Patents by Inventor Kathleen M. Laru

Kathleen M. Laru has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7784139
    Abstract: A cartridge is disclosed comprising a reel-to-reel roll of cleaning material, for use in a hand-held or robotic cleaning device. The cartridge provides either an electrostatic dust cloth or wet mop, and includes a fluid reservoir for maintaining the wet mop cloth during use. A dust bin is also provided on the cartridge, and includes a hinged lid for providing selective access to the dust inside of the bin. A motor, optical sensor, and fluid pump inside of a cleaning apparatus control the operation of the reel-to-reel cloth, and control fluid delivery to the wet cloth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael M. Sawalski, Jeffrey L. Harwig, Stephen B. Leonard, Kathleen M. Laru, Mark M. Gipp, Thomas Jaworski
  • Patent number: 7578020
    Abstract: A robotic surface treating device that can perform carpet sweeping, hard-surface dry sweeping/wiping, and hard-surface sweeping/mopping is disclosed. The robotic surface treating device includes a sweeper brush, a dust bin for collecting debris from the brush, a reel-to-reel sheet of cleaning material, and a fluid delivery system for delivering fluid from a fluid reservoir onto the sheet of cleaning material and/or onto the surface to be treated. The dust bin, reel-to-reel sheet of cleaning material, and the fluid reservoir are separately installed from the top of the device, and may be separately removed for replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Jaworski, Jeffrey L. Harwig, Mark M. Gipp, Kathleen M. Laru, Seakee Chen, Fukyuen Cheng, Kamfong Tam