Transportable cleaning apparatus for cleaning ground surfaces, and cleaning method

Abstract

Proposed is a transportable cleaning apparatus (1) which can be used to clean ground surfaces (2) formed in particular by traffic surfaces (3) and which has a cleaning vehicle (8) equipped with castors (17) that allow a traveling movement over the ground surface (2) that is to be cleaned. The cleaning apparatus (1) is equipped with a laser cleaning device (24) which has, located on board the cleaning vehicle (8), a laser beam emitting unit (35) at which laser radiation (26) can be emitted for the purposes of performing a cleaning operation, which laser radiation can be generated by a laser (25) of the laser cleaning device (24). A handle (23) on the cleaning vehicle (8) allows said cleaning vehicle to be targetedly guided over the ground surface (2) that is to be cleaned.

Description

[0001] Portable cleaning device for cleaning floor areas and cleaning processes

[0002] The invention relates to a portable cleaning device for cleaning surfaces, in particular surfaces in the form of walkable and / or drivable traffic areas. The invention further relates to a cleaning method for cleaning such surfaces.

[0003] Due to their upward orientation, surfaces both outdoors and indoors are subject to heavy soiling sooner or later. This is especially true for walkable and / or driveable traffic areas due to their often high levels of wear and tear. To avoid any impairment of their usability or even simply for aesthetic reasons, a thorough surface cleaning of such surfaces is recommended from time to time. However, such cleaning measures, which can be carried out using a high-pressure cleaner or brushes, for example, are very time-consuming and labor-intensive and usually only inadequately remove grease or oil-based residues. Repeated abrasive cleaning can also impair existing surface structures and, in traffic areas, increase the risk of slipping.The invention is based on the object of providing a portable cleaning device with which any surface, and in particular traffic areas, can be effectively and time-efficiently freed of contaminants without risk of damage. Furthermore, an effective and cost-effective cleaning method for cleaning said surfaces is to be proposed.

[0004] To achieve this object, a portable cleaning device is provided according to the invention, which is equipped with a cleaning vehicle which can be guided by hand and has a handle for this purpose and which has a plurality of castors in the area of ​​the underside of the vehicle which enable it to be moved across a surface to be cleaned, wherein the portable cleaning device is equipped with a laser cleaning device which has a laser designed to generate laser radiation and a laser beam output unit which is located on board the cleaning vehicle and follows its movement, wherein the laser can generate laser radiation which emerges from a laser beam output area of ​​the laser beam output unit and which can be directed in the area of ​​the underside of the vehicle to remove contaminants onto an area of ​​the surface to be cleaned which is located underneath the cleaning vehicle.

[0005] The object is further achieved by a cleaning method for the implementation of which a transportable cleaning device designed in the aforementioned sense is used, wherein the cleaning vehicle, with the laser activated, carries out a driving movement over the surface to be cleaned, so that the surface is irradiated by the laser radiation emerging at the laser beam exit area below the cleaning vehicle and thus contaminants can be removed from the surface.

[0006] Using the portable cleaning device, mobile laser beam cleaning of traffic areas and any other surfaces can be carried out. This cleaning process is characterized by time-saving application, high effectiveness, and gentle treatment of the surfaces. The cleaning process takes place as the cleaning vehicle moves across the surface to be cleaned. The laser radiation generated by the laser of the laser cleaning device, which is emitted by a laser beam output unit formed as part of the cleaning vehicle, strikes the area of ​​the surface to be cleaned currently located beneath the cleaning vehicle. This radiation removes contaminants from the often structured surface.Existing contaminants such as layers of dirt, oil and grease stains or other stubborn, localized residues of any kind can be gently removed by evaporation thanks to the energy input, without the need for mechanical means or additional cleaning aids. The cleaning process is therefore environmentally friendly and cost-effective. The intensity of the irradiation can be individually adjusted depending on the material of the base surface by selecting a suitable radiation energy and / or the laser beam shape, either at the factory or using an existing adjustment device, in order to achieve the best possible cleaning result. The laser can be designed to generate pulsating and / or continuous laser radiation, for example depending on the degree of contamination and the driving speed of the cleaning vehicle.Because the laser beam output unit is located on board the cleaning vehicle and therefore always directly follows the vehicle's movement, a largely constant distance between the laser beam exit area and the surface to be cleaned can be ensured during cleaning runs. This ensures consistent cleaning quality regardless of the operator's technical skills. The laser beam output unit can be constantly aligned so that the emerging laser radiation always hits the surfaces to be cleaned at a desired angle, enabling gentle treatment while maintaining high effectiveness. Because the laser operates without the use of any media, contamination of the area surrounding the surface to be cleaned by cleaning agents can also be avoided.Using the handle, the cleaning vehicle can be guided precisely and in the desired direction over the area to be cleaned at any time. Its handling is virtually identical to that of other hand-operated vehicles such as transport vehicles or lawn mowers, making it very easy to operate and requiring no extensive training.

[0007] The surface that can be cleaned by means of the cleaning device is, in particular, a walkable and / or driveable traffic area, although the cleanable surface can also be areas not used for traffic purposes, such as storage areas, marking areas, presentation areas, or artistic areas. As a rule, the surface to be cleaned is a floor area, but the cleaning device is also expediently suitable for cleaning, for example, flat roof surfaces, podium areas, stage areas, or the like. The cleaning device can be used outdoors or indoors, for example for cleaning industrial floors. Advantageous developments of the invention are evident from the subclaims.

[0008] In principle, the cleaning vehicle can be equipped with an integrated drive system that can be controlled by the operator, allowing even longer cleaning distances to be covered without fatigue. However, a particularly cost-effective option is a cleaning vehicle designed for purely manual initiation of the driving movement. The handle serves not only to steer the cleaning vehicle in the correct direction, but also to manually initiate a pushing and / or pulling drive force to generate the driving movement.

[0009] The handle is conveniently located near the rear of the cleaning vehicle. The operator thus walks behind the cleaning vehicle and always has a good view of the area to be cleaned.

[0010] A convenient handling of the cleaning vehicle is promised by a handle which is designed as a bow handle projecting upwards from a chassis of the cleaning vehicle and has two upwardly projecting handle legs fixed to the chassis, between which a handling section extends in the form of a web, which can be grasped with the hands for guiding and possibly also introducing a driving force.

