Automated sink cleaning device

Abstract

An automated sink cleaning device, a body 1 having plurality of chambers 2, the chambers 2 accommodates different fluids, a telescopically arranged brushing unit 5 for cleaning the sink, the nozzles 3 dispenses required amount of one of the fluids on the sink, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera 6 for capturing images of the sink, the microcontroller generates a command to actuate the nozzle 3, a telescopic gripper 4 for holding and placing a strainer present in the sink in a reservoir 8, the reservoir 8 stores mixture of baking soda and vinegar, an Infrared (IR) sensor 9 for measuring distance between the body 1 and the sink, the microcontroller generates a command for regulating movement of the gripper 4, a petlier unit for maintaining temperature within the compartment 7, the compartment 7 stores ice cubes, and an electric nose 10 for sensing odor emerging from the sink.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to cleaning devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automated sink cleaning device that efficiently cleans the entire sink along with the strainer thereby eliminating the growth of microbes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Nowadays, kitchen design is one of the important things to be considered while interior designing. Kitchen design reflects the taste and lifestyle of an individual. Many modern elements such as sink have been placed in the kitchen for the designing purpose. The right type of sink should not only suit the design but also should be durable.

[0003] Due to its damp warm area, kitchen sinks are a perfect breeding ground for the growth of the bacteria. Thus, it is necessary to clean the sink periodically in order to keep it free from germs and other bacteria. Generally, the sinks are manually cleaned and rinsed using vinegar and baking soda followed by the treatment of the antibacterial soap. However, cleaning the sink manually requires a lot of effort and time.

[0004] US20070011806A1 discloses a self-cleaning sink having a multitude of spray nozzles (8), plumbed into an internal water jacket (6), source water from the user activated tap water source (24). The water is directed through the internal water jacket (6) and into the spray nozzles (8). The spray nozzles (8) then spray the water at a downward angle into the sink therefore cleaning its interior.

[0005] US7051400B1 discloses a cleaning apparatus for use with a double basin kitchen sink includes first and second shells pivotally attached to one another to form a portable housing. Each shell defines a plurality of recesses configured tohold cleaning attachments. A vacuum motor is operably mounted in one shell, and the other shell defines an internal soap mixing basin. The shells are configured to be placed over the sink when in an open position. This allows access to drain pipes and water faucets for either dry or wet cleaning. Transportation of the housing during cleaning is also eliminated.

[0006] Conventionally, many devices and technologies have been developed for cleaning the sink. However, such devices need to be handled manually which consumes effort and time of the individual. Also, the individual while cleaning the sink has the risk of getting infected by the germs.

[0007] In order to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, there is a need to develop a device that automatically cleans the device in order to eliminate the risk of getting infected and saves a lots of time and energy.OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to develop a device that efficiently cleans the sink by eliminating time and energy wastage during the regular cleaning process of the sink.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to device that automatically cleans the sink thereby eliminating the manual efforts required to clean.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to develop a device that eliminates the odor emerging from the sink.

[0012] Yet another object of the present invention is to develop a device thatprovides effective treatment to clean the strainer in the sink.

[0013] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention relates to a device that automatically cleans the sink along with the strainer without requiring any manual efforts of a user thereby saving energy and time of the user.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an automated sink cleaning device, comprising, a body having multiple chambers, wherein the chambers accommodates different fluids such as cleaning agent, baking soda, and water, a telescopically arranged brushing unit in continuation with a nozzle contrived on each of the chambers to clean the sink, wherein the nozzles dispenses required amount of one of the fluids on the sink, a pump preferably a hydraulic pump is positioned within the chambers to pump the fluid to the nozzle via hoses, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera equipped with a microcontroller mounted on the body to capture images of the sink, wherein the microcontroller on processing the captured images generates a command for actuating the nozzle for dispensing one of the fluid in case amount of dirt on the sink exceeds threshold value,

