DE202009013343U1 - Automatic cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic cleaning device (10) comprising a chassis (11), a housing (12) disposed on an edge of the chassis (11) and a central control unit (13) electrically connected to the chassis (11), characterized in that the chassis (11) comprises a timing unit (112) within the housing (12) and at least one collision switch (111) such that the housing (12) is movably connected to the chassis (11) and opposite the collision switch (111 ) is arranged so that when it moves on the chassis (11) in contact with obstacles, the collision switch can operate that the central control unit (13) instructs the timing unit (112) to read collision time or movement distance and instruct the chassis (11) to change the direction when the collision switch (111) is operated, the central control unit (13) instructing the timing unit (112) to set the interval between actuation measure the collision switch (111) between a current and the previous collision, and adjust the cleaning time according to the time interval.

Description

AREA OF INNOVATION

The Innovation relates to an automatic cleaning device, in particular a cleaning device that depends controlled by the size of the plaster surface can be.

STATE OF THE ART

A Automatic cleaning device comes without human intervention and is controlled only by control units, so they automatically performs a cleaning process so that it can be dirt, such as z. Dust and debris from a surface (eg a floor), away.

At the Cleaning the automatic cleaning device usually works within a predetermined period of time. If the specified period of time has expired, Accordingly, the cleaning process is completed. Will the Device, however, in their freedom of movement through obstacles interrupted, it will be the same part of the surface up Repeatedly brush at the end of the given period of time other parts can not be finished. In addition, neither will the entire surface cleaned, the given period of time is too short. In contrast in addition, if the given period of time is too long, the surface Repeatedly cleaned, which brings a waste of energy and bad for the Environment is.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It There is therefore a need for an automatic cleaning device according to the present invention Novelty, with which the given period of time depending on the size of the cleaning surface can be controlled so that the above problems are solved and increase efficiency becomes. This is considered a technical solution proposed an automatic cleaning device comprising a chassis, a housing, which is arranged on an edge of the chassis, and a central Control unit. The chassis comprises a timing unit within the housing and at least one collision switch. The housing is movable with the chassis connected and is so opposite the collision switch arranged that, when in contact with it an obstacle on the chassis moves the collision switch actuated. The central control unit is electrically connected to the chassis connected and instructs the timing unit, time of a collision or moving distance, and controls the chassis in a different direction when the collision switch is actuated. The central control unit also instructs the timing unit, the Time interval between two actuations of the collision switch and measure the cleaning time according to this Adjust time span and so the chassis during the execution of the cleaning process to control.

in the Contrary to conventional Equipment has the chassis the present automatic cleaning device via a timing unit and at least one collision switch. It controls the central Control unit over Collision switch over the control of the timing unit and the time interval between two collisions when cleaning. Then the central control unit calculates continuously adjusted as the cleaning time for the plaster surface should be and the cleaning process is performed in this period. With This innovation prevents it from being cleaned too long or too short and that energy is wasted. Also, the efficiency is the cleaning process is improved.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

It shows:

1 a plan view of the automatic cleaning device according to the innovation;

2 a flow chart of the automatic brushing method, in which the brushing operation is performed according to the innovation depending on the collision time points; and

3 a flow chart of the automatic brushing method, in which the cleaning operation is performed according to the innovation depending on the movement distance.

EXAMPLE

1 shows a cleaning device 10 comprising a chassis 11 , a housing 12 and a central control unit 13 , The central control unit 13 is electric with the chassis 11 connected.

The chassis 11 performs the cleaning process, controlled by the central control unit 13 , out. Structure and shape of the chassis 11 can be adjusted depending on the cleaning conditions. The chassis 11 includes at least one collision switch 111 , a timing unit 112 and on its underside at least one wheel body (not shown). In the present embodiment, there are two collision switches 111 located on opposite sides of the case 12 located and each with one side of the inner wall of the housing 12 are connected so that they collide on different parts of the case 12 register and improve the sensitivity for registering the collisions. With the timing unit 112 is the time span between two consecutive collisions of the chassis 11 measured. The timing unit 112 includes a time measuring unit 112a and a computing unit 112b , The arithmetic unit 112b reads the time of a collision from the time measuring unit 112a and calculates the time between the actuation of the collision switch 111 at the two times of the current and the previous collision. The time measuring unit 112a can be a clock. In any case, the arithmetic unit 112b identical to the central control unit 13 be to the overall size of the automatic cleaning device 10 to limit.

