DE102014110276B4 - Vacuum cleaner with a gas sensor and method for operating such a vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

Vacuum cleaner (10) with at least one gas sensor (32, 36), wherein a composition of the ambient air sucked in can be permanently detected by means of the at least one gas sensor (32, 36), and wherein the vacuum cleaner (10) has means (30, 34) for protecting the Gas sensor (32, 36) against contamination, the vacuum cleaner (10) having a main air duct (14) in its interior for the suction line sucked in during operation and a secondary air duct (30) parallel to the main air duct (14), and the gas sensor (32 , 36) is arranged in the secondary air duct (30) and the secondary air duct (30) acts as a means (30, 34) for protecting the gas sensor (32, 36) against contamination, characterized in that the secondary air duct (30) is located downstream of the gas sensor ( 32, 36) ends in the area of a narrow point (28) of the main air duct (14) and the secondary air duct (30) functions accordingly as a Venturi tube.

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a gas sensor, in particular a vacuum cleaner in an embodiment as a vacuum robot (robot vacuum cleaner) and a method for operating such a vacuum cleaner.

A vacuum robot with a gas sensor is out of the question US 2005 / 0 212 680 A1 known.

A vacuum robot is an autonomous floor care device. The main purpose of such a device is to clean household floor surfaces. The user expects the robot vacuum cleaner to fulfill not only this main function, but also, if possible, other intelligent secondary functions in the household environment. In the US 2005 / 0 212 680 A1 A method is described according to which a possible gas leak in the respective household is to be detected using a vacuum robot. If such a gas leak is detected, the vacuum robot generates, among other things, a text message to be sent electronically to a user to alert them to the dangerous situation. In addition, the robot vacuum emits alarm messages in the event of a gas leak being detected in various places in the household. To do this, he approaches these positions specifically.

This known use of a gas sensor in a vacuum robot is limited to the detection of a possible gas leak, i.e. an exceptional situation that only rarely occurs.

The US 2007 / 0 209 143 A1 discloses a vacuum robot with a sensor for detecting the smell of microbes. The odor sensor is arranged in a secondary air duct parallel to the main air duct. The WO 97/18 743 A1 reveals a vacuum cleaner with an odor sensor in the dust room. The JP 2008-100004 A discloses a vacuum cleaner with an odor sensor in a secondary air duct.

One object of the invention is to provide further possible applications for a vacuum cleaner with a gas sensor and a special embodiment of such a vacuum cleaner.

With regard to the special embodiment of such a vacuum cleaner, this object is achieved according to the invention with a vacuum cleaner with at least one gas sensor with the features of patent claim 1. It is intended that the vacuum cleaner has means for protecting the gas sensor against contamination.

The vacuum cleaner is, for example - but not necessarily - a vacuum cleaner in an embodiment as a vacuum robot. In the interest of better readability, but without sacrificing further generality, the following description will be continued using a vacuum cleaner in one embodiment as a vacuum robot. However, each time a vacuum robot is mentioned, other embodiments of a vacuum cleaner, in particular a vacuum cleaner in an embodiment as a floor vacuum cleaner, a vacuum cleaner in an embodiment as a handheld vacuum cleaner (upright), a vacuum cleaner in an embodiment as a handheld or table vacuum cleaner, etc., are to be read.

A possible means of protecting the gas sensor against contamination is, for example, a membrane that is permeable to gases carried by the suction air flow and impermeable to dirt particles carried by the suction air flow. The membrane protects the gas sensor without impairing the ability to sense gases, gas concentrations and/or gas compositions. Without such protection, the surface of the gas sensor would gradually become dirty due to the dirt particles carried by the suction air flow. Due to the protection against contamination, permanently reliable and usable sensor signals are guaranteed.

