Patents Examined by David A. Redding
  • Patent number: 9597716
    Abstract: A dry-type cleaning chassis for cleaning a cleaning target by colliding the cleaning media with the cleaning target, the cleaning media being blown by an air flow includes an internal space where the cleaning media are to fly; an opening part being in contact with the cleaning target so that the cleaning media collide with the cleaning target; an air inlet duct introducing external air into the internal space; a suction port generating a first air flow caused by a circulating air flow in the internal space by suctioning the introduced external air; an injection port generating at least a second air flow increasing a speed of the cleaning media flown by the circulating air flow; and a porous unit passing objects removed from the cleaning target to a suction port side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Fuchigami, Yoichi Okamoto, Kohji Tsukahara, Shozo Murata, Yusuke Taneda
  • Patent number: 9596968
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set facing the floor with a driven brush roller, wherein the brush set can be connected via a pivotable connecting element in the form of a connecting piece for a filter housing attachable to a handle having a hand grip. The brush set accommodates an electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller. An electrical switch is provided for switching the electric motor on and off which is disposed on the side wall as a lateral flank of the brush set in the form of a foot operated switch. The switch with its external control surface projects outwards with respect to the side wall in the switched-off position whereas in the switched-on position the control surface ends with neighboring or adjacent surface sections of the side wall without overhang.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Stein
  • Patent number: 9591957
    Abstract: An autonomous vacuum cleaner comprising a main body comprising a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet, an airflow path extending between the dirty air inlet and the clean air outlet, a separating apparatus arranged in the airflow path between the dirty air inlet and the clean air outlet, and an airflow generator for generating an airflow along the airflow path from the dirty air inlet to the clean air outlet. The airflow generator has a discharge portion which discharges airflow into a chamber formed in the main body, the chamber including an opening that is closable by a removable panel, wherein a power source is receivable within the chamber formed in the main body and is removable from the chamber through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: DYSON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: James Dyson, Peter David Gammack, Mark Stamford Vanderstegen-Drake, Andre David Brown
  • Patent number: 9591960
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus including a cleaning head having a body to sit adjacent a first surface to be cleaned; and a head formation releasably connectable to a connection portion of the body; wherein in a first configuration the head formation is connected to the body such that the head formation sits adjacent the first surface or a second surface to be cleaned, and the cleaning head defines a first footprint, and in a second configuration the head formation is detached from the body and the cleaning head defines a second footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited
    Inventor: Phil Grove
  • Patent number: 9585308
    Abstract: A dust mitigating device is provided for use in debris handling. A dust mitigating device may comprise a rake having a head and a first axis, a collection head coupled to the rake, and an exit passage in fluid communication with the collection head. The collection head comprises a suction port and has a second axis. The collection head is configured to align with the head of a rake such that the second axis substantially parallel with the first axis and proximate the first axis. The exit passage is configured to couple to a negative pressure source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Skitter & Squirt Adventures, LLC
    Inventor: Jack Marion King, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9585533
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner is provided, including a suction inlet, a dirt collection container, a filter device, a suction conduit, a suction unit, wherein the dirt collection container is in flow communication with the suction unit via the filter device and the suction conduit and wherein the filter device has a negative pressure applied to it by the suction unit, and including an external air valve device, wherein the filter device is capable of having external air applied thereto on the clean side thereof via the external air valve device and wherein for cleaning the filter device the external air valve device is capable of being brought from a closed valve position to an open valve position and back again from the open valve position to a closed valve position, characterized by a battery device for supplying energy to the external air valve device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Maic Hensel, Frank Fuchs, Julien Scholl
  • Patent number: 9572463
    Abstract: An upright surface cleaning apparatus is provided wherein the upper section is provided with an openable post motor filter housing. The post motor filter may be axially removable and may be positioned below the suction motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Patent number: 9572467
