US 12,239,280 B2
Brush for autonomous cleaning robot
Thomas P. Schregardus, Somerville, MA (US); and Travis James Gschrey, Billerica, MA (US)
Assigned to iRobot Corporation, Bedford, MA (US)
Filed by iRobot Corporation, Bedford, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/459,765.
Application 17/459,765 is a continuation of application No. 15/605,299, filed on May 25, 2017, granted, now 11,103,113, issued on Aug. 31, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0000325 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. A47L 9/04 (2006.01); A47L 9/00 (2006.01); A47L 9/28 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 9/0488 (2013.01) [A47L 9/009 (2013.01); A47L 9/0411 (2013.01); A47L 9/0477 (2013.01); A47L 9/2826 (2013.01); A47L 9/2852 (2013.01); A47L 2201/04 (2013.01); A47L 2201/06 (2013.01)] 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous cleaning robot comprising:
a drive configured to move the autonomous cleaning robot across a floor surface, the drive comprising a drive wheel having a central plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation, the central plane of the drive wheel located a first distance from a central axis of the autonomous cleaning robot, the central axis extending from a front of the autonomous cleaning robot to a rear of the autonomous cleaning robot;
a side brush having an axis of rotation located (i) proximate to a lateral side of the autonomous cleaning robot and (ii) a second distance from the central axis of the autonomous cleaning robot, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the first and second distances being measured perpendicular to the central plane of the drive wheel; and
a motor configured to rotate the side brush about the axis of rotation,
wherein the side brush comprises
a hub configured to engage the motor of the autonomous cleaning robot,
a plurality of arms each extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation of the side brush and each being angled relative to a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the side brush, wherein each of the arms comprises a first portion extending outwardly from the hub away from the axis of rotation and a second portion extending outwardly from the first portion away from the axis of rotation, an angle between the first portion of each of the arms and the plane is larger than an angle between the second portion of the each of the arms and the plane, and the second portion of each of the arms is angled relative to the first portion of each of the arms in a direction opposite a direction of rotation of the side brush, and
a plurality of bristle bundles, each of the bristle bundles attached to a respective one of the plurality of arms and extending outwardly from the respective one of the plurality of arms,
wherein a width of the side brush is between 15% and 30% of a width of a front portion of the autonomous cleaning robot.