Abstract:
A cleaning device and cleaning method to automatically clean the interior of a car. The devices having a robot arm and cleaning tools.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a method and a robotic device to clean the inner space of a car.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    To maintain the care of cars a dense net of car wash service stops arose in particular in the industrialized countries of the world. The list of the offered services is most extremely extensive, and with number of the cars increasing continuously also these services become still stronger specializes and diversified.  
           [0003]    Because of the high personnel costs, automatic car washing streets developed. Furthermore there are washing-stops, where in self-service the customer will get washing-utensils and cleaning tools to was his own car. This principle finds application especially for the primary treatment of the interior space of the car. Vacuum cleaners are set up for this purpose.  
           [0004]    Automatic appliances to the interior cleaning of cars are known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,409 or EP 0,493,282. There a strong vacuum is connected by a soft suction hose onto a doorway of the vehicle through which the interior is evacuated. This procedure is not very efficient.  
           [0005]    On the other hand the task of creating an appliance and a procedure for the cleaning of the interior of a car would be valuable to have. The task is to clean the different surface fields automatically.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The here proposed cleaning appliance for the interior of a car is a robot arm with a cleaning tool as well as a programmable operation of the robot arm drive. With this appliance any cleaning tool can be introduced in the vehicle interior through the door or window opening. So cars of arbitrary types can be cleaned automatically, controlled by corresponding procedure programming considering model-particular topography or geometry dates. The model of the vehicle whose interior is supposed to be cleaned is identified by a picture identification system, which is part of the software.  
           [0007]    The cleaning tool itself is interchangeable by an adapter mechanism. The cleaning procedure can be repeated, until for example depending on the degree of the pollution and the diversity of his surfaces the interior is cleaned with different or variously suitable cleaning tools. Hence, also surface fields that are not accessible through a vehicle door for the cleaning tool by means of the robot arm can be reached for example by a repetition of the procedural steps through another vehicle door in order to process all desired interior faces.  
           [0008]    So by means of different cleaning tools and the an algorithm to select out of a step list the customer can select from different procedural cleaning zones:  
           [0009]    the inner side of the windshield,  
           [0010]    the inner side window,  
           [0011]    the inner rear window,  
           [0012]    the instrumentation panel,  
           [0013]    the central console table,  
           [0014]    the seats and back cushions,  
           [0015]    the foot-spaces,  
           [0016]    the door linings,  
           [0017]    the door seals,  
           [0018]    the roof sky,  
           [0019]    the trunk,  
           [0020]    Just to give examples here.  
           [0021]    In order to reach the different interior fields of the various vehicle types the robot arm is arranged at a trolley appliance in the ceiling field of the cleaning-garage as a repeatedly flexibly driven arm, also sometimes called crab. The movable end of the robot arm with the preferably flexibly cleaning tool can reach to the cleaning site in the interior of the garage. Whether now in a garage or at another place: the cleaning site is combined with a preparation site (starting site) and a reworking site (ending site). There in each case—in a timesaving way according to the well-known assembly line principle—a car can be prepared already through opening openings such as doors or windows, while another car is already being cleaned there and while a third car is being prepared for departure. While clearing the vehicle at the preparation site the customer can remove objects laying in the car to a safe deposit box, which together with the vehicle will move to the exit site. There the objects are given back to the customer.  
           [0022]    According to the shape and the material of the different interior surfaces as well as for example also according to the degree and the kind of the impurity the—preferably interchangeable—cleaning tool can comprise a wisp tool. In order to dissolve adhering dirt, the cleaning tool can have a spray-device for water or other cleaning agents. In order to bring out slackly particles from less accessible fields, the cleaning tool can have a jet for compressed air or a vapour-nozzle for the dissolution of dirt. In order to be able to supply the described cleaning tools with cleaning fluid, at least one utility-tube is led to the cleaning tool preferably through the robot arm and/or along the robot arm. This tube supplies compressed air and/or vapour and/or detergent-solution guide for example.  
           [0023]    In order to remove solved or wiped dirt particles from the interior, the cleaning tool can have a sucking-nozzle, which can be supported by beating-action-appliances. The tubing for this disposal management is led preferably through the robot arm and/or along the robot arm to the outside.  
