Patent Application
20250000319
The invention relates to a method for operating a floor cleaning device and to a floor cleaning device, in particular for carrying out the method disclosed. The floor cleaning device comprises at least one housing and at least one cleaning tool. The floor cleaning device is designed and set up to move autonomously in a cleaning environment and to perform cleaning tasks.
Such floor cleaning devices are known in the prior art in a variety of embodiments and serve the automated cleaning of cleaning environments both in the private and in the commercial sector. The floor cleaning device is designed, for example, as a suction robot, mopping robot or suction and mopping robot. To clean a surface of the cleaning environment—a floor covering—the cleaning tool must be in contact with the surface while the floor cleaning device is moving. Different floor coverings in a cleaning environment can have different mechanical interactions with the cleaning tool. This interaction can have an impact on the cleaning result, which may then not be satisfactory in all areas of the cleaning environment.
The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method for operating a floor cleaning device and a floor cleaning device that ensures an optimum cleaning result on many types of floor coverings.
The aforementioned object is solved with a method according to the invention by comprising at least the following method steps:
The floor cleaning device with which the method is preferably carried out is, for example, a suction robot, mopping robot or suction and mopping robot. The floor cleaning device has at least one housing. At least one drive wheel, preferably at least or exactly two drive wheels, is provided on the underside of the housing for moving the floor cleaning device in the cleaning environment. The floor cleaning device further comprises at least one cleaning tool, preferably at least or exactly two or at least or exactly three cleaning tools. For example, the cleaning tool is configured as a mop, a brush or a plurality of brushes. Preferably, it is provided that the floor cleaning device comprises at least two cleaning tools, namely preferably a mop and at least one brush, preferably a plurality of brushes. Preferably, a mop comprises at least one mopping plate and at least one mop cover, preferably made of textile or foam material.
For example, a first cleaning tool is arranged in the front area of the housing in the direction of travel and a second cleaning tool is arranged in the rear area in the direction of travel. For example, a brush or a plurality of brushes is arranged in the front area of the floor cleaning device in the direction of travel and a mop is arranged in the rear area of the housing in the direction of travel.
For example, the cleaning tool or tools are arranged on or in the housing such that a cleaning tool can be lifted off or placed on a surface to be cleaned.
For example, the mop is designed and arranged on the floor cleaning device in such a way that it can perform oscillating, circling and/or swinging movements for the purpose of cleaning, at least during operation.
The floor cleaning device further comprises at least one sensor for capturing vibrations. The sensor is designed, for example, as a vibration sensor or as an acceleration sensor. The sensor is preferably connected to a control device of the floor cleaning device. The control device comprises, for example, at least one processor and at least one memory. The control device comprises, for example, one or more computing devices including one or more processors and memory with non-transitory computer readable mediums having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute the steps of the methods set forth herein. It is also provided that a plurality of sensors are present for capturing vibrations. Preferably, the sensor is arranged in or on the housing. In particular, it is provided that the sensor is arranged in a central region of the housing of the floor cleaning device, for example longitudinally between two cleaning tools. It is also provided that the sensor is arranged in the front area of the floor cleaning device in the direction of travel, for example in the area of the cleaning tool arranged there.
The floor cleaning device is configured to autonomously navigate and perform cleaning tasks in a cleaning environment. For example, the floor cleaning device has a plurality of navigation sensors. Preferably, the navigation sensors are connected to the control device. Advantageously, navigation in the cleaning environment and/or control of cleaning programs is performed by means of the control device.
According to the method according to the invention, it is provided that first of all at least one vibration measurement value is captured with the sensor during operation of the floor cleaning device. Preferably, it is provided that a plurality of vibration measurement values are acquired during the step of acquiring with the sensor.
Particularly in the case of cleaning tools designed as mops, contact between the surface of a floor covering and the cleaning tool during operation can cause the entire floor cleaning device to vibrate in an unwanted manner. This vibration of the housing of the floor cleaning device is advantageously captured with the sensor.
Subsequently, the at least one vibration measurement value or the captured vibration measurement values are compared with at least one reference value or a plurality of reference values. The reference value can, for example, be a threshold value or a tolerance range. The reference value is preferably a fixed reference value, in particular the same for all floor coverings and thus independent of the floor covering. This makes it possible, for example, to always achieve the greatest possible contact force at which the vibration still falls below the reference value. Alternatively, it is also provided, for example, that the reference value used for the comparison depends on the floor covering, i.e. the surface to be cleaned, on which the floor cleaning device moves.
