Enhanced vehicle cleaning

• US 10,029,654 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yako, Sarra Awad, Denomme, Daniel, Nuesch, Sandro, Hooson, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ivey, Dana D
• Application Number:
  US15/097,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 296 63
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/15 Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/25 Rooms in buildings, passenger compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/024 Cleaning by means of spray elements moving over the surface to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/90 Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/08 of receptacles for refuse, e.g. ash-trays
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/64 for cleaning vehicle interiors, e.g. built-in vacuum cleaners

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus is actuated to move At least one object from a vehicle floor to a container. A vehicle seat is sprayed with a cleaning fluid from a nozzle.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a vehicle seat including a seat back and a seat bottom;

a track disposed in the seat along at least one of the seat back and the seat bottom;

an actuator movably connected to the track;

a cleaning apparatus including an arm and a bar, the arm connected to the actuator and the bar rotatably connected to the arm; and

a computing device including a processor and a memory, the processor programmed to actuate the actuator to move the arm along the track and to push at least one object off of the vehicle seat onto a vehicle floor.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum device arranged to apply a vacuum to move the object from the vehicle floor to a container.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the container and the seat includes a port, the vacuum device arranged to apply the vacuum across the port to move the object from the vehicle floor to the container.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the container includes a storage bin, the vacuum device arranged to move the object from the vehicle floor to the storage bin.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm includes at least one nozzle arranged to spray a cleaning fluid onto the vehicle seat.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a fan arranged to dry the cleaning fluid on the vehicle seat.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat includes a second actuator arranged to rotate the seat bottom to a predetermined angle to move the object from the seat bottom to the vehicle floor.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a movable bin, a second track disposed in the vehicle floor extending beneath the vehicle seat, and a third actuator movably connected to the second track, the third actuator arranged to move the movable bin along the second track to collect the object from the seat bottom.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second track disposed in a vehicle pillar, a second arm rotatably connected to the bar, and a second actuator movably connected to the track and to the second arm.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second arm includes a plurality of telescopically connected sections, and the system includes a third actuator arranged to extend at least one of the telescopically connected sections.

11. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the computer to:

rotate a rotatable seat bottom of a vehicle seat to move at least one object to a vehicle floor;

actuate a cleaning apparatus installed in a vehicle to move the at least one object from the vehicle floor to a container in the vehicle; and

spray the vehicle seat with a cleaning fluid.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the cleaning apparatus includes a vacuum device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the vacuum device is connected to the container.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine that the vehicle is unoccupied and to actuate the cleaning apparatus only when the vehicle is unoccupied.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the container includes a compactor, a cavity opening to the compactor, and at least one port connected to the compactor.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further include instructions to control a vacuum generator to move the object from the vehicle floor to a storage bin through a port.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the cleaning apparatus includes at least one arm and a bar extending from the arm.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the cleaning apparatus further includes at least one nozzle supported by the bar and a sanitizer supply supported by the bar.

19. A vehicle, comprising:

a seat including a seat back and a seat bottom;

a floor;

a track disposed in the seat along at least one of the seat back and the seat bottom;

an actuator movably connected to the track;

a cleaning apparatus including an arm, a bar, and a nozzle, the arm connected to the actuator and the bar rotatably connected to the arm and the nozzle supported by the bar; and

a container including a vacuum device and a storage bin;

wherein the cleaning apparatus is arranged to push at least one object off of the seat and onto the floor;

wherein the nozzle is arranged to spray a cleaning fluid onto the seat;

wherein the vacuum device is arranged to move the object from the floor to the storage bin.