[0016] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a telescopic gripper embedded with the body to hold and place a strainer present in the sink in a reservoir, wherein the reservoir stores mixture of baking soda and vinegar, an Infrared (IR) sensor functionally coupled the microcontroller placed on the body to measure distance between the body and the sink, wherein the microcontroller on processing the data acquired from the camera and sensor generates a commandto regulate movement of the gripper, a petlier unit is fabricated within a compartment positioned with the body to maintain temperature within the compartment, wherein the compartment stores ice cubes, and an electric nose association with the microcontroller fabricated on the body to sense odor emerging from the sink, wherein the controller on processing data generate a command to the gripper to place the ice in the sink to absorb odor, a ball socket joint is attached to the camera, brushing unit and nozzle to enable rotation of the camera, brushing unit and nozzle at an appropriate angle, a battery interconnected with a button to supply an external power supply to the device

[0017] While the invention has been described and shown with particular reference to the preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that variations might be possible that would fall within the scope of the present invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 illustrates an automated sink cleaning device.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments but that the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is tocover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0020] In any embodiment described herein, the open-ended terms "comprising," "comprises," and the like (which are synonymous with "including," "having" and "characterized by") may be replaced by the respective partially closed phrases "consisting essentially of," consists essentially of," and the like or the respective closed phrases "consisting of," "consists of, the like.

[0021] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.

[0022] The present invention relates to an automated sink cleaning device that effectively cleans the sink along with the strainer for inhibiting the growth of the microbes. The device developed herein also suppresses the odor that emerged in the sink.

[0023] Referring to Figure 1, an automated sink cleaning device comprises of a body 1 having multiple chambers 2, a telescopically arranged brushing unit 5 in continuation with a nozzle 3 contrived on each of the chambers 2, a pump is positioned within the chambers 2, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera 6 equipped with a microcontroller mounted on the body 1, a telescopic gripper 4 embedded with the body 1, an Infrared (TR) sensor 9 functionally coupled the microcontroller placed on the body 1, a petlier unit is fabricated within a compartment 7 positioned with the body 1, an electric nose 10 association with the microcontroller fabricated on the body 1, a ball socket joint is attached to the camera 6, brushing unit 5 and nozzle 3, a battery interconnected with a button

[0024] The body 1 is developed in a manner for cleaning the sink. The body 1 possesses multiple chambers 2 that accommodate different fluids. The fluids used herein includes but not limited cleaning agent, baking soda and water. The fluidsare dispensed on the sink via the nozzles 3. The pump preferably a hydraulic pump is incorporated within each of the chambers 2 for pumping the fluid to the nozzle 3 via hoses

[0025] Followed by dispensing, the sink is cleaned by the brushing unit 5. The nozzles 3 are activated by the Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera 6. The camera 6 used herein captures the images of the sink and also detects whether an individual is present in the proximity to the sink. The captured images are sent to the microcontroller for further processing.

[0026] The AI camera 6 performs image processing tasks in order to retrieve desired data. The image processing is done in various steps. At first pre-processing of the captured image is done, pre-processing of the image is done to improve the data of the image by suppressing the unwanted distortions and also enhancing some image features that are essential for further processing. Once the image is pre-processed a morphological processing is done. In the morphological processing the useful image or component of the image that is useful is extracted.

[0027] Further, the microcontroller on processing the captured images generates to dispense the fluid one at a time over the sink in case the amount of dirt on the sink exceeds the threshold value. Firstly, water is dispensed out from the first chamber 2 for rinsing the sink. Followed by water, the cleaning agent is dispensed from the chamber 2, then the brushing unit 5 is activated for scrubbing purposes. Lastly, water is dispensed over the sink to remove the cleaning agent from the sink. The cleaning agent used herein is antibacterial cleaning agent, antifungal cleaning agent, and alike.

[0028] The microcontroller used herein is preferably an ATmega2560 microcontroller. The Arduino MEGA 2560 is designed for inventions that require more I / O lines, more sketch memory and more RAM. With 54 digital I / O pins, 16 analog inputs and a larger space for the sketch. The Arduino Mega provides theflexibility of working with more memory space and processing the power that allows it to work with a number of sensors at once.

