Abstract: A vacuum cleaner comprising a fan driven by a motor, wherein the fan is configured to accomplish a suction flow from a vacuum cleaner nozzle via a hand-held tube having a direction of elongation, to a permeable dust collecting container. A sensing device is provided, sensing strain in the tube along its elongate direction, and a control arrangement controls the output of the motor in response to the sensed strain. This allows the vacuum cleaner to adapt to different floor surfaces.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device and a method at the robotic cleaning device of performing cliff detection along a surface over which the robotic cleaning device moves. The method includes illuminating the surface with at least one light source, capturing an image of the surface, detecting at least one illuminated section in the captured image, and determining distance to objects in the at least one illuminated section of the captured image. The method further comprises comparing at least two of the determined distances and detecting an object in the captured image as a cliff when cliff when a relation between the at least two compared determined distances complies with a predetermined increase criterion.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device having a main body, at least one drive wheel, at least one linking member rotationally coupled to the main body about a suspension axis and rotationally supporting the at least one drive wheel about a drive wheel axis such that at least a section of the main body can be raised from a lowered position, closer to the ground surface, to a raised position, further away from the ground surface. First and second spring members are arranged to provide a moment on the linking member about the suspension axis in the first direction to press the at least one drive wheel towards the ground surface. The moment provided by the first spring member is higher in the lowered position than in the raised position and the moment provided by the second spring member is higher in the raised position than in the lowered position.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device having an inertia measurement unit and a controller. The inertia measurement unit is arranged to sense a displacement of the robotic cleaning device and the controller is arranged to determine a characteristic of the displacement of the robotic cleaning device, and to set the robotic cleaning device in an operational mode being associated with the determined characteristic of the displacement.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device having a main body, a propulsion system configured to move the robotic cleaning device over a surface to be cleaned, a controller configured to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned, at least one rotatable side brush arranged to sweep debris from the surface to be cleaned, and a mechanism configured to at least partly retract the at least one rotatable side brush into a space arranged inside the main body upon receiving a control signal from the controller, such that the rotatable side brush is moved out of contact with the surface to be cleaned.

Abstract: A method of controlling movement of a robotic cleaning device over an area to be cleaned. The method includes storing at least one representation of the area over which the robotic cleaning device is to move, receiving an instruction to execute a cleaning program, localizing, in response to the instruction, the robotic cleaning device relative to the stored representation, and moving over the area to be cleaned as stipulated by the cleaning program by taking into account the stored representation.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device having an inertia measurement unit and a controller. The inertia measurement unit is arranged to sense a displacement of the robotic cleaning device and the controller is arranged to determine a characteristic of the displacement of the robotic cleaning device, and to set the robotic cleaning device in an operational mode being associated with the determined characteristic of the displacement.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner having: a profile extending between a profile nozzle end for attachment of a nozzle and a profile handle end for attachment of a first handle; a housing attached to the profile and having a motor fan unit for generating an airflow, a housing air outlet; and a housing air inlet, and an airflow channel extending from the profile nozzle end to the housing air outlet via the housing air inlet, for allowing an airflow from the first profile end to the housing air outlet. The housing is movable along the profile, and has a second handle operable by a user to move the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device and a method for operating the robotic cleaning device to detect a structure of a surface over which the robotic cleaning device moves. The method includes illuminating the surface with structured vertical light, capturing an image of the surface, detecting at least one luminous section in the captured image, and determining, from an appearance of the at least one luminous section, the structure of the surface.

Abstract: A side brush for a robotic cleaner. The side brush is rotatable about a rotation axis in a rotational direction and has a brush body and numerous linear bristles including a first bristle having a base end at the brush body and an opposite distal end. An imaginary line extends perpendicularly to the rotation axis. The first bristle extends in a bristle direction outwardly from the brush body. Seen in a top view, the bristle direction extends at a first angle to the imaginary line with the distal end pointing rearwardly in relation to the rotational direction. Seen in a side view, the bristle direction extends at a second acute angle to the rotation axis pointing away from the brush body. A robotic cleaner having such a side brush is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A system of robotic cleaning devices and a method of a master robotic cleaning device of controlling at least one slave robotic cleaning device. The method performed by a master robotic cleaning device of controlling at least one slave robotic cleaning device includes detecting obstacles, deriving positional data from the detection of obstacles, positioning the master robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from the derived positional data, controlling movement of the master robotic cleaning device based on the positional data, and submitting commands to the at least one slave robotic cleaning device to control a cleaning operation of said at least one slave robotic cleaning device, the commands being based on the derived positional data, wherein the cleaning operation of the slave robotic cleaning device is controlled as indicated by the submitted commands.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device configured to control operation of a cleaning program in progress is provided. The robotic cleaning device has a propulsion system configured to move the device, at least one battery configured to power the device, and a controller configured to receive an instruction to pause the cleaning program in progress, control, in response to the instruction to pause, the propulsion system to cause the device to travel to a charging station to recharge the device battery, receive a further instruction to resume the cleaning program that was in progress upon receiving the instruction to pause, and resume, in response to the further instruction, the cleaning program that was in progress upon receiving the instruction to pause.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner having a hand unit and an elongated member having a nozzle end portion and a handle end portion. The vacuum cleaner has a valve arranged at the nozzle end portion, the valve having a valve member being movable between a first and a second position. In the first position the valve member directs an airflow from a floor nozzle to the hand unit while preventing an airflow to flow through the handle end portion. In the second position the valve member directs the airflow from the floor nozzle to the handle end portion and to the hand unit. Vacuum cleaning may be performed with the floor nozzle both when the hand unit is connected at the nozzle end and at the handle end.

