CLEANING AND DISINFECTING MODULE FOR ROBOTIC CLEANER

Description

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning and disinfecting module configured for use in a robotic cleaner, and a method for cleaning using such a cleaning and disinfecting module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Controlled environments are crucial in various industries in which stringent cleanliness and/or sterility standards are established. Such standards must be complied with in order to ensure contaminants or impurities do not adversely affect manufacturing quality and in some cases to ensure that biological growths or contaminants do not compromise product or worker safety. Indeed, many facilities are regulated not only by private cleaning and sterility standards, but also by industry-accepted standards and/or governmentally enforced regulations.

In view of the foregoing, conventional cleaning tools and processes often require human operation and/or intervention as a precaution to more reliably ensure compliance or because cleaning materials are difficult to integrate into automated equipment. This is particularly true when cleaning requires frequent replacement of cleaning materials due to cleaning material degradation and/or soiling. However, manual cleaning processes are error-prone, as human imprecision and/or error can cause inconsistent application of a cleaning agent or solution onto a cleaning material being used to clean a surface. Moreover, manual cleaning requires a human to exercise judgment as to when a cleaning material needs to be rinsed or replaced, leading some portions of a surface to be cleaned more thoroughly than other portions. These types of inconsistencies are undesirable in environments where strict standards and/or regulations need to be followed. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved cleaning system or device and a method for cleaning that addresses the foregoing shortcomings of conventional solutions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a cleaning module, comprising a first cylindrical core, a second cylindrical core arranged in parallel to the first cylindrical core, and a cleaning material disposed between the first cylindrical core and the second cylindrical core, the cleaning material being adapted to unroll from the first cylindrical core and roll onto the second cylindrical core. The cleaning module further comprises a pressure tray arranged between the first and second cylindrical cores, the pressure tray being configured to apply a pressure against the cleaning material and thereby press the cleaning material against an exterior surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cleaning machine for manual or autonomous cleaning of a surface;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a cleaning module of the cleaning machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a lateral perspective view of the cleaning module of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cleaning tray of a cleaning module with cleaning rolls;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cleaning core without a cleaning material having a cylindrical center core with attached end caps;

FIG. 6 illustrates the cleaning core of FIG. 5 in an exploded view with detached end caps; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a cleaning core with a cleaning material rolled thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved cleaning machine, an improved cleaning roll for use within the cleaning machine, and an improved method for arranging and replacing cleaning rolls within a cleaning machine. In particular, a cleaning core is provided which can be used for both a feed roll and a take-up roll, thereby reducing system complexity, decreasing part count and manufacturing cost, increasing repairability and ease of maintenance, and ensuring a user-friendly cleaning roll replacement process. Cleaning rolls and modules are also described which ensure that a take-up roll with used or soiled cleaning materials can be contained within a clean and dry outer exterior, thereby preventing contaminants from escaping and making used cleaning rolls more pleasant and safe to handle.

The present disclosure also provides a cleaning module that maintains and consistent cleaning efficacy in a cleaning from start to finish. Whereas conventional mops are prone to releasing more liquid at the beginning of a cleaning operation than at an end of a cleaning operation, for example, the present disclosure provides a cleaning module for facilitating even release of cleaning agent throughout an entire cleaning operation and in compliance with strict cleaning standards for controlled environments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cleaning machine 100 for manual or autonomous cleaning of a surface. The cleaning machine 100 includes a plurality of sensors 102 for sensing the physical environment in which the cleaning machine 100 is operating. The sensors 102 can include cameras, radar, lidar, or the like. The sensors provide measurements by which the cleaning machine 100 can autonomously navigate within the environment, which can be an indoor or outdoor environment. In the case of an indoor environment, the cleaning machine 100 can be used for autonomously cleaning highly sensitive and/or controlled environments. For example, the cleaning machine 100 can be used in a clean room, in a pharmaceutical production facility, or other like environments in which stringent cleaning standards are maintained, due to quality control standards, industry standards, and/or governmental regulations. The cleaning machine 100 also includes one or more indicators 108 for indicating a status of the cleaning machine 100 and/or visually alerting nearby users of its operational status. The cleaning machine 100 includes a plurality of wheels 106 for movement, some or all of which can be motorized or otherwise actuated by a drive system. One or more cleaning brushes 110 or other cleaning accessories are attached to the cleaning machine in order to aid a cleaning procedure carried out by the cleaning machine 100. In the illustrated example, cleaning brushes 110 can sweep large debris for collection prior to a more sensitive or controlled cleaning procedure being carried out. This facilitates a multi-tiered cleaning process and ensure that debris above a particular size does not interfere with cleaning procedures that target smaller debris or contaminants. One or more handles 104 can be included by which a user can manually operate and/or move the cleaning machine 100.

