Transportable cleaning device and cleaning method for cleaning a base surface
The transportable cleaning device with a laser beam output unit on a hand-guidable vehicle efficiently removes contaminants from surfaces by moving across them, addressing the inefficiencies and damage of traditional cleaning methods.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GLATT GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing cleaning methods for walkable and drivable surfaces are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often damage the surface structure, failing to effectively remove contaminants like dirt and oil residues.
A transportable cleaning device with a hand-guidable cleaning vehicle equipped with a laser beam output unit that emits a laser beam beneath the vehicle to remove contaminants while moving, allowing for efficient and gentle cleaning without mechanical means.
The laser beam cleaning process is time-saving, efficient, and environmentally friendly, effectively removing contaminants without damaging the surface, and can be adjusted for different materials and soiling levels.
Smart Images

Figure 2026516712000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a transportable cleaning device for cleaning a base surface, in particular a base surface in the form of a walkable and / or drivable passage surface. The present invention further relates to a cleaning method for cleaning such a base surface.
Background Art
[0002] Surfaces, whether outdoors or indoors, will sooner or later become dirty, sometimes severely, depending on their upward orientation. This is especially true for walkable and / or drivable passage surfaces, which are often subject to heavy use. Therefore, in order to avoid impairing the practicality of the surface or simply for visual reasons, it is recommended to thoroughly clean such surfaces from time to time. However, corresponding cleaning measures that can be carried out, for example, using a high-pressure cleaner or a brush, are extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive, and can only remove residues containing fats or oils inadequately in most cases. Furthermore, cleaning by repeated polishing damages the existing surface structure and increases the risk of slipping on the passage surface.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0003] The underlying problem of the present invention is to provide a transportable cleaning device that can effectively and time-efficiently release any base surface, especially a passage surface, from contaminants without the risk of damage. Furthermore, it is desirable that an effective and inexpensive cleaning method for cleaning the above-mentioned base surface be proposed.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0004] To solve this problem, the present invention provides a transportable cleaning device comprising a cleaning vehicle that is hand-guidable and has a handgrip for hand-guiding, the cleaning vehicle having a plurality of traveling rollers in the area under the vehicle that enable traveling motion across the base surface to be cleaned, - The transportable cleaning device includes a laser cleaning device, the laser cleaning device having a laser device configured to generate a laser beam, and a laser beam output unit mounted on a cleaning vehicle that operates in conjunction with the driving motion of the cleaning vehicle. -A transportable cleaning device is defined in which a laser device is capable of generating a laser beam that is emitted in the laser beam emission region of a laser beam output unit, and the laser beam can be directed to the area below the cleaning vehicle of a base surface to be cleaned in order to remove contaminants in the area below the vehicle.
[0005] Furthermore, this problem is solved by a cleaning method, which uses a transportable cleaning device configured as described above for the implementation of the cleaning method, and a cleaning vehicle performs a traveling motion over the base surface to be cleaned when the laser device is in operation, thereby irradiating the base surface from below with a laser beam emitted in the laser beam emission region, thereby enabling the removal of contaminants from the base surface.
[0006] Using a transportable cleaning device, mobile laser beam cleaning can be performed on traffic surfaces and any other base surfaces. This laser beam cleaning is superior in terms of time-saving use, high efficiency, and gentle treatment of the base surface. The cleaning process is carried out within the framework of the cleaning vehicle's movement across the base surface to be cleaned. In this case, a laser beam generated by the laser device of the laser cleaning device, output by a laser beam output unit formed as a component of the cleaning vehicle, strikes the area of the base surface to be cleaned that is currently beneath the cleaning vehicle. This irradiation frees even structured base surfaces from contaminants. Existing contaminants, such as dirt layers, oil and grease stains, or any other type of residue that adheres in a pinpoint manner and is difficult to remove, can be gently removed by energy input and evaporation, without the need for mechanical means or additional cleaning aids. Thus, the cleaning process is designed to be environmentally friendly and inexpensive. The irradiation intensity can be individually adjusted depending on the material of the substrate surface by selecting the appropriate ray energy and / or by the laser beam shape, either at the factory or using an existing adjustment device, thereby achieving the best possible cleaning results. The laser device may be configured to generate pulsed and / or continuous laser beams, for example, depending on the degree of soiling and the speed of the cleaning vehicle. Since the laser beam output unit is mounted on the cleaning vehicle and therefore always directly accompanies the vehicle's movement, a sufficiently constant distance can be ensured between the laser beam emission area and the substrate surface to be cleaned during cleaning, thereby guaranteeing a consistent cleaning quality regardless of the operator's skill. The laser beam output unit may be oriented so that the emitted laser beam always strikes the substrate surface to be cleaned at the desired angle, enabling highly efficient and material-friendly processing. Since the laser device operates without a medium, contamination of the surrounding area of the substrate surface to be cleaned by cleaning agents can also be avoided.Using the handgrip, the cleaning vehicle can be guided precisely and in the desired direction across the surface to be cleaned at any time. Handling is substantially the same as handling other manual vehicles such as a transport vehicle or lawnmower, making operation extremely simple and requiring no tedious training.
[0007] The base surfaces that can be cleaned using the cleaning device are, in particular, walkable and / or traversable surfaces, but the cleanable base surfaces may also be surfaces that do not serve a purpose for passage, such as storage surfaces, display surfaces, presentation surfaces, or artistic surfaces. Typically, the base surfaces to be cleaned are floor surfaces, but the cleaning device is also suitable for cleaning, for example, flat roof surfaces, dance floors, stage surfaces, etc. The cleaning device can be used outdoors or indoors, for example, for cleaning industrial floors.
[0008] Another advantageous modification of the present invention is evident from the dependent claims.
[0009] In principle, a cleaning vehicle can be equipped with an integrated drive system controllable by an operator, allowing it to travel relatively long cleaning distances without fatigue. However, a preferred cleaning vehicle configured to generate its movement purely manually is particularly inexpensive, in which case the handgrip serves not only to guide the cleaning vehicle in direction but also to manually introduce pushing and / or pulling forces to generate the movement.
[0010] The handgrip is positioned on the cleaning vehicle in the rear area for practical purposes. Therefore, the operator walks behind the cleaning vehicle and always has a good view of the surrounding area to be cleaned.
[0011] A handgrip, formed as a U-shaped grip projecting upward from the chassis of a cleaning vehicle, having two upward-projecting grip legs fixed to the chassis, with a web-like handle section extending between these grip legs, the web-like handle section being grippable by hand for guidance and, in some cases, for introducing driving force, ensures favorable handling of the cleaning vehicle.
