Vacuum cleaner robot

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner robot comprising a suction device mounted on wheels and a power supply device mounted on wheels, where the suction device comprises a floor nozzle, a dust separator and a motorized fan unit for suctioning an air stream in through the floor nozzle, where the suction device comprises a drive device for driving at least one of the wheels of the suction device, and where the power supply device comprises a drive device for driving at least one of the wheels of the power supply device, where said power supply device is via a power supply cable connected to said suction device for supplying said suction device with power.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner robot, comprising a suction device mounted on wheels, a power supply device mounted on wheels and a power supply cable, where said suction device comprises a floor nozzle, a dust separator and a motorized fan unit for suctioning an air stream in through said floor nozzle, where said suction device comprises a drive device for driving at least one of said wheels of said suction device, and where said power supply device comprises a drive device for driving at least one of said wheels of said power supply device, where said power supply device is connected to said suction device via the power supply cable for supplying said suction device with power, where said motorized fan unit is arranged between said floor nozzle and said dust separator such that an air stream suctioned in through said floor nozzle flows through said motorized fan unit and into said dust separator, the dust separator comprising a vacuum cleaner filter bag, an impact separator, a centrifugal separator or a cyclone separator.

2. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said power supply device comprises a wireless or a wired communication connection to said suction device for exchanging data signals with said suction device.

3. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said motorized fan unit is arranged on or above said floor nozzle.

4. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said suction device comprises a housing, where said motorized fan unit is arranged on, at or in said housing or where said dust separator is arranged on, at or in said housing.

5. The vacuum cleaner robot according claim 1, where said dust separator is arranged to be freely accessible from outside.

6. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where one of said wheels, several or all wheels of said suction device or one of said wheels, several or all wheels of said power supply device are omnidirectional wheels.

7. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said motorized fan unit is configured such that with aperture 8 said motorized fan unit has a volumetric flow of more than 30 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 450 W according to DIN EN 60312-1, with aperture 8 said motorized fan unit has a volumetric flow of more than 25 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 250 W according to DIN EN 60312-1, or with aperture 8 said motorized fan unit has a volumetric flow of more than 10 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 100 W according to DIN EN 60312-1.

8. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said dust separator comprises a vacuum cleaner filter bag.

9. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 8, where said vacuum cleaner filter bag comprises a flat bag or a disposable bag or where said bag wall of said vacuum cleaner filter bag comprises one or more layers of a nonwoven or one or more layers of nonwoven fabric.

10. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said motorized fan unit comprises a radial fan.

11. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said floor nozzle comprises no rotating brush.

12. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, comprising a control device for controlling said suction device or said power supply device.

13. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, comprising a navigation device for autonomously driving said power supply device or said suction device.

14. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said power supply device or said suction device comprises one or several devices for determining its respective location.

15. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 3, wherein said motorized fan unit is arranged directly on or above said floor nozzle.

16. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 8, wherein said vacuum cleaner filter bag comprises a filter area of at most 2000 cm.sup.2.

17. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, comprising a control device for controlling said suction device and said power supply device.

18. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, where said power supply device and said suction device comprise one or several devices for determining its respective location.

Description

(1) Further features are described with reference to the figures, where

(2) FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner robot;

(3) FIG. 2 schematically shows a block circuit diagram of an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner robot;

(4) FIG. 3 schematically shows the underside of an embodiment of a suction device of a vacuum cleaner robot.

(5) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner robot 1. Vacuum cleaner robot 1 shown comprises a power supply device 2 and a suction device 3 which is connected to power supply device 2 via a flexible cable 4. Power supply device 2 is mounted on four wheels 5, each of which is formed as an omnidirectional wheel. Each omnidirectional wheel 5 has a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers 6 on its circumference. The rotational axes of rollers 6 are all not parallel to the wheel axis 7 of the respective omnidirectional wheel. For example, the rotational axes of the rollers can assume an angle of 45 relative to the respective wheel axis. The surfaces of the rollers or roller bodies are curved or bent.

(6) Examples of such omnidirectional wheels are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,255, US 2013/0292918, DE 10 2008 019 976 or DE 20 2013 008 870.

(7) Power supply device 2 comprises a drive device for driving wheels 5 of the power supply device. The drive device can comprise a separate drive unit, for example, in the form of an electric motor, for each wheel 5 so that each wheel 5 can be driven independently of the other wheels. Rollers 6 are rotatably mounted without a drive.

(8) By suitably driving individual or all wheels 5, power supply device 2 can be moved in any direction. If, for example, all four wheels 5 are moved at the same speed in the same direction of rotation, then the power supply device moves straight ahead. With a counter-rotating movement of the wheels on one side, a lateral movement or displacement can be achieved.

(9) In principle, not all wheels need to be drivable; Individual wheels can also be provided without their own drive. In addition, it is also possible that individual wheels are not driven for certain movements, even if they are basically drivable.

