Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
A translatable suction cleaning vehicle adapted to movably interface with a bottom surface of a tank, comprising: a. a base having an openable cover forming a vehicle chamber therebetween, said base having a suction opening passing therethrough; b. a plurality of obstacle contact sensing means movably secured to said base, said plurality of obstacle contact sensing means passing an electrical signal to said logic and control means when said sensing means is predeterminedly inclined to a vertical axis passing normal said bottom surface of said tank; c. a plurality of independent drive means secured to said base; d. liquid intake means being removable from said suction cleaning vehicle, said liquid intake means positionally located within said base cover forming a continuous particle path from said suction opening to an outlet in said base cover; and, e. logic and control means for controlling translation of said cleaning vehicle in response to signals from said contact sensing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
A translatable suction cleaning vehicle adapted to movably interface with a bottom surface of a tank, comprising: a. a base having an openable cover forming a vehicle chamber therebetween, said base having a suction opening passing therethrough; b. a plurality of obstacle contact sensing means movably secured to said base, said plurality of obstacle contact sensing means passing an electrical signal to said logic and control means when said sensing means is predeterminedly inclined to a vertical axis passing normal said bottom surface of said tank; c. a plurality of independent drive means secured to said base; d. liquid intake means being removable from said suction cleaning vehicle, said liquid intake means positionally located within said base cover forming a continuous particle path from said suction opening to an outlet in said base cover; and, e. logic and control means for controlling translation of said cleaning vehicle in response to signals from said contact sensing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
The suction cleaning vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein said obstacle sensing means includes: a. a pair of electrodes being positive and negative respectively, said electrodes electrically connected to said logic and control means; and, b. an electrically conducting medium for forming an electrically conducting path between said positive and negative electrodes when said obstacle sensing means is inclined at a predetermined angle to said vertical axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The suction cleaning vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein said obstacle contact sensing means comprises a plurality of mercury switches, said mercury switches being inclinable when contacting obstacles in said tank.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The suction vehicle as recited in claim 3 wherein said mercury switches are operationally conductive between the inclinable vertical angles of 5* and 45* with respect to said vertical axis passing normal said bottom surface of said tank.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The suction vehicle as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said mercury switches includes a weighted member rigidly secured to a bottom portion of each of said switches, said weighted members for maintaining said switches in a predetermined position during said vehicle translation before contacting a Next obstacle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The suction vehicle as recited in claim 5 wherein said weighted members are spheroid in shape, said weighted members extending in a forward direction with respect to said vehicle movement direction for providing an impact bumper for said mercury switches.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The suction vehicle as recited in claim 6 wherein said mercury switches are flexibly mounted to said base and base cover for providing freedom of movement of said mercury switches.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The suction vehicle as recited in claim 7 wherein said flexible mounting is a pendulum suspension of said mercury switches with respect said base and base cover.