           [0024]    The cleaning tool can comprise a brush that is capable to perform movements necessary to whip or shake off the dirt particles from the surface. In an other embodiment the brush can serve to limit and to canalise the dirt by being mounted around the suction opening of a corresponding appliance. The movement of the brush for the dissolution of the dirt particles can be controlled also through its own movement drive of the brush. For example the cleaning tool can have a brush guide rail, circular working brooms and/or a cylindrical working brush or any combination of these. The movement of the brushes can be lateral and/or rotationally. The driving force can come from an electrical motor, a pieco motor, an electro-magnetic swinging anchor, and pneumatics via a sucking- or blowing-air turbine or also by means of ultrasound source.  
           [0025]    For the reliability in particular to avoid collisions of the cleaning tool the cleaning program of the invented procedure is provided with information about a number of car types. Topographical and geometrical information of existing car types stored in the system guarantee a collision-free movement of the cleaning tool and the robot arm. In addition sensors record the environment of the cleaning tool and the robot arm. Sensors will not only detect environmental changes of the interior of the car, compared to the stored data of the car type, but will also detect if for instance the car door to insert the robot arm is opened or closed. However, not only to avoid collisions, but for example also for the recognition of vehicle-individual characteristics sensors are used. For example in a van whose interior is just cleaned sensors might detect if certain sidewalls are mounted and if can change the procedure of cleaning those.  
           [0026]    The soiling, removed from the interior of the car by any cleaning means can under circumstances contain also articles of value—for example money. In order to find and give back to the customers the value articles before disposing them, the soiling removed from the car will be presented to the customer on a riddle screen before disposal. The customer has the choice to remove then some idioms of value out of the soiling and dump the final rest to the trash. In order that the customer does not have to mess around in the trash the riddle screen device might have means of moving or shaking it.  
           [0027]    The described invented cleaning process of a vehicle interior will be described in the following stages:  
           [0028]    Step  1 : On the “preparation site” all passengers leave the vehicle. Subjects from the seats, floor and any other compartments are removed and stored elsewhere outside the car. This outside storage can be mobile and move with the to be cleaned car and/or to be made as a safe deposit box.  
           [0029]    Step  2 : The customer drives up his vehicle to requested start position. The attaining of the correct position is signalled to the customer. The car can by a mechanical control system be guided through the machine on special lanes, or the machine moves around the car.  
           [0030]    Step  3 : An electronic monitoring system registers the precise vehicle position and vehicle geometry and car type by means of picture recognition of all sides, from above as well as from behind and in front. The motor vehicle type and the coordinates of the windows are defined. The coordinates are used to define the location of the cleaning zones. Alternatively, the car can carry a bar code like coding to be defined or simply the customer enters the exact car type by means of a keyboard or automatic identification card insertion into the system.  
           [0031]    Step  4 : The customer leaves (possibly on request through the system) his vehicle and begins with the preparation to the automatic cleaning.  
           [0032]    All doors are being opened fully.  
           [0033]    The trunk is opened (only if unloaded).  
           [0034]    All persons are requested to leave the safety zone around the car of the cleaning site.  
           [0035]    Start of the process by the customer with following single steps:  
           [0036]    payment of cleaning fee,  
           [0037]    selection of the cleaning program according to programmable cleaning zones, and  
           [0038]    start of the process by confirming everything is clear.  
           [0039]    Step  5 : The opened doors are fixed pneumatically. The fixing is possible through inflatable pillows. This step can be avoided in one embodiment of the invention.  
           [0040]    Step  6 : Through picture recognition a further measurement of the vehicle is carried out with opened doors and opened trunk. With that information the system recognizes cleaning positions to be excluded (Doors in front, to the right and/or to the left; Doors behind, to the right and/or to the left of; Trunk). Corrections through the customer might require an interruption and repetition of the previous course possibly.  
           [0041]    Step  7 : The cleaning robot begins with the cleaning processing. An alternation of the cleaning applicators, when necessary, will be carried out.  
           [0042]    Step  8 : Cleaning course  1   
           [0043]    The robot will clean one cleaning zone after the other. In this course the robot will clean one area after the other, e.g. the robot will first clean the drivers seat, then the drivers seat floor, then the front inner window. For this the robot will have to change the cleaning tools many times through the course of the cleaning zone.  
           [0044]    Step  8 : Cleaning course  2   
           [0045]    The robot will clean with one cleaning tool after the other. In this course the robot use one cleaning tool, e.g. a certain brush, where ever needed in the car interior and then alternate to the next tool, e.g. a special wiper, etc. The robot arm in this course will move to the various cleaning zones many times.  
           [0046]    Step  9 : Picture or image recognition together with and remote tough sensing control the process of the cleaning robot. Obstacles that can not be assigned to the expected vehicle geometry lead the robot to avoid that particular zone. Objects in motion in the vehicle cause the robot to break off.  
