The present invention relates to cleaning machine, comprising
a cylindrical outer body provided with an excentric driving device provided within said cylinder for excentric driving of the cylinder by a battery-operated electric motor, further a band- formed adhering means for adhering dust and other soil particles provided to be continuously fed to and from the outer surface of the outer body via a feed means arranged within the cylinder.

Known art related to this area comprises JP 10262881 A, Aikawa Kimiwaka disclosing a ball with outer tack means for adhering dust etc when driven by an excentrically arranged driving means driven by a battery - operated electrical motor. Furthermore US 6343397 B1 relates to a cylindrical cleaning machine with a feed- and removably arranged tack paper, which is substantially as wide as the length of the cylinder. The driving is manual. Both of these machines provide a very limited function. The object of the present invention is thus to create a cleaning machine of the type mentioned introductorily, that is economic when used and that is functionally flexible. According to the invention such a cleaning machine is primarily characteri - sed in that the cylindrical outer body is provided with a first and a second circumferential opening for feeding from and to of the tack means, provided at a distance from each other in the axial extension of the outer body, whereas the width of the tack means is substantially minor to said distance.

Within the scope of the invention there are many embodiments, that may be combined according to choice. Thus the adhering means may be provided for pulsing roll- off extraction and releasing from a storage roll. Furthermore the cleaning machine may be provided with sensing means for controlling the force, that loads a spring means, which controls the rolling in of the adhering means. The force to the spring means is transferred by a pendulum movement, achieved by an excentric axis. The loading and storage of the spring force is made in the same way as at a clock with spring for winding. The adhering means may consist of a finite band for adhering dust and soil particles by tacking, alternatively static electric adhesion.

In one advantageous embodiment the band is provided with a tacking adhesion by double folding of these. Thus ordinary, relatively wide tape, that is double folded along the edges when rolled off. The band may be provided with elongated fibre reinforcement in order to eliminate the risk for breakage. In order to prevent the band, running along a spiral path along the cylindrical outer body, to change direction laterally, it is suitable to arrange guide means such as ground recesses. The cylindrical outer body is provided with guide means, like recesses, preventing the band from changing direction laterally.

In order to enable controlling of the cleaning machine, it is suitable that the radius of at least one segment of the cylindrical outer body may be increased in relationship to the radius of the rest of the cylindrical outer surface.

As an alternative or complement to tacking adhesion the cleaning machine may be provided with means for loading with static electricity when moving, a brush or the like. The means may be provided to act upon, that is to say rub the inside of the outer body during the movement of the cleaning machine.

For loading of the battery there is a loading unit belonging to the cleaning machine. This is provided with means for coupling with corresponding means at the cleaning machine for loading current transfer. Per se this coupling may of course be performed manually, but it is also possible to provide the loading unit with means for automatic catching and coupling when the cleaning machine is within the action area of said means. The loading goes on until an indicator shows, that the loading has reached an upper limit.

The cleaning machine may be provided with more or less advanced electric or electronic devices for controlling of its functions. In its simplest form these devices consist of a switch for starting of the movement of the cleaning machine.

The cleaning machine may also be provided with a device for controlling the time for start/stop. In one advantageous embodiment it is provided with a means arranged to turn the poles of the feed current to the drive motor in order to exchange the moving direction of the cleaning machine at an obstacle/stop. It is an advantage, if the driving device of the cleaning machine is provided to drive the cleaning machine at varying speeds. In this design, it is possible to provide the cleaning machine with means for controlling a start sequence electronically, that is to say to make the driving device give the cleaning machine, during a first period when changing the movement direction of the cleaning machine, a higher speed as compared to the regular speed which is an advantage. In one further advantageous embodiment the cleaning machine comprises a means for sensing the distance to an obstacle, and arranged to reduce the speed of the cleaning machine in the vicinity of the obstacle. Hereby impacts against furniture are avoided. Furthermore disturbing noise is eliminated.

In more advanced embodiments the cleaning machine is provided with a computer with a programmable memory, which may be programmed with instructions for the activity of the cleaning machine. In one advantageous embodiment the cleaning machine is provided with means for coordinate determination, that is to say for determination of the position of the cleaning machine within the working area in question, whereas the memory of the computer is programmed with the coordinates for same in at least two dimensions, whereas it is provided to avoid programmed obstacles or already passed areas. The position determination may be carried out in different ways, e g be providing the cleaning machine with sensors for distance determination, measuring the distance to reference elements located within the working area according to known technique.

The transfer of said instructions to the programmable memory may be carried out in different ways. Per se it would be possible to provide the cleaning machine with a set of buttons for direct programming, but this requires a design, that may be cumbersome and impractical.

The transfer of said instructions from the control unit may be carried out via a line, connectable to the cleaning machine, or in that the control unit and the cleaning machine are provided with a transmitter and a receive, whereas the transfer of said instruction is performed wirelessly.

