Surface cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11304581-B2
Application number	US-202016734708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes a housing including a base adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned, a fluid delivery system, and a recovery system. The surface cleaning apparatus can be configured to clean multiple surfaces, including hard and soft surfaces, and for different cleaning modes, including wet cleaning, dry vacuum cleaning, and self-cleaning. Methods for self-cleaning a surface cleaning apparatus are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor cleaning system, comprising:
a surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
an upright body comprising a handle and a frame;
a base coupled with the upright body and adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned;
a moveable joint assembly mounting the base to the upright body, wherein the upright body is pivotable via the joint assembly between an upright storage position and a reclined use position;
a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank removable from the frame, a pump within the base, and a fluid distributor;
a recovery system comprising a recovery pathway, a recovery tank removable from the frame and a vacuum motor within the upright body;
a brushroll removably mounted to the base within the recovery pathway;
a brushroll motor in the base and be operably coupled to the brushroll;
a rechargeable battery selectively powering the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor;
a battery charging circuit controlling the recharging of the rechargeable battery;
a user interface disposed on the handle, the user interface comprising a power button and a cleaning mode button;
a self-cleaning mode input control disposed on the upright body and configured to initiate an unattended automatic cleanout cycle for a self-cleaning mode of operation in which the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor are selectively energized and powered by the battery, wherein the self-cleaning mode input control is separate from the power button and the cleaning mode button; and
a controller controlling the operation of the fluid delivery and recovery systems, and operably coupled with the user interface for receiving inputs from a user;

a cleaning tray configured to dock the surface cleaning apparatus in the upright storage position for recharging the battery of the surface cleaning apparatus and for self-cleaning of the surface cleaning apparatus; wherein the controller is configured to:
automatically disable the battery charging circuit upon actuation of the self-cleaning mode input control;
execute the unattended automatic cleanout cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation; and
automatically enable the battery charging circuit to recharge the battery after the end of the unattended automatic cleanout cycle.

2. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the pump and the motor during the automatic cleanout cycle, whereby the pump draws cleaning fluid from the supply tank, the fluid distributor sprays cleaning fluid, and the motor extracts cleaning fluid from the cleaning tray for collection in the recovery tank.

3. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a suction nozzle configured to extract fluid and debris from the brushroll.

4. The floor cleaning system of claim 3 , wherein the cleaning tray comprises a sump disposed under the suction nozzle and the brushroll when the surface cleaning apparatus is docked with the cleaning tray.

5. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a battery monitoring circuit monitoring the status of the rechargeable battery and a display on the frame of the upright body, wherein feedback form the battery monitoring circuit is used by the controller to display a battery charge status on the display.

6. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein:
the cleaning tray comprises at least one charging contact, a power cord, and a wall charger configured to be plugged into a household outlet; and
the surface cleaning apparatus comprises at least one corresponding charging contact configured to couple with the at least one charging contact of the cleaning tray when the surface cleaning apparatus is docked with the cleaning tray.

7. The floor cleaning system of claim 6 , wherein the cleaning tray comprises a retractable shielding cover for the at least one charging contact, the shielding cover biased to a closed position in which the at least one charging contact is not exposed, wherein docking the apparatus with the cleaning tray automatically moves the shielding cover to an open position in which the at least one charging contact of the cleaning tray is exposed and can coupled with the at least one corresponding charging contact of the surface cleaning apparatus.

8. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to lock-out the self-cleaning cycle when the surface cleaning apparatus is not docked with the cleaning tray.

9. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , comprising a display on the frame of the upright body, the display including a battery status indicator, a WiFi connection status indicator, and a self-cleaning status indicator.

10. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the power button and the cleaning mode button are disposed on a forward side of the handle, and the self-cleaning mode input control is remote from the power button and the cleaning mode button.

11. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein:
the frame comprises a battery housing in which the battery is located, the battery housing disposed at a lower rear side of the frame, behind the recovery tank, the battery housing including a socket; and
the cleaning tray comprises a vertically-extending charging unit, the battery housing and the charging unit having complementary shapes with the battery housing fitting against the charging unit to support the apparatus on the tray, and the charging unit at least partially received by the socket when the apparatus is docked with the tray.

12. The floor cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein, to execute the unattended automatic cleanout cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation, the controller is configured to:
activate the brushroll motor and the pump, whereby cleaning liquid is sprayed on the brushroll while the brushroll rotates; and
activate the vacuum motor after the brushroll motor and the pump are activated, whereby cleaning liquid is extracted and deposited into the recovery tank and a portion of the recovery pathway is flushed out.

13. A floor cleaning system, comprising:
a surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
an upright body comprising a handle and a frame;
a base coupled with the upright body and adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned;
a moveable joint assembly mounting the base to the upright body, wherein the upright body is pivotable via the joint assembly between an upright storage position and a reclined use position;
a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank, a pump within the base, and a fluid distributor;
a recovery system comprising a recovery tank and a vacuum motor;
a brushroll within a recovery pathway of the recovery system;
a brushroll motor operably coupled to the brushroll for rotating the brushroll; and
a suction nozzle configured to extract fluid and debris from the brushroll;
a rechargeable battery selectively powering the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor;
a battery charging circuit controlling the recharging of the rechargeable battery;
a user interface disposed on the handle, the user interface comprising a power button and a cleaning mode button;
a self-cleaning mode input control disposed on the upright body and configured to initiate an unattended automatic cleanout cycle for a self-cleaning mode of operation in which the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor are selectively energized and powered by the battery, wherein the self-cleaning mode input control is separate from the power button and the cleaning mode button; and
a controller controlling the operation of the fluid delivery

Assignees

• Bissell Inc

Inventors

• Resch Jacob
• Boles Jacob S

Classifications

• A47L11/4094 Primary

  Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices · CPC title

• A47L9/2873 Primary

  Docking units or charging stations (for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02) · CPC title

• A47L11/4019 Primary

  Fill level sensors; Security means to prevent overflow, e.g. float valves · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• A47L11/4008

  Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like · CPC title