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A mobile robot generally including a first suction module, a second suction module and a hinge assembly pivotably connecting the suction modules together. Each of the suction modules includes a support frame defining a vacuum chamber and a vacuum unit supported on the support frame and communicating

A mobile robot generally including a first suction module, a second suction module and a hinge assembly pivotably connecting the suction modules together. Each of the suction modules includes a support frame defining a vacuum chamber and a vacuum unit supported on the support frame and communicating with the vacuum chamber. The vacuum unit includes a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding the impeller. The impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to draw air from the vacuum chamber into the impeller in a direction generally parallel to the impeller axis of rotation and to discharge the drawn air in a direction substantially perpendicular to the impeller axis of rotation. The exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect the discharged air, whereby a thrusting force is applied to the support frame in a direction opposite of the direction of the drawn air from the vacuum chamber.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support frame defining a vacuum chamber; and a vacuum unit supported on said support frame and communicating with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum unit including a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding said impe

What is claimed is: 1. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support frame defining a vacuum chamber; and a vacuum unit supported on said support frame and communicating with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum unit including a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding said impeller, wherein said impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to rotate air within said vacuum chamber and to draw air from said vacuum chamber into said impeller in a direction generally parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, and is further adapted to discharge said drawn air from said impeller in a direction substantially perpendicular to said impeller axis of rotation, and wherein said exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect said discharged air from said impeller in a direction substantially parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, whereby a thrusting force is applied to said support frame in a direction opposite to the direction of said drawn air from said vacuum chamber. 2. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support frame defining a vacuum chamber; and a vacuum unit supported on said support frame and communicating with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum unit including a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding said impeller, wherein said impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to draw air from said vacuum chamber into said impeller in a direction generally parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, and is further adapted to discharge said drawn air from said impeller in a direction substantially perpendicular to said impeller axis of rotation, and wherein said exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect said discharged air from said impeller in a direction substantially parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, whereby a thrusting force is applied to said support frame in a direction opposite to the direction of said drawn air from said vacuum chamber, wherein said exhaust cowling comprises: a bowl shaped outer cowling having a bottom and a dome shaped wall extending upwardly from said bottom; and a bowl shaped inner cowling having a bottom and a dome shaped wall extending upwardly from said bottom, said inner cowling being seated in said outer cowling, whereby an annular chamber is formed between said upwardly extending walls of said inner and outer cowlings for redirecting said discharged air, and wherein said impeller is disposed between said bottoms of said inner and outer cowlings and is in communication with said annular chamber. 3. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support frame defining a vacuum chamber; and a vacuum unit supported on said support frame and communicating with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum unit including a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding said impeller, wherein said impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to draw air from said vacuum chamber into said impeller in a direction generally parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, and is further adapted to discharge said drawn air from said impeller in a direction substantially perpendicular to said impeller axis of rotation, and wherein said exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect said discharged air from said impeller in a direction substantially parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, whereby a thrusting force is applied to said support frame in a direction opposite to the direction of said drawn air from said vacuum chamber, wherein said support frame comprises: a support plate supporting said vacuum unit; and a flexible skirt extending downwardly from said support plate. 4. A suction module as defined in claim 3, wherein said support frame further comprises a flexible joint connecting said support plate and said flexible skirt, said flexible joint allowing a relative displacement between said support plate and said flexible skirt. 5. A suction module as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one drive wheel provided on said support frame for translating said suction module across a surface. 6. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support frame defining a vacuum chamber; a vacuum unit supported on said support frame and communicating with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum unit including a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding said impeller, wherein said impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to draw air from said vacuum chamber into said impeller in a direction generally parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, and is further adapted to discharge said drawn air from said impeller in a direction substantially perpendicular to said impeller axis of rotation, and wherein said exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect said discharged air from said impeller in a direction substantially parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, whereby a thrusting force is applied to said support frame in a direction opposite to the direction of said drawn air from said vacuum chamber; and a hinge element fixed to said support frame, said hinge element adapted to couple with a hinge element of a second suction module, whereby said suction modules can be angularly oriented with respect to each other. 7. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support plate; a flexible skirt extending downwardly from said support plate, said flexible skirt and said support plate defining a vacuum chamber; a flexible joint connecting said support plate and said flexible skirt, said flexible joint permitting a relative displacement between said support plate and said flexible skirts, wherein said flexible skirt adapts its shape to enable the robot to maneuver over rough and uneven surfaces; and a vacuum unit supported on said support plate and communicating with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum unit including a rotating impeller adapted to rotate air within said vacuum chamber for drawing air out of said vacuum chamber. 