According to the invention, a means for protecting the gas sensor against contamination is that the vacuum robot has a main air duct in its interior for the suction air sucked in during operation and a secondary air duct parallel (flow-wise parallel) to the main air duct and that the gas sensor is arranged in the secondary air duct, whereby the secondary air duct acts as a means of protecting the gas sensor against contamination, in that a geometry of the main air duct and the secondary air duct and / or a coupling of the secondary air duct upstream of the gas sensor to the main air duct ensures that dirt particles carried by the suction air flow are not or at least only negligibly small Circumference into the secondary air duct, so that a surface of the gas sensor is protected against the accumulation of such dirt particles. The gases carried by the suction air flow, on the other hand, do reach the secondary air duct and thus also the gas located there sensor, so that the ability to detect gases, gas concentrations and/or gas compositions is not impaired.

In the inventive design of a vacuum robot with a main air duct and a fluidically parallel secondary air duct, with the gas sensor being located in the secondary air duct, it is provided that one of the openings of the secondary air duct to the main air duct is located in the area of a narrow point in the main air duct and that the secondary air duct is correspondingly designed as a venturi. Pipe acts. Due to the Venturi effect, such an arrangement ensures good flow through the secondary air duct and thus good coupling of the gas sensor located there to the sucked-in ambient air.

The advantage of the solution proposed here is that, in order to better fulfill the main function of “cleaning the floor”, the vacuum robot permanently, i.e. continuously or regularly, in particular at equidistant times, detects a composition of the ambient air sucked in by means of at least one gas sensor included in the vacuum robot. The ambient air sucked in contains various gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide or ozone, but also volatile organic compounds (VOC). Some typical household contamination can be recognized by the frequent occurrence of characteristic gases or characteristic gas compositions in the suction air flow. The vacuum robot is equipped with the or each gas sensor and a control unit for evaluating the sensor signals available from the or each gas sensor, so to speak with an “electronic nose”. According to an automatic evaluation of the detectable gases contained in the suction air flow using the gas sensor and/or the control unit, an automatic “odor-dependent” adjustment of the suction operation is now possible for the first time and the vacuum robot described below with further, partly optional details is an example of a floor care device , which is intended and set up to automatically carry out an adjustment of the suction operation based on an automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in by means of the gas sensor and in which the suction operation is automatically adjusted during operation based on an automatic detection of the composition of the sucked-in ambient air.

In one embodiment of a vacuum robot with at least one gas sensor, it is provided that the at least one gas sensor is located in an exhaust air area downstream of a suction fan included in the vacuum robot and/or downstream of a dust filter included in the vacuum robot. Because the air there is the cleanest in terms of macroscopic contamination, it can be assumed that a gas measurement at this point will provide the best quality results.

The above-mentioned task is also achieved with a vacuum robot that works according to a method of the type described here and below and, in addition to the cleaning performance by means of the at least one gas sensor, provides the user with additional benefits in the form of individual or several additional functions. The vacuum robot includes means for carrying out the procedure. The invention is preferably implemented in software. The invention is therefore, on the one hand, also a control program in the form of a computer program with program code instructions that can be executed by a computer and, on the other hand, a storage medium with such a control/computer program and finally also a vacuum robot with at least one gas sensor and a control unit, in the memory of which as a means for carrying out the Method and its configurations such a control/computer program is loaded or loadable.

Some necessary generalizations should be introduced at this point: The term gas sensor here and below means a component that can be installed in the vacuum robot. This includes at least one sensory functional unit for sensing a gas or a gas concentration or a gas composition. In individual application situations described below, the component (the gas sensor) comprises a plurality of such sensory functional units, for example a sensory functional unit for sensing carbon monoxide, a sensory functional unit for sensing nitrogen dioxide, a sensory functional unit for sensing ozone and /or a sensory functional unit for sensing volatile organic compounds (VOC) or the vacuum robot comprises a plurality of such components (sensor array). The sensor signals available from such functional units depending on the detection of a gas, a gas concentration or a gas composition can be processed either within the component (the gas sensor) or outside the component using a separate control unit. Both variants are fundamentally equivalent and have the same effect. Based on this, it will apply below that the term gas sensor means a component with at least one sensor rically effective functional unit or a plurality of sensorically effective functional units and/or a plurality of such components. When we speak of a control unit below, it can be implemented independently of such a gas sensor or as an integral part of such a gas sensor. All of these variants can be read below every time the term gas sensor is used.

With regard to the now possible automatic “odor-dependent” adjustment of the suction operation, it can be assumed, for example, that a section of carpet on which a pet has been lying is marked by the animal's body odor. At the same time, it can be assumed that there is more hair or feathers from the pet there. Due to the gases, gas concentration and/or gas composition - hereinafter referred to collectively as air composition - that emanate from this location formerly occupied by the pet, the vacuum robot can automatically react with an adapted cleaning behavior. For example, the robot vacuum cleaner can clean the area more intensively (higher blower or brush power) or more frequently (run over it several times). Other contamination of the vacuumed surface that can be automatically detected in this way could be food residues or road dirt, for example soil.

In one embodiment of a vacuum robot with an electronic nose, it is provided that it is set up to distinguish between different floor coverings from one another using its gas sensor through a highly precise analysis of volatile organic compounds (floor covering detection). Carpet backing, for example, releases detectable amounts of aromatic compounds. Tiles don't do this. In this way, on the basis of an odor-dependent floor covering detection, cleaning can be carried out that is specifically tailored to the detected floor covering and, for example, the blower and/or brush power and/or a direction of rotation of the or each bristle roller can be automatically adjusted.

As a further secondary function, the robot vacuum cleaner can optionally monitor the quality of the room air with its gas sensor. Based on this, the vacuum robot automatically warns, for example, if the concentration of ozone in the room air increases. For the user of the vacuum robot, this is a recommendation for ventilation. In more general terms, the vacuum robot automatically carries out an assessment of the quality of the room air and if a predetermined or predeterminable condition with regard to the quality of the room air is met, for example a threshold value of an ozone measurement value is exceeded, a predetermined or predeterminable action is automatically carried out. An automatically executable action can include a visual and/or acoustic warning message by means of a signal transmitter included in the vacuum robot. In an embodiment based on this, in which the vacuum robot as a networked household appliance is a functional unit of a house or home automation, the vacuum robot is communicatively connected to other functional units of the home automation, for example via WLAN or the like, so that the vacuum robot depends on the sensed Quality of the room air can also automatically and automatically control a further functional unit or further functional units of the home automation and thereby trigger actions such as opening a window in the tilt position, possibly depending on the presence of people in the household.

In a further embodiment of a vacuum robot with a gas sensor, this is intended and set up to evaluate and influence the subjective quality of the room air by analyzing the blown-out suction air and by releasing fragrances into the room air. The fragrances or a fragrance originate, for example, from a reservoir carried by the vacuum robot and in particular refillable by the user, which is located, for example, inside the dust collection container. To release a fragrance into the room air, devices such as those known from so-called inkjet printers, for example piezoelectric elements, can be considered. In a further addition to this embodiment, the vacuum robot optionally also senses a fragrance concentration in the room air with its gas sensor and uses a controller to adjust the fragrance concentration to a predetermined fragrance concentration setpoint or one that can be specified by the user. In this way, overdosing or underdosing of the room fragrance is avoided. The desired fragrance strength is maintained at a fragrance concentration setpoint specified by the user.

In yet another special, but fundamentally optional, embodiment of a vacuum robot with a gas sensor, this is intended and set up to warn the user about drafts in the room that could potentially cause a cold. To do this, the vacuum robot uses its gas sensor to measure the air composition with high temporal resolution. The vacuum robot automatically receives information based on an evaluation of such data, for example based on locally fluctuating gas concentrations Evaluable information about the movement of the room air and especially about drafts (draft detection), because in a room without drafts it can be assumed that the composition of the sucked-in room air is largely constant. If the vacuum robot is in a room with a draft, the vacuum robot can automatically recognize this and also automatically carry out a predetermined or predeterminable action, for example by means of an acoustic and / or visual signal to indicate the draft. In an addition to this aspect of the invention, the vacuum robot not only displays areas with drafts, but also areas without drafts, for example by means of a display element and a color change of the display element, so that the user can rely on a warning from the vacuum robot about drafts in one as free can move to the area of the room that is detected by drafts.