The cleaning machine 100 also includes a cleaning module 200. The cleaning module 200 is configured to be modular such that it can be replaced with another cleaning module for maintenance, repair, or even for changing the functionality of the cleaning machine 100. For example, if one cleaning module 200 fails or requires maintenance, another identical cleaning module can be fitted to the cleaning machine 100, thereby allowing the cleaning machine 100 to carry out a cleaning operation without interruption. In another exemplary situation, the same cleaning machine 100 can be used for different cleaning operations. A surface may need to be cleaned with different cleaning materials and/or different cleaning solutions in a particular order, for instance. In such a circumstance, the cleaning machine 100 can carry out a first cleaning operating with a first cleaning module 200. Upon completion of the first cleaning operation, the first cleaning module 200 can be replaced with a different interchangeable cleaning module to facilitate carrying out a second cleaning operation. The cleaning module 200 thereby provides flexibility, ease of repair/maintenance, and customizability to a user of the cleaning machine 100. The cleaning module 200 includes vent openings 203 configured to facilitate airflow between the inside of the cleaning module 200 and the environment, thereby cooling components disposed therein, such as actuators, processors, and other mechanical and/or electrical components.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a cleaning module 200 of the cleaning machine 100 of FIG. 1. The cleaning module 200 includes a main housing 201 and a controller housing 202. The main housing 201 has openings 205 for providing airflow between the interior and exterior of the main housing 201 and for providing a visual sightline from outside the main housing 201 to components arranged therein. The controller housing 202 is arranged at an outer periphery (in the illustrated embodiment, at the top or upper periphery) of the cleaning module 200. The controller housing 202 is configured to support within it a controller electrically or wireless connected to sensors and actuators throughout the cleaning module 200. The controller includes a plurality of inputs and outputs, and further includes a processor configured to receive and process electrical signals. The processor is configured to execute certain functions, methods, or operations by, for example, executing code (e.g., interpreting scripts) stored in memory. The processor can be configured to perform automatically any and all functions, methods, and operations disclosed herein, and can be integrated to control any devices, mechanisms, and/or systems described herein. The controller can output control signals to various actuators and mechanisms in order to control functions of the cleaning module 200 and carry out a cleaning operation. The controller housing 202 also provides openings (e.g., via an open top and/or openings on side walls) through which the cleaning module 200 can be electrically connected to the cleaning machine 100. A communication interface may be included in the controller housing 202 to facilitate such a connection between the cleaning module 200 and the cleaning machine. This allows a controller of the controller of the cleaning module 200 to communicate and coordinate with a controller of the cleaning machine 100. The cleaning module 200 is configured to independently control systems and mechanisms housed therein, but can be configured to perform certain functions in response to a signal from the cleaning machine 100. For example, if an emergency stop is manually or automatically requested by the cleaning machine 100, the controller of the cleaning module 200 can cease operations based on receipt of an emergency stop signal. It is preferred that the cleaning module 200 have its own independent controller to preserve modularity of the cleaning machine 100 and allow various cleaning modules having various functions to be interchangeable with as little configuration to the cleaning machine itself as possible.

It will be readily appreciated that the controller housing 202 does not necessarily need to be arranged as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. For example, the controller housing 202 can be arranged on a lateral side or can at least partially be integrated within the main housing 201.

In the illustrated embodiment, an upper drawer 204 and a lower drawer 206 are configured to slide in and out of the main housing 201. The upper drawer 204 has an angled bottom surface 207 for supporting a plurality of cleaning solution receptacles 208 via which a cleaning agent/solution is applied to a cleaning material in the lower drawer 206. The angled bottom surface 207 not only facilitates secure placement of the receptacles 208 in the upper drawer 204, but also causes fluid within the receptacles to gravitate (i.e., to flow freely in response to gravitational force) toward an outlet of each respective receptacle 208. The cleaning agent/solution is carried by gravity and/or one or more pumps from the receptacles 208 to a pressure tray 216 via feed lines 214 connected to outlets of the receptacles 208. The feed lines 214 can be embodied as flexible hoses and/or rigid pipes. The lower drawer 206 includes cleaning rolls 210, 212 for supporting and controlling movement of a cleaning material underneath the pressure tray 216 (e.g., between the pressure tray 216 and an exterior floor surface being cleaned) during a cleaning operation.

Each receptacle 208 has vented lids 213 so that its internal pressure can remain consistent while liquid is dispensed from within the receptacle. Each receptacle 208 also has a handle at an uppermost end facing toward the top of the cleaning module 200, thereby providing a convenient means for a user to grab and carry a receptacle 208. The feed lines 214 can be attached directly to the receptacles 208 such that they can be removed together with a receptacle 208 when a user pulls a receptacle from the upper drawer 204. Alternatively, the feed lines 214 can be selectively attached and detached from the receptacles 208 when the receptacles 208 are removed from the upper drawer 204.

