A brush vacuum cleaner having a floor brush set with a driven brush roller having an overload protection. The brush set has at least one electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller, which includes a torque detecting unit. A safety shutdown is accomplished via a switch arrangement above an overload torque threshold. A driven element of the torque detection unit is disposed in the drive train which, above the torque threshold, is coupled via a switchable coupling element to an eddy current disk made of electrically conductive material. The eddy current disk has at least one magnet pivotably positioned on a fixedly mounted movable support. An adjustment of the support is made by a magnetic field of the coupled eddy current disk formed by the generated eddy current. The support controls a corresponding circuit arrangement such as a switching element as safety cut-off.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a triggerless extractor surface cleaning device for cleaning a surface in which a cleaning solution is distributed to the surface and extracted using suction along with dirt and/or debris on the surface in a continuous operation as the extractor moves along the surface. The extractor further comprises an encoder positioned adjacent a wheel of the extractor for detecting a rotational direction and speed of the wheel to generate a signal. Based on receiving the signal, a controller controls operation of a valve to situationally distribute the cleaning solution to the surface depending on a forward rotation of the wheel and independent of user actuation of a trigger positioned on a handle used to propel the extractor along the surface. Distribution of the cleaning solution can be further optimized based on the detected rotational speed of the wheel.

A surface cleaner is provided. The surface cleaner comprises: an operating component configured to perform a function of the surface cleaner; a base moveable along a surface; an accelerometer configured to generate a signal; and a controller in communication with the accelerometer and the operating component, wherein the controller is operable to control the operating component based on the signal, and wherein the operating component is selected from a group consisting of a suction motor operable to generate an airflow, a brushroll motor operable to drive a brushroll, an actuator operable to adjust a height of a brushroll from the surface, a pump operable to deliver a cleaning fluid, an actuator operable to control an airflow or fluid valve, and an indicator operable to indicate a parameter of the surface cleaner.

A beacon for a robotic cleaner may include a housing and an optical indicium having an optical pattern. The optical indicium may be coupled to the housing and be viewable by a camera of the robotic cleaner. After observing the optical indicium, the robotic cleaner may be caused to carry out an action associated with at least a portion of the optical pattern.

A dust inflow sensing unit and a robot cleaner having the same. The dust inflow sensing unit includes a light emitting element to emit a beam having a transmission region, a light receiving element having a reception region overlapping the transmission region of the light emitting element, and a guide member to restrict the reception region of the light receiving element to a designated range until the reception region reaches the light emitting element.

The present invention provides a cleaning unit, comprising: a columnar body part having a rotation guide opening formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof; a shaft installed to reciprocate a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction thereof in a hollow formed in the body part; a drive part that protrudes from the shaft in the radial direction thereof; a brush part that has one side installed on the outer circumferential surface of the body part along the longitudinal direction thereof and rotates on the basis of the one side as a rotation axis; and a driven part that extends from the brush part toward the drive part, passes through the rotation guide opening, and is inserted into a rotation guide groove formed in the drive part. The rotation guide groove extends at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shaft, and as the shaft reciprocates, the driven part is guided to rotate by means of the rotation guide groove, and the brush is rotated by means of the rotation of the driven part. The cleaning unit may include a robot cleaner or a cleaner operated by means of a user's operation.

An automated cleaning device includes a chassis, a controller operably connected to a drive assembly and configured to move the chassis within an area to be cleaned in repeated cleaning cycles, a cleaning unit carried by the chassis, a sensor configured to detect material drawn into the cleaning unit and provide a debris signal corresponding to an amount of material drawn into the cleaning unit, the controller being operably connected to the sensor and configured to generate a high-material indicator in response to the debris signal exceeding a predetermined debris threshold, and determining whether the autonomous cleaner is in a high traffic area when the chassis moves within the area to be cleaned based on locations of high-material indicators.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a triggerless extractor surface cleaning device for cleaning a surface in which a cleaning solution is distributed to the surface and extracted using suction along with dirt and/or debris on the surface in a continuous operation as the extractor moves along the surface. The extractor further comprises an encoder positioned adjacent a wheel of the extractor for detecting a rotational direction and speed of the wheel to generate a signal. Based on receiving the signal, a controller controls operation of a valve to situationally distribute the cleaning solution to the surface depending on a forward rotation of the wheel and independent of user actuation of a trigger positioned on a handle used to propel the extractor along the surface. Distribution of the cleaning solution can be further optimized based on the detected rotational speed of the wheel.

Provided is a cleaning device including a suction port; at least one sensor configured to sense at least one object; a driver configured to open or close the suction port; a memory storing at least one instruction; and a processor configured to execute the at least one instruction stored in the memory. The processor executes the at least one instruction to sense at least one object within an area to be cleaned by the cleaning device by controlling the at least one sensor, identify a relative location of the sensed at least one object with respect to the cleaning device, determine at least a partial area within an entire area of the suction port as an open/close target area, based on the identified relative location of the at least one object, and open or close the open/close target area by controlling the driver.

A cleaner including a base defining a suction chamber, a brush roll driven by a brush roll motor, a sensor configured to sense a parameter related to a floor; and a controller having a memory and electronic processor. The controller is configured to receive the parameter, control the brush roll motor based on the parameter and a first floor coefficient, determine a second floor coefficient based on the parameter, and control the brush roll motor based on the second floor coefficient.