In a special embodiment of a vacuum robot with a gas sensor, it is intended and set up to actively search for or avoid certain objects marked with smells. The user first “trains” the vacuum robot on a specific object, for example a specific pair of shoes that differs from other shoes because of the smell of the shoe polish. The vacuum robot can then systematically search the apartment in a first “Search” operating mode at a later point in time and record the position of the shoes on its map or issue a visual and/or acoustic message at the location of the shoes found. In a second operating mode, “Avoid,” the robot vacuum cleaner can actively avoid zones that are marked with a specific smell. This could be entire rooms, for example the bathroom, or just parts of a room, for example the area around the hob in a kitchen. The areas to be avoided are marked with a scent color that can be recognized by the gas sensor of the vacuum robot, i.e. a specific gas, a specific gas concentration or a specific gas composition. In this way, areas of an apartment or an area to be cleaned can be excluded from cleaning without using active technical aids such as infrared light barriers or the like.

In yet another, fundamentally optional embodiment of a vacuum robot with a gas sensor, this is intended and set up to automatically issue a recommendation about emptying the dust collection container of the vacuum robot. For this purpose, the air emerging from the dust collection container is also passed through a gas sensor. If the concentration of certain gases exceeds permissible limit values, a predetermined or predeterminable action is automatically carried out, for example emptying the dust collection container is recommended by activating a visual and/or acoustic display device provided for this purpose. This effectively prevents the room air from smelling unpleasant from the residents' perspective after the cleaning process.

The subclaims relate to advantageous refinements and developments of the invention. The relationships used here indicate the further development of the subject matter of the main claim through the features of the respective subclaim. They are not to be understood as a waiver of the achievement of independent, objective protection for the combinations of features of the related subclaims. Furthermore, with regard to an interpretation of the claims, if a feature is specified in more detail in a subordinate claim, it must be assumed that such a restriction does not exist in the respective preceding claims. Finally, it should be noted that the vacuum cleaner defined in the claims can also be developed in accordance with the method claims, for example in such a way that the vacuum cleaner comprises means for carrying out individual or all method steps, and vice versa.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. Corresponding objects or elements are provided with the same reference numbers in all figures. The exemplary embodiment is not to be understood as a limitation of the invention. Rather, within the scope of the present disclosure, changes and additions are also possible, in particular variants which, for example, are achieved by combining or modifying individual features in connection with the features described in the general or specific part of the description and contained in the claims and/or the drawing. Elements or process steps can be found by a person skilled in the art with a view to solving the problem and, through combinable features, lead to a new object or to new process steps or process step sequences.

• 1 einen Saugroboter mit einem Gassensor,
• 2 von dem Gassensor erhältliche Sensorsignale sowie
• 3 eine Ausschnittsvergrößerung aus der Darstellung in 1.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. Show it

• 1 a vacuum robot with a gas sensor,
• 2 sensor signals available from the gas sensor as well
• 3 an enlargement of a detail from the illustration in 1 .

The representation in 1 shows in a schematically simplified form a vacuum cleaner 10 in an embodiment as a vacuum robot 10. The vacuum robot 10 comprises a suction fan 12 in a manner known per se. By means of the suction fan 12, a suction air flow is generated inside the vacuum robot 10 during operation of the vacuum robot 10. The suction air flow in the vacuum robot 10 runs from an air duct 14 via a dust collection container 16, a filter 18, namely a dust filter 18 between the dust collection container 16 and the suction fan 12, and the suction fan 12 up to an exhaust air area 20. Upstream of the air duct 14 is the one shown Embodiment shows a bristle roller 22 that acts as a means for dust mobilization but is basically optional. For automatic movement over the suctioned surface 24, the vacuum robot 10 comprises at least one drive wheel 26 in a manner known per se.