The lower drawer 206 also includes an angled drip tray 209 against which cleaning agent/solution from the feed lines 214 drips and/or flow before moving further toward a pressure tray (described hereafter in FIGS. 3 and 4) and eventually toward the a cleaning material. The angled drip tray 209 prevents splashing of droplets or fluid flow from the feed lines 214. Specifically, whereas such droplets or fluid flow may splash and scatter undesirably when contacting a flat surface orthogonally, the angled drip tray 209 provides a surface against which the cleaning solution droplets or fluid flow can adhere, thereby providing a more controlled movement of the cleaning solution downward from the feed lines toward a cleaning material.

FIG. 3 illustrates a lateral perspective view of the cleaning module 200 of FIG. 2. In particular, FIG. 3 illustrates a cleaning material 211 that extends between the cleaning rolls 210, 212 and underneath the pressure tray 216. The cleaning material 211 can be formed from a variety of materials, and can be understood as a functional equivalent of a mop. The cleaning material 211 can thus be understood as a mop roll, as the cleaning material 211 is rolled/unrolled between the cleaning rolls 210, 212, and functions as a mop by being dragged across an exterior surface. However, inasmuch as the cleaning material 211 can be unrolled and is described at times in the present disclosure based on its fully unrolled state, the terms “cleaning material” will be used herein to refer to the body of material that can form a mop roll.

In an exemplary embodiment the cleaning material 211 comprises a foam material that has no fibers. Such a material is described, for example, in US Patent Application No. 11,045,064, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. In other applications where cost is a higher priority, a thinner cleaning material or a more cost-effective fiber material can be used. In applications where a stronger scrubbing effect is required, the cleaning material can include polymers and/or a blend of materials to increase friction against an exterior surface being cleaned. The cleaning material 211 can be attached to a cylindrical core (described hereafter with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6) of each cleaning roll 210, 212. The attachment of the cleaning material 211 to the cores of the cleaning rolls 210, 212 can be accomplished by insertion tabs formed as part of the cleaning material 211 that are configured to be inserted into a corresponding slot found in each core. It will be readily appreciated that other attachment means which allow for selective attachment and detachment can also be used to secure the cleaning material 211 to the cores of each cleaning roll 210, 212. For example, hook and loop fasteners, snaps, clips, or the like can be used to attach a cleaning material to a core while still allowing them to be removed for future reuse.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the upper drawer 204 includes an angled bottom surface 207, which has a steeply angled extension 224. The angled extension provides a supporting structure for securing feed lines 214 and facilitates downward flow of fluid from the receptacles 208 toward the pressure tray 216. A peristaltic pump or other form of fluid flow control pump can be supported on the angled extension 224 or elsewhere on or in the upper drawer 204 to control fluid flow through the feed lines 214.

The pressure tray 216 is arranged at the lower end of the lower drawer 206 and of the cleaning module 200 generally. The pressure tray 216 is moved by an actuator 220, such as a servo motor, a motor connected via a driving belt, or the like. The actuator 220 exerts a torque on a pressure tray arm 222, thereby applying a pressure against the cleaning material 211 via the pressure tray 216 and thereby pressing the cleaning material 211 against an external surface that is being cleaned. In this manner, the pressure tray 216 can ensure a consistent application of pressure along the external surface throughout a cleaning operation. The cleaning rolls 210, 212 are also actuated to control movement of the cleaning material 211. One cleaning roll will feed the cleaning material 211 toward the pressure tray 216, while the other cleaning roll will take up the cleaning material 211 away from the pressure tray. In this manner, the cleaning rolls ensure that soiled portions of the cleaning material 211 are taken up and away from the cleaning tray 216 and a fresh or as of yet unused portion of the cleaning material 211 is consistently fed toward the cleaning area created by the pressure tray 216. This ensures that a cleaning operation can be carried out as consistently as possible over time and over a surface area of the external surface being cleaned. Controlled rolling and/or unrolling of the cleaning rolls 210, 212 can be carried out incrementally or constantly based on various controls and sensor inputs to ensure that a cleaning operation is carried out properly and consistently. In some embodiments, just one of the cleaning rolls can be actuated. For example, the cleaning roll functioning as the take-up roll of soiled cleaning material 211 can be actuated to pull the cleaning material 211 from the other cleaning roll and across the pressure tray 216.

