Patents Examined by David Redding
  • Autonomous floor cleaner with moisture warning
    Patent number: 11617487
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner, and warning system for issuing a warning based on the detection of moisture inside the robot. Methods for issuing a warning are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventor: Adam Brown
  • Surface cleaning apparatus with task lighting
    Patent number: 11617486
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes task lighting. The task lighting can be provided on a hand-carried body or housing of the apparatus, on a hand tool of the apparatus, or both. The task lighting can be adjustable, and can be directed to illuminate a desired location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Luyckx
  • Floor cleaner
    Patent number: 11612293
    Abstract: A floor cleaner that includes a recovery tank having a top side, a bottom wall opposite the top side, and a sidewall that extends from the bottom wall and defines a perimeter of the recovery tank, the bottom wall and the sidewall at least partially define a storage volume of the recovery tank. The recover tank further includes an inlet aperture that faces the bottom wall, the inlet aperture adjacent the storage volume and the top side and configured to direct fluid into the storage volume. The inlet aperture is adjacent the sidewall of the recovery tank and the inlet aperture is a longitudinal shaped aperture having an aperture width and an aperture depth, the aperture width being greater than the aperture depth and the aperture width extends along the sidewall and the aperture depth extends along an inlet duct axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited
    Inventor: Douglas M. Rukavina
  • Autonomous floor cleaner with carry handle
    Patent number: 11612297
    Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner, a tank adapted to hold liquid, and a carry handle joined with the tank and/or the housing. The carry handle is movable between different positions, including a position in which the autonomous floor cleaner can be lifted via the carry handle while an inlet and/or outlet of the tank is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Weigel, Steve M. Johnson, Todd R. VanTongeren, Matthew Haverkamp
  • Side brushes for a robotic vacuum cleaner
    Patent number: 11612287
    Abstract: A robotic cleaner may include an air inlet, a suction motor, the suction motor being fluidly coupled to the air inlet, and a first primary side brush configured to rotate about a first primary side brush rotation axis. The first primary side brush rotation axis may extend transverse to a surface to be cleaned at a first non-perpendicular angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventor: David Harting
  • Robot maintenance station and robot cleaning system
    Patent number: 11607103
    Abstract: A robot maintenance station and a robot cleaning system. The robot maintenance station includes a dock base and a maintenance station body, the maintenance station body is configured on the dock base and provided with a suction unit, the suction unit is configured to provide suction power for sucking garbage. The maintenance station body is provided with a garbage receptacle and a suction tube, the suction tube is in flow communication with the suction unit and is configured to guide the garbage into the garbage receptacle, and the garbage receptacle is detachably mounted at a side wall of the maintenance station body. The embodiments realize automatic emptying of the dust box of the cleaning robot, thereby reducing user burden and improving user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SHENZHEN SILVER STAR INTELLIGENT GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenhai Deng, Changtai Xia, Ruijun Yan, Shusheng Huang
  • Vac-canister
    Patent number: 11602250
    Abstract: A vacuum-canister that combines the vacuum, dustpan, and trashcan all in one is disclosed herein. The vacuum-canister saves time by allowing the completion of multiple tasks simultaneously. The vacuum-canister can suction both large and small items. Small items are suctioned through the wand extension feature into the dust and trash filter bin. Some larger items can be suctioned through the dustpan and carried to the dust and trash filter bin. Other larger items that are not suctioned can be delivered to the trashcan automatically. The functionality of the vacuum-canister not only saves time, but also minimizes potential aches and pains as a result of daily manual cleaning activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Inventor: Joseph Brinson, III
  • Self cleaning modular floor system for robotaxis and passenger vehicles
    Patent number: 11597353
    Abstract: An automobile vehicle self-cleaning modular floor system includes a self-cleaning modular assembly positioned in a passenger compartment of an automobile vehicle and including a tread portion, the tread portion having a first face and an oppositely directed second face. The first face of the tread portion when upwardly directed defines a first position of the tread portion, with a waste item collecting onto the first face in the first position during operation of the automobile vehicle. The tread portion is selectively moved from the first position to a second position having the first face downwardly directed and the second face upwardly directed. A waste collection tray is positioned below the tread portion to receive the waste item when the tread portion is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Muhammad I. Tahir, Hamid Tahir, Rajaneesh K. Mutyalapati
  • Robotic vacuum cleaner
    Patent number: 11583158
    Abstract: A robotic vacuum cleaner may include a housing, a displaceable bumper, an emitter/detector pair, and at least one divider. The displaceable bumper may be moveably coupled to the housing and may be configured to be displaced along at least one axis. The emitter/detector pair may have an emitter and a detector, wherein the emitter is configured to emit light through at least a portion of the displaceable bumper. The at least one divider may be disposed between the emitter and the detector of the emitter/detector pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Charles Fiebig, Isaku D. Kamada, William Wang, Ming Yao, Rain Gu, Melinda L. Liggett, Kennedy Huang, Charles S. Brunner
