Aktiebolaget Electrolux

Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag

Ab Electrolux

Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.v.

Electrolux Home Care Products, Inc.

Electrolux Research & Innovation Aktiebolag

Anders Haegermarck

Magnus Lindhé

Petter Forsberg

Jonas Beskow

Niklas Olson

Sarah Förster

Marie Hakkarainen

Håkan Miefalk

Ulrik Danestad

Andreas Klintemyr

Bjorn Riise

Lars G Kilstrom

Stefan Jonsson

Giuseppe Dreossi

Arnie Sepke

Bernd Krische

Tommy N Lindquist

Petter Svanbom

Jarl Huldén

Ilan Cohen

Elianne Lindmark

Daniel Kastensson

Brian Vines

Lars Mennborg

Hakan Miefalk

Marie Minde

Antonios Monokrousos

Sarah FÖRSTER

A flow controller for controlling water flow from a pump pumping water from a sump of a dishwasher to a water conduit system of the dishwasher. The flow controller comprises a plate with openings. The openings form water outlets to the water conduit system. The flow controller also comprises a disc rotatably arranged in relation to the plate. The disc comprises openings arranged for allowing closing and opening of the water outlets in the plate during rotation of the disc. The flow controller comprises a cavity formed between the disc and the plate configured to allow water to flow back from the water conduit system via a water outlet in the plate being closed by the disc and via the cavity to a drain outlet in the plate. Hereby water can return from a closed water outlet in the plate via the drain outlet in the disc to the sump.

Flow controller for dishwasher

A system of robotic cleaning devices and a method of a master robotic cleaning device of controlling at least one slave robotic cleaning device. The method performed by a master robotic cleaning device of controlling at least one slave robotic cleaning device includes detecting obstacles, deriving positional data from the detection of obstacles, positioning the master robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from the derived positional data, controlling movement of the master robotic cleaning device based on the positional data, and submitting commands to the at least one slave robotic cleaning device to control a cleaning operation of said at least one slave robotic cleaning device, the commands being based on the derived positional data, wherein the cleaning operation of the slave robotic cleaning device is controlled as indicated by the submitted commands.

System of robotic cleaning devices

Provided herein is a wash arm assembly for a dishwasher, and a corresponding dishwasher including the same. The wash arm assembly may include a wash arm, comprising a tubular connection portion and at least one nozzle, and a tubular receiving portion for receiving the tubular connection portion. The tubular connection portion may be arranged to be inserted in the tubular receiving portion to create a seal between the tubular connection portion and the tubular receiving portion. The seal may allow the wash arm to rotate, and the tubular receiving portion and the tubular connection portion may be arranged to allow a washing liquid of the dishwasher to travel in a first direction to the wash arm.

Wash arm assembly

Example embodiments provide a dishwasher comprising a tub; a door configured for selectively sealing a forward access opening of the tub; a detergent dispenser located at an inner surface of the door; a spray arm mounted within the tub such that the spray arm is adjustable between a first height and a second height, the spray arm comprising a spray detergent nozzle; and a circulation pump configured to supply washing liquid to the spray arm. The dishwasher is characterized in that the spray arm is configured to emit a fan-shaped jet from the spray detergent nozzle when the washing liquid is supplied to the spray arm and the spray arm is configured to emit the fan-shaped jet that is incident upon the detergent dispenser both when the spray arm is positioned at the first height and when the spray arm is positioned at the second height.

Fan-shaped spray detergent nozzle

Provided herein are a spray arm assembly and associated dishwasher. The spray arm assembly may include a spray arm and a satellite arm. The spray arm may have a body defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening spaced along the body, and the body may receive washing fluid at the inlet opening and direct at least a portion of the washing fluid to an outlet opening. The body may further define one or more fluid supply channels extending between and fluidly communicating the inlet opening and the outlet opening. The satellite arm may be rotatably coupled to the spray arm at the outlet opening, and a portion of the one or more fluid supply channels may extend past the outlet opening to direct at least a portion of the washing fluid past the outlet opening and back towards the inlet opening before entering the outlet opening.

Spray arm assembly

A spray assembly may include a water supply conduit, a main spray arm, and a satellite spray arm. The main spray arm may be rotatably coupled to the water supply conduit to rotate about a first axis, and a satellite spray arm may be rotatably coupled to the main spray arm to rotate about a second axis. The satellite may define at least one nozzle and at least one fluid channel extending from the second axis to the at least one nozzle. The at least one fluid channel of the satellite spray arm may define an arcuate shape having a portion proximate the second axis disposed at a first distance relative to the base parallel to the second axis, and the at least one nozzle being disposed a second distance relative to the base parallel to the second axis. The second distance may be shorter than the first distance.

