ES2875226A1 - AUTONOMOUS SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS WITH CENTRAL ROLLER DETECTION SYSTEM (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Autonomous surface cleaning apparatus comprising: at least one frame, at least autonomous or semi-autonomous movement means, suction and/or cleaning means, at least one dirt tank, at least one cleaning roller, drive means for the cleaning rollers, connecting means between the cleaning roller and the frame, at least one system controller and at least one memory storage unit. Characterized in that it additionally comprises at least one receiver on the frame, and which may comprise at least one emitter on the cleaning rollers, so that combinations of connected emitters and receivers are generated that correspond to different cleaning rollers, achieving a detection the type of cleaning roller mounted on the appliance. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

AUTONOMOUS SURFACE CLEANING APPLIANCE

WITH CENTRAL ROLLER DETECTION SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The present invention refers to automatic or semi-automatic cleaning apparatuses, more specifically to self-movable cleaning apparatuses, and more specifically to cleaning and sweeping means comprising self-movable cleaning apparatuses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, autonomous surface cleaning apparatuses are widely known that comprise: at least one frame, at least autonomous or semi-autonomous movement means, suction and / or cleaning means, at least one dirt tank, at least one roller for cleaning, cleaning roller drive means, connection means between cleaning roller and frame, at least one system controller and at least one memory storage unit.

These devices are characterized by having a central cleaning roller, in charge of sweeping the surfaces, extracting the dirt from them, which will then be collected by the suction means of the device.

Numerous rollers belong to the state of the art, with different configurations, which allow optimizing the dirt sweeping tasks depending on the surface traveled, so that, for example, some will be ideal for collecting dirt on hard floors, while others will be especially useful when cleaning soft surfaces or textiles, such as carpets.

Document JP2019118665A belongs to the state of the art, which describes a suction device comprising a rotating shaft and a brush base, comprising, in turn, a detection sensor placed at the base of the brush that will detect the object to clean, managing the robot parameters based on this information obtained.

Document WO2019015686A1 also belongs to the state of the art, which describes a vacuum cleaner comprising a control unit and a detection unit, with a floor brush assembly, which can comprise different brushes, the detection unit being configured to detect the current flowing through the electric motor that drives the floor brush.

Lastly, document JPH0252620A also belongs to the state of the art, which describes a vacuum cleaner comprising a floor detector configured to control the rotating brush according to the information obtained by the floor detector itself. To do this, it uses a power control circuit with a Triac gate, so that the brush itself determines the state of the surface to be cleaned, and sends this information to the controller. It uses two photosensors installed in the brush housing cavity, so that while both sensors are in the active state, the motor that drives the cleaning brush will be active as well. However, when one of the two photosensors is no longer active, the motor that drives the cleaning brush will stop.

As can be seen, in the state of the art there are numerous systems with sensors and management of the cleaning brushes in the automatic or semi-automatic cleaning devices, however, there is no system that knows the type of cleaning brush installed in these devices, and that it manages the different operating modes of these, depending on the cleaning brush installed, which require different parameters so that their development of their function is optimal.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is to achieve a central roller detection system mounted on a self-moving suction device, such as a robot vacuum cleaner, which allows the system to know the connected roller at all times, and which can manage the operating parameters of the device according to this information.

In this way, the invention presents an instantaneous recognition of the central roller, activating and modulating the most suitable functional parameters for the use of the accessory, as it is incorporated, coupled and / or installed in the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus.

In this way, depending on the connected central roller, the system controller will be able to regulate the parameters of the driving means of the cleaning roller, and the parameters of the suction and / or cleaning means of the device, as well as the parameters of the movement of the device. same.

To achieve this objective, the invention presents the use of at least two sensors on the frame of the apparatus itself, which will receive information from the sensors that may be installed on the cleaning rollers.

It will also have a memory storage, where all the possible combinations generated will be saved, depending on the number of receivers, assigning to each combination a type of cleaning roller.

