Mobile cleaning robot with debris compaction

Abstract

A mobile cleaning robot can include a body, a debris bin connected to the body, and one or more drive wheels connected to the body and operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment. The mobile cleaning robot can include an extractor connected to the body that can be operable to extract debris from the environment. The mobile cleaning robot can also include a vacuum system connected to the body and configured to generate a flow stream through the extractor. The mobile cleaning robot can include a compaction system connected to the body and a discharge of the extractor. The compaction system can include a plenum configured to receive debris and the flow stream from the discharge and a compactor located at least partially within the plenum and operable to compact debris from the plenum into the debris bin.

1 . A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
 a body;   one or more drive wheels connected to the body and operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment;   a debris bin connected to the body;   an extractor connected to the body and operable to extract debris from the environment;   a vacuum system connected to the body and configured to generate a flow stream through the extractor; and   a compaction system connected to the body and a discharge of the extractor, the compaction system including:
 a plenum configured to receive debris and the flow stream from the discharge; and 
 a compactor located at least partially within the plenum and operable to compact debris from the plenum into the debris bin. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a motor connected to the compactor, the motor operable to drive the compactor to move to compact the debris.   
     
     
         3 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 2 , comprising:
 a filter screen connected to the plenum downstream of the compactor, the filter screen configured to separate debris from the flow stream based on size for compaction by the compactor.   
     
     
         4 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 3 , comprising:
 a final filter located downstream of the filter screen, the final filter configured to filter particulate from the flow stream.   
     
     
         5 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , the compactor comprising:
 a piston configured to reciprocate relative to the plenum to compact debris into the debris bin.   
     
     
         6 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 5 , wherein the debris bin includes a first chamber and a second chamber, and wherein the piston is configured to compact debris into the first chamber and the second chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 6 , wherein the piston includes a first head a second head opposite the first head, the first head configured to compact debris into the first chamber and the second head configured to compact debris into the second chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 7 , wherein an upstream edge of one or more of the first head and the second head is swept in a direction away from the discharge of the extractor. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 7 , comprising:
 a first opening connected to the first chamber and the plenum, the first head configured to translate into the first opening to compact debris into the first chamber; and   a second opening connected to the second chamber and the plenum, the second head configured to translate into the second opening to compact debris into the second chamber.   
     
     
         10 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 9 , comprising:
 a filter screen connected to the plenum downstream of the compactor, the filter screen configured to separate debris from the flow stream based on size for compaction by the compactor.   
     
     
         11 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 10 , comprising:
 a pinion drivable to translate the piston to compact debris into the first opening and the first chamber and into the second opening and the second chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 11 , wherein the piston includes a rack engaged with the pinion. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 12 , comprising:
 a skid connected to the piston and engaged with an upstream side of the filter screen, the skid configured to engage debris at the filter screen to move debris toward one or more of the first chamber and the second chamber.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 13 , comprising:
 a drive gear connected to the pinion and configured to drive the pinion;   a driven gear engageable with the drive gear;   a secondary pinion drivable to rotate by the driven gear;   a shuttle including a shuttle rack engaged with the secondary pinion, the shuttle translatable relative to the plenum; and   one or more rollers connected to the shuttle and engaged with a downstream side of the filter screen, the one or more rollers configured to translate with the shuttle and roll along the filter screen to move debris upstream for engagement of the moved debris by the skid.   
     
     
         15 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 14 , wherein each roller of the one or more rollers includes a plurality of projections configured to engage openings of the filter screen to move debris out of the openings. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more rollers includes a first roller and a second roller, the first roller configured to align with a first edge of the skid when the piston moves the first head toward the first opening, and the second roller configured to align with a second edge of the skid when the piston moves the second head toward the second opening. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , wherein the compactor is a rotary screw and wherein the plenum is at least partially cylindrical to, together with the rotary screw, guide compacted debris from the discharge of the extractor to the debris bin. 
     
     
         18 . A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
 a body;   one or more drive wheels connected to the body and operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment;   a debris bin connected to the body;   an extractor connected to the body and operable to extract debris from the environment; and   a compaction system connected to the body and a discharge of the extractor, the compaction system including:
 a plenum configured to receive debris from the discharge; and 
 a compactor located at least partially within the plenum and operable to compact debris from the plenum into the debris bin. 
   
     
     
         19 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 18 , the compactor comprising:
 a piston configured to reciprocate relative to the plenum to compact debris into the debris bin, the piston including a first head a second head opposite the first head, the first head configured to compact debris into a first chamber and the second head configured to compact debris into a second chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 19 , comprising:
 a filter screen connected to the plenum downstream of the compactor, the filter screen configured to separate debris from a flow stream from the extractor based on size for compaction by the compactor; and   a skid connected to the piston and engaged with an upstream side of the filter screen, the skid configured to engage debris at the filter screen to move debris toward one or more of the first chamber and the second chamber.   
     
     
         21 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 20 , comprising:
 a drive gear connected to a pinion engaged with a rack of the piston, the drive gear configured to drive the pinion;   a driven gear engageable with the drive gear;   a secondary pinion drivable to rotate by the driven gear;   a shuttle including a shuttle rack engaged with the secondary pinion, the shuttle translatable relative to the plenum; and   one or more rollers connected to the shuttle and engaged with a downstream side of the filter screen, the one or more rollers configured to translate with the shuttle and roll along the filter screen to move debris upstream for engagement of the moved debris by the skid.