DE102018214269A1 - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an air cleaning device (1) with an air cleaning unit (2) for cleaning air and with a movement device (6) for moving the air cleaning device (1) through a room. According to the invention, the air cleaning device (1) has a sensor device (3) with which the air quality in at least two room areas (4, 5, 23) of the room is recorded, the sensor device (3) communicating with a control device (13) of the air cleaning device ( 1) which determines in which of the room areas (4, 5, 23) the lower air quality is present, the air cleaning device (1) advantageously being moved in the direction of the room area (4, 5, 23) in which the lower one Air quality is present.

Description

The present invention relates to an air cleaning device with an air cleaning unit for cleaning air and with a sensor device for detecting the air quality.

An air cleaning device is used to clean air in a room and has an air cleaning unit for this purpose. Such air purification devices are usually designed to be stationary, that is to say they are located in a fixed location. In operation, air from the environment of the air cleaning device reaches the air cleaning unit and is cleaned. The cleaned air thus comes from the immediate vicinity of the air cleaning device and / or air which, due to the flow, for example through suction, reaches the air cleaning device. This can result in the air in areas of the room not being cleaned or being cleaned insufficiently. An unfavorable positioning of the air cleaning device can also result in the air being cleaned insufficiently and / or in a room area that is less suitable for this.

From the DE 10 2011 075 005 A1 It is known to equip a vacuum cleaner with an odor sensor and to change the performance of a blower device of the vacuum cleaner depending on the measurement result of the odor sensor. This makes it possible to increase the suction power when moving the vacuum cleaner through the room if the vacuum cleaner has reached a room area in which there is insufficient air quality in order to improve the air quality in this room area.

From WO 2006/058 125 A2 it is known to design an air cleaning device as a robot, which follows predetermined paths in a room and has a sensor device for detecting the air quality in the vicinity of the robot, the suction power of the robot being increased when the Robot reaches a room area along the specified path in which the air quality is low.

A disadvantage of the solutions known from the prior art is, in particular, that the air is not cleaned from all areas of the room and / or takes an increased amount of time and energy.

The present invention is therefore concerned with the task of specifying an improved or at least alternative embodiment for an air cleaning device, which is characterized in particular by improved and / or more energy-efficient cleaning of air in a room.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the subject matter of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

The present invention is based on the general idea of equipping an air purification device with a sensor device which permits a spatially resolved detection of the air quality in a room and to design the air purification device, in particular an air purification unit of the air purification device for purifying air, in such a way that the air purification device is aimed specifically at those areas of the room can be moved in which a purification of the air is necessary and / or more urgent, that is, in which a lower air quality is present. This results in an improved and / or more targeted cleaning of the air in the room. It also makes it possible to clean the air in the room faster and / or more efficiently. According to the inventive concept, the air cleaning device has the air cleaning unit, which cleans the air in the environment during operation. The device also has the sensor device, which is designed such that it detects an air quality of the air in at least two different room areas during operation. The sensor device thus permits a spatially resolved detection of the air quality within the room. The sensor device is communicatively connected to a control device of the air cleaning device, the control device being designed in such a way that, during operation, it determines which of the room areas has the lower, in particular the lowest, air quality. The air cleaning device is also designed to be mobile and for this purpose has a movement device for moving the air cleaning device through the room. With the aid of the movement device, it is in particular possible to move the air cleaning device, in particular the air cleaning unit, in the direction of the area in which the control device has determined the lower air quality.

In the present case, air quality means in particular contamination of the air with particles, an undesired proportion of gases in the air and the like, these gases in particular including CO ₂ , NO _x and O ₂ .

The air cleaning unit is expediently designed in such a way that it improves the air quality in the vicinity of the air cleaning unit. For this purpose, air is supplied to the air cleaning unit, for example by a blower, a pump and the like. The air cleaning unit is preferably designed in such a way that it removes air-polluting particles from the air and / or reduces the proportion of undesired gases in the air and / or increases the proportion of desired gases in the air. The air cleaning unit can in particular have at least one filter. As an alternative or in addition, the air cleaning unit can be designed such that it ionizes the air and / or enriches it with quality-increasing constituents such as oxygen, a fragrance and the like. Alternatively or additionally, the air cleaning unit can improve the air using plasma and / or UV rays, for example by breaking down organic molecules and / or by killing germs.

In principle, the sensor device can be mechanically decoupled from the air cleaning unit in such a way that the movement device moves the air cleaning unit independently of the sensor device. This means in particular that the sensor device can be designed in the manner of a satellite and / or can be fixed locally in space.