Depending on the result of the comparison, at least one contact parameter between the cleaning tool and a surface to be cleaned is then adjusted. The adjustment can involve increasing reducing or maintaining the current contact parameter. Increasing at least one contact parameter takes place if, for example, no or only very low vibrations below a threshold value as a reference value have been captured with the sensor. A reduction of a contact parameter occurs, for example, if the captured vibration measurement value or values is or are above a threshold value as reference value. The current contact parameter is maintained, for example, if the comparison of the measured vibration value or values shows that they lie within a tolerance range as a reference value or within a certain range around a threshold value.
The contact parameter is, for example, a contact force and/or a contact area of the cleaning tool on a surface to be cleaned and/or an amount of liquid between the cleaning tool and a surface to be cleaned. Thus, when adjusting the contact parameter, it is provided, for example, to increase, reduce, or maintain the contact force and/or the contact area of a cleaning tool. It is also provided to increase the amount of liquid between the cleaning tool and the surface to be cleaned, for example by adding water and/or cleaning agent.
When an adjustment of the at least one contact parameter is described, it shall be also disclosed that at least two or at least three or all contact parameters are adjusted. It is also provided that one contact parameter is increased during adjustment and another contact parameter is simultaneously reduced during adjustment. For example, it is provided that the contact force is reduced and the amount of fluid is increased at the same time.
Preferably, the method is carried out until the vibration measurement values fall below a threshold value as a reference value or lie within a tolerance range. For example, it is provided that the method be carried out at least once after each startup of the floor cleaning device. It is also provided, for example, that the method is carried out at least once when the control device detects a change in the type of surface to be cleaned-the floor covering-or a predetermined percentage or predetermined absolute change in the captured vibration measurement value or values occurs.
Compared to the prior art, the invention has the advantage that contact parameters which have an influence on vibrations of the floor cleaning device during operation, in particular depending on the surface of the cleaning environment, are adjusted during operation to always ensure optimum contact parameters for achieving the best possible cleaning result, e.g. the highest possible contact pressure. For example, according to the invention, an iterative approximation to the best possible contact parameter, e.g. the greatest possible contact force or contact area, at which a, preferably fixed, reference value is just undercut or reached, is carried out for each type of floor. In this way, cleaning is optimized for each type of floor covering. The contact parameters or the contact parameter are consequently adaptively adjusted or changed depending on the floor covering during operation.
According to an embodiment of the method, it is provided that at least the further method step of selecting at least one cleaning program from a plurality of cleaning programs depending of the adjusted contact parameter or as a function of the type of adjustment is comprised. The floor cleaning device is then operated with the selected cleaning program. If, for example, the contact parameter is retained during the adjustment, a normal, time-saving cleaning program, for example with a simple path strategy, can be continued or started. In such a cleaning program, for example, each location in the cleaning environment is passed over only once for cleaning purposes.
It has therefore proved to be particularly advantageous if the selection takes into account whether the contact parameter has been reduced or increased during adjustment and/or whether the contact parameter present after adjustment reaches a predetermined threshold value and/or whether a desired cleaning result can be achieved with the contact parameter present after adjustment for the type of surface to be cleaned. If, for example, the contact parameter is the contact pressure and this has been reduced during a first run of the method as part of the adjustment in order to reduce the vibrations, it is then checked as part of the selection whether a desired cleaning result can be achieved with the contact pressure present after the adjustment, taking into account the type of surface to be cleaned, or, for example, whether the contact pressure reaches a predetermined threshold value. If this is the case, for example, the normal cleaning program with the usual travel strategy is activated. If, on the other hand, it is determined that the contact pressure reduced to reduce vibrations is no longer sufficient to achieve a sufficient cleaning effect, an intensive cleaning program is selected, for example, in which, in particular, at least one location in the cleaning environment, at least one zone in the cleaning environment, or the entire cleaning environment is passed over at least twice. The intensive cleaning program may also comprise, for example, a slower travel speed. It is also provided that a cleaning program is selected for only one zone in the cleaning environment or for a predetermined time.
The check whether a desired cleaning result can be achieved with the contact parameter or contact parameters present after the adjustment for the type of surface to be cleaned is carried out, for example, by comparison with reference values measured in the laboratory or simulated, which are kept available in particular by the control device of the floor cleaning device.
According to an embodiment of the method, it has been found to be particularly advantageous, in particular if the contact parameter is a contact force, that a cleaning program is selected during the selection in which at least one predetermined location or zone in the cleaning environment or the entire cleaning environment is passed over at least twice if the contact parameter is reduced during adjustment and/or if the contact parameter falls below a predetermined threshold value. This always ensures that, despite a reduction in the contact pressure, an optimum cleaning result is nevertheless achieved by selecting the correct cleaning program.