           [0047]    The remote sensing avoids collisions of the robot mechanism with the vehicle interior. A camera observes the vehicle and robot environment. Near objects in motion cause the robot to break off. The robot arm itself might comprise many tough sensors along its arm structure.  
           [0048]    Step  10 : The end of the cleaning job is signalled. The customer drives his vehicle to the “reworking area” . The safe deposit box is emptied. Subjects are admitted again into the vehicle, sucked off dirt is presented and it can be examined for valuables. Dirt is disposed finally.  
           [0049]    Step  11 : The customer leaves the cleaning facility.  
           [0050]    Robot arms for this purpose can be any industrialized robot arm structure which has to be modified for this cleaning purpose.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0051]    One embodiment of the invention is described with the following figures:  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 1 illustrates a three dimensional view of the invented cleaning apparatus.  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 2 illustrates a cinematic model of the robot arm of FIG. 1.  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 3 illustrates another spatial view of the robot arm with cleaning appliances of FIG. 1.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 4 illustrates a different robot arm with cleaning tool for robot of FIG. 1.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 5 illustrates a cleaning tool in three dimensions, partially cut opinion, of robot arm.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 6 illustrates a different spatial view, partially cut open of the cleaning tool.  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 7 illustrates a three dimensional view of a cleaning appliance of robot arm.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 8 illustrates a different view of the appliance of FIG. 7.  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 9 illustrates a three dimensional view of a cleaning tool.  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 10 illustrates a different three-dimensional view of cleaning tool of FIG. 9.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 11 illustrates a three dimensional view, partially cut open, of a cleaning tool.  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 12 illustrates another spatial view, partially cut open of cleaning tool of FIG. 11.  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 13 illustrates a three dimensional view, partially cut open, of a cleaning tool.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 14 illustrates a three dimensional view of a robot arm with cleaning tool in accordance with FIG. 13.  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 15 illustrates a further spatial view of a robot arm with the tool in accordance with FIG. 13 as well as with an inflatable shielding.  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 16 illustrates a cinematic model of a robot arm of FIG. 4.  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 17 illustrates a cinematic model of a robot arm.  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 18 illustrates a cinematic model of a robot arm.  
         [0070]    [0070]FIG. 19 illustrates a cinematic model of a robot arm.  
         [0071]    [0071]FIG. 20 illustrates a cinematic model of a robot arm.  
         [0072]    [0072]FIG. 21 illustrates the system with a watching camera and an image processing system.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0073]    [0073]FIG. 1 illustrates the interior of a garage or any room designated for this robot with base  2 . In the garage a car  4  stands at a cleaning site  6 . The car  4  is guided by rails  8 , in which the right front and rear wheels are guided, from the preparation site  10  to the cleaning site  6 . After completion of the cleaning course of the cleaning process, which is carried out from a robot arm  12  with a cleaning tool  14 , shown in this FIG. 1 in the trunk of the car  4 , the car is automatically guided by tracks  8  to a reworking site  16 . A safe deposit box  17  is recognizable at the preparation site  10 . Stored personal belongings of the customer will be transported by a system, not shown here; to a position  17 ′ at the reworking site  16 , where the customer gets back his belongings.  
         [0074]    By means of the cleaning tool  14  soiling and dirt are sucked from the trunk of the car  4  and guided by a soft suction hose  19  which is attached to the robot arm  12  to the outside. A separator  21  made as a grid type device collects the larger particles of the sucked off dirt and presents these onto a presenting-grid  23 , where the customer can take out any of the things he might want to keep.  