  • Surface cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 11576541
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus with a housing, a nozzle cover attached to the housing, a headlight, and a nozzle cover sensing mechanism. The nozzle cover sensing mechanism can determine whether the nozzle cover is present on the housing, and the headlight can accordingly be deactivated. Methods for operating the nozzle cover sensing mechanism are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventor: Tom Minh Nguyen
  • Robotic vacuum with rotating cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 11576543
    Abstract: A robotic surface cleaning device is provided, including a casing, a chassis, a set of wheels coupled to the chassis to drive the robotic surface cleaning device, a control system to instruct movement of the set of wheels, a battery to provide power to the robotic surface cleaning device, one or more sensors, a processor, rotating assembly, including a plate supported by a base of the casing, rotating mechanism to rotate the plate; and one or more cleaning apparatuses mounted to a first side of the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia, Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill
  • Surface cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 11571097
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus has a cyclone assembly that comprises a cyclone and a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone. The cyclone has a cyclone axis of rotation and the cyclone assembly has first and second opposed ends with sides extending between the first and second ends. The cyclone axis of rotation extends axially through the first and second ends and one of the sides is openable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Surface cleaning apparatus with different cleaning configurations
    Patent number: 11571096
    Abstract: A reconfigurable surface cleaning apparatus is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Moving robot and method of controlling the same
    Patent number: 11571102
    Abstract: A method of controlling a moving robot is provided. The method of controlling a moving robot includes the steps of: (a) performing a basic motion of the moving robot which moves on a rotating mop; (b) measuring the slip rate of the moving robot; and (c) controlling the travel of the moving robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaewon Jang, Sungho Yoon, Jeongseop Park
  • Automatic emitter point cleaners
    Patent number: 11548039
    Abstract: Automatic emitter point cleaners are disclosed. An automatic emitter point cleaning system includes: a fan configured to direct a stream of air through an air path; a point emitter configured to produce at least one of positive ions or negative ions within or proximate to the air path; a brush; a first gear coupled to the brush and configured to move the brush into contact with the point emitter; a second gear to engage the first gear; and a motor to actuate the second gear such that the second gear actuates the first gear to move the brush past the point emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Bernard Heymann, Aleksey Klochkov, Juan Guerrero, Edward Anthony Oldynski, Gee Kuen Chong
  • Cleaning robot
    Patent number: 11547265
    Abstract: A cleaning robot includes a top cover, a bottom cover formed below the top cover and configured to move by external force, a fixed body provided in the bottom cover, a first opening formed in an upper portion of the bottom cover and a first sensor connected to the fixed body and externally exposed between the top cover and the bottom cover through the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hanshin Kim, Kyuchun Choi, Jungmin Shim
  • Cleaning robot
    Patent number: 11547255
    Abstract: A cleaning robot includes a top cover, a bottom cover provided below the top cover, traveling parts provided in the bottom cover, a suction module provided in the bottom cover to suck in foreign materials on the ground, a recessed part firmed to be recessed inward between the top cover and the bottom cover, and a first sensor located in the recessed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hyunsup Song, Hanshin Kim
  • Surface cleaning apparatus with two-stage collection
    Patent number: 11540689
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that mechanically removes liquid and debris from a brushroll and stores the mechanically-removed liquid and debris onboard the apparatus in a first collection area. The surface cleaning apparatus also collects further liquid and debris from the brushroll by a source of suction including a vacuum motor or a pump and stores the collected liquid and debris onboard the apparatus in a second collection area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: BISSELL Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Johnson, Jeffrey A. Scholten
  • Mobilized maintenance utility cart
    Patent number: 11535289
    Abstract: A cleaning and maintenance cart has a frame with a base on wheels, a handle arrangement connected at a lower end to the base and having control input mechanisms at an upper end configured to control elements of the cleaning and maintenance cart, a vacuum plenum coupled to a blower, a power plant coupled to and driving the blower, a collection container coupled to the plenum, the collection container having an internal filter, and a collection hose coupled to the collection container trough a removable lid. With the blower running a partial vacuum is produced in the plenum and in the collection container, and the collection hose is movable to collect dirt and debris that is confined to the collection container by the internal filter in the collection container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Inventor: Larry D Herzog
  • Surface cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 11534041
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus has a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber. The cyclone chamber has a sidewall extending from a first end to an axially opposed second end. A dirt outlet communicating with the dirt collection chamber is provided in the sidewall at a location intermediate the first and second ends of the cyclone chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad