Bissell Inc.

Bissell Homecare, Inc.

Andrew James Brouwers

Eric Daniel Buehler

David VanKampen

Jake Andrew Mohan

Jeffrey A Scholten

Derek Everett Smith

Jeffery Swan

James Joseph Minnema, Jr

Daniel A Schurr

Todd Vantongeren

Justin Nguyen

Patryk Donald Akhurst

Jared Thomas

David Vankampen

An autonomous floor cleaning system includes an autonomous floor cleaner with a docking station. The docking station is configured to performing maintenance for the autonomous floor cleaner, such as refilling the autonomous floor cleaner, emptying the autonomous floor cleaner, washing mopping pads, and/or recharging the autonomous floor cleaner. The docking system can supply heated cleaning fluid to the autonomous floor cleaner. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on an autonomous floor cleaner by a docking station are disclosed.

Docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner

A system and method for adjusting behavior of an autonomous wet surface cleaner to avoid, reduce, or remedy situations where too much cleaning fluid is left on the surface. During certain autonomous floor cleaner events excess cleaning fluid can pool beneath the cleaner. For example, a cleaning fluid pool can form as the cleaner slows or stops approaching an obstacle, becomes stuck in a location, or executes certain navigation routines, such as certain turning maneuvers or cleaning patterns. The cleaning fluid pooling can be mitigated by executing a cleaning fluid pooling mitigation strategy that prevents the cleaning fluid from pooling, reduces the amount of cleaning fluid that pools, or addresses the cleaning fluid pooling. The cleaning fluid pool mitigation strategies can include various adjustments to the drive system, dispenser system, recovery system, and other autonomous wet surface cleaner systems, and combinations thereof.

Pooling mitigation for autonomous wet cleaning robot

An autonomous vacuum cleaner includes an autonomously moveable housing carrying a vacuum collection system for generating a working air flow for removing dirt from the surface to be cleaned and storing the dirt in a collection space. Distance sensors for position sensing are mounted to the housing. The distance sensors can be staggered and/or positioned on one or more sides or above a brush chamber for a brushroll.

Autonomous vacuum cleaner

A docking station for charging an autonomous floor cleaner includes a transmitter that can transmit a signal for detection by the robot. The docking station can include an opaque shroud for the transmitter and/or spring-loaded charging contacts. The autonomous floor cleaner can comprise a passive receiver that detects signals emitted from the docking station and a time-of-flight sensor for position/proximity sensing. The robot can selectively turn off the time-of-flight sensor when docking with or avoiding the docking station. Methods for docking, re-docking, low power charging, docking station avoidance, obstacle response during docking, and close-proximity docking are disclosed.

Docking station for autonomous floor cleaner

An autonomous vacuum cleaner includes an autonomously moveable housing carrying a vacuum collection system for generating a working air flow for removing dirt from the surface to be cleaned and storing the dirt in a collection space. Distance sensors for position sensing are mounted to the housing, behind a sensor cover. The distance sensors can be staggered and/or positioned above a brush chamber for a brushroll.

A system providing a barrier for an autonomous floor cleaner includes an artificial barrier generator that radiates one or more infrared signals. An autonomous floor cleaner can be configured to detect the infrared signals, and can react by altering course. Methods for containing an autonomous floor cleaner within a user-determined boundary are disclosed.

Artificial barrier for autonomous floor cleaner

An autonomous floor cleaner, such as a robotic vacuum cleaner, includes an autonomously moveable housing carrying a vacuum collection system for generating a working air flow for removing dirt from the surface to be cleaned and storing the dirt in a collection space. A bumper is provided on the housing and provides obstacle sensing redundancy. The bumper can be provided with a cliff sensor actuator member that activates an associated cliff sensor upon an impact or obstacle event.

Autonomous floor cleaner

A system providing a barrier for an autonomous floor cleaner includes an artificial barrier generator that radiates one or more infrared emission patterns. An autonomous floor cleaner can be configured to detect an overlapping emission pattern made of partially overlapping encoded infrared emissions. Methods for containing an autonomous floor cleaner within a user-determined boundary are disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Andrew James Brouwers