Floor cleaning device and control method thereof

Abstract

A floor cleaning device and a control method thereof, the floor cleaning device comprising a cleaning machine, a sensing module and a control module. The sensing module comprises a magnetic part installed on the wheel body of the cleaning machine, and two Hall sensors arranged on the cleaning machine at intervals along the circumference of the wheel body. The Hall sensor can sense the change in the magnetic field when the magnetic part is displaced and passes through, and generate a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal respectively. The control module signal connects the cleaning machine and the sensing module, and can adjust the operating power of the cleaning machine accordingly according to the signal timing combination of any two sensing signals continuously received within the judgment time T. Through the above design, the floor cleaning device of the present invention can automatically determine the mode of operation and use, and automatically switch to start the corresponding operation mode, which is very convenient and practical, and helps to save energy consumption and improve the running time of the whole machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device, in particular to a device for cleaning floors and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Handheld floor cleaning devices are now common household appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, mops, and floor scrubbers. With advancements in battery technology, these floor cleaning devices are now becoming cordless, allowing users to use them anywhere, without the constraints and interference of power cords.

[0003] However, current floor cleaning devices are typically designed to operate at a fixed power level upon startup. Users must adjust the power level via on-board controls, making it inconvenient. Furthermore, due to the limited battery capacity, operating at a fixed power level can result in some energy being wasted, shortening battery life and wasting energy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a floor cleaning device that ameliorates at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0005] Therefore, the floor cleaning device of the present invention includes a cleaning machine that can be operated to clean the floor, a wheel installed on the cleaning machine and driven by the cleaning machine to roll on the floor, a sensing module and a control module.

[0006] The sensing module includes at least one magnetic part arranged on the wheel body, and a first Hall sensor and a second Hall sensor arranged on the cleaning machine at intervals along the circumference of the wheel body. The first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor can sense the changes in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic part driven by the wheel body to rotate. The first Hall sensor will correspondingly generate a first sensing signal, and the second Hall sensor will correspondingly generate a second sensing signal; the control module signal connects the cleaning machine and the sensing module, and can adjust the operating power of the cleaning machine accordingly based on the signal timing combination of any two sensing signals continuously received within the judgment time.

[0007] In the floor cleaning device described in the present invention, the control module analyzes the signal timing combination to obtain the travel speed of the wheel body. If the travel speed is within the normal speed range, the cleaning machine is controlled to operate at a first power; if the travel speed is greater than the normal speed range, the cleaning machine is controlled to operate at a second power that is less than the first power.

[0008] In the floor cleaning device described in the present invention, the control module analyzes the signal timing combination to obtain the moving direction of the wheel body. If the wheel body moves backward or repeatedly within a predetermined distance, the cleaning machine is controlled to operate at a third power greater than the first power.

[0009] In the floor cleaning device described in the present invention, when the second sensing signal appears earlier than the first sensing signal within the judgment time T, the control module determines it as backward movement; when the first sensing signal or the second sensing signal appears continuously, the control module determines it as repeated movement.

[0010] In the floor cleaning device of the present invention, when the cleaning machine operates at the third power, if the wheel moves forward within the predetermined distance, the cleaning machine is controlled to resume operating at the first power.

[0011] In the floor cleaning device of the present invention, when the first sensing signal appears earlier than the second sensing signal within the determination time T, the control module determines that the device is moving forward.

[0012] In the floor cleaning device of the present invention, the sensing module includes a plurality of magnetic members evenly spaced along the periphery of the wheel body.

[0013] In the floor cleaning device of the present invention, the angle between the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor relative to the axis of the wheel body is smaller than the angle between any two adjacent magnetic parts relative to the axis of the wheel body.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a floor cleaning device that can improve at least one disadvantage of the prior art.

[0015] Therefore, the control method of the floor cleaning device of the present invention includes the steps of sensing and determining the operation and use mode of the floor cleaning device, and regulating the operating power. The method is characterized in that: in the step of sensing and determining the operation and use mode of the floor cleaning device, when the floor cleaning device moves, a first Hall effect sensor and a second Hall effect sensor installed on the cleaning machine at intervals along the circumference of the wheel body respectively sense the changes in the magnetic field generated when the magnetic member installed on the wheel body rotates and displaces, and generate a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal respectively; in the step of regulating the operating power, a control module installed on the cleaning machine correspondingly regulates the operating power of the cleaning machine according to the signal timing combination of any two sensing signals continuously received within the judgment time.

[0016] The control method of the floor cleaning device described in the present invention is to set a plurality of magnetic parts on the periphery of the wheel body and distribute them evenly along the periphery of the wheel body, and the angle between the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor relative to the axis of the wheel body is smaller than the angle between any two adjacent magnetic parts relative to the axis of the wheel body.

[0017] The effectiveness of the present invention lies in that: through the above design, the floor cleaning device of the present invention can automatically determine the mode of operation and automatically switch to start the corresponding operating mode, which is very convenient and practical, and helps to save energy and increase the running time of the entire machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Other features and effects of the present invention will be more clearly seen in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view illustrating one embodiment of the floor cleaning device of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the architecture of this embodiment;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a signal pattern diagram illustrating the timing of sensing signals generated by a first Hall effect sensor and a second Hall effect sensor when a cleaning machine drives a wheel body to continuously roll forward;

[0022] Figure 4 is similar Figure 3 , illustrating a timing sequence of sensing signals generated by the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor when the cleaning machine drives the wheel body to continuously roll backward;

[0023] Figure 5 is a signal pattern diagram illustrating the timing of sensing signals generated by the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor when the cleaning machine drives the wheel body to repeatedly roll back and forth within a predetermined distance;

[0024] Figure 6 is similar Figure 5 , illustrating a timing sequence of sensing signals generated by the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor when the cleaning machine drives the wheel body to repeatedly roll back and forth within a predetermined distance;

[0025] Figure 7 is similar Figure 5 , illustrating a timing sequence of sensing signals generated by the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor when the cleaning machine drives the wheel body to repeatedly roll back and forth within a predetermined distance;

[0026] Figure 8 is similar Figure 5 , illustrating a timing sequence of sensing signals generated by the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor when the cleaning machine drives the wheel body to repeatedly roll back and forth within a predetermined distance;

[0027] Figure 9 is similar Figure 5 , illustrating a timing sequence of sensing signals generated by the first Hall effect sensor and the second Hall effect sensor when the cleaning machine drives the wheel body to repeatedly roll back and forth within a predetermined distance that is greater than the circumference of one wheel but less than the circumference of two wheels;

[0028] Figure 10 is similar Figure 5 , illustrating another sensing signal timing sequence generated by the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor when the cleaning machine drives the wheel body to repeatedly roll back and forth within a predetermined distance that is greater than the circumference of one wheel but less than the circumference of two wheels. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] See Figure 1 、 2 An embodiment of the floor cleaning device 200 of the present invention is suitable for performing floor cleaning processes such as, but not limited to, vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing.

[0030] The floor cleaning device 200 includes a cleaning platform 3 that can be pushed or pulled forward and backward by a user to clean the floor, a wheel 4 mounted on the cleaning platform 3 and rolling against the floor, and a sensor module 5 and a control module 6 mounted on the cleaning platform 3. In this embodiment, the cleaning platform 3 is equipped with two wheels 4 spaced apart from each other (only one is shown in the figure), but the number of wheels 4 is not limited thereto.

[0031] The cleaning machine 3 is equipped with a motor module 31, which is controlled by the control module 6, and a cleaning module 32, which is driven by the motor module 31 to perform dust extraction, rotary mopping, and / or floor scrubbing. When the cleaning machine 3 is pushed or pulled back and forth by the user, it drives the wheels 4 to roll back and forth along the floor, causing them to move forward. Because there are many types of cleaning machines 3, and their cleaning functions are not the focus of the present invention, they will not be described in detail, and implementation is not limited to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0032] The sensing module 5 includes a magnetic member 51 mounted on one of the wheels 4, and a first Hall effect sensor 52 and a second Hall effect sensor 53 mounted on the cleaning machine 3. The first Hall effect sensor 52 and the second Hall effect sensor 53 are sequentially spaced apart along the circumference of the wheel 4 where the magnetic member 51 is mounted.

[0033] The magnetic member 51 can be driven by the rotation of the wheel 4 and sequentially rotates and moves past the first Hall effect sensor 52 and the second Hall effect sensor 53. The first Hall effect sensor 52 can sense the changes in the magnetic field generated by the displacement of the magnetic member 51 and generate a first sensing signal, such as a low-level signal. The second Hall effect sensor 53 can sense the changes in the magnetic field generated by the displacement of the magnetic member 51 and generate a second sensing signal, such as a low-level signal.

