EP4183303A1 - Station de nettoyage pour robot aspirateur et système de nettoyage - Google Patents

Station de nettoyage pour robot aspirateur et système de nettoyage Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4183303A1
EP4183303A1 EP22200454.1A EP22200454A EP4183303A1 EP 4183303 A1 EP4183303 A1 EP 4183303A1 EP 22200454 A EP22200454 A EP 22200454A EP 4183303 A1 EP4183303 A1 EP 4183303A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cleaning station
housing
interface
suction device
light
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP22200454.1A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Nicolas Stroop
Dominik Holz
Carina Uphoff
Marion Karoline Strauß
Thomas Abel
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Miele und Cie KG
Original Assignee
Miele und Cie KG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Miele und Cie KG filed Critical Miele und Cie KG
Publication of EP4183303A1 publication Critical patent/EP4183303A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
    • A47L9/10—Filters; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters
    • A47L9/106—Dust removal
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
    • A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
    • A47L9/2868—Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof
    • A47L9/2873—Docking units or charging stations
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L11/00—Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
    • A47L11/40—Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
    • A47L11/4002—Installations of electric equipment
    • A47L11/4008—Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2201/00—Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
    • A47L2201/02—Docking stations; Docking operations
    • A47L2201/022—Recharging of batteries
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2201/00—Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
    • A47L2201/02—Docking stations; Docking operations
    • A47L2201/024—Emptying dust or waste liquid containers