[0012] The handgrip may be formed asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the cleaning vehicle extending in the direction of travel of the cleaning vehicle, thereby allowing an operator walking behind the cleaning vehicle to be positioned laterally relative to the vehicle. This facilitates cleaning work along walls or in safety areas, such as on station platforms where entry is prohibited. A similar effect can be achieved by a handgrip that is swivelable in at least a predetermined section and can be selectively positioned and fixed in symmetrical or asymmetrical working positions.
[0013] For the purposes of the handgrip, the handgrip is equipped with at least one manually operable manual operating element that allows for simple manual operation and stopping of the laser device. For example, a manual operating element, such as a hand lever, belongs to a manual operating device that is mechanically connected to the laser beam output unit via a coupling device, and can therefore affect the operating state of the laser device by acting on the laser beam output unit. The coupling device may include, for example, a link mechanism and / or a Bowden cable.
[0014] A particularly inexpensive configuration for the cleaning device is possible if the laser beam output unit is formed as a compact laser gun having a barrel section with a laser beam emission area and a gun grip protruding laterally from this barrel section. The gun grip is equipped with an actuation element that can be operated by selective pressing or release, suitable for activating and deactivating the laser device, similar to the trigger of a weaponized gun.
[0015] If a laser gun is provided, the coupling device for the manual control device may be advantageously configured to cooperate with an actuation element that can, in principle, be directly operated manually, thereby enabling remote operation of the actuation element via the manual control device even if the actuation element is mounted in a way that makes it difficult, or even impossible, to access within the cleaning vehicle.
[0016] A cleaning vehicle can be turned very well while in motion if some of its running rollers are configured as swivelable steering rollers and some as non-swivelable fixed rollers. Preferably, there are a total of four running rollers, of which two are configured as fixed rollers and the other two as steering rollers. For the purpose of this, the fixed rollers and the steering rollers are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the vehicle's longitudinal central axis that extends in the direction of travel of the cleaning vehicle. In this case, both the fixed rollers and the steering rollers are arranged in pairs at the same axial height. The axial height refers to the position in the axial direction of the vehicle's longitudinal axis.
[0017] It is considered advantageous for a cleaning vehicle to have a laser beam shielding device. The laser beam shielding device shields at least the laser beam emission area and, consequently, the laser beam emitted from the laser beam emission area, in an annular manner so that they are not visible to the surroundings, excluding the area on the underside of the vehicle that is facing downwards when the cleaning vehicle is in its prescribed use, and which allows the emission of the laser beam in order to carry out the cleaning process.
[0018] The laser beam shielding device includes, for the purpose of its use, a shielding housing. This shielding housing surrounds the work chamber, concealing it and thus preventing the emission of the laser beam. The laser beam emission area is located within this work chamber. To enable cleaning procedures, the shielding housing has a working opening facing the base surface to be cleaned, which is directed exclusively downwards during the prescribed cleaning process. Through this opening, the laser beam emitted from the laser beam emission area within the work chamber can irradiate the base surface without causing damage to the surrounding area or nearby.
[0019] The best possible safety without compromising cleaning efficiency is provided in the following advantageous configuration: the working opening is annularly surrounded by a sleeve-shaped protective wall projecting downward, which is at least partially, and preferably fully, flexible and can be pressed against the base surface to be cleaned in the lower edge region when the cleaning vehicle is used as specified, thereby allowing the protective wall to slide across the base surface while maintaining surface contact at all times during travel. The flexibility allows for automatic adaptation to the individual surface structure of the base surface, enabling shielding contact between the base surface and the flexible protective wall in both raised and recessed surface areas. Particularly good protective results are achieved by a flexible protective wall whose flexibility is based on a bristle structure. For example, natural or synthetic textile materials are used to realize the bristle structure.
[0020] Preferably, the entire laser beam output unit is enclosed from the surroundings and housed within a working chamber.
[0021] For example, to facilitate maintenance work, or to allow for thorough internal cleaning of the cleaning vehicle as needed, it is advantageous for the shielding housing to have a cover, which is removable to allow access to the work chamber, for example, by completely removing it or by pivoting it open.
[0022] Generally, laser devices are classified into various laser classes, taking into account their potential hazards. Class 1 laser devices have the lowest existential hazard. Class 4 laser devices produce laser beams that are extremely dangerous due to their high intensity. For effective cleaning of a base surface, a laser device belonging to Class 4 in terms of intensity is recommended. To enable the use of such a Class 4 laser device without restriction, even in the often high-traffic surrounding areas of the traffic surface 3 to be cleaned, it is advantageous that the laser beam shielding device is configured such that the laser cleaning device is equipped with a Class 4 laser device, but the laser cleaning device is simply assigned to a Class 1 laser device that poses no problem, based on the applicable shielding measures.
[0023] The laser beam output unit, for practical purposes, has a laser optical system positioned upstream of the laser beam emission region, in the opposite direction to the beam direction. The laser optical system can, in particular, influence and set the shape and direction of the emitted laser beam.
[0024] For high stability, the cleaning vehicle is equipped with a chassis for its intended purpose, and both the running rollers and the laser beam output unit are mounted on this chassis. The hand grips are also attached to the chassis for its intended purpose.
[0025] It is advantageous if the cleaning vehicle has an adjustment device through which the laser beam output unit can be variably adjusted with respect to the working position.
[0026] In particular, when a laser device with an extremely high output is used, based on the associated structural size, it is expedient to form the laser device as a separate component with respect to the cleaning vehicle of a transportable cleaning device. The laser device may be configured, for example, as a supportable stand device or as being capable of traveling with its own running rollers, whereby the laser device can be arranged separately from the cleaning vehicle as required. In this case, since the laser device is connected to the cleaning vehicle via a flexible conductor assembly for transmitting the laser light, the cleaning vehicle has a high degree of freedom of movement.
[0027] In the case of a laser device having a lower output or a smaller structural size, and / or when the cleaning application also permits larger dimensions of the cleaning vehicle, the laser device may be arranged mounted on the cleaning vehicle together with the laser beam output unit, whereby both components of the laser beam cleaning device perform the traveling movement of the cleaning vehicle together.
[0028] Preferably, the laser cleaning device additionally comprises a suction device, which enables the suction of the removal medium generated during the cleaning process. Since the removal medium has at least mainly a gaseous consistency, the suction can effectively prevent the load on the environment.
[0029] The suction device expediently has a suction opening arranged in the region of the laser beam output unit, which communicates with the suction unit of the suction device and is arranged inside the working chamber in the case where a laser beam shielding device is present. The suction unit may comprise a filter device and may have a collection chamber in which the sucked-in particles are collected for later disposal.
