaning bin located in a rear portion of the mobile robot, the cleaning bin comprising an evacuation port in a sidewall of the cleaning bin; and 
 a cleaning system comprising:
 a side brush; and 
 a roller brush; 
 wherein the cleaning system configured to move debris from the environment to the cleaning bin; and 
 
   an evacuation station comprising:
 an evacuation port configured to interface with the evacuation port in the sidewall of the cleaning bin; 
 a collection bin; 
 a graspable handle connected to the collection bin; and 
 an air mover configured to remove debris from the cleaning bin in the cleaning bin to the collection bin in the evacuation station. 
   
     
     
         32 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 31 , wherein the evacuation station comprises a controller configured to provide a bin full indicator to a user interface device. 
     
     
         33 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 31 , wherein the evacuation station comprises a second portion and a first portion, and the second portion is removable from the first portion. 
     
     
         34 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 33 , wherein the second portion of the evacuation station comprises the collection bin. 
     
     
         35 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 33 , wherein the second portion of the evacuation station comprises a graspable handle. 
     
     
         36 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 33 , wherein the collection bin of the evacuation station comprises a graspable handle. 
     
     
         37 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 33 , wherein the second portion of the evacuation station comprises a first bin connector and the first portion of the evacuation station comprises a second bin connector configured to mate with the first bin connector. 
     
     
         38 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 37 , wherein the first bin connector and the second bin connector provide a flow path for debris from the cleaning bin of the mobile robot to the collection bin of the evacuation station. 
     
     
         39 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 31 , wherein the mobile robot comprises an infrared homing system configured to position the mobile robot with respect to the evacuation station. 
     
     
         40 . The robotic cleaning system of  claim 39 , wherein the infrared homing system comprises an infrared receiver.