The timing unit 112 can also be implemented with other components. So can the timing unit 112 include a range finder (not shown) and a range calculator (not shown). The odometer calculates the travel distance of the chassis 11 by counting the wheel revolutions. The distance calculator reads the instantaneous distance of movement from the range finder and calculates the time between actuation of the collision switch 111 at the two times according to the current and previous movement distance. In particular, the time span between the current and previous collisions may be determined by the difference between the current and previous movement distances divided by the predetermined speed of the automatic cleaning device 10 be determined.

The wheel body (eg a roller) rolls or rotates, controlled by the central processing unit 13 , whereby the automatic cleaning device 10 along a straight line, a curved line or a square line can drive. Of course, the chassis may also carry other devices used in cleaning, such as a dirt container (not shown), but the possibilities are not limited to this example.

The housing 12 includes the outside of the chassis 11 and the chassis 11 is located in the housing 12 which the chassis 11 protects. The housing 12 is movable with the chassis 11 connected and may, when in contact with an obstacle, opposite the chassis 11 move and the collision switch 111 actuate. In this embodiment, the housing 12 over elastic elements (like springs) with the chassis 11 connected so that the housing 12 opposite the chassis 11 can move. The freedom of movement of the housing 12 is limited between 1 and 5 mm. This prevents the movement of the housing 12 is too short to operate the collision switch or that it is so strong that it is the normal operation of the automatic cleaning device 10 impaired.

The central control unit 13 is inside the case 12 attached and controls the timing unit 112 which reads the collision time or the movement distance. It also controls the direction of travel of the chassis 11 measuring the time interval between the actuation of the collision switch during successive collisions by the timing unit 112 and adjusting the cleaning time of the chassis 11 , depending on the time interval in which the collision switch 111 is pressed. Of course, the central control unit 13 In addition, several control units with respective functions such as time accounting, evaluation, direction of travel and so on. The control of the timing unit 112 , the chassis 11 , the collision switch 111 and other elements can be adopted in the automatic cleaning device to improve the cleaning speed. In the present embodiment, the central control unit takes over 13 the entire control of all elements of the automatic cleaning device 10 ,

2 describes how the timing unit 112 z. B. reads the times of collisions, and how the steps of the cleaning work by the chassis 11 under the control of the central control unit 13 depending on the collision times,

In step S210, it is determined whether, during the predetermined time T _min, a collision of the automatic brushing apparatus 10 he follows. If a collision of the automatic platen unit occurs within T _min , step S220 is executed. Otherwise, the cleaning process is completed within the period T _min and ends.

T _min is the predetermined time period for cleaning by the automatic cleaning device 10 before the start of cleaning. It can be based on the size of the surface and the speed of movement of the automatic cleaning device 10 be determined. Should the automatic cleaning device 10 cleaning a rectangular space at a constant speed, T _min can be obtained by dividing the sum of the diagonal lines of the space by the predetermined speed. This ensures that the automatic cleaning device moves until a second collision. It is understandable that at non-constant speed of the automatic cleaning device 10 T _min can be obtained by means of the space surface and the predetermined speed parameters such as initial speed, change of speed and so on.

In Step S220, the current time of the collision is determined and instructed the chassis to change direction.

The central control unit 13 gets a sig nal that the collision switch 111 was pressed and instructs the arithmetic unit 112b the timing unit 112 on, the time from the time measuring unit 112a read, so that the collision time in the arithmetic unit 112b can be stored.

In step S230, the time interval between the current and the previous collision is measured by means of the arithmetic unit 112b saved times.

The time interval can be obtained by comparing the previous collision time from the current collision time, both on the arithmetic unit 112b were stored, subtracts.

In particular, if the current collision is collision number n, the previous collision is collision n-1. The collision times are noted with t _n and t _(n-1) and the time interval to collision n is ΔT _n = t _n - t _(n-1) . Where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1. For simplicity, it is assumed that the time of the first collision is 0.

In step S240, the central processing unit determines whether the period ΔT _{n is} greater than the previous period ΔT _(n-1) . if the time ΔT _{n is} greater than the previous time ΔT _(n-1) , then step S250 comes. Otherwise, the cleaning time remains the same and it goes to step S260.