In the embodiment shown, the air duct 14 clearly forms a constriction 28 when it transitions into the dust collection container 16. In the area of this constriction 28, an air duct, referred to as a secondary air duct 30, ends in order to distinguish it from the air duct 14. The air duct 14 is referred to below as the main air duct 14. There is a gas sensor 32 in the secondary air duct 30 and the secondary air duct 30 is closed upstream of the gas sensor 32 by means of a membrane 34 which is permeable to gases carried by the suction air flow and impermeable to dirt particles carried by the suction air flow. This arrangement of the gas sensor 32 is an example of an arrangement that protects the gas sensor 32 against contamination. Both the arrangement in the secondary air duct 30 and the membrane 34 provide such protection against contamination. A configuration in which an opening of the secondary air duct 30 is located in the area of the constriction 28 of the main air duct 14 causes the secondary air duct 30 to act like a Venturi tube and the opening to the constriction 28 like a main air duct 14 through which sucked-in ambient air (suction air) flows a Venturi nozzle works. This ensures that the gas sensor 32 located in the secondary air duct 30 is always coupled to the ambient air sucked in and that automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in is possible by means of the gas sensor 32.

The two measures for protecting the gas sensor 32 against contamination (secondary air duct 30, membrane 34) can - as shown in the exemplary embodiment - be combined without this being necessary. The gas sensor 32 can therefore, for example, be arranged in a secondary air duct 30 that is not closed by a membrane 34 upstream of the gas sensor 32, the geometry of the secondary air duct 30 and especially the coupling of the secondary air duct 30 upstream of the gas sensor 32 to the main air duct 14 causing the suction air flow Dirt particles carried along do not reach the secondary air duct 30 or at least only to a negligibly small extent. Alternatively, the gas sensor 32 can also be arranged directly in the main air duct 14 without a secondary air duct 30 and protected there by a membrane 34. The membrane 34 then prevents the gas sensor 32 from becoming contaminated with dirt particles carried along by the suction air flow. However, it can be assumed that the combination of the two measures protects the gas sensor 32 against contamination in a particularly efficient manner.

In the exhaust air area 20, the vacuum robot 10 shown has a further gas sensor 36. This can optionally be arranged in its own secondary air duct, in particular in a secondary air duct arranged in the same or similar way to the secondary air duct 30 described above relative to a narrow point of the exhaust air area 20, and/or optionally protected against contamination by means of its own membrane. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the following statements refer both to the gas sensor 32 in front of (upstream) the suction air blower 12 and to the gas sensor 36 behind (downstream) the suction air blower 12. In addition, each of the two gas sensors 32, 36 is basically optional, so that the illustrated embodiment of the vacuum robot 10 with two gas sensors 32, 36 is expressly to be understood only as an exemplary embodiment and the approach proposed here also refers to a vacuum robot 10, which either only has one, hereinafter referred to as the front gas sensor 32 designated gas sensor 32 upstream of the suction fan 12 or only a gas sensor 36, referred to below as rear gas sensor 36, downstream of the suction fan 12. In an embodiment of a vacuum robot 10 with at least one front gas sensor 32 and at least one rear gas sensor 36, differences between the sensor signals supplied by the gas sensors 32, 36 can also be evaluated for gas detection.

The gas sensor 32, 36 is a device with at least one gas-sensitive sensor for detecting at least one gas or various gases, for example carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone or volatile organic compounds (VOC). These can be sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides (MOX sensors), sensors with electrically conductive polymers (independently conductive polymers or conductive polymers due to additional components such as graphite) or sensors that utilize a mass effect, e.g. B. quartz oscillating sensors (QMB/QCM sensors) or surface wave sensors (SAW sensors).

