Floor-cleaning device

• US 20080229528A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gooten Innolife Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gooten Innolife Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Kun-Yuan, Liu, Pang-Chun, Chen, Chi-Tzo
• Application Number:
  US11/726,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/3
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A floor-cleaning device primarily comprises a pair of driving units provided at two opposite sides of a main body thereof wherein the driving units are electrically connected to a control unit and a power-supply unit which are both deposited in the main body so that the main body is capable of moving freely on a substantial surface. Particularly, a moving-along-edge sensing unit is provided at the left or right side of the main body to conduct a movement of the main body along the edge of the surrounding objects. The sensing unit is composed of non-contact sensing components so as to permit the main body to move along the edge of the surrounding objects with a predetermined distance in a continuous slightly oscillatory S-shaped route. In virtue of the sensing unit, the main body can automatically approach and connect to a charger for automatic charge.

Claims

1. A floor-cleaning device, comprising:

a main body;

a pair of driving units deposited at the left and right sides of the main body for propelling the main body to move on a substantial surface;

a moving-along-edge sensing unit deposited at the left or right side of the main body that is composed of non-contact sensing components whereby the main body can move along the edge of an external object with a predetermined distance and along a slightly S-shaped route;

a cleaning unit settled at the bottom of the main body; and

a control unit and a power-supply unit, which are settled inside the main body and electrically connected with the,above units in the manner that the driving units can propel the main body to move and the cleaning unit can conduct cleaning during the movement of the main body.

2. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the moving-along-edge sensing unit is an infrared sensing unit.

3. The floor-cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the infrared sensing unit comprises a first infrared sensing unit and a second infrared sensing unit, which are arranged abreast at one side of the main body, wherein each of the infrared sensing element includes an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver.

4. The floor-cleaning device of claim 3, wherein during the move route of the main body, when the first infrared sensing unit detects the edge of the external object, the control unit drives the driving units to propel the main body to move toward the edge of the external object;

when the first infrared sensing unit and the second sensing unit both detect the edge of the external object at the same time, the control unit drives the driving units to propel the main body to move slightly away from the edge of the external object.

5. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the moving-along-edge sensing unit is an ultrasonic sensing unit.

6. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising:

a charger, which is deposited at a predetermined location at the edge of an external object and is connected with a power source, for emitting a location signal;

a power-receiving unit, which is settled at the surface of the main body, for connecting with the charger to charge the power-supply unit inside the main body;

a signal-receiving unit, which is provided on the main body and is electrically connected with the control unit, for receiving the location signal emitted by the charger; and

a power-level detecting unit, which is provided on the main body and is electrically connected with the control unit as well as the power-supply unit, for detecting the power level of the power-supply unit wherein when the remaining power level decreases to a predetermined low-power default, the power-level detecting unit emits a low-power signal to the control unit so that the control unit starts the moving-along-edge sensing unit accordingly to propel the main body to move along the edge of the external object until the signal-receiving unit detects the location signal of the charger, and the control unit controls the left and right driving units to make the main body rotate so that the power-receiving unit and the charger can be coupled for charging the cleaning device.

7. The floor-cleaning device of claim 6, wherein the location signal emitted by the charger and the signal-receiving unit of the main body are composed of non-contact sensing components.

8. The floor-cleaning device of claim 7, wherein the non-contact sensing components are infrared sensing components.

9. The floor-cleaning device of claim 7, wherein the non-contact sensing components are ultrasonic sensing components.

10. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is pre-programmed with a random route program, a spiral route program, a U-shaped route program and more than one escape route programs.

11. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of anti-drop sensing units is provided around the bottom of the main body wherein when one of the anti-drop sensing units detects no substantial surface, the control unit controls the driving unit to remove the main body from that place for avoiding dropping from the substantial surface where it stands.

12. The floor-cleaning device of claim 11, wherein the anti-drop sensing units are infrared sensing units.

13. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of barrier-sensing units is provided at the front portion of the main body wherein when the barrier-sensing units detect a barrier that hinders the main body from progressing, the control unit controls the driving unit to remove the main body from that place for dodging the barrier.

14. The floor-cleaning device of claim 13, wherein the barrier-sensing units are ultrasonic sensing units.

15. The floor-cleaning device of claim 13, wherein the barrier-sensing units are infrared sensing units.

16. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, wherein an ultraviolet sterilizing device is provided at the bottom of the main body wherein the main body further comprises a safety switch therein connected with the ultraviolet sterilizing device and the control unit is also electrically connected with the safety switch.

17. The floor-cleaning device of claim 1, wherein each of the left and right driving units of the main body has a photogate assembly which is electrically connected with the control unit so that the control unit can control the left and right driving units by resorting to the feedback signal of the photogate assembly to direct the rotation angle of the main body.

18. A floor-cleaning device, comprising:

a main body;

a pair of driving units positioned at the left and right sides of the main body for propelling the main body to move on a substantial surface;

a moving-along-edge sensing unit deposited at the left or right side of the main body that is composed of non-contact sensing components whereby the main body can move along the edge of an external object with a predetermined distance and along a slightly S-shaped route;

a cleaning unit settled at the bottom of the main body;

a control unit and a power-supply unit, which are settled inside the main body and electrically connected with the above units in the manner that the driving units can propel the main body to move and the cleaning unit can conduct cleaning during the movement of the main body;

a charger, which is deposited at a predetermined location at the edge of an external object and is connected with a power source, for emitting a location signal;

a power-receiving unit, which is settled at the surface of the main body, for connecting with the charger to charge the power-supply unit inside the main body;

a signal-receiving unit, which is provided on the main body and is electrically connected with the control unit, for receiving the location signal emitted by the charger; and

a power-level detecting unit, which is provided on the main body and is electrically connected with the control unit as well as the power-supply unit, for detecting the power level of the power-supply unit wherein when the remaining power level decreases to a predetermined low-power default, the power-level detecting unit emits a low-power signal to the control unit so that the control unit starts the moving-along-edge sensing unit accordingly to propel the main body moving along the edge of the external object until the signal-receiving unit detects the location signal of the charger, and the control unit controls the left and right driving units to make the main body rotate so that the power-receiving unit and the charger can be coupled for charging the cleaning device.

19. The floor-cleaning device of claim 18, wherein the moving-along-edge sensing unit is an infrared sensing unit.

20. The floor-cleaning device of claim 19, wherein the infrared sensing unit comprises a first infrared sensing unit and a second infrared sensing unit, which are arranged abreast at one side of the main body, wherein each of the infrared sensing unit includes an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver.