A robotic dust collector includes a suction member having a suction inlet and travels on a cleaning target surface. The robotic dust collector includes a guide member, a support part, and a biasing member. The guide member is disposed at the suction inlet and has a blade part facing the cleaning target surface. The support part supports the guide member in such a manner that allows the guide member to pivot about a pivot axis so as to allow the blade part to move in an up-down direction. The biasing member is configured to exert biasing force on at least a part of the blade part.

A cleaning system has a base unit and a separably connected accessory device. The base unit has a detection device for detecting the type of accessory device connected to the base unit, a base memory and a control device for controlling an operating activity of the base unit and/or the accessory device depending on the type of connected accessory device. The accessory device has a configuration memory, in which configuration data for configuring the base unit and/or the accessory device for an operation of the cleaning system is stored. The control device of the base unit reads the configuration data stored in the configuration memory and stores this configuration data centrally in the base memory. The control device accesses the configuration data stored in the base memory for an operation of the cleaning system and adjusts the base unit and/or the accessory device based on the configuration data.

A floor cleaning device includes a floor covering compartment having a cleaning opening, a vacuum generating device, a suction pipe that connects the floor covering compartment to the vacuum generating device so that suction force is applied on the surface covered by the cleaning opening, a cleaning head body that holds the floor covering compartment, and a vibrating device that causes vibration of the floor covering compartment relative to the cleaning head body. The periphery of the cleaning opening is adapted to contact a surface to be cleaned so that a sealed cleaning space is formed inside the floor covering compartment and over the portion of the surface covered by the cleaning opening. Strong negative pressure is built up in the sealed cleaning space to enhance suction efficiency. Vibration temporarily breaks the sealed state to facilitate moving of the floor covering compartment.

A brushroll for a surface cleaning apparatus includes a brush dowel defining a central rotational axis which extends longitudinally through the brush dowel. The brush dowel includes bristle supports, sweeper supports, and a shroud surface extending between the bristle supports and the sweeper supports. A plurality of bristles protrude from the bristle supports.

Debris signature-based robotic cleaning device navigation includes operating the robotic cleaning device in a first mode as part of a vacuum cycle, the device including suction ports configurable for different suction power levels and each port having a suction path along which debris entering through the suction port is collected by the device. In the first operating mode the suction ports are operated at a first suction power level. The navigation also includes changing operation of the device to a second mode and in which the suction ports are operated at a greater suction power, measuring a respective amount of debris collected through each suction port, and selecting a direction in which to navigate the robotic cleaning device based on the debris measurements.

Disclosed is a cleaning unit comprising a variable brush portion. The cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a shaft capable of reciprocating along an axial direction, wherein a first cam protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft. In addition, the brush portion is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of a body member surrounding the shaft, and the brush portion includes a second cam engaged with the first cam. When the shaft is moved in the axial direction, the first cam pushes the second cam in a radial direction, whereby the brush portion may protrude in the radial direction. That is, as the shaft reciprocates in the axial direction, the length of the brush portion protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the body member may vary.

Methods and apparatuses for providing multiple modes of cleaning on a smart robotic cleaner are disclosed. A cleaning mode of rolling brush sweeping and a cleaning mode of vacuuming are provided on the smart robotic cleaner. When different cleaning devices are replaced on the body of the smart robotic cleaner, an electronic control unit in the body may control the smart robotic cleaner to switch between the cleaning modes automatically. A mounting position may be provided in the smart robotic cleaner. A rolling brush assembly and a suction inlet assembly may be detachably mounted on the mounting position, and the rolling brush assembly and the suction inlet assembly may be replaced with each other at the mounting position.

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.

A surface treatment apparatus may include a surface cleaning head having an agitator, an agitator motor configured to cause the agitator to rotate, and a controller. The controller can be configured to determine a surface type corresponding to a surface to be cleaned and to transition the surface treatment apparatus between a first operational mode and a second operational mode based, at least in part, on the determined surface type. Determining the surface type may include measuring a plurality values corresponding to a current draw of the agitator motor over a predetermined time window at a predetermined time interval, determining an average corresponding to the measured values, comparing the average to at least a first threshold, and transitioning the surface treatment apparatus between the operational modes based, at least in part, on the comparison.

Provided are a tray and a cleaning apparatus system. The tray includes: a tray body, where a roller brush accommodation region is arranged on an outer surface of the tray body, and a mounting cavity is provided in the tray body; and a drying unit, where the drying unit is mounted in the mounting cavity, and the drying unit runs to perform drying treatment on the roller brush accommodation region and an object in the roller brush accommodation region. The tray may be used with a cleaning machine. When the cleaning machine is disposed on the tray, a roller brush on the cleaning machine is located in the roller brush accommodation region, and the drying unit runs to perform drying treatment on the roller brush accommodation region and the object in the roller brush accommodation region.