Swimming pool cleaning robot and method for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10316534-B2
Application number	US-201716073269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to swimming pool cleaning robot (10) comprising: a body (11); at least one hydraulic circuit through which a liquid flows between at least one liquid inlet (13) and at least one liquid outlet (14), said hydraulic circuit including at least one means for separating debris suspended in the liquid; pumping means for driving the liquid through the hydraulic circuit; means for driving and guiding the cleaning robot on a surface; and means for controlling the operating parameters of the means for driving and guiding the cleaning robot (10). The control means comprise a pressure sensor (21) that can be used to determine the immersion depth of the cleaning robot in a swimming pool, and means for automatically controlling the measured pressure on the basis of a set value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Swimming pool cleaning robot comprising:
a body,
at least one hydraulic liquid circulation circuit between at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet, said hydraulic circuit comprising at least one means of separating debris in suspension in a liquid,
pumping means for maintaining a flow of liquid in said hydraulic circuit,
means of driving and guiding said cleaning robot on a surface,
means of controlling operating parameters of the means of driving and guiding said cleaning robot, wherein the control means comprise
a pressure sensor for determining an immersion depth of the cleaning robot in a swimming pool, starting from a measurement of ambient pressure around the cleaning robot, and
means of automatically controlling a pressure recorded by the pressure sensor to a set value.

2. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is an absolute pressure sensor.

3. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is a relative pressure sensor measuring a pressure difference relative to a pressure in a sealed chamber used as a reference.

4. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

5. Cleaning robot according to claim 4 , wherein the pressure sensor is a piezoresistive sensor.

6. Cleaning robot according to claim 4 , wherein the pressure sensor is a strain gauge fixed on a wall to which ambient pressure is applied.

7. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the control means include means of recording a time spent in at least one determined immersion depth range of said cleaning robot.

8. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the control means are connected to at least one inclinometer fixed to the body of the cleaning robot.

9. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is located in a median plane of the body, said plane being perpendicular to a usual displacement axis.

10. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is at least partly housed inside a rigid sealed box containing a flexible membrane, the pressure sensor measuring the pressure inside said rigid sealed box.

11. Cleaning robot according to claim 10 , wherein the rigid sealed box is made from a plastic material.

12. Cleaning robot according to claim 10 , wherein the rigid sealed box contains a Faraday cage.

13. Cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is at least partly housed inside a rigid sealed box through which a capillary tube passes with one end inside the rigid sealed box, said pressure sensor being connected to said end of the capillary tube in a sealed manner, and measuring the pressure at said end of the capillary tube.

14. Method of controlling a pool cleaning robot, said cleaning robot comprising:
pumping means for maintaining a flow of liquid in a hydraulic circuit,
means of driving and guiding said cleaning robot on a surface,
means of controlling operating parameters for the drive and guidance means of said cleaning robot, the control means comprising a pressure sensor that can be used to determine an immersion depth of the cleaning robot in a swimming pool, starting from a measurement of ambient pressure around the cleaning robot, wherein the method includes a step in which the ambient pressure is compared with a value called a set pressure and a step to control the operating parameters of the drive and guidance means so as to reduce a difference between the ambient pressure and the set pressure.

15. Method according to claim 14 , wherein the method includes a step in which the control means are calibrated during a first climb along a wall of a pool to be cleaned, by adjusting the operating parameters of the drive and guidance means so as to reliably bring the cleaning robot to a water line.

16. Method according to claim 15 , wherein the method includes a step in which the control means determine atmospheric pressure as being equal to a minimum pressure recorded during the first climb.

17. Method according to claim 16 , wherein the method comprises the following steps:
the control means detect that the cleaning robot is climbing along a wall;
as soon as climbing is detected, the control means adjust the operating parameters of the drive and guidance means of the cleaning robot, so as to allow climbing along the wall;
the control means detect the approach to a water line at a distance D from the water line, when the pressure recorded by the pressure sensor is equal to the sum of the atmospheric pressure and a pressure of water at the distance D from the water line;
as soon as the approach to the water line is detected, the control means adjust the operating parameters of the drive and guidance means of the cleaning robot, by progressively reducing the power of the drive and guidance means, so that the cleaning robot reaches the water line with a low vertical velocity, approximately equal to zero.

18. Method according to claim 17 , wherein the method includes a step in which the cleaning robot follows the water line by being guided by a set pressure equal to approximately atmospheric pressure.

19. Method according to claim 18 , wherein the method includes a step in which the control means modify the set pressure if the cleaning robot draws in air when the cleaning robot is cleaning the water line.

20. Method according to claim 17 , wherein the method includes a step in which the control means modify operating parameters for the drive and guidance means of the cleaning robot to reduce the approach velocity towards the water line, if the cleaning robot draws in air when the cleaning robot is cleaning the water line.

21. Method according to claim 14 , wherein the method includes a step in which the control means record atmospheric pressure before the cleaning robot is immersed in a pool.

22. Method according to claim 17 , wherein the method includes a step in which, after it has been detected that the cleaning robot is having difficulty in reaching a water line, or is even incapable of reaching the water line despite the adjustment to operating parameters of the drive and guidance means, information is displayed on a user interface to notify that a filter of the cleaning robot must be cleaned.

23. Method according to claim 14 , wherein the method includes a step to record the cleaning time spent by the cleaning robot at at least one given depth range.

24. Method according to claim 23 , wherein the method includes a step in which the control means include at least one set cleaning time to be spent in cleaning a given depth range.

25. Method according to claim 23 , wherein the method includes a step in which the control means include at least one relative cleaning set value comparing times spent between at least two given depth ranges.

Assignees

• Zodiac Pool Care Europe

Inventors

• Michelon Thierry
• Pichon Philippe
• Bonnin Jerome
• Tailleur Philippe Blanc
• Van Der Meijden Hendrikus Johannes
• Newman Philip John

Classifications

• E04H4/1654 Primary

  Self-propelled cleaners · CPC title