         [0075]    The cleaning tool  14  is moved by the robot arm  12  into the trunk of the car  4 . The movement of the robot  12  makes therefore a relative movement between the cleaning tool  14  and (in the illustrated situation) the trunk bottom. In order to perform this movement in all most possible, better desirable, spatial directions (or spatial axes) in the field of the cleaning site  6 , the robot arm comprises joints and other movable parts. This mobility and flexibility of the robot arm  12  is schematic illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 1 shows in an three dimensional view and FIG. 2 illustrates in a cinematic model that the robot arm  12  comprises a portal-arm-part  18  moving in horizontal way and an upright-arm  20  moving in a vertical way. At the lower end of the upright-arm  20  a forearm  22  is mounted. This forearm  22  is movable lateral along its longitudinal axis and can rotate around this axes. At the end of the forearm  22  a universal joint  24 , which is turnable around two radial axes, is holding a girder  26  at which end the cleaning tool  14  is mounted. The cleaning tool  14  is attached by a Hooke&#39;s joint  27 , which can rotate around two crossed axes; rotational degrees of freedom offset under 90° to each other. Hook&#39;s joints are sometimes called cardan or universal joints. Hence, and with the use of a ball-and-socket joint, the applied cleaning tool  14  is tiltable in two directions and will self-continuous arrange its orientation to the to be cleaned surface. This Hooke&#39;s joint  27  can be improved for this purpose by using elastic elements, such as metal, rubber or pneumatic springs. By pressing the cleaning tool  14  onto surface to be cleaned the active area of the cleaning tool  14  appears then automatically at said surface. In addition this Hooke&#39;s joint  27  can be twisted so that the direction of the three-angled wipe-surface  44  of the tool  14  for window polishing can be moved well into a corner of the windshield to be cleaned  42  (FIG. 4). The torsion of the girder  26  occurs in this case due to the torsion of the forearm  22  at the end of the upright girder  28  in accordance with FIG. 3. The torsion of the girder  52  in accordance with FIG. 4 occurs directly via the axial joint at the forearm  50 .  
         [0076]    The elements encircled with dots and dashes in FIG. 2, the portal  18  and the normal girder  20 , can be moved (due to the described degrees of freedom) so that the lower end  28  and the upright girder  20 , illustrated also in FIG. 3, can be moved round any arbitrary height of a car  4  around said car  4 . This allows among other things also the position as illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the lower end  28  of the upright girder  20  is positioned next to the co-drivers door  30 . Door  30  is kept open by the door holder  29 . Through the so accessible doorway  32  the robot arm with cleaning tool  14  will clean the co-drivers seat  34 . The cleaning tool  14  is guided from the described forearm  22  and girder  26  at the lower end  28  of the upright girder  20 . On completion of the cleaning of the front seat  34  the rear right door  36  of the car  4  stands open to clean the back seat  40  of the car  4  through the doorway  38 .  
         [0077]    In FIG. 4 is shown a corresponding situation as in FIG. 3 but with a different robot arm  12 ′. The cleaning tool  14 ′ is a triangular wisp tool as described later with regard to FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 4 the inner surface of the windshield  42  is cleaned. With its low-angular corners of the triangular wisp face  44  the cleaning tool  14 ′ in this case reaches the inner corners of the windshield  42  very efficient. This robot arm  12 ′ is mounted out of four straight sections, a shoulder  46 , an upper arm  48 , a forearm  50  and a girder  52 . The shoulder  46  can be rotated around its longitudinal axis at the lower end  28  the upright girder  20 , the upper arm  48  can rotate around a radial axis at the shoulder  46  angel lead, the forearm  50  can rotate around a radial axis at upper arm  48  and around its longitudinal axis. The girder  52  at the forearm  50  can rotate around a radial axis. Performing the wisp movement of the cleaning tool  14 ′ is caused from the robot arm  12 ′ in accordance with FIG. 4 by an accordion-like movement of upper arm  48  against forearm  50 , while the wisp movement in accordance with FIG. 3 is performed through an axial longitudinal movement of the forearm  22  at the lower end  28  of the upright girder  20 .  
         [0078]    A cinematic model of the robot arm  12 ′ is shown in FIG. 16. Further cinematic models of alternative rendering of the robot arm are shown the FIGS.  17  to  20 . The elements circled here with dots and dashes are similar to those already described to FIG. 2. The robot arms represented in FIGS.  17  to  20  are assembled from girder elements  110  and are combined with each other with a wisp tool  14 ′ by hinge  112 , universal joints  114 , axial knack cases  116 , axial sliding sleeves  118  as well as Hooke&#39;s joints  120 .  
         [0079]    The cleaning tools  14 ,  14 ′ in accordance with FIG. 1- 4  are interchangeably by means of a tool change-switch-mechanism  53  located under a port in the ground. Different tools for cleaning are represented in the FIGS.  5  to  13 .  
