EP3725202B1 - Self-moving suction robot and system comprising an automatically moving suction robot and an external suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

field of technology

The invention relates to an automatically moving robotic vacuum cleaner with a housing and a filter chamber for accommodating vacuumed material, the housing having a housing opening formed on the upper side of the housing, based on a typical orientation of the robotic vacuum cleaner during automatic locomotion, with a displaceable closure element that is a closed position closing the housing opening into a release position releasing the housing opening, in order to allow access to the filter chamber, namely sucking out of the interior of the filter chamber by means of an external suction cleaning device manually operated by a user, with the closing element being mounted on the housing in a linearly displaceable manner , wherein a contact area of the closure element for moving the closure element can be contacted mechanically from outside the housing, and wherein the robotic vacuum cleaner has a detection device which is set up to detect the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device to be connected to the housing opening in the area of the robotic vacuum cleaner's housing opening, wherein the robotic vacuum cleaner has a control device which is set up to control opening of the housing opening when the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device is detected.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a system consisting of a robotic vacuum cleaner with a housing and a filter chamber for receiving vacuumed material, the housing having a relative to a during automatic locomotion usual orientation of the vacuum robot, has a housing opening formed on the upper side of the housing with a displaceable closure element which can be displaced from a closed position closing the housing opening into a release position releasing the housing opening in order to access the filter chamber, namely sucking out the interior of the filter chamber by means of a to enable an external vacuum cleaning device to be guided manually by a user, with the closure element being mounted on the housing in a linearly displaceable manner, with a contact area of the closure element for displacing the closure element being able to be contacted mechanically from outside the housing, and with the vacuum robot having a detection device which is set up to detecting the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device to be connected to the housing opening in the area of the housing opening of the robot vacuum, the robot vacuum having a control device which is set up to control opening of the housing opening when the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device is detected, and an external vacuum cleaning device, in particular one manual suction cleaning device guided by a user.

State of the art

Vacuum robots are well known in the prior art. These usually have what is known as a permanent filter, which provides a filter chamber for receiving suction material. For emptying, this permanent filter can either be removed from the housing of the vacuum robot or regenerated by means of an external vacuum cleaning device by sucking out the suction material present in the interior of the filter chamber using the blower of the external vacuum cleaning device. The external vacuum cleaning device can, for example, be another vacuum cleaner, in particular a vacuum cleaning device operated manually by a user, but also another vacuum robot. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaning device can be part of a Be the base station to which the vacuum robot docks to receive service activities, here for example the regeneration of the filter chamber, but also other services such as charging a battery, cleaning a cleaning brush or the like.

The WO 2007/137234 A2 discloses, for example, a vacuum robot whose filter chamber is sucked out by a base station.

In order to suck out the filter chamber of the robot vacuum using a vacuum cleaning device manually operated by a user, it is also known that the user opens a closure element on the housing of the robot vacuum and, if necessary, also an opening of the filter chamber, provided that the housing opening and the filter chamber opening are not in the sense of a single one opening collapse. The user can then connect the housing opening or the filter chamber opening to a suction opening of the vacuum cleaning device.

Summary of the Invention

Based on the aforementioned prior art, it is the object of the invention to develop the robotic vacuum cleaner in such a way that it is even more convenient for a user to use it, with regeneration of the filter chamber being possible with little or no effort on the part of the user.

In order to solve this problem, it is first proposed that the control device be set up to bring about the displacement of the closure element into the release position by means of a movement of the vacuum robot towards the external vacuum cleaning device, so that the closure element can be moved into an open position by mechanical force from the external vacuum cleaning device According to the invention, in the event that the detection device detects contact between an external vacuum cleaning device and the vacuum robot, a signal is generated for the robot to move in such a way that the displaceable closure element releases the housing opening for suction of the filter chamber. The vacuum robot moves against the partial area of the vacuum cleaning device that has the suction opening such that the vacuum cleaning device comes into contact with the closure element and the closure element is displaced into the release position as the vacuum robot continues to move. The external suction cleaning device only has to be held in place by a user. However, it is not necessary for the user to move the external vacuum cleaning device towards the vacuum robot. Rather, the vacuum robot itself takes on the alignment relative to the suction opening of the vacuum cleaning device.

The mounting of the closure element is suitable for fully automatic actuation, since the closure element is not folded away from the housing of the robotic vacuum cleaner to release the housing opening, but rather the displacement movement of the closure element is linear, in particular parallel to a housing surface of the robotic vacuum cleaner. Thus, for example, it is avoided that objects in the vicinity of the vacuum robot can get into a pivoting radius of the closure element and thus prevent the opening of the housing. The closure element is arranged and designed on the robotic vacuum cleaner in such a way that fully automatic docking and regeneration of the filter chamber, for example at a base station, or opening of the housing opening for suction of the filter chamber with an external vacuum cleaning device, is possible without the risk of the Vacuum cleaning device bumps against the closure element unwanted. In particular, it is proposed that an engagement area of the displaceable closure element be designed for mechanical contacting by an external vacuum cleaning device, i.e. in particular be accessible from the outside, so that the closure element can also be moved manually by a user or by a hand-held vacuum cleaning device. The engagement area is preferably formed on the closure element in such a way that it protrudes from a surface of the closure element and/or is part of a side surface of the closure element, with an engagement plane of the engagement area and the displacement direction not being oriented parallel to one another, in particular being oriented orthogonally to one another. A gripping area designed in this way makes it easier to grip the closure element in order to achieve displacement of the closure element from the closed position to the release position by mechanical contact and the application of a pushing force.

The detection device is suitable for recognizing when an external vacuum cleaning device is approached to the vacuum robot in order to regenerate the filter chamber of the vacuum robot. For this purpose, the detection device has a detection area in which the presence of the external vacuum cleaning device can be detected. Starting from the detection device, the detection area can span, for example, an area with a maximum distance of 20 cm or less from the detection device. The smaller the detection area, the closer the vacuum cleaning device has to be brought to the vacuum robot, but the lower the risk that other objects in the detection area will trigger a signal. As soon as a partial area of the external vacuum cleaning device enters the detection area, the detection device can detect it and transmit a corresponding detection signal to a control device of the vacuum robot, which informs about the presence of the external vacuum cleaning device. The detection area of the detection device is preferably located in the area of the housing opening, for example adjacent to it, so that not every presence of an object in the vicinity of the vacuum robot is interpreted as a connection request. In this sense it is advantageous if the housing opening is arranged on an upper side of the robot vacuum - in relation to a normal orientation of the robot vacuum during working operation - and the detection area of the detection device does not point in a potential direction of movement of the robot vacuum, but for example upwards starting from the housing of the robot vacuum. As mentioned above, it can preferably also be provided that the detection device has a limited detection range, so that an object that is at a distance from the detection device that is greater than a maximum distance is not evaluated as an external vacuum cleaning device to be connected. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the detection device transmits a detected distance to an obstacle to the control device of the vacuum robot, which then compares the detected distance with a defined maximum distance and, if it is determined that the distance is greater than the maximum distance, no opening of the housing opening prompted. It can thus be ensured that the housing opening is only opened and access to the filter chamber of the robot vacuum is permitted if it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that an external vacuum cleaning device is to be connected to the robot vacuum. Furthermore, it is also possible for the detection device to be set up to detect further parameters of an object in the vicinity of the housing opening in order to be able to determine whether the object present is actually an external vacuum cleaning device. These parameters can include, for example, a direction of movement of the object, a size of the object, a shape of the object, or the like. It is also possible for the detection device to recognize the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device by mechanically contacting a sub-area of the detection device.

It is proposed that the housing has a guide device for guiding the sliding displacement of the closure element, the guide device being arranged on the robotic vacuum cleaner relative to the housing opening in such a way that the closure element can be displaced along the guide device from the closed position to the release position and vice versa. In particular, the guide device can have two guide elements running parallel to one another, along and between which the closure element is mounted in a sliding manner, with the guide elements being able in particular to be part of a guide link and/or rail guide. The guiding device of the vacuum robot is used for the directed guidance of the linear displacement movement of the closure element. The guide device is preferably designed as a three-dimensional guide link or as a rail guide, in which the closure element can be displaced. According to one embodiment, the guide device can have two guide elements, in the guide area of which the housing opening of the robotic vacuum cleaner is arranged, so that the closure element passes over the housing opening and can close it when the displacement movement is carried out. In the case of two rail guides aligned parallel to one another, the housing opening is preferably located between them. In particular, the housing opening is located in the guide area of the guide device on a partial area at the end, so that, for example, a stop element of the guide device and/or the guide elements defines that position of the closure element which overlaps the housing opening.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the robotic vacuum cleaner has a displacement device that displaces the closure element. The displacement device can be an electric motor, for example, which is controlled by the control device of the vacuum robot. Additionally - or alternatively - the displacement device can have a spring element whose Restoring force is directed from the release position of the closure element into the closed position, so that the closure element is displaced back into the closed position when an opening force acting on the closure element is eliminated. As a result, when an external vacuum cleaning device is removed from the housing opening, the housing opening is automatically closed. A configuration is particularly preferred in which both the opening and the closing of the housing opening take place without the intervention of a user and the displacement of the closure element is effected as soon as it is determined that an external vacuum cleaning device is in front of the housing opening and with this in the sense of a Flow connection is to be connected or removed from the housing opening. It is therefore no longer necessary for the user to manually grip the closure element in order to displace it relative to the housing opening.

