Patents Examined by Andrew A Horton
  • Patent number: 12042107
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus includes a recovery tank and an electronic sensing system configured to detect liquid at one or more levels within the recovery tank and determine when to shut-off or otherwise interrupt the recovery system. In addition, the sensing system can detect whether the recovery tank is missing from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Minh Nguyen, Nim Chung Ku, Roger Hoskens, Mike Luyckx
  • Patent number: 12029375
    Abstract: In general, the present disclosure is directed to a hand-held surface cleaning device that includes a relatively compact form-factor to allow users to store the same in a nearby location (e.g., in a drawer, in an associated charging dock, on a table top) for easy access to perform relatively small cleaning tasks that would otherwise require retrieving a full-size vacuum from storage. A hand-held surface cleaning device consistent with aspects of the present disclosure includes a body (or body portion) with a motor, power source and dust cup disposed therein. The body portion also functions as a handgrip to allow the hand-held surface cleaning device to be operated by one hand, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Tonderys, Andre D. Brown, Daniel Innes, Bastin Antonisami, Jason B. Thorne, Kai Xu, Heliang Chen, Adam Udy
  • Patent number: 12011743
    Abstract: A lower-surface brush includes a base portion, a first cleaning portion and a second cleaning portion. The first cleaning portion is provided on an upper surface of the base portion to project upwardly from the upper surface of the base portion and extend in one direction through a geometric center of the base portion in a plan view. The second cleaning portion is provided on the upper surface of the base portion to project upwardly from the upper surface of the base portion and extend along an outer edge of the base portion. Alternatively, one or a plurality of pairs of second cleaning portions may be provided on the upper surface of the base portion to project upwardly from the upper surface of the base portion and be opposite to each other with the first cleaning portion interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Shinohara
  • Patent number: 12011135
    Abstract: A cleaner includes: a suction motor that generates suction force; a dust separation unit disposed under the suction motor and separates dust from air; a handle disposed behind the suction motor; and a battery disposed under the handle and behind the dust separation unit to supply power to the suction motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Bohyun Nam, Namhee Kim, Jinju Kim, Hyeonjeong An, Jungbae Hwang
  • Patent number: 12011136
    Abstract: A surface cleaner includes a suction source that generates a suction airflow to draw liquid-laden air along a fluid flow path from a dirty air inlet to a recovery tank. The recovery tank includes a chamber for storing liquid, an inlet along the fluid flow path, an outlet aperture along the fluid flow path, and a float having an indicator. An inflow path upstream of the inlet connects the dirty air inlet to the recovery tank. The float moves between a first position spaced away from the outlet aperture allowing air to exit the recovery tank along the fluid flow path, and a second position adjacent the outlet aperture obstructing the fluid flow path. The indicator is visible to a user when the float is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited
    Inventor: Douglas M. Rukavina
  • Patent number: 12004701
    Abstract: A cleaner includes a suction motor that generates suction force, a dust separation unit that is disposed under the suction motor and separates dust from air, a handle disposed behind the suction motor, and a battery disposed under the handle and behind the dust separation unit to supply power to the suction motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Bohyun Nam, Namhee Kim, Jinju Kim, Hyeonjeong An, Jungbae Hwang
  • Patent number: 11998148
    Abstract: A floor cleaning machine is provided, in particular a hand-guided and/or hand-held floor cleaning machine, including a support device, at least one cleaning roller arranged on the support device, capable of being driven in rotation and provided with a cleaning substrate, said cleaning substrate being made of a textile material; and at least one mouth towards the at least one cleaning roller that includes a first and a spaced second mouth wall having a mouth opening therebetween, wherein the first mouth wall is positioned above the second mouth wall relative to the direction of gravity, wherein the first and/or second mouth wall protrude(s) into the cleaning substrate of the at least one cleaning roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Alexander Braendle, Manuel Schulze, Fabian Moser, Moritz Irion, Swen Sorgenfrei
  • Patent number: 11997957
    Abstract: The application provides a multifunctional robotic device including a body, an energy unit installed in the body, a power unit powered by the energy unit, the power unit including an output shaft wherein the output shaft is located at the lower part of the body and exposed from the body, and at least two working units, the working unit is detachably connected to output shaft of the power unit and driven by the power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Jin Cao, Jie Gao, Wanghao Li
  • Patent number: 11998152
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a nozzle of a cleaner. The nozzle of a cleaner includes: a nozzle main body having a suction flow path through which air is suctioned; a first rotation cleaning unit and a second rotation cleaning unit spaced apart in a left and right direction on a lower side of the nozzle main body and including a rotation plate to which mop is attachable; a first driving device disposed on one side of a flow path extending in a front and rear direction in the suction path and including a first driving motor for driving the first rotation cleaning unit; a second driving device disposed on the other side of the flow path extending in the front and rear direction in the suction path and including a second driving motor for driving the second rotation cleaning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Byungryul Moon, Seungbae Jung
  • Patent number: 11998164
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a system that includes at least one suction device and at least one hand-held power tool. The method includes establishing a communications link between the suction device and the hand-held power tool by means of at least one suction device communication unit and at least one hand-held power tool communication unit, and transmitting at least one communication signal by means of the communications link from the hand-held power tool, in particular the hand-held power tool communication unit, to the suction device, in particular the suction device communication unit. When the suction device is switched on, at least one start signal is sent to the hand-held power tool, the hand-held power tool being activatable only if the start signal is received by the hand-held power tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Christian Schwille, Christian Pieper, Jana Bieser, Ruggero Indino, Philippe Van Den Bogaert, Holger Alexander Doeppner, Nils Donath, Michael Wall, Christopher Michael Barker