         [0080]    [0080]FIGS. 5 and 6 show a wisp tool  14 ′ with elastic, triangular wisp face  54  made in the kind of an micro fibre cloth, that is interchangeably attached by a kind of Velcro fastening  56  on the triangular elastic carrier  58 . In the elastic basic body  58  a sucking-channel  60  runs along the edge of the triangular wisp face structure behind the micro fibre cloth  54 . This channel  60  is connected to the connector  62  of a soft suction hose (not illustrated here) through which the dirt is led to the outside. A channel to spray cleaning liquid, such as pure water or soap like water is included in the connection  62 , through which a cleaning liquid is pumped into a sucking-sponge  66 , which is attached to the micro fibre cloth  54 . This tool in accordance with FIG. 5 and  6  is to clean smooth surfaces, in particular, suitable for windows and panels on which for example also greasy dirt can be found. This type of dirt is best treated by a cleaning liquid, which will be sprayed onto the surface and sucked by a sucking-sponge  66 .  
         [0081]    In FIGS. 7 and 8 a vacuum cleaner device with beating action  67  is illustrated, which has a brush like edge  68  around its sucking surface  70 . Dirt will flow through the hose  72 . To shake up the dirt from elastic cushions or also from the elastic wall panelling a knocking device  74  is integrated into the sucking-surface  70 . In order to be able to process also non-flat surfaces the tool  67  has an elastic body  76  with elastic edge  78 , that is surrounded by a brush edge  68  for maximally flush contact with a processed surface.  
         [0082]    An alternative type of vacuum tool head with beating or knocking device  14  is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The cleaning tool  14  distinguishes from the tool  67  in accordance with FIG. 7 and  8  through its form: The tool  14  has a basically circular sucking-surface  70 ′ with brush edge  68 ′ at the edge  78 ′ of his basic body  76 ′. The beating device  74 ′ has a circular shape. However, also this tool  14  connects via a connecting piece  72  to the soft suction hose (not shown here).  
         [0083]    The sucking-tool  80  in accordance with FIG. 11 and  12  is equipped to beat-up the dirt particles with a rotating brush  82 . The brush  82  mounted onto a rotating axes, which has sucking-slots  86  parallel to the axis. These slots connect to the suction hose via connecting piece  72 . In order not to whirl dirt particles uncontrolled into the environment of the interior of the car one part of the rotating brush  82  is covered by a dust cover  88 . The sucking-tool  80  is flexible mounted by means of a ball joint combination  90  to be moved into different directions.  
         [0084]    Finally another cleaning tool is illustrated in FIG. 13. This cleaning-tool  92  combines the process of blowing off dirt and sucking it and is in particular suitable to clean corners, into which for example the described sucking-tools  14 ,  14 ′,  67  and  80  do not reach. The blowing-sucking tool  92  has a blowing jet nozzle  94 , that leads to a brush wreath  98  from a pressure pipe  96  and with bristles in same direction—surrounds this. Thus the dirt particle which where whirled up caused by the air stream, which is streaming out the blowing nozzle  94  are sucked off through sucking-cabinet  100 .  
         [0085]    The blowing nozzle  94  of the tool  92  can alternatively also supply a wet vapour. In accordance with FIG. 14 this tool can then in particular also be used to clean the geometrical difficult car door fold  104 , especially at the door joints. There might be special cleaning solutions for these oily car parts, which are pumped to these locations through soft suction hose  102 .  
         [0086]    To protect the nearer environment of working tool  92  and to protect from dirt that still was not hold back through the brush edge  98 , a flexible shielding  106  can be useful in accordance with FIG. 15. This shielding  106  is made of a flexible inflatable wrapper, for example made from epoxy rubber or latex that can be inflated in the door area of the interior—represented for example as in FIG. 15 as the door filling—, where dirt particles are most likely not to be whirled. The shielding  106  are made up from a compound of pneumatically combined chambers with inner carrying and supporting-elements (not shown in the FIG.). These elements guarantee an intrinsic stability of the shielding also in the uninflated state and allow a most extremely flexible adaptation to any shape in the inflated state. The exact positioning and supply (with compressed air) occurs with a separated kind of robot arm or can be done by the cleaning robot arm, not further shown here.  
         [0087]    In FIG. 21 is illustrated that the motor driven robot arm  12  with the cleaning tool  14  is controlled from a programmable operation unit  122  that stands in electronic connection with at least one sensor  124 , as well as with at least one camera  126 . The software of the operation unit  122  will contain image recognition in order to define the car type and any changes of this. The sensors  124  and the cameras  126  characterize controlled with software the topography and the environment of the cleaning tool in order to recognize for example threatening collisions in time and to control the robot arm  12  correspondingly. The software can register the shape of the vehicle  4  before beginning of the cleaning program course so that the type and model of the vehicle  4  is recognize in order to control the movements of the robot arm  12  for the carrying out of the cleaning program.