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a cleaning station for robot vacuums for cleaning floor surfaces, the cleaning station having a housing, the housing having an electrical interface, the interface being designed to contact a robot vacuum moving to the cleaning station for charging, the housing having a suction device , wherein the suction device is designed to empty a vacuum robot moving to the cleaning station for emptying, wherein the housing has at least one status display, wherein the status display is designed to display an operating status of the interface and/or the suction device
  • vacuum robots are used to clean surfaces such as textile floor coverings and smooth floors.
  • a suction nozzle designed as a floor nozzle of the self-propelled vacuum robot is moved on a floor surface in the direction of travel to collect dust.
  • the accumulators for the self-sufficient power supply of the vacuum robots in operation are regularly charged at electrical interfaces of cleaning stations.
  • the cleaning stations are approached by the vacuum robots.
  • the vacuum robots can also be emptied at the cleaning stations, so that dust that has been picked up by the cleaning station is removed from the vacuum robot that has moved up to the cleaning station.
  • the previously known cleaning stations often have only one light on the housing, which lights up during the emptying process. This light is often difficult to recognize and not very meaningful.
  • For the electrical interface there is often no status display at the cleaning stations. Here the status can often only be viewed via an app. In the event of a fault, no information is given at the cleaning station itself.
  • the invention therefore faces the problem of specifying an improved cleaning station. This is intended to provide a simple way of showing the operating status of the cleaning station in a clearly recognizable manner. In particular, a clear display of faults should be made possible.
  • the status display comprises at least one projection device, the projection device being designed to project the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device onto the vacuum robot that has been hit and/or onto the floor surface and/or onto a wall surface surrounding the cleaning station project, sufficiently large display areas can be created over which the operating status of the cleaning station can be displayed well and clearly recognizable.
  • the projection device very easily creates sufficiently large display areas on the vacuum robot, the floor area and/or a nearby wall area, so that an improved status display is provided at the cleaning station. Different operating statuses or operating states of the cleaning station can be easily visualized via this status display.
  • the ongoing and/or completed charging process can be displayed via the interface by projecting the operating status.
  • the ongoing emptying process via the suction device can also be displayed as the operating status by the projection.
  • a blockage of the suction device or the need to empty the cleaning station can also be signaled by projection onto the vacuum robot and/or onto the floor surface and/or onto a wall surface surrounding the cleaning station.
  • the floor surface can be covered by a textile floor covering such as a rug or carpeting or by a hard floor such as e.g. B. a wooden parquet, laminate or PVC flooring can be formed.
  • the vacuum cleaner has a blower for generating a negative pressure, through which the floor nozzle guided over a floor surface to be cleaned picks up dust and dirt from the floor surface.
  • the suction nozzle designed as a floor nozzle is automatically moved in the direction of travel by the vacuum robot.
  • the floor nozzle slides over the floor surface to be cleaned.
  • the suction mouth of the floor nozzle is elongated and runs essentially transversely to the direction of travel.
  • Elongated means in this context that the preferably substantially rectangular suction mouth has a greater length transverse to the direction of travel than width in the direction of travel.
  • the suction mouth is preferably between 15 and 25 cm long transversely to the processing direction.
  • a vacuum cleaner housing of the vacuum cleaner can have a dust collection chamber in which the dust picked up via the floor nozzle can be collected.
  • the projection device has a plurality of LED lights arranged next to one another on the housing which are set up to be controlled to project the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device.
  • a two-dimensional projection for displaying operating states of the cleaning station can be very easily projected onto the approached vacuum robot and/or onto the floor surface and/or onto a wall surface surrounding the cleaning station.
  • the arrangement of several LED lights next to each other creates a uniform illumination through the projection on the display area formed in this way. Diffusers in front of the LED lights can also be used to support this.
  • the projection device has at least one light guide on the housing, which is designed to be illuminated by at least one LED lamp arranged in the housing, the light guide being designed to project light guided through the illumination of the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device.
  • the light guide represents a simple way of using as few LED lights as possible to achieve high illumination of the display surface formed on the vacuum robot that has been hit and/or on the floor surface and/or on the wall surface. As a result, the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device can be displayed particularly efficiently and clearly.
  • a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the light guide is routed in a receiving trough of the housing, which is designed to be open in a radiation direction for projecting the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device.
  • Laying the light guide in the receiving trough serves not only to securely fasten the light guide but also to align the emitted light onto the display area formed by the projection on the vacuum robot that has been hit and/or on the floor surface and/or on the wall surface.
  • the light guide has several indentations, the indentations being set up to break the guided light and emit it out of the light guide to project the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device.
  • the indentations in the light guide With the indentations in the light guide, the points at which the light guided through the light guide is refracted and guided out of the light guide to project the operating status can be selected in a very targeted manner.
  • the amount of light emitted for projection along the light guide can be influenced very easily. As a result, either a relatively uniform illumination of the display area formed can be achieved or an intensity profile in the illumination of the display area formed by the projection on the vacuum robot that has been hit and/or on the floor area and/or on the wall area.
  • the light guide runs in a U-shape along a rear side of the housing.
  • a wall surface facing the rear in the vicinity of the cleaning station can be illuminated in a particularly simple manner. In this way, operating states of the cleaning station can be shown particularly clearly by means of projection on the wall surface facing the rear.
  • an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the U-shaped light guide is set up to be illuminated at one end of the guide by at least one LED light.
  • the LED lights at the ends of the conductors can be used to illuminate the U-shaped light conductor very easily, so that a particularly efficient projection of the operating status can be achieved on the wall surface in the vicinity of the cleaning station that usually faces the rear.
  • At least one LED light is set up to be controlled to generate a light color and/or light intensity and/or light frequency.
  • a light color and/or light intensity and/or light frequency By changing the light color and/or light intensity and/or light frequency, different operating states of the cleaning station can be displayed very clearly via the status display.
  • the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device can be projected in a variety of ways onto the vacuum robot that has been approached and/or onto the floor surface and/or onto a wall surface surrounding the cleaning station.
  • incorrect positioning of the vacuum robot at the interface can be signaled by a red flashing.
  • Various other errors in the cleaning station can also be displayed with red flashing codes.
  • the charging process of the vacuum robot via the interface could be represented, for example, by pulsating green light on the display area formed by the projection.
  • a blue light could be projected to indicate that the vacuum robot is just moving to the cleaning station.
