WO2019166101A1 - Cleaning device and method for operating a cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a cleaning device having at least one cleaning assembly, wherein electrical power can be supplied to the cleaning device via at least one rechargeable battery and/or via at least one mains cable-connected power supply unit and the at least one battery can be recharged by means of the power supply unit. The method comprises a cleaning operation having a mains cable connected to a power supply network, and having the following features: determining an actual voltage of the at least one battery; activating the power supply unit for charging the at least one battery when the actual voltage has dropped to a first threshold voltage or falls below this voltage; ascertaining whether the actual voltage of the at least one battery rises; deactivating the power supply device when the actual voltage has risen to a second threshold voltage greater than the first threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage being below a final charging voltage of the at least one battery. The invention further relates to a cleaning device for carrying out the method.

Description

 CLEANING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A CLEANING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a method for operating a cleaning device having at least one cleaning unit, wherein the cleaning device can be provided with electrical energy via at least one rechargeable battery and / or via a power supply device connected to the power supply and the at least one battery can be charged by means of the power supply device is.

Moreover, the present invention relates to a cleaning device for carrying out the method, which comprises at least one cleaning unit, at least one rechargeable battery for providing electrical energy for the cleaning device and a cord-connected power supply device for providing electrical energy for the cleaning device, wherein the power supply device has a charging unit. Direction for charging the at least one battery includes or forms.

There are such cleaning devices are known, which can be operated either by means of at least one rechargeable battery or in network operation, in which a power cord of the power supply device is connected to the power grid. It is also known to charge the at least one battery by means of the power supply device, wherein electrical energy is supplied from the power supply network. It is also known to do this during the operation of the cleaning device (so-called "hybrid operation").

The cleaning device can be designed differently, for example, it is a floor cleaning device, for example a scrubbing machine or a sweeper. The at least one cleaning unit can accordingly be designed to clean the floor surface. The floor cleaning device may be a hand-held or an upright be seated device. The cleaning device can operate by means of a cleaning jet, for example by means of a high-pressure cleaning jet, wherein a cleaning liquid such as, in particular, water is sprayed, or by means of a particle jet.

Object of the present invention is to provide a method and a cleaning device of the type mentioned, with or in which the reliability of the cleaning device is increased.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a method of the type mentioned at the outset, comprising a cleaning operation with a power cable connected to a power supply network with the following features:

Determining an actual voltage of the at least one battery;

 Activating the energy supply device for charging the at least one battery when the actual voltage has fallen to a first threshold voltage or falls below this value;

 Determining if the actual voltage of the at least one battery is increasing; Disabling the power supply device when the actual voltage has risen to a second threshold voltage greater than the first threshold voltage, wherein the second threshold voltage is below a final charging voltage of the at least one battery.

In the method according to the invention, the cleaning device can be operated while a power cable of the power supply device is connected to the power supply network. In order to avoid excessive discharge of the at least one battery, it can be determined whether its actual voltage has fallen below the first threshold voltage, for example, from the beginning, or has dropped to the first threshold voltage after the start of operation. The latter is the case, for example, when the cleaning device is initially operated solely with energy of the at least one battery even when the power cord is connected. If it is determined that the actual voltage is below the first threshold voltage, is the power supply device is activated such that the battery is charged during operation. By monitoring the actual voltage, it can be determined whether the state of charge of the at least one battery is increased, ie more charge flows into the battery when it is withdrawn for cleaning operation. If it is determined that the actual voltage has risen to the higher second threshold voltage, the charging of the battery with the power supply device is deactivated, and the cleaning operation can then be continued alone by providing the electrical energy through the at least one battery. It is particularly advantageous that the second threshold voltage is below a maximum charge voltage or maximum actual voltage of the at least one battery.

This ensures that the end-of-charge voltage is not exceeded when the energy supply device for charging the battery is activated. Instead, charging is aborted at the lower second threshold voltage. It is ensured that the at least one battery is not charged with electrical energy when fully charged. This increases the operational safety, since overcharging of the battery and a development or disruption associated therewith can be avoided, for example overheating or even fire hazard.

The method can be used in particular using the at least one battery as a battery without independent charging electronics.

The use of complex batteries with charging electronics or intrinsic safety is not required.

It can be provided that the energy supply device is activated from a standby state for charging the at least one battery and is put back into it when the second threshold voltage is reached. Alternatively, the power supply device can be switched on from a completely switched-off state and later completely switched off again when the second threshold voltage has been reached. It is understood that during the cleaning operation, the power supply device can be repeatedly activated and deactivated when the battery voltage has fallen below the operation of the at least one battery to the first threshold voltage and increased when charging the battery up to the second threshold voltage ,

Preferably, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery is used as at least one battery. As a result, a long service life of the cleaning device can be achieved.