[0029] The reservoir 8 containing a mixture of baking soda and vinegar is constructed within the body 1. The strainer is removed from the sink and placed in the reservoir 8 for cleaning purposes. The strainer is held and placed in the reservoir 8 using the telescopic gripper 4. The movement of the telescopic gripper 4 is regulated by the IR sensor 9.

[0030] The IR sensor 9 used herein emits infrared radiation by a light-emitting diode which is detected by a photodiode. When IR light falls on the photodiode, the resistances and the output voltages will change in proportion to the magnitude of the IR light received.

[0031] Based on the intensity of the reception by the IR receiver, the output of the sensor 9 are further standardized and processed by the microcontroller. The microcontroller on processing the monitored signals from the sensor 9 and camera 6 generates a command to move the telescopic gripper 4 according to the distance measured between the gripper 4 and strainer. The camera 6 used herein detects the dirt present on the strainer.

[0032] The body 1 comprises of the compartment 7 containing ice cubes. The compartment 7 containing ice cubes is crafted with petlier unit in order to avoid melting of the ice cube. The petlier unit used herein maintains the temperature below the ambient temperature.

[0033] Additionally, the electric nose 10 is contrived on the body 1 for sensing odor emerging from the sink. In case the odor exceeds the threshold value then the microcontroller generates a command to the gripper 4 for placing the ice from the chamber 2 in the sink. Also, the baking soda is dispensed on the ice for absorbing the odor emerging from the sink.

[0034] The ball socket joint is connected to the camera 6, brushing unit 5 and nozzle 3 for enabling rotation of the camera 6, brushing unit 5 and nozzle 3 at an appropriate angle. The battery is interconnected with a button for supplying an external power supply to the device. The battery is preferably a rechargeable battery of a voltage range from 1 V to 1.5 V preferably of battery size A.

[0035] According to an alternative embodiment, the suction unit is incorporated on the body 1 for vacuum drying the sink after rinsing with water.

[0036] Although the field of the invention has been described herein with limited reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternate embodiments of the invention, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention.

Claims

1. An automated sink cleaning device, comprising: i) a body 1 having plurality of chambers 2, wherein said chambers 2 accommodates different fluids; ii) a telescopically arranged brushing unit 5 in association with a nozzle 3 fabricated on each of said chambers 2 for cleaning said sink, wherein said nozzles 3 dispenses required amount of one of said fluids on said sink; iii) an Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera 6 functionally coupled with a microcontroller assembled on said body 1 for capturing images of said sink, wherein said microcontroller on processing said captured images generates a command to actuate said nozzle 3 to dispense one of said fluid in case amount of dirt on said sink exceeds threshold value; iv) a telescopic gripper 4 incorporated with said body 1 for holding and placing a strainer present in said sink in a reservoir 8, wherein said reservoir 8 stores mixture of baking soda and vinegar; v) an Infrared (IR) sensor 9 in association with said microcontroller installed on said body 1 for measuring distance between said body 1 and said sink, wherein said microcontroller on processing said data acquired from said camera 6 and sensor 9 generates a command for regulating movement of said gripper 4; vi) a petlier unit is crafted within a compartment 7 positioned with said body 1 for maintaining temperature within said compartment 7, wherein said compartment 7 stores ice cubes; and vii) an electric nose 10 configured with said microcontroller contrived on said body 1 for sensing odor emerging from said sink, wherein said controller on processing data generate a command to said gripper 4 for placing said ice in said sink for absorbing odor.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pump preferably a hydraulic pump is installed within said chambers 2 for pumping said fluid to said nozzle 3 via hoses.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fluids may include but not limited to cleaning agent, baking soda, and water.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ball socket joint is connected to said camera 6, brushing unit 5 and nozzle 3 for enabling rotation of said camera 6, brushing unit 5 and nozzle 3 at an appropriate angle.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a battery interlinked with a button for supplying an external power supply to said device.