EP0483677A2 - Functioning method and cleaning device for swimming pools - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a process and apparatus for cleaning a swimming pool, where the apparatus or device, moves back and forth in the swimming pool, and where the device has driving gears or belts that can be switched to drive reverse or forward during operation. A contact rail is frontally positioned in the cleaning casing of the device, and a swich rail is positioned at the rear of the casing. Correction-dependent signals are obtained by the device striking an obstacle and these signals are supplied to a gear via a control mechanism. Upon obtaining such signals, the driving gear or belt slows down and remains still for so long until the other driving gear or belt which is still moving turns the cleaning device around and until the rear switch rail is activated. The signals resulting from the switch rail are used for switching the gear to reverse and for straightening out the cleaning device to a new position and prepare it to a forwards motion to continue its course along the swimming pool.

Description

The invention relates to a working method for a cleaning device moving back and forth in a swimming pool as well as to a cleaning device with a chassis which can be switched over to forward and reverse travel and is operatively connected to drive wheels or driving belts, a contact strip arranged on the front of a housing of the cleaning device and a switch bar arranged on the rear, from which bars, when the device hits an obstacle, control signals are sent to the chassis via control logic.

From DE-A 3 110 203 a method for operating a reciprocating device for cleaning a swimming pool is known, which device is provided with contact elements oriented approximately in the direction of travel, by means of which the drive motor assigned to the first contact element stopped when contacting the pool wall is, whereby the device is pivoted by an angle essentially related to the longitudinal axis of the device and thereby reverses the drive direction of the chassis. With this device, the swimming pool is cleaned with an essentially zigzag-like driving pattern, so that corresponding wedge-shaped strips are not cleaned.

EP-A 0 099 489 discloses a method for cleaning a swimming pool by means of a cleaning device which can be used under water and which reverses the direction of travel when it comes into contact with a wall or another obstacle, the device being used by a course controller to maintain a certain driving pattern -Paths and changes are controlled accordingly.

According to another method (EP-A 0 257 006), the device is moved along a straight travel pattern path in the direction of a wall, the device making a half-turn movement when it comes into contact with the wall and at the same time displacing in the initial direction to the beginning and then the opposite wall is fed. This device works with parallel driving pattern paths and is moved from one wall to the other until a desired floor section or the entire floor area is cleaned.

In the known methods and devices for performing the method, there is the problem that the device in an uncontrollable change of direction due to any obstacles, for example, by entry ladders, standing steps, headlights, inflow nozzles, etc. and / or by transitions, different pool levels or the like is steered, whereby an optimal cleaning of the pelvic floor is not guaranteed at all or only insufficiently.

The present invention is concerned with the problem of automatic, systematic cleaning of swimming pools, the object of the invention being to specify a method and a device for carrying out the method, by means of which any changes in direction of the device are detected and values determined therefrom for determining a directional correction be used.

This object is achieved according to the method according to the invention in that when the front contact strip is actuated, one drive wheel or conveyor belt is braked and stopped until the other driven drive wheel or conveyor belt rotates the cleaning device in the plane until the rear changeover strip is actuated, and that signals determined by the switch bar for switching the undercarriage to reverse travel and for aligning the cleaning device on an obstacle are used and signals dependent on alignment are used for a subsequent switchover of the undercarriage to a forward drive oriented parallel to the existing carriageway or to the side pool wall.

In the combination of the following method steps, a preferred working method is seen, which is characterized in that, during the driving movement of the cleaning device, the instantaneous direction of movement oriented in relation to the driving line or to the lane is detected by the optical / electronic sensor and any deviations determined are converted as signals and be used to correct the directional movement, and that when the front contact bar is actuated, the cleaning device is rotated in the plane until the rear switching bar is actuated, and signals determined for switching the undercarriage to reverse travel and for aligning the cleaning device on the obstacle are used and signals dependent on alignment be used to switch the running gear to forward travel.

