In general, the present disclosure is directed to a hand-held surface cleaning device that includes a relatively compact form-factor to allow users to store the same in a nearby location (e.g., in a drawer, in an associated charging dock, on a table top) for easy access to perform relatively small cleaning tasks that would otherwise require retrieving a full-size vacuum from storage. A hand-held surface cleaning device consistent with aspects of the present disclosure includes a body (or body portion) with a motor, power source and dust cup disposed therein. The body portion also functions as a handgrip to allow the hand-held surface cleaning device to be operated by one hand, for example.

A debris collecting base station cooperates with the cleaning robot. The cleaning robot has a debris outlet for discharging debris. The debris collecting base station includes a base, a debris collecting device, a first communication component and a microcontroller. The base has a debris intake passageway. One end of the debris intake passageway pneumatically interfaces with the debris outlet, the debris collecting device is mounted on the base and is communicated with the end of the debris intake passageway away from the debris outlet. The microcontroller is electrically connected to the first communication component and the debris collecting device, which controls the first communication component to send and receive interactive signals with the cleaning robot and controls working modes of the debris collecting base station based on the interactive signals.

An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, and a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner. The drive system can include at least one drive wheel for driving the housing across a surface to be cleaned. The drive wheel can be selectively moved from an engaged or in-use position to a disengaged or maintenance position. In the disengaged or maintenance position, the wheel is disengaged from the autonomously moveable housing such that it can be pivoted, extended, removed, or otherwise moved farther away from the autonomously moveable housing.

A cleaning robot system including a robot and a robot maintenance station. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system, a cleaning assembly, and a cleaning bin carried by the robot body and configured to receive debris agitated by the cleaning assembly. The robot maintenance station includes a station housing configured to receive the robot for maintenance. The station housing has an evacuation passageway exposed to a top portion of the received robot. The robot maintenance station also includes an air mover in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway and a collection bin carried by the station housing and in pneumatic communication with the evacuation passageway. The station housing and the robot body fluidly connect the evacuation passageway to the cleaning bin of the received robot. The air mover evacuates debris held in the robot cleaning bin to the collection bin through the evacuation passageway.

A method for determining a route for a floor cleaning machine in a total area, wherein the floor cleaning machine comprises a cleaning element that can be activated for engagement with a floor surface, wherein a transport path is determined in a first step, wherein the total area comprises the transport path, wherein the transport path extends between a first and a second start/end area, wherein the cleaning element is deactivated during a movement of the floor cleaning machine along the transport path, wherein a work area is determined in a second step, wherein the total area comprises the work area, wherein the work area comprises at least one of the start/end areas, wherein the cleaning element is activated during a movement of the floor cleaning machine along a work path within the work area, wherein the route comprises the transport path.

A charging stand (100) for a vacuum cleaner (200) includes a body (1), a pedal (2) and a safety protection device (3). The pedal (2) is disposed to the body (1) and is pivotable between a first position and a second position. The safety protection device (3) is disposed to the body (1), normally cooperate with the pedal (2), and separate from cooperation with the pedal (2) to make the pedal (2) move from the first position to the second position when moved.

An integrated and modular air and lighting plenum that is the primary directional lighting mounting apparatus and laminar flow diffuser of an HVAC system in a healthcare setting. The plenum provides laminar air flow from the ceiling to the room in which it is located in accordance with HVAC requirements for healthcare environment settings, by using a plurality of cylindrical airflow outlets. The use of cylindrical airflow outlets promotes laminar airflow by reducing sharp boundaries that induce turbulence (e.g., the corners of rectangular or square outlets) and creates a highly sterile environment around the patient and staff in the operating room. The surgical lights used in the integrated air and lighting plenum allow the beam direction, spot size, focal point, brightness, and color temperature of the emitted light to be controlled.

A robot cleaner according to the present invention includes a body provided with a driving unit for movement, a position recognition unit provided in the body to recognize a position of the body, a storage unit configured to store, on a map, a region cleaned while the body is moving by the driving unit, and a control unit configured to control the driving unit, wherein the control unit determines whether a charging stand exists in a cleaning completed region on the map stored in the storage unit when a return condition that the body returns to the charging stand is satisfied, searches for an uncleaned region when the charging stand is not located in the cleaning completed region, and controls the driving unit such that the body moves from a current position to a point in a found uncleaned region or a point around the found uncleaned region.

A docking station which can releasably engage and hold a robotic pool cleaner, the docking station optionally including a pre-filter for coarse debris, the pool cleaner including an internal filter and a pump to suction in, filter and eject filtered water while the pool cleaner is coupled to the docking station. The pool cleaner's pump creates water jets to provide propulsion for the pool cleaner and to aid in decoupling the pool cleaner from the docking station.