In step S250, the central processing unit calculates 13 the cleaning time T according to the period ΔT _n .

The calculation formula for the cleaning time can be T = ΔT _n + T _min . Of course, other computational methods may be used, such as: For example, adding a weight to the above formula.

In step S260, the central processing unit determines 13 whether collisions occur during the cleaning time. If collisions occur during the cleaning time, continue to step S220 and the chassis 11 is instructed to change direction. If no collision occurs, the cleaning process is finished.

Will the chassis through the central processing unit 13 commanded to change direction, the curve angle can be controlled in a range of 100 to 120 degrees, wherein in two successive collisions, the direction change is in opposite directions to improve the efficiency.

In 3 is described as the timing unit 112 Read a movement distance to indicate the steps by which the central control unit 13 the chassis 11 controls when the cleaning operation is controlled by the movement distance. In essence, these are the same steps as in the first embodiment. The only difference is that the timing unit 112 calculate the time spans by measuring the movement distances.

In step S320, the central control unit receives 13 a signal that the collision switch 111 has been pressed and has the timing unit 112 to read the movement distance from the motion meter, so that the current movement distance is read and stored in the distance calculation unit.

In Step S330 is the time interval between the current and the previous collision measured according to the current and the previous one Moving distance.

Of the Time interval can be obtained from the difference between the current movement distance stored in the distance processing unit is, and the previous movement distance, divided by that for the automatic cleaning device predetermined movement speed.

In particular, if the current collision is collision number n, the previous collision is collision n-1. The collision times are noted as I _n and I _(n-1) , and the time interval to collision n is ΔT _n = (I _n - I _(n-1) ) / v. Where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and v is the predetermined speed of the device.

The Embodiments described herein serve the illustration of the innovation and the scope of protection of the utility model do not restrict. Although the innovation is with reference to specific embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art changes and equivalents the technical execution can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of innovation.

10

automatic cleaning device

11

chassis

12

casing

13

headquarters control unit

111

collision switch

112

Timing unit

112a

Time measuring unit

112b

computer unit

Claims (6)

Automatic cleaning device ( 10 ) comprising a chassis ( 11 ), a housing ( 12 ) mounted on one edge of the chassis ( 11 ), and a central control unit ( 13 ), which are electrically connected to the chassis ( 11 ), characterized in that the chassis ( 11 ) comprises a timing unit ( 112 ) within the housing ( 12 ) and at least one collision switch ( 111 ), that the housing ( 12 ) movable with the chassis ( 11 ) and opposite the collision switch ( 111 ) arranged so that when it is on the chassis ( 11 ) when in contact with obstacles, the collision switch can actuate that the central control unit ( 13 ) the timing unit ( 112 ) instructs to read the collision time or distance and the chassis ( 11 ) instructs to change the direction when the collision switch ( 111 ), the central control unit ( 13 ) the timing unit ( 112 ) instructs the time interval between actuation of the collision switch ( 111 ) between a current and the previous collision, and adjust the cleaning time according to the time interval. Automatic cleaning device ( 10 ) according to claim 1, wherein the housing ( 12 ) via elastic elements to the chassis ( 11 ), which limits the freedom of movement of the housing ( 12 ) to 1 to 5 mm. Automatic cleaning device ( 10 ) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one collision switch ( 111 ) comprises two collision switches located on opposite sides of the housing ( 12 ) are located. Automatic cleaning device ( 10 ) according to claim 1, wherein the central control unit ( 13 ) the chassis ( 11 ) instructs to change the direction of travel, and wherein the chassis rotates by 100 to 120 degrees, and with two successive collisions, the direction change in the opposite direction. Automatic cleaning device ( 10 ) according to claim 1, wherein the timing unit ( 112 ) comprises a time measuring unit ( 112a ) and a computing unit ( 112b ), wherein the arithmetic unit ( 112b ) the current collision time of the time measuring unit ( 112a ) and the time interval between the actuation of the collision switch ( 111 ) is calculated on two consecutive collisions using the current movement distance and the previous movement distance. Automatic cleaning device ( 10 ) according to claim 1, wherein the timing unit ( 112 ) includes a range finder and a distance calculating unit, wherein the distance calculating unit reads the distance from the range finder and determines the time interval between a collision and the previous collision based on the current moving distance and the previous moving distance.