Embodiments are advantageous in which the sensor device, together with the air cleaning unit, is or can be moved through the room with the movement device. This enables a more compact design of the air cleaning unit and / or a simplified implementation and implementation of the air cleaning device.

The movement device can expediently have movement elements such as wheels, balls, chains and the like for moving the air cleaning device, in particular the air cleaning unit.

Embodiments are advantageous in which the movement device has a drive unit, for example a drive motor and the like, which moves the air cleaning device through the room in an automated manner, that is to say not manually. This increases comfort and allows automated operation of the air cleaning device.

Preferred embodiments are those in which the control device communicates with the movement device and is designed such that it moves the air cleaning device via the movement device or the drive unit in the direction of the room area with the lower air quality. The air cleaning device is thus designed, in particular, in the manner of a robot, the air cleaning device being automatically moved into those room areas in which lower air qualities are present, in order to clean the air there with the air cleaning unit and thus to increase the air quality.

It is also conceivable to manually move the air cleaning device through the room with the aid of the movement device. This means that the movement device is or can be moved manually by a user. This makes it possible to design the air cleaning device in a simplified and inexpensive manner.

It is preferred if the air cleaning device has a signal device for outputting a signal, the signal device being communicatively connected to the control device and the control device being designed such that it signals to the user of the air cleaning device via the signal device in which direction the room area with the lower, especially the lowest, air quality is arranged or lies. The signaling device can be designed in such a way that it generates and / or outputs optical signals and / or acoustic signals and / or haptic signals.

It is conceivable to equip the sensor device with a single sensor for detecting the air quality, hereinafter also referred to as air quality sensor, it being possible for the air quality sensor to be designed to detect at least one component in the air and / or at least one type of particle in the air. The sensor device and consequently the air cleaning device can thus be manufactured in a simplified and inexpensive manner. The spatially resolved detection of the air quality, that is to say the detection of the air quality in different room areas, can take place in that the air quality is recorded one after the other as the air cleaning device moves through the room. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible to equip the sensor device with a feed device which alternately feeds the air quality sensor air from at least two different room areas. For this purpose, the supply device can have an adjustable or movable supply channel for supplying air to the air quality sensor and an adjusting device for adjusting the supply channel. The feed channel is thus equipped in the manner of a movable trunk. It is also conceivable to equip the feed device with at least two feed channels, the feed channels having inlet openings spaced apart from one another and / or feeding air to the air quality sensor in succession.

As an alternative, the sensor device can have at least two air quality sensors, each of which is used to detect the air quality from a different air area. It is thus possible in particular to simultaneously determine the air quality from the different areas of the room and thus to enable the air cleaning device to operate more efficiently and / or to clean the air more efficiently.

It is conceivable here to arrange the air quality sensors directly adjacent and to supply them with air from the different room areas with the aid of a feed device which has an associated feed channel for the respective air quality sensor.

It is also possible to arrange the air quality sensors at a distance from one another and to supply them with air from different room areas.

Embodiments are advantageous in which the sensor device has at least three air quality sensors, the feed device for the respective air quality sensor having an associated feed channel with an inlet opening. In addition, the inlet openings of two of the feed channels are arranged in one plane and the inlet opening of at least one of the other feed channels is spaced apart from the plane. It is thus possible to use the two inlet ducts arranged in the plane to detect the air quality in spatial areas which are spaced apart or separated from one another along the plane, while with the other inlet opening which is spaced apart from the plane, the air quality is also detected in one of them Plane area inclined or transversely offset is possible. In particular, the spatially resolved detection of the air quality can therefore be carried out spatially or in three dimensions, so that the air can be cleaned in a more targeted and precise manner.

In principle, the movement device can be designed in such a way that the air cleaning device can be moved with it along a plane, in particular along a surface.

Embodiments are also conceivable in which the movement device is designed such that it can move the air cleaning device through the room as desired. For this purpose, the movement device can have a rope and / or linkage system. It is also conceivable to equip the movement device for this with a height-adjustable hydraulic or pneumatic unit. Embodiments are also contemplated in which the movement device has movement means for flying the air purification device through the room. In this case, the air cleaning device can in particular be configured in the manner of a drone.

Embodiments are advantageous in which at least one threshold value of the air quality is stored in the control device, the control device being designed such that it deactivates the air cleaning unit when the air quality in the room areas lies above at least one of the threshold values. In other words, if there is a sufficiently high air quality in the room areas, it is not necessary to operate the air cleaning unit, so that it is deactivated. This makes it possible to operate the air cleaning device in a more energy-efficient manner and / or to increase the service life of the air cleaning unit or its components such as filters and the like.

It is also conceivable to deactivate the movement device and / or the sensor device for a predetermined duration if the air quality in the room areas is sufficient, that is to say if the air quality in the room areas is above at least one of the threshold values.

It is conceivable to provide the air cleaning device with further components.

These components include, for example, a floor cleaning unit for cleaning a substrate, that is to say in particular for vacuuming and / or wiping the substrate.

The spatially resolved recording of air quality can also be used for other purposes. It is conceivable, for example, to track down injured people in the event of a disaster by capturing components of exhaled air in a location-specific manner. In particular, the CO ₂ content of the air is determined in a spatially resolved manner.

Likewise, the spatially resolved determination of the air quality can be used to detect and find gas leaks, leaks and the like.

It is conceivable to design the control device in such a way that the air cleaning device, in particular the air cleaning unit, remains in this room area for a longer period when a room area with low air quality is reached, and the air is improved and cleaned more intensively in this room area.

It goes without saying that, in addition to the air cleaning device, a method for operating such an air cleaning device, in which the air quality in the different room areas is determined and a movement of the air cleaning device takes place or is signaled as a function of the detected air quality, also belongs to the scope of this invention.

Further important features and advantages of the invention result from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures with reference to the drawings.

It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below are not only given in the respectively specified Combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, the same reference symbols referring to the same or similar or functionally identical components.

• 1 eine stark vereinfachte Seitenansicht einer Luftreinigungsvorrichtung,
• 2 die Ansicht aus 1 bei einem anderen Ausführungsbeispiel,
• 3 eine stark vereinfachte Seitenansicht der Luftreinigungsvorrichtung bei einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel,
• 4 eine Draufsicht auf die Luftreinigungsvorrichtung aus 3,
• 5 und 6 die Ansicht aus 4 bei unterschiedlichen Stellungen der Luftreinigungsvorrichtung,
• 7 eine Seitenansicht der Luftreinigungsvorrichtung bei einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel,
• 8 eine isometrische Ansicht der Luftreinigungsvorrichtung aus 7.

Each shows schematically:

• 1 a greatly simplified side view of an air cleaning device,
• 2 the view 1 in another embodiment,
• 3 2 shows a greatly simplified side view of the air purification device in a further exemplary embodiment,
• 4 a plan view of the air cleaning device 3 .
• 5 and 6 the view 4 with different positions of the air cleaning device,
• 7 a side view of the air cleaning device in a further embodiment,
• 8th an isometric view of the air purifier 7 ,

An air purifier 1 as in 1 is shown in a greatly simplified manner in a side view, serves to clean the air and has an air cleaning unit for this purpose 2 which has at least one filter element, not shown, for cleaning the air. The air purifier 1 also has a sensor device 3 with which the air quality in operation in two different room areas 4 . 5 is recorded. The air purifier 1 also has a movement device 6 to move the air cleaning device 1 through the room. In the example shown, the air cleaning device 1 a housing 7 in which the components of the air cleaning device 1 arranged or on which these components are attached. In the example shown, the movement device has 6 means 8th in the form of wheels 9 on which are attached to the outside of the housing and with which the entire air cleaning device 1 can be moved. The movement device 6 also has a drive unit 10 on which is electrically powered and the wheels 9 drives so that the air purifier 1 is moved automatically. The sensor device 3 has two air quality sensors in the embodiment shown 11 . 12 , namely a first air quality sensor 11 and a second air quality sensor 12 , which are spaced apart. The air purifier 1 also has a control device 13 on which communicating with the sensor device 3 , especially the air quality sensors 11 . 12 , the movement device 6 , especially the drive unit 10 , and the air cleaning unit 2 connected is. The air cleaning unit 2 , the sensor device 3 , especially the air quality sensors 11 . 12 , as well as the drive unit 10 are inside the case 7 arranged and in 1 shown for better understanding. The sensor device 3 also has a feed device in the example shown 14 for supplying air to the respective air quality sensor 11 . 12 on. For this purpose, the feed device 14 one with a first room area 4 fluidly via an inlet opening 15 connected feed channel 16 , hereinafter also the first feed channel 16 called, on, over the air from the first room area 4 to the first air quality sensor 11 to be led. The feeder 14 also has a second feed channel 17 on the via an associated inlet opening 15 with a second room area 5 is fluidly connected and via the air from the second room area 5 the second air quality sensor 12 is fed. In the example shown are the inlet openings 15 of the feed channels 16 . 17 on opposite sides of the case 7 arranged so that the room areas 4 . 5 on opposite sides of the case 7 are arranged. For supplying air to the respective air quality sensor 11 . 12 can a conveyor device, not shown, for conveying the air to the associated sensor 11 . 12 be provided. The control device 13 is designed in such a way that it can determine in which of the room areas 4 . 5 the lower air quality is present. This is in 1 exemplified in the dashed box, with the bar shown in the box on the right 18 the first air quality sensor 11 and thus the first room area 4 and the left bar 19 assigned. In the example, the bars signal 18 . 19 air pollution in the associated room area 4 . 5 , That means air pollution in the first room area 4 is larger than in the second room area 5 , The control device 13 is also designed such that it is the movement device 6 depending on this controls such that the air purification device 1 towards that area of the room 4 . 5 with the lower air quality. In the example shown, this is the first room area due to the higher air pollution 4 so that the air purification device 1 towards the first room area 4 is moved like an arrow 20 indicated in the dashed box.