[0034] In this embodiment, any Hall sensor can sense and generate a sensing signal (low-level signal) every 20 msec, so it can sense and generate fifty level changes in one second. However, in practice, the sensing response time of the Hall sensor is not limited to this.

[0035] The control module 6, signal-connected to the cleaning machine 3 and the sensing module 5, has built-in first, second, and third operating modes. The control module 6 analyzes a signal timing combination consisting of any two sensing signals generated consecutively by the sensing module 5 within a determination time T, switches to the corresponding operating mode, and adjusts the operating power of the cleaning machine 3, and thus the operating power of the motor module 31, based on the determined operating mode. The determination time T is, for example, but not limited to, 0.5 seconds, 1 second, or 2 seconds.

[0036] When the control module 6 switches to the first operating mode, it controls the cleaning machine 3 to operate at a first power. When the control module 6 switches to the second operating mode, it controls the cleaning machine 3 to operate at a second power that is lower than the first power. When the control module 6 switches to the third operating mode, it controls the cleaning machine 3 to operate at a third power that is higher than the first power.

[0037] An embodiment of a method for controlling a floor cleaning device of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0038] Step 901: Sense and determine the operating mode of the floor cleaning device. When the cleaning device 3 is pushed or pulled forward or backward, the wheel 4 is driven to rotate relative to the floor, causing the wheel 4 to roll over the floor. The wheel 4 drives the magnetic element 51 to rotate and displace past the first Hall effect sensor 52 and the second Hall effect sensor 53, causing the first Hall effect sensor 52 and the second Hall effect sensor 53 to sense and generate the first and second sensing signals, respectively. This means that there is a time difference between the first and second sensing signals.

[0039] For the convenience of description, the first sensing signal is denoted by symbol “A” and the second sensing signal is denoted by symbol “B”.

[0040] See Figure 1 、3 4. When the cleaning machine 3 is continuously pushed forward or pulled backward, the wheel 4 will continuously roll forward in the direction of arrow 901 or backward in the direction of arrow 902. Therefore, the sensing module 5 will generate the signal timing combination of "A, B", "A, B" or "B, A", "B, A" for several consecutive determination times T. When the first sensing signal A appears before the second sensing signal B, the control module 6 determines that the machine is moving forward; when the second sensing signal B appears before the first sensing signal A, the control module 6 determines that the machine is moving backward.

[0041] See Figure 1 、 5 , 6, 7, 8, when the cleaning machine 3 is repeatedly pushed and pulled back and forth in place, the wheel body 4 will repeatedly roll back and forth within a predetermined distance. When the predetermined distance is less than the circumference of the wheel body 4, the sensing module 5 will generate the following signal timing groups:

[0042] (1) Figure 5 As shown, the wheel body 4 is first rolled backward in the direction of arrow 902, causing the magnetic member 51 to pass through the second Hall sensor 53 and the first Hall sensor 52 in succession. The wheel body 4 is then rolled forward in the direction of arrow 901, causing the magnetic member 51 to pass through the first Hall sensor 52 and the second Hall sensor 53 in succession. The wheel body 4 is then reversed again. The sensing module 5 generates two signal timing combinations of "B, A" and "A, B" at two consecutive judgment times T, respectively.

[0043] (2) Figure 6 As shown, the wheel body 4 is first rolled forward in the direction of arrow 901, causing the magnetic member 51 to pass through the first Hall sensor 52 and the second Hall sensor 53 in succession. The wheel body 4 is then rolled backward in the direction of arrow 902, causing the magnetic member 51 to pass through the second Hall sensor 53 and the first Hall sensor 52 in succession. The wheel body 4 is then reversed again. The sensing module 5 generates two signal timing combinations of "A, B" and "B, A" at two consecutive determination times T, respectively.

[0044] (3) Figure 7 As shown, the wheel body 4 first rolls forward in the direction of arrow 901, causing the magnetic member 51 to pass through the first Hall sensor 52. Then, without passing through the second Hall sensor 53, the wheel body 4 immediately reverses and moves backward in the direction of arrow 902, causing the magnetic member 51 to pass through the first Hall sensor 52 again and then immediately reverses again. The sensing module 5 generates two signal timing combinations of "A, A" and "A, A" at two consecutive judgment times T, respectively; and

[0045] (4) Figure 8 As shown, the wheel body 4 first rolls backward along the direction of arrow 902, so that the magnetic member 51 passes the second Hall sensor 53, and then, without passing the first Hall sensor 52, the wheel body 4 immediately reverses forward along the direction of arrow 901, so that the magnetic member 51 passes the second Hall sensor 53 again, and then immediately reverses again. The sensing module 5 will generate two signal timing combinations of "B, B" and "B, B" at the two previous and next judgment times T respectively.

[0046] See Figure 1 、 9 , 10. When the predetermined distance is greater than the circumference of one wheel but less than the circumference of two wheels, the sensing module 5 will generate two signal timing combinations of "A, B" and "A, A" at the two preceding and following judgment times T, or generate two signal timing combinations of "B, A" and "B, B".

[0047] Step 902 : Regulating the operating power: After determining the usage mode of the cleaning machine 3 , the control module 6 regulates the operating power of the cleaning machine 3 accordingly.

[0048] The control module 6 analyzes the signal timing combination formed by any two sensing signals continuously generated by the sensing module 5 during the determination time T, and accordingly adjusts the operating power of the cleaning machine 3 .

[0049] When the control module 6 analyzes the occurrence of the signal timing combination "A, B," which indicates that the cleaning machine 3 is moving forward, it further calculates the rotational speed of the wheel 4 based on the time difference between the two sensing signals "A" and "B" in the signal timing combination, as well as the distance the magnetic member 51 is moved from the first Hall effect sensor 52 to the second Hall effect sensor 53 by the wheel 4, thereby obtaining the travel speed of the cleaning machine 3. If the travel speed is determined to be within a normal speed range, the first operating mode is activated. If the travel speed is determined to be greater than the normal speed range, the second operating mode is activated.

[0050] In this embodiment, the forward movement is the signal timing combination "A, B". Preferably, the forward movement is the signal timing combination "A, B" appearing more than twice in succession.

[0051] The control module 6 switches to start the third operation mode when analyzing the signal timing combinations of "B, A", "B, B" and "A, A".

[0052] When the floor cleaning device 200 of the present invention is in use, the control module 6 will, when the power of the cleaning machine 3 is turned on, preset the second operating mode and control the cleaning machine 3 to operate at the second power. It will then begin analyzing the signal timing combination consisting of any two sensing signals "A" and "B" generated by the sensing module 5 within the determination time T.

[0053] When the signal timing combination is determined to be "A, B" representing the forward movement of the cleaning machine 3, the speed of the cleaning machine 3 is further analyzed. If the speed is within the normal speed range, it indicates that the user may be performing daily floor cleaning and the floor cleanliness is moderate. In this case, the first operating mode is activated and the cleaning machine 3 is controlled to operate at the first power. If the speed is determined to be greater than the normal speed, it indicates that the user may feel that the floor is only slightly dusty and requires quick treatment. In this case, the cleaning machine 3 is controlled to operate at the second power, the minimum power, to save electricity.

[0054] When the signal timing combination indicates that the cleaning machine 3 is moving in a different direction than forward, such as "B, A" indicating backward movement, "B, B" or "A, A" indicating repeated forward and backward movement, the user may consider that the floor area is relatively dirty and requires repeated cleaning. The control module 6 will then switch to the third operating mode and control the cleaning machine 3 to operate at the third power level, which is the highest power level, to improve cleaning efficiency.

[0055] In this embodiment, the sensing module 5 is only provided with one magnetic member 51 on the corresponding wheel body 4. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, multiple magnetic members 51 may be arranged at intervals along the periphery of the wheel body 4, such as two magnetic members 51, three magnetic members 51, or four magnetic members 51. The magnetic members 51 are arranged at equal angles along the periphery of the wheel body 4, thereby further improving the accuracy of the control module 6 in determining the operating mode. When multiple magnetic members 51 are provided, the angle between the first Hall sensor 52 and the second Hall sensor 53 relative to the axis of the wheel body 4 is less than the angle between any two adjacent magnetic members 51 relative to the axis of the wheel body 4. Similarly, the accuracy of signal acquisition and the accuracy of the control module 6 in determining the operating mode can be improved by increasing the number of Hall sensors.

