Patent ID: 7682461

Claim:
A working method for a cleaning device ( 2 ) that moves back and forth in a swimming pool ( 1 ), with a drive mechanism that can be switched to forward or backward travel and that is actively connected to drive wheels or drive tracks, with a motor being provided for each of a left-hand side and a right-hand side part of the drive mechanism, respectively, and with a control apparatus to control the drive mechanism, and contact means arranged at the front and rear to generate control signals in the event that the cleaning device ( 2 ) runs up to a swimming pool wall ( 3 ) or an obstacle, wherein the control apparatus comprises a speed control unit for each part of the drive mechanism and means to differentially control the speed of both of the motors, and wherein the cleaning device comprises means at both parts of the drive mechanism to measure the distances traversed during travel, characterized in that the control apparatus controls the cleaning device ( 2 ) in such a way that the cleaning device ( 2 ) moves at a low speed in a forward direction V in a first pass in a first cleaning path ( 4 ) from a starting position until it runs up to a pool wall ( 3 ), wherein the distance D 1 traversed along the first cleaning path is measured or determined, the cleaning device ( 2 ) is then initially guided at a low speed to a second cleaning path ( 5 ) deviating from or offset relative to the first cleaning path ( 4 ) whereupon in a second pass the cleaning device moves in a backward direction along the second cleaning path ( 5 ) at a high speed until the distance Dz traversed is smaller by an amount A than the distance D 1 traversed in the previous pass, upon reaching distance Dz the cleaning device ( 2 ) continues to move along the second cleaning path ( 5 ) at low speed until it runs up to a swimming pool wall ( 3 ), wherein the distance D 2 traversed along the second cleaning path is measured or determined, and the cleaning device ( 2 ) is controlled in the same manner in each subsequent pass as in the previous pass.