Dishwasher spray arm assembly

A wash arm assembly may include: a wash arm having a circular opening with a center, an edge, and a mounting unit having a circular insertion portion and a supporting portion. The mounting unit may be inserted at least partly in the circular opening to mount the wash arm within the dishwasher and to allow rotation of the wash arm around a rotational axis. The insertion portion may be inserted at least partly in the circular opening to form a passage between the edge and the circular insertion portion when the mounting unit is inserted at least partly in the circular opening. The wash arm may include a protrusion, and the supporting portion and the wash arm may form a chamber delimited by the passage and the protrusion when the supporting portion supports the wash arm. A dishwasher including the wash arm assembly may also be provided.

Wash arm assembly and dishwasher comprising wash arm assembly

A wash arm assembly may include wash arm having a tubular connection portion and a tubular receiving means for receiving the tubular connection portion. The tubular connection portion may include a first guiding surface and a second guiding surface, and the tubular receiving means may include a third guiding surface and a fourth guiding surface. The first guiding surface may be aligned to the third guiding surface and the second guiding surface may be aligned to the fourth guiding surface when the tubular connection portion is inserted in the tubular receiving means. The first, second, third and fourth guiding surfaces may be arranged to guide the tubular connection portion and the tubular receiving means into alignment with each other upon rotation of the wash arm. A dishwasher including the wash arm assembly may also be provided.

A robotic cleaning device and a method at the robotic cleaning device of performing cliff detection along a surface over which the robotic cleaning device moves. The method includes illuminating the surface with at least one light source, capturing an image of the surface, detecting at least one illuminated section in the captured image, and determining distance to objects in the at least one illuminated section of the captured image. The method further comprises comparing at least two of the determined distances and detecting an object in the captured image as a cliff when cliff when a relation between the at least two compared determined distances complies with a predetermined increase criterion.

Robotic cleaning device and a method at the robotic cleaning device of performing cliff detection

A dishwasher may include a washing chamber, a door having a detergent dispenser, and a wash arm arrangement with a rotatable first wash arm and a second wash arm which may be rotatably attached to the rotatable first wash arm. The second wash arm may include a spray nozzle arranged to expel washing liquid in a direction relatively the second wash arm. The second wash arm may be arranged to bring the spray nozzle along a circular path with a radius in a plane during a rotation cycle of the second wash arm. The direction may have a first angle in the plane relatively the radius and a second angle relatively the plane, and the spray nozzle may be arranged to be directed in the direction towards the detergent dispenser during at least a portion of the rotation cycle to cause the washing liquid to intersect with the detergent dispenser.

Dishwasher comprising a wash arm arrangement

A robotic cleaning device and a method for operating the robotic cleaning device to detect a structure of a surface over which the robotic cleaning device moves. The method includes illuminating the surface with structured vertical light, capturing an image of the surface, detecting at least one luminous section in the captured image, and determining, from an appearance of the at least one luminous section, the structure of the surface.

Using laser sensor for floor type detection

A robotic vacuum cleaner having a nozzle inlet facing a surface to be cleaned, and a rotatable side brush. The rotatable side brush has bristles extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned, and the nozzle inlet includes a frame structure forming an opening, the opening being arranged in fluid communication with a debris receptacle. The bristles extend over a side portion of the nozzle inlet. The frame structure has a base portion extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned. The base portion extends at a first level. The frame structure at the side portion extends substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned at a second level. The first level is arranged closer to the surface to be cleaned than the second level.

Robotic vacuum cleaner

A method of operating a robotic cleaning device over a surface to be cleaned, the method being performed by the robotic cleaning device. The method includes: following a boundary of a first object while registering path markers including positional information at intervals on the surface; tracing previously registered path markers at an offset upon encountering one or more of the previously registered path markers; and switching from tracing the previously registered path markers to following an edge of a second object upon detection of the second object.

Cleaning method for a robotic cleaning device

A robotic cleaning device having a main body, a propulsion system configured to move the device across a surface and an obstacle detecting device configured to detect obstacles. The device further includes a processing unit configured to position the robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from obstacle detecting device output data, and further to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device across the surface. The processing unit is configured to identify a landmark and its position from the obstacle detecting device output data, to derive at least one characteristic from the landmark to create and store a generated landmark signature. The processing unit is also configured to compare the generated landmark signature with predetermined landmark signatures and to determine whether the generated landmark signature matches one of the predetermined landmark signatures or not and operate the robotic cleaning device based on the determination.

Growing community of inventors

Trångsund, Sweden

Anders Haegermarck