Kevin L Thomas

US Patent:

20220296056, Sep 22, 2022

Filed:

Jun 7, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/834575

Inventors:

- Tortola, VG
Roderick Burgess - Charlotte NC, US
Jacob W. Connelly - Concord NC, US
Kevin L. Thomas - Indian Trail NC, US
Garry Fee - Huntersville NC, US
Jeffrey D. Accursi - Columbus OH, US

International Classification:

A47L 5/24
A47L 5/28
A47L 9/12
A47L 9/22
A47L 9/28

Abstract:

A handheld vacuum cleaner includes a housing, motor, filter access door, filter, and dirt cup movably coupled to the housing. The housing defines a top, bottom, motor chamber, dirty air inlet, handle, clean air outlet, and air flow path. The air flow path is routed from the dirty air inlet to the clean air outlet. The motor is disposed in the motor chamber and defines a motor axis. The filter access defines a filter chamber with the housing. The filter is disposed in the filter chamber and defines a filter axis. The dirt cup defines a dirt cup axis extending parallel to the motor axis and filter axis. The filter access door is located below the filter axis. When the filter axis door is removed, the filter is removable in a downward direction from the filter chamber.

US Patent:

20220294947, Sep 15, 2022

Filed:

Mar 10, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/691534

Inventors:

Kevin Thomas - Charlotte NC, US
Andrew Thompson - Charlotte NC, US

International Classification:

H04N 5/225
G06T 7/00
G02B 7/00

Abstract:

A system for detecting foreign materials comprising an alternative light source (ALS), one or more filters operationally associated with the ALS, one or more camera lenses operationally associated with the ALS and the filters, one or more processors, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium operatively associated with a computing device operatively associated with the ALS, one or more sensors operationally associated with the computing device and the ALS, wherein the sensors detect the presence of the filter and a camera operationally associated with the lens and the computing device.

US Patent:

20210235945, Aug 5, 2021

Filed:

Apr 19, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/234567

Inventors:

- Tsuen Wan, HK
Kevin L. Thomas - Indian Trail NC, US
Ambreese Hill - Cleveland Heights OH, US
Joseph Saunders - Wadsworth OH, US
Justin C. Andrikanich - Concord NC, US
William Nabors - Huntersville NC, US

International Classification:

A47L 5/24
A47L 5/26
A47L 9/16
A47L 9/12
A47L 9/28

Abstract:

A handheld vacuum cleaner including a housing having a front end, a back end, a first side, and a second side, the housing further including a handle along a handle axis. A suction nozzle is along a suction nozzle axis that extends in a direction from the front end toward the back end. The handheld vacuum further includes a suction source operable to generate an airflow through the vacuum cleaner from the suction nozzle through a cyclonic separator to a clean air exhaust. A battery that supplies power to the suction source and the battery is coupled to the housing adjacent an end of the handle. The handle extends between the battery and the cyclonic separator.

US Patent:

20210204770, Jul 8, 2021

Filed:

Dec 29, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/136397

Inventors:

- Anderson SC, US
Roderick Burgess - Charlotte NC, US
Jacob W. Connelly - Concord NC, US
Kevin L. Thomas - Indian Trail NC, US
Garry Fee - Huntersville NC, US
Jeffrey D. Accursi - Columbus OH, US

International Classification:

A47L 5/24
A47L 5/28
A47L 9/12
A47L 9/22
A47L 9/28

Abstract:

A handheld vacuum cleaner includes a housing, motor, filter access door, filter, and dirt cup movably coupled to the housing. The housing defines a top, bottom, motor chamber, dirty air inlet, handle, clean air outlet, and air flow path. The air flow path is routed from the dirty air inlet to the clean air outlet. The motor is disposed in the motor chamber and defines a motor axis. The filter access defines a filter chamber with the housing. The filter is disposed in the filter chamber and defines a filter axis. The dirt cup defines a dirt cup axis extending parallel to the motor axis and filter axis. The filter access door is located below the filter axis. When the filter axis door is removed, the filter is removable in a downward direction from the filter chamber.

US Patent:

20200253446, Aug 13, 2020

Filed:

Feb 10, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/786419

Inventors:

- Anderson SC, US
Kevin Thomas - Indian Trail NC, US

International Classification:

A47L 9/28
A47L 5/28

Abstract:

A vacuum cleaner including a base, a spine, a dust collection assembly, and a battery. The spine is connected to the base. The spine includes a handle portion and a mounting portion. The battery is connected to the mounting portion of the spine. The battery is pivotable between a first position in which the battery is fixedly connected to the spine, and a second position in which the battery is pivoted away from the spine. The dust collection assembly is connected to the spine.

US Patent:

20190239709, Aug 8, 2019

Filed:

Feb 1, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/264912

Inventors:

- Macau, MO
Kevin L. Thomas - Indian Trail NC, US

International Classification:

A47L 9/28
B25J 9/16
B25J 5/00
B25J 11/00

Abstract:

An automated cleaning device includes a chassis, a controller operably connected to a drive assembly and configured to move the chassis within an area to be cleaned in repeated cleaning cycles, a cleaning unit carried by the chassis, a sensor configured to detect material drawn into the cleaning unit and provide a debris signal corresponding to an amount of material drawn into the cleaning unit, the controller being operably connected to the sensor and configured to generate a high-material indicator in response to the debris signal exceeding a predetermined debris threshold, and determining whether the autonomous cleaner is in a high traffic area when the chassis moves within the area to be cleaned based on locations of high-material indicators.

US Patent:

20190069738, Mar 7, 2019

Filed:

Nov 1, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/177739

Inventors:

- Tsuen Wan, HK
Kevin L. Thomas - Indian Trail NC, US
Ambreese Hill - Cleveland Heights OH, US
Joseph Saunders - Wadsworth OH, US
Justin C. Andrikanich - Concord NC, US
William Nabors - Huntersville NC, US

International Classification:

A47L 5/24
A47L 9/16
A47L 9/12
A47L 5/26
A47L 9/28

Abstract:

A handheld vacuum cleaner including a housing having a front end, a back end, a first side, and a second side, the housing further including a handle along a handle axis the handle axis extends in a direction from the back end toward the front end. A suction nozzle is along a suction nozzle axis that extends in a direction from the front end toward the back end. The handheld vacuum further includes a suction source operable to generate an airflow through the vacuum cleaner from the suction nozzle through a cyclonic separator to a clean air exhaust. The cyclonic separator includes a longitudinal axis that extends in a direction from the first side toward the second side and the handle axis and the suction nozzle axis intersect at an obtuse angle.