WO2019037980A1

WO2019037980A1 - A portable cleaning device

Info

Publication number: WO2019037980A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/069814
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hanife Eda ARSLAN; Yusuf Koc; Koray ERDOGAN; Sedat TOKGOZ; Onder Balioglu; Nilufer CAKMAKCI; Senol Cavusoglu
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2017-08-23
Filing date: 2018-07-20
Publication date: 2019-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-23
Also published as: TR201712570A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable cleaning device (1) that is used for locally cleaning the dirt on a textile item by means of mechanical force such as pressure, vibration, etc., comprising at least one motor (2); a generator (3) that is driven by the motor (2) and that generates the mechanical force providing the mechanical cleaning; a control unit (4) that controls the operational status of the motor (2), and a cleaning tip (5) that is moved on the textile item and that enables the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) to be transferred onto the textile item.

Description

A PORTABLE CLEANING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a portable cleaning device that enables local dirt and stains on fabrics to be removed.

Today, there is an increasing demand for portable cleaning devices that enable dirt and stains on the laundry to be quickly and easily removed by means of a local cleaning process. Portable cleaning devices can be vibrating cleaning devices that apply vibration to the textiles, or liquid jet cleaning devices that enable the stains to be removed by means of pressurized air and/or pressurized water. The local cleaning process is realized by applying a cleaning agent such as detergent, bleach, etc. onto the dirty/stained area and moving the portable cleaning device on the dirt/stain. The dirt and stains on the textiles can be effectively removed by means of the chemical effect of the cleaning agent and mechanical effects such as vibration and pressure created by the portable cleaning device. The type and amount of the cleaning agent used is critical in the cleaning process. However, since the type and amount of the cleaning agent are determined by the user, the cleaning performance varies. Moreover, in case the type and amount of the cleaning agent are not properly determined and the physical characteristics of the textile to be cleaned are not suitable for strong mechanical processes, problems such as the wearing down of the textile and the fading of its color may arise.

In the state of the art United States Patent Document No. US7478455, a portable cleaning device is disclosed, wherein liquid jets are used.

In the state of the art European Patent Application Document No. EP1056830, a portable cleaning device is disclosed, enabling the stains in the textiles to be eliminated by means of ultrasonic vibrations.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a portable cleaning device that is prevented from causing damage on the textiles.

The portable cleaning device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, enables dirt and stains on textiles to be removed by means of a mechanical effect such as pressurized water-air, high-frequency vibration, etc., and comprises a generator such as jet pump, vibration generator, etc. that is driven by a motor and that provides the mechanical effect used for cleaning the dirt on the textile, and a control unit that enables at least one operational parameter of the motor to be changed according to at least one datum such as conductivity, color, etc. received from the cleaning region by means of at least one sensor. The mechanical effect provided by the generator is transferred onto the textile by means of a cleaning tip moved over the region of the textile to be cleaned. The sensor is positioned in the vicinity of the cleaning tip and receives data from the cleaning environment during the cleaning process. Thus, changes in the cleaning environment such as the decreasing of the height of the cleaning liquid, the cleaning of a region in a different color of the textile, etc. during the cleaning process are instantaneously monitored, and the control unit changes at least one operational parameter of the motor according to the data provided by the sensor. Thereby, the motor is operated in at least two different modes, namely a second mode that enables the application of a high mechanical force on the textile and a first mode wherein the mechanical force applied on the textile is lower than the one in the second mode. Consequently, the mechanical effect provided by the generator is applied onto the cleaning region in a controlled manner and the textile is prevented from being damaged.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor measures the conductivity of the cleaning liquid applied on the region to be cleaned. According to the conductivity value received by means of the sensor, the control unit determines the detergent concentration in the cleaning liquid and decides on the suitable mode to be activated. Thus, the control unit activates the first mode if the detergent concentration is determined to be high, and activates the second mode if the detergent concentration is determined to be low. Consequently, the cleaning efficiency is improved.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor measures the conductivity of the textile that is made wet. Thus, the control unit compares the conductivity value of the wet textile with the conductivity values prerecorded in the memory thereof and determines the type of the textile to be cleaned. Consequently, in case the textile is determined to be of a type that requires sensitive cleaning, the motor is operated in the first mode.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor detects the height of the cleaning liquid applied onto the region to be cleaned, and the control unit determines the suitable mode for operating the motor according to the height of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning region. Thus, in case the textile is not sufficiently wetted, the motor is operated in the second mode so as to increase the mechanical effect applied onto the textile.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor provides the detection of the color of the textile, and the control unit determines the suitable operating mode according to the color of the textile. By means of this embodiment, in case the color of the textile is white or the textile is light-colored, the motor is operated in the second mode, and the white and light-colored laundry is enabled to be efficiently cleaned by means of the high mechanical effect.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit changes the power supplied to the motor in different modes so as to change the drive speed of the generator. Thus, the intensity of the mechanical force generated by the generator can be easily adjusted.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit limits the continuous operation time of the motor in the first mode. Thus, the total mechanical force acting on the textile in the first mode is decreased such that the textile is prevented from being damaged.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the portable cleaning device is a vibrating cleaning device, and the generator is an ultrasonic transducer. In this embodiment, the stains are removed by means of the ultrasonic vibrations applied thereon by the cleaning tip.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the portable cleaning device is an air-water jet cleaning device, and the generator is a liquid jet generator. Thus, the stains are removed by means of the high-pressure water and/or air applied thereon.

By means of the present invention, the cleaning process is realized in a safe manner and the textile is prevented from being damaged.

The portable cleaning device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the schematic view of the portable cleaning device related to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 - is the view of the cleaning tip and the sensor related to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 - is the perspective view of the portable cleaning device related to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 - is the partial view of the portable cleaning device related to another embodiment of the present invention.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Portable cleaning device
Motor
Generator
Control unit
Cleaning tip
Sensor
Warning means

The portable cleaning device (1), that is used for regionally cleaning the dirt on the textile by means of a mechanical force such as pressure, vibration, etc., comprises at least one motor (2) at least one generator (3) that is driven by the motor (2) and that generates the mechanical force providing the mechanical cleaning; a control unit (4) that controls the operational status of the motor (2), and a cleaning tip (5) that is moved on the textile and that enable the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) to be transferred onto the textile. The generator (3) driven by the motor (2) provides the generation of the mechanical force providing the removal of the dirt, and can be of various types such as a vibration generator generating vibrations, an air/water jet generator providing pressurized liquid flow, etc. The mechanical effect generated by the generator (3) such as pressurized liquid jet, vibration, etc. that provides the cleaning of the dirt on the textile is directed onto the dirty region by means of the cleaning tip (5).

The portable cleaning device (1) of the present invention comprises at least one sensor (6) that is positioned in the vicinity of the cleaning tip (5) so as to receive data from the cleaning environment and that provides the determination of at least one physical or chemical characteristic of the textile or the cleaning liquid applied onto the textile, the portable cleaning device (1) further comprising the control unit (4) that, by changing at least one operational parameter of the motor (2), enables the motor (2) to be operated in at least two different modes, namely a first mode wherein the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) is relatively small and a second mode wherein the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) is relatively higher. The control unit (4) compares the data received from the cleaning region by the sensor (6) with the data prerecorded in the memory thereof and determines the type of the textile or of the cleaning liquid used for the chemical cleaning of the textile, thus deciding on the sensitivity of the mechanical cleaning process. In case it is detected that the cleaning liquid has a low chemical effect or the type of the laundry requires heavy cleaning, the control unit (4) enables the motor (2) to be operated in the second mode such that the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) is higher. In case it is detected that the cleaning liquid has a high chemical effect or the type of the laundry is susceptible to wearing down, the control unit (4) enables the motor (2) to be operated in the first mode where at least one operational parameter of the motor (2) is changed relative to the second mode, and thus the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) driven by the motor (2) is decreased. Thus, the mechanical force applied onto the textile is decreased such that the textile is enabled to be cleaned in a sensitive manner and prevented from being damaged. Consequently, the portable cleaning device (1) is enabled to be operated in a manner suitable to different conditions in the cleaning region, and the usage errors are minimized, providing an easy and safe partial cleaning process.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor (6) is a conductivity sensor that detects the conductivity of the cleaning liquid applied onto the textile. By means of the sensor (6) that is a conductivity sensor, the control unit (4) receives conductivity data from the cleaning liquid on the cleaning region and determines the type of the cleaning liquid by comparing said data with the conductivity values prerecorded in the memory thereof. Thus, the operating mode of the motor (2) is determined according to the type of the cleaning liquid used and the textile is enabled to be cleaned properly.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (4) operates the motor (2) in the first mode if the sensor (6) detects that the conductivity of the cleaning liquid is almost equal to or lower than 1 mS/cm. If the conductivity value of the cleaning liquid is detected to be around or lower than 1 mS/cm, the control unit (4) decides that the cleaning liquid contains bleach and enables the motor (2) to be operated in the first mode. Thus, in case the cleaning liquid is highly abrasive, lower mechanical force is enabled to act onto the textile and the laundry is prevented from wearing down.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the sensor (6) is a conductivity sensor that detects the conductivity of the wet textile so as to determine the electrical resistance of the wet textile. Textiles generally do not have a distinguishable conductivity value when dry and show, when wet, varying different conductivity characteristics according to the fiber type thanks to the polarity of water molecules. The electrical resistance of the wet textile is detected by means of the sensor (6), and the control unit (4) compares the detected resistance with the resistance values prerecorded in the memory thereof and determines the type of the textile. Thus, in case it is detected that the textile has a high conductivity value when wet, for example the textile is cotton or synthetic, the motor (2) is operated in the second mode. In case it is detected that the textile has a low conductivity value, for example the textile is cotton, the motor (2) is operated in the first mode and the textile is prevented from being subjected to deformations such as shrinkage, pilling, etc. during the cleaning process.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the sensor (6) is a level sensor that detects the height of the cleaning liquid applied onto the textile. In case the textile is cleaned by being submerged in the cleaning liquid in a vessel, the control unit (4) decides on the operating mode of the motor (2) according to the height of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning region that is detected by the sensor (6). Thus, problems such as the cleaning liquid splashing and reaching parts of the textile other than the cleaning region due to the excessive height of the cleaning liquid or such as erroneous detection of the type of the cleaning liquid due to the insufficient height thereof are prevented.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (4) operates the motor (2) in the second mode if the sensor (6) detects that the height of the cleaning liquid is lower than a first critical height value. If the sensor (6) detects that the height of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning region is very low, the control unit (4) operates the motor (2) in the second mode, thus enabling a powerful mechanical cleaning to be performed on the textile. Thus, in case the dirt on the textile cannot be sufficiently softened due to insufficient cleaning liquid, a higher level of mechanical force is enabled to be applied onto the textile and the laundry is prevented from remaining stained.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (4) stops the motor (2) if the sensor (6) detects that the height of the cleaning liquid is higher than a second critical height value. If the sensor (6) detects that the level of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning region is excessively high, the control unit (4) does not operate the motor (2) and enables the user to be warned by means of an audio/visual warning means (7) on the portable cleaning device (1). Thus, in case the concentration of the cleaning agent excessively decreases due to excessive dampening of the cleaning region, the cleaning process is not performed and feedback is given to the user.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the sensor (6) is an optical sensor that detects the color of the textile. By means of the sensor (6) that is an optical sensor, the control unit (4) detects the color of the textile and decides on the operating mode of the motor (2). Upon determining that the textile is white or light-colored according to the data received from the sensor (6), the control unit (4) enables the motor (2) to be operated in the second mode. In case the textile is determined to be dark-colored, the motor (2) is operated in the first mode and thus, applying a higher level of mechanical force onto dark-colored textiles is prevented, eliminating the risk of discoloring.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (4) enables the motor (2) to be operated in the first mode with a lower power compared to the second mode. The control unit (4) enables the power parameter of the motor (2) to be changed in different modes. In a preferred version of this embodiment, the motor (2) is operated at 5W in the first mode and at 12 W in the second mode. Thus, in proportion to the varying power of the motor (2), the generator (3) is driven at varying speeds and the magnitude of the mechanical effect provided by the generator (3), for example the frequency of the vibration or the pressure of the liquid jet can be adjusted. Consequently, the mechanical force provided by the generator can be adjusted in a simple and precise manner.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (4) provides that the motor (2) is operated for a predetermined critical time period in the first mode and then stopped. By changing the maximum operating time parameter of the motor (2) in different modes, the control unit (4) enables the total mechanical force applied onto the textile to be adjusted. Thus, the total mechanical effect acting on the textile in different modes can be increased or decreased and delicate textiles are prevented from being subjected to mechanical effect for a long time and from being worn down.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the generator (3) is a vibration generator. In this embodiment, the portable cleaning device (1) is a vibrating cleaning device that enables the stains on the textiles to be removed with vibration, and the generator (3) is a vibration generator that generates high-frequency vibrations.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the generator (3) is an air and/or water jet generator. In this embodiment, the portable cleaning device (1) is a liquid jet cleaning device that enables the stains on the textiles to be removed with high-pressure air and water jet, and the high-pressure air jet and liquid jet provided by the air jet generator (3) and the liquid jet generator (3) respectively are applied on the textile by means of the cleaning tip (Figure 2).

