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EP-4306022-B1 - PROCESSING DEVICE FOR PREPARING A GROUND SURFACE

EP4306022B1EP 4306022 B1EP4306022 B1EP 4306022B1EP-4306022-B1

Inventors

  • SCHAEFER, FRANK
  • Koene, Philip
  • ORTH, Caroline
  • RODRIGUEZ GARCIA, Aida
  • WENGER, CHRISTIAN
  • FERRAZ MAINA, Rodrigo
  • Pequerul, Paola

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230626

Claims (11)

  1. Treatment appliance (105) for preparing a floor area (120) in a household for automatic floor treatment, wherein the treatment appliance (105) comprises the following: - a detection facility (135) for detecting an object (125) on the floor area (120); - a drive facility (15) for moving the treatment appliance (105) on the floor area (120); - a collection container (130) for objects (125); and - a collection apparatus (205, 305) for gathering the objects (125) into the collection container (130); characterised in that - the collection apparatus (205) is configured to gather the object (125) from the floor area (120) by means of an air flow, and - the treatment appliance (105) comprises an intermediate container (210) for separating the object (125) from the air flow and a transfer apparatus (225) for transferring the object (125) from the intermediate container (210) into the collection container (130).
  2. Treatment appliance (105) according to claim 1, wherein the treatment appliance is configured to collect toys.
  3. Treatment appliance (105) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a camera (130) for optical scanning of the object (125).
  4. Treatment appliance (105) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a processing facility (140) for identifying multiple predetermined objects (125).
  5. Treatment appliance (105) according to claim 4, wherein the processing facility (140) is configured to identify a predetermined object (125) on the basis of images from different perspectives.
  6. Treatment appliance (105) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the collection apparatus comprises a gripper (305) and is configured to gather the object (125) from the floor area (120) by means of the gripper (305).
  7. Treatment appliance (105) according to claims 4 and 6, wherein a predetermined object (125) is assigned an elasticity and the processing facility (140) is configured to actuate the gripper (305) as a function of the elasticity to gather the object (125).
  8. System (100), comprising a treatment appliance (105) according to one of the preceding claims and an automatic floor cleaner (110).
  9. System (100), comprising a treatment appliance (105) according to one of the preceding claims and a base station (115), wherein the treatment appliance (105) is configured to provide objects (125) from the collection container (130) at the base station (115).
  10. Method for preparing a floor area (120) in a household for an automatic floor treatment, wherein the method comprises the following steps: - detecting (405, 410) an object (125) on the floor area (120); - moving (420) a treatment appliance (105) on the floor area (120) towards the detected object (125); and - gathering (425) the object (125) into a collection container (130) that is carried along; characterised in that - the object (125) is gathered from the floor area (120) by means of an air flow, - the object (125) is separated from the air flow into an intermediate container (210) and - a transfer apparatus (225) transfers the object (125) from the intermediate container (210) into the collection container (130).
  11. Method according to claim 10, further comprising a treatment of the floor area (120) from which the object (125) has been removed, by means of a floor cleaner (110).

Description

The invention relates to a processing device for preparing a soil surface, in particular for subsequent processing by means of a soil cultivation machine. A floor surface in a household can be maintained using a floor cleaning machine. For example, an automatic vacuuming robot can be used to vacuum the floor, or a mopping robot can clean the floor with a cleaning fluid. Such robots are able to orient themselves on the floor and navigate around obstacles. A small object on the floor surface may go undetected and could therefore be inadvertently processed. The object could be mistaken for dirt or waste, rendering it useless to the user. Furthermore, the object could enter a processing device of the machine and damage it. Even if all objects are detected and avoided, the overall floor area may not be adequately processed if there are many objects. US 2020 0 205 629 A1 suggests directing a floor cleaner to push an object aside on a floor surface to be cleaned. KR 20 2008 0 003 542 U This concerns a floor cleaner with a wheel to move small objects out of the way. From the US 9 827 678 B1 A movable robotic arm capable of grasping objects is known. DE 10 2017 112 740 A1 describes an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner with a gripper arm. US 2021/362320 A1 , US 2019/246858 A1 , CN 108 209 753 A and CN 111 265 154 A This affects other relevant systems. Known approaches are limited to treating the floor surface and often do not treat objects gently. One of the problems underlying the present invention is to provide an improved technique for treating a floor surface in a household. The invention solves this problem by means of the subject matter of the independent claims. Dependent claims describe preferred embodiments. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a processing device for preparing a floor surface in a household for automatic floor cultivation comprises: a detection device for detecting an object on the floor surface; a drive device for moving the processing device on the floor surface; a collection container for objects; and a collecting device for receiving the object into the collection container. It was recognized that a soil cultivation machine cannot be effectively designed to both clear the soil of objects and then cultivate it. A combined machine is typically larger and less maneuverable than a known soil cultivation machine or the cultivation device proposed herein. It is therefore proposed to provide a separate cultivation device that clears the soil of objects by collecting them. The soil cultivation can then be carried out by another device. This division of tasks according to the invention allows both tasks to be performed more effectively by specialized devices. The cultivation device can handle a collected object with greater care, preferably without damaging or soiling it during the process. The object may include, in particular, a toy. Many toys consist of relatively small parts that can easily be scattered on the floor during play. Examples of such toys include puzzle pieces or building blocks, doll limbs, or mosaic tiles. Such toys are usually sufficiently sturdy to be handled safely by the processing equipment. At the same time, such an object can be easily distinguished from other items that might not be intended for collection by the processing equipment, such as food or a clump of dirt. The processing device can include a camera for optically scanning the object. This allows the object to be scanned at close range for identification or to better control the collection process. In another embodiment, a LiDAR or radar sensor can also be used to detect an object on the ground. Preferably, different sensors are used to detect and characterize the object from different distances. The LiDAR or radar sensor can first determine the object's position and/or size. The processing device can then be moved to a predetermined distance from the object and optically scan it from there. A scan of the object can also be received from another device. A processing unit can be provided for the recognition of multiple predetermined objects. The processing unit can operate like an artificial neural network (ANN). In one embodiment, multiple scans from identical or different sensors can form the basis for recognition. The processing device can be configured to recognize a predetermined object based on images taken from different perspectives. For this purpose, the processing device can be moved to various positions relative to the object and take one or more images in each position. In another embodiment, an image or scan from another device, such as a base station or a floor cleaner, can also be used. The collection device is designed to pick up the object from the floor using an airflow. A suction mechanism, similar to a vacuum cleaner, can be integrated into the processing device for this purpose. A suction nozzle can be positioned precisely over the object and drawn in by the airflow. This e