Cleaning robot with a recess on the housing front and method for controlling the cleaning robot

Abstract

A cleaning robot 1 for cleaning a cleaning area is proposed, comprising a housing 2, a drive unit 3 for driving the cleaning robot 1 in the cleaning area, wherein the drive unit 3 has at least one drive means 6a arranged on an underside 10 of the housing 2, a floor cleaning unit 4 for cleaning a floor surface 5 of the cleaning area, wherein the floor cleaning unit 4 has at least one cleaning agent 8 arranged on the underside 10, and a control unit 11 for controlling the drive unit 3 and the floor cleaning unit 4, wherein the control unit 11 is designed to carry out a predetermined driving maneuver for driving around the support leg 12 when the cleaning robot 1 approaches a support leg 12 located in the cleaning area, wherein the housing 2 has a recess 14 for receiving the driveable support leg 12 during the driving maneuver.wherein the recess 14 is arranged in a direction of travel 102 in front of the cleaning agent 8 on a housing front 13 of the housing 2, so that the support leg 12 receivable in the recess 14 forms a center of rotation 103 of the cleaning robot 1 during the driving maneuver.

Description

The invention relates to a cleaning robot for cleaning a cleaning area with the features of the preamble of claim 1.Self-propelled cleaning robots are known which serve for cleaning, in particular for sucking and / or wiping, a planar floor covering. For this purpose, they are intended to autonomously sweep over the entire floor surface as far as possible and also to clean regions close to the wall and regions around smaller objects such as chair legs and table legs. For this purpose, cleaning robots with a side brush are known, which are guided around the circumference of smaller obstacles, such as chair legs, in order to clean the floor area.EP 2 986 193 A1 discloses a robot cleaner apparatus comprising a main body; at least one drive wheel arranged to move the robot cleaner apparatus over a surface to be cleaned; a driving device arranged to control the at least one drive wheel to rotate to move the robot cleaner apparatus over the surface to be cleaned; a control device arranged to control the driving device to move the robot cleaner apparatus over the surface to be cleaned in accordance with navigation information; a cleaning member disposed at a lower side of the main body to remove contaminants from the surface to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning member is disposed in a front end portion of the main body, and the main body includes a horizontally protruding member at the front end portion, on which a brush is disposed, wherein a notch is disposed in the front end portion of the main body adjacent to the protruding member.The object of the invention is to create a robot cleaner which is distinguished by simple and improved cleaning of a floor surface when driving around support legs within a cleaning region.The object is achieved by a cleaning robot according to patent claim 1 and a method according to patent claim 13. Preferred or advantageous embodiments of the invention and other categories of invention are evident from the further claims, the following description and the appended figures.The invention relates to a cleaning robot which is designed and / or suitable for cleaning a cleaning region. A cleaning robot is a cleaning appliance which is capable of moving automatically or autonomously in a cleaning region in order to fully or partially clean one or more surfaces to be cleaned in the cleaning region. In particular, a cleaning area is to be understood as an area delimited and / or enclosed in a building, preferably one or more rooms connected to one another.The robot cleaner includes a housing, a driving unit, and a floor cleaning unit. The housing is to be understood in particular as the outer housing of the cleaning robot, which closes off the cleaning robot from the outside. The interior of the housing is thus located in the interior of the cleaning robot. In other words, at least the drive unit and the floor cleaning unit are accommodated or arranged in the housing. Preferably, the housing has a substantially D-shape in a plan view. Alternatively, however, the housing can also have a round shape.The drive unit serves to drive the cleaning robot in the cleaning region. For this purpose, the drive unit can be designed as a wheel or track drive. The drive unit has at least or exactly one drive means arranged on an underside of the housing. In particular, the drive unit has an electric drive motor which is coupled in terms of drive technology to the at least one drive means for moving the cleaning robot. Preferably, the drive means acts directly on the underlying surface to be cleaned, preferably a floor surface, of the cleaning region in order to move the cleaning robot. The drive means can be designed as a wheel, a roller or a ball to form the wheel drive. Alternatively, the drive means for forming the track drive can be designed as a chain or a belt.The floor cleaning unit serves for cleaning the floor surface of the cleaning region. For this purpose, the floor cleaning unit can be designed as a wet and / or dry cleaning unit. The floor cleaning unit has at least or exactly one cleaning agent arranged on an underside of the housing. In particular, the cleaning agent faces the floor surface to be cleaned on the underside of the housing. The cleaning agent can be designed as a suction mouth. The suction mouth can be connected to a suction fan via a suction channel arranged in the housing in order to suck air through the suction channel and the suction mouth. The suction fan can be designed as a wet suction device and / or a dry suction device. Alternatively, the cleaning agent or optionally additionally a further cleaning agent can be configured as one or more fixed or driven brushes, rollers, wipers, wipes or the like.The cleaning robot has a control unit which is designed and / or suitable for controlling the drive unit and the floor cleaning unit. In particular, the control unit is configured to perform navigation and / or control of the cleaning robot in the cleaning area on the basis of surroundings and sensor data. The control unit may control the driving