[0030] In particular, to provide the electrical energy required for the operation of the laser cleaning equipment, the portable cleaning equipment is equipped with a purposefully appropriate energy source. The energy source is, for example, a battery and / or generator as a current storage device. Depending on the configuration of the portable cleaning equipment, the energy source may be mounted directly on the cleaning vehicle or configured as an independent component from the cleaning vehicle. For example, the laser device and the energy source may be configured as independent, cleaning vehicle-independent functional units.
[0031] To avoid injury or damage resulting from improper use, it is advantageous for cleaning vehicles to have safety devices that prevent the laser device from operating under certain operating conditions.
[0032] It is advantageous for the safety device to include a ground detection device, which prevents the laser device from operating when the cleaning vehicle is lifted and its running rollers are no longer on the ground. The ground detection device is configured to detect, in particular, the working position of the cleaning vehicle where the running rollers are on the ground and the non-working position of the cleaning vehicle where the running rollers are not on the ground. As long as the non-working position is detected, the laser device is kept in a shut-off state that, for the purpose of preventing its operation, prevents it from operating. When the working position is detected, the laser device can be put into a ready state that enables its operation, and will be put into a ready state unless the safety device includes another safety element that prevents the switch to the ready state.
[0033] As another safety element, the safety device may include, for example, a cover detection device in relation to a laser beam shielding device having a cover, which can detect whether the cover is in a closed state, closing the work chamber, or in an open state, allowing access to the work chamber. As long as the open state is detected, the laser device remains in a shut-off state, preventing its operation. When the closed state is detected, the laser device can be prepared to enable its operation. As long as the cover detection device is combined with a ground detection device, there is a signaling circuit that, for the purposes of the device, prepares the laser device only when an unused position of the cleaning vehicle and the closed state of the cover are currently detected.
[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the ground detection device described above has a tactile roller that is movable in the height direction of the cleaning vehicle relative to the traveling roller. This tactile roller is provided for sensing the ground by contact with the cleaning vehicle, and is always preloaded toward a lowered, blocked position that protrudes downward beyond the traveling roller, for example by weight and / or a spring mechanism. Contact with the ground allows the tactile roller to be pushed upward to a released position, which can bring the laser device into a ready state, and the blocked position of the tactile roller can bring the laser device into a blocked state. This occurs particularly when the tactile roller is positioned at at least substantially the same height level as the traveling roller in the released position, that is, in other words, when the tactile roller and the traveling roller are both placed on the ground.
[0035] A preferred mounting position for the tactile roller is near the laser beam emission area, and in particular adjacent to the laser beam emission area in a direction lateral to the direction of travel.
[0036] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0037] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing a preferred configuration of a transportable cleaning device according to the present invention, in which the laser device is formed as a component of a functional unit separated from the cleaning vehicle, the functional unit being connected to the cleaning vehicle via a track connection indicated by a dashed line, both the cleaning vehicle and the functional unit being positioned on the ground having a base surface to be cleaned, and components for autonomous operation are mainly shown only schematically. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a plan view of the assembly shown in Figure 1, viewed from above in the direction of arrow II shown in Figure 1, with the dashed line indicating a configuration in which a laser device is optionally installed on the cleaning vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cleaning vehicle at cross-section III-III, where the laser beam output unit is simply indicated by a dashed line, and the track connection section leading up to it is not shown. [Figure 4] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cleaning vehicle at cross-section IV-IV in the area of the ground detection device, in which a movable tactile unit equipped with a tactile roller is shown by a solid line in the release position and by a dashed line in the blocked position, which is lowered relative to the release position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0038] The drawing shows a transportable cleaning device of a preferred structure, generally indicated by reference numeral 1, which is useful for cleaning any base surface 2 accessible from above.
[0039] The base surface 2 to be cleaned is particularly oriented upward, and the base surface 2 may be oriented horizontally or diagonally, either overall or in a given area.
[0040] The base surface 2 that can be cleaned using the cleaning device 1 is, exemplary, a walkable and / or traversable surface 3, but the base surface 2 that can be cleaned according to the present invention may be a surface that does not serve a purpose for passage, for example, a storage surface, a display surface, a presentation surface, or an artistic surface. Typically, the base surface 2 to be cleaned is a floor surface, but the cleaning device 1 is also suitable for cleaning non-floor surfaces such as flat roof surfaces, dance floors, stage surfaces, etc. 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 using the cleaning device 1 may, in principle, be of any nature, for example, a foundation surface 2a, such as a concrete or cement surface, or a covered road surface 2b, such as an asphalt surface, paved surface, tile surface, laminate surface, etc. The drawing shows, illustratively, several paving stones 6, which define the covered road surface 2b to be cleaned and are laid adjacent to the base surface 2a to be cleaned. The covered road surface 2b and the foundation surface 2a represent the base surfaces to be cleaned.
[0042] Over time, the base surface 2, exposed to weather and other external influences, often becomes heavily soiled, and therefore cleaning is desired from time to time. The cleaning device 1 is configured to perform such cleaning.
[0043] The cleaning device 1 has a cleaning vehicle 8, which can be used to perform mobile laser beam cleaning of the base surface 2. During normal use, the cleaning vehicle 8 takes the operating position as seen in the drawing, in which position the cleaning vehicle 8 stands on the ground 11 including the base surface 2 to be cleaned, and can travel across the base surface 3 while performing the traveling motion 12 indicated by the arrow on the ground 11. The base surface 2 is formed exemplary by a base surface 2a and a covered road surface 2b as described above.
[0044] The cleaning vehicle 8 has a longitudinal central axis 13 that defines the vehicle's longitudinal direction 13a, and its travel motion 12 is usually performed in a travel direction 12a that coincides with the vehicle's longitudinal direction 13a. Furthermore, the cleaning vehicle 8 has a lateral axis 14 perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal axis 13, and a height axis 15 perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal axis 13 and the vehicle's lateral axis 14, and this height axis 15 is usually oriented at least substantially vertically when the cleaning vehicle 8 is in use.
[0045] The cleaning vehicle 8 has a front vehicle side 16a facing in the longitudinal direction 13a of the vehicle, a rear vehicle side 16b facing in the opposite direction to the front vehicle side 16a, a lower vehicle side 16c facing the ground 11 in the position of use, and an upper vehicle side 16d facing upward in the opposite direction to the lower vehicle side 16c.
[0046] The cleaning vehicle 8 is equipped with multiple running rollers 17, which allow the cleaning vehicle 8 to stand on the ground 11 in its operating position and roll on the ground 11 when performing the running motion 12. The running motion 12 can be performed in either forward or reverse direction.