    Abstract: An autonomous vacuum cleaner comprising a main body having a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet, an airflow path between the dirty air inlet and the clean air outlet and a primary separating apparatus arranged in the air flow path between the dirty air inlet and the clean air outlet. The primary separating apparatus comprises at least one cyclone, and the main body further includes a secondary separating apparatus in the airflow path downstream of the primary separating apparatus. The secondary separating apparatus comprises a container for holding dirt and debris which has an air inlet and a filter element, wherein the container is arranged in the air flow such that air flows into the container through the air inlet and out of the container through the filter element. The secondary separating apparatus is removable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: DYSON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: James Dyson, Peter David Gammack, Mark Stamford Vanderstegen-Drake, Guillaume Kristian Steadman
  • Patent number: 9572466
    Abstract: The present application relates to a nozzle for a vacuum cleaner. The nozzle comprises a body (2) and a base (3). The base (3) has a longitudinal axis, and at least two cleaning sides (17, 18) configured to act on a surface in respective cleaning conditions. The base (3) is rotatable around a rotational axis (A-A) that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base to move the base (3) between the respective cleaning conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Bastiaan Johannes De Wit, Arnoldus Cornelis Wessels, Bastian Cornelis Kleine-Doepke
  • Patent number: 9565982
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set for receiving a driven brush roller, wherein at least one electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller is disposed in the brush set and wherein at least three air guiding channels are formed in a pivotable connecting element between the brush set and a filter housing. A supply of the dirt-laden suction air from the brush set to the filter housing takes place through the first air guiding channel, the filtered air is returned to the brush set through the second air guiding channel and through the third air guiding channel exhaust gas of the suction fan is returned to the filter housing to an air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Stein
  • Patent number: 9560945
    Abstract: A floor care appliance in the form of a brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set facing the floor for receiving a driven brush roller with an overload protection. A drive disk is mounted rotatably on the shaft and the shaft has a torque-proof output element to the brush roller and the drive disk is coupled via a torsion spring to a coupling disk which is displaceable axially on the shaft and which is coupled in a torque-proof manner via cams to the shaft. Ramps are formed on the drive disk which, above a torque threshold, axially adjust the coupling disk with corresponding ramps by relative twisting. A safety shutdown can be controlled via the adjusting movement via a corresponding switching element of a circuit arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Hartmut Boll
  • Patent number: 9560944
    Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner (10), and in particular a vacuum cleaner (10) having a rotatable brush (24). The vacuum cleaner (10) has a travelling head (12) adapted to be moved across a surface to be cleaned, the travelling head (12) having a leading end (28) and a trailing end. The travelling head (12) has a rotatable brush (24), the rotatable brush (34) being located in a brush chamber (23) at the leading end of the travelling head (12), the brush chamber (34) having an opening (26) through which a part of the rotatable brush (24) projects, the opening (26) and the rotatable brush (24) spanning substantially the full width of the travelling head (12). The travelling head (12) also has an impeller (46), and a motor (34) for driving the rotatable brush (34) and the impeller (46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: GREY TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventor: Nicholas Gerald Grey
  • Patent number: 9563887
    Abstract: Disclosed is a helmet cleaning apparatus. The apparatus includes a rectangular housing having a cleaning compartment with a transparent lid pivotally connected thereto. The compartment includes a helmet mount having a spheroidal shape and on which a helmet can be positioned for cleaning. The helmet mount further includes apertures thereon that are connected to a vacuum cleaning device and a steam cleaning device contained within the housing. In operation, a helmet is positioned on the helmet mount, and some of the apertures thereon disperse steam in order to clean the helmet. Other apertures draw debris and other materials into the vacuum cleaning device in order to remove the same from the helmet. In this way, a user can easily and conveniently sanitize and clean a helmet without having to manually cleaning the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Chester Ely
  • Patent number: 9554681
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum-cleaning apparatus with a vacuum-cleaner unit and a filter bag, in which the filter bag is designed as a flat bag, as a nonwoven filter bag and as a disposable filter bag, and the vacuum-cleaner unit has a filter-bag-accommodating chamber with rigid walls, wherein the filter-bag-accommodating chamber has an opening which can be closed by a flap and has a predetermined opening surface area, through which the filter bag can be inserted into the filter-bag-accommodating chamber. The invention is distinguished in that the ratio between the surface area of a rectangle corresponding to the opening surface area and the surface area of the filter bag is greater than 0.70, preferably greater than 0.85, and highly preferably greater than 1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Eurofilters Holding N.V.