  • a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the projection device is set up to project characters to show the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device. Small LED projectors could be used for this, which visualize error messages from the cleaning station via the projected characters, for example. Furthermore, it is conceivable to also display other information such as cleaning times, the number or status of the vacuum robots looked after by the cleaning station or the locations of the vacuum robots.
  • the brightness of the projection device is automatically adjusted to the ambient brightness.
  • a status display that is too bright can be perceived as annoying.
  • the same light output in direct sunlight may not be sufficient to achieve a satisfactory signaling effect or to draw the attention of a user who is present.
  • a light sensor is provided on the housing, which continuously measures the ambient brightness. The measured value is evaluated by a computing unit, which can then increase or reduce the brightness of the projection device. The underlying relationships between the measured brightness and the brightness to be set are stored in a memory in the processing unit.
  • the light sensor is preferably positioned on the front of the cleaning station and is advantageously not shaded by the vacuum robot or other components. This ensures that the sensor can sense the ambient brightness in the best possible way and that the projection of the cleaning station cannot be disturbed.
  • the subject matter of the invention is a cleaning system with a cleaning station described in detail above and below and with a robotic vacuum cleaner described in detail above and below.
  • a cleaning station according to the invention with a vacuum robot 2 is shown purely schematically in the figures with the reference number 1 .
  • the representation according to figure 1 shows a cleaning station 1 having a housing 4 .
  • This housing 4 has an electrical interface 5, which is used to contact the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 that has moved to the cleaning station 1 for charging.
  • the housing 4 also has a suction device 6 which is used to empty the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 .
  • the housing 2 also has a status display 7, the is designed to display an operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6.
  • the status display 7 includes a projection device 8, which is used to display the operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6 on the vacuum robot 2 that has been hit and/or on the floor surface 3 ( 2 ) and/or on a wall surface 9 surrounding the cleaning station 1 ( 2 ) to project. In this way, sufficiently large display areas can be created, via which the operating status of the cleaning station 1 can be displayed in a good and clearly recognizable manner.
  • FIG 1 the preferred position of the projection device 8 for the projection of the operating status onto the vacuum robot 2 that has been hit is shown.
  • the projection device 8 is arranged in the recess of the housing 4 for the vacuum robot 2 . In this position, the upper side 17 of the vacuum robot 2 can be used as a display surface by projecting the operating status when it has approached the cleaning station 1 for emptying and/or for charging.
  • FIG 2 is the cleaning station 1 according to figure 1 shown in a side view.
  • This representation shows a further preferred position for projection devices 8 for projecting the operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6 onto a wall surface 9 surrounding the cleaning station 1 .
  • the cleaning station 1 is placed, as usual, on the floor surface 3 against a wall 9 in the living room.
  • the operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6 can be simply projected onto the wall 9 facing the rear 15 by means of the projection device 8 of the status display 7 arranged on the rear 15 of the housing 4 . Since wall colors usually have a rather light surface, the projected light can be reflected well here.
  • the figure 3 shows the cleaning station 1 according to FIG figures 1 and 2 in a rear view.
  • the projection devices 8 are formed by a plurality of LED lights 10 arranged next to one another on the housing 4 .
  • an upper projection device 8 is formed by a horizontally arranged light bar, while in the lower area of the back 15 of the housing 4 a vertically arranged light bar is provided as a projection device 8 with several LED lights 10 arranged next to one another.
  • the LED lights 10 are advantageously set up to be controlled to generate a light color and/or light intensity and/or light frequency.
  • different operating states of the cleaning station 1 can be projected onto the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) are projected behind cleaning station 1.
  • an embodiment of the cleaning station 1 which has a light guide 11 on the housing 4 as a projection device 8 .
  • the light guide 11 with a few LED lights 10 high illumination on the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) formed display area can be achieved.
  • the operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6 can thus be displayed particularly efficiently and clearly.
  • the light guide 11 is illuminated by LED lights 10 arranged in the housing 4 .
  • the illumination of the light guide 11 emits light guided through the light guide 11 for projecting the operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6 .
  • the light guide 11 is advantageously laid along the rear side 15 of the housing 4 in a U-shape. This U is reversed in the embodiment shown.
  • the U-shaped course on the back 15 of the housing 4 improves the illumination of the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) behind the cleaning station 1.
  • the operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6 can be seen particularly clearly on the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) using projection.
  • the U-shaped light guide 11 is illuminated via an LED light 10 arranged at one end 16 of the guide, only a few LED lights 10 are required to completely illuminate the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) necessary.
  • the conductor ends 16 of the light guide 11 are preferably inclined inwards in order to enable the introduction of light through the LED lights 10 inside the cleaning station 1 .
  • the LED lights 10 can be set up to be controlled in order to generate a light color and/or light intensity and/or light frequency.
  • the lighting/flashing of the light guide 11 in the color of a bag holder plate can indicate a full dust bag of the suction device 6 or a necessary filter change is indicated by projecting the color of the filter of the suction device 6.
  • the housing 4 a receiving trough 12, in which the light guide 11 is laid.
  • the receiving trough 12 is designed to be open in the emission direction 13 for projecting the operating status of the interface 5 and/or the suction device 6 .
  • the light guide 11 is securely arranged in the receiving trough 12 and the light emitted by the light guide 11 can simply be applied to the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) can be directed to prevent glare.
  • the figures 5 and 6 show detailed views of the light guide 11.
  • the light guide 11 has a plurality of notches 14, the notches 14 serve to break the guided light and to project the Emit the operating status of the interface 5 and / or the suction device 6 from the light guide 11.
  • the amount of light emitted for projection along the light guide 11 can be influenced very easily.
  • figure 5 small indentations 14 with a larger spacing emit a rather small amount of light from the light guide 11 are in figure 6 larger notches 14 shown at a smaller distance, so that a larger amount of light 11 is emitted.
  • the upper area of the U-shaped light guide 11 ( 4 ) is provided with large indentations 14 at a smaller pitch, while the lower portion of the U-shaped light guide 11 ( 4 ) is provided with small indentations 14 with a greater spacing.
  • a uniform radiation on the light guide 11 can be achieved by the LED lights 10 arranged at the lower conductor ends 16 .
  • the notches 14 are preferably provided at regular intervals along an inner edge on the light guide 11 . As the distance from the LED light 10 increases, the indentations 14 should increase in size. At the boundary surfaces of these indentations 14, the light emerges from the light guide 11 through partial transmission and is incident on the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) thrown.
  • the light is preferentially from the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) diffusely reflected and hits the eye of an observer who is in front of the cleaning station 1.
  • the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) projected contour of the light guide 11 on the wall surface 9 ( 2 ) projected outer contour of the cleaning station 11 in order to make the light output around the cleaning station 11 as uniform as possible, as perceived by the viewer.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Electric Vacuum Cleaner (AREA)
EP22200454.1A 2021-11-23 2022-10-10 Station de nettoyage pour robot aspirateur et système de nettoyage Pending EP4183303A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE20215910A BE1029953B1 (de) 2021-11-23 2021-11-23 Reinigungsstation für Saugroboter und Reinigungssystem