[0047] Preferably, the cleaning vehicle 8 has four running rollers 17, of which, in this embodiment, two running rollers 17 are formed as fixed rollers 17a and the other two running rollers 17 are deflection rollers 17b. The cleaning vehicle 8 has a chassis 18, on which the running rollers 17 are rotatably arranged via appropriate suspension means. For example, both fixed rollers 17a are located in the front 16a region of the vehicle, and both deflection rollers 17b are located in the rear 16b region of the vehicle. Thus, the fixed rollers 17a and the deflection rollers 17b are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction 13a of the vehicle. Both fixed rollers 17a and both deflection rollers 17b are, for the purpose, at the same height and, in particular, at the same distance from each other in the longitudinal direction 13a of the vehicle, and are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal central axis 13 of the vehicle extending to the center of the vehicle.
[0048] Each deflection roller 17b is capable of pivoting relative to the chassis 18 about a pivot axis 21 parallel to the vehicle height axis 15, thereby enabling the execution of a desired deflection motion. The deflection process is carried out by manually applying force to the handgrip 23, which will be described further. Each deflection roller 17b is equipped with a positioning brake 20 for purposefully fixing the cleaning vehicle 8 in a desired position on the ground 11.
[0049] The fixed roller 17a does not have the ability to rotate. The fixed roller 17a can exclusively perform rolling motion around the support axis 22a, which is parallel to the vehicle's lateral axis 14.
[0050] It is obvious that the number and distribution patterns of the running rollers 17 may differ. For example, the cleaning vehicle 8 may be a three-wheeled vehicle.
[0051] The exemplary cleaning vehicle 8 does not have an intrinsic drive mechanism to cause the running motion 12. The cleaning vehicle 8 is configured to cause the running motion 12 purely manually, and is therefore particularly inexpensive. For example, the cleaning vehicle 8 has the handgrip 23, which has already been briefly mentioned above, attached to the chassis 18 in the area of the rear side 16b of the vehicle. This handgrip 23 can be grasped by hand by the operator to manually introduce pushing and / or pulling driving forces.
[0052] The handgrip 23 is also useful for guiding the cleaning vehicle, that is, for setting the direction of the running motion 12.
[0053] In one embodiment not shown, the cleaning vehicle 8 may be equipped with a prime mover to generate a running motion. Thus, the cleaning vehicle 8 has a prime mover configured in particular as an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, which can act on at least one of the running rollers 17 located in the area of the lower side 16c of the vehicle, thereby generating a running motion 12.
[0054] Preferably, the handgrip 23 is located in the area of the rear side 16b of the vehicle so that it can be comfortably grasped by an operator standing behind the cleaning vehicle 8 and pushed forward by the operator.
[0055] Exemplary, the handgrip 23 is a U-shaped grip projecting upward from a lower-positioned chassis 18, and this U-shaped grip has particularly handle-like grip legs 23a spaced apart from each other in the axial direction referred to as the vehicle lateral axis 14a, which is the vehicle lateral axis 14. These grip legs 23a are each attached to the chassis 18 at their lower end regions and connected to each other at their upper end regions by horizontal, web-like handle sections 23b. The handle sections 23b are used for gripping by hand to guide the cleaning vehicle 8.
[0056] For example, the handgrip 23 is formed symmetrically with respect to a central plane 39 formed by the vehicle's longitudinal central axis 13 and the vehicle's height axis 15. However, alternatively, the handgrip 23 may be formed asymmetrically with respect to the vehicle's longitudinal axis 13, or more precisely, with respect to the aforementioned central plane 39, corresponding to the configuration indicated by the dashed lines in reference numerals 23 and 23C. This allows for comfortable guidance of the cleaning vehicle 8 when the operator is shifted in the vehicle's lateral direction 14a. Alternatively, the handgrip 23 may be rotatable in the vehicle's lateral direction 14a, at least in the grip section having the handle section 23b, thereby allowing the grip section to be positioned in various lateral positions. These lateral positions can be releasably blocked, in particular, using the blocking device of the cleaning vehicle 8.
[0057] The cleaning apparatus 1 includes a laser cleaning apparatus 24, which is configured to irradiate and thus treat the base surface 2 to remove contaminants using a laser beam 26 that can be generated by a laser apparatus 25 belonging to the laser cleaning apparatus 24. Based on laser beam treatment, this is in particular the thermal removal of impurities, insofar as the impurities are at least sufficiently vaporized by the energy of the laser beam 26.
[0058] Laser beam cleaning is performed during a running motion 12, also called a cleaning run, of the cleaning vehicle 8 over the base surface 2 to be cleaned. This running motion 12 is performed when the laser device 25 is activated. The laser device 25 can selectively operate in an activated state or a deactivated state. In the activated state, a laser beam 26 is generated, and in the deactivated state, no laser beam is generated. The operating state of the laser device 25 can be set by the person operating the cleaning device 1.
[0059] The laser device 25 may be a fixed component of the cleaning vehicle 8, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, and may perform the driving motion 12 of the cleaning vehicle together with it. However, according to a preferred embodiment shown by the solid line, the laser device 25 is formed separately from the cleaning vehicle 8. This provides the possibility of using a high-power and correspondingly large-dimensional laser device 25 without impairing the rotational ability of the cleaning vehicle. The laser device 25, configured as an independent unit, is connected to the cleaning vehicle 8 via a flexible conductor assembly 27. The flexible conductor assembly 27 is, among other things, specified to transmit the laser beam generated by the laser device 25 to the cleaning vehicle 8 for specified use.
[0060] The laser device 25, which is formed separately from the cleaning vehicle 8, is preferably a component of a structural unit referred to below as a transportable functional unit 28, which is positioned away from the cleaning vehicle 8 during use, and a sufficiently long flexible conductor assembly 27 provides a sufficient radius of motion for the cleaning vehicle 8.
[0061] The functional unit 28 may be equipped with wheels 29, which may allow the functional unit 28 to be comfortably guided occasionally behind the cleaning vehicle 8. The functional unit 28 is particularly configured as a drivable functional unit 28, which can travel on the ground 11 in the same way as the cleaning vehicle 8, and at the same time, independently of the cleaning vehicle 8.
[0062] In a simple configuration variation of the cleaning device 1, the functional unit 28 includes exclusively a laser device 25 and components, in particular an electronic control device 30, which may be necessary to drive and control the laser device 25.
[0063] It is advantageous for the laser cleaning apparatus 24 to be equipped with a suction device 31, which can suck up the medium, also called the removal medium, generated in the working range 32 of the laser beam 26 during the cleaning process, thereby avoiding environmental burden, particularly dust and odor. Exemplarily, the laser cleaning apparatus 24 has such a suction device 31.