unit and the floor cleaning unit to systematically guide the cleaning robot over the floor surface and clean the floor surface. The control unit is preferably accommodated or arranged in the housing and connected by signal technology to the drive unit and the floor cleaning unit.In addition, the control unit is designed to execute a predetermined driving maneuver for driving around the support leg when the cleaning robot is moved to a support leg. In particular, the cleaning robot travels around or encircles the support leg at least or exactly once during the driving maneuver. Specifically, this means that the cleaning robot encircles the support leg in an angular range of at least or exactly 360 degrees. In particular, the cleaning robot is designed to detect one or more support legs located in the cleaning area, to include them in an environment map and to integrate them in a cleaning sequence, wherein the driving maneuver forms part of the cleaning sequence. Within the scope of the application, a support leg is understood to mean both support legs of pieces of furniture, such as chair, table, cabinet, rack legs or the like, and of permanently installed room structures, such as e.g. stairs, room dividers, kitchen lines or the like. The support leg preferably has a round, in particular circular or oval, cross-sectional shape. Alternatively, however, the support leg can also have an angular, in particular polygonal, cross-sectional shape.Within the scope of the invention, it is proposed that the housing has a recess which is designed and / or suitable for receiving the support leg which can be moved round. The recess is arranged in front of the cleaning agent at a housing front of the housing in a direction of travel, in particular a forward direction of travel, so that the support leg receivable in the recess forms a center of rotation of the cleaning robot during the driving maneuver. Preferably, the cleaning robot is approached with the recess to the support leg in the course of the driving maneuver in the direction of travel and is subsequently guided around the center of rotation. In particular, the recess is formed in such a way that support legs with different diameters and / or different geometric shapes can be accommodated in the recess. For this purpose, the cutout preferably has a substantially concave shape in a plan view. Particularly preferably, the recess is open in the direction of travel and / or axially with respect to a housing longitudinal axis. Alternatively or optionally additionally, the recess is open in a transverse direction and / or axially with respect to a housing transverse axis. In particular, the recess has a constant opening cross section with respect to a housing vertical axis or in axial plan view. The housing front is to be understood as the part of the housing which forms the front side of the housing when traveling straight ahead. In the case of D-shaped cleaning robots, the housing front is substantially angular, in particular rectangular. In the case of round cleaning robots, on the other hand, the housing front is substantially curved.The invention is based on the finding that, in particular, round and D-shaped cleaning robots, which have a suction mouth stored far forward and wide, can generally clean well along edges and in corners, but a certain uncleaned region remains when surrounding support legs.Due to the front arrangement of the recess on the housing, the support leg can be approached in the direction of travel in a simple manner and partially surrounded during the driving maneuver, whereby a particularly simple or uncomplicated driving maneuver for surrounding and cleaning the support leg is proposed. In addition, the vacuum cleaning robot can easily clean the floor surface close to the edge around the chair leg. A simple and improved cleaning of support legs and their surroundings is thus achieved with a vacuum cleaning robot.In a concrete embodiment, it is provided that the recess is arranged at least in sections close to an active area of the cleaning agent. In particular, a wiping or sweeping movement and / or a suction air flow is generated in the active region, by means of which the dissolved dirt and / or dust particles are conveyed into a dust receiving space. In other words, the recess is arranged so close to the cleaning agent that any dirt and / or dust particles in a surrounding region of the support leg can be removed and / or sucked in. The recess can be arranged at a distance of less than 10 mm, preferably less than 5 mm, in particular less than 1 mm, from the cleaning agent. Alternatively, however, the recess can also be arranged overlapping or overlapping the cleaning agent and / or form a part of the cleaning agent. In particular, the cleaning agent is arranged eccentrically and / or offset with respect to a housing side of the housing. The invention is based on the finding that the cleaning agent is generally arranged in front and laterally in the case of D-shaped cleaning robots, so that a small distance, for example of approximately 1 cm, from walls is achieved. When surrounding support legs, however, the cleaning robot usually moves with its center (i.e. with the axis of the drive wheels) around the support leg, so that the front cleaning agent is at too great a distance from the support leg. The advantage of the invention is thus to arrange the recess and thus the center of rotation close to the cleaning agent when driving around the support leg, so that cleaning is made possible directly on the support leg. By fixing the center of rotation, i.e. the position of the recess directly on the cleaning agent, the distance between the cleaning agent and the chair leg and thus also the non-cleaned area around the latter is reduced.In a concrete embodiment, it is provided that the, in particular D-shaped, housing is composed of a circular section and a rectangular section, wherein the rectangular section defines the housing front in the direction of travel. Alternatively, a round housing can be formed substantially from the circular-shaped section, wherein the circular-shaped section defines the housing front in the direction of travel. Alternatively, a rectangular housing can be formed substantially from the rectangular section, wherein the