iRobot. has filed a patent for a roller assembly designed for a mobile cleaning system. The assembly includes a drive shaft, a sheath, a bushing, and a bushing shroud. The sheath is supported by the drive shaft and can rotate with it, engaging the work surface. The bushing shroud has an outer portion with a first radius of curvature and a recessed portion. The claim specifies that the roller assembly includes a shell, vanes, and spokes. GlobalData’s report on iRobot gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on iRobot, Cleaning robots was a key innovation area identified from patents. iRobot's grant share as of September 2023 was 68%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Roller assembly for a mobile cleaning system
A roller assembly for a mobile cleaning system has been described in a filed patent (Publication Number: US20230301477A1). The roller assembly includes a drive shaft that is rotatable about a drive axis, with a driven end and a bushing end. The assembly also includes a sheath supported by the drive shaft and rotatable with it to engage a floor surface. The sheath consists of a shell that extends longitudinally along the drive axis and is rotatable about the drive axis. Additionally, the sheath has a plurality of vanes that are circumferentially spaced around the shell. Each vane extends radially outward from the shell and is designed to engage the floor surface. The roller assembly further includes a plurality of spokes that are connected to the drive shaft and connected to the sheath between two of the vanes.
The spokes of the roller assembly have specific characteristics. Each spoke includes a radially inner portion that is connected to the drive shaft and extends a radial distance. There is also a radially outer portion that is connected to the sheath and extends radially inward. These two portions are connected by a middle portion. The middle portion extends a circumferential distance greater than the radial distance. In some embodiments, the spokes form at least a portion of a spiral between the drive shaft and the sheath. The number of spokes in the roller assembly can vary, with options ranging from four spokes to eight spokes. The spokes are evenly circumferentially spaced about the drive axis and have a uniform thickness between the drive shaft and the sheath.
The roller assembly also includes a sheath that has specific features. The sheath consists of a shell that is connected to the drive shaft and rotatable with it to engage a floor surface. The shell extends longitudinally along the drive axis and has a plurality of vanes that are circumferentially spaced around it. Each vane extends radially outward from the shell and is configured to engage the floor surface. The spokes of the roller assembly are connected to the drive shaft and the sheath. The middle portion of each spoke extends a circumferential distance greater than the radial distance and is curved from an axial perspective. It is shaped to deflect radially under a compressive load applied to the sheath by the floor surface. Each spoke connects to the sheath between two vanes, and they have a uniform thickness between the drive shaft and the sheath. The middle portion of each spoke is connected to the radially inner portion by a first bend and to the radially outer portion by a second bend.
In summary, the filed patent describes a roller assembly for a mobile cleaning system that includes a drive shaft, a sheath with vanes, and a plurality of spokes. The spokes have specific characteristics, including a radial inner portion, a radial outer portion, and a middle portion that extends a greater circumferential distance. The sheath also has specific features, including a shell with vanes that extend radially outward. The roller assembly can have a varying number of spokes and the middle portion of each spoke is curved and shaped to deflect radially under a compressive load.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