In order to enable long-term reliable and robust operation, the gas sensor 32, 36 and the or each gas-sensitive sensor included therein are not in use due to means 30, 34 included in the vacuum robot 10 for protecting the gas sensor 32, 36 against contamination - as described above direct contact with the ambient air sucked in. Otherwise, deposits could build up on the gas sensor 32, 36 over time and limit its sensitivity.

Instead, for example, the gas-permeable membrane 34, for example a membrane 34 made of ceramic, wood or a plastic, for example polyester fleece, is located in front of the gas sensor 32, 36. A porosity (permeability) of the membrane 34 is selected so that the gas molecules to be detected can pass through, but dirt particles carried by the suction air flow cannot. Because such a membrane 34, which is provided to protect the gas sensor 32, 36 against contamination, also becomes dirty over time, the membrane 34 can optionally be replaced. It can be replaced, for example, by inserting it or pushing it into a guide. However, it is disadvantageous that such a membrane 34 influences the gas circulation between the suction air flow and the gas sensor 32, 36 and a dynamic with which changing gas concentrations can be measured. The secondary air duct 30 causes a uniform flow to the gas sensor 32, 36 and a uniform air and gas circulation through the membrane 34 into the space between the membrane 34 and the gas sensor 32, 36. Especially if the secondary air duct 30 is designed in this way and is arranged in the main air duct 14 in this way, that it functions as a Venturi tube, there is a higher flow velocity and a lower air pressure in the area of the opening of the secondary air duct 30 to the narrow point 28 in the main air duct 14 than at the point with the membrane 34. Part of the suction air is thus passed through the membrane 34 into the Secondary air duct 30 is drawn and flows out at the narrow point 28. As a result, there is a rapid exchange of air and the gas sensor 32, 36 can measure changes in gas concentration in the suction air in a highly dynamic manner.

To evaluate sensor signals from or of each gas sensor 32, 36, the vacuum robot 10 comprises a control unit 38, which, in a manner known per se, comprises a processing unit in the form of or in the manner of a microprocessor and a memory into which a control program is loaded when operating the vacuum robot 10 and when operating the control unit 38 is carried out by its processing unit. The control program includes an implementation of the method steps described below.

The representation in 2 shows in a schematically simplified form sensor signals 40, 42, 44, 46, as they occur during the operation of a vacuum robot 10 according to 1 from the at least one gas sensor 32, 36 included therein are available. The illustration assumes that the at least one gas sensor 32, 36 comprises a plurality of measuring sensors and that each measuring sensor supplies its own sensor signal 40-46. In the illustrated embodiment, four sensor signals 40-46 are shown in a respective value range 50, 52, 54, 56, with the representation of the value ranges 50-56 and the representation of the sensor signals 40-46 relative to the respective value range not necessarily required normalization, for example, a standardization to a value range of 0-100% is taken as a basis. In any case, it can be seen that the respective sensor signals 40-46 form a pattern. Such patterns are characteristic of gases and gas compositions and/or gas concentrations present in the suction air stream. In this way, the at least one gas sensor 32, 36 can take on the function of an “electronic nose” for the vacuum robot 10 and different “odors” (gas compositions/gas concentrations in the suction air flow) can be distinguished based on the patterns resulting from the respective sensor signals 40-46.

The evaluation of the sensor signals 40-46 and an evaluation of the resulting patterns are carried out, for example, by means of the control unit 38 included in the vacuum robot 10 and a pattern recognition functionality implemented there, in particular in software. In principle, it is also conceivable that the at least one gas sensor 32, 36 itself comprises a functional unit intended for evaluating the sensor signals 40-46 and for evaluating the resulting patterns, so that the gas sensor 32, 36, for example, output signals for individual detected gases and/or outputs gas concentrations. Such Functional integration in the area of the gas sensor 32, 36 can be expected in the future, so it should be noted here that the description of the control unit 38 as the location of the evaluation of the sensor signals 40-46 should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner, but rather an evaluation of the sensor signals 40-46 the at least one gas sensor 32, 36 itself, i.e. a shift of the corresponding functionality from the control unit 38 in the gas sensor 32, 36, can be read in each case.

