A robotic floor cleaning device that features a controlled liquid releasing mechanism. A rotatable cylinder with at least one aperture for storing a limited quantity of liquid is connected to a non-propelling wheel of the robotic floor cleaning device. There is a passage below the cylinder and between the cylinder and a drainage mechanism. The cylinder is within or adjacent to a liquid reservoir. Each time an aperture is exposed to the liquid within the reservoir it fills with liquid. As the wheel turns the connected cylinder is rotated until the aperture is adjacent to the passage. The liquid in the aperture will flow through the passage and enter the drainage mechanism which disperses the liquid to the working surface. The release of liquid is halted when the connected wheel stops turning.

A surface cleaner may have various features including an engagement mechanism secured to an agitator support frame and positioned to be pivoted by an agitator lift lever as the agitator lift lever translates, the pivoting engagement mechanism lifting the agitator support frame and the agitator secured thereto from a lowered position to a raised position. Other features may include a projection to limit belt slack when the agitator assembly is raised, a compact detent mechanism for releasing a spine assembly in an upright surface cleaner, a compact motor drive assembly, a self-priming centrifugal pump, a fluid-dispensing system having a high flow operating state and a low flow operating state, and a clean-out tray in which a base of the surface cleaner may be docked.

A pad particularly adapted for surface cleaning. The pad includes an absorbent core having the ability to absorb and retain liquid material, and a liner layer in contact with and covering at least one side of the absorbent core. The liner layer has the ability to retain and wick liquid material through the liner layer. Cleaning apparatus containing such pads and methods of using such pads are also described.

A cleaning device has a cleaning roller that is rotatable about an axis of rotation and serves for treating a surface to be cleaned. The cleaning roller is in the form of a hollow body with an internal liquid chamber, and at least one hollow body opening for releasing liquid from the liquid chamber. In order to develop a cleaning device, in which liquid is only released from the liquid chamber to the surface of the hollow body under certain conditions, a mechanically actuated valve element is assigned to the hollow body opening, wherein the valve element can be displaced into a closing position, in which the hollow body opening is closed, and/or into an opening position, in which the hollow body opening is released, depending on the magnitude of a centrifugal force that acts upon the valve element as a result of a rotation of the cleaning roller.

A pad particularly adapted for surface cleaning. The pad includes an absorbent core having the ability to absorb and retain liquid material, and a liner layer in contact with and covering at least one side of the absorbent core. The liner layer has the ability to retain and wick liquid material through the liner layer. Cleaning apparatus containing such pads and methods of using such pads are also described.

A surface treatment robot includes a chassis having forward and rear ends and a drive system carried by the chassis. The drive system includes right and left driven wheels and is configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface. The robot includes a vacuum assembly, a collection volume, a supply volume, an applicator, and a wetting element, each carried by the chassis. The wetting element engages the cleaning surface to distribute a cleaning liquid applied to the surface by the applicator. The wetting element distributes the cleaning liquid along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the robot is driven in a forward direction. The wetting element is arranged substantially forward of a transverse axis defined by the right and left driven wheels, and the wetting element slidably supports at least about ten percent of the mass of the robot above the cleaning surface.

A surface treatment robot includes a chassis having forward and rear ends and a drive system carried by the chassis. The drive system includes right and left driven wheels and is configured to maneuver the robot over a cleaning surface. The robot includes a vacuum assembly, a collection volume, a supply volume, an applicator, and a wetting element, each carried by the chassis. The wetting element engages the cleaning surface to distribute a cleaning liquid applied to the surface by the applicator. The wetting element distributes the cleaning liquid along at least a portion of the cleaning surface when the robot is driven in a forward direction. The wetting element is arranged substantially forward of a transverse axis defined by the right and left driven wheels, and the wetting element slidably supports at least about ten percent of the mass of the robot above the cleaning surface.

An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle.

The autonomous cleaning robot includes a main body including a lower face and a suction opening, opening into the lower face; a wet cleaning device including two mop supports which are each movably mounted in translation relative to the main body in a direction of translation, and two mops mounted respectively on the two mop supports; and two drive wheels configured to roll over the surface to be cleaned and movably mounted in rotation on the main body respectively about two rotation axes which are substantially parallel. The two mop supports are located behind the rotation axes of the drive wheels, and the direction of translation extends substantially parallel to the rotation axes of the two drive wheels.

An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis having forward and rearward portions and a drive system carried by the chassis. The forward portion of the chassis defines a substantially rectangular shape. The robot includes a cleaning assembly mounted on the forward portion of the chassis and a bin disposed adjacent the cleaning assembly and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. A bin cover is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the chassis and configured to rotate between a first, closed position providing closure of an opening defined by the bin and a second, open position providing access to the bin opening. The robot includes a body attached to the chassis and a handle disposed on an upper portion of the body. A bin cover release is actuatable from substantially near the handle.