Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0001 ] The application claims priority to and the benefit of US Utility Patent Application Serial No. 63/325444, entitled "DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A SEMI-AUTONOMOUS CLEANING DEVICE", filed on March 30, 2022, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background

[0002] The embodiments described herein relate to semi-autonomous cleaning and debris collection and more particularly, to a system and method for a debris collection for a semi-autonomous cleaning device for cleaning of surfaces.

[0003] The use of semi-autonomous devices configured to perform a set of tasks is known. For example, semi-autonomous devices or robots can be used to clean a surface, mow a lawn, collect items from a stocked inventory, etc. In some instances, however, some known robots fail to provide a user with an indication of the robot's position, progress, and/or status of one or more components of the system. For example, the problem of debris accumulation in back squeegee of a cleaning robot or floor scrubber is a common problem.

[0004] In manual floor scrubbers or cleaning devices, the operator can prevent the problem from happening by observing debris in the floor and avoiding driving the floor scrubber over the debris. The operator can also detect if the squeegee has blocking debris by visually inspecting the operation of one or more functions of the floor scrubber such as, for example, the quality of water pick-up provided by the back squeegee. In self-driving or semi-automatic floor scrubbers, the prevention and detection of debris in the back squeegee currently presents challenges that can reduce the efficacy and/or efficiency of these devices.

[0005] Furthermore, a typical commercial cleaning process has two three steps. These steps include sweeping up debris, cleaning with a floor scrubber (either manually or with an autonomous or semi- autonomous cleaning device) and increasing floor shine through buffing or burnishing wherein the last step may be optional. [0006] In some environments with autonomous or semi-autonomous floor scrubbing devices robots, operators may not complete the initial sweeping up debris step due to a shortage of time, shortage of staff, general unwillingness, or the belief that an autonomous or semi-autonomous device should require no human assistance of any sort. The skipped first step results in negative performance consequences for floor scrubbers. Debris can become stuck in floor pads or brushes of the floor scrubber and cleaning devices and damage the floor. Debris can become lodged underneath the rear vacuum squeegee and create water streaks which leave the floor dirty. Debris can also clog the rear vacuum hose and enter the recovered water tank and clog its drain.

[0007] In the case of a manually-operated floor scrubber, these performance consequences can be quickly identified by an operator and easily rectified (e.g. pick up debris before driving auto-scrubber over floor, remove debris from vacuum squeegee if water streaks are noticed). However, in the case of an autonomous floor scrubbing robot, issues may go unnoticed for a long period of time, thereby exaggerating the impact (e.g. debris remains underneath vacuum squeegee and a long water streak is distributed through an entire facility).

[0008] There is a desire to mitigate the negative performance consequences by preventing or significantly reducing the volume of debris that can reach places where it may have a negative impact.

Summary

[0009] An autonomous or a semi-autonomous cleaning device having debris diverting system and filtering element to make the cleaning device more resistant to negative consequences caused by the presence of debris. The debris diverting system consists of front skirt assembly having one or more bristled guards, a rubber skirt, a magnetic attachment, a spring attachment, a hose assembly with a hose and hose attachment mechanism and a catch tray. The debris diverting system enable the cleaning device to block large debris and selectively filter small debris to pass through to be swept up or suctioned up by the vacuum hose of the cleaning device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device.

[001 1 ] FIG. 2 is a front view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device. [0012] FIG. 3 is a back view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a left side view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a right side view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a debris diverter components of a debris diverter system.

[0016] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with a debris diverter system.

[0017] FIG. 8 is a left side view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with a debris diverter system.

[0018] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with a debris diverter system.

[0019] FIG. 10 is a front plan view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with the exemplary debris diverter system.

[0020] FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with the exemplary debris diverter system.

[0021] FIG. 12 is a close-up view of the front skirt of the exemplary diverter system.

[0022] FIG. 13 is a close-up view of front skirt extender attachment for the exemplary debris diverter system.

[0023] FIG. 14 is a close-up back view of the front skirt assembly the exemplary debris diverter system.

[0024] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of front skirt assembly for the exemplary debris diverter system.

[0025] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with an alternate debris diverter system.

[0026] FIG. 17 is a front plan view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with an alternate debris diverter system.

