Surface processing device and a method for processing surface areas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10788838-B2
Application number	US-201715836944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A surface processing device for processing surface areas with obstacles, comprising a chassis, surface processing means and first and second sensory means, characterized in that it further comprises a movable assembly, adapted to affect exposure of the surface processing means to surface area, wherein the movable assembly is adapted to move, based on information from the first and the second sensory means, at least between a first position and a second position with respect to the chassis, wherein in the second position the surface processing means have different exposure to surface area than in the first position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surface processing device for processing surface areas with obstacles, comprising:
a chassis having an outline;
a surface processing arrangement located within the outline and configured to process surface area within the outline;
a first sensor arrangement and a second sensor arrangement, each of the sensor arrangements including a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor of the first sensor arrangement and the first sensor of the second sensor arrangement are deployed on substantially opposing sides of the chassis; and
a movable assembly configured to affect the outline of the chassis so as to affect exposure of the surface processing arrangement to surface area, and wherein the movable assembly is further configured to move, based on information from the first sensor arrangement and the second sensor arrangement, at least between a first position and a second position with respect to the chassis, wherein in the second position the surface processing arrangement has different exposure to surface area than in the first position, and wherein the movable assembly includes:
an extendable contact assembly for contacting obstacles, the extendable contact assembly hingedly coupled to a portion of the chassis adjacent to the first sensor of the first sensor arrangement so as to be pivotable with respect to the chassis, and wherein the second sensor of the first sensor arrangement and the second sensor of the second sensor arrangement are deployed at substantially opposing ends of the extendable contact assembly, and
a reciprocating element movable with respect to the chassis and configured to actuate the extendable contact assembly while simultaneously changing the exposure of the surface processing arrangement to surface area,

wherein when the movable assembly assumes the first position the extendable contact assembly assumes a first length and extends substantially between the opposing sides of the chassis associated with the first sensor of the first sensor arrangement and the first sensor of the second sensor arrangement, and
wherein when the movable assembly assumes the second position the extendable contact assembly is pivoted away from the chassis and assumes a second length greater than the first length.

2. The surface processing device according to claim 1 , wherein in the second position the surface processing arrangement has greater exposure to surface area than in the first position whereas the movable assembly includes a cover configured to cover the exposure area in the second position.

3. The surface processing device according to claim 1 , wherein in the second position the surface processing arrangement has different angular arrangement with respect to the surface processing device than in the first position.

4. The surface processing device according to claim 1 , wherein in the second position the surface processing arrangement is exposed to a surface area of a different shape than in the first position.

5. A method for processing surface areas with obstacles, comprising:
processing surface area with a surface processing device that includes a chassis having an outline, a surface processing arrangement located within the outline and configured to process surface area within the outline, a first sensor arrangement and a second sensor arrangement each of the sensor arrangements including a first sensor and a second sensor wherein the first sensor of the first sensor arrangement and the first sensor of the second sensor arrangement are deployed on substantially opposing sides of the chassis, and a movable assembly configured to affect the outline of the chassis so as to affect exposure of the surface processing arrangement to surface area, and wherein the movable assembly is further configured to move, based on information from the first sensor arrangement and the second sensor arrangement, at least between a first position and a second position with respect to the chassis, wherein in the second position the surface processing arrangement has different exposure to surface area than in the first position, and wherein the movable assembly includes an extendable contact assembly for contacting obstacles that is hingedly coupled to a portion of the chassis adjacent to the first sensor of the first sensor arrangement so as to be pivotable with respect to the chassis and a reciprocating element movable with respect to the chassis and configured to actuate the extendable contact assembly while simultaneously changing the exposure of the surface processing arrangement to surface area, and wherein the second sensor of the first sensor arrangement and the second sensor of the second sensor arrangement are deployed at substantially opposing ends of the extendable contact assembly;
detecting an obstacle with the second sensor of the first sensor arrangement;
checking whether the obstacle is detected with the second sensor of the second sensor arrangement; and
moving the movable assembly from the first position to the second position if the obstacle is not detected with the second sensor of the second sensor arrangement, wherein when the movable assembly assumes the first position the extendable contact assembly assumes a first length and extends substantially between the opposing sides of the chassis associated with the first sensor of the first sensor arrangement and the first sensor of the second sensor arrangement, and wherein when the movable assembly assumes the second position the extendable contact assembly is pivoted away from the chassis and assumes a second length greater than the first length.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the first sensor arrangement senses obstacles on one side of the device, while the second sensor arrangement senses obstacles on the other side of the device.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
setting device parameters according to a selected position of the movable assembly.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the device parameters are set to increase a processing power of the surface processing arrangement.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the device parameters are set to power only part of the surface processing arrangement.

10. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
moving the movable assembly from the second position to the first position after processing the obstacle.

11. The method according to claim 5 , wherein in the second position the surface processing arrangement has greater exposure to surface area than in the first position whereas the movable assembly includes a cover configured to cover the exposure area in the second position.

12. The surface processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the chassis includes:
a cover that includes a guiding element, and
a mechanical cog coupled to the reciprocating element so as to move the reciprocating element, wherein the reciprocating element includes an indentation that receives the guiding element so as to be guided by the guiding element during movement of the movable assembly between the first and second positions.

Assignees

• Advanced Digital Broadcast Sa

Inventors

• Dabrowski Bartosz

Classifications

• A47L11/4011 Primary

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title

• A47L11/4036

  Parts or details of the surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L2201/06

  Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning · CPC title

• A47L9/2847

  Surface treating elements · CPC title

• A47L11/4058

  for adjusting the height of the tool · CPC title