One or more motors 207 are arranged in the cleaning module 200 to drive rotation of the cleaning rolls 210, 212. In the illustrated embodiment, a motor 207 is mounted to a wall of the lower drawer 206 and connected to the cleaning roll 210 by a drive belt 218. The drive belt 218 can be embodied as a frictional belt, a toothed belt, a chain, or the like. The motor 207 thereby controls the rate at which the cleaning material 211 is rolled onto cleaning roll 210. Although obscured from view in FIG. 3, a similar motor can also be included to drive the opposing cleaning roll 212 via a drive belt 219.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cleaning tray 400 with cleaning rolls 410, 420. The cleaning tray 400 can be arranged in a drawer (such as the lower drawer 206 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3) of a cleaning module, or can be arranged more directly in the main housing of a cleaning module. The cleaning tray 400 includes openings and/or slots for receiving the cleaning rolls 410, 420. In particular, each cleaning roll 410, 420 includes end caps 412, 414, 422, 424 on its opposing ends. The end caps 412, 414, 422, 424 provide protrusions that extend laterally relative to each cleaning roll 410, 420, by which protrusions the cleaning rolls 410, 420 can be secured in the cleaning tray 400. The cleaning rolls 410, 420 can be secured in the cleaning tray via through-holes or slots into which portions of the end caps 412, 414, 422, 424 are inserted. The cleaning rolls are thereby secured within the cleaning tray 400 but allowed to rotate within it to unroll or roll up the cleaning material 406. In the illustrated embodiment, end caps 412, 414, 422, 424 include drive flanges 415, 425 on laterally outermost ends. The drive flanges 415, 425 are configured for engagement with one or more mechanisms within a cleaning module in order to transmit a driving torque (e.g., from a drive motor or a transmission belt or mechanism driven by such a drive motor) to a respective cleaning roll 410, 420, thereby rolling or unrolling the cleaning material 406 therefrom.

The cleaning tray 400 also includes a pressure tray 402 arranged above the cleaning material 406 such that a portion of the cleaning material 406 between the cleaning rolls 410, 420 passes underneath the pressure tray 402 and between the pressure tray 402 and an exterior surface to be cleaned. The pressure tray 402 exerts pressure against the exterior surface through the cleaning material 406 in order to increase the cleaning efficacy of the cleaning material 406 as it is applied and/or dragged against the exterior surface. The pressure tray 402 also exerts a pressure against the cleaning material 406 to ensure that an optimal degree of tension is maintained in the cleaning material 406, thereby preventing the cleaning material 406 from wrinkling, creasing, folding, and/or sagging. By maintaining a proper tension of the cleaning material 406 between the cleaning rolls 410, 420, a consistent cleaning process can be ensured throughout a cleaning operation on all portions of the exterior surface passed over by the cleaning tray 400. Moreover, keeping a consistent tension in the cleaning material 406 ensures that precise prediction and control of the cleaning material feed rate can be carried out. If the tension in the cleaning material 406 is too low, the cleaning material 406 may be susceptible to debris or uneven surfaces that result in uneven frictional forces on different portions of the cleaning material during a cleaning operation, thereby reducing the consistency and overall efficacy of a cleaning operation. The pressure tray 402 also includes drip openings 404 through which a cleaning agent/solution is allowed to pass, thereby soaking the portion of the cleaning material pressed against the exterior surface. The pressure tray 402 can be configured as a trough such that a cleaning agent/solution dispensed into the pressure tray is built up within the internal volume of the pressure tray 402. This can be accomplished by forming the drip openings 404 to be small enough that a flow rate of fluid through the drip openings is less than a flow rate of fluid being added to the pressure tray 402. Once the pressure tray 402 has a sufficient volume of liquid, the flow rate of cleaning agent/solution into the pressure tray 402 can be reduced to maintain a fluid level in the pressure tray 402 rather than to increase it. In this manner, the drip openings 404 regulate the rate at which cleaning agent/solution is dispensed onto the cleaning material, and can do so evenly by virtue of their even spacing. This increases the reliability and consistency of a cleaning operation, as it eliminates the need for reliance on complex sensors and/or machinery in order to dose the cleaning material in a consistent manner.

In the illustrated embodiment, cleaning roll 410 (illustrated on the left-hand side) is a take-up roll and cleaning roll 420 (illustrated on the right-hand side) is a feed roll. From the perspective illustrated in FIG. 4, cleaning roll 410 rotates counter-clockwise such that the cleaning material 406 is unrolled from an underside of cleaning roll 420 toward an underside of the pressure tray 402, and cleaning roll 420 rotates clockwise in response such that the cleaning material 406 is pulled from underneath the pressure tray 402 toward an upper portion of cleaning roll 410, thereby rolling onto or being “taken up” by cleaning roll 410. By this arrangement of the cleaning rolls 410, 420, the pressure tray 402, and the respective rotational directions of the cleaning rolls 410, 420, a cleaning operation can be carried out such that a soiled side of the cleaning material 406 (e.g., the side facing downward toward the exterior surface being cleaned and away from the pressure tray 402) is always rolled up on a radial inside of the take-up roll. This ensures that once the cleaning material is completely rolled onto the take-up roll (e.g., cleaning roll 410), only an unsoiled surface is exposed on the take-up roll, thereby allowing a user to directly handle the take-up roll without having to touch (either directly or via protective equipment) a soiled surface of the cleaning material 406. In addition, this ensures that any debris captured by the cleaning material 206 is kept within the take-up roll, thereby containing potential contaminants while the take-up roll is being replaced or a cleaning machine is being moved.