[0011] The handle can be designed asymmetrically relative to a central longitudinal axis of the cleaning vehicle extending in the direction of travel of the cleaning vehicle, allowing the operator running behind the cleaning vehicle to assume a position offset laterally relative to the cleaning vehicle. This facilitates cleaning work along walls or in safety areas, such as on railway platforms, which are off-limits. A comparable effect can be achieved with a handle that is pivotable at least in sections and can be fixed in either a symmetrical or asymmetrical working position.

[0012] The handle expediently has at least one manually operable hand control element, which allows simple manual activation and deactivation of the laser. The hand control element, which is, for example, a hand lever, belongs to a hand control device, which is expediently mechanically coupled to the laser beam output unit via a coupling device, so that the operating state of the laser can be influenced by acting on the laser beam output unit. The coupling device can, for example, contain a rod and / or a Bowden cable.

[0013] A particularly cost-effective design of the cleaning device is possible if the laser beam output unit is designed as a compact laser pistol having a main pistol section containing the laser beam exit area and a pistol grip projecting transversely from the main pistol section. Associated with the pistol grip is an operating element suitable for activating and deactivating the laser, operable by either pressing or releasing it, comparable to the trigger of a firearm pistol.

[0014] When equipped with a laser gun, the coupling device of the manual control device can advantageously be designed in such a way that it interacts with the control element, which in principle can also be operated directly manually, and in this way the control element can be operated remotely via the manual control element, even if the control element is located in the cleaning vehicle in a way that is difficult or impossible to access.

[0015] The cleaning vehicle can be steered very well while in motion if some of the castors are designed as pivoting steering castors and some as non-pivoting fixed castors. Preferably, a total of four castors are provided, two of which are designed as fixed castors and two as steering castors. The fixed castors and the steering castors are expediently arranged at a distance from one another in the axial direction of a central longitudinal axis of the vehicle extending in the direction of travel of the cleaning vehicle. The fixed castors and the steering castors are each arranged in pairs at the same axial height, with the axial height designating the position in the axial direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

[0016] It is considered advantageous if the cleaning vehicle has a laser beam shielding device by means of which at least the laser beam exit area and consequently also the laser radiation exiting there is shielded from the environment on all sides, with the exception of an area on the underside of the vehicle which, when the cleaning vehicle is used as intended, points downwards and enables the laser radiation to exit in order to carry out a cleaning process.

[0017] The laser beam shielding device expediently contains a shielding housing that encloses a working chamber in an opaque manner and thus prevents any escape of laser radiation, the laser beam exit region being located within this working chamber. To enable cleaning measures, the shielding housing has a working opening that, during a normal cleaning process, points exclusively downwards and toward the base area to be cleaned. Through this opening, the laser radiation exiting from the laser beam exit region within the working chamber can irradiate the base area without damaging the immediate or wider surroundings.

[0018] The best possible safety without compromising cleaning effectiveness is offered by an advantageous design in which the work opening is enclosed on all sides by a downwardly projecting, sleeve-shaped protective wall which has at least partially and preferably entirely flexible properties and which, when the cleaning vehicle is used as intended, can rest with a lower edge area on the surface to be cleaned, so that it can glide over the surface during travel while maintaining constant surface contact. This flexibility enables automatic adaptation to the individual surface structures of the surface and permits shielding contact between the flexible protective wall and the surface in both raised and recessed surface areas.Particularly good protection can be achieved with a flexible protective wall whose flexibility is achieved through a bristle structure. For example, a natural or synthetic textile material is used to create the bristle structure.

[0019] Preferably, the entire laser beam output unit is encapsulated in the working chamber and is protected from the environment.

[0020] For example, in order to be able to carry out maintenance work easily, but also to be able to carry out a thorough interior cleaning of the cleaning vehicle if necessary, it is advantageous if the shielding housing has a cover that can be removed to make the working chamber accessible, for example by completely removing it or by opening it up.

[0021] In general, lasers are classified into different laser classes based on their hazard potential. Class 1 lasers pose the lowest hazard potential. Class 4 lasers emit extremely dangerous laser radiation due to its high intensity. For effective cleaning of the base area, a laser with an intensity corresponding to Class 4 is recommended. To ensure that such a Class 4 laser can be used without restrictions in the frequently heavily used areas surrounding traffic areas 3 that are to be cleaned, it is advantageous if the laser cleaning device is equipped with a Class 4 laser, but the laser beam shielding device is designed in such a way that the laser cleaning device is only assigned to the unproblematic Laser Class 1 due to the shielding measures taken.

[0022] The laser beam output unit advantageously has a laser optics system positioned upstream of the laser beam exit area, opposite the beam direction. The laser optics system allows, in particular, the shape and direction of the emitted laser radiation to be influenced and specified.

[0023] For greater stability, the cleaning vehicle is conveniently equipped with a chassis on which both the casters and the laser beam output unit are mounted. The handle is also conveniently attached to the chassis. It is advantageous if the cleaning vehicle has an adjustment device that allows the laser beam output unit to be variably adjusted to a specific working position.

[0024] Particularly when a very high-power laser is used, it is advisable, due to its size, to design the laser as a separate component of the portable cleaning device from the cleaning vehicle. The laser can be designed, for example, as a portable, stationary unit or mobile with its own casters, allowing it to be positioned away from the cleaning vehicle as needed. It is connected to the cleaning vehicle via a flexible cable arrangement to transmit the laser light, thus allowing the cleaning vehicle a high degree of freedom of movement.

[0025] In the case of a laser with lower power or smaller size and / or if the cleaning application also tolerates larger dimensions of the cleaning vehicle, the laser can be arranged together with the laser beam output unit on board the cleaning vehicle so that both components of the laser beam cleaning device follow the driving movement of the cleaning vehicle.

[0026] Preferably, the laser cleaning device is additionally equipped with an extraction system that allows the removal of ablation media generated during the cleaning process. Since the ablation media are at least predominantly gaseous, the extraction system can effectively prevent environmental pollution.

[0027] The extraction device advantageously has an extraction opening located in the area of ​​the laser beam output unit, which communicates with an extraction unit of the extraction device and, if a laser beam shielding device is present, is advantageously located inside the working chamber. The extraction unit can be equipped with a filter device and have a receiving space in which extracted particles are collected for later disposal.

