ATTACHMENT FOR A CLEANING DEVICE WITH MOISTURE DETECTION AND METHOD FOR MOISTURE DETECTION

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cleaning device, in particular a vacuum mop, comprising a housing with at least one cleaning medium for receiving a cleaning agent, a cleaning medium carrier for receiving the cleaning medium, a drive for driving the cleaning medium carrier, and a controller. At least one vibration sensor for detecting the intensity of a vibration is arranged in the housing. The invention also relates to a method for operating a cleaning device.

[0002] Cleaning devices for various applications are known from the prior art. These can be configured, for example, as a user-operated cleaning device with an attachment or as a cleaning robot. The cleaning devices or attachments are designed for different cleaning tasks, such as wiping, vacuuming, or a combination of these tasks. For example, attachments designed as mop heads for mop cleaners, in which a cleaning medium impregnated with cleaning agent is used to clean the floor, attachments designed as suction nozzles for vacuum cleaners, in which a suction stream is used to clean the floor, and attachments designed as combination nozzles for use in vacuum mops are known.

[0003] For the purposes of the application, a cleaning device is understood to include, among other things, a cleaning device with an attachment, an attachment for use with a cleaning device and a cleaning robot.

[0004] With mop cleaners or vacuum mops, the cleaning performance and cleaning results depend on the moisture content of the cleaning medium, the optimal moisture content of which is determined, among other things, by the surface condition of the floor to be cleaned. For example, a rough or heavily soiled floor requires a different moisture content than a smooth or lightly soiled floor. In this context, moisture refers to the liquid cleaning agent content, particularly a mixture of water and surfactants, in the cleaning medium.

[0005] To support or improve the cleaning result, the cleaning medium carrier and thus the cleaning medium can be set into an oscillating motion by the drive. Oscillating motion is understood to mean an oscillating motion that is essentially parallel or quasi-parallel to the underside of the housing. The drive comprises all the means necessary to generate the oscillating motion of the cleaning medium carrier. For example, the drive may comprise an electric motor, an eccentric gear, a cam disc, or similarly suitable means.

[0006] In addition to influencing the cleaning result, the humidity of the cleaning medium also determines the user comfort of the cleaning device. The humidity of the cleaning medium significantly influences the vibrations of the cleaning device perceived by the user. High vibrations, i.e., high vibration intensity, are generally perceived as unpleasant. These vibrations can also be referred to as perceived vibration.

[0007] To determine the moisture content of the cleaning medium, various sensors, such as infrared (IR) or capacitive sensors, are used in state-of-the-art cleaning devices. These sensors are arranged on the cleaning agent carrier and / or on an underside of the cleaning device housing facing the cleaning agent carrier. The control unit housed in the cleaning device housing can inform the user of the determined moisture content of the cleaning medium, whereupon the user can manually correct the moisture content, in particular by rewetting the cleaning medium.

[0008] A disadvantage of the cleaning devices known from the prior art, however, is that the sensors for determining moisture are located in a dirty area. A dirty area is defined as the area of the cleaning device that comes into contact with the floor to be cleaned, the cleaning medium, the cleaning medium carrier, and / or the cleaning agent during use of the cleaning device.

[0009] In addition, with known cleaning devices, the moisture content of the cleaning medium is not adapted to the surface quality of the floor to be cleaned, or the surface quality must be determined separately by a user, for example by using a so-called floor map, so that optimal cleaning of the floor to be cleaned may not be possible or can only be achieved with great effort on the part of the user.

[0010] The vibrations caused by the oscillating motion can be transmitted to the user when the cleaning device is in use. Excessive vibrations are generally perceived as unpleasant and, if the cleaning device is used frequently, can lead to chronic overload irritation. The vibrations can also cause increased wear and thus premature component failure within the cleaning device.

[0011] JP 2017 038926 A discloses a robot mop with a sensor system for determining the position and orientation of the robot mop. The sensor system includes an acceleration sensor and a gyroscope.

[0012] Based on this, the present invention is based on the object of creating a cleaning device of the type mentioned at the outset and of specifying a method for operating a cleaning device which overcomes at least one of the problems identified above.

