In-Depth Analysis Report on Patent Infringement Risks of Dreame Technology's Floor Cleaning Machines

China’s smart cleaning appliance industry is in a period of intensive patent litigation. According to analysis by Wang Juan, a senior analyst at Industrial Online, patent disputes and lawsuits for emerging categories are becoming increasingly frequent, mainly due to the rapid growth of the emerging home appliance market [1]. To consolidate their positions and seize market share, leading enterprises, and to stand out and gain discourse power, new brands may all use patent litigation to compete for the market; in addition, some small brands may quickly enter the market through imitation or plagiarism, thus triggering patent litigation [1].

Unlike traditional large home appliances, whose technologies mostly face bottlenecks, emerging products have rapid technological iteration and innovative development, and are also in a period of rapid growth in terms of patent applications. However, overall technological overlap is high, and core emerging practical technologies are relatively limited. Therefore, to build technological barriers and improve competitive advantages, coupled with increasingly mature legal awareness, enterprises will actively apply for patents and safeguard their patent rights through litigation [1].

According to the “Global Quarterly Tracking Report for the Smart Home Cleaning Robot Equipment Market, 2025 Second Quarter” released by the International Data Corporation (IDC), in the first half of 2025, the cumulative shipment volume of the global robot vacuum cleaner market reached 11.263 million units, with a year-on-year growth of 16.5%, and the market scale is steadily expanding [2]. In terms of competitive landscape, Roborock (20.7%), Ecovacs (13.9%), Dreame (12.3%), Xiaomi (10.1%), and iRobot (7.9%) rank top five, accounting for a total of 64.8% of the market share [2].

It is worth noting that the smart cleaning appliance industry has become a high-incidence area for patent litigation. As an important participant in the industry, Dreame Technology’s patent disputes with Ecovacs and its subsidiary brand Tineco are particularly notable.

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According to statistics from the Zhichanbao Database, since June 2022, Ecovacs and its subsidiary Tineco have filed 21 patent infringement or unfair competition lawsuits against Dreame Technology in courts in Tianjin, Nanjing, Suzhou and other places (including unresolved cases and cases withdrawn after filing) [3]. Most of the cases were initiated by Tineco, with the total claim amount of the series of cases reaching approximately RMB 80 million [3].

Tineco initiated an infringement lawsuit against Dreame Technology targeting the ZL202130117095.6 “Cleaning Control Graphical User Interface for Display Screen Panel” design patent, with a claim amount as high as RMB 53 million [3]. The patent design describes a dirt ring representing the degree of dirt in the display panel. The case is being heard by the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court, and the first instance has been completed, but the judgment result has not yet been disclosed [3]. It is worth noting that for design patents with low innovation thresholds, a claim amount of over RMB 50 million for a design patent only applied to the display screen may be excessive [3].

Tineco brought a lawsuit against Dreame Technology and other defendants to the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court targeting the ZL201930570139.3 “Cleaning Machine” design patent, claiming RMB 500,000 [3]. Later, due to jurisdiction issues, the case was transferred to the Tianjin Third Intermediate People’s Court and is still under trial [3].

On October 28, 2022, in the invention patent infringement case filed by Tineco against Dreame and other defendants, the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court ruled to reject Tineco’s application for pre-litigation preservation [3]. The involved patent is the ZL201910955698.5 “Cleaning Machine, Cleaning Equipment and Storage Medium” invention patent, which adds a display on the body of the cleaning machine to display the working status information of at least one component of the cleaning machine, thereby intuitively displaying the working status of the cleaning machine [3].

During the trial, Dreame Technology voluntarily promised to stop producing and selling four models of alleged infringing wireless floor cleaning machines starting from October 30, 2022, including the wireless floor cleaning machines H11Max, H12 and the 2-in-1 wireless floor cleaning machines M12, M12Pro [3]. This means that it took only about one year from the launch and hot sale of Dreame’s product to its voluntary withdrawal due to the infringement lawsuit [3]. At present, the promotional information of the above four products is no longer available on Dreame’s official website [3].

In January 2025, the Supreme People’s Court of China ruled that Dreame had infringed the design patent of Tineco, a brand under Ecovacs, and ordered it to pay RMB 870,000 in compensation to Tineco [1]. This judgment marks a phased victory for Tineco in the patent litigation against Dreame.

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In recent years, Dreame Technology has also launched a counterattack against Ecovacs and Tineco through litigation. As of the disclosure of the relevant report, there are 5 unresolved cases [3].

Time	Case Type	Involved Party	Claim Amount	Status
August 2022	Utility Model Patent Infringement	Tineco (FW25M-01 Water-Absorbing Vacuum Cleaner)	RMB 5 million	Withdrawn in March 2024
September 2022	Unfair Competition	Ecovacs	Approximately RMB 5 million	Under Trial
2023	Patent Infringement, Unfair Competition	Tineco	Over RMB 20 million in total	Under Trial

In August 2022, Dreame filed a lawsuit against Tineco at the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court for infringement of utility model patent, claiming RMB 5 million [3]. The involved patent is the ZL202022112058.9 “A Motor and Cleaning Equipment with the Same” utility model patent, and the alleged infringing product is the FW25M-01 water-absorbing vacuum cleaner (wireless smart vacuum cleaner) [3]. However, Dreame Technology voluntarily withdrew this lawsuit in March 2024 [3].

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In 2024, a patent war broke out between Dreame Technology and Roborock, two leading robot vacuum cleaner enterprises. By applying for pre-litigation behavior preservation, Dreame Technology obtained a ruling from the Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court of Fujian Province to take two of Roborock’s best-selling robot vacuums off the shelves [1].

The main technical dispute lies in the cleaning technology and design used in Roborock’s P10 Pro and P10S Pro robot vacuums: Dreame believes that Roborock’s products infringe its “Cleaning Device and Cleaning Equipment” patent; while Roborock stated that its products adopt a completely different technical route, and the involved patent right is not stable and may be invalidated [1].

On July 16, 2024, the official website of the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People’s Court disclosed the above case, stating that it is the first case concluded since the implementation of the pre-trial behavior preservation review and appeal system, which clarifies the review and judgment standards for pre-litigation behavior preservation applications in patent infringement cases [1]. In the civil ruling issued by the Supreme People’s Court, it is pointed out that the pre-litigation behavior preservation in this case does not meet the prerequisite of “urgent circumstances”, nor does it meet the statutory requirements such as clear technical feature comparison results and irreparable damages that cannot be compensated by monetary compensation [1].

The patent dispute between Dreame and Roborock also extended to overseas markets. In August 2024, a German local court ruled against Roborock in the patent infringement case, ordering it to stop selling, using, and importing the relevant products in Germany and to bear compensation liabilities [4]. The ruling stipulates that Roborock must stop selling, using, importing, etc. in Germany; violators may be subject to an administrative fine of up to EUR 250,000; if the violation is repeated, the legal representative may be subject to administrative detention of up to 6 months per offense [4].

In April and June 2022, Narwal filed four infringement lawsuits against Dreame at the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court, with the maximum claim amount per case not exceeding RMB 5 million [3]. After filing, Narwal withdrew one case, one case was dismissed, and two cases were concluded in the first instance, but the results have not been made public [3]. In September of the same year, Dreame also sued Narwal at the Changsha Intermediate People’s Court for infringement of utility model patent, claiming more than RMB 3 million [3]. However, Dreame withdrew the lawsuit in May 2024 [3].

It is worth affirming that Dreame Technology has won some patent disputes. Represented by Zhong Lun Law Firm, when facing an invention patent complaint and lawsuit related to the “handheld vacuum” product initiated by a peer company, Dreame Technology adopted a comprehensive response plan including applying for patent invalidation, suspending the administrative complaint procedure, and responding to the civil lawsuit. Finally, all the involved invention patents were declared invalid, the plaintiff withdrew the civil lawsuit one day before the hearing at the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court, and then the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration also made a decision to dismiss the administrative complaint dispute. Dreame Technology won a comprehensive victory in this patent dispute [5].

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Based on existing information, Dreame Technology is facing substantial patent infringement determination risks in the floor cleaning machine product field:

• Case No. 095 (RMB 53 million claim):
  The trial by the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court has been completed. Although the judgment has not been disclosed, considering that Tineco has won the Supreme People’s Court’s support for RMB 870,000 in compensation, it is highly likely that this case will be unfavorable to Dreame Technology [3].
• Case No. 139 (RMB 500,000 claim):
  It is still under trial by the Tianjin Third Intermediate People’s Court, with certain risks [3].

• In January 2025, the Supreme People’s Court of China ruled that Dreame had infringed Tineco’s design patent and ordered it to pay RMB 870,000 in compensation [1]. This judgment has res judicata effect and may affect the trial of subsequent similar cases.

From the lawsuits initiated by Tineco, design patents are the main attack direction. The current series of smart floor cleaning products sold by Dreame Technology are almost identical in appearance to the withdrawn products [3], which means that if the relevant design patents are determined to be valid and stable, Dreame Technology may face continuous product design risks.

• Display Technology-related Patents:
  The ZL201910955698.5 invention patent involves a technical solution of adding a display on the body of the cleaning machine to display working status [3]. Although Dreame has voluntarily withdrawn products such as H11Max, H12, M12, and M12Pro, if its subsequent products still adopt similar display technologies, it may still face infringement risks.
• Motor Technology Patents:
  Although Dreame once sued Tineco for motor patent infringement (ZL202022112058.9), it voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit later [3], which may indicate that the patent stability is questionable or evidence collection is difficult.

The robotic arm series of robot vacuums is a hit product of Dreame Technology. Since its launch in April 2023, it has been popular overseas. As of July 2024, the global cumulative sales of Dreame Technology’s robotic arm robot vacuum family have exceeded 1.16 million units [4]. The infringement case involving the robotic arm is still under trial, and it will be difficult to reach a result in a short time [4].

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With Dreame Technology accelerating its overseas expansion, the risk of overseas patent disputes is increasingly prominent:

In August 2024, the Düsseldorf Local Court in Germany issued a default judgment in the patent infringement case filed by Dreame against Roborock, ordering Roborock to stop selling, using, and importing the relevant products in Germany [4]. Although this judgment targets Roborock, it indicates that Dreame Technology has adopted a proactive patent protection strategy in the German market, and at the same time means that Dreame Technology’s own products may also face patent challenges from other competitors in Germany.

Ecovacs and Roborock have already filed patent lawsuits in the US [2]. As an important industry participant, Dreame Technology also faces potential patent infringement risks in the US market.

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As of June 30, 2025, Dreame Technology has filed a total of 6,379 patents globally, and has obtained a total of 3,155 authorized patents [6]. Since officially entering the floor cleaning machine field in 2021, Dreame Technology has accumulated more than 900 patents, ranking first in the industry in terms of patent quantity [7].

Dreame Technology has always insisted on high investment in R&D, and gradually formed core technical barriers in fields such as motor technology, intelligent algorithms, and motion control, and has a series of authorized patents that are in a leading position globally [6].

When facing patent litigation, Dreame Technology actively uses the patent invalidation procedure. For example, during the litigation with Tineco, Dreame successfully had some of Tineco’s patents declared invalid [3]. On January 6, 2023, Tineco’s 2021110751381.7 “Vacuum Cleaner” invention patent was declared completely invalid [3].

Dreame Technology not only passively responds to lawsuits but also actively initiates counterclaims. In September 2022, the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court accepted the unfair competition case filed by Dreame against Ecovacs, with a claim amount of approximately RMB 5 million; in 2023, Dreame added four patent infringement and unfair competition cases against Tineco, with a total claim amount of over RMB 20 million [3].

When facing patent litigation, Dreame Technology has adopted a strategy of voluntarily withdrawing products. In October 2022, Dreame voluntarily promised to stop producing and selling four models of alleged infringing wireless floor cleaning machines [3]. Although this strategy may affect sales in the short term, it helps to avoid high compensation risks in the long run.

Dreame Technology actively conducts patent layout in the global market. As of June 30, 2025, the number of PCT patent applications of Dreame Technology has continued to grow [6]. Its products have covered more than 100 countries and regions, including China, the US, Germany, France, South Korea, etc. [6].

