Patents by Inventor Todd R. VanTongeren
Todd R. VanTongeren 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).
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Patent number: 12070178Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes a recovery system that extracts liquid and debris with a drying cycle in which forced air flows through a recovery pathway of the recovery system to dry out components that remain wet and/or retain moisture after normal operation of the apparatus. The post-operation drying cycle can dry out components such as an agitator or brushroll, a brush chamber, a suction nozzle, a recovery tank, a filter, and any of the various conduits, ducts, and/or hoses fluidly coupling components of the recovery system together.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2023Date of Patent: August 27, 2024Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventors: Kurt Ashbaugh, Jason W. Pruiett, David M. Miller, Todd R. VanTongeren
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Publication number: 20240197131Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning system includes an autonomous floor cleaner with a docking station. The docking station is configured to performing maintenance for the autonomous floor cleaner, such as refilling the autonomous floor cleaner, emptying the autonomous floor cleaner, washing mopping pads, and/or recharging the autonomous floor cleaner. The docking system can supply heated cleaning fluid to the autonomous floor cleaner. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on an autonomous floor cleaner by a docking station are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2023Publication date: June 20, 2024Inventors: Todd R. VanTongeren, Andrew J. Brouwers, Justin Nguyen, Daniel A. Schurr
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Patent number: 11963609Abstract: A floor cleaner can include a housing adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and at least one edge cleaning brush provided on the housing. The edge cleaning brush includes multiple cleaning implements which rotate on different axes. A gear system, such as a planetary gear system, can drive one cleaning implement at a lower speed than another cleaning implement.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2023Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventor: Todd R. VanTongeren
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Publication number: 20240099531Abstract: An autonomous surface cleaner for cleaning a floor or other surface. The cleaner may include a body, a cleaning implement for cleaning a surface, a motorized drive system, a pair of wheels operable with the motorized drive system to assist moving the body relative to the surface, one or more actuators operable for controllably adjusting a height of the body, and/or a balancing system operable to self-balance the body.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Applicant: BISSELL Inc.Inventor: Todd R. VanTongeren
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Publication number: 20240065505Abstract: A docking station for removing wet and dry debris from a floor cleaner. The docking station includes a dry debris conduit for evacuating a debris from the floor cleaner and a wet debris conduit for evacuating liquid and wet debris from the floor cleaner. The liquid and wet debris may be collected from a pad cleaning cycle performed at the docking station. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on a floor cleaner by a docking station are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2023Publication date: February 29, 2024Inventors: Todd R. VanTongeren, Andrew J. Brouwers
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Publication number: 20240057836Abstract: A cleaner employing an agitation cartridge to clean a side surface beyond a reach of other onboard cleaning implements. The cleaner may be an autonomous floor cleaner having a body, a cleaning implement onboard the body operable for cleaning a floor surface, a motorized drive system operable for autonomously moving the body over the floor surface, and a scrubbing belt operable for cleaning the side surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicant: BISSELL Inc.Inventor: Todd R. VanTongeren
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Patent number: 11903541Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, and a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner. The drive system can include at least one drive wheel for driving the housing across a surface to be cleaned. The drive wheel can be selectively moved from an engaged or in-use position to a disengaged or maintenance position. In the disengaged or maintenance position, the wheel is disengaged from the autonomously moveable housing such that it can be pivoted, extended, removed, or otherwise moved farther away from the autonomously moveable housing.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2022Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventors: Steven M. Johnson, Todd R. VanTongeren, Matthew Haverkamp
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Publication number: 20240000283Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning system includes an autonomous floor cleaner with a docking station. The docking station is configured to performing maintenance for the robot, such as washing mopping pads or refilling the supply tank. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on an autonomous floor cleaner by a docking station are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2021Publication date: January 4, 2024Inventors: Adam Brown, Todd R. VanTongeren
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Publication number: 20230346176Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes a recovery system that extracts liquid and debris with a drying cycle in which forced air flows through a recovery pathway of the recovery system to dry out components that remain wet and/or retain moisture after normal operation of the apparatus. The post-operation drying cycle can dry out components such as an agitator or brushroll, a brush chamber, a suction nozzle, a recovery tank, a filter, and any of the various conduits, ducts, and/or hoses fluidly coupling components of the recovery system together.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Kurt Ashbaugh, Jason W. Pruiett, David M. Miller, Todd R. VanTongeren
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Patent number: 11737622Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes a recovery system that extracts liquid and debris with a drying cycle in which forced air flows through a recovery pathway of the recovery system to dry out components that remain wet and/or retain moisture after normal operation of the apparatus. The post-operation drying cycle can dry out components such as an agitator or brushroll, a brush chamber, a suction nozzle, a recovery tank, a filter, and any of the various conduits, ducts, and/or hoses fluidly coupling components of the recovery system together.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventors: Kurt Ashbaugh, Jason W. Pruiett, David M. Miller, Todd R. VanTongeren