The invention will have a microcontroller that will collect data on the number of receivers receiving data, and on the position they occupy, that is, of the combination of receivers, obtaining a specific combination for the mounted cleaning roller.

This combination will be compared with those stored in memory, so that when it finds a match, the microcontroller will know which cleaning roller is connected.

This will allow the management of the operating modes of the electrical appliance depending on the connected cleaning roller, being able to optimize the resources and means available to it, in order to obtain an effective and efficient use of these accessories in conjunction with the electrical appliance in question.

For example, and in this case, the suction and / or cleaning means of the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus, and / or the driving means of the cleaning roller, could be managed, achieving optimum operation.

The recognition and assignment of each cleaning roller is done through a combination of information, which can be expressed in binary language, or any other numeric or alphanumeric language. This is because each receiver can be in two different states: receiving data from a sender, or not receiving data from a sender.

In this way, if we have two receivers in the body of the device, we can generate at least four different combinations depending on the emitters that the cleaning rollers have, which would correspond to four different cleaning rollers.

In this way, the invention achieves fluid and precise communication between any cleaning roller and the autonomous appliance to which it is connected, automatically adjusting the functional parameters of the appliance itself.

It can be concluded that the present invention proposes a system for detecting and managing accessories for the autonomous surface cleaning device that comprises receivers and emitters, placed in certain positions of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, in which, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, the following has been represented. following:

Figure 1.- Example scheme of the system in a robot vacuum cleaner

Figure 2.- Example of central roller

Figure 2.- Flow diagram of the process object of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification, and in which specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be carried out are shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the invention, and it is understood that other embodiments may be used and that structural, mechanical, electrical, and / or chemical logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. of the invention. To avoid details not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the detailed description, it should not, therefore, be taken in a limiting sense.

Specifically, the present invention proposes an autonomous surface cleaning apparatus comprising: at least one frame 1, at least autonomous or semi-autonomous movement means 2, suction and / or cleaning means, at least one dirt tank, at the least one cleaning roller 3, means for driving the cleaning rollers, connecting means between the cleaning roller and the frame, at least one system controller and at least one memory storage unit.

Where:

- the cleaning roller 3 comprises at least one first end 4 and at least one second end 5, at least one central axis 6, and at least one surface 7 that extends from the first end to the second end, generating a cylindrical volume or substantially cylindrical;

- the connection means between the cleaning roller 3 and the frame 1 are located at least at the first end 4 and / or at least at the second end 5 of the cleaning roller;

- and where the connection of at least one of the ends of the cleaning roller 3 connects the cleaning roller 3 with the driving means of the cleaning roller 3.

Characterized because:

- it comprises at least one receiver located on the frame 1, in the area close to or substantially close to the cleaning roller 3,

- the cleaning rollers 3 may comprise at least one emitter located at at least one of the ends of the cleaning roller, and / or they may not comprise any emitter,

- the memory storage comprises at least two combinations between emitters and receivers, where each combination between connected emitters and receivers refers to each type of cleaning roller 3 - the system controller compares the combination of connected emitters and receivers, with the combinations stored in memory, and gets the cleaning roller 3 determined that is connected when a match occurs

According to this embodiment, the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus would comprise at least one receiver in its frame 1, located in the areas close to the connections between the cleaning roller 3 and the frame itself 1. Preferably having two receivers, one in each connection .

For their part, the rollers can be configured in three different ways:

- No issuer

- an issuer in the first ending 4

- an issuer in the second final 5

- two emitters, one in the first end 4 and one in the second end 5

In this way, and following Boolean algebra together with a binary language, it is clear that there could be four different combinations, in which different combinations would be generated, depending on the receivers that were receiving information from the senders. An example of combinations can be seen in the following table:

In this way, it would be possible to obtain a set of four combinations, assigning each combination to each type of roller, and allowing the system controller to regulate the operating parameters of the autonomous surface cleaning device according to the type of roller detected. , being able to increase rotational revolutions, or regulate the suction capacity of the suction means.