With regard to the detection device of the vacuum robot, it is proposed that this has a contact sensor and/or a magnetic field sensor and/or an image acquisition device. The contact sensor is designed to detect contact of an object with a corresponding detection area of the detection device and to transmit the information about a detected contact to the control device of the vacuum robot. The contact sensor reacts to the mechanical contact, with a minimum force preferably having to be exerted on the detection area so that it recognizes the contact as a valid connection request from an external vacuum cleaning device. For example, it can be provided that the contact sensor is designed for contact with a portion of the external vacuum cleaning device, with a user preferably placing a hand-held vacuum cleaning device on the contact sensor and the mere weight of the vacuum cleaning device being sufficient to exceed the defined minimum force. If necessary, it can be provided that further an impulse is also transmitted to the contact sensor, for example by the user additionally pressing the vacuum cleaning device against the contact sensor. Furthermore, the contact sensor can also be set up to detect a direction of the mechanical force exerted on the contact sensor in order to be able to differentiate between external vacuum cleaning devices and other objects in the environment, if necessary. The contact sensor can be integrated, for example, in an edge area of the housing opening, so that when the housing opening is touched by the vacuum cleaning device, a signal is generated for the control device of the vacuum robot. According to a special embodiment, the signal can be generated, for example, by means of an electromechanical switch, in that an electrical circuit is closed by the contact of the vacuum cleaning device with the contact sensor. The switch is preferably located at a typical contact point between the vacuum robot and the vacuum cleaning device, in particular directly at the housing opening. Alternatively, a magnetic field sensor can also be used to form the detection device. For example, the magnetic field sensor can be a Hall sensor, which supplies an output voltage that is dependent on a magnetic field. According to this embodiment, a partial area of an external vacuum cleaning device to be connected to the housing opening can have a permanent magnet, for example, whose magnetic field can be detected by the Hall sensor of the vacuum robot. The Hall sensor then provides an output voltage that is proportional to the magnetic flux density of the permanent magnet. Furthermore, the detection device can also alternatively or additionally have an image acquisition device. The image capturing device is preferably a camera arranged on the vacuum robot or a chip set up for image capturing, such as a CCD chip. The image acquisition device has a detection area which preferably covers a coupling area in front of the housing opening in order to be able to detect an external vacuum cleaning device moving towards the housing opening. The Signals recorded by the image acquisition device, in particular images, are preferably processed by an image processing program in order to be able to detect the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device in the area of the housing opening. For this purpose, the image processing program can compare the recorded images with reference images of vacuum cleaning devices that are suitable for being connected to the housing opening of the vacuum robot. In this way, it can be ruled out that other objects or unsuitable vacuum cleaning devices in the vicinity of the vacuum robot can cause the housing opening to open.

In particular, it is proposed that the detection device be set up to detect a position and/or orientation of the external vacuum cleaning device relative to the housing opening of the vacuum robot. This refinement is particularly suitable if the detection device has an image acquisition device. When comparing the images recorded by the detection device with reference images that show different positions and/or orientations of external vacuum cleaning devices, it can be recognized how and where the external vacuum cleaning device is positioned relative to the housing opening. However, the detection of a valid position and/or orientation of the external vacuum cleaning device on the vacuum robot could also be detected, for example, by a contact sensor or an arrangement of contact sensors, which are contacted when the vacuum cleaning device is properly attached to the vacuum robot.