rectangular section defines the housing front in the direction of travel. In other words, depending on the housing shape, the circular-shape section or the rectangular section optionally comprises the cutout. In particular, the rectangular section is to be understood as a shaped section oriented on a rectangle and the circular section is to be understood as a shaped section oriented on a semicircle or circle. Preferably, the rectangular section in the case of the D-shaped housing is attached to the circular section at the front in the direction of travel. The rectangular section preferably has two housing corners in the direction of travel, which can be angular, rounded, beveled or formed in a similar manner. Alternatively, the circular-shaped section has a radius, curvature, rounded portion or the like in the direction of travel. In particular, depending on the housing shape, the cleaning agent is arranged on the underside of the rectangular section or the circular section. A cleaning robot is proposed in which the recess can be arranged close to the cleaning agent in a simple manner. Thus, a cleaning robot is proposed which is distinguished by improved cleaning when the support leg is surrounded.In a first specification, it is provided that the recess is optionally arranged in an end face of the rectangular section or of the circular section, depending on the housing shape, wherein the recess is at least partially open in the direction of travel. In particular, the cleaning robot is approached to the support leg at the beginning of the driving maneuver in the direction of travel and is moved away from the support leg at the end of the driving maneuver counter to the direction of travel. Preferably, the recess is arranged eccentrically offset on the end face of the rectangular section (in the case of D-shaped housings) or of the circular section (in the case of round housings). The recess can be arranged between a housing center and a housing corner or housing side. In particular, the recess in the round housing is arranged in an angle range of more than 0° and less than + / - 90°, preferably more than + / - 15° and less than + / - 75°, in particular more than + / - 30° and less than + / - 60°, with respect to the direction of travel. In particular, the recess is arranged on one housing side and the at least one drive means is arranged in the housing center or on the other housing side of the housing. The more the recess is arranged in the direction of the housing center, the greater also the angle between the housing transverse axis and a connecting straight line between the rotational center and the at least one drive means. In particular, the recess is V- or U-shaped. Preferably, the support leg receivable in the recess has a smaller diameter and / or a smaller width than the recess. The end face extends substantially or in sections in a radial plane of the housing longitudinal axis. The end face can be formed as a straight or curved, in particular convex, end face. Due to the offset arrangement of the recess in the direction of the housing center, an additional installation space for a side brush can be created at the front housing corner. A further advantage is that the recess offset in the direction of the housing center also offsets the rotation center in the direction of the housing center, whereby the generally required circular area or the radius required by the cleaning robot during the travel around the support leg can be reduced.In an alternative concretization, it is provided that the cutout is arranged at a housing corner of the rectangular section. In particular, the cleaning robot is approached to the support leg at the beginning of the driving maneuver in the direction of travel and / or rotated laterally to the support leg and at the end of the driving maneuver moved away from the support leg counter to the direction of travel and / or rotated laterally away from the support leg. Preferably, the recess is open both in the direction of travel and also in the transverse direction. In particular, the recess is arranged at a housing corner lying obliquely opposite the at least one drive means. In particular, the recess is formed by a step-shaped or L-shaped cutout of the housing corner. Preferably, the support leg receivable in the recess has a smaller, equal or larger diameter and / or a smaller, equal or larger width than the recess. The recess at the front housing corner thus also allows larger obstacles, such as thicker table legs, to be accommodated in the recess. In addition, the cleaning robot can turn laterally away from the support leg, in particular at the end of the driving maneuver, instead of having to move only backwards, whereby time can additionally be saved when performing the driving maneuver. Since the center of rotation is situated particularly far from the center of the housing due to the arrangement of the cutout at the housing corner, the efficiency of the drive unit during the driving round of the support leg can be improved since more drive power can be converted into the movement and the reactive power decreases.In a development, it is provided that the cleaning robot has a bearing device which is designed and / or suitable for reducing frictional forces between the housing and the support leg, wherein the bearing device is arranged in the cutout. The bearing device can be designed as a slide bearing and / or roller bearing device. For example, the sliding bearing device can be formed by a sliding layer, e.g. made of Teflon, which is arranged in sections flat or over the entire surface within the recess. For example, the rolling bearing device can be formed by one or more exposed rolling bodies, e.g. balls or rollers, which are arranged in one or more rows in the recess for direct contact with the support leg. The bearing device enables reduced friction between the housing and the support leg during the driving round, as a result of which the drive power to be applied is reduced and at the same time wear of the housing and the support legs in the region of the cutout is reduced.In a further specific embodiment, it is provided that the drive unit has two drive means arranged on a drive axle. In this case, a first drive means is arranged on a first housing side and a