Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a main body and a suction nozzle that suctions up dust on the floor. The suction nozzle includes a housing, a driver, and a rotating brush. The housing includes an entrance through which the dust travels to the main body, a first shaft member, and a first rib disposed along a circumference of the first shaft member. The rotating brush includes a cylindrical body rotated by the first shaft member. The rotating brush also includes a brush member attached to an outer surface of the cylindrical body. The brush member rubs against the floor to direct the dust on the floor towards the entrance. As the brush member rotates, it also comes into contact with the first rib. The brush member includes a plurality of filaments. Some of the filaments are elastically deformed in the direction of the rotation axis upon contacting the first rib.

Abstract: A method of making clear ice includes circulating a refrigerant through a refrigerant loop. A portion of the refrigerant loop is in contact with a mold body. Thus, the refrigerant chills the mold body. The method also includes spraying a first volume of liquid water into a mold cavity of the mold body. As a result, a first volume of ice is formed in the mold cavity. The method also includes spraying a second volume of liquid water into the mold cavity after the first volume of ice has formed. Thus, a portion of the first volume of ice is melted and a second volume of ice is formed in mold cavity. The clear ice includes an unmelted portion of the first volume of ice and the second volume of ice.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure includes a main body and a suction nozzle. The suction nozzle includes a housing, a driver, a rotating brush, and a detachable cover. A pressing button is mounted in the housing. The detachable cover is rotated about the rotational axis of the rotating brush to be mounted in the housing. The pressing button selectively blocks rotation of the detachable cover.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, and an inventory management system mounted within the chilled chamber for monitoring objects positioned within the chilled chamber. The inventory management system may include a noncontact scanning device, such as a three-dimensional light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, a camera assembly, and/or one or more weight sensors that work together to detect, identify, and locate objects positioned within the chilled chamber.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance with sensing for load determination including a shelf and shelf support with a resilient member positioned so as to be compressed by the weight of food items placed on the shelf. Changes in pressure or flowrate of a fluid in the resilient member are used to detect changes in the weight of food items. The appliance can be configured to execute one or more events based on the detected changes.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, an image module, and a drawer assembly. The cabinet may include an inner liner defining a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The image module may be mounted to the cabinet and have a field of view within the chilled chamber. The drawer assembly may be disposed within the field of view of the image module. The drawer assembly may include an assembly frame supported on the inner liner, a slidable drawer movably attached to the assembly frame to move relative thereto, and a plurality of weight sensors mounted on the assembly frame apart from the slidable drawer to detect a weight of one or more objects received on the drawer assembly.

Abstract: A holder for holding an electronic label device includes a body; a first coupler including a top horizontal extension and a pressing portion extending from the top horizontal extension in a front direction at a predetermined curvature; a second coupler extending in a horizontal direction and protruding from a top of the body in a front direction, wherein the second coupler is spaced from the pressing portion to define a clipping gap therebetween; and a third coupler including: a bottom horizontal extension extending in a horizontal direction and protruding from a bottom of the body in a front direction; and a guide portion extending from the bottom horizontal extension at a predetermined angle relative to the bottom horizontal extension, such that an upper portion of the guide portion and the bottom horizontal extension define a protrusion receiving portion.

Abstract: An end effector of a surgical robot, including a force/torque sensor module mounted to a robot arm, an end effector frame to which the force/torque sensor module is coupled, a clamping unit installed in the end effector frame, and a tool mounting unit detachably coupled to the end effector frame by the clamping unit and supporting a surgical tool. The end effector can help to rapidly and conveniently perform a surgical operation by the robot, thereby not only safely carrying out a surgical process but also easily and accurately gripping a surgical tool during the surgical operation and setting and keeping a location of the surgical tool and a surgical site.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, an image module, and a shelf assembly. The cabinet may define a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The image module may be mounted to the cabinet. The shelf assembly may be disposed below the image module within the chilled chamber. The shelf assembly may include a support panel attached to the cabinet, a first shelf attached to the support panel, a second shelf attached to the support panel and spaced apart from the first shelf, and a weight sensor mounted on the support panel to detect stored mass at the first shelf and the second shelf.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, an image module, and a drawer assembly. The cabinet may include an inner liner defining a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The image module may be mounted to the cabinet and have a field of view within the chilled chamber. The drawer assembly may be disposed within the field of view of the image module. The drawer assembly may include an assembly frame supported on the inner liner, a slidable drawer movably attached to the assembly frame to move relative thereto, and a plurality of weight sensors mounted on the assembly frame apart from the slidable drawer to detect a weight of one or more objects received on the drawer assembly.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, and a shelf assembly. The cabinet may define a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The shelf assembly may be disposed below the image module within the chilled chamber. The shelf assembly may include a mounting bracket attached to the cabinet, a shelf attached to the mounting bracket, and a weight sensor disposed within the cabinet in cantilevered engagement with the shelf to detect stored mass at the shelf.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance with sensing for load determination including a shelf and shelf support with a resilient member positioned so as to be compressed by the weight of food items placed on the shelf. Changes in pressure or flowrate of a fluid in the resilient member are used to detect changes in the weight of food items. The appliance can be configured to execute one or more events based on the detected changes.

