Nova Patents
EP1582132A2

Powered cleaning appliance

Abstract

A powered sweeper (10) includes a housing (12), a brushroll chamber (42) disposed in the housing (12), a brushroll mounted in a brushroll chamber (42), a dirt chamber disposed in the housing, a drive motor (132) disposed in the housing (12), and a driven wheel operatively connected to the drive motor (132). The brushroll rotates in the brushroll chamber (42) and the dirt chamber communicates with the brushroll chamber (42) such that debris is propelled by the brushroll into the dirt chamber.

EP1582132A2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 7

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 4 April 2025, 1.5 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Published
  4. Projected expiry
  5. Today

13 claims: 9 independent, 4 dependent

  1. 1
    A powered sweeper (10) comprising:a housing (12);a first brushroll chamber (42) disposed in the housing (12);a first brushroll rotatably mounted in the first brushroll chamber (42);a dirt chamber disposed in the housing (12) and communicating with the first brushroll chamber (42), wherein the dirt chamber does not communicate with a suction source;a first drive motor (132) disposed in the housing (12);anda first driven wheel mounted to the housing and operatively connected to the first drive motor.
  2. 4
    The powered sweeper (10) of any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:a second drive motor (162) disposed in the housing (12);anda second driven wheel operatively connected to the second drive motor (162), wherein the first driven wheel is positioned on a first side of the dirt chamber and the second driven wheel is positioned on a second side of the dirt chamber, wherein the first side is opposite the second side.
  3. 5
    The powered sweeper (10) of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first drive motor (132) is in electrical communication with a switch to control a direction of rotation of the motor.
  4. 6
    The powered sweeper (10) of any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a bumper (16) movably mounted to the housing (12).
  5. 8
    The powered sweeper (10) of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the bumper (16) and the housing (12) includes a joystick in communication with a circuit board (218) and the other of the bumper and the housing (12) includes a socket that receives a distal end of the joystick.
  6. 9
    The powered sweeper (10) of any of claims 1 to 8 further comprising a control device for regulating the operation of the first drive motor (132) and the first driven wheel in an autonomous manner.
  7. 11
    The powered sweeper (10) of claims 9 or 10, further comprising a floor sensor mounted to the housing (12) and communicating with the control device.
  8. 12
    The powered sweeper (10) of any of claims 6 to 11, further comprising a bumper plate attached to the bumper (16), wherein the bumper plate and the bumper (16) sandwich the housing (12).
  9. 13
    The powered sweeper (10) of any of claims 6 to 12, further comprising vertical bosses associated with the housing (12) and corresponding vertical bosses associated with the bumper, and resilient members that each mount to a respective pair of vertical bosses.