It is favorable if the energy supply device is activated and / or deactivated independently of the electrical power that the cleaning device requires. In high-performance operation, this ensures that the energy supply device is switched on in good time to charge the battery. In low-power operation, it is ensured that the serviceability of the cleaning device is maintained before unexpectedly or abruptly switched to high-power operation and unexpectedly too much energy is consumed. The disconnection of the power supply device independent of power is also advantageous, for example in low-power operation in which only little energy is withdrawn from the battery in order to ensure that the battery is not unintentionally supplied with so much energy that it is overloaded.

In the latter case, it is also advantageous if the difference between the Ladeendspannung and the second threshold voltage is sufficiently large.

For example, for a battery having a charge end voltage of 36 volts, the first threshold voltage may be about 25 to 30 volts, the second threshold voltage may be about 27 to 33 volts. In an advantageous implementation, for example, threshold voltages of about 27 volts and 29 volts prove to be advantageous. Preferably, the power supply device is activated immediately after reaching the first threshold voltage. As an alternative or in addition, the energy supply device is preferably deactivated immediately after reaching the second threshold voltage.

It can be provided that the first threshold voltage and / or the second threshold voltage are predetermined by an operator.

It is favorable if the energy supply device remains activated as long as the actual voltage is below the second threshold voltage, it being possible for the cleaning operation to be carried out solely by providing the electrical energy through the at least one battery when the cleaning operation is started. until its actual voltage has fallen below the first threshold voltage. When the energy supply device is activated, the operating time of the cleaning device can be maximized.

Preferably, the cleaning device is switched off when the actual voltage has fallen to a third threshold voltage which is smaller than the first threshold voltage. In this way it can be ensured that the at least one battery is not completely discharged and consequently damaged. It can be provided that an operator can specify the third threshold voltage.

An advantageous implementation of the method further comprises the following features:

 Determining the battery voltage when the cleaning device is set or set other than cleaning operation;

 Determining whether the battery voltage is below the charge end voltage of the at least one battery;

Charging the at least one battery by means of the power supply device until the battery voltage reaches the charging end voltage of the at least one battery. has reached a battery and until a charging current of the power supply device has fallen to a cutoff current, and then deactivating the power supply device.

If the cleaning device is set with the power cable connected to the power supply network out of the cleaning mode, or if this is already the case, the at least one battery can nevertheless be charged. In this case, the charging process can also be continued in particular beyond the second threshold voltage and the at least one battery can be fully charged until the battery voltage (that is, the actual voltage of the battery after the end of the cleaning operation or without) has reached the charging end voltage. In order to avoid overcharging and damage to the at least one battery, the power supply device is switched off when the current has dropped to a cutoff current.

It is favorable if by means of the energy supply device either a total current can be provided or a charging current which is smaller than the total current. The operating mode of the power supply device can be switchable so that either the higher total current or the lower charging current is provided.

It is advantageous if the energy supply device supplies the total current during the cleaning operation of the cleaning device. The total flow can be used to maintain the cleaning operation. If the operating current required for this purpose is lower than the total current, the at least one battery can additionally be charged. The total current can in particular be a maximum current of the energy supply device.

It is understood that the power supply device should be dimensioned so that the total current for the usual cleaning operations is sufficiently large, both to maintain the cleaning operation and at the same time to charge the at least one battery. It is advantageous if the battery is charged with the charging current when the cleaning device is put out of operation. By charging with the charging current which is lower relative to the total current, the danger of overcharging the at least one battery is reduced. The charging process is preferably continued as explained above until the battery voltage has reached the charge end voltage and the charge current has dropped to a predetermined limit value (cutoff current).

For example, when implementing the cleaning device, the total current may be about 20 A to 30 A, in particular 25 A. The charging current may be, for example, about 5 A to 15 A, for example 10 A.

When terminating the cleaning operation with the power cable connected, when the energy supply device is activated, in particular the total current can be lowered to the charging current.

The abovementioned object is achieved by a cleaning device according to the invention of the type mentioned at the outset, in which an actual voltage of the at least one battery can be determined in a cleaning operation with a power cable connected to a power supply network, the energy supply device for charging the at least one Battery can be activated when the actual voltage has fallen to a first threshold voltage or falls below this, it can be determined whether the actual voltage of the at least one battery increases, and wherein the power supply device is deactivated, if the actual Voltage has risen to a second threshold voltage greater than the first threshold voltage, where at the second threshold voltage is below a final charging voltage of the at least one battery.

