US 12,414,664 B2
Smart nozzle and a surface cleaning device implementing same
Damian Howard, Winchester, MA (US); and Andre D. Brown, Natick, MA (US)
Assigned to SharkNinja Operating LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed by SharkNinja Operating, LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed on Jul. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/926,604.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/872,862, filed on Jul. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0007569 A1, Jan. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. A47L 9/28 (2006.01); A47L 5/26 (2006.01); A47L 9/04 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 9/2847 (2013.01) [A47L 5/26 (2013.01); A47L 9/0411 (2013.01); A47L 9/0477 (2013.01); A47L 9/2821 (2013.01); A47L 9/2826 (2013.01); A47L 9/2831 (2013.01); A47L 9/2842 (2013.01); A47L 9/2884 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surface cleaning device comprising:
a body defining a handle portion, a dirty air passageway, and a cavity to receive vacuum controller circuitry, the vacuum controller circuitry including:
a primary controller;
a primary power supply; and
a suction motor for generating suction to draw air into the dirty air passageway;
a nozzle removably coupled to the body and having a dirty air inlet configured to fluidly couple with the dirty air passageway, the nozzle including nozzle control circuitry that is electrically isolated from the vacuum controller circuitry, the nozzle control circuitry having:
a brushroll motor to drive one or more brush rolls;
an accelerometer configured to generate a motion signal corresponding to motion data in response to movement of the nozzle;
a pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure signal corresponding to pressure data in response to pressure within the nozzle;
a secondary power supply; and
a secondary controller configured to:
detect initial usage of the surface cleaning device prior to activation of the suction motor and the brushroll motor based, at least in part, on the motion signal corresponding to motion data;
in response to detecting the initial usage and prior to activation of the suction motor and the brushroll motor, begin monitoring the pressure signal corresponding to pressure data;
after detecting the initial usage, detect activation of the suction motor based, at least in part, on the pressure signal corresponding to pressure data indicating a change in pressure; and
in response to detecting the activation of the suction motor, send a driving signal to the brushroll motor, the driving signal causing the brushroll motor to rotate the one or more brush rolls.