[0028] To provide the electrical energy required to operate the laser cleaning system, the portable cleaning device is expediently equipped with a suitable energy source. The energy source can be, for example, an accumulator as a power storage device and / or a power generator. Depending on the design of the portable cleaning device, the energy source can be located directly on board the cleaning vehicle or be implemented as an independent component. For example, the laser and the energy source can be implemented as a separate functional unit independent of the cleaning vehicle.

[0029] To avoid injuries or damage due to improper use, it is advantageous if the cleaning vehicle has a safety device that prevents the laser from being activated under certain usage situations.

[0030] It is advantageous to equip the safety device with a surface detection device that prevents activation of the laser when the cleaning vehicle is raised and its castors are no longer parked on a surface. The surface detection device is designed in particular to detect a use position of the cleaning vehicle with the castors on a surface and a non-use position of the cleaning vehicle with the castors not on a surface. As long as the non-use position is detected, the laser is expediently placed in a blocking state that prevents its activation.When the position of use is detected, the laser can be put into a standby state that enables its activation and will be put into such a state unless the safety device contains further safety components that prevent the activation of the standby state.

[0031] As a further safety component, the safety device can, for example, in conjunction with a laser beam shielding device having a cover, comprise a cover detection device capable of detecting a closed state, which seals off the working chamber, and an open state of the cover, which makes the working chamber accessible. As long as the open state is detected, the laser remains in a locked state, which prevents its activation. If the closed state is detected, the laser can be placed in a standby state, which enables its activation.If the lid detection device is combined with a background detection device, there is expediently a signaling circuit such that the laser is only put into the standby state when both the non-use position of the cleaning vehicle and the closed state of the lid are currently detected.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned underground detection device has a sensing roller that is movable relative to the casters in a vertical direction of the cleaning vehicle, which is provided for sensing an underground surface of the cleaning vehicle and is constantly preloaded into a lowered, locked position projecting downwards beyond the casters, for example by a weight force and / or by a spring device. Upon contact with the underground, the sensing roller can be pushed up into a release position, wherein the release position brings about the ready state of the laser, and the locked position brings about the locked state of the laser.The adjustment is made in particular in such a way that the feeler roller in the release position is positioned at least essentially at the same height level as the castors, in other words the feeler roller and the castors rest equally on the surface.

[0033] A preferred location for the sensing roller is in the vicinity of the laser beam exit area, in particular transverse to the direction of travel next to the laser beam exit area.

[0034] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing. It shows:

[0035] Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the transportable cleaning device according to the invention in a side view, wherein the laser is designed as a component of a functional unit which is separate from a cleaning vehicle and which is connected to the cleaning vehicle via line connections indicated by dashed lines, wherein both the cleaning vehicle and the functional unit are placed on a surface having the surface to be cleaned, Figure 2 shows the arrangement from Figure 1 in a top view according to arrow II in Figure 1, wherein an optional equipment of the cleaning vehicle with the laser is indicated by dash-dotted lines,

[0036] Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through the cleaning vehicle according to section plane III - III of Figure 2 , wherein the laser beam output unit is only indicated by dashed lines and also outgoing line connections on the top side are not shown, and

[0037] Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section through the cleaning vehicle according to section plane IV-IV in the area of ​​a subsurface detection device, wherein a movable sensing unit equipped with a sensing roller is illustrated in solid lines in a release position and in dash-dotted lines in a correspondingly lowered blocking position.

[0038] The drawing shows a portable cleaning device of preferred construction, designated overall by reference number 1, which serves to clean any surface 2 accessible from above.

[0039] The base surface 2 to be cleaned points upwards in particular, and it can be aligned horizontally or diagonally in whole or in part.

[0040] The surface 2 that can be cleaned by means of the cleaning device 1 is, for example, a walkable and / or driveable traffic area 3, although the surface 2 that can be cleaned according to the invention can also be a surface not used for traffic purposes, such as a storage area, marking area, presentation area, or artistic area. As a rule, the surface 2 to be cleaned is a floor area, but the cleaning device 1 is also suitable for cleaning non-floor surfaces such as flat roof surfaces, platform areas, stage areas, or the like. The cleaning device 1 can be used outdoors or indoors, for example for cleaning industrial floors.

[0041] The base surface 2 that can be cleaned by the cleaning device 1 can, in principle, be of any desired nature; for example, it can be a foundation surface 2a, such as a concrete surface or a screed surface, or a paving surface 2b, such as an asphalt surface, paving surface, tile surface, laminate surface, etc. The drawing shows several exemplary paving stones 6 that define a paving surface 2b to be cleaned and are laid adjacent to a foundation surface 2a that also needs to be cleaned, with the paving surface 2b and the foundation surface 2a representing a base surface to be cleaned.

[0042] Over time, the base surface 2, exposed to weather and other external influences, may become significantly dirty, making periodic cleaning desirable. The cleaning device 1 is designed to perform such cleaning.

[0043] The cleaning device 1 has a cleaning vehicle 8, with the aid of which a mobile laser beam cleaning of the base area 2 can be carried out. During its intended use, the cleaning vehicle 8 assumes a use position shown in the drawing, in which it stands on a base 11 containing the base area 2 to be cleaned and can be moved on this base 11 and thus also across the base area 3 by executing a movement 12 indicated by an arrow. The base area 2 is formed, as mentioned, by way of example, by the foundation area 2a and the covering area 2b.

[0044] The cleaning vehicle 8 has a central longitudinal axis 13 defining a vehicle longitudinal direction 13a, wherein the driving movement 12 generally occurs in a direction of travel 12a coinciding with the vehicle longitudinal direction 13a. The cleaning vehicle 8 further has a transverse axis 14 orthogonal to the vehicle longitudinal axis 13 and a vertical axis 15 orthogonal to the vehicle longitudinal axis 13 and the vehicle transverse axis 14, which is usually oriented at least substantially vertically when the cleaning vehicle 8 is in use.

[0045] The cleaning vehicle 8 has a vehicle front side 16a oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction 13a, a vehicle rear side 16b opposite thereto, a vehicle underside 16c facing the ground 11 in the use position and a vehicle upper side 16d opposite the vehicle underside 16c and pointing upwards.