With the cleaning device according to the invention, the advantages which have already been mentioned under explanation of the method according to the invention, also be achieved. In this regard, reference may be made to the above explanations.

Advantageous embodiments of the cleaning device according to the invention result from advantageous embodiments of the inventive method. The process features can be implemented according to the device. In this regard, too, reference may be made to the above explanations.

The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is used in conjunction with the drawings for a more detailed explanation of the invention. Show it :

FIG. 1 shows a cleaning device according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention in a perspective view;

FIG. 2 shows a simplified block diagram of the cleaning device

 FIG. 1;

Figure 3: time dependent a battery voltage, a total current, a

 Charging current and an operating current of the device of Figure 1 in the floor cleaning;

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of steps of the method according to the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a further flowchart of steps of the method according to the invention;

FIG. 6: a representation corresponding to FIG. 3 during the cleaning of a different bottom surface; and FIG. 7 shows a further illustration corresponding to FIG. 3 during the cleaning of a different type of bottom surface.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an advantageous embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention, which is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, for carrying out an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention. The cleaning device 10 is configured as a floor cleaning device to clean a bottom surface 12. In the present case, the cleaning device 10 is hand-guided, but the present invention is not limited to floor cleaning devices and hand-held cleaning devices.

For cleaning the bottom surface 12, the cleaning device 10 comprises a cleaning unit 14, which in the present case is designed as a cleaning head 16. To operate the cleaning device 10, in particular for driving the cleaning head 16, electrical energy is required. To provide the electrical energy, the cleaning device 10 in the present case comprises at least one rechargeable battery 18. FIG. 2 shows, by way of example, a battery 18, but the cleaning device 10 could also have a different number of batteries. The battery 18 may be detachably received in a receptacle on the cleaning device 10 (not shown).

In the present case, the battery 18 is, in particular, a lithium-ion battery. It is provided that the battery 18 is free of independent charging electronics.

Electrical energy can also be provided by means of a power supply device 20. The power supply device 20 comprises a power cable 22, which can be connected to a power supply network. Electrical energy can be made available to the energy supply device 20 from the energy supply network. The cleaning device 10 can be operated in a pure network operation, for example, when the battery 18 is discharged.

In addition, it is possible to operate the cleaning device 10 solely by means of the battery 18 when the power cable 22 is not connected to the power grid.

The power supply device 20 comprises a charging device 24. When connected to the mains cable, electrical energy of the charging device 24 can be applied to the battery 18 and charged, whereby the battery 18 can remain in the receptacle. In particular, it is possible to carry out a mains-wired cleaning operation in which electrical energy is provided by the energy supply device 20 and the battery 18 is charged.

The energy supply device 20 can be controlled by a control device 26, from which, for example, the cleaning unit 14 can also be actuated, for example for setting cleaning parameters.

The cleaning operation with connected power cable 22 and using the battery 18 will be explained below with reference first to Figures 3 to 5. It is first assumed that the bottom surface 12 of the cleaning unit 14 relatively little opposes resistance and is relatively smooth. This assumption applies, for example, to the usual cleaning inserts of the cleaning device 10.

In Figure 3, the solid line 28 shows the actual voltage U _{B of} the battery 18 as a function of time. The dotted line 30 shows the total current I _G output by the energy supply device 20 as a function of time. The dashed line 30 shows the operating current I _B to maintain the operation of the cleaning device 10. The dotted line 34 after the time t _E shows a charging current I _{L of} the power supply device 20. Without limiting the generality, it is assumed that the initial actual voltage U _{B of} the battery 18 is equal to a charge end voltage U _L E at the start time t ₀ .

During operation of the cleaning device 10, electrical energy is consumed, which is initially provided only by the battery 18. The charge of the battery 18 decreases. For this reason, the actual voltage U _B drops from the initial charging end voltage U _LE . The actual voltage U _B is determined, for example, by the control device 26. At a time ti it is determined that the actual voltage U _{B has} dropped to a first threshold voltage U _Si . If this is detected, the power supply device 20 is activated to charge the battery 18, for example, from a standby state.

The energy supply device 20 provides the total current I _G from the energy supply network. This is used to maintain the cleaning operation, the proportion of which is equal in magnitude to the operating current I _B.

Since, in the present case, the operating current I _{B is} smaller in absolute value than the available total current I _G , its remaining portion can be supplied as a charging current to the battery 18 in order to charge it.

During the charging process, the actual voltage U _{B of} the battery 18 is further monitored. In particular, it is determined whether the actual voltage U _B increases. This is the case with the example shown in FIG.