By means of the present invention, a portable cleaning device (1) is realized, wherein the mechanical force to be applied onto the textile is automatically determined depending on the conditions of the cleaning environment. Thus, the partial cleaning process is enabled to be always performed in ideal conditions, providing ease of use and increasing customer satisfaction.

Claims

A portable cleaning device (1), that is used for regionally cleaning the dirt on the textile by means of a mechanical force such as pressure, vibration, etc., comprising at least one motor (2); at least one generator (3) that is driven by the motor (2) and that generates the mechanical force providing the mechanical cleaning; a control unit (4) that controls the operational status of the motor (2), and a cleaning tip (5) that is moved on the textile and that enable the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) to be transferred onto the textile, characterized by

- at least one sensor (6) that is positioned in the vicinity of the cleaning tip (5) so as to receive data from the cleaning environment and that provides the determination of at least one physical or chemical characteristic of the textile or the cleaning liquid applied onto the textile, and

- the control unit (4) that, by changing at least one operational parameter of the motor (2), enables the motor (2) to be operated in at least two different modes, namely a first mode wherein the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) is relatively small and a second mode wherein the mechanical force generated by the generator (3) is relatively higher.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the sensor (6) that is a conductivity sensor that detects the conductivity of the cleaning liquid applied onto the textile.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the control unit (4) that operates the motor (2) in the first mode if the sensor (6) detects that the conductivity of the cleaning liquid is almost equal to or lower than 1 mS/cm.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the sensor (6) that is a conductivity sensor that detects the conductivity of the wet textile so as to determine the electrical resistance of the wet textile.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the sensor (6) that is a level sensor that detects the height of the cleaning liquid applied onto the textile.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by the control unit (4) that operates the motor (2) in the second mode if the sensor (6) detects that the height of the cleaning liquid is lower than a first critical height value.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in Claim 5 or Claim 6, characterized by the control unit (4) that stops the motor (2) if the sensor (6) detects that the height of the cleaning liquid is higher than a second critical height value.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the sensor (6) that is an optical sensor that detects the color of the textile.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the control unit (4) that enables the motor (2) to be operated in the first mode with a lower power compared to the second mode.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the control unit (4) that provides that the motor (2) is operated for a predetermined critical time period in the first mode and then stopped.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the generator (3) that is a vibration generator.
A portable cleaning device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the generator (3) that is an air and/or water jet generator.