Patents Examined by Marc Carlson
  • Patent number: 11969126
    Abstract: A debris fin for a robotic cleaner dust cup may include a fin mount and an airflow body extending from the fin mount according to a divergence angle, the airflow body defining an airflow surface, the airflow body being configured to straighten fibrous debris entrained within air that is incident thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Gill, Isaku D. Kamada, Rahat Khan, Karthikeyan Subramani, Hongbo Lin
  • Patent number: 11969135
    Abstract: A cordless wet and dry stick vacuum cleaner system has a portable power module, which includes an airflow generator, a battery, and control circuitry. This may be used with either a wet dirt management system and a wet vacuum nozzle or it may be used with a dry dirt management system and a dry vacuum nozzle. The shared power module enables power savings, whereas the other parts remain optimized for their specific function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: VERSUNI HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Matthijs Hendrikus Lubbers, Bernardus Lubbertus Kuiper
  • Patent number: 11964403
    Abstract: Systems and methods are directed to automated cleaning systems for vehicles. In one example, a vehicle is provided that includes a drive system, a passenger cabin, and a vehicle cleaning system. The vehicle cleaning system includes a vacuum unit and a robotic manipulator. The robotic manipulator includes an arm including a plurality of arm sections and a gripper unit positioned at a distal end of the arm. The robotic manipulator is connected to the vacuum unit such that the arm provides a vacuum path between the vacuum unit and the gripper unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Adam Kanitz
  • Patent number: 11963609
    Abstract: A floor cleaner can include a housing adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and at least one edge cleaning brush provided on the housing. The edge cleaning brush includes multiple cleaning implements which rotate on different axes. A gear system, such as a planetary gear system, can drive one cleaning implement at a lower speed than another cleaning implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventor: Todd R. VanTongeren
  • Patent number: 11963657
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus includes a controller coupled to a sensor or a set of sensors that collects and transmits data to a remote computing device. The surface cleaning apparatus can use wireless or networking technology with a protocol for wireless communication with the remote computing device. The remote computing device is configured to identify an event at the surface cleaning apparatus and/or a change in the cycle of operation of the surface cleaning apparatus based on the transmitted data. Sensor data can be transmitted from the remote computing device to a different surface cleaning apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventor: Jason W. Pruiett
  • Patent number: 11963651
    Abstract: An autonomous cleaning device and a noise reduction air duct device are provided for autonomous cleaning device. The autonomous cleaning device includes a body and a motor arranged on the body, and the noise reduction air duct device is mounted on the body. The noise reduction air duct device includes an upper housing, a lower housing and a support noise reduction structure made of elastic material. The lower housing and the upper housing enclose to form an air duct, an air inlet is arranged at a position of the air duct corresponding to the motor, and an air outlet is arranged on a side of the air duct away from the air inlet; the support noise reduction structure has a first end fixed on the lower housing, and a second end abutting against a lower surface of the upper housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: Beijing Shunzao Technology Co., Ltd., BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yongcheng Zuo, Cheng Tang, Fei Duan, Liang Zhong, Shan Gao, Tiantian Zhang
  • Patent number: 11964305
    Abstract: An automatic transport device for cleaning machines includes a transport base. A lifting-lowering assembly and a tray are provided on the transport base. The tray is connected to the transport base through the lifting-lowering assembly, and can be driven by the lifting-lowering assembly to reciprocate in a height direction. A top surface of the tray is provided with a translation assembly for transferring the shelf to the transport platform. A first mounting cavity is provided at each of front and rear ends of the tray. The translation assembly is connected to a side wall of the first mounting cavity. A second mounting cavity is provided at each of right and left ends of the tray. The second mounting cavity is provided with a limiting assembly, a lifting-lowering sensing assembly and a distance sensing assembly. An interactive system is provided in the transport base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: LAOKEN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., SOUTHWEST JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Xia Liu, Jiangxiong Luo, Xianghui Chang, Qijun Liu, Junchuan Zhang, Cong Zhang, Miao Zhang, Jun Liu, Yong Liu, Fuping Zhou
  • Patent number: 11965298