It is also particularly advantageous if, in accordance with a further embodiment of the method, it is provided that the two passes over at least one location, a zone in the cleaning environment or the entire cleaning environment are carried out in mutually different directions. The directions are offset from each other, for example, at an angle, preferably of about 90°. The double passing over ensures that sufficient cleaning takes place even with low contact pressure and/or even stubborn soiling is loosened by the cleaning tool, in particular a mop, for example.
According to a further embodiment of the method, the contact parameter, in particular the contact force or the contact surface, is adjusted in predefined steps. In particular, the contact force is increased or reduced, for example, in predefined steps. It is provided that the steps always have the same amount or that the steps have different amounts. After an adjustment, the method is advantageously carried out again to check whether the vibrations then present continue to exceed, for example, a predetermined threshold value as a reference value. If this is the case, further adjustment takes place. The contact parameter, for example the contact force, is consequently adapted with the method for each floor covering in such a way that a maximum possible contact parameter, for example a maximum possible contact force, of the cleaning tool, in particular a mop, is selected, but at the same time undesirable vibrations are avoided.
Furthermore, as an alternative, it is also provided in particular that the contact parameter is adjusted in defined percentage steps, for example always by 10%. Further alternatively, it is provided that the adjustment of the contact parameter is in a fixed mathematical relationship to the vibration measurement value or a deviation of at least one of the vibration measurement values from a reference value. For example, if the vibration measurement value exceeds a reference value by, for example, 10%, it is provided that a contact force is reduced by 5% or, for example, is reduced by 10% if the reference value is exceeded by 20%.
In order to always ensure operation with at least an optimum contact parameter, according to a further embodiment of the method it is provided that each operation of the floor cleaning device takes place with a predetermined contact parameter, and that the method is carried out repeatedly until the vibration measurement value falls below a threshold value or in a tolerance range. The predetermined contact parameter-initial contact parameter-after start-up is, for example, a maximum contact parameter, in particular a maximum contact force or a maximum contact area. As long as the vibration measurement value exceeds a threshold value or is our of a tolerance range, a reduction of at least one contact parameter, for example the contact pressure, takes place with each run of the method, in particular in steps, until the measured vibrations fall below the threshold value. This ensures that an optimum contact parameter, in particular a contact force, is always present for each floor covering.
According to a further embodiment of the method, adjusting the contact parameter only takes place for a predetermined zone in the cleaning environment or adjusting the contact parameter only takes place for a predetermined time. If, for example, the zones of the cleaning environment in which a certain floor covering is present are known, the control unit evaluates this and causes the adjustment of the contact parameter to take place only until the floor cleaning device moves out of the area with this floor covering again. It is provided that when the floor cleaning device leaves the zone, the method is carried out again in order to adjust the contact parameter to the floor covering outside the zone.
It is also provided that after a predetermined time lapse, the predetermined contact parameter-initial contact parameter-is set again and the method is run through at least once. It is further provided that upon entering a predefined zone of the cleaning environment, the predetermined contact parameter, for example a maximum contact force, is set again and the method is run through at least once. It is also provided that at least one contact parameter, for example the contact pressure, is reset to a maximum value when leaving a zone.
Furthermore, it is provided that the adjustment of the contact parameter only takes place for a predetermined time, for example for the remaining runtime of the cleaning program. This may be necessary, for example, because the coefficient of friction between the cleaning tool and the surface to be cleaned may change during operation, for example as a result of the amount of liquid between the cleaning tool and the surface decreasing. In order to take this into account, the contact parameter is changed, in particular until the end of the cleaning process, when it is, for example, the contact force or the contact surface. It is also provided that, after the time has elapsed, a previous contact parameter is set again and the method is run through at least once.
In particular, in order to always ensure that operation takes place with optimum contact parameters, according to a further embodiment it is provided that at least the method steps of capturing and comparing are repeated at predetermined time intervals and/or event-controlled. For example, the method is carried out every 30 seconds during operation. In particular, the procedure is repeated until the vibration measurement value falls below a threshold value or falls within a tolerance range.
However, it is also provided that the method can be started on an event-controlled basis, for example when the floor cleaning device detects a new floor covering. A further event could be that a captured vibration measurement value exceeds a temporally preceding vibration measurement value in percentage or absolute terms, in particular above a threshold value. It is therefore intended in particular that capturing and comparing take place continuously during the operation, and that adjustment only takes place if there is a predetermined deviation of the measured vibration value from a reference value or a measured vibration value measured at a previous time. For example, the method is carried out depending on the position of the floor cleaning device in the cleaning environment.