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Publication number: 20230240499Abstract: Display of a wet cleaning routine of an autonomous floor cleaning robot is provided. Estimated wetness of areas of the floor can be tracked and displayed to the user so they can avoid walking on those areas of the floor until sufficiently dried. The areas of the map that that are still wet from cleaning can be displayed and transition to a different type of indicia over time as the floor dries. The wet floor status can be tracked with a timer by comparing elapsed time since the autonomous floor cleaner traversed the subject region and dispensed cleaning solution with an estimated drying time for cleaning solution on the floor. The estimated drying time can be based upon the flow rate of the autonomous floor cleaner.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Inventor: Todd R. VanTongeren
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Publication number: 20230190062Abstract: A docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner performs maintenance on the autonomous floor cleaner, including removing a mopping implement from the autonomous floor cleaner and/or installing a mopping implement on the autonomous floor cleaner. The docking station can further perform other maintenance services on the autonomous floor cleaner. An autonomous floor cleaning system including an autonomous floor cleaner and a docking station is also disclosed. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on an autonomous floor cleaner by a docking station are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2022Publication date: June 22, 2023Inventors: Todd R. VanTongeren, Justin Nguyen
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Publication number: 20230165362Abstract: A floor cleaner can include a housing adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and at least one edge cleaning brush provided on the housing. The edge cleaning brush includes multiple cleaning implements which rotate on different axes. A gear system, such as a planetary gear system, can drive one cleaning implement at a lower speed than another cleaning implement.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2023Publication date: June 1, 2023Inventor: Todd R. VanTongeren
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Publication number: 20230121949Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, and a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner. The drive system can include at least one drive wheel for driving the housing across a surface to be cleaned. The drive wheel can be selectively moved from an engaged or in-use position to a disengaged or maintenance position. In the disengaged or maintenance position, the wheel is disengaged from the autonomously moveable housing such that it can be pivoted, extended, removed, or otherwise moved farther away from the autonomously moveable housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2022Publication date: April 20, 2023Inventors: Steven M. Johnson, Todd R. VanTongeren, Matthew Haverkamp
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Patent number: 11612297Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 23, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventors: Nicholas Weigel, Steve M. Johnson, Todd R. VanTongeren, Matthew Haverkamp
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Patent number: 11589670Abstract: A floor cleaner can include a housing adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and at least one edge cleaning brush provided on the housing. The edge cleaning brush includes multiple cleaning implements which rotate at different velocities. A gear system, such as a planetary gear system, can drive one cleaning implement at a lower speed than another cleaning implement.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2020Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventor: Todd R. VanTongeren
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Patent number: 11559182Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, and a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner. The drive system can include at least one drive wheel for driving the housing across a surface to be cleaned. The drive wheel can be selectively moved from an engaged or in-use position to a disengaged or maintenance position. In the disengaged or maintenance position, the wheel is disengaged from the autonomously moveable housing such that it can be pivoted, extended, removed, or otherwise moved farther away from the autonomously moveable housing.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2020Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventors: Steven M. Johnson, Todd R. VanTongeren, Matthew Haverkamp
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Publication number: 20210378479Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Nicholas Weigel, Steve M. Johnson, Todd R. VanTongeren, Matthew Haverkamp
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Patent number: 11129512Abstract: 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 a stowed position and a carry position. The carry handle can include one or more capturing assemblies such that the carry handle can be selectively rotated between different orientations allowing for one or more of: locking/securing the tank to the housing, activating/deactivating the floor cleaner based on handle position; carrying the entire floor cleaner; ejecting the tank from the housing; carrying the tank separately; and emptying the tank.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: BISSELL Inc.Inventors: Nicholas Weigel, Steve M. Johnson, Todd R. VanTongeren, Matthew Haverkamp
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Publication number: 20210204775Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes a recovery system that extracts liquid and debris with a drying cycle in which forced air flows through a recovery pathway of the recovery system to dry out components that remain wet and/or retain moisture after normal operation of the apparatus. The post-operation drying cycle can dry out components such as an agitator or brushroll, a brush chamber, a suction nozzle, a recovery tank, a filter, and any of the various conduits, ducts, and/or hoses fluidly coupling components of the recovery system together.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2021Publication date: July 8, 2021Inventors: Kurt Ashbaugh, Jason W. Pruiett, David M. Miller, Todd R. VanTongeren