Window cleaning apparatus capable of manipulation via magnetic attraction and control method thereof

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning windows comprising: a first cleaning unit, which is positioned on one side of a window, having a built-in first magnetic module comprising a magnet or a magnetic material; and a second cleaning unit, which is positioned on the opposite side of the window on which the first cleaning unit is positioned, having a built-in second magnetic module comprising a magnet or a magnetic material so as to generate magnetic attraction with the first magnetic module of the first cleaning unit, wherein the first and second cleaning units, each attached to either sides of the window, respectively, due to the magnetic attraction, clean one or both sides of the window while moving together.

1 . A window cleaning apparatus enabling the control of a magnetic attraction in which a pair of cleaning units respectively attached to both surfaces of a window by means of the magnetic attraction therebetween clean one surface or both surfaces of the window simultaneously while moving together along the surface of the window, the apparatus comprising:
 a first cleaning unit disposed on one side of a window and having a built-in first magnetic module comprising a magnet or a magnetic material; and   a second cleaning unit disposed on the other side of the window so as to be opposed to the first cleaning unit, and having a built-in second magnetic module comprising a magnet or a magnetic material so as to generate a magnetic attraction between the first magnetic module and the second magnetic module,   wherein the first cleaning unit comprises:
 a magnet moving module for moving the first magnetic module either towards or away from the second magnetic module; 
 a sensor module comprising at least one sensor, and providing information detected from the sensor; and 
 a control module for controlling the drive of the magnetic movement module based on the information provided by the sensor module. 
   
     
     
         2 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein either the first cleaning unit or the second cleaning unit comprises a drive wheel configured to move either first cleaning unit or the second cleaning unit while being contactingly rotated on the surface of the window, and a wheel drive motor configured to provide a power for rotating the drive wheel to the drive wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first cleaning unit and/or the second cleaning unit comprise/comprises a wiper configured to clean the surface of the window. 
     
     
         4 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the wiper is mounted so as to be rotatable about a shaft that is disposed perpendicular to or in parallel with the surface of the window. 
     
     
         5 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit comprise a first wiper and a second wiper that are configured to clean both surfaces of the window, respectively, and wherein the first wiper and the second wiper are mounted so as to be rotatable about a shaft that is disposed perpendicular to the surface of the window. 
     
     
         6 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first magnetic module is fixedly mounted to the first wiper, and the second magnetic module is fixedly mounted to the second wiper. 
     
     
         7 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a wiper drive motor is provided at one side of the first wiper or the second wiper so as to drive the first wiper or the second wiper, and the first wiper and the second wiper are configured so as to be rotated in cooperation with each other by means of the magnetic coupling between the first magnetic module and the second magnetic module without providing a wiper drive means at the other side of the first wiper or the second wiper. 
     
     
         8 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the first magnetic module and the second magnetic module is composed of permanent magnets in which an N-polarity region and an S-polarity region are alternately arranged with each other in the circumferential direction of the rotary shaft of the first wiper and the second wiper. 
     
     
         9 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the drive wheel comprises a first drive wheel included in the first cleaning unit, and a second drive wheel included in the second cleaning unit, and wherein each of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel has a built-in magnet or magnetic material so that the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are brought into close contact with the surface of the window by means of the magnetic attraction therebetween. 
     
     
         10 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein each of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel comprises a permanent magnet in which an N pole and an S pole are alternately arranged with each other in the circumferential direction of the magnet. 
     
     
         11 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises: a first sensor unit including a force sensor or a pressure sensor so as to detect the strength of an externally acting force; and a second sensor unit including a magnetic sensor so as to detect the strength of the magnetic attraction between the first magnetic module and the second magnetic module 
     
     
         12 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the first sensor unit comprises a load cell. 
     
     
         13 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the first sensor unit is mounted so as to detect a change in a force acting between a housing of the first cleaning unit and a structure including the first magnetic module. 
     
     
         14 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the first sensor unit is mounted so as to detect a change in a force by which the first cleaning unit is pressed against the surface of the window. 
     
     
         15 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the first sensor unit is mounted to the drive wheel or the rotary shaft of the drive wheel. 
     
     
         16 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the second sensor unit comprises a hall sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnet moving module comprises a cam drive motor configured to be controlled in drive by the control module, and a cam drive unit configured to convert a rotational motion of the cam drive motor into a reciprocating linear motion and transmit the converted reciprocating linear motion to the first magnetic module. 
     
     
         18 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the cam drive unit comprises a cam rotary plate configured to be rotated by receiving the rotational force from the cam drive motor, wherein the cam rotary plate has the shape of a slope inclined plane in which the height of a portion rising out of the bottom surface thereof varies in the circumferential direction of the central axis of the top surface thereof, and wherein the first magnetic module comprises a cam post  166  configured to be brought into close contact with the top surface of the cam rotary plate. 
     
     
         19 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnet moving module comprises a screw drive motor configured so as to be controlled in drive by the control module, and a lead screw configured to so as to be moved axially while being rotated by receiving the rotational force from the screw drive motor, and wherein the first magnetic module is configured to be connected to the lead screw directly or through another element so that the first magnetic module and the lead screw are moved together. 
     
     
         20 . The window cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnet moving module comprises a linear motor. 
     
     
         21 . A method for controlling the operation of a window cleaning apparatus enabling the control of a magnetic attraction in which a pair of cleaning units respectively attached to both surfaces of a window by means of the magnetic attraction therebetween clean one surface or both surfaces of the window simultaneously while moving together along the surface of the window, wherein the window cleaning apparatus comprises a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit, the first cleaning unit or a second cleaning unit comprising a drive wheel configured to move either first cleaning unit or the second cleaning unit while being contactingly rotated on the surface of the window, and a wheel drive motor configured to provide a power for rotating the drive wheel to the drive wheel, the method comprising:
 (a) a primary emergency drive step of comparing a value of a force sensor or a pressure sensor, which is detected by a first sensor unit, with a preset reference value, and if the value is out of the preset reference value, allowing a control module to control a magnet moving module to move a first magnetic module in a direction of approaching from a second magnetic module; and   (b) a secondary adjustment drive step of allowing the control module to control the magnet moving module to be moved to move the first magnetic module in a direction of approaching or going away from the second magnetic module so that a value of a magnetic sensor, which is detected by a second sensor unit, falls within a preset value range.