second drive means is arranged together with the cutout on a second housing side. In particular, the drive axis is oriented in the same direction and / or parallel to the transverse axis of the housing. Preferably, the recess and the second drive means are arranged with respect to one another substantially in the radial direction with respect to the drive axis. This means that the second drive means and the recess are arranged offset to one another in a common radial plane of the drive axis and / or at a small axial distance with respect to the drive axis or the housing transverse axis. The two drive means are arranged spaced apart from one another in the axial direction with respect to the drive axis by a track width which corresponds to more than 80%, preferably more than 90%, in particular more than 95%, of a maximum housing width.According to this embodiment, it is provided that the second drive means is driveless during the driving maneuver, so that the cleaning robot is driven by the first drive means about the center of rotation. In simplified terms, the cleaning robot encircles the support leg by the one-sided drive by means of the external drive wheel. For example, the second drive means can be decoupled from the drive motor, so that the second drive means can be rotated as resistance-free as possible when driving around. In particular, a drive force vector of the first drive means is divided during the travel around the support leg into a force component directed tangentially to the rotation center and a force component directed radially to the rotation center, so that the cleaning robot is guided tangentially around the support leg along the circular path and is pressed radially with the cutout against the support leg. During the driving maneuver, the cleaning agent is arranged particularly close to the obstacle, whereby hardly any uncleaned surface remains around the chair leg. The cutout thus ensures that the driving around is possible without further technical means and that slipping off on the support leg during the driving around is prevented.In a further refinement, it is provided that the drive unit has an actuator which is designed to cancel ground contact between the ground surface and the second drive means during the driving maneuver. In particular, the actuator is designed such that second drive means can be moved away from the floor surface, preferably lifted and / or pivoted. The control unit is preferably designed to actuate the actuator on the basis of the driving maneuver. For this purpose, the second drive means can be moved by the actuator at the beginning of the driving maneuver in order to cancel the ground contact during the duration of the driving round. The invention is based on the finding that the inner second drive means has an almost radial alignment with respect to the center of rotation, as a result of which the second drive means is almost transverse to the rotation about the support leg and the driving maneuver would be made significantly more difficult. By cancelling ground contact between the second drive means and the ground surface, this transverse friction of the second drive means is eliminated, whereby the pivot point on the support leg can be ensured and energy can be saved during the driving maneuver.In a development, it is provided that the drive unit has at least or exactly one support means arranged on an underside of the housing for supporting the housing during the driving maneuver. In particular, the support means has the function of preventing the housing from lowering and thus grinding of the underside on the floor surface while the second drive means is spaced apart from the floor surface. For this purpose, the support means can be arranged on the housing side of the second drive means. For example, the support means can be arranged offset to the second drive means in the axial direction with respect to the drive axis and / or the transverse housing axis and / or the longitudinal housing axis. In particular, the support means is designed as a driveless support wheel. In principle, the support means can have a low-friction surface, so that the support means has only low friction even in the case of an oblique direction of travel. Alternatively or optionally additionally, the support means can be rotatable, so that the support means automatically aligns itself in the direction of movement of the cleaning robot. By using support rollers, the cleaning robot can be kept horizontal when the ground contact of the second drive means is canceled and the maintenance of the center of rotation during the driving maneuver can be ensured.In a further implementation, it is provided that the drive unit has a further actuator which is designed to rotate the first and / or second drive means, during the driving maneuver, at least approximately in a direction running tangentially to a circle around the rotation center. In simplified terms, the first and / or second drive means are turned to steer the cleaning robot. In particular, the angle between the drive axis and the connecting straight line can be influenced, preferably reduced, if the wheel is rotated about a vertical axis, in particular aligned perpendicular to the ground surface. The first and second drive means can be rotated relatively and / or independently of one another by the actuator. Alternatively, however, the first and second drive means can also be rotated together. By steering the first and / or second drive means, the direction of the drive force can be rectified to the direction of travel or to a (tangential) direction of movement of the cleaning robot, whereby the lateral friction of the first and / or second drive means is reduced.In a further embodiment, the cleaning robot has a surroundings sensor which is designed and / or suitable for capturing surroundings data with respect to the cleaning region. In particular, the environment data can be taken into account when creating an environment map of the cleaning area and / or for navigating the cleaning robot in the cleaning area. The environment map can be a virtual map, in particular a two- or three-dimensional model of the cleaning region. The environment sensor is preferably designed as an optical sensor, for example a camera sensor, a LiDAR