Automatic Cleaning Appliance with Soiling-Based Area Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning appliances automatically clean defined spatially partial surface areas regardless of the level of soiling, leading to inefficient cleaning as they do not adapt to varying dirt levels.
Innovation Solution
A detection device measures the soiling level and compares it to a reference level, automatically expanding the cleaning area by adding defined additional areas if the soiling exceeds the reference, allowing for adaptive cleaning based on dirt intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cleaning appliance cleans a fixed partial surface area regardless of soiling level, then the cleaning operation is simple and predictable, but the cleaning efficiency decreases because areas with low soiling are cleaned unnecessarily while areas with high soiling may not receive sufficient attention
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning appliance dynamically adjusts the cleaning area boundaries based on real-time soiling level measurements. The control device modifies the defined cleaning area during operation, expanding it to include additional areas when high soiling is detected and contracting it when soiling levels are low, making the cleaning operation adaptive rather than static
Solution Approach 2:
The detection device continuously measures soiling levels within the cleaning area and provides feedback to the control device. This feedback loop enables the system to compare measured soiling levels against reference values and automatically adjust the cleaning area boundaries accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to actual cleaning needs
2Power
If the cleaning appliance intensively cleans a smaller partial surface area in spot cleaning mode, then the cleaning power is increased, but the cleaning area is limited and may not cover all soiled regions
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning area is transformed from a static fixed boundary to a dynamic boundary that automatically expands and contracts based on detected soiling levels. When high soiling is detected at the boundaries of the initial cleaning area, the system automatically extends the cleaning area to include additional soiled regions, thereby combining intensive cleaning with area expansion
3Reliability
If the cleaning appliance cleans the same partial surface area repeatedly, then thorough cleaning is achieved, but time is wasted cleaning already cleaned areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses soiling level measurements as feedback to determine whether continued cleaning of a particular area is necessary. By comparing real-time soiling measurements against reference levels, the control device can identify when an area has been sufficiently cleaned and adjust the cleaning area boundaries to prevent redundant cleaning, thereby reducing unnecessary time consumption while maintaining cleaning thoroughness where needed
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a cleaning appliance, which moves automatically inside a surrounding area, wherein the cleaning appliance performs a cleaning of a defined spatially defined partial surface area of the surrounding area. To optimize the cleaning operation as a function of a measured soiling, it is proposed that a detection device of the cleaning appliance measures a level of soiling of the partial surface area during the cleaning of the partial surface area, wherein the level of soiling is compared to a defined reference level of soiling and wherein the partial surface area is enlarged automatically by adding a defined additional partial area, which adjoins the partial surface area, if a level of soiling above the reference level of soiling is determined inside the partial surface area.