[0046] The cleaning vehicle 8 is equipped with a plurality of castors 17 with which it stands on the ground 11 in the use position and which roll on the ground 11 when a travel movement 12 is carried out. The travel movement 12 is possible in particular both as forward travel and as reverse travel. The cleaning vehicle 8 preferably has four castors 17, of which in the exemplary embodiment two are designed as fixed castors 17a and two others as steering castors 17b. The cleaning vehicle 8 expediently has a chassis 18 on which the castors 17 are rotatably arranged via suitable suspension measures. By way of example, the two fixed castors 17a are located in the area of ​​the front 16a of the vehicle and the two steering castors 17b in the area of ​​the rear 16b of the vehicle. The fixed castors 17a and the steering castors 17b are thus arranged at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction 13a of the vehicle.Both the two fixed rollers 17a and the two steering rollers 17b are expediently located at the same height below one another in the vehicle longitudinal direction 13a and, in particular, at the same distance on opposite sides of the vehicle longitudinal axis 13 extending in the middle of the vehicle.

[0047] The swivel casters 17b can each be pivoted relative to the chassis 18 about a pivot axis 21 parallel to the vehicle's vertical axis 15 in order to perform a desired steering movement. The steering operation is carried out by manually applying force to a handle 23, which will be explained later. Each swivel caster 17b is expediently equipped with a parking brake 20 for permanently fixing the cleaning vehicle 8 at the desired location on the ground 11.

[0048] The fixed rollers 17a cannot pivot. They can only roll around a bearing axis 22 parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis 14.

[0049] It is understood that the castors 17 may also be present in a different number and in a different distribution pattern. For example, the cleaning vehicle 8 could be three-wheeled. The exemplary cleaning vehicle 8 does not have its own drive device for generating the driving movement 12. It is designed to induce the driving movement 12 purely manually and is therefore particularly cost-effective. For example, it has a handle 23, already briefly mentioned above, attached to the chassis 18 in the area of ​​the vehicle rear 16b, which can be grasped by an operator with the hands to manually initiate a pushing and / or pulling drive force.

[0050] The handle 23 also serves to guide the cleaning vehicle, in particular to specify the direction of the travel movement 12.

[0051] According to a non-illustrated embodiment, the cleaning vehicle 8 can be equipped with a motor drive device to generate the travel movement. It then has, in particular, a drive motor designed as an internal combustion engine or electric motor, which can act on at least one of the casters 17 arranged in the region of the vehicle underside 16c to generate the travel movement 12.

[0052] Preferably, the handle 23 is located in the area of ​​the rear side 16b of the vehicle so that it can be easily grasped by an operator standing behind the cleaning vehicle 8 and pushed in front of him by this operator.

[0053] By way of example, the handle 23 is a bow handle which projects upwards from the lower-lying chassis 18 and which has two, in particular, bar-like, handle legs 23a which are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of the vehicle's transverse axis 14, referred to as the vehicle's transverse direction 14a, and which are each fastened to the chassis 18 at a lower end region and which are connected to one another at their upper end region by a horizontal, web-shaped handling section 23b. The handling section 23b is used to be grasped with the hands for the purpose of guiding the cleaning vehicle 8.

[0054] By way of example, the handle 23 is designed symmetrically with respect to a central plane 39 spanned by the central longitudinal axis 13 of the vehicle and the vertical axis 15 of the vehicle. However, as an alternative to this, it can be designed asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis 13 of the vehicle, or more precisely with respect to the aforementioned central plane 39, in a design indicated by dashed lines at 23, 23c. This enables the operator to conveniently guide the cleaning vehicle 8 in a position offset in the transverse direction 14a of the vehicle. Alternatively, the handle 23 could be pivotable in the transverse direction 14a of the vehicle, at least in a gripping section having the handling section 23b, in order to position it in different transverse positions. These transverse positions can be releasably blocked, in particular, by means of a blocking device of the cleaning vehicle 8.

[0055] The cleaning device 1 is equipped with a laser cleaning device 24 which is designed to irradiate the base surface 2 in order to remove contaminants and thus to treat it with the aid of laser radiation 26 which can be generated by a laser 25 belonging to the laser cleaning device 24. Due to the laser beam treatment, contaminants are removed thermally, in particular in that the contaminants are at least predominantly vaporized by the energy of the laser radiation 26. The laser beam cleaning takes place during a travel movement 12 of the cleaning vehicle 8 over the base surface 2 to be cleaned, which movement is also referred to as a cleaning travel and is carried out when the laser 25 is activated.The laser 25 can optionally assume an activated or a deactivated operating state, wherein the laser radiation 26 is generated in the activated operating state and no laser beam is generated in the deactivated operating state. The operating state of the laser 25 can be specified by a person operating the cleaning device 1.

[0056] According to a dash-dotted illustration in Figure 2, the laser 25 can be an integral part of the cleaning vehicle 8 and can follow its travel movement 12. However, according to the preferred embodiment shown in solid lines, the laser 25 is designed separately from the cleaning vehicle 8, which offers the possibility of using a high-power laser 25 with correspondingly larger dimensions without impairing the maneuverability of the cleaning vehicle 8. The laser 25, designed as a stand-alone device, is connected to the cleaning vehicle 8 via a flexible line arrangement 27, wherein the flexible line arrangement 27 is provided, among other things, for transmitting the laser radiation generated by the laser 25 to the cleaning vehicle 8 for its intended use.

[0057] The laser 25, which is designed separately with respect to the cleaning vehicle 8, is preferably a component of a structural unit referred to below as a transportable functional unit 28, which is placed at a distance from the cleaning vehicle 8 during use of the cleaning vehicle 8, wherein a flexible line arrangement 27 of sufficient length ensures a sufficient radius of movement of the cleaning vehicle 8.

[0058] The functional unit 28 can be equipped with wheels 29 so that it can be conveniently moved along the cleaning vehicle 8 from time to time. The functional unit 28 is designed, in particular, as a mobile functional unit 28 that can be moved on the surface 11 in a manner analogous to the cleaning vehicle 8 and at the same time independently of the cleaning vehicle 8.

[0059] In a simple equipment variant of the cleaning device 1, the functional unit 28 contains exclusively the laser 25 and any components required for its control, in particular an electronic control device 30.

[0060] It is advantageous if the laser cleaning device 24 is equipped with a suction device 31, by which media, referred to as ablation media, generated during a cleaning process in the working area 32 of the laser radiation 26 can be suctioned away in order to prevent environmental pollution, in particular dust and odor pollution. By way of example, the laser cleaning device 24 has such a suction device 31.

