Autonomous floor cleaner

• US 9,775,485 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Scholten, Jeffrey A., Dillane, Michael T., Imhoff, Tyler James, Rose, Scott M., Luedke, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US14/294,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20140352086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• 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 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• 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 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation

Abstract

An autonomous floor cleaner includes a base that is movable over a surface to be cleaned, a collection chamber associated with the base, and a rotating top mounted coupled with the base for rotation relative to the base, where the top carries at least one sweeping element for sweeping dirt on the surface to be cleaned toward the collection chamber.

Claims

1. An autonomous floor cleaner comprising:

a base adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned;

a top coupled with the base;

at least one sweeping element associated with the top;

a collection chamber associated with the base; and

a drive system associated with the base;

wherein the drive system is coupled to the top to rotate the top relative to the base about a top axis.

2. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping element extends beyond the base.

3. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the top axis is non-perpendicular to the base.

4. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping element comprises at least one of a brush strip, a resilient fin, or a rotating brush.

5. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping element comprises at least one of brush strip provided on an underside of the top.

6. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 5, wherein the at least one brush strip comprises a plurality of bristles, with at least some of the bristles extending outwardly beyond the periphery of the top.

7. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping element comprises at least one resilient fin that carries a sweeping material comprising a layer of foam and a layer of bristles.

8. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the at least one sweeping element comprises at least one rotating brush, and the drive system rotates the at least one rotating brush about a brush axis.

9. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the drive system is further coupled with the base for moving the base over the surface to be cleaned, wherein the top axis is generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the base over the surface to be cleaned.

10. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1, wherein the drive system comprises a motor coupled with the top for rotating the top about the top axis.

11. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 10, wherein the drive system further comprises at least one wheel coupled with the motor and the base for propelling the base over the surface to be cleaned.

12. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1 and further comprising at least one dirt inlet at the periphery of the base, wherein the dirt inlet is in communication with the collection chamber.

13. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 12, wherein the at least one dirt inlet is at least partially defined between the base and the top.

14. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 12, wherein the at least one dirt inlet is at least partially defined by a guide provided on the base for directing dirt into the collection chamber.

15. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 12, wherein the base comprises at least one ramped surface at least partially defining the at least one dirt inlet.

16. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 15, and further comprising an opening to the collection chamber formed in the base near an upper portion of the ramped surface.

17. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 15, and further comprising a guide adjacent to the at least one ramped surface for directing dirt into the collection chamber, wherein the at least one dirt inlet is further at least partially defined by the guide.

18. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 17, wherein the guide comprises a curved vane which projects upwardly from the base and extends along the ramped surface.

19. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 1 and further comprising a dusting cloth coupled to a bottom surface of the base.

20. The autonomous floor cleaner from claim 19, wherein the dusting cloth forms a portion of the collection chamber.