According to a preferred embodiment, it is proposed that the control device of the robotic vacuum cleaner be set up to move the robotic vacuum cleaner as a function of the detection signal from the detection device to control relative to the external vacuum cleaning device so that the housing opening comes into contact with the external vacuum cleaning device in order to establish a flow connection between the filter chamber of the vacuum robot and a suction opening of the external vacuum cleaning device. According to this configuration, the detection device first detects the position and/or orientation of the external vacuum cleaning device relative to the housing opening of the vacuum robot and transmits the result to the control device, which then determines which position and/or orientation deviation the detected position and/or orientation of the vacuum cleaning device to a position and/or orientation necessary for proper coupling of the vacuum cleaning device to the housing opening of the vacuum robot. The control device then controls the robotic vacuum cleaner so that it automatically moves and aligns itself relative to the detected external vacuum cleaning device, for example moving towards it and/or rotating, until the housing opening has reached a position relative to the external vacuum cleaning device in which a Section of the external vacuum cleaning device is in flow connection with the housing opening of the vacuum robot. The housing opening of the robot vacuum is particularly preferably rotationally symmetrical, in particular round, so that there is not just a single position in which the partial area of the external vacuum cleaning device that has the suction opening can be connected to the housing opening of the robot vacuum. When the vacuum robot moves, the partial area of the vacuum cleaning device preferably slides along the guide device described above, which is formed on the housing of the vacuum robot, so that the vacuum cleaning device moves in a directed manner into the housing opening.

In addition to the control signals that set the vacuum robot in motion for alignment with the external vacuum cleaning device, it can also be provided that when the housing opening of the vacuum robot is connected to an external Vacuum cleaning device a corresponding suction power level of the vacuum cleaning device is set to enable an optimal cleaning result. In addition, the signal could also cause a fan of the robotic vacuum cleaner to operate in order to support the regeneration of the filter chamber, for example by the robotic vacuum cleaner's own fan blowing out the vacuumed material collected in the filter chamber from the housing opening. The operation of the fan of the vacuum robot is preferably only initiated when the detection device detects that an external vacuum cleaning device is actually properly and dust-tightly connected to the housing opening of the vacuum robot.

Overall, the regeneration process of the filter chamber can thus be automated, with the closure element of the robot vacuum being placed and designed on the housing of the robot vacuum in such a way that the connection between the robot vacuum and the external vacuum cleaning device can be established without additional or preparatory manual intervention by a person user needs. Rather, the connection can be made fully automatically by the vacuum robot. For this purpose, the closure element, in particular its position, shape and/or size, is particularly advantageously adapted to the partial area of the external vacuum cleaning device that has the suction opening. Support for establishing the flow connection is provided by a directed movement of the autonomous vacuum robot when a connection request from an external vacuum cleaning device is detected.

In addition to the vacuum robot described above, the invention also provides a system consisting of an automatically moving vacuum robot with a housing and a filter chamber for receiving vacuumed material, the housing having a, based on a during an automatic locomotion usual orientation of the vacuum robot, has a housing opening formed on the upper side of the housing with a displaceable closure element, which can be displaced from a closed position closing the housing opening into a release position releasing the housing opening, in order to access the filter chamber, namely sucking out the interior of the filter chamber by means of of an external vacuum cleaning device that can be guided manually by a user, with the closure element being mounted on the housing in a linearly displaceable manner, with a contact area of the closure element for moving the closure element being able to be contacted mechanically from outside the housing, and with the vacuum robot having a detection device which is set up to detect the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device to be connected to the housing opening in the area of the housing opening of the robot vacuum, the robot vacuum having a control device which is set up to control opening of the housing opening when the presence of an external vacuum cleaning device is detected, in particular from a robot vacuum of previously described type, and an external vacuum cleaning device is proposed, wherein the housing opening of the vacuum robot and a suction opening of the vacuum cleaning device are shape-correspondingly connected to one another so that the filter chamber of the vacuum robot can be sucked out by means of the vacuum cleaning device. The external vacuum cleaning device can in particular be a vacuum cleaning device that is guided manually by a user. Alternatively, however, it is also possible for the vacuum cleaning device to be part of an essentially stationary base station for the vacuum robot, or alternatively also a vacuum robot that moves automatically. In the system according to the invention, the housing opening of the vacuum robot is designed in such a way that it can be opened by a corresponding partial area of the external vacuum cleaning device, which particularly preferably has a suction opening. In all other respects, those described above in relation to the automatically moveable vacuum robot apply Features and advantages also correspond to the system with such a vacuum robot and an external vacuum cleaning device.

