ROBOTIC VACUUM CLEANER

Abstract

A robotic vacuum cleaner having a nozzle inlet arranged in a portion of a housing of the vacuum cleaner. The nozzle inlet has a frame structure forming an opening. The frame structure has a base portion extending substantially in parallel with a surface to be cleaned, the base portion extending at a first level. A leading edge portion has at least two distance members forming there between a channel to the opening. The channel has a delimiting surface extending at a second level substantially in parallel with the first level. The first level is arranged closer to the surface to be cleaned than the second level. Each distance member has a substantially triangular cross section. At least a portion of side surfaces of the distance members extend substantially perpendicularly to the base portion.

Claims

1. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; a drive arrangement being configured to drive the vacuum cleaner along a surface to be cleaned; a vacuum producing unit; a debris receptacle; and a nozzle inlet arranged in a portion of the housing facing the surface to be cleaned, the nozzle inlet comprising a frame structure having: an opening in fluid communication with the debris receptacle and the vacuum producing unit; a leading edge portion bordering on a first side of the opening; a trailing edge portion bordering on a second side of the opening, the second side being opposite the first side; a base portion extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned, the base portion extending at a first level; at least two distance members located on the leading edge portion and forming there between a channel to the opening, the channel having a delimiting surface extending at a second level substantially in parallel with the first level, the first level being arranged closer to the surface to be cleaned than the second level, wherein each distance member has a substantially triangular cross section extending substantially in parallel with the first level, the distance member extending between the first level and the second level with a top of the substantially triangular cross section facing outwardly from the opening and a base of the substantially triangular cross section extending in parallel with the opening, and wherein side surfaces of the distance member extend substantially from the top to the base of the substantially triangular cross section, at least a portion of the side surfaces extending substantially perpendicularly to the base portion.

2. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first level extends at distance less than 2 mm from the surface to be cleaned.

3. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the base portion is that part of the nozzle inlet which extends closest to the surface to be cleaned.

4. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the nozzle inlet forms part of the housing or is attached to the housing, and wherein the base portion extends closest to the surface to be cleaned of the nozzle inlet and the housing.

5. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of each of the distance members forms a smooth transition between the second level and the first level.

6. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein one of the side surfaces of a first of the at least two distance members and one thereto opposing side surface of a second of the at least two distance members form a funnel towards the opening.

7. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle inlet comprises at least one cross brace extending from at least one of the distance members to the trailing edge portion.

8. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the at least one cross brace forms part of the base portion and extends at the first level.

9. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatable elongated brush roll arranged inside the housing and extending along the nozzle inlet, the rotatable elongated brush roll comprising radially extending members extending from inside the housing at least to the first level.

10. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein a first radially extending member of the radially extending members comprises a resilient lip and a second radially extending member of the radially extending members comprises bristles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Various aspects of the invention, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the example embodiments discussed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a top view and a perspective bottom view of a robotic vacuum cleaner according to embodiments,

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a nozzle inlet of the robotic vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 2,

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a partial enlargement of the nozzle inlet shown in FIG. 3, and

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a partial enlargement of an area of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Aspects of the present invention will now be described more fully. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Well-known functions or constructions will not necessarily be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

[0024] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a top view and a perspective bottom view of a robotic vacuum cleaner 2 according to embodiments. The robotic vacuum cleaner 2 comprises a housing 4, a drive arrangement 6 configured to drive the vacuum cleaner 2 along a surface to be cleaned, a vacuum producing unit 8 (schematically illustrated), a debris receptacle 10, and a nozzle inlet 12 arranged in a portion of the housing 4 facing the surface to be cleaned.

[0025] The drive arrangement 6 ensures that the robotic vacuum cleaner is a self-propelling unit. The drive arrangement 6 comprises two wheels 18 driven by electric drive motors 20, (schematically illustrated). The drive arrangement 6 comprises non-driven supporting wheels 22. The drive arrangement 6 also comprises a control system 24 (schematically illustrated) configured to control the electric drive motors 20. The control system 24 comprises sensors 26 assisting in controlling the movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2.

[0026] The debris receptacle 10 is arranged in the housing 4. One side portion 32 of the debris receptacle 10 forms an outer surface portion of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2. Thus, the debris receptacle 10 is easily accessible and removable by a user for emptying thereof. The nozzle inlet 12 is elongated and extends in parallel with a rotation axis of the two driven wheels 18. Thus, the nozzle inlet extends across a travelling direction of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 for broad cleaning coverage.

[0027] The nozzle inlet 12 comprises a frame structure 28 forming an opening 30. The opening 30 is arranged in fluid communication with the debris receptacle 10 and the vacuum producing unit 8 is arranged in fluid communication with the opening 30. Thus, the vacuum producing unit 8 may produce a suction force at the opening 30 to transport debris from an area around the opening 30 via a debris conduit system to the debris receptacle 10.

