Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Wiping
Patent
1994-11-21
1997-08-12
Soohoo, Tony G.
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Wiping
15 501, 15302, A47L 102
Patent
active
056552475
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to the cleaning of windows and has for its objective the provision of an automatic means capable of cleaning windows of any size and inclination.
The cleaning of a window involves washing, usually with water and detergent, followed by wiping to remove liquid. Manually, this is typically achieved with a sponge wet with cleaning liquid followed by a flexible blade or squeegee. An automatic cleaning arrangement has been proposed wherein an elongate wiping blade of the dimensions of the window moves in a rectilinear path across the window. Such an arrangement has constructional and operational disadvantages.
In accordance with the present invention the cleaning device comprises an elongate wiper which has a length less than any side of the window and is robotically controlled to move across the entire surface area of the window to remove cleaning liquid therefrom. To achieve this, one side only of the elongate member, hereinafter called the blade, contacts the cleaning liquid being removed, a continuous sweep being made to define a moving body of liquid.
The robotic control means will be preferably such as to cause the blade to simulate the movements made by the human arm and the hand rather than to describe strictly rectilinear movements parallel to the sides of the window.
Preferably the robotic control means will initially act, using the blade as a sensing means, to sense the dimensions of the window to be cleaned. A computer will then establish the pattern of movements of the blade over the window. The wiping blade should have longitudinal compliance so that its ends can contact the window margin and be moved to actuate sensing means. Compliance normal to the blade length is also desirable to enable the blade to contact the window with the desired force. This compliance will preferably have two modes; a first datum mode to sense by contact as set out above, and a second stiffer cleaning mode.
Although a cleaning head including the blade may comprise a liquid applicator, for example a jet or spray, separate from the wiping blade, it is presently preferred to incorporate washing means such as a brush and the wiping blade in an elongate cleaning head. Preferably this head will include a vacuum space between the brush and blade for removing cleaning liquid during and particularly at the finish of cleaning.
The robotic control means will be of any suitable form but we have found it possible to provide an effective cleaning pattern using a robot with Cartesian mountings, i.e. a robot which allows movement of the head in the three axes at right angles; a horizontal lateral X axis, a Z axis normal to the X axis allowing horizontal movement towards and away from the window, and a vertical Y axis. The cleaning head is rotatable about the Z axis to provide the full range of movements required with operational simplicity and robustness. The head may also be mounted for limited tilting movement to allow for inclination of the window pane.
The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a control robot with a rotatably mounted cleaning head;
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate respectively datum and positioning and cleaning paths according to one operating plan;
FIG. 3 is a view of a cleaning apparatus incorporating the present invention mounted on the exterior of a building;
FIG. 3a is a schematic illustration of motor-driven racks and pinions for displacing the wiper element along X, Y and Z axes;
FIG. 4 is a plan view partly in section of one form of cleaning head mounting;
FIG. 5 is a front view of the cleaning head;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the cleaning head;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the cleaning head mounting;
FIG. 8 is a block scehmatic diagram of the robot control circuitry, and
FIGS. 9 to 11 are flow charts illustrating the software strucutre for the robotic control.
Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings a cleaning device is diagrammatically illustrated and comprises an frame supp
REFERENCES:
patent: 2517474 (1950-09-01), Fouse
patent: 3218663 (1965-11-01), Battista
patent: 4198724 (1980-04-01), Fisher et al.
patent: 4809384 (1989-03-01), Yokota et al.
patent: 5020180 (1991-06-01), Mimura
patent: 5032775 (1991-07-01), Mizuno et al.
Allen Charles
Farsi Mohammed
Johnson Peter
Pawson Richard
O.C.S. Group Limited
Soohoo Tony G.
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