[0061] To generate the desired suction effect, the suction device 31 contains an electrically operated suction unit 33, which is expediently designed as a further component of the functional unit 28. A flexible suction line 34 connects the suction unit 33 to the cleaning vehicle 8. It is designed separately from the flexible line arrangement 27, but can also be an integral component of this flexible line arrangement 27.

[0062] If the cleaning vehicle 8 is of a suitable size, the suction unit 33 can alternatively also be a direct component of the cleaning vehicle 8.

[0063] The laser radiation 26 for treating the base area 2 is emitted by a laser beam output unit 35 located on board the cleaning vehicle 8 and consequently always following the travel movement 12, shown in dashed lines in the drawing, which is a further component of the laser cleaning device 24. The flexible line arrangement 27 connects the laser 25 to the laser beam output unit 35 and contains at least one optical connecting line 36 for transmitting the laser light, which is preferably designed as a fiber optic cable.

[0064] The laser beam output unit 35 has a laser beam exit region 37, which is arranged in the region of the vehicle underside 16c and allows the exit of the laser radiation 26 that can be generated or is generated by the laser 25. In the use position of the cleaning vehicle 8, the laser beam exit region 37 is aligned such that it faces the surface 11 located beneath the cleaning vehicle 8. The above-mentioned working region 32 is the region in which the laser radiation 26 emerging from the laser beam exit region 37 strikes the surface 2 to be cleaned.

[0065] To provide the electrical energy required to operate the laser 25, the laser cleaning device 24 is expediently equipped with a suitable energy source 38. This energy source 38 is, for example, a rechargeable battery for storing power or a power generator, for example, a diesel generator. A battery and a power generator can also be combined to enable extended, off-grid operation.

[0066] The energy source 38 expediently also supplies the electrical energy for the operation of the suction device 31.

[0067] The laser beam output unit 35 preferably has a schematically indicated laser optics 42, which is responsible in particular for the beam geometry of the laser radiation 26 emerging at the laser beam exit region 37 and ensures, for example, that the laser radiation 26 impinges on the base surface 2 to be cleaned in a point-like or linear manner. The laser optics 42 is located within the laser beam output unit 35 and is arranged upstream of the laser beam exit region 37 opposite the beam direction.

[0068] Preferably, the laser beam output unit 35 is attached in any desired manner to the preferably present chassis 18, directly or indirectly. Consequently, the laser beam output unit 35 is supported by the chassis 18, which ensures high structural stability of the cleaning vehicle 8. A fastening device 43 used to attach the laser beam output unit 35 has, for example, a fastening bracket 45 into which the laser beam output unit 35 is at least partially inserted.

[0069] It is advantageous if the fastening device 43 enables variable positioning of the laser beam output unit 35 with respect to the castors 17 and accordingly also with respect to the optional chassis 18. This advantage applies in an exemplary manner because here the fastening device 43 is designed as an adjusting device 44 which enables the aforementioned positioning. This design results, for example, from the fact that the fastening console 45 is connected to the chassis 18 via fastening screws 46 and can be moved and / or pivoted with respect to the chassis 18 when the fastening screws 46 are loosened. This offers the advantageous possibility of positioning the laser beam output area 37 at different heights and / or in different angular orientations.

[0070] The cleaning vehicle 8 is expediently equipped with a manual actuation device 47 which allows a convenient manual activation and deactivation of the laser 25 by the operator driving the cleaning vehicle 8.

[0071] The manual actuating device 47 has a manually operable manual actuating element 48 arranged on the handle 23, which is mechanically coupled to the laser beam output unit 35 via a coupling device 49 and with which an operating process can be brought about on the laser beam output unit 35, by means of which the laser 25 can be activated or deactivated.

[0072] By way of example, the manual actuating element 48 is a hand-operated hand lever 48a which is coupled to a movable operating element 52 of the laser beam output unit 35 via a Bowden cable 49a of the coupling device 49. By selectively pulling or releasing the hand lever 48a, the operating element 52 can be actuated and, accordingly, the laser 25 can also be switched on and off. In an embodiment not illustrated, a bow-shaped manual actuating element 48 extending parallel to the handling section 23b is pivotally attached to the upper end region of the handle 23 and is coupled to the operating element 52 via a Bowden cable 49a.

[0073] Instead of the Bowden cable 49a, for example, a rod could also be present.

[0074] In any case, the manual operating device 47 enables convenient remote operation of the operating element 52 arranged on the laser beam output unit 35.

[0075] The laser beam output unit 35 has, for example, a housing, referred to below as the output unit housing 51, from which the operating element 52 projects. This operating element 52 can be actuated by either pressing or releasing it, wherein in the pressed state it activates the laser 25 and in the non-pressed state it deactivates it. The coupling device 49 has an actuating element 53 which bears against the operating element 52 and is attached, for example, to the Bowden cable 49a and which is pretensioned by a spring device 54 into an unactuated state in which the operating element 52 does not experience any pressing force. By actuating the manual actuating element 48, the actuating element 53 can also be switched accordingly into an actuated position in which it holds the operating element 52 pressed.

[0076] The switching movement 50 of the actuating element 53 that takes place here is illustrated in Figure 3 by a double arrow. In an embodiment not shown, the operating element 52 is arranged inside the output unit housing 51, and the coupling device 49 extends into the output unit housing 51.

[0077] By way of example, the laser beam output unit 35 is designed as a laser gun 35a, which has an elongated main gun section 55 and a gun grip 56 projecting transversely from the main gun section 55. The operating element 52 is located in the region of the gun grip 56. The laser gun 35a is fixed, among other things, in the region of the main gun section 55 to the fastening console 45. An associated fastening area 57 can pivotally mount the laser gun 35a about a pivot axis parallel to the vehicle transverse axis 14 in order to be able to easily carry out the above-mentioned adjustment measure by means of the adjustment device 44.

[0078] Preferably, the cleaning vehicle 8 has a laser beam shielding device, designated overall by reference numeral 58, which prevents harmful laser radiation 26 from escaping from the cleaning vehicle 8 in a manner that could endanger people. The laser beam shielding device 58 shields the laser beam exit area 37 all around, with the exception of an area located on the vehicle underside 16c, in which a working opening 59 is located, through which the laser radiation 26 can exit to irradiate the base area 2.

[0079] By way of example, the laser beam shielding device 58 contains a shielding housing 62 having a housing wall 63 that is opaque at least in the area surrounding the laser beam exit region 37. The housing wall 63 encloses a housing chamber referred to as the working chamber 64, in which the laser beam exit region 37 is located. By way of example, the entire laser beam output unit 35 is preferably accommodated in the working chamber 64 and fixed via the fastening device 43 to the inside of the housing wall 63, which is attached to the chassis 18 or forms a component of the chassis 18.

[0080] The housing wall 63 encloses the working chamber 64, particularly on the vehicle's upper side 16d, and further all around at the front, rear, and sides. The working chamber 64 is also largely delimited by the housing wall 63 on the vehicle's underside 16c, with only an area defining the working opening 53 remaining open.

[0081] Preferably, the working opening 59 is positioned such that it is located at the shortest possible distance from the substrate 11 during a cleaning run. This ensures that reflective laser radiation 26 is reflected back into the working chamber 64 and is not radiated into the surroundings of the cleaning vehicle 8.

[0082] The exemplary cleaning vehicle 8 has a design that allows the work opening 59 to be located practically directly on the base area 2 to be cleaned. This is achieved in that the housing wall 63 is framed in the region of the work opening 59 by a downwardly projecting, sleeve-shaped protective wall 65, which has at least partially flexible properties and projects downwards in an axial direction of the vehicle's vertical axis 15, referred to as the vehicle height direction 15a. A lower annular edge region 66 of the protective wall 65 is arranged at a height level with respect to the castors 17 such that, in the use position of the cleaning vehicle 8, it rests on the ground 11 located beneath the cleaning vehicle 8 and thus on the region of the base area 2 currently located there.During the travel movement 12, the protective wall 65 can slide with its edge region 66 over the base surface 2 due to its flexibility while maintaining contact with the base surface 2. In this way, an undesired escape of laser radiation 26 can be reliably prevented.

[0083] The protective wall 65 is expediently designed to be flexible, at least in the lower edge region 66. By way of example, it is designed as a flexible protective wall 65. The flexibility results, in particular, from a design as an opaque bristle structure.

[0084] The at least partially flexible protective wall 65 is particularly designed such that, when the cleaning vehicle 8 is not parked on a base 11, it projects beyond a plane which can be designated as the support plane, which is determined by the support surfaces of the castors 17 with which the castors 17 are placed on the base 11 in the use position of the cleaning vehicle 8. In the use position of the cleaning vehicle 8, the protective wall 65 is therefore pushed slightly upwards and rests against the base 11 with a certain prestress, wherein it assumes the surface structure of the base 11 in the contact area.

[0085] The sleeve-shaped protective wall 65 preferably has a rectangular and in particular square cross-sectional contour, but can in principle also be round and in particular circular.

[0086] In order to be able to remove even strongly adhering contaminants from the surface 4, the laser 25 has, for example, a high intensity, in particular to the extent that the laser 25 falls into laser class 4. However, due to the described encapsulation by means of the laser beam shielding device 58, the laser cleaning device 24 as a whole achieves membership in laser class 1 with regard to the operational state. In this way, cleaning cycles can be carried out with high laser energy and correspondingly high thoroughness, without having to take into account that cleaning cycles are carried out on public traffic areas 3 and possibly in areas heavily frequented by people.

[0087] The extraction performed by means of the extraction device 31 takes place at at least one extraction opening 67 of the cleaning vehicle 8, which communicates with the suction line 34. The extraction opening 67 is expediently located inside the working chamber 64 and preferably inside the laser beam output unit 35. During operation of the extraction unit 33, a suction flow forms between the suction opening 67 and the extraction unit 33, through which the ablation media generated during laser cleaning are reliably extracted.

[0088] Particularly in the area of ​​the vehicle upper side 16d, the shielding housing 62 expediently has a cover 68 which can be removed if necessary to make the working chamber 64 accessible. At least one locking element 69 holds the cover 68 in a closed state as shown in the drawing. After manually unlocking the locking element 69, the cover 68 can be removed to assume an open state, for example by completely removing it from the remaining component of the shielding housing 62 or by pivoting it about a hinge device 72. The open state of the cover 68 allows, for example, the assembly and disassembly of the laser beam output unit 35. The flexible line arrangement 27 and the flexible suction line 34 are connected to the cleaning vehicle 8 in particular via the cover 68.

[0089] When the operating element 52 is actuated, electrical control signals are transmitted from the laser beam output unit 35 to the control device 30 via at least one electrical signal line 61 designed as a component of the flexible line arrangement 27, which control device 30 consequently specifies the operating state of the laser 25.

[0090] Preferably, the cleaning vehicle 8 is equipped with a safety device 73 which, depending on the situation, can prevent activation of the laser 25 in order to avoid personal injury due to laser radiation.

[0091] By way of example, the safety device 73 contains two components, namely a background detection device 74 and a cover detection device 75, of which, however, only one component can easily be present.

[0092] The ground detection device 74 , which is particularly clearly visible in Figure 4 , is designed to detect the use position with the castors 17 on the ground 11 and a non-use position with the castors 17 not on a ground 11 .

[0093] The lid detection device 75, which can be seen in particular in Figure 3, allows the closed state and the open state of the lid 68 to be detected. The safety device 73 is connected to the control device 30 via an electrical signal line (not further illustrated) which is designed as a component of the flexible conductor arrangement 27 and which puts the laser 25 into a standby state which enables its activation when the background detection device 74 detects the use position and the lid detection device 75 simultaneously detects the closed state of the lid 68. In a case in which the background detection device 74 defines the non-use position of the cleaning vehicle 8 and / or the lid detection device 75 defines an open state of the lid 68, the laser 25 is put into a blocking state by the control device 30, in which its activation is prevented.In the locked state, actuation of the control element 52 has no effect whatsoever.

[0094] According to the advantageous embodiment illustrated, the underground detection device 74 has a sensing unit 76 that is movable relative to the casters 17 and, accordingly, also relative to the chassis 18 in the vehicle height direction 15a. The movement that can be performed by the sensing unit 76 is referred to as sensing movement 77 and is illustrated in Figure 4 by double arrows. The sensing movement 76 is, for example, a linear movement, although in principle it could also be, for example, a pivoting movement.