[0064] The suction device 31 includes an electrically operated suction unit 33 to generate the desired suction action. This suction unit 33 is configured as a separate component of the functional unit 28 for practical purposes. A flexible suction conduit 34 forms the connection between the suction unit 33 and the cleaning vehicle 8. This suction conduit 34 is exemplary formed separately from the flexible conductor assembly 27, but may be an integrated component of the flexible conductor assembly 27.
[0065] If the structural dimensions of the cleaning vehicle 8 are compatible, the suction unit 33 may alternatively be a direct component of the cleaning vehicle 8.
[0066] The output of the laser beam 26 that processes the base surface 2 is provided by a laser beam output unit 35, shown as a dashed line in the drawing, mounted on the cleaning vehicle 8 and thus always accompanying the traveling motion 12. This laser beam output unit 35 is another component of the laser cleaning device 24. A flexible conductor assembly 27 connects the laser device 25 to the laser beam output unit 35 and includes at least one optical connection line 36 for transmitting the laser light, preferably formed as a glass fiber cable.
[0067] The laser beam output unit 35 has a laser beam emission area 37 located in the area under the vehicle 16c, which enables the emission of a laser beam 26 that can be generated or has been generated by the laser device 25. The laser beam emission area 37 is oriented such that, in the operating position of the cleaning vehicle 8, this laser beam emission area 37 faces the ground 11 beneath the cleaning vehicle 8. The aforementioned work area 32 is the area where the laser beam 26 emitted from the laser beam emission area 27 corresponds to the base surface 2 to be cleaned.
[0068] To provide the electrical energy required for the operation of the laser device 25, the laser cleaning device 24 is, for the purpose, equipped with a suitable energy source 38. This energy source 38 is, for example, a rechargeable battery for storing electricity or a generator, such as a diesel unit. A battery and a generator may be present in combination, which can enable longer-lasting, grid-independent operation.
[0069] The energy source 38 also, for practical purposes, supplies electrical energy for the operation of the suction device 31.
[0070] The laser beam output unit 35 preferably has a laser optical system 42 as schematically suggested, which is responsible for the beam geometry of the laser beam 26 emitted in the laser beam emission region 37, for example, so that the laser beam 26 strikes the base surface 2 to be cleaned in a point or linear manner. The laser optical system 42 is located within the laser beam output unit 35 and is positioned upstream of the laser beam emission region 37 in the direction opposite to the beam direction.
[0071] Preferably, the laser beam output unit 35 is mounted in any form, preferably directly or indirectly, to the chassis 18 where it is present. Thus, the laser beam output unit 35 is supported by the chassis 18, which contributes to the high structural stability of the cleaning vehicle 8. The mounting device 43 used for mounting the laser beam output unit 35 includes, for example, a mounting bracket 45. The laser beam output unit 35 is at least partially inserted into this mounting bracket 45.
[0072] It is advantageous that the mounting device 43 allows for variable positioning of the laser beam output unit 35 with respect to the travel rollers 17 and, correspondingly, with respect to an optional chassis 18. Exemplarily, this advantage is obtained because, in this embodiment, the mounting device 43 is formed as an adjustment device 44 enabling the aforementioned positioning. This configuration arises, exemplary, from the fact that the mounting bracket 45 is coupled to the chassis 18 via mounting screws 46, and can be moved and / or swiveled with respect to the chassis 18 when the mounting screws 46 are loosened. This provides the advantageous possibility of positioning the laser beam emission area 17 at various height positions and / or orientations with respect to various angles.
[0073] The cleaning vehicle 8 is equipped with a manual operating device 47 for practical purposes. This manual operating device 47 allows an operator guiding the cleaning vehicle 8 to comfortably operate and stop the laser device manually.
[0074] The manual operating device 47 has a manually operable manual operating element 48 located on the handgrip 23, which is mechanically connected to the laser beam output unit 35 via a coupling device 49 and can trigger an operating process in the laser beam output unit 35. The laser beam output unit 35 allows the laser device 25 to be operated or stopped.
[0075] Exemplary, the manual operating element 48 is a hand-operable hand lever 48a, which is connected to a movable actuation element 52 of the laser beam output unit 35 via a Bowden cable 49a of a coupling device 49. By selectively pulling or releasing the hand lever 48a, the actuation element 52 can be operated, and the laser device 25 can be switched on and off accordingly.
[0076] In embodiments not shown, a U-shaped manual operating element 48 is rotatably mounted on the upper end region of the handgrip 23, extending parallel to the handle section 23b. This manual operating element 48 is connected to the actuation element 52 via a Bowden cable 49a.
[0077] Instead of the Bowden cable 49a, a link mechanism may be present, for example.
[0078] In either case, the manual control device 47 enables convenient remote control of the actuation element 52 located in the laser beam output unit 35.
[0079] The laser beam output unit 35 has a housing, for example, referred to below as the output unit housing 51, from which an actuation element 52 protrudes. This actuation element 52 is operable by selective pressing or releasing, and when pressed, it causes the laser device 25 to operate, and when not pressed, it causes the laser device 25 to stop. The coupling device 49 has a load element 53 attached to the actuation element 52. This load element 53 is exemplary attached to the Bowden cable 49a, and a preload is applied to the load element 53 by a spring device 54 toward the unoperated state. In the unoperated state, the actuation element 52 is not subjected to pressing force. By operating the manual operating element 48, the load element 53 can also be switched to the operated position, in which case the load element 53 continues to press against the actuation element 52. The switching motion 50 of the load element 53 in this case is illustrated in Figure 3 by bidirectional arrows.
[0080] In embodiments not shown, the actuation element 52 is located inside the output unit housing 51, and the coupling device 49 extends into the output unit housing 51.
[0081] Exemplary, the laser beam output unit 35 is formed as a laser gun 35a, which has an elongated barrel section 55 and a gun grip 56 projecting laterally from the barrel section 55. The operating element 52 is located in the area of the gun grip 56. The laser gun 35a is fixed to a mounting bracket 45, particularly in the area of the barrel section 55. The correspondingly positioned mounting area 57 provides a rotatable support for the laser gun 35a about a pivot axis parallel to the vehicle's lateral axis 14, thereby allowing the aforementioned adjustment measures using the adjustment device 44 to be easily implemented.
[0082] Preferably, the cleaning vehicle 8 has a laser beam shielding device, collectively indicated by reference numeral 58, which prevents harmful laser beams 26 from being emitted from the cleaning vehicle 8 in a way that could endanger people. The laser beam shielding device 58 shields the laser beam emission area 37 in an annular manner, except for an area located on the underside 16c of the vehicle. A working opening 59 is located in the area on the underside 16c of the vehicle, through which the laser beams 26 can be emitted to irradiate the base surface 2.
