Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus can include a housing adapted to move across a surface to be cleaned, an edge brush, and a brushroll driven by a brush motor. The edge brush is connectable with a drive coupling for rotating the edge brush, and is indirectly driven by the brush motor via the brushroll. In one aspect, the edge brush and drive coupling comprise a modular unit removably coupled to the housing. In another aspect, the drive coupling can include a worm and a belt.

Abstract: A screw bit body allowing for torque force application onto a socket fastener. The screw bit body includes a plurality of laterally-bracing sidewalls, a plurality of intermittent sidewalls, a first base, and a second base. The laterally-bracing sidewalls and plurality of intermittent sidewalls are radially distributed about a rotation axis of the screw bit body with each further including a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a bracing surface, and an engagement cavity. The engagement cavity creates a gripping point to prevent slippage in between the screw bit body and the socket fastener. The engagement cavity traverses normal and into the concave surface and the convex surface. The engagement cavity includes an angled driving portion and a concave portion. The angled driving portion is positioned adjacent to the first lateral edge with the concave portion being positioned opposite to the first lateral edge, across the angled driving portion.

Abstract: A mobile collection device including a vehicle assisted working device for cleaning surfaces, and an autonomously self-driving robot vehicle. The working device includes a brush for detachment of extraneous material from the surface, a blower configured to provide an underpressure for a suction of the detached material into the air flow from the surface, and a cyclone configured to separate material from the air flow. The blower is configured to provide an overpressure and return of the separated air to the surface. The brush is configured to rotate counter-wise to a forward movement direction of the working device. The working device is configured such that the spot is treated in the following order: the blower provides the underpressure for the suction of the detached materials, the counter-rotating brush brushes the spot, and the blower provides the overpressure and return of the separated air to the surface via an air-knife.

Abstract: Applicant has created vacuum apparatuses with improved stability and methods for improving the stability of a wet/dry vacuum. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a motor, a removable drum adapted to store debris collected by the apparatus, and a base that can be adapted to receive the removable drum. The motor can be adapted to be interposed between the removable drum and the base. The methods can include the step of providing a base, the step of providing a removable drum adapted to be coupled to the base, and the step of coupling a vacuum motor to the base such that the vacuum motor is adapted to be disposed beneath the removable drum when the drum is coupled to the base. By relocating the motor of vacuum apparatus beneath the drum, the vacuum's center of gravity can be lowered significantly and, thus, its propensity to tip over is minimized.

Abstract: A robot floor cleaning system features a mobile floor cleaning robot and an evacuation station. The robot includes: a chassis with at least one drive wheel operable to propel the robot across a floor surface; a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and arranged to receive debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and a robot vacuum configured to pull debris into the cleaning bin from an opening on an underside of the robot. The evacuation station is configured to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the robot, and includes: a housing defining a platform arranged to receive the cleaning robot in a position in which the opening on the underside of the robot aligns with a suction opening defined in the platform; and an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening.

Abstract: Robotic systems and methods for collecting trash are provided. The robotic system includes a vehicle, a camera, a trash collection unit, an actuator, and a controller. The vehicle includes a drive. The camera moves with the vehicle to capture images of the trash while the vehicle moves along ground. The trash collection unit is carried by the vehicle to collect the trash. The trash collection unit includes a vacuum pump and a collection conduit. The actuator is operatively coupled to the collection conduit to adjust a position of the collection conduit relative to the vehicle to position the collection conduit adjacent to the trash to collect the trash. The controller is coupled to the drive, the camera, the trash collection unit, and the actuator to coordinate movement of the vehicle, positioning of the collection conduit, and operation of the vacuum pump to collect the trash.

Abstract: A hand vacuum cleaner has a main body housing a suction motor, the suction motor having a suction motor axis of rotation. A cyclone assembly is removably mounted to the main body. The cyclone assembly comprises a first cyclonic stage and a second cyclonic stage. The first cyclonic stage comprises a first stage cyclone, and the second cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel. The first cyclonic stage is provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the second cyclonic stage is positioned rearward of the first cyclonic stage, and the suction motor is positioned rearward of the second cyclonic stage. The first stage cyclone axis of rotation, the second stage cyclone axes of rotation and the suction motor axis of rotation are parallel. The first stage cyclone axis of rotation extends through the second cyclonic stage and the suction motor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cleaner. The cleaner according to an embodiment includes a main body, a suction device configured to suck dust outside the cleaner, a dust detection sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element disposed adjacent to the suction device, a dust container configured to store sucked dust through the suction device, and a processor configured to identify a dust inflow state and a dust amount of the dust container based on a voltage value output from the light receiving element, and control an operation of the cleaner based on the identified dust inflow state and dust amount, wherein the light emitting element and the light receiving element are disposed at an outside of the dust container in a direction toward an inlet of the dust container.

Abstract: A plier having multiple functions includes a fixed leg having a pivot point, a fixed handle on a first side of the pivot point, and an upper jaw on a second side of the pivot point. The plier further includes a moveable leg rotatably coupled to the fixed leg at the pivot point and having a moveable handle on the first side of the pivot point and a lower jaw on the second side of the pivot point, the lower jaw defining a spanner extending away from the upper jaw.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a suction nozzle opening, a source of suction in fluid communication with the suction nozzle opening for generating a working air stream through the housing, and a multiply-adjustable debris collecting blade coupled along the rear of the suction nozzle opening for collecting debris.

