Cleaning device having drive means with multiple driving modes

• US 8,007,596 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reckitt Benckiser UK Ltd (Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Reckitt Benckiser UK Ltd (Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC)
• Inventors: Levine, Lawrence T., Nguyen, Lamson, Hammond, Geoffrey Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chaudhry; Saeed T
• Application Number:
  US10/597,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 15/491, 153/19, 153/401, 153/404, 153/54
• US Class Current: 134/18
• 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

Abstract

A cleaning device (10) incorporates drive means (14) and cleaning means (20), wherein the drive means (14) are operable to drive the cleaning means (20) across a surface to be cleaned, and wherein the drive means (14) are operable to adopt first and second driving modes, the first driving mode being a travelling mode and the second driving mode being a turning mode, wherein locking means (40, 42) of the drive means (14) allow selection between the first and second driving modes.

Claims

1. A cleaning device comprising drive means and cleaning means, wherein the drive means are operable to drive the cleaning means across a surface to be cleaned, and wherein the drive means are operable to adopt first and second driving modes, the first driving mode being a travelling mode and the second driving mode being a turning mode, wherein locking means of the drive means allow selection between the first and second driving modes, and the locking means are operable to be actuated by an activation element located on a periphery of the cleaning device making contact with an obstacle, or the locking means of the drive means are biased to cause engagement of the first driving mode.

2. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, in which the drive means includes a rotatably mounted carriage incorporating at least one drive wheel.

3. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 2, in which the carriage is mounted to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to a rotational axis of the at least one drive wheel.

4. A cleaning device according to claim 2 in which the carriage is prevented from rotating in the first driving mode.

5. A cleaning device according to claim 2 in which the carriage is free to rotate in the second driving mode.

6. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, in which the activation element is electrically linked to the locking means.

7. A cleaning device according to claim 1 in which the locking means are detent means.

8. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 7, in which the detent means comprise an interengaging projection/recess pair of the carriage and a body of the cleaning device.

9. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, in which the bias is arranged to be overridden by the cleaning device making contact with an obstacle.

10. A cleaning device according to claim 1 further comprising a front face and a rear face wherein said front face of the cleaning device is substantially straight and said rear face of the cleaning device is substantially curved.

11. A method of driving a cleaning device comprises adopting one of first and second driving modes of drive means of the cleaning device, wherein the first driving mode is a travelling mode and the second driving mode is a turning mode, and wherein the first and second driving modes are selected by actuation of locking means of the drive means and wherein the locking means are operable to be actuated by an activation element located on a periphery of the cleaning device making contact with an obstacle, or the locking means of the drive means are biased to cause engagement of the first driving mode.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, in which the locking means are actuated by the cleaning device making contact with an obstacle.

13. A method according to claim 11 in which actuation of the locking means results in the second driving mode being adopted.

14. A method according to claim 11 in which, in the absence of actuation of the locking means, the first driving mode is selected.

15. A method according to claim 11 in which the locking means are biased to lock a carriage of the drive means in position in the first driving mode.

16. A method according to claim 11 in which selection of the second driving mode allows a carriage of the drive means to turn about a vertical axis.