sensor or a laser sensor. The environment sensor is preferably arranged on an upper side of the housing.According to this embodiment, the control unit is configured to recognize a support leg in the cleaning area on the basis of the environmental data. In particular, the control unit has an evaluation module which is designed to evaluate the environment data, for example, by means of a predefined image processing or object recognition algorithm. For example, the evaluation module is configured to determine a location, distances, shape and / or size, in particular diameter, of the support legs arranged in the cleaning area on the basis of the environmental data and / or to take it into account when planning the cleaning sequence. In particular, the control unit is designed to decide, based on the environmental data, whether the support leg can be bypassed in the course of the driving maneuver. A cleaning robot is thus proposed, which is distinguished by an improved and more efficient execution of the driving maneuver on the basis of environmental data.The invention further relates to a method for controlling the cleaning robot, as has already been described above. The method is particularly suitable for being carried out by means of a cleaning robot described herein. The control unit of the cleaning robot is preferably configured to completely or partially execute the described method. For this purpose, the control unit can comprise a programmable microcomputer or microcontroller and the method can be in the form of a computer program product having program code means. The computer program product can also be stored on a computer-readable data carrier. Features or advantages of the method can be transferred to the control unit or the cleaning robot and vice versa.In the method, the cleaning robot is approached with the recess to a support leg and a driving maneuver is carried out for driving around the support leg, wherein the support leg accommodated in the recess forms a rotation center of the cleaning robot during the driving maneuver. In particular, the cleaning robot is approached with the cutout to the support leg before carrying out the driving maneuver in the driving direction and, after carrying out the driving maneuver, is moved away from the support leg in the direction opposite to the driving direction and / or laterally. The control unit is preferably designed to start the driving maneuver when the cleaning robot approaches the support leg with the cutout and / or a contact with the support leg has been established and / or recognized.In a development, it is provided that, during the driving maneuver, a ground contact between the second drive wheel and the ground surface is canceled and the cleaning robot is driven by the first drive means about the rotation center. In particular, the second drive wheel is raised and / or retracted and / or pivoted from the ground surface at the beginning of the driving maneuver, such that the second drive wheel is arranged at a distance from the ground surface during the passing around of the support leg. At the end of the driving maneuver, the second drive means can be lowered and / or extended and / or pivoted again in order to produce the ground contact. Optionally, the first drive means can be rotated at least approximately in the direction of travel by the further actuator. By cancelling the ground contact of the "inner" second drive means, a rotation about the support leg can be realized in a simple manner by the "outer" first drive means. Simpler programming of the driving maneuver is thus made possible, since the movement guidance during the driving maneuver is substantially effected by the cutout.In a further refinement, it is provided that the cleaning robot is driven about the rotation center during the driving maneuver on the basis of the tangential force component and is held on the support leg without play on the basis of the radial force component. In particular, the radial force component is directed axially along the connecting line in the direction of the center of rotation. Preferably, the cleaning robot, in particular the housing, is pressed against the support leg during the driving maneuver based on the driving force or the radial force component. Thus, the center of rotation is fixed during the passing around the support leg and the cleaning robot is prevented from slipping off or off.Further features, effects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention and from the attached figures. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a cleaning robot during straight-ahead travel; FIG. 2 shows the cleaning robot in the same illustration as FIG. 1 during a driving maneuver for driving around a support leg; FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of the cleaning robot from FIG. 2 ; FIG. 4 shows the cleaning robot in the same illustration as in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of a cutout on a housing front of the cleaning robot according to FIG. 1 ; FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the recess in the same illustration as in FIG. 5 ; FIG. 7 shows a further alternative embodiment of the recess in the same illustration as in FIG. 5.FIGS. 1 and 2 each show a cleaning robot 1 in a highly schematic top view as an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The cleaning robot 1 is designed as an autonomously moving cleaning robot, which is configured to carry out suction and / or sweeping operations in a cleaning area.The cleaning robot 1 has a housing 2, in which a drive unit 3 for driving the cleaning robot 1 and a floor cleaning unit 4 for cleaning a floor surface 5, as shown in FIG. 2, of the cleaning region are accommodated.The drive unit 3 has two drive means 6 a, 6 b, which are designed as drive wheels and are arranged on a common drive axle 100. The drive unit 3 has a drive motor 7 a, 7 bconnected to the two drive means 6 a, 6 bin each case by drive technology in order to generate a drive force 101 on the two drive means 6 a, 6 bin a driving mode. By setting different speeds and / or drive forces 101 of the drive means 6 a, 6 b, the cleaning robot 1 can also execute rotations and cornering.In the exemplary embodiment shown, the floor cleaning unit 4 essentially has a