# US 11,992,175 B2 · Autonomous vacuum cleaner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,175 B2 - Document ID: US11992175B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/333,094 - Filed: 2021-05-28 - Published: 2021-09-16 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-16 - Assignees: BISSELL Inc. - Applicants: BISSELL Inc. - Inventors: Jeffrey A. Scholten; Jake Andrew Mohan; Andrew James Brouwers; Eric Daniel Buehler; James Joseph Minnema, Jr.; Derek Everett Smith; David VanKampen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992175B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/2805: {Parameters or conditions being sensed} - A47L 9/009: {Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles} - A47L 9/0411: {driven by electric motor} - A47L 9/0477: {Rolls} - A47L 9/1683: {Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles} - A47L 9/2852: {Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles} - G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) - G01S 17/87: Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - G05D 1/0242: {using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals} - A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries - A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection - 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) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract An autonomous vacuum cleaner includes an autonomously moveable housing carrying a vacuum collection system for generating a working air flow for removing dirt from the surface to be cleaned and storing the dirt in a collection space. Distance sensors for position sensing are mounted to the housing. The distance sensors can be staggered and/or positioned on one or more sides or above a brush chamber for a brushroll. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An autonomous vacuum cleaner, comprising: an autonomously moveable housing, a controller, and a drive system operably coupled to the controller; a bumper assembly configured to slide in response to a force, wherein at least a portion of the bumper assembly slides within a clearance provided within the autonomously moveable housing; a first optical sensor configured to detect a presence or absence of a light beam that is indicative of a position of the bumper assembly relative to the clearance; wherein the bumper assembly includes at least one bumper with a rib that is displaced when the force is applied to the bumper assembly, wherein the rib is normally disposed in an air gap to block passage of the light beam through the air gap, and the rib is movable out of the air gap to allow passage of the light beam through the air gap when the force is applied to the bumper assembly; a plurality of other optical sensors that have overlapping fields of view; a brushroll; a brush chamber in which the brushroll is mounted; a brushroll window at a front of the autonomously moveable housing through which the brushroll is viewed; and a sensor cover and the plurality of other optical sensors are positioned above the brush chamber and the brushroll window. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the autonomously moveable housing includes a rear, a first side, and a second side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the first optical sensor is located at the front of the autonomously moveable housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the first optical sensor is located at the first side or the second side of the autonomously moveable housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a U-shaped rib and a post located within the autonomously moveable housing, wherein the clearance is provided between the post and the U-shaped rib. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the rib extends through one or more portions of the autonomously moveable housing or the bumper assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the controller determines that the at least one bumper is moved inward when the first optical sensor detects a change in position of the rib. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein an output signal from the first optical sensor provides an input to the controller that is used to select an obstacle avoidance algorithm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the controller determines that the bumper assembly is moved inward when the first optical sensor detects a change in the position of the bumper assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 8 further comprising a second optical sensor that provides distance feedback to the controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 10 wherein an output signal from the second optical sensor provides an input to the controller that is used to avoid drops. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a second optical sensor that provides distance feedback to the controller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 12 wherein an output signal from the second optical sensor provides an input to the controller that is used to avoid drops. ### Claim 14 An autonomous vacuum cleaner, comprising: an autonomously moveable housing, a controller, and a drive system operably coupled to the controller; a bumper assembly configured to slide in response to a force, wherein at least a portion of the bumper assembly slides within a clearance provided within the autonomously moveable housing; and a first optical sensor configured to detect a presence or absence of a light beam that is indicative of a position of the bumper assembly relative to the clearance; a plurality of other optical sensors that have overlapping fields of view; a brushroll; a brush chamber in which the brushroll is mounted; a brushroll window at a front of the autonomously moveable housing through which the brushroll is viewed; and a sensor cover and the plurality of other optical sensors are positioned above the brush chamber and the brushroll window. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The autonomous vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein: the first optical sensor includes a first portion and a second portion spaced from each other to define the air gap therebetween; and the rib is normally disposed between the first portion and the second portion in the air gap to block passage of the light beam through the air gap to one of the first portion and the second portion, and the rib is movable out of the air gap to allow passage of the light beam through the air gap to the one of the first portion and the second portion when the force is applied to the bumper assembly.