The invention further relates to a floor cleaning device, in particular according to the described embodiments, which is preferably designed and set up for carrying out a method according to the described embodiments.
The floor cleaning device has at least one housing, at least one cleaning tool, and at least one sensor for capturing vibrations. Furthermore, the floor cleaning device is designed and set up to autonomously move in a cleaning environment and to perform cleaning tasks.
The floor cleaning device is characterized in that at least one contact parameter, for example a contact force and/or a contact surface and/or an amount of liquid between the cleaning tool and a surface to be cleaned, is adjustable as a function of a vibration captured with the sensor. Preferably, the floor cleaning device comprises at least one control unit with which the contact parameter is adjustable in dependence on the captured vibration. Preferably, the contact parameter is varied such that the vibration captured by the sensor is below a threshold value or within a tolerance range. Further embodiments of the adjustment of the contact parameter result analogously from the description of the method according to the invention.
Particularly preferably, according to a further embodiment of the floor cleaning device, at least one adjustor (adjustment mechanism or adjustment means) is provided to adjust the contact parameter. The adjustment means comprises at least one belt, in particular a toothed belt, and at least one means for converting lateral movement into vertical movement, such as a first screw means. The contact parameter, for example a contact force or contact surface, can be changed by a rotation of the first screw means. Preferably, the contact pressure of the cleaning tool can be adjusted with the adjustment means. A rotation of the first screw means can be effected with the belt. The first screw means is arranged, for example, on a bolt with an external thread on the cleaning tool.
The belt of the adjustment means is preferably guided inside the housing of the floor cleaning device. The belt interacts with the first screw means in such a way that, depending on the direction of rotation of the belt, the first screw means can be moved, in particular on a thread. Rotation of the first screw means changes the contact parameter, for example the contact force. The belt is driven, for example, by a drive means, for example a motor. The drive means is controllable by the control device of the floor cleaning device. For example, the first screw means comprises at least two or at least four nuts with external toothing, each of which is guided on an associated bolt with external threading on the cleaning tool. The external toothing of the nuts advantageously cooperates with the belt, in particular toothed belt.
According to a further embodiment of the floor cleaning device, it has turned out to be particularly advantageous if it is provided that an exit height of at least one drive wheel of the floor cleaning device from the housing can also be influenced with the belt via at least one second screw means. Consequently, with a rotation of the belt with the drive means, not only the contact parameter, for example the contact force or the contact surface, can be changed, but also the exit height of at least one, preferably all, drive wheels from the housing can be adjusted. This simultaneously raises or lowers the housing relative to the surface to be cleaned. This is particularly advantageous if, for example, carpet edges or the like have to be overcome. Both the housing and the cleaning tool can be raised or lowered at the same time.
For example, in order to effect different changes in the raising or lowering of the housing and the raising or lowering of the cleaning tool, according to a further embodiment of the floor cleaning device it is provided that a thread pitch of the first screw means and the second screw means are different. Both screw means are driven by the same belt, but the different thread pitches of the screw means cause a different change in position on the housing or on the cleaning tool.
The invention further relates to a floor cleaning device comprising at least one housing at least one cleaning tool, and at least one drive wheel, the floor cleaning device being configured and adapted to autonomously move and perform cleaning tasks in a cleaning environment, wherein the drive wheel is supported on the housing such that an exit height of the drive wheel from the housing is adjustable. The floor cleaning device is characterized in that the cleaning tool is movably supported on the housing such that the cleaning tool is movable toward and away from a surface to be cleaned of the cleaning environment, and in that the cleaning tool and the drive wheel, in particular the suspension of the drive wheel, are coupled such that when an exit height of the drive wheel is changed, the cleaning tool also moves the cleaning tool toward or away from the surface to be cleaned.
For example, the drive wheel is held to the housing by a suspension, wherein the suspension is configured such that the suspension can be influenced such that the drive wheel protrudes further or less far from the housing with respect to a bottom of the housing. The suspension is preferably coupled to a cleaning suspension of the cleaning tool in such a way that when the drive wheel moves in the height direction, preferably all drive wheels, the cleaning tool also moves in the direction of or away from the surface to be cleaned.
The coupling of the drive wheel suspension, in particular the suspensions of all drive wheels, and the cleaning suspension is preferably mechanical or electromechanical.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are apparent from the following description of figures and the dependent claims.
