Robotic vacuum cleaner and a method in a robotic vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A robotic vacuum cleaner having a nozzle arranged in a portion of a housing facing a surface to be cleaned. The nozzle has a leading edge portion having channels leading to the suction opening at two different heights from the surface.

1 - 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a housing;   a drive arrangement being configured to drive the vacuum cleaner in a drive direction along a surface to be cleaned;   a vacuum producing unit;   a debris receptacle; and   a nozzle arranged in a portion of the housing facing the surface to be cleaned, wherein the nozzle comprises:
 a frame having a leading edge portion, a trailing edge portion behind the leading edge portion with respect to a direction of travel, and side edges joining the leading edge portion to the trailing edge portion to thereby define a suction opening in fluid communication with the vacuum producing unit and the debris receptacle, 
 wherein the leading edge portion comprises:
 a bottom surface facing the surface to be cleaned, 
 at least one first channel extending in the drive direction through the leading edge portion to the suction opening and located a first distance above the bottom surface when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned and, 
 at least one second channel extending in the drive direction through the leading edge portion to the suction opening and located a second distance above the bottom surface when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned and extending to the suction opening, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 
 
   
     
     
         66 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 65 , wherein the first distance is less than 5 millimeters from the surface to be cleaned when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         67 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 66 , wherein the second distance is more than 5 millimeters from the surface to be cleaned when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         68 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 67 , wherein the second distance is more than 7 millimeters from the surface to be cleaned when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         69 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 65 , wherein the bottom surface is located below the remainder of the nozzle when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         70 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 69 , wherein the bottom surface is located below the housing when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         71 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 65 , further comprising a rotatable elongated brush roll arranged inside the housing and extending along the nozzle, the rotatable elongated brush roll comprising radially extending members extending from inside the housing to at least a level of the bottom surface when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         72 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 71 , wherein a first radially extending member of the radially extending members comprises a resilient lip and a second radially extending member of the radially extending members comprises bristles. 
     
     
         73 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 65 , further comprising a rotatable side brush attached to the housing at a location offset from the suction opening in a direction perpendicular to the drive direction, wherein the rotatable side brush is configured to rotate about a vertical axis extending away from the surface to be cleaned when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         74 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 73 , wherein at least one second channel is comprises an aperture adjacent to a side edge of the frame, and the rotatable side brush comprises bristles that are dimensioned to pass proximate to the aperture during rotation of the rotatable side brush when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         75 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 74 , wherein the bristles are dimensioned to pass between the aperture and the surface to be cleaned when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         76 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 65 , wherein the suction opening is elongated extending in a direction perpendicular to the drive direction, the at least one second channel comprises a first aperture located at one end of the elongated suction opening. 
     
     
         77 . The robotic vacuum cleaner according to  claim 65 , wherein the suction opening is elongated extending in a direction perpendicular to the drive direction, the at least one second channel comprises a first aperture located at one end of the elongated suction opening, and a second aperture located at a second end of the elongated suction opening. 
     
     
         78 . A method for operating a robotic vacuum cleaner having a housing, a drive arrangement being configured to drive the vacuum cleaner in a drive direction along a surface to be cleaned, a vacuum producing unit, a debris receptacle, an elongated suction opening extending in a lateral direction perpendicular to the drive direction, the suction opening being located behind opening comprising a leading edge of a nozzle having bottom surface and at least one channel located at a lateral end of the elongated suction opening and located above the bottom surface when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in an operative position on the surface to be cleaned, the method comprising:
 driving the robotic vacuum cleaner along a cleaning path;   detecting or encountering a debris particle that is larger than a distance between the surface to be cleaned and the bottom surface of the nozzle;   using the nozzle to push the debris particle along the drive direction forward of the vacuum cleaner and simultaneously turning the robotic vacuum cleaner to align the debris particle with one of the at least one channel;   receiving the debris particle through the one of the at least one channel;   sucking the debris particle through the suction opening; and   depositing the debris particle in the debris receptacle   
     
     
         79 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein turning the robotic vacuum cleaner comprises following a spiral path. 
     
     
         80 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein turning the robotic vacuum cleaner comprises following a zigzag path and/or a random path. 
     
     
         81 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein turning the robotic vacuum cleaner comprises following a random path. 
     
     
         82 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein receiving the debris particle through the one of the at least one channel comprises directing the debris particle through the one of the at least one channel using a rotating side brush.