cleaning agent 8 designed as a suction mouth and a suction blower 9 as well as a collecting container, not shown. Optionally, the floor cleaning unit 4 can have a brush roller arranged in the suction mouth and / or a side brush arranged laterally of the suction mouth. The cleaning agent 8 and optionally the brush roller or the side brush are arranged on an underside 10, as shown in FIG. 3, of the housing 2, wherein the bristles of the brush roller or the side brush engage a floor surface 5 to be cleaned in order to remove dust and dirt and transport it in the direction of the suction mouth. The cleaning agent 8 designed as a suction mouth is connected fluidically to the suction fan 9, which sucks in dust and dirt in an active region via the suction mouth and conveys it into the collecting container. For example, the drive unit 3 and the floor cleaning unit 4 can be supplied with electrical energy via an energy storage unit, not shown, such as a rechargeable battery.The cleaning robot 1 also has a control unit 11 which serves to control the drive unit 3 and the floor cleaning unit 4. For this purpose, the control unit 11 is connected by signal technology to the drive unit 3 and the floor cleaning unit 4. For example, the control unit 11 determines a movement path of the robot cleaner 1 over the floor surface 5 on the basis of surrounding environment data, and navigates the robot cleaner 1 according to the scheduled movement. The cleaning robot 1 travels forward over the floor surface 5 in a travel direction 102 and cleans it.Robot cleaners known from the prior art are designed to detect a support leg 12 located in the cleaning area, such as chair and table legs, and to take it into account during travel planning. However, since in all known cleaning robots the suction mouth does not extend as far as the location at which the cleaning robot surrounds the support leg 12, an uncleaned region always remains around the support leg 12.A cleaning robot 1 is therefore proposed, in which a recess 14 for receiving the support leg 12 is formed on a housing front 13 of the housing 2 in front of the cleaning means 8 in the direction of travel 102, as shown in FIG. 2. The control unit 11 is configured to execute a predetermined driving maneuver for bypassing the support leg 12 when the cleaning robot 1 is moved to the support leg 12, wherein the support leg 12 received in the recess 14 forms a rotation center 103 of the cleaning robot 1 during the driving maneuver. The recess 14 is arranged close to the active area of the cleaning agent 8, in particular in an air flow path running over the suction mouth, whereby the floor area adjoining the support leg 12 is cleaned.The housing 2 has a D-shape in plan view, which is composed of a circular-shape section 15 and a rectangular section 16, which defines the housing front 13 in the direction of travel 102. The cleaning agent 8 is arranged within the rectangular section 16. In this case, the first drive means 6 ais arranged on a first housing side 17 aand the second drive means 6 bis arranged together with the cutout 14 on a second housing side 17 b, wherein the cleaning means 8 is arranged at a small distance from the second housing side 17 b. The recess 14 is arranged directly to the cleaning agent 8 or close to the cleaning agent 8, preferably at a distance of a few millimeters, so that when the support leg 12 is moved around, the smallest possible distance is formed between the cleaning agent 8 and the support leg 12.As shown in FIG. 2, the support leg 12 is approached with the recess 14, so that the support leg 12 is accommodated at least in sections in the recess 14. As soon as the cleaning robot 1 has established contact with the support leg 12, the driving maneuver is started in that the cleaning robot 1 is driven by the external first drive means 6 aand at the same time the internal second drive means 6 bis driveless during the driving maneuver. Thus, the robot cleaner 1 is tangentially driven or rotated about the rotation center 103 by the first driving means 6a. In this case, the cleaning robot 1 is moved around the rotation center 103 in an angular range of at least 360°, so that the floor surface 5 around the support leg 12 is traveled over at least once.The drive force 101 is divided into a tangential force component 104 and a radial force component 105, wherein the tangential force component 104 is aligned tangentially to the rotation center 103 and the radial force component 105 is aligned radially to the rotation center 103. The radial force component 105 ensures that the cleaning robot 1 remains fixed to the support leg 12 without play during the travel and that the housing 2 is prevented from slipping off.As shown in FIG. 3, the drive unit 3 has an actuator 18 which is designed to cancel ground contact between the second drive means 6 band the ground surface 5. For this purpose, the drive means 6 bcan be lifted axially from the base surface 5 with respect to a housing vertical axis 106. For this purpose, the actuator 18 is designed, for example, as an electromechanical actuator, which at least partially moves or pivots the drive means 6 binto the housing 2. The second drive means 6 bhere only has to be moved a few millimeters away from the floor surface 5 in order to cancel the ground contact. By retracting the inner second drive means 6 b, the cleaning robot encircles the support leg 12 about the rotation center 103 with the aid of the outer first drive means 6 a, without the second drive means 6 bgenerates a transverse friction. The actuator 18 is connected to the control unit 11 by signal technology, wherein the control unit 11 is designed to actuate the actuator 18 on the basis of the driving maneuver. For example, the second drive means 6 bmay be raised at the beginning of the driving maneuver 12 and lowered at the end of the driving maneuver.In order to avoid tilting of the housing 2 when the second drive means 6 bis raised and thus grinding of the housing 2 on the second housing side 17 b, the cleaning robot 1 can have at least one support means 19, e.g. a support roller or the like, which has only a low friction with respect to the floor surface 5 even in the case of an oblique forward direction of travel 102. The support means 19 is arranged adjacent to the second drive means 6 bon the second housing side 17 b. For example, the support means 19 can be rotatably mounted in the housing 2 so that the support means 19 automatically aligns itself with the forward direction of travel 102.Cleaning robot 1 also has a surroundings sensor 20 which is situated on an upper side 21 of housing 2 and is used to record surroundings data. Environment sensor 20 is designed to sense an environment of cleaning robot 1 and provide it as environment data to control unit 11. For example, the environment data can be used for creating an environment map and / or for navigation. For example, the control unit 11 determines a movement path of the robot cleaner 1 over the floor surface 5 based on the surrounding environment data, and navigates the robot cleaner 1 according to the scheduled movement. The cleaning robot 1 travels over the floor surface 5 in a travel direction 102 and cleans it. For example, environment sensor 20 is designed as a LiDAR sensor.Furthermore, the control unit 11 is designed to decide on the basis of the environmental data whether the driving maneuver can be carried out if a support leg 12 has been detected in the cleaning area. For this purpose, the control unit 11 can have an evaluation module 22, which is configured to evaluate the environment data by means of an image processing or object recognition algorithm in order to determine the spatial arrangement and / or geometry of all support legs 12 and / or obstacles arranged in the cleaning region and to take it into account during the travel planning.In summary, by arranging the cutout 14 on the housing front 13, the uncleaned floor surface 5 can be reduced by support legs 12 and a particularly simple driving maneuver can be realized. This results in a time saving and simpler programming of the driving maneuver since the movement guidance takes place mechanically through the cutout 14. In addition, only a slight complexity of the mechanics on the cleaning robot 1 is necessary for implementing the driving maneuver.As illustrated in FIG. 4, the recess 14 can be arranged at any desired location between a housing center 108 and a housing corner 23 of the second housing side 17 bon the housing front 13 in the axial direction with respect to a housing transverse axis 107, which is oriented in the same axis or in the same direction as the drive axis 100, whereby a radius 109 of the cleaning robot 1 as the rotation center 103 is bypassed and the tangential and radial force components 104, 105 can be specifically influenced.When the recess 14 is displaced in the direction of the housing center 108, the radius 109 of the circular surface traversed can be reduced and thus the space required when traversing the support leg can be reduced. However, this also results in a larger angle 110 between the drive axis 100 or the housing transverse axis 107 and a straight connecting line 111 connecting the center of rotation 103 and the first drive wheel 6 a,so that the amount of the tangential force component 104 is reduced and the required drive power has to be increased.When the recess 14 is displaced in the direction of the housing corner 23 or the second housing side 17 b, the angle 110 between the drive axis 100 or the housing transverse axis 107 and the connecting straight line 111 can be increased and thus the amount of the tangential force component 104 can be increased, whereby, however, the radius 109 of the circular surface traversed is also increased.As shown in FIG. 5, the recess 14 can be arranged between the housing center 108 and the housing corner 23 in an end face 24 of the rectangular section 16, wherein the recess 14 is open in the direction of travel 102. For example, the recess 14 is formed by a U-shaped cutout. As a result of the comparatively small cutout 14 in the end face 24, only little installation space is taken up. In addition, an additional installation space for a side brush is provided in the front housing corner 23. As a result of the cutout 14 displaced in the direction of the housing center 108, the generally required circular area or the radius 109 is reduced, as already described in FIG. 4.In order to reduce the friction between the recess 14 and the support leg 12 and to prevent damage to the housing 2 or the support leg 12, a bearing device 25, for example in the form of a sliding layer or a sliding or rolling bearing, can be arranged in the recess.As shown in FIG. 6, the recess 14 can be arranged at the housing corner 23 of the rectangular section 16, wherein the recess 14 is open both in the direction of travel 102 and transversely to the direction of travel 102. For example, the recess 14 is formed by a step-shaped cutout. The cutout 14 opened in two directions also allows larger obstacles, such as thicker table legs, to be picked up and bypassed. In comparison to the embodiment according to FIG. 5, the cleaning robot 1 can turn laterally away from the support leg 12 after the driving maneuver, instead of having to move only backwards. This makes it possible to save additional time when carrying out the driving maneuver. In addition, since the rotation center 103 is located farther outward, the efficiency of the driving means 6 aduring the travel can be improved since the amount of the tangential force component 104 is greater and thus more driving power can be converted into the movement of the robot cleaner 1.As shown in FIG. 7, however, in an alternative variant the cutout 14 can also be arranged between the housing corner 23 and the drive axle 100 in a side face 26 of the rectangular section 16 on the second housing side 17 b, wherein the cutout 14 is open transversely to the direction of travel 102. For example, the recess 14 is formed by a U-shaped cutout. The cleaning robot 1 always drives the support leg 12 by a lateral rotation before it starts the driving maneuver by a forward travel or the drive of the first drive means 6 a. Due to the position of the recess 14 on the robot side, the radius 109 of the required circular surface during the travel can be reduced, compared to the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the further the recess 14 is displaced in the direction of the drive axis 100. As a result, the angle 110 between the connecting straight line 111 and