Cleaning appliance

• US 8,957,758 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alfred Kã¤Rcher GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Alfred Kã¤Rcher GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Nonnenmann, Frank, Schuetz, Michael, Schaefer, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): AKKI, MUNEAR T
• Application Number:
  US13/749,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.6, 340/5.72, 340/5.74, 701/29
• US Class Current: 340/5.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• 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: E05B 35/001 with key identifying function
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/10 with master and pass keys for cylinder locks E05B27/0053
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/14 with keys of which different parts operate separate mechanisms E05B35/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

A cleaning appliance is provided including at least one authorization carrier with an access authorization which is provided thereon and is required for accessing the cleaning appliance, just one receptacle in which the at least one authorization carrier is positionable, and a detection unit, situated at the receptacle, for contact-based detection of the access authorization of an authorization carrier positioned in the receptacle, the detection unit having at least one detection contact element which contacts the access authorization. To provide a cleaning appliance of this type which is usable with greater versatility, it is proposed that the cleaning appliance include two or more authorization carriers with access authorizations provided thereon which are linked to different authorization profiles, wherein a range of functions dependent on the authorization profile linked to an access authorization can be provided to an operator by the cleaning appliance.

Claims

1. A cleaning appliance comprising at least one authorization carrier with an access authorization which is provided thereon and is required for accessing the cleaning appliance, just one receptacle in which the at least one authorization carrier is positionable, and a detection unit, situated at the receptacle, for contact-based detection of the access authorization of an authorization carrier positioned in the receptacle, the detection unit having at least one detection contact element which contacts the access authorization, wherein the cleaning appliance comprises two or more authorization carriers with access authorizations provided thereon which are linked to different authorization profiles, wherein a range of functions dependent on the authorization profile linked to an access authorization is provided to an operator by the cleaning appliance.

2. The cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the at least one detection contact element forms a switching element which is activatable by contact with the access authorization.

3. The cleaning appliance according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit has two or more detection contact elements which form two or more switching elements that are activatable in dependence on the particular access authorization of an authorization carrier.

4. The cleaning appliance according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning appliance includes a control unit, coupled to the at least one switching element, by means of which the activation of the at least one switching element is detectable.

5. The cleaning appliance according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning appliance includes a memory unit which is coupled to the control unit and which stores the authorization profile linked to an access authorization.

6. The cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the authorization carriers are configured as keys, and that the receptacle is a key slot for the keys.

7. The cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning appliance comprises a plurality of authorization carriers having the same authorization profile.

8. The cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning appliance comprises a plurality of authorization carriers having identical access authorizations provided thereon.

9. The cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the authorization profiles of the authorization carriers define authorization stages which build on one another, whereby when a higher-order authorization stage is present, the cleaning appliance may provide the range of functions of a lower-order authorization stage and at least one additional function.

10. The cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein each authorization carrier includes an identification device for providing an identifier which is associated with each authorization profile of the authorization carrier and which is perceivable by the operator using a sensory organ, wherein identifiers associated with different authorization profiles are different from one another.

11. The cleaning appliance according to claim 10, wherein the cleaning appliance comprises a plurality of authorization carriers having the same authorization profile, and that the plurality of authorization carriers has identical identifiers.

12. The cleaning appliance according to claim 10, wherein at least one identification device is an optical identification device having a visually perceivable identifier.

13. The cleaning appliance according to claim 12, wherein the visually perceivable identifier is a color.

14. The cleaning appliance according to claim 10, wherein the identifier of at least one authorization carrier is situated on a surface of the authorization carrier.

15. The cleaning appliance according to claim 14, wherein the identifier extends over the entire surface of the authorization carrier.

16. The cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning appliance includes a playback device for providing authorization information which is perceivable by the operator using a sensory organ, the authorization information being associated with the authorization profile of an authorization carrier used by the operator for accessing the cleaning appliance.

17. The cleaning appliance according to claim 16, wherein the playback device includes an optical display unit for providing visually perceivable authorization information.

18. The cleaning appliance according to claim 17, wherein in the case of an identifier of the authorization profile of the authorization carrier based on a color, the authorization information is a display color of the display unit.

19. The cleaning appliance according to claim 18, wherein the color of the identifier and the display color match.