    Abstract: A system for detecting and locating sand accumulation in an enclosure and for removing the detected and located sand accumulation, having a sand accumulation locator assembly adapted to detect and locate one or more accumulations of sand in the enclosure; a sand removal mechanism adapted to remove the detected one or more accumulations of sand; and a controller communicatively coupled to the sand accumulation locator assembly and the sand removal mechanism, said controller being adapted to: control the sand accumulation locator assembly to detect and locate the one or more accumulations of sand in the enclosure; and control the sand removal mechanism to remove the one or more detected accumulations of sand based on corresponding one or more locations of accumulated sand detected by the sand accumulation locator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Rami A. Al-Ghanim, Abdullah Y. Al-Hassan, Mazin A. Al-Khudhur, Abdulaziz K. Al-Abdullatef, Nawwaf S. Al-Mutiri
  • Patent number: 11957286
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body defining a forward drive direction, a controller supported by the robot body, a drive supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot across a surface in response to commands from the controller, a pad holder disposed on an underside of the robot body and configured to retain a removable cleaning pad during operation of the cleaning robot; and a pad sensor arranged to sense a feature of a cleaning pad held by the pad holder and generate a corresponding signal. The controller is responsive to the signal generated by the pad sensor, and configured to control the robot according to a cleaning mode selected from a set of multiple robot cleaning modes as a function of the signal generated by the pad sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Ping-Hong Lu, Dan Foran, Marcus Williams, Joe Johnson, Andrew Graziani
  • Patent number: 11950754
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a base defining a suction chamber, a user-manipulatable handle coupled to the base, a brushroll driven by a brushroll motor, a transmitter and a receiver both of which are in wireless communication with a user-controlled electronic device, and a controller in communication with the transmitter and the receiver. The controller controls the brushroll motor in a default mode wherein the brushroll is configured to run at a first percent of power on a first floor surface and a second percent of power on a second floor surface. The controller receives a communication from the user-controlled electronic device via the receiver and configured to cause the controller to turn off the default mode and run the brushroll at a third percent of power at both the first floor surface and the second floor surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited
    Inventors: Patrick Truitt, Todd Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 11950543
    Abstract: A concentrator nozzle attachment for a blower device is disclosed that increases the airflow velocity of the blower without sacrificing the field of the jetting air. The concentrator nozzle is formed of an outer ring with a centrally located guide surface and is placed at the exit of an air tube. As the air exits the air tube, it's forced to flow around the guide surface, thus increasing its velocity. The attachment is secured to the end of the air tube and so does not alter the outer diameter through which the air exits. In this way, air velocity is increased without reducing its effectiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Black & Decker, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Greene, Khoa Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11944257
    Abstract: A nozzle for a cleaner has a nozzle housing, which has a nozzle base and a drain hole for discharging water from the nozzle housing. The nozzle also has a rotary cleaning unit disposed below the nozzle housing. The rotary cleaning unit has a rotation plate that can be attached to a mop. The nozzle has a driving unit that includes a driving motor for driving the rotary cleaning unit. The nozzle also has a control board for controlling the drive motor. In addition, the nozzle has a water tank detachably mounted on an upper side of the nozzle housing. The water tank stores water and supplies the water to the rotary cleaning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jinwoo Lee, Chungjae Ryu, Jonghyun Seo
  • Patent number: 11937759
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner (1) comprising a container (2), a suction unit (60), an air channeling unit (25), operative between the container (2) and the suction unit (60), wherein the air channeling unit (25) comprises: a collector (26) having a suction mouth (27) at an intake side of the air channeling unit (25), a deflector (28) positioned at the intake side and radially extending at least over a central portion of the suction mouth (27), the collector (26) and the deflector (28) delimiting a suction channel (29) connecting the suction mouth (27) to an inlet port (22) of the suction unit (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Diversey Switzerland Services GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Keller
  • Patent number: 11937764
