Active electroadhesive cleaning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302299-B2
Application number	US-201514834032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 23, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

An active electroadhesive cleaning device or system includes electrode(s) that produce electroadhesive forces from an input voltage to adhere dust or other foreign objects against an interactive surface, from which the foreign objects are removed when the forces are controllably altered. User inputs control the input voltage and/or designate the size of foreign objects to be cleaned. An active power source provides the input voltage, and the interactive surface can be a continuous track across one or more rollers to move the device across a dirty foreign surface. Electrodes can be arranged in an interdigitated pattern having differing pitches that can be actuated selectively to clean foreign objects of different sizes. Sensors can detect the amount of foreign particles adhered to the interactive surface, and reversed polarity pulses can help repel items away from the interactive surface in a timely and controlled manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device, comprising:
an interactive surface configured to contact a surface to be cleaned, wherein the surface to be cleaned has particulate matter disposed thereon;
a plurality of oppositely chargeable electrodes arranged in a pattern behind or adjacent to the interactive surface;
a power source configured to apply an electrostatic adhesion voltage to the oppositely chargeable electrodes, wherein the electrostatic adhesion voltage comprises a differential voltage of at least 500 volts between the oppositely chargeable electrodes, wherein the electrostatic adhesion voltage is sufficient to generate an electrostatic attraction force through at least a portion of the interactive surface that causes the particulate matter to adhere to the interactive surface;
a receptacle;
one or more guides; and
one or more rollers coupled to the interactive surface, wherein the one or more rollers are configured to move the interactive surface away from the surface to be cleaned while the particulate matter remains adhered thereto and to further move the interactive surface past the one or more guides to remove the particulate matter from the interactive surface, wherein the one or more guides are configured to direct the particulate matter from the interactive surface into the receptacle.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle, wherein the cleaning device can be moved across the surface to be cleaned via the handle such that the interactive surface moves via the one or more rollers.

3. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more guides comprise one or more brushes or rollers.

4. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the power source is configured to alter the electrostatic adhesion voltage before the particulate matter is removed from the interactive surface.

5. The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user input component configured to receive a user input.

6. The cleaning device of claim 5 , wherein the power source is configured to apply the electrostatic adhesion voltage to the oppositely chargeable electrodes in response to the user input.

Assignees

• Stanford Res Inst Int

Inventors

• Prahlad Harsha
• Pelrine Ronald E
• Von Guggenberg Philip A
• Kornbluh Roy D
• Mccoy Brian K
• Iguider Youssef

Classifications

• B08B7/00

  Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass · CPC title

• A47L13/40

  Cleaning implements actuated by electrostatic attraction; Devices for cleaning same; Magnetic cleaning implements · CPC title

• B08B6/00 Primary

  Cleaning by electrostatic means · CPC title

• A47L25/005

  using adhesive or tacky surfaces to remove dirt, e.g. lint removers · CPC title

• B03C7/023

  Non-uniform field separators · CPC title