Drivable wagon, in particular a processing or floor cleaning machine

• US 20020183908A1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georg Hefter Maschinenbau
• Original Assignee: Georg Hefter Maschinenbau
• Inventors: Hefter, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 6,904,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/305 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection

Abstract

The invention relates to an improved drivable wagon, in particular embodied as a processing or a cleaning device which is suitable in particular for independent driving by the provision of at least one sensor device (13, 17). Said device can be at least be swung in unison with at least one steerable running wheel (7) and/or a swingable floor processing or cleaning unit or head (3).

Claims

1. A mobile carriage, in particular processing or floor-cleaning machine, having at least one pivotable wheel or one pivotable running roller (5) and/or a pivotable actuating, processing or cleaning unit or head (3), and having at least one sensor device, characterized in that there is provided at least one sensor device (13, 17, 141, 141′

) which can be pivoted along in unison at least in relative terms with the at least one steerable running wheel (7) and/or a pivotable actuating, processing or cleaning unit or head (3).

2. The carriage as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one sensor device (13, 17, 141, 141′

) can be correspondingly pivoted along in unison in accordance with the angle deflection of the steerable running wheel (7) and/or in accordance with the angle deflection of the pivotable actuating, processing or cleaning unit or head (3).

3. The carriage as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor device (13) is arranged level with the running wheel (5), preferably approximately level with a chassis (25) of the mobile carriage, in particular in the form of a floor-treating or cleaning machine.

4. The carriage as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a sensor device (17) is arranged above the running rollers (5) and/or above a chassis (25).

5. The carriage as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that one sensor device (17) comprises a plurality of individual sensors (23) which are arranged one above the other and laterally in relation to one another.

6. The carriage as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, when the carriage is traveling in a straight line or with the treating or cleaning unit or head (3) in the non-pivoted state, the plurality of sensor elements (23) are arranged approximately symmetrically in relation to the vertical center longitudinal axis of the treating or cleaning machine.

7. The carriage as claimed in one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the plurality of sensor devices (23) are arranged on a preferably column-like carrying element which extends essentially with a vertical component and leads in the direction of travel.

8. The carriage as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sensor elements (23), which are arranged one above the other with alignment in the forward direction and in the left-hand and right-hand lateral directions, comprise ultrasonic sensors.

9. The carriage as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bottom sensor device (13) preferably comprises a laser or radar sensor acting in a certain lateral angle range.

10. The carriage as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that there is provided at least one sensor device (141, 141′

) which comprises a tactile sensor device.

11. The carriage as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the tactile sensor device (141, 141′

) is provided with the sensor device (13) level with the running wheels (5) and/or with the sensor device (17) above the running rollers (5) and/or above a chassis (25) and/or is coupled to said sensor device (13, 17).

12. The carriage as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a specific sensor device (141, 141′

) is provided for monitoring the floor surface, for detecting the depth of a step, of a ramp or the like.

13. The carriage as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the sensor device (141, 141′

) for monitoring the floor surface comprises a tactile sensor device (141, 141′

).

14. The carriage as claimed in one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the sensor device for monitoring the floor surface, in particular in the form of a tactile sensor device (141, 141′

) is formed, and/or acts, in the form of a in the front region of the carriage, at least in front of the foremost running wheel (5) of the latter.

15. The carriage as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the tactile sensor device (141, 141′

) is in contact with the floor surface by way of a roller or a contact section (45′

).