[0027] FIG. 18 is a bottom view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with an alternate debris diverter system. [0028] FIG. 19 is an isometric view of debris catch tray of a debris diverter system.

[0029] FIG. 20 is a section view of the debris catch tray of a debris diverter system.

Detailed Description

[0030] An exemplary embodiment of an autonomous or semi-autonomous cleaning device is shown in Figures 1 - 5. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device. FIG. 2 is a front view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device. FIG. 3 is a back view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device. FIG. 4 is a left side view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device, and FIG. 5 is a right side view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device.

[0031 ] Figures 1 to 5 illustrate a semi-autonomous cleaning device 100. The device 100 (also referred to herein as "cleaning robot" or "robot") includes at least a frame 102, a drive system 104, an electronics system 106, and a cleaning assembly 108. The cleaning robot 100 can be used to clean (e.g., vacuum, scrub, disinfect, etc.) any suitable surface area such as, for example, a floor of a home, commercial building, warehouse, etc. The robot 100 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration and can include one or more systems, mechanisms, assemblies, or subassemblies that can perform any suitable function associated with, for example, traveling along a surface, mapping a surface, cleaning a surface, and/or the like.

[0032] The frame 102 of cleaning device 100 can be any suitable shape, size, and/or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the frame 102 can include a set of components or the like, which are coupled to form a support structure configured to support the drive system 104, the cleaning assembly 108, and the electronic system 106. Cleaning assembly 108 may be connected directly to frame 102 or an alternate suitable support structure or sub-frame (not shown). The frame 102 of cleaning device 100 further comprises strobe light 110, front lights 112, a front sensing module 114 and a rear sensing module 128, rear wheels 116, rear skirt 118, handle 120 and cleaning hose 122. The frame 102 also includes one or more internal storage tanks or storing volumes for storing water, disinfecting solutions (i.e., bleach, soap, cleaning liquid, etc.), debris (dirt), and dirty water. More information on the cleaning device 100 is further disclosed in US utility patent application 17/650678, entitled "APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS CLEANING OF SURFACES" filed on February 11, 2022, the disclosure which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [0033] More particularly, in this embodiment, the front sensing module 114 further includes structured light sensors in a vertical and horizontal mounting position, an active stereo sensor and a RGB camera. The rear sensing module 128, as seen in FIG. 3, consists of a rear optical camera. In further embodiments, front and rear sensing modules 114 and 128 may also include other sensors including one or more optical camera, thermal cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), structured light sensors, active stereo sensors (for 3D) and RGB cameras.

[0034] The back view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device 100, as seen in FIG. 3, further shows frame 102, cleaning hose 122, clean water tank 130, clean water fill port 132, rear skirt 118, strobe light 110 and electronic system 106. Electronic system 106 further comprises display 134 which can be either a static display or touchscreen display. Rear skirt 118 consists of a squeegee head or rubber blade that engages the floor surface along which the cleaning device 100 travels and channels debris towards the cleaning assembly 108.

[0035] FIG. 3 further includes emergency stop button 124 which consists of a big red button, a device power switch button 126 and a rear sensing module 128. Rear sensing module 128 further comprises an optical camera that is positioned to sense the rear of device 100. This complements with the front sensing module 114 which provides view and direction of the front of device 100, which work together to sense obstacles and obstructions.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a debris diverter components of a debris diverter system. According to FIG. 6, debris diverter system 600 consists of a front skirt 602, left rear skirt 604, right rear skirt 606. Front skirt 602 has an inverted "V-shaped" frame comprising bristled guards 608, weight block 610 and a sheet metal backing 612. Front skirt also has a magnetic attachment mechanism 614 and frame attachment mechanisms 616 and 618 using screws. Magnetic attachment mechanism 614 and frame attachment mechanisms 616 and 618 securely mounts front skirt 602 to the bottom of the frame of the semi-autonomous device.

[0037] According to FIG. 6, left rear skirt 604 further comprises bristle guard 620 and sliding plate backing 622 to attach to bristle guard 620. Right rear skirt 606 also contains bristle guard 624 and sliding plate backing 626 to attach to bristle guard 620.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with a debris diverter system. FIG.