[0083] Exemplary, the laser beam shielding device 58 includes a shielding housing 62. This shielding housing 62 has housing walls 63 that are opaque to light, at least in the peripheral area of the laser beam emission region 37. The housing walls 63 surround a housing chamber, also referred to as a work chamber 64. The laser beam emission region 37 is located within this housing chamber. Exemplary, preferably, the entire laser beam output unit 35 is housed within the work chamber 64 and is positioned and fixed to the housing walls 63 internally via mounting devices 43. The housing walls 63 are attached to the chassis 18 or form part of the chassis 18.
[0084] The housing wall 63 encloses the work chamber 64 in an annular manner, particularly on the upper side 16d of the vehicle, and further on the front, rear, and sides. On the lower side 16c of the vehicle, the work chamber 64 is also largely defined by the housing wall 63, with an area open that exclusively defines the work opening 53.
[0085] Preferably, the working opening 59 is positioned such that it is as far away from the ground 11 as possible during cleaning travel. This ensures that the reflected laser beam 26 is reflected back into the working chamber 64 and not radiated around the cleaning vehicle 8.
[0086] The exemplary cleaning vehicle 8 has a configuration that allows the work opening 59 to be positioned substantially in direct contact with the base surface 2 to be cleaned. This is achieved by the housing wall 63 being bordered by a sleeve-shaped protective wall 65 that projects downward in the area of the work opening 59. This protective wall 65 has at least partially flexible properties and projects downward in the axial direction of the vehicle height axis 15, also referred to as the vehicle height direction 15a. The annular edge region 66 on the underside of the protective wall 65 is positioned at a height level such that, with respect to the traveling roller 17, this edge region 66 makes contact with the ground 11 beneath the cleaning vehicle 8 at the operating position of the cleaning vehicle 8, and consequently with the area of the base surface 2 currently therein. During the traveling motion 12, the edge region 66 of the protective wall 65 slides across the base surface 2 while maintaining contact with the base surface 2, based on its existing flexibility. This reliably prevents the unwanted emission of the laser beam 26.
[0087] The protective wall 65 is, for practical purposes, formed to be flexible, at least in the lower edge region 66. Exemplarily, the protective wall is configured as a flexible protective wall 65 overall. The flexibility arises, in particular, from its configuration as an impermeable bristle structure.
[0088] The protective wall 65, which is at least partially flexible, is configured such that it protrudes beyond a plane that can also be called an upright plane, defined by the upright surface of the running roller 17, when the cleaning vehicle 8 is not placed on the ground 11. On this upright surface, the running roller 17 is positioned on the ground 11 at the operating position of the cleaning vehicle 8. Therefore, at the operating position of the cleaning vehicle 8, the protective wall 65 is pressed slightly upward and pressed against the ground 11 with a certain amount of preload. The protective wall 65 traces the surface structure of the ground 11 in the contact area.
[0089] The sleeve-shaped protective wall 65 preferably has a rectangular, particularly square, cross-sectional contour, but in principle it may be round, and in particular may be formed with a circular contour.
[0090] To enable the removal of contaminants strongly adhering to surface 4, the laser device 25 may, exemplary, have a high intensity, and in particular, the laser device 25 may have an intensity corresponding to laser class 4. However, based on the aforementioned enclosure using the laser beam shielding device 58, the overall assignment to laser class 1 is achieved with respect to the operational readiness of the laser cleaning device 24. This allows for cleaning runs with high laser energy and correspondingly high thoroughness without the need to consider that the cleaning runs are performed on public walkways and, in some cases, in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic.
[0091] The suction that can be performed using the suction device 31 is carried out at at least one suction opening 67 of the cleaning vehicle 8. This suction opening 67 is in communication with the suction line 34. The suction opening 67 is, for the purpose, located inside the work chamber 64, and preferably inside the laser beam output unit 35. During operation of the suction unit 33, a suction flow is formed between the suction opening 67 and the suction unit 33, and this suction flow can reliably suck in the removal medium generated during laser cleaning.
[0092] In particular, in the area 16d above the vehicle, the shielding housing 62 has a cover 68 for purpose. The cover 68 is removable to allow access to the work chamber 64 as needed. At least one locking element 69 holds the cover 68 in the closed position as seen in the drawing. After manually unlocking the locking element 69, the cover 68 can be removed to occupy the open position, for example, by complete removal from the rest of the shielding housing 62 or by pivoting it around the hinge device 72.
[0093] The open state of the cover 68 allows, for example, the assembly and removal of the laser beam output unit 35. The flexible conductor assembly 27 and the flexible suction conduit 34 are connected to the cleaning vehicle 8, particularly via the cover 68.
[0094] When the actuation element 52 is operated, an electrical control signal is transmitted from the laser beam output unit 35 to the laser control device 30 via at least one electrical signal line 61 formed as a component of the flexible conductor assembly 27. The control device 30 sets the operating state of the laser device 25 according to the control signal.
[0095] Preferably, the cleaning vehicle 8 is equipped with a safety device 73. The safety device 73 can prevent the operation of the laser device 25 depending on the situation, thereby preventing injury to people from the laser beam.
[0096] For example, the safety device 73 includes two components, namely a ground detection device 74 and a cover detection device 75, but only one of these components may be present.
[0097] In particular, the ground detection device 74, which can be clearly seen in Figure 4, is configured to detect the usage position where the traveling roller 1 is standing on the ground 11 and the non-usage position where the traveling roller 17 is not standing on the ground 11.
[0098] In particular, the cover detection device 75, which can be seen in Figure 3, enables the detection of the closed and open states of the lid 68.
[0099] The safety device 73 is connected to the laser control device 30 via an electrical signal line (not shown) which is configured as part of a flexible conductor assembly 27. The control device 30 prepares the laser device 25 for operation when the ground detection device 74 detects the position of use and the cover detection device 75 simultaneously detects that the cover 68 is closed. If the ground detection device 74 determines that the cleaning vehicle 8 is not in use and / or the cover detection device 75 determines that the cover 68 is open, the laser device 25 is shut off by the control device 30, preventing its operation. In other words, in the shut-off state, the operation of the operating element 52 has no effect whatsoever.
[0100] According to the advantageous structure shown in the figure, the ground detection device 74 has a tactile unit 76 that is movable in the vehicle height direction 15a relative to the traveling roller 17 and correspondingly relative to the chassis 18. The motion that can be performed by the tactile unit 76 is referred to as the tactile motion 77 and is illustrated in Figure 4 by a bidirectional arrow. The tactile motion 76 is exemplary a linear motion, but in principle it may be, for example, a rotational motion.