[0056] In summary, through the design of the sensing module 5 and the control module 6 disposed on the cleaning machine 3 and the wheel body 4, when the floor cleaning device 200 of the present invention is in use, the sensing module 5 can automatically analyze the signal timing combination generated by the sensing module 5 to determine the operating mode of the cleaning machine 3 and automatically switch to the corresponding first operating mode, the second operating mode, or the third operating mode, thereby controlling the cleaning machine 3 to operate at the power corresponding to the current operating mode. The user no longer needs to manually adjust the operating power of the cleaning machine 3, which helps save energy and increase the operating time of the entire machine. Therefore, the floor cleaning device 200 of the present invention is quite innovative, convenient and practical, and can truly achieve the purpose of the present invention.

[0057] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and description of the present invention still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning device comprising a cleaning platform that can be pushed and pulled forward and backward by a user to clean a floor, and a wheel mounted on the cleaning platform and driven by the cleaning platform to roll along the floor, characterized in that: The floor cleaning device further includes a sensing module and a control module; The sensing module includes at least one magnetic member disposed on the wheel body, and a first Hall sensor and a second Hall sensor disposed on the cleaning machine at intervals along the circumference of the wheel body. The first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor can sense changes in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic member when the wheel body rotates past. The first Hall sensor generates a first sensing signal in response, and the second Hall sensor generates a second sensing signal in response. The control module signal connects the cleaning machine and the sensing module, and can adjust the operating power of the cleaning machine accordingly according to the signal timing combination of any two sensing signals received continuously within the judgment time T; The control module analyzes the signal timing combination to obtain the travel speed of the wheel body, and controls the cleaning machine to operate at a first power if the travel speed is within a normal speed range; and controls the cleaning machine to operate at a second power that is less than the first power if the travel speed is greater than the normal speed range; The control module analyzes the signal timing combination to obtain the moving direction of the wheel body, and controls the cleaning machine to operate at a third power greater than the first power if the wheel body moves backward or repeatedly within a predetermined distance.

2. The floor cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the second sensing signal appears earlier than the first sensing signal within the determination time T, the control module determines that the vehicle is moving backward; when the first sensing signal or the second sensing signal appears continuously, the control module determines that the vehicle is moving repeatedly.

3. The floor cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the cleaning machine operates at the third power, if the wheel moves forward within the predetermined distance, the cleaning machine is controlled to resume operating at the first power.

4. The floor cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the first sensing signal appears earlier than the second sensing signal within the determination time T, the control module determines that the vehicle is moving forward.

5. The floor cleaning device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The sensing module includes a plurality of magnetic members evenly distributed along the circumference of the wheel body.

6. The floor cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: An included angle between the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor relative to the wheel axis is smaller than an included angle between any two adjacent magnetic members relative to the wheel axis.

7. A method for controlling a floor cleaning device, the floor cleaning device comprising a cleaning platform that can be pushed and pulled forward and backward by a user to clean a floor. The method comprises the steps of sensing and determining the operating mode of the floor cleaning device and regulating operating power, and is characterized by: In the step of sensing and determining the operating mode of the floor cleaning device, when the floor cleaning device is moving, a first Hall effect sensor and a second Hall effect sensor, which are sequentially spaced along the circumference of the wheel and mounted on the cleaning machine, respectively sense changes in the magnetic field generated by the rotational displacement of a magnetic member mounted on the wheel, and generate a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal, respectively. In the step of adjusting the operating power, the control module installed in the cleaning machine adjusts the operating power of the cleaning machine accordingly according to the signal timing combination of any two sensing signals continuously received within the judgment time T; Analyzing the signal timing combination to obtain a travel speed of the wheel body, and if the travel speed is within a normal speed range, controlling the cleaning machine to operate at a first power; if the travel speed is greater than the normal speed range, controlling the cleaning machine to operate at a second power that is less than the first power; The signal timing combination is analyzed to obtain the moving direction of the wheel body. If the wheel body moves backward or repeatedly within a predetermined distance, the cleaning machine is controlled to operate at a third power greater than the first power.

8. The control method of the floor cleaning device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A plurality of magnetic members are arranged on the periphery of the wheel body and are evenly spaced along the periphery of the wheel body. The angle between the first Hall sensor and the second Hall sensor relative to the axis of the wheel body is smaller than the angle between any two adjacent magnetic members relative to the axis of the wheel body.

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