     WENN ( unterer Grenzwert 1 > Sensorsignal 1 < oberer Grenzwert 1 )
     UND ( unterer Grenzwert 2 > Sensorsignal 2 < oberer Grenzwert 2 )
     UND ...
     ( unterer Grenzwert n > Sensorsignal n < oberer Grenzwert n )
     DANN Gas = Gas A

The specific implementation of a recognition of a characteristic pattern in the sensor signals 40-46 can range from a comparatively simple implementation with a formulation of numerical conditions to an implementation with neural networks or the like. An example of an implementation of pattern recognition with numerical conditions is copied below:

 IF (lower limit 1 > sensor signal 1 < upper limit 1)
     AND (lower limit 2 > sensor signal 2 < upper limit 2)
     AND ...
     (lower limit n > sensor signal n < upper limit n)
     THEN gas = gas A

In this way, for example, floor covering detection and an adjustment of the suction operation based on the detected floor covering is possible because different floor coverings lead to different gas concentrations in the ambient air sucked in. Additionally or alternatively, an adjustment of the suction operation in the form of a more intensive cleaning of individual sections of the suctioned subsurface 24 is possible, because a particularly dirty subsurface 24 will also result in a change in a gas composition of the suction air or a gas concentration in the suction air or a gas concentration in the suction air that can be sensed by means of the at least one gas sensor 32, 36 Lead suction air. Such an automatic adjustment of the suction operation can result, for example, in an automatically increased blower power of the suction fan 12 and/or an automatically increased speed of a bristle roller 22 or another device for dust mobilization. Additionally or alternatively, such an automatic adjustment of the suction operation can also result in the vacuum robot 10 vacuuming an already vacuumed section of the substrate 24 several times. For this purpose, the sensor signals 40-46 are recorded and automatically evaluated qualitatively. The multiple suction, i.e. the multiple scanning of the same section of the subsurface 24, is automatically ended as soon as sensor signals 40-46 are present from the gas sensor 32, 36, which indicate that the respective section of the subsurface 24 has been sufficiently cleaned.

If the vacuum cleaner 10 with at least one gas sensor 32, 36 is not an autonomously moving vacuum robot 10, but, for example, a canister vacuum cleaner or the like, automatic multiple cleaning is based on the sensor signals 40-46 of the gas sensor 32, 36 Section of the vacuumed subsurface 24 that is recognized as particularly dirty is not possible. Here, however, it can be provided that the vacuum cleaner 10 includes a display device which prompts the user, for example by changing the color, to vacuum a section of the substrate 24 that has already been vacuumed up again until the display device changes color again to indicate that the vacuumed substrate 24 is now assessed as clean based on sensor signals 40-46.

The additional functions mentioned at the beginning that can now be advantageously implemented by a vacuum robot 10 with at least one gas sensor 32, 36 are only pointed out here in order to avoid repetition.

The representation in 3 is a schematically simplified enlargement of a section from the illustration in 1 with the main air duct 14 and the gas sensor 32 located there. Here it can be seen that in the embodiment shown in the figures, the constriction 28 arises due to the secondary air duct 30 and the secondary air duct 30 ends in the area of the constriction 28.

Individual aspects of the description presented here that are in the foreground can be briefly summarized as follows: Specified is a vacuum cleaner 10, in particular a vacuum cleaner 10 in the form of a vacuum robot 10, with at least one gas sensor 32, 36, by means of the at least one gas sensor 32, 36 a composition of the sucked-in suction/ambient air can be permanently detected and the vacuum cleaner 10 has means 30, 34 for protecting the gas sensor 32, 36 against contamination and a method for operating such a vacuum cleaner 10, in which the composition of the The suction operation is automatically adjusted depending on the suction/ambient air sucked in.

