Powered cleaning appliance

• US 20050217042A1
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Reindle, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/41.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning

Abstract

A powered sweeper includes a housing, a brushroll chamber disposed in the housing, a brushroll mounted in a brushroll chamber, a dirt chamber disposed in the housing, a drive motor disposed in the housing, and a driven wheel operatively connected to the drive motor. The brushroll rotates in the brushroll chamber and the dirt chamber communicates with the brushroll chamber such that debris is propelled by the brushroll into the dirt chamber.

Claims

1. A powered sweeper comprising:

a housing;

a first brushroll chamber disposed in the housing;

a first brushroll rotatably mounted in the first brushroll chamber;

a dirt chamber disposed in the housing and communicating with the first brushroll chamber, wherein the dirt chamber does not communicate with a suction source;

a first drive motor disposed in the housing; and

a first driven wheel mounted to the housing and operatively connected to the first drive motor.

2. The sweeper of claim 1, further comprising:

a first brushroll motor operatively connected to the first brushroll.

3. The sweeper of claim 2, further comprising:

a second brushroll chamber disposed in the housing on an opposite side of the dirt chamber from the first brushroll chamber; and

a second brushroll disposed in the second brushroll chamber.

4. The sweeper of claim 3, further comprising:

a second brushroll motor operatively connected to the second brushroll.

5. The sweeper of claim 3, wherein the dirt chamber includes a first dirt inlet adjacent the first brushroll chamber and a second dirt inlet on an opposite side of the dirt chamber adjacent the second brushroll chamber.

6. The sweeper of claim 1, wherein the dirt chamber is defined by a dirt container that is removably mounted in the housing.

7. The sweeper of claim 1, further comprising:

a second drive motor disposed in the housing; and

a second driven wheel operatively connected to the second drive motor, wherein the first driven wheel is positioned on a first side of the dirt chamber and the second driven wheel is positioned on a second side of the dirt chamber, wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

8. The sweeper of claim 7, wherein the first driven wheel drives a first tread belt and the second driven wheel drives a second tread belt.

9. The sweeper of claim 1, wherein the first drive motor comprises a reversible electric motor.

10. The sweeper of claim 1, wherein the first drive motor is in electrical communication with a switch to control direction of rotation of the motor.

11. The sweeper of claim 1, further comprising a bumper movably mounted to the housing.

12. The sweeper of claim 11, wherein the bumper comprises a shell that at least substantially encircles the housing.

13. The sweeper of claim 11, wherein at least one of the bumper and the housing includes an extension and the other of the bumper and the housing includes a socket that receives the extension, wherein the extension selectively contacts the socket to limit movement of the bumper in relation to the housing.

14. The sweeper of claim 13, wherein the socket is approximately cylindrical and the extension contacts a radial wall of the socket to limit movement of the bumper in relation to the housing.

15. The sweeper of claim 11, wherein at least one of the bumper and the housing includes a joystick in communication with a circuit board and the other of the bumper and the housing includes a socket that receives a distal end of the joystick.

16. An autonomous cleaning appliance comprising:

a housing;

a dirt container disposed in the housing and including a first dirt inlet in a first side of the dirt container, wherein the dirt container does not communicate with a suction source;

a first brushroll chamber disposed in the housing and communicating with the first dirt inlet;

a first brushroll disposed in the first brushroll chamber;

a first motor disposed in the housing for driving the first brushroll;

a power drive assembly mounted in the housing for propelling the appliance; and

a control device for regulating the operation of the first motor and the power drive assembly in an autonomous manner.

17. The appliance of claim 16, wherein the housing includes an opening and the dirt container is removable from the housing through the opening.

18. The appliance of claim 16, further comprising a second brushroll and a second brushroll motor for driving the second brushroll.

19. The appliance of claim 16, wherein the power drive assembly comprises:

a first tread assembly disposed on a first side of the housing; and

a first drive motor operatively connected to the first tread assembly.

20. The appliance of claim 19, wherein the power drive assembly further comprises:

a second tread assembly disposed on a second side of the housing, the second side being opposite the first side; and

a second drive motor operatively connected to the second tread assembly.

21. The appliance of claim 20, wherein each tread assembly comprises at least two wheels contacting a tread belt.

22. The appliance of claim 16, further comprising a bumper mounted to the housing.

23. The appliance of claim 22, further comprising a bumper plate contacting the housing, the bumper plate being attached to the bumper such that at least a portion of the housing is sandwiched between the bumper plate and the bumper.

24. The appliance of claim 22, further comprising vertically oriented resilient members connecting the bumper to the housing.

25. The appliance of claim 22, wherein the bumper includes a socket and the housing includes an extension received in the socket, wherein the socket defines a radial side wall and the extension selectively contacts the radial side wall to limit movement of the bumper in relation to the housing.

26. The appliance of claim 22, further comprising a joystick in communication with the control device, wherein the joystick contacts the bumper and is moved when the bumper moves in relation to the housing.

27. An autonomous appliance comprising:

a housing;

a bumper movably mounted to the housing;

a socket associated with one of the housing and the bumper, the socket having a wall;

an extension associated with another of the housing and the bumper, wherein the extension is received in the socket in a manner spaced from the wall;

a sensor connected to at least one of the bumper and the housing;

a dirt chamber disposed in the housing;

a brushroll disposed in the housing;

a power train assembly disposed in the housing for propelling the appliance; and

a control device regulating an operation of the power train assembly based on input from the sensor.

28. The appliance of claim 27, further comprising a bumper plate attached to the bumper, wherein the bumper plate and the bumper sandwich the housing.

29. The appliance of claim 27, further comprising vertical bosses associated with the housing and corresponding vertical bosses associated with the bumper, and resilient members that each mount to a respective pair of vertical bosses.

30. The appliance of claim 27, wherein the sensor comprises a joystick assembly mounted to the housing and in contact with the bumper.

31. The appliance of claim 30, further comprising a floor sensor mounted to the housing and communicating with the control device.

32. The appliance of claim 27 further comprising a motor for driving the brushroll, wherein an operation of the motor is regulated by the control device.