[0013] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a cleaning device having the features specified in claim 1. Preferred and advantageous embodiments of a cleaning device according to the invention are specified in the subclaims. The object is also achieved by a method for operating a cleaning device.

[0014] The cleaning device according to the invention is characterized in that the control is designed to determine the moisture content of the cleaning medium, wherein the control evaluates a change in the intensity of the vibration for this purpose.

[0015] According to the invention, it has been recognized that the humidity of the cleaning medium can be determined via the intensity of the vibrations induced by the oscillating motion of the cleaning medium-cleaning medium carrier system, since the humidity of the cleaning medium changes the total oscillating mass of the system. For example, higher humidity leads to an increase in the total oscillating mass, resulting in a vibration intensity detectable on the housing of the cleaning device that differs from the intensity of the vibrations resulting from the total oscillating mass in the case of a dry cleaning medium or a cleaning medium with a lower humidity.Thus, the change in the vibration intensity detected by the vibration sensor is a measure of the moisture content of the cleaning medium. At optimal moisture content, the vibration intensity can be minimal, which can improve the user comfort of the cleaning device and extend its service life. Optimal moisture also improves the cleaning results for the floor being cleaned.

[0016] Preferably, the vibrations or the intensity of the vibration are detected in a direction (detection direction) perpendicular to the plane in which the cleaning medium extends (horizontal direction). This plane runs parallel to the underside of the housing and, when the cleaning device is in use, parallel or essentially parallel to the floor to be cleaned. The vibrations or the intensity of the vibration in this direction, which is referred to below as the vertical direction, is largely independent of the surface condition of the floor to be cleaned.

[0017] In this context, the intensity of the vibration is preferably understood as the acceleration caused by the vibration. However, the amplitude / deflection or the frequency of the vibrations can also be used as a basis for the determination.

[0018] The strength of the vibrations is recorded by the vibration sensor and the data is sent to the control system, for example in the form of an electrical and / or digital signal. The control system evaluates the data transmitted by the vibration sensor and uses this to determine the moisture content of the cleaning medium. The measured moisture content can be displayed to a user using the cleaning device, for example via a display integrated in the cleaning device, so that the user can change the moisture content of the cleaning medium if the moisture content of the cleaning medium is unsuitable for the floor to be cleaned or if the strength of the vibrations deviates from the optimal value for the current conditions of use. To do this, the user can, for example, add cleaning agent to the cleaning medium. Accordingly, the user can treat the floor to be cleaned with an optimized moisture content, which improves the cleaning result and / or reduces the vibrations orThe intensity of the vibrations can be minimized. The optimal values can be provided to the user, for example, in the form of a table in the cleaning device's user manual or similar.

[0019] Within the scope of the invention, the vibration sensor can be designed, for example, as an acceleration sensor or gyroscope, wherein the use or arrangement of several vibration sensors for spatially resolved detection of the vibrations or for detection in several spatial directions is also possible, for example in order to detect the vibrations in the horizontal and vertical directions separately from one another or to be able to form a vector sum to determine the strength of the vibrations.

[0020] The controller preferably has a communication interface via which the controller can communicate with one or more external devices. It is conceivable that the controller communicates with a smart device, in particular a smart home system or a smartphone, in order to provide the user with various data from the cleaning device or to receive input data from the user.

