Methods and apparatus for cleaning a surface with a cleaning device having a body with a handle, a connector, and one or more cleaning heads that are removably attached to the cleaning device. Each cleaning head include a lower surface arranged to contact a surface to be cleaned and a dirt collection chamber permanently attached to the cleaning head. The cleaning head may include a support structure to support the dirt collection chamber and a cleaning sheet. The cleaning head also may include a suction nozzle. At least a portion of the dirt collection chamber may be made of a filter material.

A cleaning appliance includes a dirt separator for separating dirt from an airflow, and a main body, the dirt separator including a bin for collecting dirt separated from the airflow, and the main body including a runner portion extending alongside a side wall of the bin, wherein the bin is slidable along the runner portion between an operational position and an extended position, and a release catch releasably engages with a formation on the runner portion to prevent the bin from being separated from the cleaning appliance, and wherein the release catch is positioned on the side wall of the bin such that it is hidden by the runner portion of the main body unless the bin is in the extended position.

A base station for connecting a cleaning device and a method for operating a cleaning system with a cleaning device and such a base station are proposed, wherein the room air is conditioned by means of the base station and/or the quality of the room air is measured by means of the base station.

A mobile cleaning robot includes a removable filter unit configured to receive a supply airflow generated by a blower and to filter debris from the supply airflow, a filter seat, a filter access opening, a filter access door, and a filter presence system. The filter access door is pivotable between a closed position, wherein the filter access door covers the filter access opening, and an open position, wherein the filter access door is displaced from the filter access opening to permit access to the filter seat. The filter presence system is configured to: permit the filter access door to move from the open position into the closed position when the filter unit is disposed in the filter seat; and prevent the filter access door from being moved into the closed position when the filter unit is not disposed in the filter seat. The filter presence system includes a lift arm movable between an extended position and a retracted position. When the filter access door is open, the lift arm assumes the extended position to receive the filter unit in the filter seat. Moving the filter access door from the open position into the closed position when the filter unit is disposed in the filter seat causes the lift arm to move to the retracted position.

A cleaner includes: a main body that forms an external shape; a dust container that is separably combined with the main body and stores dust separated from air; a dust container cover that is configured to open and close the dust container; a handle unit that is disposed behind the dust container; and an operating member that is configured to provide operation force to the dust container cover by moving in a first direction and to release a holding mechanism for preventing separation of the dust container from the main body by moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

A cleaner includes: a main body that forms an external shape; a dust container that is separably combined with the main body and stores dust separated from air; a dust container cover that is configured to open and close the dust container; a handle unit that is disposed behind the dust container; and an operating member that is configured to provide operation force to the dust container cover by moving in a first direction and to release a holding mechanism for preventing separation of the dust container from the main body by moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Provided is a cleaning system including: a robot cleaner including a dust collecting device having a dirt outlet and an outlet door configured to open and close the dirt outlet; and a station including a collecting device configured to generate a suction force to suction dirt of the duct collecting device and a lever device provided with a lever configured to be fixable to the outlet door as the outlet door is being opened to allow the collecting device and the dust collecting device to communicate with each other, and a lever driving source configured to generate power for driving the lever.

The invention relates to a method for cleaning a filter of a vacuum cleaning apparatus, wherein in operation of the vacuum cleaning apparatus the filter has suction air flowing therethrough, said suction air being generated by a fan, the method including measuring a first pressure at an inflow section of the filter, measuring a second pressure at an outflow section of the filter, determining a pressure drop at the filter as a pressure difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, determining a quantity characterizing a volume flow of the suction air in the outflow section of the filter, determining, from the pressure difference and the quantity that characterizes the volume flow, a quantity characterizing a flow resistance of the filter, and initiating a filter cleaning operation in dependence upon the determined quantity that characterizes the flow resistance of the filter.

The invention relates to a method for cleaning a filter of a vacuum cleaning apparatus, wherein in operation of the vacuum cleaning apparatus the filter has suction air flowing therethrough, said suction air being generated by a fan, the method including measuring a first pressure at an inflow section of the filter, measuring a second pressure at an outflow section of the filter, determining a pressure drop at the filter as a pressure difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, determining a quantity characterizing a volume flow of the suction air in the outflow section of the filter, determining, from the pressure difference and the quantity that characterizes the volume flow, a quantity characterizing a flow resistance of the filter, and initiating a filter cleaning operation in dependence upon the determined quantity that characterizes the flow resistance of the filter.

A vacuum cleaner including a motor housing having a suction source, a suction opening, an exhaust opening, and an air passageway in fluid communication with the suction source and the exhaust opening. A filter receives the suction airflow between the suction opening and the exhaust opening and the filter is expandable in response to the suction airflow traveling through the filter. The vacuum further includes a container in which the filter is located and the container includes a wall and ribs. The ribs limit expansion of the filter to create a gap between the filter and the wall. The suction airflow travels from the filter through the gap towards the exhaust opening. The motor housing is releasably coupled to the container, and the gap between the filter and the container wall is in fluid communication with the motor housing air passageway.