In particular, it is proposed that the closure element of the robotic vacuum cleaner can be moved from the closed position to the release position by means of a partial area of the vacuum cleaning device that has the suction opening, with the robotic vacuum cleaner also particularly preferably having a guide device which is used both to guide the closure element and to guide the die Suction opening having portion of the vacuum cleaning device is formed.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1

einen erfindungsgemäßen Saugroboter mit einem Verschlusselement in einer Schließstellung,

Fig. 2

den Saugroboter gemäß Fig. 1 mit dem Verschlusselement in einer Freigabestellung,

Fig. 3

ein System aus dem in den Fig. 1 und 2 dargestellten Saugroboter und einem externen Saugreinigungsgerät in einer ersten Stellung,

Fig. 4

das System gemäß Fig. 3 in einer zweiten Stellung.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments. Show it:

1

a robot vacuum according to the invention with a closure element in a closed position,

2

according to the vacuum robot 1 with the closure element in a release position,

3

a system from the to the Figures 1 and 2 robot vacuum shown and an external vacuum cleaning device in a first position,

4

the system according to 3 in a second position.

Description of the embodiments

figure 1 shows an example of a vacuum robot 1, which is designed for automatic locomotion. For this purpose, the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 has motor-driven wheels 16 in the usual way (see Fig Figures 3 and 4 ) and a navigation device, by means of which the vacuum robot 1 can orient itself and localize itself in an environment. For this purpose, the vacuum robot 1 has a distance measuring device 13, which can be a laser triangulation measuring device, for example. Using the determined distance values, the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 creates a map of the surroundings, which the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 can use to plan a travel path in the surroundings or to localize itself.

The robotic vacuum cleaner 1 has a suction device, although other cleaning functions can also be integrated, for example an additional wiping function. The suction device has a fan and an electric motor (not shown) that drives the fan, which can suck in suction material from a surface to be cleaned into a filter chamber 3 of the suction robot 1 . The robotic vacuum cleaner 1 also has a number of cleaning elements 17 for acting on a floor surface to be cleaned, here for example a rotating side brush and a brush roller rotating about a substantially horizontal axis. A switch 15 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 is used to switch on the suction device and/or the cleaning elements 17 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 in order to start a normal cleaning operation. In order to avoid a collision with obstacles in the area, the vacuum robot 1 also has obstacle sensors 14, for example ultrasonic sensors, which are arranged at the front of a housing 2 of the vacuum robot 1 relative to a normal forward movement of the vacuum robot 1.

A housing opening 4 (see FIG. 2) is formed on the upper side of the housing 2 and opens the filter chamber 3 at the same time. There can be a flow connection between the housing opening 4 and the filter chamber 3, for example via a suction channel section, or the housing opening 4 can also be a filter chamber opening of the filter chamber 3, so that when the housing opening 4 is opened, the filter chamber 3 and the suction material are opened at the same time can be sucked out of the filter chamber 3.

The housing opening 4 of the vacuum robot 1 is assigned a closure element 5 which is mounted on the housing 2 in a linearly displaceable manner. The closure element 5 is slidably mounted here via a guide device 7 in such a way that the closure element 5 moves from the in figure 1 to the closed position shown in figure 2 shown release position is displaceable. The guide device 7 has here, for example, two elongate guide elements 8 which extend parallel to one another and form guide rails for the closure element 5 . The closure element 5 is assigned a displacement device 10, namely a spring element here, for example, whose restoring force is in the direction of the figure 1 illustrated closed position of the closure element 5 is directed. However, an actuator such as a linear drive with an electric motor or the like can also be used as the displacement device 10, which can displace the closure element 5 into the closed position and possibly also into the release position. Furthermore, a grip area 20 is defined on the closure element 5, which corresponds to a side edge of the closure element 5 according to the embodiment shown here. The function of this attack area 20 will be explained later. Furthermore, a detection device 9 is assigned to the housing opening 4 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 .