[0101] The tactile unit 76 includes a holding unit 78 and a tactile roller 79 rotatably supported on the holding unit 78. The tactile roller 79 is rotatable relative to the holding unit 78 about a rotation axis 82 extending in the vehicle's lateral direction 14a.
[0102] The tactile roller 79 is located on the underside 16c of the vehicle, particularly in the area between the four running rollers 17 on the underside 16c of the vehicle.
[0103] The tactile unit 76 is movably supported on the chassis 18 via a holding unit 78 to enable tactile movement 77. Exemplarily, the holding unit 78 enters into a support unit 83 mounted on the chassis 18 so as to be movable in the vehicle height direction 15a. Exemplarily, the support unit 83 has a cylindrical guide hole 84 into which a guide section 85 of the holding unit 78 extends, the guide section 85 having a cylindrical shape complementary to the guide hole 84. An optional anti-rotation device 86 helps maintain an orientation in which the tactile unit 76 has a rotation axis 82 parallel to the vehicle lateral axis 14, regardless of its height position relative to the chassis 18.
[0104] The holding unit 78 has a release element 87, which will be referred to below as a first release element 87 for better distinction, and this release element 87 performs a tactile movement 77 together with the tactile movement 77, and during this tactile movement 77, it performs a relative movement with respect to a position sensor 88, which will be referred to below as a first position sensor 88 for better distinction, and which is positioned in a fixed position with respect to the chassis 18 in the vicinity.
[0105] Based on its weight, a preload is applied to the tactile unit 76, and consequently to the tactile roller 79, toward a lowered blocking position 89 that protrudes downward beyond the running roller 17, as indicated by the dashed line in Figure 4. The blocking position 89 exists when the running roller 17 of the cleaning vehicle 8 is lifted off the ground 11.
[0106] From the blocked position 89, the tactile roller 79 and the entire tactile unit 76 together with the tactile roller 79 can be moved by the tactile movement 77 to the release position 90, which is shown by a solid line. The release position 90 is created when the cleaning vehicle 8 is placed on the ground 11, and the tactile roller 79 is pushed up by the ground 11.
[0107] The tactile unit 76 is equipped with a first release element 87 in particular in the holding unit 78. This first release element 87 performs the tactile movement 77 together, and a first position sensor 88 is located on the chassis 18 near the release unit 87. In the blocked position 89, the first release element 87 is separated from the first position sensor 88 so that the first position sensor 88 is inactive, which indicates an unused position. In the released position 90, the first position sensor 88 is operated by the first release element 87, thereby outputting a sensor signal that indicates an active position.
[0108] The release position 90 is characterized in particular by the fact that the tactile roller 79 is positioned at at least substantially the same height level as the running roller 17. More precisely, in the release position 90, the contact area between the tactile roller 79 and the ground 11 is at least substantially within the aforementioned upright plane of the running roller 17.
[0109] For the purpose, the tactile roller 79 is positioned near the laser beam emission area 37, and more specifically, adjacent to the laser beam emission area 37 in the vehicle lateral direction 14a. Preferably, the tactile roller 79, in particular the entire ground detection device 74, is located outside the work chamber 64.
[0110] The cover detection device 75 includes, for illustrative purposes, a release element 93 located on the cover 68, which is referred to as a second release element 93 for better distinction, and a position sensor 94 fixed in position relative to the chassis 18, which is referred to as a second position sensor 94 for better distinction. When the cover 68 is in the closed position, the second position sensor 94 is operated by the second release element 93, so the second position sensor 94 outputs a corresponding sensor signal to the control device 30. When the cover 68 is in the open position, the second release element 93 is separated from the second position sensor 94 so that no sensor signal is emitted from it, and this is interpreted by the control device 30 as the cover 68 being closed.
[0111] Both position sensors 88 and 94 are connected in the control device 30 such that the laser device 25 is put into a ready state only when the first position sensor 88 detects the usage position of the cleaning vehicle 8 and the second position sensor 94 detects the closed state of the cover 68.
[0112] The detection measures described above are performed non-contact for the purpose. For example, the first release element 87 and the second release element 93 are permanent magnets, and the first position sensor 88 and the second position sensor 94 are proximity sensors that respond to a magnetic field, such as Hall sensors.
[0113] The sleeve-shaped protective wall 65 preferably has a rectangular, particularly square, cross-sectional contour, but it should also be added that, in principle, it may be round, particularly circular, in its contour.
Claims
1. A transportable cleaning device for cleaning a base surface (2), particularly a base surface (2) in the form of a walkable and / or traversable surface (3), The cleaning device (1) comprises a cleaning vehicle (8) that is hand-guidable and has a handgrip (23) for hand-guiding, and the cleaning vehicle (8) has a plurality of traveling rollers (17) in the area under the vehicle (16c) that enable traveling motion (12) over the base surface (2) to be cleaned, The cleaning device (1) comprises a laser cleaning device (24), the laser cleaning device (24) having a laser device (25) configured to generate a laser beam (26), and a laser beam output unit (35) mounted on the cleaning vehicle (8) that performs the driving motion (12) of the cleaning vehicle (8) together with the laser cleaning device (14), - A transportable cleaning device characterized in that the laser device (25) is capable of generating a laser beam (26) to be emitted in the laser beam emission region (37) of the laser beam output unit (35), and the laser beam (26) can be directed in the region below the vehicle (16c) to the region of the base surface (2) to be cleaned in order to remove contaminants, which is located below the cleaning vehicle (8).
2. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) is configured to be driven purely by manual means, and the handgrip (23) can be used to manually introduce a pushing force and / or a pulling force.
3. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the handgrip (23) is positioned on the cleaning vehicle (8) in the area of the rear side (16b) of the vehicle, and the handgrip (23) is formed as a U-shaped grip that protrudes upward from the chassis (18) of the cleaning vehicle (8), and the U-shaped grip has two grip legs (23a) fixed in position on the chassis (18) and a handle section (23b) that can be grasped by hand to guide the cleaning vehicle (8) and connects both grip legs (23a) in a web-like manner.
4. The transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handgrip (23) is formed asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal central axis (13) of the vehicle extending in the direction of travel (12a) of the cleaning vehicle (8), or is selectively symmetrically or asymmetrically adjustable by rotation in at least a predetermined section.
5. A transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the handgrip (23) is provided with at least one manually operated element (48) formed as, for example, a hand lever (48a) of a manually operated device (47) that is useful for manually operating and stopping the laser device (25), the manually operated element (48) being mechanically connected to the laser beam output unit (35) via a coupling device (49) having a Bowden cable (49a), in particular.
