Automatically moving disinfection robot for disinfecting surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12329871-B2
Application number	US-202117501056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	Oct 23, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

An automatically moving disinfection robot for disinfecting surfaces has a device housing, a drive means for the movement of the disinfection robot within a surrounding area comprising at least one room, a navigation means for the navigation and self-localization of the disinfection, a disinfection means, and a control means for controlling the disinfection activity. The control means controls a locally limited disinfection in only one subregion of the room, or a locally limited disinfection of only one object, in a fully automated manner. The disinfection means has a shielding means for separating the locally limited subregion to be disinfected from adjacent subregions of the same room. The shielding means is a housing, which is open only on one side and which is placed around the object or against the surface to be disinfected, so that the disinfection only takes place within the housing, but not outside of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatically moving disinfection robot for disinfecting surfaces, comprising:
a device housing,
a drive means configured for the movement of the disinfection robot within a surrounding area comprising at least one room,
a navigation means configured for navigation and self-localization of the disinfection robot within the surrounding area by means of a surrounding area map,
a disinfection means configured for performing a disinfection activity within the surrounding area, and
a control means configured for controlling the disinfection activity,
wherein the control means is configured to control a locally limited disinfection in only one predefined subregion of the room of the surrounding area, or a locally limited disinfection of only one defined object, in the room of the surrounding area in a fully automated manner,
wherein for attaining a locally limited disinfection effect, the disinfection means has a shielding means for separating the one subregion to be disinfected from adjacent subregions of the same room, wherein the shielding means is a housing, which is open only on one side and which is placed around the object to be disinfected or against the surface to be disinfected, so that the disinfection only takes place within the housing, but not outside of the housing,
wherein the control means is configured to access a disinfection plan, which is stored in a memory of the disinfection robot or an external memory, which is in data communication with the disinfection robot,
wherein the disinfection plan has a specification relating to an order of several disinfection activities to be performed,
wherein a disinfection performance is stored which specifies the disinfection effect such that more strongly contaminated subregions or objects of the surrounding area are disinfected more strongly than objects or subregions which are less contaminated in comparison, and
further comprising detection means that are configured to recognize living beings in the surrounding area, wherein the control means of the disinfection robot is configured to temporally postpone a disinfection activity, to terminate a disinfection activity, to reduce a disinfection performance, and/or to output a warning signal when the detection means detects a presence of a living being in the surrounding area.

2. The disinfection robot according to claim 1 , wherein the subregion of the surrounding area to be disinfected is a location point stored in the surrounding area map, a subsurface stored in the surrounding area map, or a partial volume stored in the surrounding area map.

3. The disinfection robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a communication interface for predefining the subregion to be disinfected or the object to be disinfected by a user or manufacturer of the disinfection robot, and/or further comprising a detection means for automatically recognizing the subregion to be disinfected or the object to be disinfected in the surrounding area.

4. The disinfection robot according to claim 1 , wherein the disinfection plan is configured to be varied by a user of the disinfection robot, with the help of an application, which is stored on an external user terminal and which is configured to access the memory.

5. The disinfection robot according to claim 1 , wherein the disinfection means has a UV light source, a plasma source, and/or a spraying means for spraying a disinfection solution.

6. The disinfection robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a displacement means configured for displacing the disinfection means relative to the device housing.

7. The disinfection robot according to claim 1 , wherein the disinfection robot is an aerial drone or a ground vehicle.

Assignees

• Vorwerk Co Interholding

Inventors

• Hayn Henning
• Mosebach Andrej
• Hackert Georg

Classifications

• A61L2103/75

  Room floors or walls · CPC title

• B25J11/0085

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• A61L2202/16

  Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles · CPC title

• A61L2202/15

  Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers · CPC title