Reference symbol list

10

Vacuum cleaners / vacuum robots

12

Suction fan

14

Air duct / main air duct

16

Dust collection container

18

Filter / dust filter

20

Exhaust area

22

bristle roller

24

underground

26

drive wheel

28

bottleneck

30

Secondary air duct

32

(front) gas sensor

34

membrane

36

(rear) gas sensor

38

Control unit

40-46

Sensor signal

50-56

Value range

Claims (13)

Vacuum cleaner (10) with at least one gas sensor (32, 36), wherein a composition of the ambient air sucked in can be permanently detected by means of the at least one gas sensor (32, 36), and wherein the vacuum cleaner (10) has means (30, 34) for protecting the Gas sensor (32, 36) against contamination, the vacuum cleaner (10) having a main air duct (14) in its interior for the suction line sucked in during operation and a secondary air duct (30) parallel to the main air duct (14), and the gas sensor (32 , 36) is arranged in the secondary air duct (30) and the secondary air duct (30) acts as a means (30, 34) for protecting the gas sensor (32, 36) against contamination, characterized in that the secondary air duct (30) is located downstream of the gas sensor ( 32, 36) ends in the area of a narrow point (28) of the main air duct (14) and the secondary air duct (30) functions accordingly as a Venturi tube. vacuum cleaner (10). Claim 1 , wherein a membrane (34) acts as a means (30, 34) for protecting the gas sensor (32, 36) against contamination, which is permeable to gases carried by the suction air flow and impermeable to dirt particles carried by the suction air flow. Vacuum cleaner (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one gas sensor (32, 36) is located in an exhaust air area (20) downstream of a suction fan (12) included in the vacuum cleaner (10). Method for operating a vacuum cleaner (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the suction operation is automatically adjusted based on automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in. Procedure according to Claim 4 , whereby as a result of an automatic adjustment of the suction operation due to the automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in, a floor area is automatically cleaned several times and / or more intensively. Procedure according to Claim 4 or 5 , whereby a floor covering detection is automatically carried out based on the automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in and the automatic adjustment of the suction operation takes place with regard to a respectively recognized floor covering. Procedure according to Claim 4 , 5 or 6 , whereby an assessment of the quality of the room air is automatically carried out based on the automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in and whereby if a predetermined or predeterminable condition is met with regard to the quality of the room air, a predetermined or predeterminable action is automatically carried out. Procedure according to Claim 7 , wherein the vacuum cleaner (10) is a functional unit of a house or home automation, wherein the vacuum cleaner (10) is communicatively connected to other functional units of the home automation and where in the event of fulfillment of a predetermined or predeterminable condition with regard to the quality of the room air automatically as predefined or predefinable action another functional unit of the home automation is controlled. Procedure according to one of the Claims 4 until 8th , whereby a draft detection is automatically carried out based on the automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in and whereby a predetermined or predefinable action is automatically carried out in the event of a draft being detected. Procedure according to one of the Claims 4 until 9 , whereby based on the automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in, an assessment of the quality of the room air is automatically carried out and, depending on the result of the assessment of the quality of the room air, a fragrance is automatically released into the room air. Procedure according to one of the Claims 4 until 10 , whereby based on the automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in, objects or areas marked with a scent color are automatically recognized and such objects or areas are automatically sought out or avoided. Procedure according to one of the Claims 4 until 11 , wherein the vacuum cleaner (10) comprises at least one gas sensor (32, 36) downstream of a dust collection container (16) encompassed by the vacuum cleaner (10), the automatic detection of the composition of the ambient air sucked in with this gas sensor (32, 36) or at least also with this gas sensor (32, 36) by monitoring a concentration of at least one gas in relation to predetermined or predeterminable limit values, and in the event that a limit value is exceeded, a predetermined or predeterminable action is automatically carried out. Vacuum cleaner (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , with means (32, 36, 38) for carrying out the method according to one of the Claims 4 until 12 .

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