Autonomous surface cleaning robot for wet cleaning

Abstract

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arraigned to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A cleaning robot, comprising:
 a chassis;   a wheeled drive supporting the chassis and operable to maneuver the robot over a work surface;   one or more cleaning elements carried on the chassis to clean across a cleaning width;   a fluid applicator carried on the chassis and comprising a pump arranged to dispense cleaning fluid across at least a portion of the cleaning width;   a fluid collector carried on the chassis and comprising a vacuum arranged to lift waste fluid up from the work surface; and   a fluid storage tank coupled to the chassis and detachable as a unit, the fluid storage tank defining both:
 a cleaning fluid compartment in fluid communication with the fluid applicator and arranged to store cleaning fluid to be dispensed by the fluid applicator; and 
 a waste fluid compartment in fluid communication with the fluid collector and arranged to receive waste fluid lifted from the work surface by the fluid collector. 
   
     
     
         25 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the waste fluid compartment is sealed from the cleaning fluid compartment. 
     
     
         26 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the cleaning fluid compartment contains a cleaning fluid comprising at least one of soap, solvent, fragrance, disinfectant, emulsifier, drying agent and abrasive particulates; and wherein the waste fluid compartment contains waste fluid comprising previously dispensed cleaning fluid. 
     
     
         27 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the waste fluid compartment is located below the cleaning fluid compartment along an axis perpendicular to a fore-aft axis and a transverse axis of the chassis. 
     
     
         28 . The cleaning robot of  claim 27 , wherein the cleaning fluid compartment is partially defined by a base portion of the fluid storage tank coupled to a portion of a perimeter wall of the waste fluid compartment to seal the waste fluid compartment. 
     
     
         29 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , further comprising a molded plastic cover assembly forming an external surface of the robot, the cover assembly coupled to a perimeter portion of a perimeter wall of the cleaning fluid compartment to seal the cleaning fluid compartment. 
     
     
         30 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a tank empty sensor housed in the cleaning fluid compartment, and configured to provide a signal indicating that an amount of cleaning fluid in the cleaning fluid compartment is below a cleaning fluid threshold; and   a tank level sensor housed in the waste fluid compartment, and configured to provide a signal proportional to a level of waste fluid within the waste fluid compartment.   
     
     
         31 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the vacuum of the fluid collector comprises a powered vacuum fan arranged to generate vacuum pressure to suction up waste fluid from the work surface. 
     
     
         32 . The cleaning robot of  claim 31 , further comprising a plenum fluidically coupled to the waste fluid compartment and the vacuum fan, the plenum located above the waste fluid compartment and comprising a hub for receiving a plurality of air ducts. 
     
     
         33 . The cleaning robot of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the air ducts comprises a conduit having a suction port located proximate the work surface, such that negative vacuum pressure at the plenum draws waste liquid from the work surface into the waste fluid compartment. 
     
     
         34 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the fluid collector further comprises a collecting apparatus attached to the chassis aft of at least one of the cleaning elements and extending from the chassis to the work surface across the cleaning width for collecting waste liquid from the work surface. 
     
     
         35 . The cleaning robot of  claim 34 , wherein the collecting apparatus comprises a squeegee in contact or near contact with the surface to collect waste liquid as the chassis advances in a forward direction. 
     
     
         36 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the cleaning elements comprises a smearing element extending to reach the work surface across the cleaning width for smearing dispensed cleaning fluid along the work surface. 
     
     
         37 . The cleaning robot of  claim 36 , wherein the smearing element comprises a plurality of smearing bristles configured to distribute cleaning fluid evenly on the work surface across the cleaning width. 
     
     
         38 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the cleaning elements comprises a scrubbing roller rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the cleaning width, the scrubbing roller configured to contact the surface. 
     
     
         39 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the wheeled drive comprises:
 an autonomous transport drive subsystem,   a sensor module for sensing conditions, and   a power module;   wherein the drive subsystem, sensor module and power module are all supported by the chassis and controlled by a master control module to autonomously move the robot substantially over the entire work surface in accordance with predefined operating modes and in response to conditions sensed by the sensor module.   
     
     
         40 . The cleaning robot of  claim 39 , wherein the transport drive subsystem comprises one or more drive wheels, each drive wheel comprising an annular tire element having a non-slip drive surface for maintaining traction on a wet work surface. 
     
     
         41 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the pump comprises a diaphragm pump assembly. 
     
     
         42 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , wherein the fluid applicator further comprises a nozzle configured to eject bursts of cleaning fluid across at least a portion of the cleaning width in accordance with a burst frequency. 
     
     
         43 . The cleaning robot of  claim 24 , further comprising a user graspable handle coupled to a portion of the fluid storage tank by a latching mechanism, the handle being arranged to:
 allow a user to pick up the entire robot when the latching mechanism is in a locked condition; and   allow the fluid storage tank to be removed from the chassis when the latching mechanism is in an unlocked condition.