the drive axis 100 or the housing transverse axis 107 can be further reduced, as a result of which the tangential force component 104 is further aligned or increased in the direction of travel 102. Thus, in this variant, the lateral friction of the first drive means 6 aon the floor surface 5 is the smallest.List of reference characters1 Robot cleaner 2 Housing 3 Drive unit 4 Floor cleaning unit 5 Floor surface 6 a, b Drive means 7 a, b Drive motor 8 Cleaning means 9 Suction blower 10 Underside 11 Control unit 12 Support leg 13 Housing front 14 Cutout 15 Circular-shape section 16 Rectangular section 17 a, b Housing side 18 Actuator 19 Support means 20 Environment sensor 21 Upper side 22 Evaluation module 23 Housing corner 24 End face 25 Bearing device 26 Side face 100 Drive axis 101 Drive force 102 Direction of travel 103 Center of rotation 104 Tangential force component 105 Radial force component 106 Housing vertical axis 107 Housing transverse axis 108 Housing center 109 Radius 110 Angle 111 Connecting straight lineReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedEP 2 986 193 A1

[0003]

Claims

Cleaning robot (1) for cleaning a cleaning area, - with a housing (2), - with a drive unit (3) for driving the cleaning robot (1) in the cleaning area, wherein the drive unit (3) has at least one drive means (6a) arranged on an underside (10) of the housing (2), - with a floor cleaning unit (4) for cleaning a floor surface (5) of the cleaning area, wherein the floor cleaning unit (4) has at least one cleaning means (8) arranged on the underside (10), - with a control unit (11) for controlling the drive unit (3) and the floor cleaning unit (4), wherein the control unit (11) is designed to execute a predetermined driving maneuver for driving around the support leg (12) when the cleaning robot (1) is moved to a support leg (12) located in the cleaning area, characterized in that, the housing (2) having a cutout (14) for receiving the support leg (12) which can be moved around during the driving maneuver, wherein the cutout (14) is arranged in front of the cleaning agent (8) in a driving direction (102) on a housing front (13) of the housing (2), such that the support leg (12) which can be received in the cutout (14) forms a rotation center (103) of the cleaning robot (1) during the driving maneuver.Cleaning robot (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the recess (14) is arranged at least in sections in an active region of the cleaning agent (8).Robot cleaner (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the housing (1) is composed of a circular section (15) and / or a rectangular section (16), wherein optionally the circular section (15) or the rectangular section (16) defines the housing front (13) in the direction of travel (102).Robot cleaner (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the recess (14) is arranged in an end face (24) of the circular section (15) or of the rectangular section (16), wherein the recess (14) is substantially open in the direction of travel (102).Robot cleaner (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the recess (14) is arranged at a housing corner (23) of the rectangular section (16), wherein the recess (14) is open in the direction of travel (102) and transversely to the direction of travel (102).Robot cleaner (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised bya bearing device (25) for reducing frictional forces between the housing (2) and the support leg (12), wherein the bearing device (25) is arranged in the recess (14).Cleaning robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive unit (3) has two drive means (6a, 6b) arranged on a drive axis (100), wherein a first drive means (6a) is arranged on a first housing side (17a) and the second drive means (6b) is arranged together with the cutout (14) on a second housing side (17b), wherein the second drive means (6b) is driveless during the driving maneuver, such that the cleaning robot (1) is driven by the first drive means (6a) about the rotation center (103).Robot cleaner (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the drive unit (3) has an actuator (18) which is designed to cancel ground contact between the floor surface (5) and the second drive means (6b) during the driving maneuver.Robot cleaner (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the drive unit (3) has at least one support means (19) arranged on the underside (10) for supporting the housing (2) during the driving maneuver.Robot cleaner (1) according to one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the drive unit (3) has a further actuator which is designed to rotate the first and / or second drive means (6a, 6b) during the driving maneuver at least approximately in a direction running tangentially to a circle around the rotation centre (103).Cleaning robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bya surroundings sensor (20) for detecting surroundings data relating to the cleaning region, wherein the control unit (11) is configured to identify a support leg (12) in the cleaning region on the basis of the surroundings data.Method for controlling a cleaning robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which: - the cleaning robot (1) is approached to a support leg (12) with the cutout (14) in the direction of travel (102); - a driving maneuver is carried out for bypassing the support leg (12), wherein the support leg (12) accommodated in the cutout (14) forms a rotation center (103) of the cleaning robot (1) during the driving maneuver.Method according to claim 13, characterised in that, during the driving maneuver, a ground contact between the second drive means (6b) and the ground surface (5) is canceled and the cleaning robot (1) is driven by the first drive means (6a) about the rotation centre (103).Method according to Claim 12 or 13, characterized in that a drive force (101) generated at the first drive means (6a) is divided into a tangential force component (104) and a radial force component (105), wherein the cleaning robot (1) is driven about the rotation centre (103) during the driving maneuver on the basis of the tangential force component (104) and is held on the support leg (12) without play on the basis of the radial force component (105).

Images