Robotic vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11583158-B2
Application number	US-201916529496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2019
Priority date	Aug 1, 2018
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A robotic vacuum cleaner may include a housing, a displaceable bumper, an emitter/detector pair, and at least one divider. The displaceable bumper may be moveably coupled to the housing and may be configured to be displaced along at least one axis. The emitter/detector pair may have an emitter and a detector, wherein the emitter is configured to emit light through at least a portion of the displaceable bumper. The at least one divider may be disposed between the emitter and the detector of the emitter/detector pair.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:
a housing;
a displaceable bumper moveably coupled to the housing, the displaceable bumper being configured to be displaced along at least one axis;
an emitter/detector pair having an emitter and a detector, the emitter configured to emit light through at least a portion of the displaceable bumper; and
at least one divider disposed between the emitter and the detector of the emitter/detector pair, the at least one divider being resiliently compressible.

2. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the displaceable bumper is configured to be displaced along at least two axes.

3. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the at least one divider is coupled to the displaceable bumper.

4. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the at least one divider is coupled to the housing.

5. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the divider includes a compressible foam.

6. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the displaceable bumper includes a wiper extending from the displaceable bumper in a direction of the housing.

7. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the displaceable bumper is configured to actuate one or more optical break switches in response to being displaced.

8. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the one or more optical break switches are configured to support the displaceable bumper at a position spaced apart from a top surface of the housing.

9. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising one or more docking sensors.

10. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the one or more docking sensors are disposed within a shadowbox.

11. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 10 , wherein the at least one divider extends along at least a portion of one or more sides of the shadowbox.

12. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:
a housing;
a user interface;
a displaceable bumper moveably coupled to the housing, the displaceable bumper being configured to be displaced along at least one axis;
an emitter/detector pair having an emitter and a detector, the emitter configured to emit light through at least a portion of the displaceable bumper; and
at least one divider disposed between the emitter and the detector of the emitter/detector pair, the at least one divider being resiliently compressible.

13. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12 further comprising a first drip tray configured to collect liquid incident on the user interface.

14. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 13 further comprising a second drip tray, wherein the first drip tray is fluidly coupled to the second drip tray, the second drip tray configured to receive liquid from the first drip tray.

15. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 14 further comprising a fluid reservoir fluidly coupled to the second drip tray, the fluid reservoir configured to receive liquid from the second drip tray.

16. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the fluid reservoir includes a removable plug.

17. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12 further comprising one or more docking sensors.

18. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 17 , wherein the one or more docking sensors are disposed within a shadowbox.

19. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 18 , wherein the at least one divider extends along at least a portion of one or more sides of the shadowbox.

20. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the at least one divider is coupled to the displaceable bumper.

Assignees

• Sharkninja Operating Llc

Inventors

• Fiebig Charles
• Kamada Isaku D
• Wang William
• Yao Ming
• Gu Rain
• Liggett Melinda L
• Huang Kennedy
• Brunner Charles S

Classifications

• A47L11/4061 Primary

  Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title

• A47L2201/02

  Docking stations; Docking operations · CPC title

• A47L2201/06

  Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning · CPC title

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title