ASSISTED DRIVE FOR SURFACE CLEANING DEVICES
First Claim
1. A surface cleaning device comprising:
- a base including a nozzle to receive dirt and debris;
an upright portion coupled to the base including a handle to be gripped by a user;
a force sensor arrangement including at least first and second load cells coupled to the base, the first and second load cells to receive user input during operation of the surface cleaning device and output first and second measurement signals, respectively; and
a controller to identify a force applied by the user based on the first and second measurement signals, the controller further to determine a target direction of travel for the surface cleaning device based on the identified force.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In general, the present disclosure is directed to a force-sensing arrangement for use in surface cleaning devices, such as a vacuum device, that allows a user-supplied force to be translated into a command signal to cause the surface cleaning device to accelerate forward, reverse or to veer/turn in a desired direction. In an embodiment, the surface cleaning device includes a nozzle, wheels, motor(s) to drive the wheels, and an upright handle portion. The surface cleaning device includes a force-sensing arrangement with load cells coupled at a position where user force is transferred from the upright portion to the nozzle. The force-sensing arrangement detects the user supplying a relatively small amount of force and translates the same into measurement signals. A controller coupled to the load cells utilizes the measurement signals to determine or “infer” a desired direction of travel.
3 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A surface cleaning device comprising:
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a base including a nozzle to receive dirt and debris; an upright portion coupled to the base including a handle to be gripped by a user; a force sensor arrangement including at least first and second load cells coupled to the base, the first and second load cells to receive user input during operation of the surface cleaning device and output first and second measurement signals, respectively; and a controller to identify a force applied by the user based on the first and second measurement signals, the controller further to determine a target direction of travel for the surface cleaning device based on the identified force. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A surface cleaning device comprising:
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a swivel base including a nozzle configured to receive dirt and debris, the swivel base having first and second projections extending therefrom that extend substantially parallel relative to each other; an upright portion coupled to the swivel base, the upright portion including a handle to be gripped by a user; and a force sensor arrangement including at least first and second load cells, each of the first and second load cells having an opening to receive the first or second projection, and a sensor to output a force measurement value representative of an amount of force applied by the first or second projection to the sensor in response to the user applying force to the handle. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification