Powered cleaning appliance

Abstract

An autonomous cleaning appliance including a housing, a dirt container disposed in the housing, a brushroll disposed in the housing and configured to move dirt into the dirt container, a brush motor disposed in the housing for driving the brushroll, and a power drive assembly mounted in the housing for propelling the appliance. The power drive assembly including a first drive assembly disposed on a first side of the housing, a first drive motor operatively connected to the first drive assembly, a second drive assembly disposed on a second side of the housing (the second side being opposite the first side), and a second drive motor operatively connected to the second drive assembly. A floor sensor system is coupled to the housing for detecting a loss of floor condition and an off edge condition.

1 . An autonomous cleaning appliance comprising:
 a housing;   a dirt container disposed in the housing;   a brushroll disposed in the housing and configured to move dirt into the dirt container;   a brush motor disposed in the housing for driving the brushroll;   a power drive assembly mounted in the housing for propelling the appliance, the power drive assembly including,
 a first drive assembly disposed on a first side of the housing, 
 a first drive motor operatively connected to the first drive assembly, 
 a second drive assembly disposed on a second side of the housing, the second side being opposite the first side, and 
 a second drive motor operatively connected to the second drive assembly; and 
   a floor sensor system coupled to the housing for detecting a loss of floor condition and an off edge condition.   
     
     
         2 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the dirt container does not communicate with a suction source. 
     
     
         3 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the floor sensor system delivers a signal to the power drive assembly to affect the propulsion of the appliance. 
     
     
         4 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the floor sensor system includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor, and a fourth sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the first sensor is positioned forward of the first drive assembly, wherein the second sensor is positioned forward of the second drive assembly, wherein the third sensor is positioned rearward of the first drive assembly, and wherein the fourth sensor is positioned rearward of the second drive assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the floor sensor system includes an infrared sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the infrared sensor includes an emitter and a corresponding detector. 
     
     
         8 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the emitter has a field of emission directed downward. 
     
     
         9 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the detector has a field of view that intersects the field of emission of the emitter such that the loss of floor condition and the off edge condition are detected. 
     
     
         10 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 1 , wherein when the floor sensor system detects the loss of floor condition or the off edge condition, the floor sensor system delivers a signal to the power drive assembly to stop propulsion of the appliance. 
     
     
         11 . An autonomous cleaning appliance comprising:
 a housing;   a dirt container disposed in the housing;   a power drive assembly mounted in the housing for propelling the appliance, the power drive assembly including,
 a first drive assembly disposed on a first side of the housing, 
 a first drive motor operatively connected to the first drive assembly, 
 a second drive assembly disposed on a second side of the housing, the second side being opposite the first side, and 
 a second drive motor operatively connected to the second drive assembly; and 
   an infrared floor sensor system coupled to the housing and includes an emitter and a corresponding detector.   
     
     
         12 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the emitter has a field of emission directed downward. 
     
     
         13 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the detector has a field of view that intersects the field of emission of the emitter such that a loss of floor condition and an off edge condition are detected. 
     
     
         14 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 11 , wherein when the infrared floor sensor system detects a loss of floor condition or an off edge condition, the infrared floor sensor system delivers a signal to the power drive assembly to stop propulsion of the appliance. 
     
     
         15 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the infrared floor sensor system includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor, and a fourth sensor, each of the sensors including an emitter and a detector. 
     
     
         16 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, and the fourth sensor are positioned such that when one of the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, or the fourth sensor detects a loss of floor condition or an off edge condition, the infrared floor sensor system delivers a signal to the power drive assembly to stop propulsion of the appliance. 
     
     
         17 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the infrared floor sensor system includes:
 a first sensor positioned forward of the first drive assembly,   a second sensor positioned forward of the second drive assembly,   a third sensor positioned rearward of the first drive assembly, and   a fourth sensor positioned rearward of the second drive assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the infrared floor sensor system communicates with the first drive motor and the second drive motor via a printed circuit board. 
     
     
         19 . The autonomous cleaning appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the infrared floor sensor system is positioned on a bottom side of the housing. 
     
     
         20 . An autonomous cleaning appliance comprising:
 a housing;   a dirt container disposed in the housing;   a brushroll disposed in the housing and configured to move dirt into the dirt container;   a brush motor disposed in the housing for driving the brushroll;   a power drive assembly mounted in the housing for propelling the appliance, the power drive assembly including,
 a first drive assembly disposed on a first side of the housing, 
 a first drive motor operatively connected to the first drive assembly, 
 a second drive assembly disposed on a second side of the housing, the second side being opposite the first side, and 
 a second drive motor operatively connected to the second drive assembly; and 
   an infrared floor sensor system coupled to the housing and including a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor, and a fourth sensor, each including an emitter and a corresponding detector,   wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, and the fourth sensor are positioned such that when one of the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, or the fourth sensor detects a loss of floor condition or an off edge condition, the infrared floor sensor system delivers a signal to the power drive assembly to stop propulsion of the appliance.