Abstract: A lid system for a wet-dry vacuum includes a lid shaped to cover an open end of a container and having a vacuum opening therethrough, and a hatch that engages the lid to cover and seal the vacuum opening when in a closed position and disengages from the lid in an open position to uncover the vacuum opening. A vacuum generator is mounted on the hatch, and a flanged filter is mounted on the lid and extends through the vacuum opening such that the flange supports the filter on the lid. When the hatch is in the closed position, the hatch compresses the flange against the lid to form an airtight seal between with the upper surface of the lid, and the vacuum generator communicates with the interior of the container. When the hatch is in the open position, the filter is insertable into and removable from the vacuum opening.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a first grinding mechanism, a second grinding mechanism, and a third grinding mechanism for grinding wafers held on respective chuck tables. The first grinding mechanism and the second grinding mechanism are positioned with respect to the chuck tables such that a second ground mark produced on a wafer by second grindstones of the second grinding mechanism as it grinds the wafer extends across a first ground mark produced on the wafer by first grindstones of the first grinding mechanism as it grinds the wafer. The second grinding mechanism and the third grinding mechanism are positioned with respect to the chuck tables such that a third ground mark produced on the wafer by third grindstones of the third grinding mechanism as it grinds the wafer extends across the second ground mark produced on the wafer by the second grindstones.

Abstract: A flex head tool includes a first body and a second body and a. retaining device adapted to position the second body at various angular positions with respect to the first body. The retaining device includes a retainer and an actuator adapted to move the retainer in a first position and a second position. The retainer and the actuator respectively have a first interacting structure and a second interacting structure abutting each other. The second interacting structure has a first and a second position at which the first interacting structure respectively abuts when the actuator is at a first position and a second position. The first and the second positions of the second interacting structure are at different distances from the end of the actuator.

Abstract: An angle grinder includes a housing, an output shaft at least partially extending out of the housing and being rotatable about a first axis relative to the housing, a sleeve fixedly connected to the housing, a first shield surrounding the output shaft and detachably connected to the sleeve, a second shield surrounding at least a part of the first shield and detachably connected to the first shield, and a connector configured for connecting the second shield to the first shield. The second shield is formed or connected with a mounting element for cooperating with the connector, and the connector and the mounting element are separately formed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum cleaning device, including a body, a dust cup, and an unlocking mechanism for unlocking and locking the dust cup. The body is provided with a vacuum cleaning channel, a filter is provided in the dust cup, the unlocking mechanism is configured to have a locking state and an unlocking state, and when the unlocking mechanism is in the locking state, the dust cup and the body are locked together in a sealing manner, and the vacuum cleaning channel is in communication with the filter and the dust cup such that the filter and the dust cup are in a working state; and when the unlocking mechanism is in the unlocking state, the dust cup and the filter are automatically disengaged from the vacuum cleaning channel to an easy-to-take state.

Abstract: A sanding machine, in particular for processing wood surfaces, includes a support and transport plane for the forwarding of the workpieces to be processed; and a belt sanding unit with a transverse abrasive belt inside which a pressure pad is arranged obliquely. The pressure pad is divided into a plurality of pressure elements which can be actuated individually and are controlled by respective sensors that constitute a control beam. Methods are described for compensating the different distances between sensor and respective pressure elements that avoid adaptations of the position of the workpiece to be processed, in particular if the machine contains further non inclined processing units. The sanding machine is particularly suitable even for the processing of large workpieces.

Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus including a body defining an agitation chamber, an agitator partially disposed within the agitation chamber and configured to rotate about a pivot axis, and a debrider at least partially disposed within the agitation chamber. The agitator includes an elongated body having a first and a second end, a sidewall extending radially outward from the elongated body extending between the first and the second ends, and a plurality of bristles extending radially outward from the elongated body. The plurality of bristles are arranged in at least one row adjacent to the sidewall. The debrider includes a plurality of teeth configured to contact a portion of the sidewall as the agitator rotates about the pivot axis.

Abstract: The present invention is a full-mouth toothbrush apparatus. The full-mouth toothbrush apparatus comprises a housing, a pair of brush tines, a set of brush connectors, and a set of brush inserts. The set of brush connectors comprises a pair of first brush connectors and a second brush connector. The pair of brush tines is terminally connected adjacent to the housing. The set of brush connectors is distributed about the pair of brush tines. The pair of first brush connectors is terminally distributed along the pair of brush tines. The pair of first brush connectors is hingedly connected along the pair of brush tines. The second brush connector is slidably connected along the pair of brush tines. The second brush connector is positioned between the housing and the first pair of first brush connectors.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention described herein relate to vacuum cleaners. The vacuum cleaners described herein can include a motor, a lid, a collection receptacle, and at least one support member to permit access to the interior of the vacuum cleaner. Also described herein are vacuum cleaners having a motor, a lid, a collection receptacle, and an accessory holder that can be pivotally mounted to the collection receptacle to permit access to the contents thereof.

Abstract: A flush valve installation tool and associated method is used to install and uninstall chrome flush valves. The installation tool is capable of installing and uninstalling nuts of a variety of sizes without causing damage to the surfaces of the nuts. The flush valve installation tool has opposing first and second members coupled together by a pin or bolt. The first and second members each have two or more smooth jaw faces configured to engage 4 or 5 surfaces of a nut to be installed or uninstalled. The flush valve installation tool can be adjusted to select the distance between opposing jaw faces to accommodate different sized nuts.