If it is determined that the actual voltage U _{B reaches} a second threshold voltage U _S 2, the energy supply device 20 is deactivated to charge the battery 18 and to supply the cleaning operation and, for example, returns it to the standby state. This corresponds to the timing indicated in FIG. 3 with t ₂ . It is advantageous that the charging of the battery 18 is terminated before the actual voltage U _{B reaches} the Ladeendspannung U _LE . The second threshold voltage U _S 2 is smaller than the final charge voltage U _LE . This ensures that the battery 18 is not overcharged. A disturbance or damage to the battery 18, in particular due to heat generation, possibly even a fire hazard, is avoided. The operational safety of the cleaning device 10 is increased.

The method allows the use of a simple-constructed, low-cost battery 18 without independent charging electronics, without which the charging device can not determine when and if the battery 18 is fully charged. By limiting the charging process at the second threshold voltage U _S 2, this problem can be avoided. The versatility of the cleaning device 10 is increased because it can be used with battery 18 without charging electronics and equally with battery 18 with charging electronics.

After switching off the power supply device 20, the cleaning operation continues to continue only using the battery 18. The actual voltage U _B drops again until the first threshold voltage U _{Si is} reached at time t ₃ and the energy supply device 20 is reactivated.

The above procedure can be continued. By way of example, FIG. 3 shows a cleaning operation in which the energy supply device 20 is deactivated at time t _N , because the actual voltage U _{B reaches} the second threshold value voltage U _S 2. Subsequently, the cleaning operation is continued again only with the battery 18 under falling actual voltage U _B.

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of the method sequence described so far. After the start of the cleaning device 10 (step S1), the actual voltage U _{B is} determined in a step S2. In step S3, it is determined whether the actual voltage U _{B is} less than or equal to the first threshold voltage U _Si . If this is the case, in the following step S4 the power supply is set. direction 20 and the total current I _G to maintain the cleaning operation and to charge the battery 18 is provided. It is checked in a step S5 whether the actual voltage U _{B is} greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage U _S 2. If this is the case, the energy supply device 20 is deactivated in a subsequent step S6.

When the cleaning device 10 is implemented in practice, the charge end voltage U _L E can be, for example, 36 volts, the first threshold voltage U _Si, for example, 27 volts and the second threshold voltage U _S 2, for example 29 volts. In particular, the total current I _G may be the maximum current that can be supplied by the energy supply device 20 and may be approximately 25 A, for example.

It can be provided that the threshold voltages U _Si and / or U _S 2 can be specified by an operator.

The activation and / or deactivation of the energy supply device 20 advantageously takes place independently of which electrical power the cleaning device 10 requires in the cleaning operation.

If the cleaning operation is terminated, this is shown in FIG. 3 at a time t _E , the energy supply device 20 is activated again. The power supply device 20 charges the battery 18 with a charging current I _L. The battery 18 is considered to be fully charged when the battery voltage U _{B is} equal to the charge end voltage U _LE and the charge current I _{L has} dropped to a cutoff current. As a result, damage to the battery 18 is avoided by overcharging. Subsequently, the power supply device 20 is deactivated.

When charging outside of the cleaning operation or after the cleaning operation, the charging current I _L , which is provided by the power supply device 20, is less than the total current I _G. In the above example, the charging current I _L, for example, 10 A. By relative to the Total current I _G reduced charging current I _L , the charging is delayed. It is ensured that the battery 18 is not charged so fast that it is damaged, for example, by excessive heating.

Figure 5 shows the process of charging the battery 18 outside or after the end of the cleaning operation. In step S1, in this example, the cleaning device 10 is turned off. In the subsequent step S2, the charging current I _{L is} provided with the energy supply device 20. If appropriate, the energy supply device 20 is activated beforehand.

The charging of the battery 18 is continued until the check in step S3 shows that the actual voltage U _{B is} equal to the charge end voltage U _L E. In the subsequent step S4, the charging current I _L drops, and the power supply device 20 is then turned off in step S5 when the cutoff current is reached.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show, in a manner corresponding to FIG. 3, the actual voltage U _B , the total current I _G , the charging current I _L and the operating current I _{B, as a function of} time. In this case, the cleaning device 10 is used to clean a bottom surface 12 which differs from that corresponding to the case shown in FIG. In particular, the bottom surfaces have a higher resistance, wherein the resistance of the bottom surface for the case shown in Figure 6 is lower than for the case shown in Figure 7.

In the case shown in Figure 6 is also shown how the time point ti, the power supply device 20 is activated, because the actual voltage U _B U _Si has fallen to the first threshold voltage.

