US 11076735

A comprehensive analysis of United States Patent 11,076,735 reveals a detailed invention related to a "Surface cleaning apparatus," assigned to Bissell Inc. The patent has been the subject of recent legal proceedings, culminating in a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Patent Details:

• Title: Surface cleaning apparatus
• Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Inventors: Jacob Resch, Jacob S. Boles
• Filing Date: September 10, 2020
• Issue Date: August 3, 2021
• Abstract: The patent describes a surface cleaning apparatus that includes a storage tray for a self-cleaning mode and for drying a brushroll. A key feature is that the self-cleaning mode can only be activated when the apparatus is docked on the storage tray. When a "cleanout" or self-cleaning cycle is initiated via a user control, the battery charging is disabled.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

U.S. Patent 11,076,735 contains two independent claims, which are the broadest claims in the patent and define the core of the invention.

• Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a complete floor cleaning system. It includes a surface cleaning apparatus with a fluid delivery and recovery system, a rechargeable battery, and a battery charging circuit. A crucial element is a user interface with a "self-cleaning mode input control" that starts an automatic "cleanout cycle." The system also includes a cleaning tray for docking the apparatus for both recharging and self-cleaning. The inventive step outlined in this claim is that the battery charging circuit is intentionally disabled during this automatic cleanout cycle.

• Independent Claim 13: This claim outlines a method for self-cleaning the surface cleaning apparatus when it is docked on its cleaning tray, which is also capable of recharging the device's battery. The method involves:

  1. Starting a self-cleaning mode.
  2. Disabling the battery charging circuit during the cleaning cycle.
  3. Running an automatic "cleanout cycle" to clean at least a part of the dirty fluid recovery path.

In essence, both independent claims focus on the interaction between the cleaning apparatus and its docking station, where the self-cleaning operation and battery charging are mutually exclusive. This prevents both power-intensive operations from occurring simultaneously.

Litigation:

This patent was recently the subject of a legal dispute. In the case of Bissell, Inc. v. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a decision by the International Trade Commission (ITC). The ITC had initially found that certain products from Tineco infringed on Bissell's patent. However, Tineco redesigned their products with a firmware update. This update altered the self-cleaning cycle so that the battery charging circuit would activate briefly twice during the cycle, rather than remaining disabled throughout the entire process. The court agreed with the ITC's determination that these redesigned products no longer infringed on the claims of U.S. Patent 11,076,735 because the charging circuit was not "disabled" for the duration of the "unattended automatic cleanout cycle" as specified in the patent's claims.