That is why, in a preferred embodiment, the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus is characterized in that the system controller regulates the operating parameters of the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus according to the requirements of the detected cleaning roller.

In a preferred embodiment, the emitters and receivers will be of the magnetic type. Such as magnetic emitters and hall effect sensors.

In another preferred embodiment, the emitters and receivers will be of the optical type.

To improve the illustration and understanding of the invention, a non-limiting example of the operation of the system is now carried out.

The autonomous surface cleaning apparatus is comprised of a vacuum robot comprising two hall effect sensors in the housing for the central roller.

Additionally, it comprises three different types of central rollers, in which Type 1 Roller will have two magnetic emitters, one at each end; Roller type 2 will have a magnetic emitter at one end; and Type 3 Roller will have a magnetic emitter at a second end.

Following this configuration, and as can be seen in Figure 4, when activating the identification of the central roller, the reading of the Hall effect sensor 1 is activated and, if it detects a magnetic emitter, the reading of the Hall effect sensor is activated 2.

If the latter detects a magnetic emitter, we will have both sensors connected, and therefore the Type 1 Roller will be installed, with the two emitters connected.

Otherwise, that is, the Hall effect sensor 2 does not detect any magnetic emitter, only Hall sensor 1 will be connected, and therefore Roller type 2 will be installed.

If, when activating the reading of the Hall effect sensor 1 no magnetic emitter is detected, it continues with the activation of the Hall effect sensor 2, in case the latter detects a magnetic field emitter, we will only have the sensor positioned in this location activated, and therefore type 3 Roller will be installed.

Finally, in case a magnetic field emitter is not detected in either of the two Hall effect sensors, it is determined that there is no roller installed in the robot vacuum cleaner.

The industrial application of the present invention is clear, since it makes it possible to obtain a roller type detection system installed in an autonomous surface cleaning device, such as robot vacuum cleaners, so that the system controller can regulate the parameters of operation of the device itself, achieving an optimal development of its functions.

Claims (4)

1. Autonomous surface cleaning device with central roller detection system comprising: ^or at least one rack (1) ^or at least autonomous or semi-autonomous means of movement (2) ^or means of suction and / or cleaning ^or at least one dirt tank ^or at least one cleaning roller (3) ^or means of driving the cleaning rollers ^o means of connection between the cleaning roller and the frame ^or at least one system controller ^or at least one memory storage unit where: ^or the cleaning roller (3) comprises at least one first end (4) and at least one second end (5), at least one central axis (6), and at least one surface (7) extending from the first end (4) to the second end (5), generating a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical volume ^or the connection means between the cleaning roller and the frame are located at least at the first end (4) and / or at least at the second end (5) of the cleaning roller ^or the connection of at least one of the ends of the cleaning roller connects the cleaning roller with the driving means of the cleaning roller (3) characterized because or it comprises at least one receiver located on the frame (1), in the area close to or substantially close to the cleaning roller (3) or the cleaning rollers can comprise at least one emitter located at at least one of the ends (4, 5) of the cleaning roller (3), or they may not comprise any emitter o memory storage comprises at least two combinations between transmitters and receivers, where each combination between connected transmitters and receivers refers to each type cleaning roller (3). or the system controller compares the combination of connected emitters and receivers, with the combinations stored in memory, and obtains the cleaning roller (3) determined that is connected when a match occurs 2. Autonomous surface cleaning apparatus with central roller detection system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the system controller regulates the operating parameters of the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus according to the requirements of the detected cleaning roller (3). 3. Autonomous surface cleaning apparatus with central roller detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the emitters are magnetic emitters, and the receivers are magnetic sensors. 4. Self-contained surface cleaning apparatus with central roller detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the emitters are optical emitters, and the receivers are optical receivers.