Abstract: A floor tool unit for a surface treating appliance, the floor tool unit having: a coupling member; a floor tool pivotally coupled to the coupling member about a first axis; a support member having a longitudinal support member axis, the support member being pivotally coupled to the coupling member about a second axis such that the support member axis and second axis are non-perpendicular; and a tube member attached to the floor tool and to the support member; wherein the tube member extends through the coupling member. A surface treating appliance comprising the floor tool unit and a vacuum cleaner comprising the floor tool unit are also provided.

Abstract: A method of controlling movement of a robotic cleaning device over an area to be cleaned. The method includes acquiring a visual representation of the robotic cleaning device on a display of a wireless communication device, identifying the robotic cleaning device in the visual representation, computing a coordinate transform between the visual representation and a robotic cleaning device coordinate system, creating an instruction by receiving user-indicated spatial information on the display or how the robotic cleaning device should move over the area to be cleaned, applying the transform to the spatial information, transforming the spatial information to the robot coordinate system, and sending the instruction to the robotic cleaning device via wireless communication, to cause the robotic cleaning device to move over said area in accordance with the transformed spatial information.

Abstract: A robotic vacuum cleaner having a nozzle inlet facing a surface to be cleaned, and a rotatable side brush. The rotatable side brush has bristles extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned, and the nozzle inlet includes a frame structure forming an opening, the opening being arranged in fluid communication with a debris receptacle. The bristles extend over a side portion of the nozzle inlet. The frame structure has a base portion extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned. The base portion extends at a first level. The frame structure at the side portion extends substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned at a second level. The first level is arranged closer to the surface to be cleaned than the second level.

Abstract: A method of operating a robotic cleaning device over a surface to be cleaned, the method being performed by the robotic cleaning device. The method includes: following a boundary of a first object while registering path markers including positional information at intervals on the surface; tracing previously registered path markers at an offset upon encountering one or more of the previously registered path markers; and switching from tracing the previously registered path markers to following an edge of a second object upon detection of the second object.

Abstract: A robotic cleaning device having a main body, a propulsion system configured to move the device across a surface and an obstacle detecting device configured to detect obstacles. The device further includes a processing unit configured to position the robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from obstacle detecting device output data, and further to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device across the surface. The processing unit is configured to identify a landmark and its position from the obstacle detecting device output data, to derive at least one characteristic from the landmark to create and store a generated landmark signature. The processing unit is also configured to compare the generated landmark signature with predetermined landmark signatures and to determine whether the generated landmark signature matches one of the predetermined landmark signatures or not and operate the robotic cleaning device based on the determination.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner nozzle having a housing, a bleed valve, and a support. The housing has an inlet, an outlet, a suction passage, a bypass opening, and a bypass passage connecting the bypass opening to the outlet. The valve is movable between a closed position in which the valve blocks the bypass passage, and an open position in which the valve does not block the bypass passage. The support has a lever arm. The support moves between a first position in which the lever arm allows the bleed valve assembly to remain in the closed position and the support holds the inlet opening at a first distance from a surface, and a second position in which the lever arm holds the valve in the open position, and the support holds the inlet opening a second distance from the surface, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

Abstract: A method of operating a robotic cleaning device over a surface to be cleaned. The method includes: registering roadmap nodes at intervals on the surface during cleaning, the roadmap nodes including positional information; and linking the roadmap nodes to form roadmap links in a roadmap graph, if the robotic cleaning device is driving directly from a previously registered roadmap node to a currently registered roadmap node. The roadmap links in the roadmap graph facilitate navigation of the robotic cleaning device.