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4183303A1 true EP4183303A1 (fr) 2023-05-24

Family

ID=80786857

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP22200454.1A Pending EP4183303A1 (fr) 2021-11-23 2022-10-10 Station de nettoyage pour robot aspirateur et système de nettoyage

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20230157503A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP4183303A1 (fr)
BE (1) BE1029953B1 (fr)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1921523A2 (fr) * 2004-01-21 2008-05-14 IRobot Corporation Procédé d'acceuil d'un robot autonome
EP2023788A2 (fr) * 2006-05-19 2009-02-18 iRobot Corporation Dispositif pour débarrasser les robots de nettoyage de débris
US20180235423A1 (en) * 2017-02-18 2018-08-23 Ibot Robotic Co. Ltd. Automatic cleaning system and charging base
EP3777629A1 (fr) * 2015-06-25 2021-02-17 iRobot Corporation Station d'évacuation

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1921523A2 (fr) * 2004-01-21 2008-05-14 IRobot Corporation Procédé d'acceuil d'un robot autonome
EP2023788A2 (fr) * 2006-05-19 2009-02-18 iRobot Corporation Dispositif pour débarrasser les robots de nettoyage de débris
EP3777629A1 (fr) * 2015-06-25 2021-02-17 iRobot Corporation Station d'évacuation
US20180235423A1 (en) * 2017-02-18 2018-08-23 Ibot Robotic Co. Ltd. Automatic cleaning system and charging base

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE1029953A1 (de) 2023-06-15
BE1029953B1 (de) 2023-06-19
US20230157503A1 (en) 2023-05-25

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