The energy provided by the power supply device 20 even at the maximum total current I _G is just as great as the energy required to maintain the cleaning operation. Therefore, the actual voltage U _{B of} the battery 18 remains substantially constant, because no share of the total current I _G for charging the battery 18 remains. The energy supply device 20 remains permanently switched on.

After the end of the cleaning operation at the time t _E , the charging current I _{L is} provided and the battery 18 is charged with reduced power until the final charging voltage U _L E is reached. Subsequently, the energy supply device 20 is switched off after reaching the cutoff current, as has been explained above using the example of FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the energy required for maintaining the cleaning operation after the power supply device 20 is switched on is greater than the energy supplied by the power supply device 20 over the total current I _G. For this reason, the actual voltage U _B decreases over time, because the battery 18 additional energy is withdrawn. At time t _E , the cleaning operation is terminated, and the battery 18 is, as already explained above, charged with the charging current I _L to the charging end voltage U _LE . Also in this case, the charging current I _{L is} then lowered and the power supply device 20 is switched off after reaching the cutoff current.

It can be provided that the cleaning device 10 is switched off completely when the actual voltage U _B falls below a third threshold voltage U _S 3, in order to avoid that the battery 18 is completely discharged and thereby possibly damaged.

Reference number:

10 cleaning device

12 floor space

 14 cleaning unit

16 cleaning head

18 battery

 20 Power supply unit 22 Power cable

 24 charging device

26 control device

28 Actual voltage U _B

30 total current I _G

32 operating current I _B

34 charging current I _L

Claims

PAT EN TA NSP RICK 1. A method for operating a cleaning device with at least one cleaning unit, wherein the cleaning device electrical energy via at least one rechargeable battery and / or at least one cord-connected power supply beitstellbar and the at least one battery by means of the power supply device is rechargeable,  the method comprises a cleaning operation with a power cable connected to a power supply network, having the following features:  Determining an actual voltage of the at least one battery;  Activating the power supply means for charging the at least one battery when the actual voltage has dropped to or below a first threshold voltage; Determining whether the actual voltage of the at least one battery is increasing;  Disabling the power supply device when the actual voltage has risen to a second threshold voltage greater than the first threshold voltage, wherein the second threshold voltage is below a Ladeendspannung the at least one battery. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one battery, a battery is used without independent charging electronics. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the energy supply device for charging the at least one battery terie from a standby state is activated and put back into this when the second threshold voltage is reached, or that the power supply means for charging the at least a battery is switched from a complete off state and turned off completely when the second threshold voltage is reached. 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one battery, a lithium-ion battery is used. 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power supply device is activated independently of the electrical power and / or deactivated, which claimed the cleaning device. 6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power supply device is activated immediately after reaching the first threshold voltage and / or immediately after reaching the second threshold voltage is deactivated. 7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first threshold voltage and / or the second threshold voltage can be specified by an operator. 8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power supply device remains activated as long as the actual voltage is below the second threshold voltage. 9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning device is switched off when the actual voltage has dropped to a third threshold voltage, which is smaller than the first threshold voltage. 10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising:  Determining the battery voltage when the cleaning device is set or set other than cleaning operation;  Determining whether the battery voltage is below the charge end voltage of the at least one battery;  Charging the at least one battery by means of the energy supply device until the battery voltage has reached the charge end voltage of the at least one battery and until a charging current of the energy supply device has dropped to a cutoff current, and then deactivating the power supply device. 11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that by means of the energy supply device either a total current is available or a charging current which is smaller than the total current. 12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the power supply device in the cleaning operation of the cleaning device provides the total current. 13. The method of claim 11 or 12 in conjunction with claim 10, characterized in that the at least one battery is charged with the charging current when the cleaning device is set out of operation. 14. Cleaning device for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one cleaning unit (14), at least one rechargeable battery (18) to provide electrical energy for the cleaning device (10) and a cord-connected power supply device (20) ready steep electrical energy for the cleaning device (10), the energy supply device (20) having a charging device (24) for charging the at least one battery (18) comprises or forms, wherein in a cleaning operation with a mains cable (22) connected to a power supply network, an actual voltage (U _B ) of the at least one battery (18) can be determined, the power supply device ( 20) for charging the at least one battery (18) can be activated when the actual voltage (U _B ) is dropped to a first threshold voltage (U _Si ) or falls below this, wherein it can be determined whether the actual voltage (U _B ) of the at least one battery (18) increases, and wherein the power supply device (20) is deactivated when the actual voltage (U _B ) has risen to a second threshold voltage (U _S 2) greater than the first threshold voltage (U _Si ) , wherein the second threshold voltage (U _S 2) below a Ladeendspannung (U _L E) of the at least one battery (18).