In order to ensure a consistent cleaning operation in a controlled environment, the cleaning material 406 is preferably advanced in only one direction to maintain contamination control and removal. In the illustrated example, the cleaning tray 400 is configured to advance the cleaning material 406 from right to left (e.g., from the feed roll 420 to the take-up roll 410) while a cleaning machine in which the pressure tray 400 is arranged advances in the opposite direction (e.g., to the right) during a cleaning operation. Moreover, it has been found that by ensuring the cleaning material comes off the feed roll 420 from under the feed roll 420 toward the pressure tray 402, a proper tension and advancement rate of the cleaning material 406 can be maintained during a cleaning operation. This ensures that the cleaning material 406 maintains full, flat, and consistent contact with the exterior surface being cleaned via the pressure tray 402.

Furthermore, in order to ensure that the feed roll is properly oriented when first inserted into a cleaning tray 400, the cleaning material can include different patterns and/or indicators on either side of the cleaning material 406. For example, a visual pattern can be included on a side of the cleaning material 406 configured to contact the exterior surface and face radially inward on the take-up roll, or vice versa. In this manner, a user and/or an automated system using visual control systems can correctly orient the cleaning material 406 in the cleaning tray 400 and receive visual confirmation that a fully used cleaning roll has a relatively clean outward facing surface that can be touched or handled. In the illustrated example, if a visual pattern is included on the cleaning side of the cleaning material 406, a user can readily determine if both rolls 410, 420 and the cleaning material 406 are properly oriented by confirming that the pattern is visible on the feed roll 420, but is not visible anywhere else, when viewed from above. This visually confirms that the cleaning side, which would face radially outward on the feed roll 420 and then face away from the pressure tray 402 when passing under it, is situated to contact an exterior surface to be cleaned and to be taken-up on the take-up roll 410 in a radially inward-facing manner.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cleaning core 500 without a cleaning material. The cleaning core 500 includes a cylindrical center core 502 (also referred to as a center axle) that extends along an axial axis 508 and has an insertion slot 504. The cylindrical center core 502 includes an internal support structure 506 for providing structural rigidity while reducing material density, thereby reducing the weight and cost of the cylindrical center core 502. The internal support structure 506 can include a plurality of ribs as illustrated in FIG. 5. Alternatively, or in addition, the internal support structure 506 can include a honeycomb structure or an infill pattern in an additive manufacturing process.

Two end caps 510, 512 are attached to either axial side of the cylindrical center core 502. Each end cap 510, 512 includes a plurality of control flanges 514 that extend radially relative to the axial axis 508 and extend toward/from the cylindrical center core 502. The control flanges 514 are evenly spaced about a circumference of one axial side of the end caps 510, 512 and each include a chamfer 516 at a radially outer periphery. The chamfers 516 are configured to guide a cleaning material against a respective control flange 514 on which the chamfer 516 is arranged. The control flanges 514 gradually change in height (e.g., extension in an axial direction) in a radial direction from a radially inner end (e.g., adjacent to control ring 518) to a radially outer periphery. For example, the control flanges 514 can have a height of 7mm at the inner radial end adjacent the control ring 518 and a height of 9mm at the opposing radial end at the outermost radial periphery. The control flanges 514 apply a slight pressure on either lateral side of a cleaning material as it is rolled onto the cylindrical center core 502, thereby securing the cleaning material in place in a controlled and precise manner, and preventing the cleaning material from becoming unraveled. As a result, while the end caps 510, 512 are rotated to feed or take up the cleaning material, the control flanges 514 provide for more precisely controlled feeding and taking up of the cleaning material.

The end caps 510, 512 also each include a control ring 518 on a radially inward end of the control flanges 514. The control rings are arranged between an attachment point of the end caps 510, 512 to the cylindrical center core 502 and the control flanges 514. This arrangement ensures that a first layer of the cleaning material that is rolled onto a take-up roll can be precisely taken up and secured in the take-up roll. This is achieved by ensuring that the control ring 518 has a sufficient radial width to contain within it a thickness of the cleaning material, thereby providing a predictable and flat first roll layer of the cleaning material on the take-up roll. The control ring 518 is particularly effective in ensuring accurate monitoring of a cleaning material on a take-up roll, as small inconsistencies in cleaning material height in the first layer of a take-up roll can lead to significant deviations from expected roll thickness once several layers have been rolled onto the take-up roll. Such deviations reduce the efficacy of roll-height monitoring, as they cause correlations between a particular measured roll height and a remaining length of cleaning material to become inaccurate. Moreover, a carefully controlled and rolled first layer of the take-up roll ensures that the cleaning material is held in tension and dragged against an exterior surface that is being cleaned as consistently as possible across an entire width (e.g., an entire distance across the axial direction and parallel to axial axis 508) of a cleaning material. Because the control ring 518 is configured to contain a first rolled layer of the cleaning material, the cleaning ring 518 delimits a radially inner limit of the plurality of control flanges 514 on any particular end cap 510, 512, as subsequent roll layers are secured and controlled via the control flanges 514.