(10) In alternative embodiments, fewer or more than four wheels can also be formed in the form of omnidirectional wheels. An example with three omnidirectional wheels is described in US 2007/0272463.

(11) In the example shown, suction device 3 is also equipped with four omnidirectional wheels 5. Like power supply device 2, suction device 3 also comprises a drive device for wheels 5. Here as well, the drive device for each wheel comprises a single drive unit, for example, in the form of electric motors, in order to drive each wheel separately and independently of the other wheels. In this way, the suction device can also be moved in any direction by suitably driving the wheels.

(12) Suction device 3 has a floor nozzle 21 comprising a floor plate 22 with a base surface which during operation of the vacuum cleaner robot faces the floor, i.e. the surface to be suctioned. In the floor plate, one or more air flow channels 23 are incorporated parallel to the base surface, through which the dirty air is suctioned in. The air flow channel(s) 23 can comprise an opening provided laterally in the floor plate. The air flow channel can be straight or curved, in particular have the shape of a circular ring or a circular ring section. The shape of a circular ring section or of a circular ring can be advantageous in particular for lateral movements of the floor nozzle. Alternatively, the floor nozzle can comprise a rotation device for rotating the air flow channel about an axis perpendicular to the base surface, as described, for example, in European patent application no. 15151741.4.

(13) Suction device 3 comprises a housing 8 in which a motorized fan unit is arranged for suctioning an air stream in through the floor nozzle. A holder for a holding plate 10 of a vacuum cleaner filter bag 11 is attached to the outer side of housing 8.

(14) The example shown in FIG. 1 is therefore a bag-type vacuum cleaner. This means that the dust separator is a vacuum cleaner filter bag in which the suctioned dirt and dust is separated. This vacuum cleaner filter bag can be, in particular, a flat bag, the bag walls of which comprise one or more layers of nonwoven and/or nonwoven fabric. The vacuum cleaner filter bag is embodied as a disposable bag.

(15) Holding plate 10 of vacuum cleaner filter bag 11 is glued or welded in a conventional manner to the non-woven filter material of the bag wall. An opening 12 is provided in housing 8 of suction device 3. A tube member is led from the motorized fan unit inside housing 8 into opening 12 so that the air suctioned in through the floor nozzle is passed through opening 12, through the motorized fan unit and into vacuum cleaner filter bag 11.

(16) Attached in a removable manner in or on the holder by way of its holding plate 10 is vacuum cleaner filter bag 11. The holder can be, for example, two rails into which holding plate 10 is pushed. However, alternative embodiments are equally conceivable as long as the vacuum cleaner filter bag can be removed in a detachable and nondestructive manner.

(17) In the example shown, vacuum cleaner filter bag 11 is arranged on housing 8 of suction device 3 to be freely accessible from the outside. Alternatively, vacuum cleaner filter bag 11 can also be removably attached in the interior of housing 8, for example, by way of a holding plate. In such a case, the vacuum cleaner filter bag is accessible, for example, via an opening flap in housing 8, but then is no longer freely accessible from the outside.

(18) In the arrangement shown, a continuous fluidic connection to the dust separator in the form of a vacuum cleaner filter bag 11 is therefore established by the floor nozzle, the motorized fan unit, and the tube member located in the interior of the housing. The motorized fan unit is there arranged between the floor nozzle and the dust separator so that dirty air suctioned in through the floor nozzle flows through motorized fan unit 9 (in particular via the tube member) into the vacuum cleaner filter bag arranged on the exterior of housing 8.

(19) Motorized fan unit 9 is therefore a dirty air motor. This is in particular a motorized fan unit comprising a radial fan.

(20) The motorized fan unit has a volumetric flow of more than 30 I/s (determined according to DIN EN 60312-1: 2014-01, with an aperture of 8) at an electrical input power of less than 450 W, a volumetric flow rate of more than 25 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 250, and a volumetric flow of more than 10 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 100 W.

(21) The fan diameter can be 60 mm to 160 mm. A motorized fan unit can be used, for example, which is used in Soniclean Upright vacuum cleaners (e.g. SONICLEAN VT PLUS).

(22) The motorized fan unit of the SONICLEAN VT PLUS was characterized according to DIN EN 60312-1: 2014-01 as explained above. The motorized fan unit was measured without the vacuum cleaner housing. For possibly necessary adapters for connecting to the measuring chamber, the descriptions in section 7.3.7.1 apply. The table shows that high volumetric flows are obtained at low rotational speeds and low input power.