The cleaning device according to the invention for carrying out the working method comprises a chassis which can be switched over to forward and reverse travel and is operatively connected to drive wheels or driving belts, a contact strip arranged on the front of a housing of the cleaning device and a switching strip arranged on the rear, of which If the device collides with an obstacle via control logic, correction-dependent signals can be fed to the chassis and is characterized in that the drive wheels arranged on a drive shaft are connected to a drive unit with the interposition of at least one clutch via a transmission and the clutch to the control logic .

Further features of the invention relating to the method and to the cleaning device result from the following description in conjunction with the drawing and the individual patent claims.

Fig.1

ein in schematischer Draufsicht dargestelltes Schwimmbecken-Reinigungsgerät,

Fig.2

ein in grösserem Massstab und teilweise im Schnitt dargestelles Teilstück einer Umschaltschiene für das Reinigungsgerät gemäss Fig.1, und

Fig.3

ein schematisch dargestelltes Fahrmuster des Reinigungsgerätes.

The invention is described below with reference to the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

a swimming pool cleaning device shown in schematic plan view,

Fig. 2

a on a larger scale and partially in section section of a switching rail for the cleaning device according to Fig.1, and

Fig. 3

a schematically illustrated driving pattern of the cleaning device.

1 shows a schematic plan view of a swimming pool cleaning device, designated as a whole by 100, with the essential functional elements for a fully automatic and systematic drive and control process.

The cleaning device 100 has a schematically illustrated housing 1, which is provided with a suction front which is designed to suck in the liquid and to take up impurities and is designated 101 in its entirety. On the in the direction of travel Y and essentially the End face 1 'of the housing 1 forming the suction front 101, at least one correspondingly mounted, not shown cleaning brush and an associated filter device are provided. Furthermore, one can see in FIG. 1 a contact strip 18 fastened to the end face 1 'of the housing 1 in a manner not shown, and a changeover strip 20 correspondingly fastened to the rear side 1''of the housing 1. The function of the contact strip 18 and the changeover strip 20 becomes described later in detail.

For driving the cleaning device 100 in the direction of arrow Y, a drive shaft 8 is provided, which is mounted in the housing 1 in a manner not shown. The drive shaft 8 is operatively connected, with the interposition of clutches 11 and 12 arranged in the housing 1, to a transmission 10 arranged in the housing 1. The two clutches 11, 12 are designed as known electric or magnetic clutches. Correspondingly designed drive wheels 3, 3 'are arranged on the drive shaft 8 which is driven about its longitudinal axis 8' in the direction of the arrow 8 ''.

At a distance parallel to the axis of the drive shaft 8, a shaft 7 which is operatively connected to impellers 4, 4 'is arranged and is mounted in the housing 1. The impellers 3, 3 'and 4, 4' arranged on the drive shaft 8 and on the shaft 7 are each operatively connected to one another via an endless, for example caterpillar-like conveyor belt 2, 2 '. Between the drive wheels 3, 3 'and running wheels 4, 4', further deflection or drive wheels, not shown, can be arranged which are operatively connected to the travel belt 2, 2 '.

The drive 10, which is preferably provided with a reduction gear stage, is assigned a drive unit 9 which is designed, for example, as a three-phase asynchronous motor and is fed with modulated three-phase current. Hereby achieved that regardless of the type of current and current frequency of the drive unit 9 via the gear 10, a constant speed is transmitted to the drive shaft 8.

The drive unit 9 is preceded by a converter 13, in which the single-phase voltage supplied via a cable 15 to a control logic 14 is rectified and subsequently a three-phase AC voltage by means of an electronic circuit (not shown) provided with power transistors is generated with a stable output frequency. By means of the control logic 14, which is connected to the two clutches 11, 12 via lines 43, 43 ', a corresponding switchover of the drive unit 9 from forward to reverse travel can be achieved.

At this point, it should be pointed out that the conveyor belt 2, 2 ', the drive wheels 3, 3' operatively connected to one another via the drive shaft 8, the impellers 4, 4 'operatively connected to one another via the shaft 7, the transmission 10 with the two clutches 11, 12 and the drive unit 9 together form a chassis, which is switchable to forward and reverse travel and is not specified.

The electrical supply to the cleaning device 100 takes place essentially via the cable 15 connected to the control logic 14, which is connected to a socket (not shown) arranged outside the swimming pool. The cable 15 is also detachably connected to the housing 1 via a correspondingly watertight service connector (not shown).