In the various figures in the drawing, the same parts are always given the same reference signs.
Regarding the following description, it is claimed that the invention is not limited to the embodiments and thereby not limited to all or several features of described feature combinations, rather each individual partial feature of the/each embodiment is also of importance for the subject matter of the invention detached from all other partial features described in connection therewith for itself and also in combination with any features of another embodiment.
Depending on the result of the comparison 102, an adjustment 103 of at least one contact parameter, for example the contact force, of a cleaning tool 3 and a surface 4a to be cleaned takes place. In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment of the method shown in
In the embodiment according to
The floor cleaning device 1 has an adjustment means 6 for adjusting the contact parameter, here the contact force of the cleaning tool 3 in the form of the mop 3a. The adjustment means 6 has a belt 7, in this case a toothed belt, and a first screw means 8. The first screw means 8 has four screw nuts 8a with external teeth, each of which is arranged on a bolt with an external thread attached to the mopping plate. The belt 7 is drivable by a drive means 9 in the form of a motor. When the belt 7 is driven by the drive means 9, the screw nuts 8a of the first screw means 8 are rotated, causing the cleaning tool 3, in this case the mop 3a with the mopping plate, to move relative to the housing 2, namely to raise or lower relative to a surface 4a to be cleaned, whereby the contact force of the cleaning tool 3 to the surface 4a to be cleaned (see
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the adjustment means 6 has a second screw means 10 with two screw nuts 10a with external teeth. The screw nuts 10a are each guided on a bolt 10b with external thread. By means of the second screw means 10, an exit height of the drive wheels 5 of the floor cleaning device 1 from the housing 2 and thus a distance of the housing 2 to the surface 4a to be cleaned can be adjusted. Since the first screw means 8 and the second screw means 10 are coupled to each other by the belt 7, the drive wheels 5 are moved out of or into the housing 2 at the same time as the cleaning tool 3 is raised or lowered.
As shown in
Conversely, if the spring forces of the compression spring 13 are reduced by a rotation of the belt 7, the cleaning tool 3 also moves downward and the contact pressure force to the surface 4a to be cleaned is increased. This coupled system allows higher contact forces to be ensured simultaneously for two cleaning tools 3 (see, for example, the embodiment according to
Computer system 500 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 505, or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate. The hardware elements may include one or more processors 510, including without limitation one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors; one or more input devices 515; and one or more output devices 520. Computer system 500 may further include and/or be in communication with one or more non-transitory storage devices 525.
Computer system 500 might also include a communications subsystem 530. In some embodiments, computer system 500 will further comprise a working memory 535, which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above.
Computer system 500 also can include software elements, shown as being currently located within the working memory 535, including an operating system 540, device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code, such as one or more application programs 545, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above can be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer and/or a processor within a computer; in an aspect, then, such code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general-purpose computer or other device to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.
A set of these instructions and/or code may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 525 described above. As mentioned above, in one aspect, some embodiments may employ a computer system such as computer system 500 to perform methods in accordance with various embodiments of the technology. According to a set of embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods are performed by computer system 500 in response to processor 510 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions, which might be incorporated into the operating system 540 and/or other code, such as an application program 545, contained in the working memory 535. Such instructions may be read into the working memory 535 from another computer-readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s) 525. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the working memory 535 might cause the processor(s) 510 to perform one or more procedures of the methods described herein.
The terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium,” as used herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodiment implemented using computer system 500, various computer-readable media might be involved in providing instructions/code to processor(s) 510 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry such instructions/code. In many implementations, a computer-readable medium is a physical and/or tangible storage medium. Such a medium may take the form of a non-volatile media or volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storage device(s) 525. Volatile media include, without limitation, dynamic memory, such as the working memory 535.
The communications subsystem 530 and/or components thereof generally will receive signals, and the bus 505 then might carry the signals and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals to the working memory 535, from which the processor(s) 510 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the working memory 535 may optionally be stored on a non-transitory storage device 525 either before or after execution by the processor(s) 510.
The invention can also be described with the following aspects:
The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described, but also includes all embodiments having the same effect in the sense of the invention. It is expressly emphasized that the embodiments are not limited to all features in combination, rather each individual sub-feature may also have inventive significance in isolation from all other sub-features. Furthermore, the invention has not yet been limited to the combination of features defined in claim 1 either, but can also be defined by any other combination of certain features of all the individual features disclosed as a whole. This means that in principle virtually any individual feature of claim 1 can be omitted or replaced by at least one individual feature disclosed elsewhere in the application.