2 shows another embodiment of the air cleaning device 1 , with this example from in 1 shown example differs in that the sensor device 3 another air quality sensor 21 , subsequently third Air Quality Sensor 21 called, wherein the third air quality sensor 21 spaced from the first air quality sensor 11 and second air quality sensor 12 is arranged. In addition, the feed device 14 the third air quality sensor 21 associated feed channel 22 , subsequently the third feed channel 2 called, on that via an associated inlet opening 15 with a third room area 23 is fluidly connected and the third air quality sensor 21 thus air from the third room area 23 supplies. It can be seen that the inlet openings 15 of the first and second feed channels 16 . 17 are arranged in one plane, whereas the inlet opening 15 of the third feed channel 22 to this level 24 is offset and spaced so that with the first air quality sensor 11 and the second air quality sensor 12 the air quality in the plane 24 and with the third air quality sensor 21 the air quality across or inclined to the plane 24 is recorded. The control device also controls in this example 16 the movement device 6 such that the air purification device 1 towards the room area 4 . 5 . 23 with low air quality, especially with the lowest air quality. The movement device can 6 be designed such that the air cleaning device 1 not just along a surface 25 on which the air purification device 1 is arranged, but also transversely or inclined thereto and thus in the direction of the third spatial area 23 can be moved.

In the 3 to 6 is another embodiment of the air cleaning device 1 shown, wherein in 3 a side view of the air cleaning device 1 and in the 4 to 6 Top views of the air cleaning device 1 in different positions of the sensor device 3 or the feed device 14 are shown. Corresponding 3 this embodiment differs from that in 1 shown example in that the sensor device 3 a single air quality sensor 11 with which the air quality from at least two different room areas 4 . 5 . 23 can be recorded. For this purpose, the feed device 14 the sensor device 3 an adjustable and movable feed channel 16 which is adjustable, in particular deformable, and movable in such a way that the inlet opening 15 of the feed channel 16 can take different orientations and positions. In the in the 3 and 4 shown position of the feed channel 16 is the inlet opening 15 in a first room area 4 arranged so that the air quality sensor 11 Air from the first room area 4 is fed. In 5 is the view from 4 , but in a different position of the feed channel 16 shown. In this position of the feed channel 16 is the inlet opening 15 in a second area 5 arranged so that the air quality sensor 11 Air from the second room area 5 is fed. In 6 is the feed channel 16 adjusted such that the inlet opening 15 in a third area 23 is arranged so that the air quality sensor 11 Air from the third room area 23 is fed. So even with a single air quality sensor 11 the air quality from different room areas 4 . 5 . 23 captured and the air purifier 1 accordingly in the direction of the room area 4 . 5 . 23 with the lower air quality, especially with the lowest air quality. It should be noted that in the 3 to 6 the air cleaning unit 2 , the drive unit 10 and the control device 13 are not shown.

In the 7 and 8th is another embodiment of the air cleaning device 1 shown. This embodiment differs from that in FIGS 3 to 6 shown example in particular in that the sensor device 3 a single air quality sensor 11 , but no adjustable or movable feed channel 16 having. The inlet opening 15 of the feed channel 16 is in the case 7 trained or arranged. Through the inlet opening 15 air gets through the supply duct 16 to the air quality sensor 11 who in 8th is indicated by dashed lines. Detecting the air quality sensor in different room areas 4 . 5 takes place in such a way that the air cleaning device 1 through the room as in 7 with an arrow 26 indicated, is moved, so that at the in the 7 and 8th shown position of the air cleaning device 1 the air quality in a first room area 4 and after moving the air cleaner 1 the air quality in a second room area 5 is recorded. Moving the air purifier 1 between the room areas 4 and 5 can be either manually by a user, that is to say in particular by pulling and / or pushing by a user, or automated via the control device 13 and the drive unit 10 take place, which in the 7 and 8th are not visible. Especially when moving the drive device 1 done manually by a user, the air cleaning device 1 a signaling device 27 on that communicating with the control device 13 connected is. The signaling device 27 generates a signal during operation, in particular an optical signal. The control device 13 signals via the signaling device 27 the user in which direction the area is 4 . 5 located with the lower air quality, so the air purifier 1 can be moved in this direction and / or so that the air cleaning device in this area 4 . 5 can remain to purify the air.

