Floor treatment system

US7053578B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Ralph Diehl · Baltmannsweiler, DE
• Joachim Keppler · Winnenden, DE
• Roger Skoumal · Bad Marienberg, DE
• Gottfried Benzler · Kirchberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 4, 2005
• Grant date: May 30, 2006
• Expiry date: Jan 4, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/0242
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a floor treatment system with a self-propelled and self-steering floor treatment unit, which comprises an electrically driven floor treatment assembly and also a rechargeable power supply unit and an electrical control system, and with a central charging station for recharging the power supply unit, the charging station having a transmitting device for emitting an infrared target radiation, and it being possible for the target radiation to be sensed in a directionally dependent manner by a receiving device of the floor treatment unit for the automatic alignment and positioning of the floor treatment unit at the charging station. In order to develop the floor treatment system in such a way that the floor treatment unit can reliably steer toward the central charging station, it is proposed according to the invention that the transmitting device has a first transmitting unit for the formation of a far field of the target radiation and a second transmitting unit for the formation of a near field of the target radiation, the near field extending over a wider and shorter area from the charging station than the far field.