The end caps 510, 512 also each include drive flanges 520 by which a drive torque for rotating the cylindrical center core 502 can be transmitted from an external actuator.

FIG. 6 illustrates the cleaning core 500 of FIG. 5 in an exploded view with detached end caps 510, 512. The cylindrical center core 502 includes resilient snap-fit tabs 602 on opposing axial ends that serve to attach the cylindrical center core 502 to the end caps 510, 512. As shown in FIG. 6, the cylindrical center core 502 can be formed at least partially to form an I-beam or to have an I-shaped cross-section. This allows the cylindrical center core 502 to have increased strength and torque resistance and facilitates manufacturing. In the illustrated embodiment, each axial end of the cylindrical center core 502 includes two radially opposed resilient snap-fit tabs 602 so that they can pinched by a user in order to remove an end cap 510, 512 from the cylindrical center core 502. The tabs 602 include barbs with a chamfered edge configured to fit into corresponding attachment openings 604 of the end caps 510, 512. The resiliency of the tabs 602 not only enables them to be deflected by a user, but also allows the tabs to be deflected when the chamfered barbs are inserted into the attachment openings 604, which are arranged such that the barbs must be deflected slightly when initially inserted into the attachment openings, and then deflected back towards an initial position once the barbs are fully inserted through the attachment openings. The tabs 602 enable the end caps 510, 512 to be selectively attached and detached from the cylindrical center core 502. This provides a modular design by which end caps can be interchangeable, thereby decreasing the cost of repair and/or replacement when one part of a cleaning core 500 is damaged. This modular configuration allows disassembly of the cleaning core 500 such that a cleaning material rolled onto the cylindrical center core 502 can be removed for recycling. Furthermore, the modular configuration allows complete disassembly such that the cylindrical center core 502 and end caps 510, 512 can be individually and easily cleaned and reused as a feed roll or take-up roll in the future.

The cleaning core 500 of FIGS. 5 and 6 can be used in both a feed roll and a take-up roll. That is, identical cleaning cores 500 can be used for both the cleaning rolls 210, 212 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, or both the cleaning rolls 410, 420 of FIG. 4. The use of identical parts reduces system complexity and cost, increases product sustainability, and facilitates repair and/or maintenance by reducing the number of different parts in a cleaning machine and/or cleaning module. Moreover, the use of identical cleaning cores 500 for both a feed roll and a take-up roll provides for a simple cleaning roll replacement process.

In an exemplary cleaning roll replacement process, a first cleaning core 500 is arranged in a cleaning tray without a cleaning material to function as a take-up roll. A second cleaning core 500 with a cleaning material rolled thereon is arranged in the cleaning tray across from the take-up roll relative to a pressure tray to function as a feed roll. The cleaning material is then partially unrolled from the feed roll and attached to the take-up roll (e.g., by inserting an insertion flap at an end of the cleaning material into the insertion slot 504 of the cylindrical center core 502 of the take-up roll). A cleaning operation is carried out, over the course of which the cleaning material unrolls from the feed roll and is rolled onto or taken up by the take-up roll. Once the cleaning operation is complete, the cleaning material remaining on the feed roll is unrolled and detached from the feed roll (e.g., by removal of a second insertion flap from the insertion slot 504 of the cylindrical center core 502 of the feed roll), and then rolled around the take-up roll until it is entirely rolled thereon. The take-up roll is then extracted from the cleaning tray. The empty cleaning core 500 that formed the feed roll can then be extracted and re-arranged in the cleaning tray to occupy the position previously occupied by the extracted take-up roll. The re-arranged cleaning core 500 can thereby function as a take-up roll when a new feed roll is inserted into the cleaning tray, and the process can be repeated. In this manner, the cleaning cores are interchangeable such that a continuous cycle of cleaning operations can be completed without having to replace both cores. This increases the convenience for an end-user of a cleaning module, as cleaning operations can be carried out cyclically as long as clean feed rolls are in their possession. Moreover, this allows cleaning cores 500 to be reused. A used take-up roll can be collected for cleaning, and once the cleaning core 500 is fully cleaned, it can be re-used as the core for a new feed roll with freshly cleaned and/or brand new cleaning material.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cleaning core 700 with a cleaning material 702 rolled thereon. The cleaning core 700 includes end caps 510, 512 and further includes a cylindrical center core that is obstructed from view in FIG. 7 by the cleaning material 702. The illustrated embodiment generally illustrates a cleaning core 700 that is either unused and thus ready to be inserted into a cleaning tray and/or cleaning module, or that is used and has been extracted from a cleaning tray and/or cleaning module. In the case of a used cleaning roll, the side of the cleaning material 702 configured to touch an external surface during a cleaning operation (and thus the side of the cleaning material 702 that becomes soiled during the cleaning operation) is kept facing radially inward in the cleaning core 700. This allows a user to directly handle the exposed portions of the cleaning material 702 without being exposed to the soiled surface, and further ensures that any debris or contaminants are contained within unexposed internal layers of rolled cleaning core and between the end caps 510, 512.