[0021] In a further embodiment of the cleaning device, the controller is configured to determine the surface condition of a floor to be cleaned, wherein the controller evaluates performance data of the drive to determine the surface condition. For this purpose, the controller is connected to the drive via signal technology. Via this connection, information about the performance data of the drive, in particular of the electric motor, is transmitted to the controller, which then uses the transmitted data to determine the surface condition of the floor to be cleaned, in particular the coefficient of friction. Performance data refers in particular to the electrical energy absorbed by the electric motor of the drive or generated by induction, which can also be referred to as power consumption or power output.To determine this, in a first operating mode in which the cleaning device is switched on but the cleaning medium is not oscillating, the user can push the cleaning device over the floor to be cleaned. The friction between the cleaning medium and the surface of the floor to be cleaned deflects the cleaning medium or the cleaning medium carrier from its original position and the electric motor is briefly operated as a generator. The information on the measured induced electrical energy is a measure of the surface condition, in particular the coefficient of friction, of the floor to be cleaned, since the power consumption of the electric motor is negative in this case. For example, on a rough floor, the cleaning medium carrier is quickly moved to a different position when the cleaning device is moved, resulting in high induction.In contrast, on a smooth floor the cleaning medium carrier only experiences a slight change in position, which means that only a low induction can be detected.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, in another operating mode in which the cleaning medium oscillates, the surface condition of the floor to be cleaned can be determined via the power consumption of the electric motor, which is greater for a rough surface (high coefficient of friction) than for a smooth surface (low coefficient of friction), whereby the power consumption of the electric motor is positive in both cases.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the cleaning device, the vibration sensor has at least one acceleration sensor for detecting movement of the housing. The arrangement of an acceleration sensor within the housing of the cleaning device improves the determination of the moisture content of the cleaning medium. For this purpose, the acceleration sensor can be used to detect accelerations of the cleaning device caused by the movement of the cleaning device, for example, by a user pushing it back and forth or by a collision with obstacles, or the vibrations caused thereby, so that the controller, which is configured to evaluate the data and is signal-linked to the acceleration sensor, can discriminate between the vibrations generated by the oscillating mass and the intensity of the vibrations and those caused by the movement of the cleaning device.

[0024] Advantageously, the controller has a memory unit, and the controller is configured to compare a detected vibration intensity with at least one defined or definable vibration intensity. A defined or definable vibration intensity can be a vibration intensity stored in the memory unit that indicates optimal humidity for a predefined application, or a plurality of vibration intensities that were detected during at least one previous use of the cleaning device and stored in the memory unit of the controller. Following a comparison, the controller can, for example, inform the user if an excessive discrepancy between the intensities is detected, in order to ensure improved cleaning results or increased user comfort.

[0025] The controller can also preferably be configured to compare a specific surface texture with at least one defined or definable surface texture. A defined or definable surface texture can be a surface texture stored in the memory unit or a plurality of surface textures that were determined during at least one previous use of the cleaning device and stored in the memory unit of the controller. After a comparison, the controller can, for example, inform the user if an excessive deviation between the surface textures is detected, in order to ensure an improved cleaning result.

[0026] According to a further embodiment of the cleaning device, a detergent dosing unit is arranged in the housing, wherein the detergent dosing unit has a tank, an electrically actuated pump and a data and signal interface and wherein the control is designed to evaluate the data of the detergent dosing unit.

[0027] The electrically operated pump enables automatic supply of cleaning agent to the cleaning medium. The supply of cleaning agent can be time-controlled, triggered by a user action, or dependent on the humidity level determined by the control system. The electrically operated pump conveys cleaning agent from the tank, which is fluidly connected to the pump, to the cleaning medium. For example, a predefined amount of cleaning agent can be added after a defined period of time (e.g., every 60 seconds), after the user activates a switch signal-linked to the cleaning agent dosing unit, or after the control system has determined that the humidity level is too low.Via the data and signal interface, the detergent dosing unit can receive an activation signal from the controller, particularly after determining that the moisture level is too low, whereupon detergent is added, and the amount of detergent delivered by the electrically operated pump can be reported to the controller. The automatic supply of detergent can further improve the cleaning of the floor to be cleaned. Furthermore, the amount of detergent delivered transmitted by the detergent dosing unit to the controller enables a further improvement in the accuracy of determining the moisture content of the cleaning medium. This is because the amount of detergent delivered by the pump, which also represents a measure of the moisture content of the cleaning medium, is used as the starting value on which the controller bases its determination of the moisture content of the cleaning medium.

[0028] According to an advantageous embodiment of the cleaning device, the controller is configured to notify a user when at least one threshold value for the intensity of a vibration, preferably an upper and lower threshold value, is exceeded or undershot. For example, the controller can inform the user when an upper threshold value is exceeded, at which point damage to the cleaning device, in particular the drive or the cleaning medium carrier, is to be feared. In doing so, the controller particularly considers the duration of the threshold value being exceeded or undershot, in order to refrain from notifying a user if the threshold value is only exceeded or undershot for a short period of time. The necessary threshold values can be stored in the memory unit of the controller.

