Outer wall cleaning robot

• US 5,485,645 A
• Filed: 07/05/1994
• Issued: 01/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon BISO Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon BISO Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohtsuki, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/270,906
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 15/4, 15/50.1, 15/50.3, 15/98, 15/103, 15/250.11, 15/302
• US Class Current: 15/103
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/02 Power-driven machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4058 for adjusting the height of the tool
• 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 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• 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

Abstract

An outer wall cleaning robot includes an arm pivotable about a first rotation axis and a rotational body supported by the arm for pivotal movement about a second rotation axis. The rotational body can be driven independently of a pivotal movement of the arm. To the rotational body are attached respective mounting mechanisms for a wiping squeegee and a receiving squeegee.

Claims

1. An outer wall cleaning robot for cleaning a vertical outer wall surface of a building, comprising:

an arm pivotable about a first rotation axis that extends in a substantially horizontal direction in approximately parallel relation to the vertical outer wall surface of the building when in use;

an arm driving mechanism connected to said arm for driving said arm to pivot about the first rotation axis;

a rotational body supported by said arm in such a manner that said rotational body is pivotable about a second rotation axis extending in parallel with said first rotation axis;

a rotational-body driving mechanism for driving said rotational body independently of driving of said arm by said arm driving mechanism;

a wiping-squeegee mounting mechanism operably connected to said rotational body; and

a wiping squeegee attached to said mounting mechanism.

2. An outer wall cleaning robot as defined in claim 1 which further comprises water supplying means for supplying clear water on the outer wall surface during cleaning of the outer wall, a receiving-squeegee mounting mechanism pivotally connected to said rotational body, a receiving squeegee attached to said receiving squeegee mounting mechanism so as to be positioned below said wiping squeegee for receiving soiled water resultant from cleaning of the outer wall, a clutch mechanism connected to said rotational body for connecting and disconnecting said receiving squeegee to and from said rotational body, and a stopper mechanism connected to said receiving-squeegee mounting mechanism for preventing, when said receiving squeegee is disconnected from said rotational body, said receiving squeegee from pivoting downward from a predetermined position.

3. An outer wall cleaning robot as defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein said arm driving mechanism and said rotational-body driving mechanism each comprise a motor connected to said arm.

4. An outer wall cleaning robot as defined in claim 2 wherein said receiving-squeegee mounting mechanism includes a slider base, a slider mounted to said slider base for sliding movement along said slider base in a forward and rearward direction, and drive means for driving said slider, and wherein said receiving squeegee is fixed to said slider.

5. An outer wall cleaning robot as defined in claim 1 wherein said wiping-squeegee mounting mechanism comprises a squeegee mounting section to which said wiping squeegee is fixedly secured, and a squeegee mounting section supporting section having a central portion and a vertical pin located approximately in said central portion of said squeegee mounting section supporting section and on which said squeegee mounting section is horizontally pivotably mounted.

6. An outer wall cleaning robot as defined in claim 5 wherein said wiping-squeegee mounting mechanism further comprises:

squeegee mounting section supporting section drive means coupled to said squeegee mounting section supporting section for driving said squeegee mounting section supporting section toward and away from the outer wall surface of the building;

guide means provided on opposite sides of said squeegee mounting section supporting section for guiding the movement of said squeegee mounting section supporting section toward and away from the outer wall surface of the building;

a pressure sensor provided in contact with said squeegee mounting section supporting section for detecting pressure of the wiping-squeegee against a windowpane, of the building; and

drive control means connected to said squeegee mounting section supporting section drive means and said pressure sensor for controlling said squeegee mounting section supporting section drive means in such a manner that said squeegee mounting section supporting section is caused to move toward the windowpane when pressure detected by said pressure sensor is below a preset value and said squeegee mounting section supporting section is caused to move away from the windowpane when pressure detected by said pressure sensor is above the preset value.