Mobile cleaning robot with skids

Abstract

A mobile cleaning robot can include a body, a drive wheel, and a plurality of skids. The drive wheel can be connected to the body and can be engageable with a floor surface of an environment. The drive wheel can be operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment. The skids can be separate skids that can be connected to the body and can be engageable with the floor surface to support, together with the drive wheel, the mobile cleaning robot with respect to the floor surface.

1 . A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
 a body including a bottom plate;   a drive wheel connected to the body, the drive wheel operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment when the drive wheel is engaged with a floor surface of the environment; and   a plurality of skids connected to and extending from the bottom plate of the body, the plurality of skids engageable with the floor surface to support, together with the drive wheel, the mobile cleaning robot with respect to the floor surface.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , wherein the drive wheel is movable to travel at least in part vertically with respect to the body and the bottom plate, such that the plurality of skids define a ride height of the mobile cleaning robot with respect to the floor surface. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of skids is configured to slide along the floor surface without rotating. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 3 , wherein an individual skid of the plurality of skids includes a base and a plurality of tufts connected to the base, the base connected to or formed as part of the bottom plate of the body. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 4 , wherein the base includes a plurality of straight tuft bores each configured to secure a tuft of the plurality of tufts therein. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 5 , wherein the base includes a guide bore extending from and aligned with a corresponding tuft bore. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 6 , wherein the guide bore is tapered outwardly with respect to a corresponding straight tuft bore. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 7 , wherein a taper of the guide bore is between 5 degrees and 15 degrees from a wall of the corresponding tuft bore. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 7 , wherein each tuft of the plurality of tufts is configured to engage each respective guide bore to limit flexure of the tuft with respect to its tuft bore. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of tufts are configured to flex under load of the mobile cleaning robot to define the ride height. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of an individual tuft of the plurality of tufts is angled, when engaged with a respective guide bore, at about 50 degrees with respect to the floor surface or an underside of the body. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
 a body including a bottom plate;   a pair of drive wheels connected to the body, the pair of drive wheels operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment when one or more of the pair of drive wheels are engaged with a floor surface of the environment, and the pair of drive wheels each vertically movable with respect to the body and the bottom plate; and   a first skid, a second skid, and a third skid respectively fixedly coupled to the bottom plate of the body and spaced apart from each other, each skid engageable with the floor surface to, together with the drive wheels, define a ride height of the mobile cleaning robot with respect to the floor surface.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 12 , wherein the first skid includes a base and a plurality of tufts connected to the base. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 13 , wherein the base includes a plurality of tuft bores respectively configured to secure a tuft of the plurality of tufts therein. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 14 , wherein the base includes a guide bore extending from and aligned with a corresponding tuft bore. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 14 , wherein an individual guide bore is tapered outwardly with respect to a corresponding tuft bore. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 16 , wherein each tuft is configured to engage each respective guide bore to limit flexure of the tuft with respect to its tuft bore. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of tufts are configured to flex under load of the mobile cleaning robot to engage corresponding tuft bores define the ride height. 
     
     
         19 . A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
 a body including a bottom plate;   a drive wheel connected to the body, the drive wheel operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment when the drive wheel is engaged with a floor surface of the environment, and the drive wheel movable to travel at least in part vertically with respect to the body and the bottom plate; and   a plurality of skids connected to and extending from the bottom plate of the body, the plurality of skids engageable with the floor surface to, together with the drive wheel, define a ride height of the mobile cleaning robot with respect to the floor surface.   
     
     
         20 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 19 , wherein the ride height is defined by engagement between the plurality of skids and the floor surface, and wherein the drive wheel is movable with respect to the plurality of skids and the floor surface when the plurality of skids are engaged with the floor surface. 
     
     
         21 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of skids is configured to slide along the floor surface without rotating. 
     
     
         22 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 21 , wherein:
 an individual skid of the plurality of skids includes a base and a plurality of tufts connected to the base, the base connected to or formed as part of the bottom plate of the body, the base including:
 a plurality of straight tuft bores respectively configured to secure a tuft of the plurality of tufts therein; and 
 a guide bore extending from and aligned with a corresponding tuft bore, the guide bore tapered outwardly with respect to a corresponding straight tuft bore. 
   
     
     
         23 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 22 , wherein each tuft of the plurality of tufts is configured to engage each respective guide bore to limit flexure of the tuft with respect to its tuft bore to define the ride height.