# US 11,304,581 B2 · Surface cleaning apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,581 B2 - Document ID: US11304581B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/734,708 - Filed: 2020-01-06 - Published: 2020-07-09 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-08 - Assignees: BISSELL Inc. - Applicants: BISSELL Inc. - Inventors: Jacob Resch; Jacob S. Boles - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304581B2 ## CPC - A47L 11/4019: {Fill level sensors; Security means to prevent overflow, e.g. float valves} - A47L 5/30: with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes - A47L 7/0004: {Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners (floor-scrubbing machines taking-up dirty liquid by suction A47L11/30)} - A47L 9/2873: {Docking units or charging stations (for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02)} - A47L 11/145: {with supply of cleaning agents} - A47L 11/185: {with supply of cleaning agents} - A47L 11/19: Parts or details of the brushing tools - A47L 11/302: {having rotary tools} - A47L 11/4005: {Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements} - A47L 11/4008: {Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like} - A47L 11/4011: {Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor} - A47L 11/4041: {Roll shaped surface treating tools} - B08B 3/04: Cleaning involving contact with liquid - B60L 53/10: characterised by the energy transfer between the charging station and the vehicle - A46B 17/06: Devices for cleaning brushes after use - A47L 11/4025: {Means for emptying} - A47L 11/4027: {Filtering or separating contaminants or debris} - A47L 11/4083: {Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices} - A47L 11/4088: {Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits} - A47L 11/4094: {Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices} - A47L 11/4097: {Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Exhaust-air treatment, e.g. air purification; Means for sound or vibration damping} - B08B 2209/027: for cleaning the internal surfaces - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that includes a housing including a base adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned, a fluid delivery system, and a recovery system. The surface cleaning apparatus can be configured to clean multiple surfaces, including hard and soft surfaces, and for different cleaning modes, including wet cleaning, dry vacuum cleaning, and self-cleaning. Methods for self-cleaning a surface cleaning apparatus are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A floor cleaning system, comprising: a surface cleaning apparatus comprising: an upright body comprising a handle and a frame; a base coupled with the upright body and adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned; a moveable joint assembly mounting the base to the upright body, wherein the upright body is pivotable via the joint assembly between an upright storage position and a reclined use position; a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank removable from the frame, a pump within the base, and a fluid distributor; a recovery system comprising a recovery pathway, a recovery tank removable from the frame and a vacuum motor within the upright body; a brushroll removably mounted to the base within the recovery pathway; a brushroll motor in the base and be operably coupled to the brushroll; a rechargeable battery selectively powering the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor; a battery charging circuit controlling the recharging of the rechargeable battery; a user interface disposed on the handle, the user interface comprising a power button and a cleaning mode button; a self-cleaning mode input control disposed on the upright body and configured to initiate an unattended automatic cleanout cycle for a self-cleaning mode of operation in which the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor are selectively energized and powered by the battery, wherein the self-cleaning mode input control is separate from the power button and the cleaning mode button; and a controller controlling the operation of the fluid delivery and recovery systems, and operably coupled with the user interface for receiving inputs from a user; a cleaning tray configured to dock the surface cleaning apparatus in the upright storage position for recharging the battery of the surface cleaning apparatus and for self-cleaning of the surface cleaning apparatus; wherein the controller is configured to: automatically disable the battery charging circuit upon actuation of the self-cleaning mode input control; execute the unattended automatic cleanout cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation; and automatically enable the battery charging circuit to recharge the battery after the end of the unattended automatic cleanout cycle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to activate the pump and the motor during the automatic cleanout cycle, whereby the pump draws cleaning fluid from the supply tank, the fluid distributor sprays cleaning fluid, and the motor extracts cleaning fluid from the cleaning tray for collection in the recovery tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a suction nozzle configured to extract fluid and debris from the brushroll. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The floor cleaning system of claim 3, wherein the cleaning tray comprises a sump disposed under the suction nozzle and the brushroll when the surface cleaning apparatus is docked with the cleaning tray. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a battery monitoring circuit monitoring the status of the rechargeable battery and a display on the frame of the upright body, wherein feedback form the battery monitoring circuit is used by the controller to display a battery charge status on the display. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein: the cleaning tray comprises at least one charging contact, a power cord, and a wall charger configured to be plugged into a household outlet; and the surface cleaning apparatus comprises at least one corresponding charging contact configured to couple with the at least one charging contact of the cleaning tray when the surface cleaning apparatus is docked with the cleaning tray. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The floor cleaning system of claim 6, wherein the cleaning tray comprises a retractable shielding cover for the at least one charging contact, the shielding cover biased to a closed position in which the at least one charging contact is not exposed, wherein docking the apparatus with the cleaning tray automatically moves the shielding cover to an open position in which the at least one charging contact of the cleaning tray is exposed and can coupled with the at least one corresponding charging contact of the surface cleaning apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to lock-out the self-cleaning cycle when the surface cleaning apparatus is not docked with the cleaning tray. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, comprising a display on the frame of the upright body, the display including a battery status indicator, a WiFi connection status indicator, and a self-cleaning status indicator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the power button and the cleaning mode button are disposed on a forward side of the handle, and the self-cleaning mode input control is remote from the power button and the cleaning mode button. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein: the frame comprises a battery housing in which the battery is located, the battery housing disposed at a lower rear side of the frame, behind the recovery tank, the battery housing including a socket; and the cleaning tray comprises a vertically-extending charging unit, the battery housing and the charging unit having complementary shapes with the battery housing fitting against the charging unit to support the apparatus on the tray, and the charging unit at least partially received by the socket when the apparatus is docked with the tray. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The floor cleaning system of claim 1, wherein, to execute the unattended automatic cleanout cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation, the controller is configured to: activate the brushroll motor and the pump, whereby cleaning liquid is sprayed on the brushroll while the brushroll rotates; and activate the vacuum motor after the brushroll motor and the pump are activated, whereby cleaning liquid is extracted and deposited into the recovery tank and a portion of the recovery pathway is flushed out. ### Claim 13 A floor cleaning system, comprising: a surface cleaning apparatus comprising: an upright body comprising a handle and a frame; a base coupled with the upright body and adapted for movement across a surface to be cleaned; a moveable joint assembly mounting the base to the upright body, wherein the upright body is pivotable via the joint assembly between an upright storage position and a reclined use position; a fluid delivery system comprising a supply tank, a pump within the base, and a fluid distributor; a recovery system comprising a recovery tank and a vacuum motor; a brushroll within a recovery pathway of the recovery system; a brushroll motor operably coupled to the brushroll for rotating the brushroll; and a suction nozzle configured to extract fluid and debris from the brushroll; a rechargeable battery selectively powering the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor; a battery charging circuit controlling the recharging of the rechargeable battery; a user interface disposed on the handle, the user interface comprising a power button and a cleaning mode button; a self-cleaning mode input control disposed on the upright body and configured to initiate an unattended automatic cleanout cycle for a self-cleaning mode of operation in which the pump, the vacuum motor, and the brushroll motor are selectively energized and powered by the battery, wherein the self-cleaning mode input control is separate from the power button and the cleaning mode button; and a controller controlling the operation of the fluid delivery and recovery systems, and operably coupled with the user interface for receiving inputs from a user; a combination cleaning and charging tray configured to dock the surface cleaning apparatus in the upright storage position for recharging and self-cleaning the surface cleaning apparatus, the cleaning and charging tray comprising at least one charging contact for recharging the battery of the surface cleaning apparatus and a sump configured to collect fluid dispensed during the automatic cleanout cycle; wherein the controller is configured to: automatically, upon actuation of the self-cleaning mode input control, disable the battery charging circuit and execute the unattended automatic cleanout cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation; and automatically enable the battery charging circuit to recharge the battery after the end of the unattended automatic cleanout cycle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The floor cleaning system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to lock-out the self-cleaning cycle when the surface cleaning apparatus is not docked with the cleaning tray. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The floor cleaning system of claim 13, comprising a display on the frame of the upright body, the display including a battery status indicator, a WiFi connection status indicator, and a self-cleaning status indicator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The floor cleaning system of claim 13, wherein the power button and the cleaning mode button are disposed on a forward side of the handle, and the self-cleaning mode input control is remote from the power button and the cleaning mode button. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The floor cleaning system of claim 13, wherein: the frame comprises a battery housing in which the battery is located, the battery housing disposed at a lower rear side of the frame, behind the recovery tank, the battery housing including a socket; and the cleaning tray comprises a vertically-extending charging unit, the battery housing and the charging unit having complementary shapes with the battery housing fitting against the charging unit to support the apparatus on the tray, and the charging unit at least partially received by the socket when the apparatus is docked with the tray. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The floor cleaning system of claim 13, wherein, to execute the unattended automatic cleanout cycle for the self-cleaning mode of operation, the controller is configured to: activate the brushroll motor and the pump, whereby cleaning liquid is sprayed on the brushroll while the brushroll rotates; and activate the vacuum motor after the brushroll motor and the pump are activated, whereby cleaning liquid is extracted and deposited into the recovery tank and a portion of the recovery pathway is flushed out. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The floor cleaning system of claim 13, wherein: the cleaning tray comprises at least one charging contact and a retractable shielding cover for the at least one charging contact, the shielding cover biased to a closed position in which the at least one charging contact is not exposed; the surface cleaning apparatus comprises at least one corresponding charging contact configured to couple with the at least one charging contact of the cleaning tray when the surface cleaning apparatus is docked with the cleaning tray; wherein docking the apparatus with the cleaning tray automatically moves the shielding cover to an open position in which the at least one charging contact of the cleaning tray is exposed and can coupled with the at least one corresponding charging contact of the surface cleaning apparatus.