Abstract: A method of operating a refrigerator, as provided herein, may include initiating a first image capture sequence at a camera module and identifying a first stored item based on a first two-dimensional image of the first image capture sequence. The method may further include determining an internal location of the first stored item within a chilled chamber or generating an expanded image of the first stored item and a second stored item spaced apart from the first stored item.

Abstract: An ice making system for creating clear ice and an associated method are provided. The ice making system employs a first sealed refrigerant system connected to a heat exchanger. A second sealed refrigerant system is also connected to the heat exchanger for cooling a first refrigerant of the first sealed refrigerant system. A heat exchanger heater is at least partially contained with the heat exchanger for heating the first refrigerant. A pump in the first refrigerant system is activated after heat exchanger heater has warmed the first refrigerant, enabling a cooling cycle to begin. Once sufficient clear ice has been generated, the pump is deactivated.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, a scanner module, and a controller operably coupled to the scanner module. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The scanner module may be mounted to the cabinet. The controller may be configured to initiate an operation routine. The operation routine may include initiating a scan sequence at the scanner module, identifying a barcode capture for a product barcode of a stored item based on the scan sequence, processing barcode data for the barcode capture according to one or more predetermined user preferences, establishing an item identifier based on the processed barcode data, and directing an update to a user list with the established item identifier.

Abstract: An ice making system for creating clear ice and an associated method are provided. The ice making system employs a first sealed refrigerant system connected to a heat exchanger. A second sealed refrigerant system is also connected to the heat exchanger for cooling a first refrigerant of the first sealed refrigerant system. A heat exchanger heater is at least partially contained with the heat exchanger for heating the first refrigerant. A pump in the first refrigerant system is activated after heat exchanger heater has warmed the first refrigerant, enabling a cooling cycle to begin. Once sufficient clear ice has been generated, the pump is deactivated.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet, a camera module, and a controller. The camera module may be mounted to the cabinet. The controller may be operably coupled to the camera module. The controller may be configured to initiate an operation routine. The operation routine may include receiving a purchase invoice, initiating an item recognition sequence within the refrigerator appliance, generating an initial recognition attempt of a first stored item based on the item recognition sequence, comparing the initial recognition attempt of the first stored item to the purchase invoice, generating a modified recognition attempt of the first stored item based on the comparison of the initial recognition attempt the first stored item to the purchase invoice, and recording a descriptor of the first stored item to an inventory within the refrigerator appliance.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an end effector of a surgical robot, and more particularly to an end effector of a surgical robot, which can rapidly and conveniently perform a surgical operation by the robot, thereby not only safely carrying out a surgical process but also easily and accurately gripping a surgical tool during the surgical operation and setting and keeping a location of the surgical tool and a surgical site. The end effector of the surgical robot according to the disclosure, as an end effector mounted on a surgical robot, includes: a force/torque sensor module mounted to a robot arm; an end effector frame to which the force/torque sensor module is coupled; a clamping unit installed in the end effector frame; and a tool mounting unit detachably coupled to the end effector frame by the clamping unit and supporting a surgical tool.

Abstract: An ice making system for creating clear ice and an associated method are provided. The ice making system employs a first sealed refrigerant system connected to a heat exchanger. A second sealed refrigerant system is also connected to the heat exchanger for cooling a first refrigerant of the first sealed refrigerant system. A heat exchanger heater is at least partially contained with the heat exchanger for heating the first refrigerant. A pump in the first refrigerant system is activated after heat exchanger heater has warmed the first refrigerant, enabling a cooling cycle to begin. Once sufficient clear ice has been generated, the pump is deactivated.

Abstract: The present subject matter includes a method of focusing of an optical imaging apparatus. The method comprises causing illumination of an object using an illuminating beam to thereby cause generation of a scattered beam. A first set of luminous parameters are derived from a first detected position of a luminous representation formed by the scattered beam from the object. The illumination-beam is focused upon the object by triggering a movement of the object along an optical-axis in a first direction, the first direction being based a numerical-representation of the first set of luminous parameters. A second set of luminous parameters are derived from a second detected position of the luminous-representation of the object, the second detected position being related to the first detected position and the movement of the object. The focusing of the illumination beam is ceased based at-least on a numerical-representation of the second set of luminous parameters.