The invention is disclosed more in detail in the following, reference being made to the enclosed schematic figures, of which:

• Figure 1 shows a side view of a cleaning machine according to the invention,
• Figure 2 shows, in perspective, the object of figure 1,
• Figure 3 shows an end view of a cross section (in part) of the object of figure 1,
• Figure 4 shows the idea of a cross section of the object of figure 1,
• Figure 5 shows the idea of a cross section of an alternative embodiment of a cleaning machine according to the invention, whilst
• Figure 6 shows the idea of a cross section of a second alternative embodiment of a cleaning machine according to the invention.

A circular cylindrical outer body or mantle is marked by 1, provided with a first and a second opening 2A, 2B in the form of slits for feeding from and to of an adhering means 3. The openings are located in the vicinity of each its end of the outer body. The adhering means has the form of a relatively narrow band, which may be wound one or more turns around the outer body depending on the width of the band and the length of the outer body. In this case it is wound two turns around the outer body, from a storage roll 12 to a drawing roll 11 at a central axis 5, that also carries the driving device. The storage roll 12 is excentrically journalled on the central axis 5 (the figure is parted in figures 4- 6 for more clear illustration), at the opposite side of the driving device at level with the opening 2A, whereas at each turning and the excentric bearing the storage roll 12 moves diametrically and together with the drawing via the drawing roll 11 a feeding of desired length of the band 3 occurs. In this case a feeding takes place, adapted to the excentricity. Thus the excentricity may be varied and thus the feeding length in dependency of the adhering need that is present. If there is much soil a larger length must be fed per time unit in order to obtain efficient adhering.

The excentric feed is simple and efficient, the feeder releases a predetermined number of mm/turn independently of the diameter of the storage roll, as the feeding is based upon the excentricity. The roll up device is driven by an excentric, which in turn draws a spring means, preferably a spring, drawing in the same direction, independently of the drawing direction of the outer body/ the driving device. The spring means thereby accumulates the required roll up force and senses itself when the force is too high or to low and connects and releases automatically in order to store more force in the spring means.

The outer body is suitably provided with releasable gables 1A and 1B, which for instance protects an excentric driving device, that is to say with a displaced centre of gravity, with a battery- driven motor. The battery is suitably of the loadable type. The excentric driving makes the cleaning machine in principle rotate around its symmetry axis.

In figures 4 to 6 the rolls 11 and 12 have been shown outside the centre for better clearness.

In the embodiment shown in figure 5 the band 3 is a finite band with adhering surface, which band is fed from a storage roll 12 to a drawing roll 11 via the mantle surface of the outer body. Hereby the feeding is carried out by coupling a pendulum means 13 to the rotational movement of the centre axis, whereby a pendulum means 13, shown horizontally in the figure pushes the band 3 from the storage means 12, whereas the pendulum means 13 is arranged with adjustable amplitude for the feeding of a chosen length of band in dependency of the degree of soiling and the type of adhering means, gluing and/or electrostatic adhering. The roll on at the drawing roll 11 may be carried out by a constant force via the centre axis 5, in combination with the force of the pendulum means 13 overcoming the resistance of the storage roll 12 against feeding out. The movement of the pendulum causes a drawing and a releasing all the time in the band, and without this movement the band will lock itself already after one turn, and after two turns around the outer body it will stick completely. The pendulum means 13 is acted upon by an excentric coupled to the rotating axis of the driving means, whereas the pendulum means 13 is acted upon to be displaced in the direction of the band 3 at every revolution, and be returned, in one embodiment mechanically by the excentric or be drawn back via a spring to be caught during one succeeding revolution by the excentric.

The feeding speed by the band 3 may be adapted to the degree of soiling within the working area, whereas the excentricity may be varied or the size of the excentric may act upon the length of movement of the pendulum means 13. In figure 2 guide means 16 in the form of shallow milled grooves at the surface of the outer body 1 are indicated, preventing the band from changing direction laterally.

In figure 2 there are shown segments 17, that are extendable in order to enable controlling of the cleaning machine at its rotation when moving in the plane.

When working, the cleaning machine will continually be stopped by different obstacles. When this occurs a sensor within the driving means will indicate the stop of the machine, whereupon the control electronics of the driving motor will change poles of the driving current and the cleaning machine will start rolling in the opposite direction.

Aided by a circuit card a number of functions may be controlled, such as start- stop, or automatic breaking the current when the cleaning machine is caught and repeats the same movement/ amperage cycle during a long time. Furthermore a sensor may be provided to sense a container with soil in order to determine the degree of filling, in that the load of the motor, that is to say the amperage then will rise constantly when the spring means is loaded, which causes automatic stop. Sensing of the battery voltage may be provided, such that a too low level of voltage causes cut off of the motor. The speed of the driving motor may be controlled from a circuit card.

Further functions are most efficiently controlled by a computer with programmable memory. For example, the coordinates for the actual working area may be programmed in at least two dimensions, but also in three in order to set the limits for the movements of the cleaning machine. If the cleaning machine is provided with means for position determination, that is to say coordinate determination, the cleaning machine may be brought to avoid programmed obstacles or already passed areas.

A separate controlling unit, possibly combined with a loading station may be arranged for the transfer of instructions like programs to be stored in the memory of the computer. The transfer can be carried out via a line, connectable to the cleaning machine. As an alternative the cpntrol unit and the cleaning machine may be provided with transmitter and receiver for wireless communication, both for programming and during the work.