6. A transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the laser beam output unit (35) is formed as a laser gun (35a), the laser gun (35a) has a barrel section (55) having the laser beam emission area (37), and a gun grip (56) protruding laterally from the barrel section (55), and an operating element (52) that can be operated by selective pressing or releasing, which enables the operation and stopping of the laser device (25), is correspondingly arranged on the gun grip (56), the transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 6, relating to claim 5, characterized in that the coupling device (49) cooperates with the operating element (52) so that the operating element (52) can be remotely operated via the manual operating element (48).
8. A transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the traveling roller (17) is configured such that a portion of it is a rotatable direction-changing roller (17b) and a portion of it is a fixed roller (17a) that is not rotatable.
9. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein the cleaning vehicle (8) has four traveling rollers (17), two of which are configured as fixed rollers (17a) and two as deflection rollers (17b), and for the purpose, the fixed rollers (17a) are spaced apart from the deflection rollers (b) in the axial direction of the vehicle's longitudinal central axis (13) extending in the traveling direction (12a) of the cleaning vehicle (8), and both the fixed rollers (17a) and the deflection rollers (17b) are arranged as a pair at the same axial height.
10. The transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) has a laser beam shielding device (58), and the laser beam shielding device (58) shields the laser beam emission area (37) so that it is not visible to the surroundings, except for the area on the lower side (16c) of the vehicle that is facing downward when the cleaning vehicle (8) is used as prescribed.
11. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that the laser beam shielding device (58) has a shielding housing (62) that surrounds the work chamber (84) so that it is not visible, the laser beam emission region (37) is located within the shielding housing (62), the shielding housing (62) has a work opening (59) in the area below the vehicle (16c), and through the work opening (59), the laser beam (26) emitted in the laser beam emission region (37) within the work chamber (64) can irradiate the base surface region (2a) of the base surface (2) to be cleaned, which is located below the cleaning vehicle (8).
12. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 11, characterized in that the work opening (59) is annularly surrounded by a sleeve-shaped protective wall (65) projecting downward, the protective wall (65) having at least partially flexible properties and making contact with the base surface (2) to be cleaned at its lower edge region (66), and being able to slide over the base surface (2) to be cleaned while maintaining contact during travel motion (12), and for the purpose the sleeve-shaped protective wall (65) is made of a bristle structure insofar as it has at least flexible properties.
13. A transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the entire laser beam output unit (35) is surrounded by the surroundings and arranged within the work chamber (64).
14. The transportable cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the shielding housing (62) has a removable cover (68) to allow access to the work chamber (64).
15. A transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the laser device (25) belongs to laser class 4 with respect to the intensity of the laser beam (26) that can be generated by the laser device (25), and the entire laser cleaning device (24) is assigned to laser class 1 based on the laser beam shielding device (58).
16. The transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the laser beam output unit (35) has a laser optical system (42) arranged upstream of the laser beam emission region (37).
17. The transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) has a chassis (18), and both the traveling roller (17) and the laser beam output unit (35) are arranged on the chassis (18).
18. A transportable cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the laser beam output unit (35) is assigned an adjustment device (44) for the cleaning vehicle (8), and the adjustment device (44) allows for variable adjustment of the working position of the laser beam output unit (35) within the cleaning vehicle (8), thereby enabling the laser beam emission area (37) to be positioned at various height positions and / or orientations with respect to various angles.
19. The transportable cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the laser device (25) is formed separately from the cleaning vehicle (8) and connected to the cleaning vehicle (8) via a flexible conductor assembly (27).
20. The transportable cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the laser device (25) is mounted on the cleaning vehicle (8) in the same way as the laser beam output unit (35), so that the laser device (25) performs the driving motion (12) of the cleaning vehicle (8) together with the laser device (25).
21. The transportable cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the laser cleaning apparatus (24) includes a suction device (31) for sucking up the removal medium generated by the laser beam (26) in the region of the laser beam output unit (35) during the cleaning process.
22. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 21, characterized in that the suction device (31) has a suction opening (67) that communicates with a suction unit (33) of the suction device (31) and is located in the area of the laser beam output unit (35), and the suction opening (67) is, for the purpose, located inside the work chamber (64).
23. The transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the cleaning device is equipped with an energy source (38) that provides the electrical energy necessary for the operation of the laser cleaning device (24), and the energy source (38) is in particular a storage battery and / or a generator.
24. The transportable cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the cleaning vehicle (8) has a safety device (73) that prevents the operation of the laser device (25) under certain usage conditions of the cleaning vehicle (8).
25. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 24, wherein the safety device (73) has a ground detection device (74) which can detect the working position of the cleaning vehicle (8) with the traveling rollers (17) on the ground (11) and the non-working position of the cleaning device (8) with the traveling rollers (17) not on the ground (11), and the laser device (25) can be put into a ready state to enable operation of the laser device (25) in accordance with the detection of the working position, and can be put into a shut-off state to prevent operation of the laser device (25) in accordance with the detection of the non-working position.
26. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 25, wherein the ground detection device (74) has a tactile roller (79) provided for sensing the ground (11) below the cleaning vehicle (8), which is movable in the height direction of the cleaning vehicle (8) relative to the traveling roller (17), and the tactile roller (79) is always preloaded toward a lowered blocking position (89) that protrudes downward beyond the traveling roller (17), the tactile roller (79) is able to be pushed up toward a release position (90) by contact with the ground (11), the tactile roller (79) causes the laser device (25) to be blocked in the blocking position (89) and the laser device (25) to be ready in the release position, and the tactile roller (79) is positioned at least substantially the same height level as the traveling roller (17) in the release position for the purpose.
27. The transportable cleaning device according to claim 26, characterized in that the tactile roller (79) is positioned near the laser beam emission region (37), particularly adjacent to the laser beam emission region (37) in a direction lateral to the travel direction (12a).
28. A transportable cleaning device according to any one of claims 24 to 27, referencing claim 14, wherein the safety device (73) has a cover detection device (75) capable of detecting whether the cover (68) is in a closed state that closes the work chamber (64) or in an open state that allows access to the work chamber (64), and the laser device (25) can be put into a ready state to enable operation of the laser device (25) in accordance with the detection of the closed state, and can be put into a shut-off state that prevents operation of the laser device (25) in accordance with the detection of the open position.
29. A cleaning method for cleaning a base surface (2), particularly a base surface (2) in the form of a walkable and / or traversable surface (3), A cleaning method characterized in that a transportable cleaning device (1) configured as described in any one of claims 1 to 28 is used, and the cleaning vehicle (8) performs a traveling motion (12) over the base surface (3) to be cleaned when the laser device (25) is in operation, thereby irradiating the base surface (2) from below the cleaning vehicle (8) with a laser beam (26) emitted in the laser beam emission region (37), thereby enabling the removal of contaminants from the base surface (2).