8 is a left side view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with a debris diverter system. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with a debris diverter system. FIG. 10 is a front plan view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with the exemplary debris diverter system. FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with the exemplary debris diverter system.

[0039] According to Figures 7 to 11, debris diverter system 700 consists of front skirt 702, left rear skirt 704, right rear skirt 706, rear skirt 708, left side skirt 710 and right side skirt 712. Front skirt 702 also has front skirt extenders 714 and 716 that extends the length of the front skirt.

[0040] According to Figures 7 to 11, debris diverting system 700 for an autonomous or semi-autonomous cleaning device comprises of several individual elements. Front skirt 702 is securely fastened to the front of the cleaning device which pushes debris aside, while letting small debris (which can most likely be collected by a cylindrical scrubbing system) pass through. Front skirt 702 has a rubber layer of a controlled height and a bristled guard. The combination of both provides a filter for large debris while allowing a significantly reduced number of small debris to pass under the robot.

[0041 ] According to Figures 6 to 11, front skirt 702 is positioned by means of magnetically attachment to the underside of front of the cleaning device. Furthermore, front skirt extenders 714 and 716 extends the length of front skirt 702 and deflect out of the way of larger and heavier obstructions such as pallets by way of a hinge.

[0042] According to Figures 6 to 11 bristled guards 608, 620 and 624 are installed to prevent the small debris (i.e., which previously passed under the front skirt) from entering the cylindrical cleaning head at a location where the debris is unlikely to be successfully collected. Bristled guards 608, 620 and 624 are also placed to prevent large or small debris from reaching the leading edge of the rear vacuum squeegee after entering from the cleaning device's side. Bristled guard adjusts position by means of spring attachment as the cleaning is turning to always prevent debris from entering the vacuum squeegee area.

[0043] According to FIG. 8, hose 718 with a smooth interior is used to reduce debris accumulation inside the hose. A hose attachment mechanism 720 is also used to reduce debris accumulation at the junction of the hose and tank. A catch tray 722 is also used to collects debris that makes it through the hose 718, to stop debris from clogging the recovered water tank drain hole. More info on the catch tray can be seen in Figures 19 and 20. [0044] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the front skirt 702 and bristle guards enable the cleaning device to block large debris and selectively filter small debris to pass through to be swept up or suctioned up by the vacuum hose of the cleaning device.

[0045] FIG. 12 is a close-up view of the front skirt of the exemplary diverter system. According to FIG. 12, front skirt 802 includes front skirt extender 804. Front skirt 802 and front skirt extender 804 further comprises bristle guard 806, rubber layer 808 and sheet metal frame 810. Rubber layer 808 is placed between the bristle guard 806 brush and sheet metal frame 810 to provide rigidity and support.

[0046] According to FIG. 12, left side skirt 812 is shown having an angled left side guard 814 to prevent debris to get underneath the cleaning device.

[0047] FIG. 13 is a close-up view of front skirt extender attachment for the exemplary debris diverter system. According to FIG. 13, front skirt 802 further includes a front skirt extender attachment 804. Front skirt 802 has key slot 806 and thumb screw 808 that allows the front skirt extender 804 to move up and down when the floor transitions are encountered, as well as, quick attachment / detachment operations for front skirt 802 and / or front skirt assembly.

[0048] FIG. 14 is a close-up back view of the front skirt extender attachment for the exemplary debris diverter system. According to FIG. 14, front skirt extender 902 has a front bristle guard brush 904, rear rubber skirt 906 and sheet metal backing 908. Rubber skirt 906 is shorter than bristle guard brush 904. Furthermore, bristle guard brush 904, rubber skirt 906 and sheet metal backing 908 are all fastened in placed by securing bolts 910 and 912.

[0049] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of front skirt assembly for the exemplary debris diverter system. According to FIG. 15, front skirt assembly 1000 comprises front skirt 1002, front skirt extender 1004 and a plurality of key slots 1006, 1008, 1010 and 1012. When needed, front skirt assembly 1000 can be removed from the fixed frame of the semi-autonomous cleaning device for easy cleaning and transport.

