Mobile apparatus, particularly an autonomously mobile floor cleaning device

• US 9,687,132 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• 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: Schlischka, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US14/793,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20160007817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 280 5514, 15319, 180 82
• 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 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A mobile apparatus, particularly an autonomously mobile floor cleaning device, has a chassis and wheels, wherein at least one wheel is driven, and the driven wheel is connected to the chassis via a suspension element that supports the wheel and is movable relative to the chassis. In order to create an alternative mobile apparatus for negotiating an obstacle, the wheel for support on a subsurface over which the mobile apparatus can travel is influenced by a spring exerting a spring force and can be retracted and extended relative to the chassis with the aid of the suspension element, wherein the spring force is adjustable independently of an increase or decrease in the spring force caused by such extension or retraction, and in particular may be increased as the wheel is extended farther.

Claims

1. Mobile apparatus, having a chassis and a plurality of wheels,

wherein at least one wheel is driven, and the driven wheel is connected to the chassis via a suspension element that supports the driven wheel and is movable relative to the chassis,

wherein the driven wheel for support on a subsurface over which the mobile apparatus can travel is influenced by a spring exerting a spring force and can be retracted and extended relative to the chassis with the aid of the suspension element, and

wherein the spring force is adjustable independently of an increase or decrease in the spring force caused by such extension or retraction and independently of the degree to which the mobile apparatus is tilted.

2. Mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring force is adjustable automatically.

3. Mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring force can be adjusted on the basis of a distance corresponding to a retraction or extension dimension captured by a sensor.

4. Mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a gas pressure spring.

5. Mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring is designed as a spring element whose action is determined by elastic deformation.

6. Mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring has a chassis side connection point and a wheel side connection point, and

wherein the distance between the chassis side connection point and the wheel side connection point is decisive for the spring force.

7. Mobile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the distance between the chassis side connection point and the wheel side connection point can be changed to adjust the spring force.

8. Mobile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the suspension element is a swing arm that is attached in articulated manner to the chassis so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, and to which the driven wheel is attached at a distance from the axis of rotation.

9. Mobile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the wheel side connection point is arranged on the swing arm.

10. Mobile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a connection point can be shifted relative to the chassis and/or the suspension element to change the spring force by altering a distance between the chassis side connection point and the wheel side connection point, which is decisive for changing the effect of the spring force.

11. Mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring force may be increased as the driven wheel is extended farther.

12. Mobile apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the distance is between the chassis and the subsurface.