[0029] Using threshold values for the intensity of a vibration, the condition of the cleaning medium, in particular the degree of wear on the cleaning medium, can also be advantageously detected. For example, a threshold value can be used to detect an upcoming cleaning medium replacement, which is necessary when the cleaning medium becomes excessively dirty or excessively worn. For this purpose, the necessary threshold values, some of which are cleaning medium-specific, are stored in the controller's memory unit.

[0030] Preferably, the controller can be configured to detect an inadmissible moisture content of the cleaning medium and to notify the user if the moisture content of the cleaning medium exceeds the permissible level. In this context, an inadmissible moisture content is a moisture content that is detected after use. This is the case, for example, if the cleaning device is turned off after use with the cleaning medium still wet. To determine the inadmissible moisture content, the controller can use the last measured data from the vibration sensor and compare it with the vibration data of the dry cleaning medium at the start of use. It is also possible to record the last amount of cleaning agent pumped into the cleaning medium by the pump. To supply power to the controller and any notification devices (e.g.display means, communication interface), a battery located in the housing or a voltage source connected to the cleaning device can be used.

[0031] The technical problem outlined above is also solved by a method for operating a cleaning device, preferably a cleaning device according to the invention, in which the moisture content of a cleaning medium is determined by evaluating the change in the intensity of a vibration detected by a vibration sensor. At least one vibration sensor is provided for the method, although a plurality of vibration sensors may also be used.

[0032] The vibration sensor detects the vibrations caused by the oscillating cleaning medium, which can be a measure of the moisture content of the cleaning medium, and transmits them to a control system of the cleaning device, which evaluates the transmitted data. The method enables the determination of the moisture content of the cleaning medium. The moisture content determined in this way can be transmitted to a user of the cleaning device, allowing them to adjust the moisture content of the cleaning medium to improve the cleaning result and user comfort.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the surface quality of a floor to be cleaned is determined by means of the power consumption of a drive connected to the cleaning medium carrier. To determine the surface quality of the floor to be cleaned, in particular the coefficient of friction, data from a drive of the cleaning device can be used, which is evaluated in the control system of the cleaning device. The data is the power consumption of an electric motor integrated in the drive. The determined surface quality can be used to improve the cleaning result by cleaning the floor to be cleaned with a cleaning medium moisture content that is optimal for the surface quality of the floor to be cleaned.

[0034] In a further embodiment of the method, the moisture content of the cleaning medium is varied depending on the vibration intensity detected by the vibration sensor by supplying cleaning agent to the cleaning medium via a cleaning agent dosing unit. By varying the moisture content of the cleaning medium depending on the detected vibration intensity, an optimal moisture content can be set for the floor to be cleaned, thus improving the cleaning result. Furthermore, by varying the moisture content, an absolute or local vibration minimum can be set, thereby improving the user comfort for a user using a cleaning device operated by the method.

[0035] Preferably, in the method, the moisture content of the cleaning medium is varied depending on the surface quality of the floor to be cleaned, which is determined by means of the power consumption of the drive or a defined or definable surface quality, by supplying cleaning agent to the cleaning medium via a cleaning agent dosing unit. The moisture content of the cleaning medium required for an optimal cleaning result or for an absolute or local minimum of the vibrations generated by the oscillating total mass can depend on the surface quality of the floor to be cleaned, so that different moisture levels can be required for different floors to be cleaned. Thus, in order to improve the cleaning result orTo ensure user comfort, it is necessary to adjust the humidity accordingly. For this purpose, the process compares the specific surface condition of the floor to be cleaned with stored values and sets the optimal humidity for this application.

[0036] In a further preferred embodiment of the method, an acceleration of the cleaning device caused by a movement of the cleaning device is detected by an acceleration sensor of the vibration sensor, and the strength of a vibration detected by the vibration sensor is discriminated against the detected acceleration. The acceleration sensor can be used to determine whether the cleaning device is at rest or in motion. Using this information, the determination of the humidity can be improved by basing the determination of the humidity exclusively on the signal component caused by the oscillating movement of the cleaning medium-cleaning medium carrier system.

[0037] Preferably, in the method, a cleaning agent supply mode is selected depending on the intensity of a vibration, a surface condition, and / or an acceleration of the cleaning device. By selecting the cleaning agent supply mode, the cleaning result and / or user comfort can be further improved.