An isolating transformer (not shown) is arranged between the mains connection (socket) and the cable 15, by means of which the present mains voltage is transformed from over 50 volts to a corresponding value, so that the cleaning device 100 can also be used during bathing can be done. The transformed value of the one-phase voltage is of the order of 42 volts.

The cleaning device 100 normally works in automatic mode by means of an appropriately designed and arranged autopilot control. The cleaning device 100 can also be controlled remotely via a corresponding control box 16. For this purpose, the cable 15 is preferably provided with a conductor, not shown, as a receiving antenna.

Optical / electronic sensors 25 and 26 and an evaluation unit 27 connected thereto are also arranged in the housing 1 of the cleaning device 100. Corresponding signals of control logic 14 are supplied by evaluation unit 27.

At this point, it should be pointed out that instead of the optical / electronic sensors 25, 26, an electronic direction sensor system (not shown in more detail) can also be used and installed in the housing 1 of the cleaning device 100.

As shown schematically in FIG. 3, the first sensor 25 detects the relative position of the cleaning device 100 with respect to a fictitious driving line F or with respect to a fictitious lane F oriented in the direction of the arrow Y during the driving movement of the cleaning device 100 oriented in the direction of the arrow Y 'measured. The relative position of the housing axis of symmetry S is preferably measured with respect to the driving line F or with respect to the driving lane F '.

The width b of the lane F ′ essentially corresponds to the permissible path deviation within which the cleaning device 100 may move. However, the width b of the lane F 'can also correspond to the effective range of the sensor beam 25' or the beam 25 ' the width b can be designed accordingly.

A deviation from the predetermined direction which arises during the movement of the cleaning device 100 from one wall W to the other wall W '(FIG. 3) is determined in the form of an offset in the horizontal plane at an angle α or α' in the side and supplied as a corresponding signal from the first sensor 25 to the evaluation unit 27. In the evaluation unit 27, a comparison of the specified direction of movement with the current direction of movement (SETPOINT-VALUE comparison) is carried out. A signal, which is dependent on the comparison, is sent by the evaluation unit 27 to the control logic 14 for a necessary correction of the direction of travel, as a result of which one or the other clutch 11 or 12 and thus the associated drive wheel 3 or 3 'is actuated accordingly. The correction of the direction of travel based on the horizontal offset is preferably carried out with inclusion and thus as a function of the predetermined driving speed of the cleaning device 100.

A possible upward or downward gradient in the swimming pool can be detected with the second sensor 26 during the driving movement and a corresponding reversing signal can be supplied to the evaluation unit 27. This signal essentially causes a “STOP” or a change of direction (turning process) of the cleaning device 100 that is oriented in the plane. With this change in direction, a fall of the cleaning device 100 into a lower part of the swimming pool or a stop on an insurmountable slope can be avoided.

As already mentioned, the contact strip 18 is arranged on the end face 101 of the housing 1 and fastened by means which are not shown in detail. As shown in FIG. 1 with the direction of arrow 40, when the cleaning device hits 100 on the one basin wall W or on the other basin wall W '(FIG. 3) or on an obstacle (not shown), a corresponding signal is sent to the control logic 14 via a line 41, from which the corresponding clutch 11 or 12 is actuated and the associated drive wheel 3 or 3 'is braked, for example, to initiate a turning or evasive operation.

The switch bar 20 is arranged on the rear side 1 ″ of the housing 1 and is mounted accordingly. During the turning process, when the switching strip 20 strikes the respective pool wall W or W ', appropriately designed switching elements 60 and 60' are actuated. The switching elements 60, 60 'are actuated as a function of the relative position of the cleaning device 100 with respect to the respective pool wall W or W' (FIG. 3). The switching elements 60, 60 'are actuated in accordance with the relative position of the cleaning device 100 to the pool wall W or W', approximately in the direction of the arrows 74, 74 'and 75, 75', so that signals of the control logic 14 which are dependent on the angular position can be supplied via lines 42, 42 '.