  • Patent number: 11986137
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a mobile robot, including: a mop module having a pair of spin mops, which rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise, and a mop motor configured to provide a driving force to the pair of spin mops; a sweep module disposed forward of and spaced apart from the mop module, and having a collecting part, which forms a collecting space to store foreign materials, a sweeping part configured to introduce foreign materials into the collecting space while rotating, and a sweeping motor configured to provide a driving force to the sweeping part; a body, on which the mop module and the sweep module are disposed; and a first floor sensor disposed forward of the sweep module, and configured to sense reflectance of light reflected from a floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaewon Jang, Seunglok Ham, Yeongjae Lee
  • Patent number: 11981295
    Abstract: The invention relates to a connector (10) for a wiping system (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a elongated connector body (50) which has an elongated shape and is configured to be mounted on a wiper blade (2), characterized in that the connector body (50) comprises a device for guiding at least one air flow towards a surface to be wiped (40) in order to reduce a liquid suction phenomenon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: VALEO SYSTÈMES D'ESSUYAGE
    Inventors: Vincent Gaucher, Stéphane Houssat
  • Patent number: 11980334
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus comprising a surface cleaning head, the surface cleaning head comprising a liquid separation stage having a separated liquid storage region; and, an air treatment stage that is downstream from the liquid separation stage, the air treatment stage having a separated solid storage region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Patent number: 11975693
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wiper frame (10), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a wiper blade (14), a liquid channel (30, 32) for carrying a cleaning liquid, and a heating unit (38). According to the invention, the heating unit (38) is substantially located inside the liquid channel (30, 32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Rapp, Sascha Geissler
  • Patent number: 11970142
    Abstract: A system for dislodging debris from one or more surfaces includes an air inlet, an air outlet fluidly coupled with the air inlet, an air jet forming a trainable air stream between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a vibration device comprising a vibration controller, and one or more vibrators. The vibration device creates vibrations such that debris on the one or more surfaces is dislodged such that debris is captured in the trainable air stream, and the air stream carries the dislodged debris to the air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: David M. Goemer, Evan Vijithakumara, Imad Zahid, Lizbeth Jurado, Lou Pope, Yuho Kozu
  • Patent number: 11963654
    Abstract: A cleaner includes: a suction motor that generates suction force; a dust separation unit that separates dust from air sucked by the suction force; a motor housing that covers the suction motor; a flow guide that surrounds an outer side of the motor housing and guides air discharged from the dust separation unit to the suction motor; and a body that forms an external appearance by surrounding the flow guide and guides air discharged from the suction motor together with the flow guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Bohyun Nam, Namhee Kim, Jinju Kim, Hyeonjeong An, Jungbae Hwang, Philjae Hwang, Mantae Hwang, Eunji Sung, Taekgi Lee
  • Patent number: 11958443
    Abstract: A replacement kit (100) for a wiper mounted at the end of a motor vehicle wiper arm (10), the kit comprising at least one wiper (102, 102c, 102p) equipped with an inbuilt fluid spraying device comprising at least one circulation canal (126) and a fluid inlet cannula (104), and at least one fluid distribution tube (106) configured to be coupled at one end to said wiper (102, 102c, 102p) and at its opposite end to a fluid supply circuit supplying fluid coming from a reservoir (11) of the vehicle, the replacement kit also comprising a coupling (108) configured to allow a fluidic connection between the supply circuit and the at least one fluid distribution tube (106), as well as at least one fixing means (110, 116) for holding the distribution tube in position along the wiper arm (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: VALEO SYSTÈMES D'ESSUYAGE
    Inventors: Stéphane Houssat, Vincent Gaucher, Guillaume Mouleyre, Olivier Jomard, Julien Carrion
  • Patent number: 11957294
    Abstract: A blower apparatus includes a motor including a rotor including a shaft extending along a vertically extending central axis, and a stator opposing the rotor in a radial direction, an impeller below the stator and fixed to the shaft, and a housing surrounding an outer side of the impeller in the radial direction. The impeller includes a base portion that widens in a direction intersecting the central axis, and blades arranged on an upper surface of the base portion along a circumferential direction. An annulus is fixed to an upper end portion of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akikazu Fujiwara, Motoi Sawasaki
  • Patent number: 11961411
    Abstract: A method of assisting user-configuration of hardware for a mobile autonomous cleaning robot can include detecting a flooring type of a room or other portion of an environment. A size of the portion of the environment can be detected and a total size of the environment can be determined. generating a hardware characteristic recommendation can be generated based at least in part on the flooring type, the size of the portion of the environment, and the total size of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Kolling, Christopher Mehegan
  • Patent number: 11950672
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a diaper bag vacuum apparatus. The diaper bag is integrated on a vacuum system for cleaning up the mess such as food waste that is often created by the small infants. The vacuum system comprises one or more vacuum components include, an air handling tube, a solid separator assembly, a container, a motor, a blower or fan, a rechargeable battery and an exhaust tube, which are vacuum mounted in the cavity of a pull-out drawer beneath the diaper bag. A detachable hose is attached to the vacuum system via intake port to pick up debris from the floor. A filter in the solid separator allow only air and captures the debris inside the container. Further, the apparatus is battery operable, which enables the fan pulls the air into the center of the fan and ejects it into the exhaust tubing and released to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Inventor: Roy Franklin Partin, II