AUTOMATICALLY TRAVELING FLOOR CLEANING APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A FLOOR CLEANING APPLIANCE

• US 20140075689A1
• Filed: 09/18/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Inventors: WINDORFER, Harald
• Granted Patent: US 11,006,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/21.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed

Abstract

An automatically traveling floor cleaning appliance during travel is capable of traveling over low obstacles extending lengthwise, typically represented by a carpet border, having an upwardly inclined obstructing surface, with a direction of travel at a right or acute angle with respect to a longitudinal extent of the obstacle. The appliance also has an obstacle detector. The appliance is formed so that the obstacle or an area adjoining same may be cleaned using a procedure in which the appliance assumes a direction of travel based on the extent of the obstacle, and with regard to the obstructing surface includes traveling on a floor area in front of the obstacle, and at a lateral distance of an associated boundary edge of the appliance in the direction of travel from the obstructing surface which is smaller than that corresponding to a width of the appliance perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Claims

1. Automatically traveling floor cleaning appliance (1), the floor cleaning appliance (1) during travel being capable of traveling over low obstacles extending lengthwise, typically represented by a carpet border (14), having an upwardly inclined obstructing surface, with a direction of travel at a right angle or acute angle with respect to a longitudinal extent of the obstacle, and in addition the floor cleaning appliance (1) having a means for detecting the obstacle, wherein the floor cleaning appliance (1) is formed in such a way that a procedure for cleaning the obstacle or an area adjoining the obstacle may be carried out in which the cleaning appliance (1) assumes a direction of travel (R or V) that is based on the extent of the obstacle, and with regard to the obstructing surface includes traveling on a floor area in front of the obstacle, and at a lateral distance of an associated boundary edge of the appliance (1) in the direction of travel from the obstructing surface which is smaller than that corresponding to a width of the appliance (1) perpendicular to the direction of travel.

3. Floor cleaning appliance or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein reaching or traveling over an obstacle which may be traveled over is detectable or detected by means of a floor sensor (18) based on a change in the distance from the floor.

4. Floor cleaning appliance (1) or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein a motor current consumption of a corner cleaning brush (5) is usable or used for recognizing an obstacle.

5. Floor cleaning appliance (1) or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein a signal of a tactile sensor is usable or used for recognizing an obstacle by sensor.

6. Floor cleaning appliance (1) or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein the floor cleaning appliance (1) has a corner cleaning brush (5) with bristles (16) which extend beyond the housing plan view contour, at least during rotation, and wherein reaching or traveling over an obstacle which may be traveled over is detectable or detected based on a change in a motor current of an electric motor which drives the corner cleaning brush (5).

7. Floor cleaning appliance or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein the floor sensor (18) is a sensor which operates in a contactless manner or such a sensor is used.

8. Floor cleaning appliance or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein the floor sensor (18) is formed as a contact sensor, and wherein reaching or traveling over an obstacle which may be traveled over is detectable or detected by the contact sensor.

9. Floor cleaning appliance or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein the floor cleaning appliance (1) has a wall-following sensor, and wherein reaching or traveling over an obstacle which may be traveled over is detectable or detected based on an evaluation of a signal of the wall-following sensor.

10. Floor cleaning appliance or method for operating same according to claim 1, wherein the floor cleaning appliance (1) has a housing (6), having a housing contour based on a top view, with one or more wheels (2, 3) having a running surface, and has at least one cleaning brush (4) which has a longitudinal axis, wherein the wheel (2, 3) and the cleaning brush (4) are situated within the housing contour, and wherein the floor sensor (18), based on the same top view, is situated in a sector of the housing contour which is delimited by the longitudinal axis of the cleaning brush (4) and a perpendicular (S) with respect to a geometric axis (19, 20), the perpendicular (S) extending directly outside the running surface on the side of the running surface facing a boundary edge of the housing.

2. Method for operating an automatically traveling floor cleaning appliance (1) which is capable of traveling over low obstacles extending lengthwise, typically represented by a carpet border (14), having an upwardly inclined obstructing surface, with a direction of travel at a right angle or acute angle with respect to a longitudinal extent of the obstacle, and in addition the floor cleaning appliance (1) having a means for detecting the obstacle, wherein after the obstacle is detected by the floor cleaning appliance (1), the direction of travel of the floor cleaning appliance (1) is changed in such a way that the floor cleaning appliance travels along this obstacle at a distance of an associated boundary edge of the appliance (1) in the direction of travel from the obstructing surface which is smaller than that corresponding to a width of the appliance (1) perpendicular to the direction of travel.