[0038] In this context, the cleaning agent supply mode refers to the type of cleaning agent supply, which can be manual, automatic after a defined period of time (e.g., 60 seconds), and / or automatic depending on the determined moisture content. For example, it is conceivable that the process first determines the surface condition of the floor to be cleaned. To improve accuracy, a subsequent process step can determine whether the cleaning device was stationary or moving at the time the surface condition was determined. If the surface condition was determined with sufficient accuracy, the recorded vibrations can be evaluated to determine the current moisture content of the cleaning medium.An automatic cleaning agent supply can then be started until the optimal moisture content (maximum cleaning result and / or minimal vibration) is reached and the cleaning process can begin. Alternatively, especially if the surface condition and / or acceleration have not been determined with sufficient accuracy, a standard dosage of 60 ml can be added to the cleaning agent, which represents at least a compromise regarding the respective optimal moisture content for a variety of floors to be cleaned.

[0039] In the following, the invention is explained using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 shows a cleaning device designed as an attachment in a perspective view, Fig. 2 shows the attachment connected to a vacuum mop in a perspective view and Fig. 3 shows an example of a course of a strength of the vibration and a vibration perceived by a user as a function of the moisture of the cleaning medium.

[0040] The Fig. 1 The cleaning device 1 shown is provided with a housing 3, a connecting piece 5, at least one cleaning medium 7 for receiving a cleaning agent, and a cleaning medium carrier 9 for receiving the cleaning medium 7. A vibration sensor 11 is configured to detect a vibration or the strength of a vibration, and a controller 13 is configured to evaluate the data from the at least one vibration sensor 11. In the example shown, the vibration sensor 11, the controller 13, a cleaning agent dosing unit 17 having a tank 15, and a drive 19 are arranged in the housing 3, and the connecting piece 5 is pivotally mounted in the housing 3.The cleaning medium 7 is located on the underside of the cleaning medium carrier 9, facing away from the underside of the housing 3. The cleaning medium carrier 9 has a connection suitable for liquid transport to the tank 15 of the cleaning agent dosing unit 17 for supplying the cleaning agent to the cleaning medium 7. The necessary flow work is provided by an electrically actuated pump 21 also arranged in the housing 3. A signal and data interface enables communication between the controller 13 and the cleaning agent dosing unit 17.

[0041] The vibration sensor 11 detects the vibrations induced by the oscillating movement of the cleaning medium 7 - cleaning medium carrier 9 system, or the intensity of these vibrations, and transmits this information to the controller 13. For this purpose, the vibration sensor 11 is connected to the controller 13 via signaling.

[0042] The controller 13 evaluates the data transmitted by the vibration sensor 11 and uses this data to determine the moisture content of the cleaning medium 7. A user can be informed of the determined moisture content via a display 23 arranged in the housing 3, wherein the display 23 is connected to the controller 13 for signaling purposes. As part of the evaluation, the controller 13 compares the detected vibrations, i.e. the transmitted data, with values stored in a memory unit of the controller 13. The stored values can also be threshold values, in particular threshold values of the vibration intensity, upon which the controller 13 notifies the user if these values are exceeded or undershot. Depending on the result of the evaluation, the electrically actuated pump 21 of the cleaning agent dosing unit 17 can pump cleaning agent from the tank 15 to the cleaning medium 7.The controller 13 can also detect the condition of the cleaning medium 7 through the comparison and inform the user about it.

[0043] In addition to determining the moisture content of the cleaning medium 7, the controller 13 is configured to determine the surface quality of the floor to be cleaned, for which purpose the controller 13 is signal-connected to the drive 19. Via this connection, the controller 13 receives information about the performance data of the drive 19, which is used to determine the surface quality, in particular the coefficient of friction. The surface quality thus determined can also be compared with at least one surface quality stored in the memory unit of the controller 13.

[0044] An acceleration sensor integrated in the acceleration sensor 11 detects the accelerations occurring during the movement of the cleaning device and transmits these data via a signal connection to the controller 13, which evaluates these data and, if necessary, discriminates against the data transmitted by the vibration sensor 11 in order to improve the accuracy of the determination of the moisture content of the cleaning medium 7.