    Abstract: Provided is a cleaning device including a vacuum cleaner including a dust collector into which dirt and dust is collected, a docking station connected to the dust collector and having a long axis extending in a first direction, and the docking station includes a docking part coupled to the dust collector to remove dirt and dust collected in the dust collector, a sucking device sucking up the dirt and dust and inside air in the dust collector docked with the docking part through the docking part, and a circulation duct arranged for the air sucked up by the sucking device to be circulated to the docking part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seehyun Kim, Youngchul Ko, Higon Koo, Kisup Lee, Hyunho Lee, Seungryong Cha, Seungwoo Choi, Kihwan Kwon, Hyeoncheol Kim, Hwagyu Song, Sungcheol Lee, Hyunju Lee, Ingyu Choi
  • Patent number: 11930991
    Abstract: A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot can include a canister and a base configured to receive the mobile cleaning robot thereon, where the base can include a front portion and a back portion opposite the front portion. The base can include a vacuum port extending at least partially through the base. The canister can be connected to the back portion of the base and can be located at least partially above the base. The canister can include a debris bin connected to the vacuum port to receive debris therefrom and a fan compartment connected to a side wall of the debris bin and including a fan system operable to draw debris through the vacuum port and the debris bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent Andrew Wolff, Brian W. Doughty, Leo Torrente, Travis Gschrey, Jack Zhang, Levi Fox, Rogelio Manfred Neumann, Celerick Stephens, James J. Mahoney, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11925304
    Abstract: An information processing method in a server device includes obtaining first information obtained by at least one of one or more sensors installed in a space, detecting the breakage of an article present in the space based on the first information, estimating a situation where the breakage of the article occurred based on the first information, and outputting second information for causing a self-propelled device to perform a predetermine operation in the space according to the estimated situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Takanori Ogawa, Masashi Koide
  • Patent number: 11928726
    Abstract: An information processing method in a server device includes obtaining first information on an object to be sucked by a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, specifying a first article constituted by the object to be sucked based on the first information, specifying a second article relating to the first article based on second information on the first article and third information on an owner of the first article, and outputting fourth information on the specified second article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventor: Takanori Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11918171
    Abstract: A detection system including an autonomous collection device that is capable of moving on a floor surface and for collecting an object on the floor surface, and a station device for detecting an analyte from the object collected from the floor surface by the autonomous collection device. The autonomous collection device includes a moving part for moving on the floor surface, a primary electric blower for sucking the object on the floor surface, and a dust container for storing the sucked object. The station device includes a transfer pipe fluidically connected to the dust container of the autonomous collection device when the autonomous collection device is positioned in a home position, and a virus detection part for detecting the analyte from the object transferred from the dust container through the transfer pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakayama, Mikiya Nakata
  • Patent number: 11918160
    Abstract: A turntable structure, a mopping device, and a robot are disclosed. The turntable structure comprises: a cleaning turntable, an adjusting component, and a pressure unit; one side of the cleaning turntable is connected to a cleaning piece; the adjusting component is slidably connected to the cleaning turntable along a target direction, and is located on the side of the cleaning turntable opposite to the cleaning piece, and the side of the adjusting component away from the cleaning piece is connected to a driving mechanism of the robot; the pressure unit is provided between the cleaning turntable and the adjusting component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: YUNJING INTELLIGENCE INNOVATION (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junbin Zhang, Jibiao Huang, Weijin Lin
  • Patent number: 11911812
    Abstract: A drain cleaning device for removing debris from a drain is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the drain cleaning device includes a handle section; a rod section connected to the handle section, the rod section optionally including one or more ribs, the one or more ribs configured to add structural rigidity to the rod section, and the one or more ribs further configured to facilitate the cleaning of grime from a side of a drain pipe; and an optional tip section connected to the rod section, the tip section including a plurality of projections disposed thereon, the plurality of projections configured to grab and collect debris from the drain pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Imagination Products Corp.
    Inventors: Stephen S. Turner, Scott I. Turner