[0028] The robotic vacuum cleaner 2 comprises a rotatable side brush 14 comprising bristles 34 extending radially to a rotation axis 16 of the rotatable side brush 14 and extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned. The bristles 34 extend to, and beyond, a lateral portion 35 of the housing 4 and over a side portion 36 of the nozzle inlet 12. The bristles 34 have been illustrated schematically in FIG. 2. In practice the bristles 34 may be considerably thinner than illustrated and the rotatable side brush 14 may be provided with a considerably larger number of bristles 34 than illustrated. The robotic vacuum cleaner 2 comprises a rotatable elongated brush roll 38 arranged inside the housing 4 and extending along the nozzle inlet 12 including the side portion 36 of the nozzle inlet 12.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates the nozzle inlet 12 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 shown in FIG. 2 in greater detail. In these embodiments, the nozzle inlet 12 is comprised in a removable lid 40 configured to be positioned in the housing of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2. In alternative embodiments, the nozzle inlet 12 may be formed directly in the housing.

[0030] As mentioned above, the nozzle inlet 12 comprises a frame structure 28 forming an opening 30. The frame structure 28 has a leading edge portion 42 and opposite thereto a trailing edge portion 44. The leading edge portion 42 and the trailing edge portion 44 border to the opening 30. The frame structure 28 comprises a base portion 46, which in use of the robotic vacuum cleaner extends substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned at a first level. The leading edge portion 42 comprises at least two distance members 48 forming there between a channel 50 to the opening 30. In these embodiments the leading edge portion 42 comprises five distance members 48, 48′. In alternative embodiments the leading edge portion may comprise less than five distance members, e.g. three or four distance members, or more than five distance members, e.g. 6-10 distance members.

[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates a partial enlargement of the nozzle inlet 12 shown in FIG. 3. The channel 50 has a delimiting surface 52 extending at a second level substantially in parallel with the first level. In use of the robotic vacuum cleaner the first level is arranged closer to the surface to be cleaned than the second level. Each distance member 48 has a substantially triangular cross section extending substantially in parallel with the first plane. Each distance member 48 extends between the first level and the second level with a top 54 of the substantially triangular cross section facing outwardly from the opening 30 and a base 56 of the substantially triangular cross section extending in parallel with the opening 30. Side surfaces 58 of the distance members 48 extend substantially from the top 54 to the base 56 of the substantially triangular cross section. At least a portion of the side surfaces 58 extend substantially perpendicularly to the base portion 46 and to the delimiting surface 52 of the channel 50.

[0032] The trailing edge portion 44 forms part of the base portion 46 and part of the side portion 36 of the nozzle inlet 12. In these embodiments the side portion 36 extends at the second level. Accordingly, at the base portion 46 the trailing edge portion 44 extends at the first level and at the side portion 36 the trailing edge portion 44 extends at the second level. In alternative embodiments the entire trailing edge portion 44 may extend at the first level.

[0033] It is clearly visible in FIGS. 3 and 4 that the delimiting surface 52 extends at a different level than the base portion 46, i.e. at the second level. Also at a lateral end 47 of the nozzle inlet 12 and at the trailing edge portion 44 of the side portion 36, the side portion 36 may extend at the second level. Alternatively, the lateral end 47 and the trailing edge portion 44 of the side portion 36 may extend at the first level. As also clearly visible in FIGS. 3 and 4, the leading edge portion 42 comprises a number of portions extending at the second level, namely delimiting surfaces 52 of channels formed between the distance members 48 as well at end portions of the opening 30 next to the outer distance members 48′.

[0034] The nozzle inlet 12 comprises at least one cross brace 62 extending from at least one of the distance members 48 to the trailing edge 44. The at least one cross brace 62 forms part of the base portion 46 and extends at the first level.

[0035] The substantially triangular cross section of two adjacent distance members 48 reduce the cross section of the channel 50 formed there between towards the opening 30. Thus, one of the side surfaces 58 of a first of the at least two distance members 48 and one thereto opposing side surface 58 of a second of the at least two distance members 48 forms a funnel towards the opening 30.

[0036] A bottom surface 60 of each of the distance members 48 forms a smooth transition between the second level and the first level.

[0037] FIG. 5 illustrates an enlargement of the encircled area V of FIG. 2 with the rotatable side brush removed for the sake of clarity. As discussed in connection with FIG. 2, the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 comprises a rotatable elongated brush roll 38 arranged inside the housing 4 and extending along the nozzle inlet 12. The rotatable elongated brush roll 38 comprises radially extending members 64′, 64″ extending from inside the housing 40 at least to the first level. In these embodiments, a first radially extending member 64′ of the radially extending members comprises a resilient lip and a second radially extending member 64″ of the radially extending members comprises bristles. Alternatively, all radially extending members 64′, 64″ may comprise resilient lips or bristles.

[0038] In use of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2, the base member 46 at the first level may extend at a distance of less than 2 mm from the surface to be cleaned. In use of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2, the base portion 46 may be that part of the nozzle inlet 12 which extends closest to the surface to be cleaned. In use of robotic vacuum cleaner 2, the nozzle inlet 12 may form part of the housing 4 or alternatively, may be attached to the housing 4, and wherein the base portion 46 may extend closest to the surface to be cleaned of the nozzle inlet 12 and the housing 4.

[0039] This invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. A person skilled in the art will realize that different features of the embodiments disclosed herein may be combined to create embodiments other than those described herein, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims. Although the invention has been described with reference to example embodiments, many different alterations, modifications and the like will become apparent for those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of various example embodiments and that the invention is defined only by the appended claims.

[0040] As used herein, the term “comprising” or “comprises” is open-ended, and includes one or more stated features, elements, steps, components or functions but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, components, functions or groups thereof.