Patent ID: 8136200

Claim:
A robotic cleaning head for use as part of an autonomous vacuum cleaning system ( 2 ) further including a canister unit ( 3 ) and a hose assembly ( 4 ; 104 ) connecting the cleaning head ( 1 ; 101 ) to the canister unit ( 3 ), said cleaning head ( 1 ; 101 ) comprising: a chassis ( 5 ; 105 ); a drive system ( 6 ; 18 ; 27 ) for driving and steering displacement of the cleaning head ( 1 ; 101 ) over a floor surface ( 7 ; 107 ); a vacuum cleaning nozzle ( 8 ; 108 ) bounding an air passage ( 30 ); and a conduit ( 9 ; 109 ) communicating with the cleaning nozzle ( 8 ; 108 ) for conducting air received via said air passage ( 30 ) to the hose assembly ( 4 ; 104 ); wherein the conduit ( 9 ; 109 ) is pivotable relative to the chassis about a pivot axis ( 10 ; 110 ); the conduit ( 9 ; 109 ) includes an inlet ( 11 ; 111 ) provided on top of said chassis ( 5 ; 105 ), and an elbow section ( 12 ; 112 ) downstream of the inlet ( 11 ; 111 ); and the conduit ( 9 ; 109 ) is suspended relative to the chassis and shaped such that, in operating condition, a line of action ( 15 ; 115 ) of a tension force exerted by the hose assembly ( 4 ; 104 ) onto the chassis ( 5 ; 105 ) via the conduit ( 9 ; 109 ), extends spaced below a downstream end of said elbow section ( 12 ; 112 ).