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Risk Dimension	Risk Level	Explanation
Domestic Design Patent Infringement Risk	High	There is already a precedent of infringement determination by the Supreme People’s Court; Case No. 095 and Case No. 139 are still under trial
Domestic Invention/Utility Model Patent Infringement Risk	Medium	Some patents have been declared invalid, but potential risks still exist
Overseas Market Patent Infringement Risk	Medium-High	There have been winning cases in the German market, but potential challenges from competitors also exist
Patent Attack Risk from Competitors	High	The company faces cumulative claim lawsuits totaling approximately RMB 80 million, and industry patent wars continue to escalate

1. Strengthen FTO (Freedom to Operate) Analysis:
   Conduct a comprehensive patent infringement risk investigation before launching new products, especially in terms of design.
2. Continue to Invest in Patent Invalidation Procedures:
   Initiate invalidation requests for competitors’ patents with questionable stability.
3. Optimize Product Design:
   Conduct circumvention design for the already determined infringing designs to reduce infringement risks.
4. Strengthen Overseas Patent Layout:
   Strengthen patent applications in major overseas markets to reduce the risk of being sued.

1. Pay Attention to the Judgment of Case No. 095:
   The first-instance judgment of Case No. 095 heard by the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court may have a significant impact on the industry.
2. Assess Patent Stability:
   Analyze the stability of Tineco/Ecovacs’ series of patents and find breakthroughs for invalidation.
3. Consider Settlement Strategies:
   Settlement strategies can be considered in some cases to reduce litigation costs.

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Dreame Technology’s floor cleaning machine products face high patent infringement risks, mainly from the series of patent lawsuits initiated by Ecovacs and its subsidiary brand Tineco. Up to now, Tineco has filed a total of 21 patent infringement or unfair competition lawsuits against Dreame Technology, with a total claim amount of approximately RMB 80 million [3].

From a legal risk perspective, in January 2025, the Supreme People’s Court of China has ruled that Dreame infringed Tineco’s design patent and ordered it to pay RMB 870,000 in compensation [1]. This judgment indicates a judicial tendency unfavorable to Dreame Technology. The trial results of Case No. 095 (with a claim of RMB 53 million) and Case No. 139 (with a claim of RMB 500,000) will have an important impact on Dreame Technology.

However, Dreame Technology is not completely passive in the patent field. Through active patent invalidation and counterclaim strategies, Dreame Technology has won some cases and successfully had some of Tineco’s patents declared invalid [3][5]. As of June 2025, Dreame Technology has filed a total of 6,379 patents globally and has obtained a total of 3,155 authorized patents [6], showing its active efforts in patent asset accumulation.

From the industry trend perspective, patent litigation has become a normalized competition method in the smart cleaning appliance industry. Enterprises need to strengthen their own patent layout while doing a good job in patent risk prevention and control, especially conducting sufficient FTO analysis before launching new products to reduce infringement risks.

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[1] Southern Finance All Media Group - “Intensified Patent Disputes: How Can China’s Smart Cleaning Appliance Industry Break Through?” (https://www.sfccn.com/2025/1-22/5NMDE0MDdfMTk4NjQ5NQ.html)

[2] IPEconomy - “Two Chinese Enterprises Sue Each Other in the US: Where Will the Patent War in the Smart Cleaning Appliance Industry Go?” (https://www.ipeconomy.cn/mobile/yuanchuang/9825.html)

[3] Zhichanli - “Tineco VS Dreame: Industry Involution Behind the Patent War” (https://www.zhichanli.com/p/2041316717)

[4] Sohu - “Dreame Sues Roborock: The ‘Civil War’ of Robot Vacuums Goes Overseas” (https://www.sohu.com/a/803981098_121489067)

[5] Zhong Lun Law Firm - “Zhong Lun Represents Dreame Technology in Winning an Invention Patent Dispute in Administrative and Judicial Proceedings” (https://www.zhonglun.com/news/trade/15930.html)

[6] Dreame Technology Official Website - “Company Overview” (https://www.dreame.tech/mobileAbout)

[7] Zhenyes Technology Network - “Dreame Floor Cleaning Machines: No. 1 in the Industry in Patent Quantity!” (https://www.zhenyes.com/elec/5719.html)