[0095] The sensing unit 76 has a holding unit 78 and a sensing roller 79 rotatably mounted on the holding unit 78. The sensing roller 79 is rotatable relative to the holding unit 78 about a rotation axis 82 extending in the vehicle transverse direction 14a. The sensing roller 79 is located on the vehicle underside 16c and there, in particular, in an area between the four casters 17.

[0096] The sensing unit 76 is movably mounted on the chassis 18 via the holding unit 78 to enable the sensing movement 77. For example, the holding unit 78 inserts into a bearing unit 83 attached to the chassis 18 in a manner that is movable in the vehicle height direction 15a. For example, the bearing unit 83 has a cylindrical guide bore 84 into which the holding unit 78 extends with a guide section 85 that has a cylindrical shape complementary to the guide bore 84. An optional anti-twist device 86 ensures that the sensing unit 76 maintains its orientation with the axis of rotation 82 parallel to the vehicle transverse axis 14, regardless of the height position it assumes with respect to the chassis 18.

[0097] On the holding unit 78 there is a trigger element 87, which is referred to below as the first trigger element 87 for better differentiation, which participates in the sensing movement 77 and, during this sensing movement 77, carries out a relative movement with respect to a position sensor 88 which is arranged in the vicinity and is stationary with respect to the chassis 18 and is referred to below as the first position sensor 88 for better differentiation.

[0098] Due to their weight, the sensing unit 76 and thus also the sensing roller 79 are pre-loaded into a lowered locking position 89 which projects downwards beyond the casters 17 and is indicated by a dot-dash line in Figure 4. The locking position 89 occurs when the cleaning vehicle 8 with its casters 17 is lifted off the ground 11. From the locking position 89, the sensing roller 79 and with it the entire sensing unit 76 can be moved by the sensing movement 77 into a release position 90 shown in solid lines. The release position 90 results from the sensing roller 79 being pushed up by the said ground 11 when the cleaning vehicle 8 is parked on a ground 11.

[0099] The pushbutton unit 76 is equipped, in particular on the holding unit 78, with the first trigger element 87, which follows the pushbutton movement 77 and in whose vicinity on the chassis 18 the first position sensor 88 is arranged. In the locked position 89, the first trigger element 87 is so far away from the first position sensor 88 that the latter is deactivated, which signals the non-use position. In the release position 90, the first position sensor 88 is actuated by the first trigger element 87, so that a sensor signal signaling the use position is output.

[0100] The release position 90 is characterized in particular by the fact that the sensing roller 79 is positioned at least substantially at the same height level as the casters 17. More precisely, in the release position 90, the contact area between the sensing roller 79 and the ground 11 lies at least substantially in the above-mentioned contact plane of the casters 17.

[0101] The sensing roller 79 is expediently arranged in the vicinity of the laser beam exit region 37, wherein it is exemplarily placed next to the laser beam exit region 37 in the vehicle transverse direction 14a. The sensing roller 79 and in particular the entire underground detection device 74 are preferably located outside the working chamber 64. The cover detection device 75 has, for example, a trigger element 93 arranged on the cover 68 and referred to as the second trigger element 93 for ease of differentiation, and a position sensor 94 which is stationary with respect to the chassis 18 and referred to as the second position sensor 94 for ease of differentiation. When the cover 68 is in the closed position, the second position sensor 94 is actuated by the second trigger element 93 so that it outputs a corresponding sensor signal to the control device 30.In the open state of the lid 68, the second trigger element 93 is removed from the second position sensor 94, so that a sensor signal is omitted, which is interpreted by the control device 30 as a closed lid 68.

[0102] The two position sensors 88, 94 are connected in the control device 30 in particular such that the laser 25 is only put into the standby state when the first position sensor 88 detects the use position of the cleaning vehicle 8 and the second position sensor 94 detects the closed state of the cover 68.

[0103] The aforementioned detection measures are advantageously carried out without contact. For example, the first and second trigger elements 87, 93 are each a permanent magnet, and the first and second position sensors 88, 94 are each a proximity sensor that responds to a magnetic field, for example, a Hall sensor.

[0104] It should also be added that the sleeve-shaped protective wall 65 preferably has a rectangular and in particular square cross-sectional contour, but in principle can also be round and in particular circular.

Claims

Claims 1. A portable cleaning device for cleaning surfaces (2), in particular surfaces (2) in the form of walkable and / or drivable traffic areas (3), characterized in that it is equipped with a cleaning vehicle (8) that can be guided by hand and has a handle (23) for this purpose, which has a plurality of castors (17) in the region of a vehicle underside (16c) that enable a travel movement (12) across a surface (2) to be cleaned, and in that it is equipped with a laser cleaning device (24) that has a laser (25) designed to generate laser radiation (26) and a laser beam output unit (35) located on board the cleaning vehicle (8) and following its travel movement (12), wherein the laser (25) can generate laser radiation (26) emerging at a laser beam exit region (37) of the laser beam output unit (35),which can be directed in the area of ​​the vehicle underside (16c) to remove impurities onto an area of ​​the surface (2) to be cleaned located beneath the cleaning vehicle (8).

2. Transportable cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) is designed for purely manual induction of the travel movement (12), wherein the handle (23) can be used for manually initiating a pushing and / or pulling drive force.

3. Transportable cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the handle (23) is arranged in the region of a vehicle rear side (16b) on the cleaning vehicle (8), wherein it is designed in particular as a bow handle projecting upwards from a chassis (18) of the cleaning vehicle (8), which has two handle arms (23a) fixed to the chassis (18) and a handling section (23b) connecting the two handle arms (23a) in a web-like manner and which can be grasped with the hands for guiding the cleaning vehicle (8).

4. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle (23) is designed asymmetrically with respect to a central longitudinal vehicle axis (13) extending in a direction of travel (12a) of the cleaning vehicle (8) or can be aligned selectively symmetrically or asymmetrically at least in sections by pivoting.

5. Portable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one manually operable hand actuating element (48), for example designed as a hand lever (48a), of a hand actuating device (47) serving for the manual activation and deactivation of the laser (25) is arranged on the handle (23), which is mechanically coupled to the laser beam output unit (35) via a coupling device (49), in particular having a Bowden cable (49a).

6. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the laser beam output unit (35) is designed as a laser gun (35a) which has a gun main section (55) having the laser beam exit area (37) and a the main pistol section (55) has a pistol grip (56) projecting transversely, wherein the pistol grip (56) is assigned an operating element (52) which enables activation and deactivation of the laser (25) and can be actuated by selectively pressing or releasing.

7. Portable cleaning device according to claim 6 in conjunction with claim 5, characterized in that the coupling device (49) cooperates with the operating element (52) in such a way that a remote operation of the operating element (52) can be carried out via the manual operating element (48).

8. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the castors (17) are designed partly as pivotable steering castors (17b) and partly as non-pivoting fixed castors (17a).

9. Transportable cleaning device according to claim 8, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) has four castors (17), two of which are designed as fixed castors (17a) and two as steering castors (17b), wherein the fixed castors (17a) are expediently arranged in the axial direction of a central vehicle longitudinal axis (13) extending in the direction of travel (12a) of the cleaning vehicle (8) at a distance from the steering castors (17b), wherein both the fixed castors (17a) and the steering castors (17b) are arranged in pairs at the same axial height.

10. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) has a laser beam shielding device (58) by means of which the laser beam exit area (37) can be shielded from the outside except for an area at the side facing downwards during the intended use of the cleaning vehicle (8). The underside of the vehicle (16c) is opaquely shielded from the surroundings.

11. Transportable cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that the laser beam shielding device (58) has a shielding housing (62) which opaquely encloses a working chamber (64), in which the laser beam exit area (37) is located and which has a working opening (59) in the area of ​​the vehicle underside (16c), through which a laser radiation (26) emerging from the laser beam exit area (37) within the working chamber (64) can irradiate a base area (2a) of a base area (2) to be cleaned, which base area is located under the cleaning vehicle (8).

12. Portable cleaning device according to claim 11, characterized in that the working opening (59) is enclosed all around by a downwardly projecting sleeve-shaped protective wall (65) which has at least partially flexible properties and rests with a lower edge region (66) on the base surface (2) to be cleaned and can slide over the base surface (2) to be cleaned during the travel movement (12) while maintaining contact, wherein the sleeve-shaped protective wall (65), at least insofar as it has flexible properties, expediently consists of a bristle structure.

13. Portable cleaning device according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the entire laser beam output unit (35) is arranged in the working chamber (64) encapsulated from the environment.

14. A portable cleaning device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the shielding housing (62) has a removable cover (68) to make the working chamber (64) accessible.

15. Portable cleaning device according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the laser (25) belongs to laser class 4 with regard to the intensity of the laser radiation (26) that can be generated thereby, the laser cleaning device (24) as a whole being assigned to laser class 1 due to the laser beam shielding device (58).

16. Portable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the laser beam output unit (35) has a laser optics (42) arranged upstream of the laser beam exit area (37).

17. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) has a chassis (18) on which both the castors (17) and the laser beam output unit (35) are arranged.

18. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the laser beam output unit (35) is assigned an adjusting device (44) of the cleaning vehicle (8), by means of which an operating position of the laser beam output unit (35) assumed within the cleaning vehicle (8) can be variably adjusted, whereby in particular the laser beam exit area (37) can be positioned in different height positions and / or in different angular orientations.

19. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the laser (25) is designed separately from the cleaning vehicle (8) and is connected to the cleaning vehicle (8) via a flexible line arrangement (27).

20. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the laser (25) as well as the laser beam output unit (35) are located on board the cleaning vehicle (8) so that they follow its driving movement (12).

21. Portable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the laser cleaning device (24) is equipped with a suction device (31) for suctioning off removal media caused by the laser radiation (26) during a cleaning process in the area of ​​the laser beam output unit (35).

22. Portable cleaning device according to claim 21, characterized in that the suction device (31) has a suction opening (67) arranged in the region of the laser beam output unit (35) and communicating with a suction unit (33) of the suction device (31), which is expediently arranged in the interior of the working chamber (64).

23. Portable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that it is equipped with an energy source (38) for providing electrical energy required for the operation of the laser cleaning device (24), which energy source is in particular an accumulator and / or a power generator.

24. Transportable cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) has a safety device (73) which prevents activation of the laser (25) under certain usage situations of the cleaning vehicle (8).

25. Transportable cleaning device according to claim 24, characterized in that the safety device (73) has a surface detection device (74) by means of which a use position of the cleaning vehicle (8) with the castors (17) standing on a surface (11) and a non-use position of the cleaning vehicle (8) with the castors (17) not standing on a surface (11) can be detected, wherein the laser (25) can be set into a standby state enabling its activation as a result of detection of the use position and into a blocking state preventing its activation as a result of detection of the non-use position.

26. A portable cleaning device according to claim 25, characterized in that the underground detection device (74) has a sensing roller (79) which is movable relative to the castors (17) in a height direction of the cleaning vehicle (8) and is provided for sensing a surface (11) located below the cleaning vehicle (8), which sensing roller is constantly preloaded into a lowered locking position (89) projecting downwards beyond the castors (17) and can be pushed up into a release position (90) by contact with the surface (11), wherein in the locking position (89) it brings about the locking state and in the release position the standby state of the laser (25), and wherein in the release position (90) it is expediently positioned at least substantially at the same height level as the castors (17).

27. Transportable cleaning device according to claim 26, characterized in that the sensing roller (79) is arranged in the vicinity of the laser beam exit area (37), in particular transversely to the direction of travel (12a) next to the laser beam exit area (37).

28. Portable cleaning device according to one of claims 24 to 27 in conjunction with claim 14, characterized in that the safety device (73) has a cover detection device (75) by means of which a closed state closing the working chamber (64) and an open state of the cover (68) making the working chamber (64) accessible can be detected, wherein the laser (25) can be put into a standby state enabling its activation as a result of detection of the closed state and into a blocking state preventing its activation as a result of detection of the open state.

29. Cleaning method for cleaning surfaces (2), in particular surfaces (2) in the form of walkable and / or drivable traffic areas (3), characterized in that a transportable cleaning device (1) designed according to one of claims 1 to 28 is used, wherein a driving movement (12) is carried out with the cleaning vehicle (8) over the surface (3) to be cleaned with the laser (25) activated, so that the surface (2) is irradiated by the laser radiation (26) emerging at the laser beam exit region (37) below the cleaning vehicle (8) and as a result contaminants can be removed from the surface (2).

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