In accordance with the foregoing, a method for cleaning surface can include providing a first cylindrical core for a first cleaning roll with a cleaning material rolled onto it. A second cylindrical core without a cleaning material is also provided. The first and second cylindrical core are provided in a cleaning tray of a cleaning module for a cleaning machine. The cleaning material is then partially unrolled and secured to the second cylindrical core. The first and/or second cylindrical core are rotated by a motor, either directly or via drive belts or the like, thereby gradually unrolling the cleaning material from the first cylindrical core while simultaneously rolling the cleaning material onto the second cylindrical core. A pressure is applied against a portion of the cleaning material extending between the first and second cylindrical cores by a pressure tray, which also thereby presses the cleaning material against an external surface that is to be cleaned. The cleaning material is dosed with a cleaning solution via the pressure tray. The cleaning solution can be dispensed from one or more receptacles arranged in a cleaning module via an outlet of the receptacles to one or more feed lines, then to an angled tray, then to the pressure tray, then through a plurality of drip openings of the pressure tray to the cleaning material. The dosed cleaning material is then dragged against the external surface in order to apply the cleaning solution to it and to remove debris from the external surface. The cleaning material is gradually and continuously or periodically moved from the first cylindrical core to the second cylindrical core over the course of a cleaning operation.

When the cleaning operation is complete (e.g., an entire surface requiring cleaning has been cleaned) or when a portion of the cleaning material usable for cleaning has been moved past the pressure tray toward the second cylindrical core, a wrap-up process is initiated. In the wrap-up process, pressure is no longer applied to the external surface via the pressure tray and no more cleaning solution is dispensed to dose the cleaning material. This allows a remaining portion of the cleaning material to be dry and unsoiled. This dry and unsoiled remainder of the cleaning material is then rolled onto the second cylindrical core (e.g., by motorized rotation of the first and/or second cylindrical core) such that the cleaning material detaches from the first cylindrical core and is rolled entirely on the second cylindrical core. The remaining portion of the cleaning material that is dry and unsoiled is configured to be at least long and wide enough to fully cover an external circumference of a completely rolled cleaning material on the second cylindrical core. This ensures that a user that manually handles the cleaning material rolled onto the second cylindrical core does not have to directly contact a wet or contaminated cleaning material. The second cylindrical core and cleaning material are removed from a cleaning tray of a cleaning module and the first cylindrical core (which is now detached from the cleaning material and is in an “empty” state) is moved from its initial position to the position previously occupied by the second cylindrical core. Because the first and second cylindrical cores are identical, the entire process can be repeated (either immediately or in a future cleaning operation) with the first cylindrical core now performing the function of the second cylindrical core. A new cleaning roll (e.g., a third cylindrical core with a fresh cleaning material rolled onto it) can be inserted in the cleaning tray or cleaning module to perform another cleaning operation.

It is advantageous if the entirety of the entirety of the cleaning material is rolled onto the second cylindrical core such that a surface of the cleaning material that contacts the external surface being cleaned faces radially inward on the second cylindrical core. This ensures that a used surface of the cleaning material is always contained on inner layers/sides of the roll on the second cylindrical core.

Various control operations described above can be carried out by a controller configured to control various actuators. For example, a controller can be used to send drive signals to a motor that rotates the first and/or second cylindrical cores to move the cleaning material between them. The controller can also send control signals to a pump, such as a peristaltic pump, to drive flow of cleaning solution from receptacles to the pressure tray.

A sensor can also be used to measure the height of a cleaning material rolled on the first and/or second cylindrical core. For example, a laser distance sensor can be used to determine the height of the cleaning material roll on either core. A signal indicative of the measured height can be transmitted to the controller, which can then operate the pump or the core drive motors based on the measured height. For example, if the measured roll height is too large on the first cylindrical core at a given moment during a cleaning operation, the controller can drive rotation of the cores in order unroll the cleaning material from the first cylindrical core. In another example, the roll height can be used to determine when periodic rolling/unrolling of the cleaning material should be executed, or to determine how much of the cleaning material is actually being moved for given core motor rotation cycles and/or durations. The height of the roll can also be used by the controller as an indication of when to execute new control algorithms. For example, if the height of the roll is measured and determined by the controller to correspond to a height at which only a final and reserved portion of the cleaning material remains on the first cleaning roll, the controller can cease dosing and pressure tray actuation and execute an algorithm for wrapping up the remainder of the cleaning material on the second roll in preparation for its extraction by a user. The measured height of a cleaning material on a roll can also correlate to the distance traveled by a cleaning machine during a cleaning operation. As such, the measured height can be used by the controller as a primary or secondary basis for determining how much surface area has been cleaned or how much surface area remains to be cleaned in a cleaning operation, and the cleaning machine can be controlled (e.g., advanced or stopped via controlled movement of its wheels) based on the height-based distance determination.