The figures 3 and 4 show the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 with an external vacuum cleaning device 6. The vacuum cleaning device 6 is designed here, for example, as a manually operated vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaning device 6 has a handle 18 on which a user can guide the vacuum cleaning device 6 over a surface to be cleaned. Furthermore, the suction cleaning device 6 has a suction fan with an electric motor in the usual way in order to be able to accommodate suction material in its own filter chamber (not shown). A chamber cover 19 is formed on the housing of the vacuum cleaning device 6 in order to be able to remove the filter chamber or a filter bag from the vacuum cleaning device 6 . The suction cleaning device 6 has a partial area 12 on a suction opening 11, at which a negative pressure is generated by the fan. In the system shown, the suction opening 11 is designed to correspond in shape to the housing opening 4 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1, so that the suction opening 11 or the partial area 12 can be connected to the housing opening 4 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 in order to suck out the filter chamber 3 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1.

If a user of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 - or preferably also the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 autonomously - recognizes that the filter chamber 3 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 should be regenerated, the user brings the external vacuum cleaning device 6 up to the robotic vacuum cleaner 1, namely in the area of the housing opening 4 which the partial area 12 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 having the suction opening 11 is to be connected.

According to one possible embodiment, the detection device 9 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 can be designed, for example, as an image acquisition device and can detect when an external vacuum cleaning device 6 approaches the housing opening 4 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 . Then, a control device of the vacuum robot 1, a displacement device 10, namely in particular an electric motor, in order to move the closure element 5 within the guide device 7 from a closed position to a release position until the housing opening 4 is open for connecting the suction opening 11 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 to the housing 2 of the vacuum robot 1 or its filter chamber 3. The filter chamber 3 can then be regenerated by means of the fan of the suction cleaning device 6. As soon as the user removes the vacuum cleaning device 6 from the housing opening 4 of the vacuum robot 1, the displacement device 10 and/or a spring element acts in the direction of a restoring force until the closure element 5 is displaced over the housing opening 4 and thus closes it.

According to an alternative embodiment, it can be provided that the user does not connect the partial area of the robotic vacuum cleaner 6 to the housing opening 4 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1, but rather the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 itself maneuvers relative to the external vacuum cleaning device 6 in such a way that the housing opening 4 is below the suction opening 11 of the Vacuum cleaning device 6 is or comes into contact with it. The housing opening 4 has preferably already been opened automatically beforehand, so that a direct flow connection can be established between the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 and the vacuum cleaning device 6 .

According to a further possible embodiment, the robot vacuum 1 and the external vacuum cleaning device 6 are connected to one another fully automatically, without a user holding the vacuum cleaning device 6 having to manually finely adjust the vacuum cleaning device 6 relative to the housing opening 4 of the vacuum robot 1. According to this variant, the user guides the vacuum cleaning device 6, for example, as in figure 3 shown approaching the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 until the partial area 12 having the suction opening 11 contacts the detection device 9, namely a contact sensor in this case, for example. The detection device 9 has, for example, an electromechanical Switch on, which is actuated by the portion 12 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 so that an electrical circuit is closed, whereupon the controller of the vacuum robot 1 then moves relative to the vacuum cleaning device 6 controls. The partial area 12 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 is located between the guide elements 8 of the guide device 7 of the vacuum robot 1. The contact signal of the detection device 9 is transmitted to the control device of the vacuum robot 1, which then transmits a navigation command to the vacuum robot 1 in such a way that a defined movement of the Vacuum robot 1 is controlled, which is suitable for bringing the housing opening 4 of the vacuum robot 1 and the suction opening 11 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 to each other. The movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 is controlled in such a way that the locking element 5 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 abuts with the engagement area 20 against the partial area 12 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 and with continued movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 from the in figure 3 shown closed position to the in figure 4 shown release position is shifted. The closure element 5 is shifted parallel to the longitudinal extent of the guide elements 8 of the guide device 7 into the release position, while the partial area 12 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 also changes its position within the guide device 7 until the suction opening 11 comes into contact with the housing opening 4 of the vacuum robot 1 . The displacement of the closure element 5 takes place, for example, against a restoring force of a displacement device 10 designed as a spring element. This tensions the spring element and can be displaced back into the closed position when the vacuum cleaning device 6 is separated from the vacuum robot 1 . The guiding geometry of the guiding device 7 provides a recessed guiding area so that the user cannot slip off the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 with the partial area 12 having the suction opening 11 when holding the vacuum cleaning device 6 . The autonomous movement of the vacuum robot 1 is such that the user merely holds the hand-held vacuum cleaning device 6 in position and, if necessary something has to press down against the vacuum robot 1, whereby the own weight of the vacuum cleaning device 6 can also be sufficient for the contact sensor of the detection device 9 to respond.