[0050] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with an alternate debris diverter system. FIG. 17 is a front plan view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with an alternate debris diverter system. FIG. 18 is a bottom view of a semi-autonomous cleaning device with an alternate debris diverter system. [0051] According to Figures 16 to 18, alternate debris diverter system 1100 consists of front skirt 1102, left skirt 1104, right skirt 1106 and rear skirt 1108. Front skirt 1102 is substantially flat with left skirt and right skirt wrapping around the cleaning device and attaches at left rear mount 1110 and right rear mount 1112 respectively. According to the disclosure, alternate debris diverter system 1100 has an "inverter U" so semi-circle shape and also incorporates magnetic attachment to the frame of the cleaning device.

[0052] FIG. 19 is an isometric view of debris catch tray of a debris diverter system. According to FIG. 19, debris catch tray 1202 is shown mounted near the top of the cleaning device. Debris catch tray 1202 has a plurality of strainer holes to enable water to drain into a water tank whereby debris can be contained in the catch tray 1202. Debris catch tray 1202 filters out small debris that is sucked up from the rear vacuum hose located by the rear skirt 1108 or rear squeegee.

[0053] FIG. 20 is a section view of the debris catch tray of a debris diverter system. According to FIG. 20, debris catch tray is shown in cross-section view and is retained in the upper tank.

[0054] According to the disclosure, the debris diverter system is designed to divert debris away from the floor cleaning scrubber of the semi-autonomous or autonomous cleaning device. The debris diverter system can accommodate small debris (i.e., debris that is less than l"xl"), large debris (i.e., debris that is greater than l"xl" or greater than 2" in any dimension), plastic wrap (i.e., long sections of plastic wrap used to wrap pallets that tends to get stuck in the cleaning head brushes), cardboard (i.e., debris that tends to be flat and large) and wooden splinters (i.e., debris that has broken off of pallets as they are moved around, ranges from very small to "'12").

[0055] The follow table illustrates the expectations on how different type of debris is handled:

[0056] According to disclosure, extra large debris (e.g., large boxes, large sheets of cardboard or debris great than 10cm width) are not expected to be handled by the debris diverter system. According to the disclosure, for larger debris, the debris will contact the bumper or the e-stop flaps of the cleaning device. Sensors and cameras of the cleaning device will detect these larger pieces of debris and stop the cleaning device (if the debris is in the drive path) and a notification will be sent to service to provide appropriate corrective action.

[0057] According to the disclosure, the debris diverter system allows debris to accumulate at the front of the cleaning device in front and it does not impact cleaning of floor. Debris is pushed to side and / or end of aisle of the building. Thereafter, there is a manual process for a user to pick up debris pile left behind.

[0058] According to the disclosure, a vacuum module is placed at the rear of the cleaning device that vacuums up dirty water from floor and deposits larger pieces of debris in the debris catch tray. One objective of the debris diver system is not to interfere with cleaning plan of the cleaning device (i.e., don't want remove from cleaning head or block cleaning).

[0059] According to the disclosure, the front skirt bristle guard is made of a rubber with bristles. Furthermore, other suitable materials (e.g., silicone, plastic, etc.) can also be used.

[0060] According to the disclosure, the components of the debris diverter system attaches to the permanent frame or sub-assembly of the cleaning device using a weighted sheet metal frame & bristle brush whereby the user can easily quickly detach using thumb screws. Furthermore, the brush can be popped off for easy disposal and / or replacement.

[0061 ] According to the disclosure a debris diverter system configured to operate with a semi- autonomous cleaning device for cleaning surfaces is disclosed. The debris diverter system comprises a front skirt assembly configured to be detachably attached to the lower front frame of the cleaning device, a left side skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower left side frame of the cleaning device, a right side skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower right side frame of the cleaning device, a left rear skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower left rear frame of the cleaning device, a right rear skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower right rear frame of the cleaning device and a rear skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower rear frame of the cleaning device.

[0062] According to the disclosure, the plurality of skirt assemblies are angled to divert debris away from on the cleaning path of the cleaning device and the front skirt assembly is configured with an inverted "V" shaped. The debris catch tray on the cleaning device is configured to catch debris from vacuum hose. The front skirt further comprises a front skirt extender to extend length of front skirt.

