US 11,751,743 B2
Autonomous vacuum cleaner
Jeffrey A. Scholten, Grand Rapids, MI (US); Jake Andrew Mohan, Grand Rapids, MI (US); Andrew James Brouwers, Grand Rapids, MI (US); Eric Daniel Buehler, Grand Rapids, MI (US); James Joseph Minnema, Jr., Hudsonville, MI (US); Derek Everett Smith, Grand Rapids, MI (US); and David VanKampen, Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Assigned to BISSELL Inc., Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed by BISSELL Inc., Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 19, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/794,814.
Application 16/794,814 is a division of application No. 15/705,781, filed on Sep. 15, 2017, granted, now 10,595,694.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/395,674, filed on Sep. 16, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0178746 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
Int. Cl. A47L 9/28 (2006.01); A47L 9/00 (2006.01); A47L 9/04 (2006.01); A47L 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 9/2805 (2013.01) [A47L 9/009 (2013.01); A47L 9/0411 (2013.01); A47L 9/0477 (2013.01); A47L 9/1683 (2013.01); A47L 9/2852 (2013.01); A47L 2201/022 (2013.01); A47L 2201/04 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous vacuum cleaner, comprising:
an autonomously moveable housing having a front, a rear, a first side, and a second side;
a vacuum collection system carried by the autonomously moveable housing;
a plurality of distance sensors carried by the autonomously moveable housing;
a brushroll and a brush chamber in which the brushroll is mounted;
a brushroll window cover disposed at the front of the autonomously moveable housing, in which the brushroll window cover is formed of a transparent material or a translucent material through which the brushroll may be viewed; and
a sensor cover directly connected to the autonomously moveable housing and having a forward wall and a rear wall, the sensor cover covering the plurality of distance sensors; wherein the plurality of distance sensors are staggered relative to the front of the autonomously moveable housing above the brush chamber, and wherein each distance sensor of the plurality of distance sensors confronts a respective portion of the rear wall; wherein the sensor cover is set back relative to the front of the autonomously moveable housing to expose at least a portion of the brush chamber;
wherein the sensor cover and the plurality of distance sensors are positioned above the brush chamber and in contact with the brushroll window cover, and wherein the sensor cover is set back from the front of the autonomously moveable housing such that the brushroll window cover is in front of the sensor cover relative to the front of the autonomously moveable housing.