If necessary, the suction opening 11 or the partial area 12 of the vacuum cleaning device 6 that has the suction opening 11 can have a sensor that detects a proper connection of the suction opening 11 to the housing opening 4 of the vacuum robot 1, with a control device of the vacuum cleaning device 6 then switching on the fan of the vacuum cleaning device 6 and sets a corresponding suction power level that is suitable for achieving an optimal cleaning result when sucking off the filter chamber 3 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 . If necessary, an opening edge of the housing opening 4 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1 could also have a sensor, for example, in order to start a fan of the robotic vacuum cleaner 1, which additionally blows out the filter chamber 3 in the direction of the vacuum cleaning device 6, whereby the suction activity of the external vacuum cleaning device 6 is advantageously supported.

List of References

1

vacuum robot

2

Housing

3

filter chamber

4

case opening

5

closure element

6

suction cleaning device

7

guide device

8th

guide element

9

detection device

10

relocation facility

11

suction port

12

subarea

13

distance measuring device

14

obstacle sensor

15

Switch

16

wheel

17

cleaning element

18

stalk

19

chamber lid

20

attack range

Claims (10)

1. An automatically moving robotic vacuum cleaner (1) with a housing (2) and a filter chamber (3) for receiving suction material, wherein the housing (2) has a housing opening (4) that is formed on the upper side of the housing (2) relative to a usual orientation of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) during an automatic movement and has a displaceable sealing element (5), which can be displaced from a closed position that closes the housing opening (4) into a released position that releases the housing opening (4), so as to enable access to the filter chamber (3), specifically a vacuuming out of the interior of the filter chamber (3) by means of an external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) manually guided by the user, wherein the closure element (5) is mounted on the housing (2) in a linearly movable manner, wherein an engagement area (20) of the closure element (5) for shifting the closure element (5) from outside of the housing (2) is mechanically contactable, and wherein the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) has a detection device (9) that is set up to detect the presence of an external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) to be connected with the housing opening (4) in the area of the housing opening (4) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1), wherein the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) has a control device that is set up to control an opening of the housing opening (4) if the presence of an external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) is detected, characterized in that the control device is set up to initiate the displacement of the closure element (5) into the released position via a movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) against the external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6), so that the closure element (5) is displaced into an open position through exposure to the mechanical force of the external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6).
2. The robotic vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (2) has a guiding device (7) for guiding the sliding displacement of the closure element (5), wherein the guiding device (7) is arranged on the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) relative to the housing opening (4) in such a way that the closure element (5) can be shifted along the guiding device (7) from the closed position into the released position and vice versa.
3. The robotic vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the guiding device (7) has two guiding elements (8) that run parallel to each other, along and between which the closure element (5) is slidably mounted, wherein the guiding elements (8) in particular are part of a slotted guide and/or rail guide.
4. The robotic vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a displacement device (10) that displaces the closure element (5).
5. The robotic vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the detection device (9) has a contact sensor and/or a magnetic field sensor and/or an imaging device.
6. The robotic vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the detection device (9) is set up to recognize a position and/or orientation of the external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) relative to the housing opening (4) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1).
7. The robotic vacuum cleaner (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the control device is set up to control a movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) relative to the external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) as a function of the detection signal of the detection device (9) in such a way that the housing opening (4) comes into contact with the external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6), so as to establish a flow connection between the filter chamber (3) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) and a suction opening (11) of the external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6).
8. A system comprised of an automatically moving robotic vacuum cleaner (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7 and an external vacuum cleaning apparatus (6), in particular a vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) manually guided by a user, wherein the housing opening (4) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) and a correspondingly shaped suction opening (11) of the vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) can be connected with each other in such a way that the filter chamber (3) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) can be vacuumed out by means of the vacuum cleaning apparatus (6).
9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the closure element (5) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) can be moved from the closed position into the released position by means of a partial area (12) of the vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) having the suction opening (11).
10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the robotic vacuum cleaner (1) has a guiding device (7), which is designed both for guiding the closure element (5) and for guiding the partial area (12) of the vacuum cleaning apparatus (6) having the suction opening (11).

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