[0063] According to the disclosure, the plurality of skirt assemblies are made of a squeegee or rubber material. The skirt assembly further comprises a bristle guard, a rubber layer and a back plate. The skirt assemblies are configured for magnetic attachment to frame of the cleaning device. The front skirt assembly further comprise key slots and screws to enable movement.

[0064] According to the disclosure, a front skirt assembly configured to operate with a semi-autonomous cleaning device for cleaning surfaces is disclosed. The front skirt comprises a bristle guard with a plurality of front bristle brushes, a rear rubber skirt shorter than the bristle guard, a sheet metal backing, a frame attachment mechanism to permanently attach the skirt assembly to the frame of the cleaning device and a magnetic attachment mechanism to detachably attach the skirt assembly to the frame.

[0065] According to the disclosure, the front skirt is configured as an inverted "V" shaped front to divert debris away from the cleaning path of the cleaning device. The sheet metal back is permanently attached to the frame and the bristle guard and rear rubber skirt are detachably attached to the frame by the magnetic mechanism for easy replacement.

[0066] According to the disclosure, the front skirt assembly further comprises a weighted block. The front skirt assembly further comprises a front skirt extender to extend length of front skirt assembly. The skirt is made of a squeegee or rubber material. The front skirt assembly further comprises key slots and screws to enable movement. [0067] According to the disclosure, a semi-autonomous cleaning device for cleaning surfaces is disclosed. The cleaning device comprises a frame, a vacuum section module, a debris catch tray, a debris diverter system configured to divert debris away from on the cleaning path of the cleaning device.

[0068] The debris diverter system of the clean device further comprises a front skirt assembly configured to be detachably attached to the lower front frame of the cleaning device, a left side skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower left side frame of the cleaning device, a right side skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower right side frame of the cleaning device, a left rear skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower left rear frame of the cleaning device, a right rear skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower right rear frame of the cleaning device and a rear skirt assembly configured to detachably attach to the lower rear frame of the cleaning device.

[0069] According to the disclosure, the front skirt assembly of the cleaning device is configured with an inverted "V" shaped. The debris catch tray on the cleaning device is configured to catch debris from a vacuum hose. The front skirt further comprises a front skirt extender to extend length of front skirt.

[0070] According to the disclosure, the skirt assembly of the cleaning device further comprises a bristle guard, a rubber layer and a back plate. The skirt assemblies are configured for magnetic attachment to frame of the cleaning device. The front skirt assembly further comprise key slots and screws to enable movement. The plurality of skirt assemblies are made of a squeegee or rubber material.

[0071 ] The functions described herein may be stored as one or more instructions on a processor- readable or computer-readable medium. The term "computer-readable medium" refers to any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or processor. By way of example, and not limitation, such a medium may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. It should be noted that a computer-readable medium may be tangible and non-transitory. As used herein, the term "code" may refer to software, instructions, code or data that is/are executable by a computing device or processor. A "module" can be considered as a processor executing computer- readable code.

[0072] A processor as described herein can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, or microcontroller, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Although described herein primarily with respect to digital technology, a processor may also include primarily analog components. For example, any of the signal processing algorithms described herein may be implemented in analog circuitry. In some embodiments, a processor can be a graphics processing unit (GPU). The parallel processing capabilities of GPUs can reduce the amount of time for training and using neural networks (and other machine learning models) compared to central processing units (CPUs). In some embodiments, a processor can be an ASIC including dedicated machine learning circuitry custombuild for one or both of model training and model inference.

[0073] The disclosed or illustrated tasks can be distributed across multiple processors or computing devices of a computer system, including computing devices that are geographically distributed.

[0074] The methods disclosed herein comprise one or more steps or actions for achieving the described method. The method steps and/or actions may be interchanged with one another without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is required for proper operation of the method that is being described, the order and/or use of specific steps and/or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0075] As used herein, the term "plurality" denotes two or more. For example, a plurality of components indicates two or more components. The term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions and, therefore, "determining" can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database or another data structure), ascertaining and the like. Also, "determining" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory) and the like. Also, "determining" can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing and the like.

[0076] The phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly specified otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" describes both "based only on" and "based at least on." [0077] While the foregoing written description of the system enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The system should therefore not be limited by the above-described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the system. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.