[0045] Fig. 2 shows a vacuum mop 27 with a mounted cleaning device 1. The energy required to supply the devices arranged in the housing 3 of the cleaning device 1 is provided by a voltage source 29 arranged in the vacuum mop 27 via the contacts integrated in the connecting piece 5. The vacuum mop 27 has a switch 33 arranged in a handle 31 for switching the vacuum mop 29 and the cleaning device 1 on and off. Below this switch 33 is arranged a further switch 35 for activating and deactivating a wiping function. The wiping function can be understood as a supply of cleaning agent to the cleaning medium 7 as well as an operation of the drive 19. Furthermore, the vacuum mop 29 has a controller 37 which controls the functions of the vacuum mop 27 and which can interact with, cooperate with and / or replace the controller 13 of the cleaning device 1.

[0046] Fig. 3shows an example of a vibration intensity (solid line) and a vibration perceived by a user (dashed line) as a function of the humidity of the cleaning medium 7, which are represented as acceleration in the example shown. Clearly visible are the relationship between the vibration intensity and the humidity of the cleaning medium 7, the relationship between the perceived vibration and the humidity of the cleaning medium 7, the minimum vibration intensity at approximately a medium humidity of the cleaning medium 7, and the minimum vibration perceived by a user, which can be determined at a lower humidity of the cleaning medium 7.

Claims

1. Cleaning device, - with a housing (3), - with at least one cleaning medium (7) for receiving a cleaning agent, - with a cleaning medium carrier (9) for receiving the cleaning medium (7), - with a drive (19) for driving the cleaning medium carrier (9) and - with a controller (13), - wherein at least one vibration sensor (11) for detecting a strength of a vibration is arranged in the housing (3) characterised in that - the controller (13) is adapted to determine the moisture of the cleaning medium (7), wherein the controller (13) evaluates a change in the strength of the vibration.

2. Cleaning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the controller (13) is adapted for determining the surface nature of a floor to be cleaned, wherein the controller (13) evaluates performance data of the drive (19) for determining the surface nature.

3. Cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the vibration sensor (11) has at least one acceleration sensor for detecting a movement of the housing (3).

4. Cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that - the controller (13) has a memory unit, - the controller (13) is adapted to compare a detected strength of vibration with at least one defined or definable strength of vibration.

5. Cleaning device according to claim 4, characterised in that the controller (13) is adapted to compare a determined surface nature with at least one defined or definable surface nature.

6. Cleaning device according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that - a cleaning agent dosing unit (17) is arranged in the housing (3), - the cleaning agent dosing unit (17) comprises a tank (15), an electrically operable pump (21) and a data and signal interface, and - the controller (13) is adapted to evaluate the data of the cleaning agent dosing unit (17).

7. Cleaning device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the controller (13) is adapted to notify a user when at least one threshold value of a strength of a vibration, preferably an upper and lower threshold value, is undershot and / or exceeded.

8. Method of operating a cleaning device, preferably a cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, - wherein a moisture of a cleaning medium (7) is determined by evaluating the change in a strength of a vibration detected by a vibration sensor (11).

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein a surface nature of a floor to be cleaned is determined by means of a power consumption of a drive (19) connected to a cleaning medium carrier (9).

10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, in which the moisture of the cleaning medium (7) is varied as a function of the strength of the vibrations detected by the vibration sensor (11) by supplying cleaning agent to the cleaning medium (7) by means of a cleaning agent dosing unit (17).

11. Method according to any one of claims 9 to 10, in which the moisture of the cleaning medium (7) is varied as a function of the surface nature of the floor to be cleaned, which is determined by means of the power consumption of the drive (19) or by means of a defined or definable surface nature, by supplying cleaning agent to the cleaning medium (7) by means of a cleaning agent dosing unit (17).

12. Method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, - wherein an acceleration of the cleaning device (1) caused by a movement of the cleaning device (1) is detected by an acceleration sensor of the vibration sensor (11), and - wherein the strength of a vibration detected by the vibration sensor (11) is discriminated against the acceleration detected.

13. Method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein a cleaning agent supply mode is selected in dependence on a strength of a vibration, a surface nature and / or an acceleration of the cleaning device (1).