    Inventors: Jan Schultink, Ralf Sauer
  • Patent number: 9554682
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner (1) comprises an inlet (13), an outlet, a fan (14) for creating a flow of air through the vacuum cleaner (1) by drawing air to be cleaned through the inlet (13) into the vacuum cleaner (1) and by exhausting air through the outlet outwardly of the vacuum cleaner (1) and a separator (15, 41). The separator (15, 41) is rotatably arranged around an rotation axis (21), for creating, during use, a column of rotating air to separate at least a portion of the airborne particles (10) from the flow of air. The separator (15, 41) includes a number of vanes (25, 44) for the creation of the column of rotating air, wherein each vane (25, 44) is provided with a leading face (26) and a trailing face (27). The leading faces (26) of the vanes (25, 44) are inclined with respect to the rotation axis (21) for conveying the airborne particles (10) at least in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Tseard Van Der Kooi, Fokke Roelof Voorhorst, Bastiaan Johannes De Wit
  • Patent number: 9549648
    Abstract: An extraction cleaner for a floor surface comprises a portable extractor and a base adapted to be moved to perform a cleaning operation on the floor surface when the portable extractor is operably mounted to the base. The portable extractor includes a suction hose for manually suctioning fluid from the floor surface, a recovery tank interconnected to the suction hose for receiving recovered fluid from the floor surface, and a fluid delivery system for dispensing a cleaning fluid onto the floor surface. One or more connections are made between the base and components of the portable extractor when the portable extractor is operably mounted to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Lenkiewicz, Jr., Tom Minh Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9538896
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus includes a housing with an on-board reactive oxygen species generator which produces reactive oxygen species in situ from fluid stored within an on-board supply tank of the surface cleaning apparatus, and further delivers the generated reactive oxygen species to a cleaning pad attached to the housing of the surface cleaning apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Hansen, Michael T. Dillane, Juan C. Flores-Escribano, Jeffrey A. Scholten
  • Patent number: 9532689
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner having an airflow outlet and an airflow indicator assembly removably disposed at the outlet. The airflow indicator assembly includes a pair of fins attached to a spine and a needle disposed between the pair of fins. During operation of the vacuum cleaner, exhaust air is directed through the outlet and towards the needle, pushing the needle thereby indicating whether service is needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: SHOP VAC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kurt Westbrook, Seth A. Bartley, Kevin D. Fry
  • Patent number: 9532688
    Abstract: A spherical or ovoid design for a robotic vacuum in which the housing of the vacuum also serves as the means by which the device moves. Steering of the device is controlled by adjusting the center of gravity within the housing. Perforations in the housing allow debris to be vacuumed into the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Bobsweep, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Masih Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli
  • Patent number: 9526387
    Abstract: The present disclosure illustrates an mite-removing vacuum cleaner including a cleaner body and a mite-removing device. The mite-removing device is detachably combined with a front section of the cleaner body and includes a circuit board, a vibrator and a UV sterilization lamp. The circuit board is electrically connected to a power source, and the vibrator is electrically connected to the circuit board. The UV sterilization lamp is located at the bottom surface of the mite-removing device and electrically connected to the circuit board. When the cleaner body is assembled with the mite-removing device, the mite-removing vacuum cleaner can perform mite-removing and dust-sucking functions both; when the cleaner body is disassembled from the mite-removing device, the cleaner body can perform the dust-sucking function independently. Therefore, the mite-removing vacuum cleaner of the present disclosure can provide the mite-removing and dust-sucking functions both, or provide the dust-sucking function independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: EGENPOWER INC.
    Inventors: Gary Li, Yao-Hsi Chiu