8. A suction module as defined in claim 7, wherein said vacuum unit includes an exhaust cowling surrounding said impeller, wherein said impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to draw air from said vacuum chamber into said impeller in a direction generally parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, and is further adapted to discharge said drawn air from said impeller in a direction substantially perpendicular to said impeller axis of rotation, and wherein said exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect said discharged air from said impeller in a direction substantially parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, whereby a thrusting force is applied to said support frame in a direction opposite of the direction of said drawn air from said vacuum chamber. 9. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support plate; a flexible skirt extending downwardly from said support plate, said flexible skirt and said support plate defining a vacuum chamber; a flexible joint connecting said support plate and said flexible skirt, said flexible joint permitting a relative displacement between said support plate and said flexible skirt; and a vacuum unit supported on said support plate and communicating with said vacuum chamber for drawing air out of said vacuum chamber, wherein said vacuum unit includes a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding said impeller, wherein said impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to draw air from said vacuum chamber into said impeller in a direction generally parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, and is further adapted to discharge said drawn air from said impeller in a direction substantially perpendicular to said impeller axis of rotation, and wherein said exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect said discharged air from said impeller in a direction substantially parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, whereby a thrusting force is applied to said support frame in a direction opposite of the direction of said drawn air from said vacuum chamber, wherein said exhaust cowling comprises: a bowl shaped outer cowling having a bottom and a dome shaped wall extending upwardly from said bottom; and a bowl shaped inner cowling having a bottom and a dome shaped wall extending upwardly from said bottom, said inner cowling being seated in said outer cowling, whereby an annular chamber is formed between said upwardly extending walls of said inner and outer cowlings for redirecting said discharged air and wherein said impeller is disposed between said bottoms of said inner and outer cowlings and is in communication with said annular chamber. 10. A suction module as defined in claim 7, further comprising at least one drive wheel provided on said support frame for translating said suction module across a surface. 11. A suction module for a mobile robot comprising: a support plate; a flexible skirt extending downwardly from said support plate, said flexible skirt and said support plate defining a vacuum chamber; a flexible joint connecting said support plate and said flexible skirt, said flexible joint permitting a relative displacement between said support plate and said flexible skirt; a vacuum unit supported on said support plate and communicating with said vacuum chamber for drawing air out of said vacuum chamber; and a hinge element fixed to said support frame, said hinge element adapted to couple with a hinge element of a second suction module, whereby said suction modules can be angularly oriented with respect to each other. 12. A mobile robot comprising: a first suction module and a second suction module, each of said first and second suction modules including a support frame defining a vacuum chamber and a vacuum unit supported on said support frame and communicating with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum unit including a rotating impeller and an exhaust cowling surrounding said impeller, wherein said impeller has an axis of rotation and is adapted to draw air from said vacuum chamber into said impeller in a direction generally parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, and is further adapted to discharge said drawn air from said impeller in a direction substantially perpendicular to said impeller axis of rotation, and wherein said exhaust cowling is adapted to redirect said discharged air from said impeller in a direction substantially parallel to said impeller axis of rotation, whereby a thrusting force is applied to said support frame in a direction opposite of the direction of said drawn air from said vacuum chamber; and a hinge assembly pivotably connecting said first suction module to said second suction module, said hinge assembly facilitating nonplanar orientation of said first suction module with respect to said second suction module. 13. A mobile robot as defined in claim 12, wherein said hinge assembly comprises: a hinge element fixed to one of said first and second suction modules; a bracket element fixed to the other of said first and second suction modules, said bracket element being coupled to said hinge element about a pivot point; and a motor disposed at said pivot point for pivoting said hinge element with respect to said bracket element about said pivot point. 14. A mobile robot as defined in claim 12, wherein said support frames of said first and second suction modules are triangular in shape for reducing the torque at said hinge assembly. 15. A mobile robot as defined in claim 12, wherein said first suction module is pivotable with respect to said second suction module through an angular range of between +90° and-90°. 16. A mobile robot as defined in claim 12, wherein said vacuum unit exhaust cowling comprises: a bowl shaped outer cowling having a bottom and a dome shaped wall extending upwardly from said bottom; and a bowl shaped inner cowling having a bottom and a dome shaped wall extending upwardly from said bottom, said inner cowling being seated in said outer cowling, whereby an annular chamber is formed between said upwardly extending walls of said inner and outer cowlings for redirecting said discharged air and wherein said impeller is disposed between said bottoms of said inner and outer cowling and is in communication with said annular chamber. 17. A mobile robot as defined in claim 12, wherein said support frame comprises: a support plate supporting said vacuum unit and fixed to said hinge assembly; and a flexible skirt extending downwardly from said support plate. 18. A mobile robot as defined in claim 17, wherein said support frame further comprises a flexible joint connecting said support plate and said flexible skirt, said flexible joint allowing a relative displacement between said support plate and said flexible skirt. 19. A mobile robot as defined in claim 12, wherein each of said first and second suction modules further comprises at least one drive wheel provided on said support frame for translating said suction module across a surface. 20. A mobile robot as defined in claim 12, wherein each of said first and second suction modules further comprises two independently controlled drive wheels provided on said support plate in a coaxial arrangement and a castor wheel rotatably supported on said support plate.