In an embodiment, a cleaning module according to the present disclosure includes weight sensors and/or optical sensors for monitoring fluid levels of receptacles within the module. Such weight sensors and/or optical sensors would also be configured to transmit signals indicative of receptacle fluid levels to the controller. The controller can thereby determine whether sufficient fluid is included in one or more of the receptacles to carry out a cleaning operation, or to determine an estimated cleaning surface area, cleaning time, or cleaning operation cycle count remaining based on the sensor signals. Determinations made by the controller in this regard can be transmitted by the controller to a display on the cleaning module, on a cleaning machine in which the module is arranged, or transmitted wirelessly to an external server and/or device. Flow rate sensors can also be arranged at or near the outlet of the receptacles and/or the feed lines of the receptacles to monitor the flow rate of fluid being dispensed from each receptacle to the pressure tray of a module. The flow rate sensors can be configured to transmit signals indicative of measured flow rates to the controller. The controller can thereby determine whether flow rates are being maintained within acceptable tolerances based on cleaning requirements. Moreover, the controller can be configured to output signals for controlling peristaltic pumps for pumping fluid from the receptacles, and the output signals for controlling the peristaltic pumps can be modified by the controller based on the measured flow rates to ensure that any changes in flow rate can be compensated for, thereby ensuring as precise and consistent a cleaning operation as possible.

In an embodiment, various sensor measurements such as those described above can be monitored together and/or with other sensors of the cleaning machine to form a more complete and accurate picture of how consistently a cleaning operation is being carried out. For example, the sensors can act as redundancies to one another in the case of temporary anomalous sensor readings or in the case of sensor failure. In a more specific example, if a cleaning machine includes rotary encoders for its wheels or other means for determining the distance traveled by the cleaning machine during a cleaning operation, the measured roll height can be used to determine whether the calculations of distance traveled are accurate within expected tolerances of correlation with roll height. If any one type of sensor data appears outside of expected tolerances for a cleaning operation, the cleaning operation can be flagged. The controller can output a signal for providing an audial or visual warning or message to a user regarding anomalous readings or more generally regarding a failed cleaning operation and/or the need to repeat a cleaning operation. The various sensor measurements recorded over time or over individual cleaning operations can be stored in a database to determine expected sensor values for a particular facility or type of cleaning operation, thereby providing parameters for more effectively ensuring that future cleaning operations are carried out consistently and properly.

By experiment, it has been determined that a cleaning operation is most effective utilizing the foregoing systems, methods, and devices if a preparation operation is carried out in the initial stages of a cleaning operation. In a preparation stage, which represents the first time period in a cleaning operation in which cleaning material is dosed with cleaning solution and the external surface is being cleaned, a plurality of dosages are applied to the cleaning material and allowed to soak for one or more predetermined time durations before initial surface cleaning is carried out. This is beneficial because the cleaning material is initially dry, so additional time is required for proper soakage of the cleaning solution dose into the cleaning material.

Once the preparation stage is complete, a continuous dosing stage of the cleaning operation is carried out. This is possible because the preparation stage provides a cleaning material that is now partially dosed and thus is not so dry at to require a waiting time to be sufficiently soaked to carry out cleaning. It has been found that continuous dosing of the cleaning material can be carried out while incrementally moving the cleaning material between cores at a consistent rate based on distance cleaned/covered during the cleaning operation. For example, continuous dosing can be carried out by incrementing movement of the cleaning material between the cores once a certain surface area of the external surface has been cleaned (which can be determined by measuring distance traveled of the cleaning machine, or by comparing a position of the cleaning machine at different points in time based on cleaning machine sensor data). Experiments show that a foam cleaning material implemented together with a 6-inch pressure tray (e.g., 6 inches in a direction extending between the cores) can be incremented 3 inches for every 400 square feet of surface cleaned by the foam cleaning material. This means that once it is detected that 400 square feet of surface has been cleaned, the cleaning material is immediately incremented by 3 inches. In this manner, any given part of cleaning material is utilized for at most 800 square feet of cleaning (because it will be used during two increments under the 6-inch pressure plate). It has also been determined by experiment that a continuous cleaning solution dosage of 50 ml can be used over a 25 second time duration.

It will be readily appreciated that deviations from the methods described above can be implemented without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, cleaning material can be incremented more granularly than 3 inches, and can also be continuously or pseud-continuously incremented throughout continuous dosing. Moreover, a of the dimensions of the pressure tray may necessitate modification of the incrementing processes described above (e.g., by increasing the incrementing distance for an increased pressure tray size) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and “at least one” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of the term “at least one” followed by a list of one or more items (for example, “at least one of A and B”) is to be construed to mean one item selected from the listed items (A or B) or any combination of two or more of the listed items (A and B), unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.