FIG. 2 shows a section of the changeover strip, designated in its entirety by 20, partially in section and on a larger scale, and the housing 1 designed for receiving the changeover strip 20 with the rear wall 30 and the side wall 31 can be seen.
The switching bar 20 comprises a carrier element 50, which is partially designed as a hollow body and is arranged in a manner not shown on a support plate 55 and is provided with a bumper bar 51 and with a molded-on side part 52. This has a main chamber 53 and a side chamber 54 for the switching element 60 stored therein provided support element 50 is supported with a wall part 56 on the rear wall 30 of the housing 1. Furthermore, the carrier element 50 is fastened with a holding piece 35 arranged on the support plate 55 to an angle piece 32 by means of screws 33, 33 '. The on the side wall 31 of the housing 1 arranged angle piece 32 is attached to the side wall 31 in a manner not shown.
The switching element 60 arranged in the main chamber 53 of the carrier element 50 comprises a lever piece 61 which is pivotably mounted about a bolt 59 and which is essentially supported on the inside 51 'of the bumper strip 51. A first head piece 62 is formed on one end of the lever piece 61 and a second head piece 65 is formed on the other end. A recess 63 is provided in the first head piece 62 and is designed to receive a permanent magnet 64. The second head piece 65 is arranged in a recess 57 of the carrier element side part 52 which limits the pivoting movement of the switching element 60. The lever piece 61 is further provided with a recess 66 in which a spring element 67 which is supported on the holding piece 35 is arranged.

At this point, it should be pointed out that the other section of the carrier element 50, not shown, with the switching element 60 '(FIG. 1) arranged therein and the individual parts is designed analogously to the section described above in connection with FIG. 2 and therefore not in more detail is described.

The operation of the cleaning device described is described below:
At the beginning, the cleaning device 100 is placed on the floor of the swimming pool to be cleaned and the drive is actuated by means of which the cleaning device is moved in the direction of the arrow Y, as shown schematically in FIG. 1 or FIG. During this movement, the cleaning device can be remote-controlled accordingly via the control box 16. As soon as the cleaning device comes into contact with the contact strip 18 with the pool wall, there is a signal output to the control logic 14, which actuates the clutch 11 or 12 and the drive wheel 3 'or 3, which is operatively connected therewith, to the travel belt 2 'or 2 brakes and stops. At the same time, the control logic 14 switches the drive 9 to reverse travel via the converter 13, as a result of which the cleaning device 100 is rotated about a fictitious device axis until the switching bar 20 strikes the pool wall and thereby actuates the corresponding switching element 60 or 60 '. As a result, the drive unit 9 is in turn switched over so that the cleaning device 100 can now drive off and clean an adjacent roadway.
In a preferred exemplary embodiment, as shown schematically in FIG. 3, a fictitious driving line F or a lane F 'is measured during the journey by means of the optical / electronic sensor 25 and the instantaneous direction of movement is compared with the predetermined direction of movement and corrected accordingly if necessary.

In order to achieve an optimal alignment movement of the cleaning device 100 on the associated pool wall, the clutches 11 and 12 are switched over until the corresponding signals from the switching elements 60, 60 'arrive at the control logic 14 and thereby the parallelism to the pool wall is indicated. The alignment of the cleaning device 100 is further optimized by the lateral signals determined in the direction of the arrows 74, 74 'and 75.75'.

In the case of swimming pools with an irregular shape, for example in the form of a so-called kidney pool or the like, or in the case of swimming pools with differently arranged obstacles, the angle of rotation is preferably measured during the displacement process. When a rotational movement of 180 ° is reached, the clutch that is at rest is activated. The cleaning device 100 is thereby reset until the switching bar 20 signals the wall contact.

If, however, after the reversing signal has been given, the measured angle of rotation has not been carried out completely by 180 ° (signal: turning process has not ended), the corresponding difference from the setpoint angle of 180 ° is supplemented in such a way that, by actuating the corresponding clutch 11 or 12, the drive is switched over. Aggregates 9 is carried out.

The turning process of the cleaning device 100 can also be achieved by forward rotation through 180 ° when driving forward and when an obstacle is detected by means of the sensor 26. The corresponding angle of rotation is measured by means of the sensor.

