# US 11,896,193 B2 · Method for influencing the device-typical sound emission of a cleaning device

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- Number: US 11,896,193 B2
- Document ID: US11896193B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/879,002
- Filed: 2022-08-02
- Published: 2023-02-16
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-03
- Assignees: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
- Applicants: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
- Inventors: Amin Nezami; Nicolai Stenzel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896193B2

## CPC

- A47L 9/248: {Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes (nozzles A47L9/02)}
- A47L 9/2831: {Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed}
- A47L 9/0081: {Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping}
- A47L 9/0686: {Nozzles with cleaning cloths, e.g. using disposal fabrics for covering the nozzle}
- A47L 9/2805: {Parameters or conditions being sensed}
- A47L 9/2836: {characterised by the parts which are controlled}
- A47L 9/2857: {User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays}
- A47L 11/4088: {Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits}
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)

## Abstract

A method for influencing the device-typical sound emission of a cleaning device, wherein the cleaning device has a device housing and a cleaning mechanism for carrying out a cleaning activity on a surface to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning device emits device-typical sound while carrying out the cleaning activity, and wherein the device-typical sound is detected and analyzed with respect to at least one sound frequency contained therein. In order to adapt the soundscape of the cleaning device in such a way that a user can ascertain a proper functionality of the cleaning device, a displaceable section assigned to a flow channel of the cleaning device is displaced relative to the flow channel and/or the device housing in dependence on the analysis result until a characteristic sound frequency for the cleaning activity emitted by the cleaning mechanism has a defined amplitude.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for changing a sound spectrum of a sound emitted by a cleaning device,
wherein the cleaning device comprises a cleaning mechanism for cleaning a surface, a detection device with a sensor for detecting the sound emitted during the cleaning activity, a computing device in the form of a processor for generating and analyzing the sound spectrum of the detected sound, a device housing with a flow channel, a section of the flow channel that can be displaced relative to the device housing, a motor-driven displacement device for displacing the displaceable section, a control unit in the form of a processor for controlling the displacement device, and a memory, in which a nominal amplitude of at least one sound frequency contained in the sound spectrum is stored,
wherein the method comprises the following steps:
carrying out with the cleaning device a cleaning activity on a surface to be cleaned,
emitting device-typical sound by the cleaning device,
detecting the emitted sound by means of the detection device,
generating and analyzing the sound spectrum of the detected sound by means of the computing device, wherein the analysis includes, with respect to at least one sound frequency contained in the sound spectrum, a comparison of an actual amplitude of the detected sound frequency with a nominal amplitude of the sound frequency stored in a memory, and
automatically controlling the displacement device with the control unit to displace the displaceable section in dependence on the analysis result until the actual amplitude of the detected sound frequency corresponds to the stored nominal amplitude of the sound frequency.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting by a user a reference spectrum with a plurality of sound frequencies and nominal amplitudes assigned to the sound frequencies to the memory of the cleaning device by means of a data communication interface of the cleaning device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting by a user information to the effect whether a current sound of the cleaning device is perceived as agreeable or objectionable to the computing device by means of a data communication interface of the cleaning device, wherein the amplitudes of the sound frequencies contained in a frequency spectrum perceived as agreeable are stored in the memory as nominal amplitudes and used by the computing device for the comparison with current actual amplitudes in future analyses.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein sound frequencies contained in the sound are continuously detected, compared and influenced by displacing the displaceable section during the operation of the cleaning device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a nominal amplitude of a sound portion is stored in the memory in association with a certain parameter of the cleaning device or a certain parameter of the surroundings, wherein the computing device accesses upon a subsequent occurrence of the stored parameter the nominal amplitude of the sound frequency stored for the current parameter for the comparison of the actual amplitude of the sound frequency contained in the sound spectrum.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a position of the displaceable section to be adjusted by means of the displacement device is stored in the memory in association with a certain parameter of the cleaning device or a certain parameter of the surroundings, wherein the control unit accesses upon the subsequent occurrence of the stored parameter the stored position to be adjusted for the current parameter for the control of the displacement device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the parameter is at least one of the following: operating mode of the cleaning device, rotational speed of a fan motor of the cleaning device, flow speed within the flow channel of the cleaning device, pumping power of a liquid pump of the cleaning device, power setting of the cleaning device, floor type of the surface to be cleaned, accessory connected to the cleaning device, suction nozzle connected to the cleaning device, wiping element connected to the cleaning device.

### Claim 8

A method for influencing a device-typical sound emission of a cleaning device, wherein the cleaning device has a device housing and a cleaning mechanism for carrying out a cleaning activity on a surface to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning device emits the device-typical sound while carrying out the cleaning activity, wherein the method comprises detecting an analyzing the device-typical sound with respect to at least one sound frequency contained therein, and displacing a displaceable section assigned to a flow channel of the cleaning device relative to the flow channel or the device housing in dependence on the analysis result until a characteristic sound frequency for the cleaning activity emitted by the cleaning mechanism has a defined amplitude.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein a flexible section of the flow channel or a deflection element that can be displaced into the flow channel is displaced.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the displaceable section is displaced until the amplitude of the characteristic sound frequency reaches a maximum.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the amplitude of the characteristic sound frequency for the cleaning activity is adjusted in dependence on an operating mode of the cleaning device, a power setting of the cleaning device, a floor type of the surface to be cleaned or an accessory connected to the cleaning device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein the accessory is a suction nozzle that is separably connected to the cleaning device or a wiping element that is separably connected to the cleaning device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein different positions of the displaceable section to be adjusted for different operating modes, for different power settings of the cleaning device or for different accessories connectable to the cleaning device are predefined by the manufacturer and stored in a memory of the cleaning device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein a control and evaluation unit of the cleaning device accesses the stored positions, determines a position to be adjusted in dependence on an operating mode adjusted by a user, a power setting adjusted by a user or an accessory connected to the cleaning device and transmits a control command to an actuator assigned to the displaceable section in order to displace the section into the position to be adjusted.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, further comprising manually transmitting by a user of the cleaning device a control command for displacing the section to a control and evaluation unit of the cleaning device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein the user transmits the control command by actuating a selector switch for selecting an operating mode or a power setting of the cleaning device.