The air cleaning unit 2 can, as in the 7 and 8th shown, alternatively or in addition to the filter element, not shown, of cleaning cartridges which serve or which increase the air quality 28 . 29 exhibit. When in the 7 and 8th The example shown is two such cartridges 28 . 29 , namely a first cartridge 28 , which can store water, for example, and a second cartridge 29 , which can store oxygen, for example, is provided. The ambient air can be cleaned or increased by the respective cartridge 28 . 29 led or the content of the respective cartridge 28 . 29 be released into the environment. The cartridge 29 , in which water is stored, can also be part of a floor cleaning unit 30 for cleaning the surface 25 his.

In the control device 13 At least one threshold value for the air quality is advantageously stored, the control device 13 the air cleaning unit 2 deactivated when the air quality in the room areas 4 . 5 . 23 whose air quality is recorded is above this threshold value, that is to say the air is of a sufficiently high quality.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Air cleaner

2

Air purification unit

3

sensor device

4

space area 1

5

space area 2

6

mover

7

casing

8th

means

9

wheel

10

drive unit

11

Air Quality Sensor 1

12

Air Quality Sensor 2

13

control device

14

feeding

15

inlet port

16

Feed channel 1

17

feed 2

18

bar

19

bar

20

arrow

21

Air Quality Sensor 3

22

feed 3

23

space area 3

24

level

25

underground

26

arrow

27

signaling device

28

cartridge 1

29

cartridge 2

30

Floor cleaning unit

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• DE 102011075005 A1 [0003]

Claims (10)

Air cleaning device (1) with an air cleaning unit (2) which cleans the air during operation; with a sensor device (3) which is designed such that it detects an air quality of the air in at least two different room areas (4, 5, 23) of a room; with a control device (13) which communicates with the sensor device (3) and is designed such that it determines in operation in which of the room areas (4, 5, 23) the lower air quality is present; with a movement device (6) for moving the air cleaning device (1) through the room. Air cleaning device after Claim 1 , characterized in that the movement device (6) has a drive unit (10) for automatically moving the air cleaning device (1) through the room. Air cleaning device after Claim 2 , characterized in that the control device (13) communicates with the movement device (6) and is designed such that it moves the air cleaning device (1) through the movement device (6) through the room. Air cleaning device after Claim 1 , characterized in that the movement device (6) is manually driven and the air cleaning device (1) has a signal device (27) for outputting a signal, which is communicatively connected to the control device (13), the control device (13) being designed in this way that it signals to a user of the air cleaning device (1) via the signaling device (27) in which direction the room area (4, 5, 23) with the lower air quality is arranged. Air purification device according to one of the Claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the sensor device (3) has a single air quality sensor (11), the sensor device (3) having a feed device (14) which is designed such that it alternately sends air to the air quality sensor (11) from at least two different room areas (4, 5, 23), and / or wherein the air cleaning device (1) is designed such that the air quality sensor (11) by moving the air cleaning device (1) through the room air from different room areas (4, 5, 23) is fed. Air purification device according to one of the Claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the sensor device (3) has at least two air quality sensors (11, 12, 21) and a feed device (14) which is designed such that it sends air to the respective air quality sensor (11, 12, 21) from another room area (4, 5, 23). Air cleaning device after Claim 6 , characterized in that the sensor device (3) has at least three air quality sensors (11, 12, 21); that the feed device (14) for the respective air quality sensor (11, 12, 21) has an associated feed channel (16, 17, 22) with an inlet opening (15); that the inlet openings (15) of two of the supply channels (15, 16) are arranged in a plane (24) and the inlet opening (15) of at least one of the other supply channels (22) is spaced apart from the plane (24). Air purification device according to one of the Claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that the movement device (6) is designed such that the air cleaning device (1) can be moved through the space along a base (25) and transversely and / or inclined to the base (25). Air purification device according to one of the Claims 1 to 8th , characterized in that at least one threshold value of the air quality is stored in the control device (13), the control device (13) being designed in such a way that it deactivates the air cleaning unit (2) when the air quality in the room areas (4, 5, 23 ) lies above at least one of the threshold values. Air purification device according to one of the Claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that the air cleaning device (1) has a floor cleaning unit (30) for cleaning a substrate (25).

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