(23) TABLE-US-00001 Dirty air of SONICLEAN VT PLUS (fan wheel diameter 82 mm) with aperture 8 (40 mm) negative Input rotational pressure volumetric power voltage speed box flow [W] [V] [RPM] [kPa] [l/s] 200 77 15,700 0.98 30.2 250 87 17,200 1.17 32.9 300 95 18,400 1.34 35.2 350 103 19,500 1.52 37.5 400 111 20,600 1.68 39.4 450 117 21,400 1.82 41.0

(24) Air is during operation suctioned in by the motorized fan unit. The air stream there enters vacuum cleaner robot 1 through an opening of the floor nozzle and flows through the motorized fan unit. Due to the arrangement of the motorized fan unitin the air stream directionupstream of the dust separator (in the form of a vacuum cleaner filter bag), there is an overpressure in the dust separator.

(25) Instead of a dirty air motor, a configuration (for example with a clean air motor) can also be provided in which the fan is arranged fluidically downstream of the dust separator.

(26) The energy supply or voltage supply of the vacuum cleaner robot can be effected cordless by way of rechargeable batteries, where the power supply to suction device 3, in particular its drive device, is effected from power supply device 2 by way of power supply cable 4. In order to avoid entanglement of cable 4, a cable drum with a winding spring can be provided in the interior of power supply device 2.

(27) Power supply device 2 comprises rechargeable batteries which can be charged, for example, by cable or in a cordless manner (inductive). For charging the rechargeable batteries, vacuum cleaner 1, in particular power supply device 2, can move autonomously to a charging station.

(28) Controlling the vacuum cleaner robot is effected by way of a control device. The entire vacuum cleaner robot is preferably controlled in a master-slave configuration of the two devices. For this purpose, suction device 3 (as a slave) can also be controlled, for example, by power supply device 2 (as a master). The drive devices of the power supply device and the suction device are controlled by use of the control device.

(29) The control device can comprise a navigation device for autonomously driving the power supply device and the suction device. For this purpose, power supply device 2 comprises a control unit with a navigation device with which navigation of both the power supply device and that of the suction device is performed. For this purpose, a correspondingly programmed microcontroller is arranged in control device 2. Power supply device 2 comprises devices for determining the location. They include cameras 13 and 14 as well as distance sensors 15. The distance sensors can be, for example, laser sensors

(30) Navigation of the vacuum cleaner robot occurs in a known manner, as described, for example, in WO 02/074150. Provided in power supply device 2 for controlling the drive device of suction device 3 is a device for transmitting control signals to suction device 3, in particular to its drive device. For this purpose, wireless transmitters/receivers can respectively be arranged on the side of power supply device 2 and suction device 3. Alternatively, a wired connection for transmitting control signals can also be provided in cable 4.

(31) Suction device 3 can in a supporting manner also comprise one or more devices for determining the location. For example, path sensors and/or distance sensors can be provided at the suction device. In order to use the corresponding information for control and navigation, corresponding signals are transmitted from suction device 3 to power supply device 2.

(32) In an alternative embodiment, control and/or navigation can also be effected in part or entirely on the side of suction device 3.

(33) FIG. 2 is a schematic block circuit diagram of a vacuum cleaner robot 1 with a power supply device 2 and a suction device 3. The drive device for wheels 5 of power supply device 2 comprises, firstly, four drive units 16 in the form of electric motors and, secondly, a microcontroller 17 for controlling the electric motors.

(34) Furthermore, a control unit 18 is provided in power supply device 2 and comprises a navigation device and serves controlling as well as autonomously driving both suction device 3 and power supply device 2. Control unit 18 is connected both to microcontroller 17 of the drive device as well as to a further microcontroller 19 which is part of the devices for determining the location on the side of the power supply device. Data signals from different sensors and/or cameras are processed in microcontroller 19 and made available to control unit 18.

(35) In the example illustrated, power supply or voltage supply is effected by way of a rechargeable battery 20, which can be charged wirelessly or in a cabled manner. Charging can be effected at a charging station which is autonomously approached by the robot. In order to minimize the space requirement of the robot at the charging station, the suction device can be positioned beneath the power supply device during the charging or cleaning operation. For this purpose, the power supply device is by use of a lifting device automatically raised and floor clearance is thereby increased so that the suction device can drive therebeneath.

(36) For the sake of clarity, not all power supply and data connections are shown in the figure.

(37) Suction device 3 also comprises a drive device for its four wheels 5, where the drive device, like in the case of power supply device 2, comprises a microcontroller 17 and four electric motors 16. Control signals for the drive device of suction device 3 originate from control unit 18 which is arranged in power supply device 2. The signals are transmitted via a communication line 19 which can be arranged, for example, in the power supply cable. Alternatively, however, this signal transmission could also be effected wirelessly.

(38) Motorized fan unit 9 is also controlled by microcontroller 17, where corresponding control signals are sent from control unit 18 of power supply device 2 to suction device 3.

(39) Power and voltage supply of suction device 3 is effected via rechargeable battery 20 of power supply device 2. For this purpose, a line 20 is provided which is arranged in a power supply cable between power supply device 2 and suction device 3.

(40) It is in the embodiments described in fact possible, but not necessary, that a brush roller (for example, a beating brush and/or a rotating brush) is provided on or in the floor nozzle.