Claims (14)

Working method for a cleaning device moving back and forth in a swimming pool, with a chassis which can be switched over to forward and backward travel and is operatively connected to drive wheels or driving belts, a contact strip (18) arranged on the front of a housing (1) of the cleaning device (100) and also a Switch bar (20) arranged on the rear, of which bars (18, 20) are fed to the chassis via correction logic when the device hits an obstacle via control logic, characterized in that when the front contact bar (18) is actuated, one drive wheel or belt braked and is stopped until the other still driven drive wheel or conveyor belt rotates the cleaning device (100) in the plane until the rear switching bar (20) is actuated, and that signals from the switching bar (20) for switching the running gear open Reverse drive and to Ausri the cleaning device (100) is used on the obstacle and signals dependent on the alignment are used for a subsequent switchover of the undercarriage to a forward drive parallel to the existing carriageway or to the side of the pool wall. Working method according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching of the chassis to the forward drive is carried out only when the switch bar (20) is parallel to the obstacle. Working method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the movement of the cleaning device (100) at least one first sensor (25) detects the current direction of movement in relation to a driving line (F) or in relation to a lane (F ') and so determined Deviations are converted as signals and used to correct the direction. Working method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the rotational movement of the cleaning device (100) predetermined with a setpoint angle of 180 °, the instantaneous rotational angle is measured by an assigned direction sensor system (26). Working method according to Claim 4, characterized in that, if the cleaning device (100) does not completely rotate, the difference measured in relation to the predetermined target angle is supplemented as a deviation. Working method according to one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the difference measured in relation to the setpoint angle during the rotary movement of the cleaning device (100) is supplemented by switching the undercarriage. Working method according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the cleaning device (100) is rotated upon detection of an obstacle during forward travel by 180 ° and the angle of the rotary movement carried out is measured by the direction sensor system (26). Working method according to claim 3, characterized in that the deviations dependent on the current direction of movement are determined taking into account the current driving speed and are used as converted signals for the direction correction by comparison with the predetermined driving speed. Working method according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that during the movement of the cleaning device (100) the momentary direction of movement oriented in relation to the driving line (F) or to the lane (F ') the optical / electronic sensor (25) is detected and any deviations determined are converted as signals and used to correct the directional movement, and that when the front contact strip (18) is actuated, the cleaning device (100) is actuated until the rear switching strip (20) is actuated the plane is rotated and the signals determined for switching the undercarriage to reverse travel and for aligning the cleaning device (100) on the obstacle are used and signals dependent on alignment are used for switching the undercarriage to forward travel. Cleaning device for carrying out the method according to claims 1 to 9, consisting of a chassis which can be switched over to forward and reverse travel and is operatively connected to drive wheels or driving belts, a contact strip (18) arranged on the front of a housing (1) of the cleaning device (100) and A switch bar (20) arranged on the rear, of which bars (18, 20) can be fed to the chassis via correction logic (14) when the device hits an obstacle via a control logic, characterized in that the drive wheels (8) arranged on a drive shaft (8) 3,3 ') with the interposition of at least one clutch (11, 12) via a gear (10) with a drive unit (9) and the clutch (11, 12) with the control logic (14). Cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that the switching bar (20), which is operatively connected to the control logic (14), is designed as a hollow-body-like carrier element (50) in which two switching elements (60) pivotably spaced from one another by a bolt (59) , 60 ') are arranged. Cleaning device according to one of claims 10 and 11, characterized in that the switching elements (60, 60 ') in the Carrier element (50) are arranged and pivoted in such a way that all contacts acting on the carrier element (50) at the front and / or transversely thereto are detected and signals determined as a function thereof can be fed to the control logic (14). Cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that the drive unit (9) is preceded by a converter (13) provided with an electrical circuit, by means of which a single-phase voltage can be generated in a three-phase alternating voltage with a stable output frequency. Cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that the two clutches (11, 12) operatively connected to the drive shaft (8) are designed as electrical or magnetic clutches and the gear (10) arranged between them is designed as a worm gear provided with a non-positive reduction gear stage .

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