US 12,004,706 B2
Robotic cleaner
Melinda L. Liggett, Watertown, MA (US); Isaku D. Kamada, Brighton, MA (US); Frederick K. Hopke, Medway, MA (US); Gan Sin Huat, Suzhou (CN); Charles Fiebig, Needham, MA (US); Scott Connor, Needham, MA (US); and Alan Ai, Suzhou (CN)
Assigned to SharkNinja Operating LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed by SharkNinja Operating, LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/135,275.
Application 17/135,275 is a continuation of application No. 16/100,687, filed on Aug. 10, 2018, granted, now 10,874,275.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/713,207, filed on Aug. 1, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/555,468, filed on Sep. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0113044 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. A47L 9/28 (2006.01); A47L 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 9/2852 (2013.01) [A47L 9/009 (2013.01); A47L 9/2805 (2013.01); A47L 2201/00 (2013.01); A47L 2201/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic cleaner comprising:
a first driven wheel and a second driven wheel, each driven wheel being biased toward an extended position;
a first wheel drop sensor corresponding to the first driven wheel and a second wheel drop sensor corresponding to the second driven wheel, each wheel drop sensor being configured to detect when a corresponding driven wheel is in the extended position; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first and second wheel drop sensors, the controller being configured to determine that the robotic cleaner is perched on a cliff in response to only one of the first wheel drop sensor detecting that the first driven wheel is in the extended position or the second wheel drop sensor detecting that the second driven wheel is in the extended position, wherein, in response to the first wheel drop sensor detecting that the first driven wheel is in the extended position and the controller determining that the robotic cleaner is perched on the cliff, the controller is configured to:
cause:
the first driven wheel to rotate in a rearward rotation direction for a predetermined time; and
the second driven wheel to discontinue rotation while the first driven wheel rotates in the rearward rotation direction for the predetermined time; and
determine the robotic cleaner is stuck on the cliff when the predetermined time has elapsed and the first wheel drop sensor indicates the first driven wheel is in the extended position.