Electrical apparatus for cleaning surfaces by suction in dwelling premises

• US 5,497,529 A
• Filed: 07/13/1994
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anna M. Boesi
• Original Assignee: Anna M. Boesi
• Inventors: Boesi, Anna M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US08/274,496
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 15/319, 15/339, 15/340.1, 15/340.2, 15/340.3, 15/324, 15/366, 15/412, 446/465, 446/454, 446/456, 446/460, 446/468, 446/469, 180/7.2, 180/7.1
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4094 Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation

Abstract

The described apparatus comprises a suction unit (2) detachably mounted on a support platform (12) provided with four wheels (37) to be operated independently by corresponding movement motors (36). The movement motors (36) are governed by an electronic control unit (35), driven by a receive unit (33) based on radio pulses (32a) transmitted by a transmit unit (32) operable manually by an operator. The suction unit (2) can be disengaged from the support platform (12) and associated with an auxiliary handgrip (53) for manual use.

Claims

1. An electrical apparatus for cleaning surfaces by suction, in dwelling promises comprising a suction unit having:

a casing exhibiting at least one frontal section opening and delivery slits;

at least one fan operatively housed in the casing;

at last one electric driving motor for driving the fan, whereby an air stream admitted through the frontal suction opening and emitted through the delivery slits is produced;

a collection container for receiving drawn-in material, which is removably engaged, at its one side, to the casing of the suction unit substantially in a sealing manner about said suction opening and is provided with an inlet opening onto a second side opposite with respect the first side engaged to the casing;

at least one filtering element operatively interposed between said suction opening and the collection container for holding, at the inside of said container, solid matter taken in through said inlet;

said apparatus further comprising;

a support and movement platform carrying said suction unit;

at least one storage battery accommodated in corresponding seats provided in the platform;

power-driven movement means for moving said support platform and suction unit on a surface "S" to be cleaned;

control means acting on the power-driven movement means for selectively causing forward and backward movements and stopping and steering actions of the support platform and the suction unit on the surface "S" to be cleaned,

wherein said suction unit is removably housed in a first seat defined in said platform, first and second contact elements being respectively carried by the suction unit and the platform for detachably connecting the suction unit with said at least one storage battery when the suction unit is housed in said first seat.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power-driven movement means (36, 37) comprises four electric movement motors (36) operatively connected to corresponding wheels (37) rotatably connected to said platform (12) and acting in rest relationship on the surface "S" to be cleaned, said movement motors (36) being selectively operable by an electronic control unit (35) driven by said control means (32, 33).

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said wheels (37) comprises:

a disc-shaped support body (38) operatively engaged to the corresponding movement motor (36);

a plurality of rollers (39) circumferentially distributed about the rotation axis of said wheel (37) and rotatably engaged to the disc-shaped body (38) according to respective rotation axes oriented tangentially of a common circumference which is concentric with the disc-shaped body, each of said rollers (39) exhibiting a rolling surface (39a) shaped according to a curved profile and acting in contact relationship on the surface "S".

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rollers (39) of each wheel (37) are distributed according to at least two parallel circumferential rows disposed row being circumferentially offset relative to the rollers belonging to the adjacent row.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said disc-shaped body (38) comprises a central portion (41) and lateral portions (42) coupled on laterally opposite sides of the central portion, pivot seatings (43) for said rollers (39) being defined between the central portion and each of said lateral portions.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the curved profile of the rolling surfaces (39a) of rollers (39) has a bending radius equal to the distance between the rotation axis and the outer circumferential edge of the wheel (37) defined by the rolling surfaces themselves.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one pair of box-shaped support elements (45) , each of which operatively engages two of said wheels (37), said box-shaped support elements (45) being removably engaged to the opposite sides of said platform (12) for operatively securing the wheels (37) to the apparatus.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said wheels (37) operatively engages with each corresponding movement motor (36) by means of a coupling groove (44).

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said box-shaped support elements (45) comprises a first and a second plate-like element (46, 47) detachably coupled together by restrained fixing and defining housing spaces (48) in which the respective wheels (37) are operatively engaged.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one rotating brush (25) rotatably engaged to the platform (12) ahead of a front slit (28) provided on the platform itself, opening onto the surface to be cleaned "S" and communicating with the inlet (9) of the collection container (8).

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising at least one auxiliary motor (27) operatively connected to the rotating brush by a driving belt (26).

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a closure cover (29) hinged to said platform (12) and disposed upon said suction unit (2), said closure cover (29) defining a rear aperture (31) through which the casing (3) of the suction unit is exposed outwardly.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one lighting unit (51) mounted on said support platform and electrically connected to said storage battery to be activated upon command of photoelectric sensor (52) for lighting the surface "S" to be cleaned when the external environment brightness is lower than a predetermined limit.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a transmit unit (32) to be activated manually for sending drive signals (32a), and at least one receive unit (33) operatively installed on the support platform (12) for operating said movement means (36, 37) upon receipt of sand drive signals

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said transmit and receive units (32 and 33) are designed to emit and receive radio pulses, respectively.