DE102021006683A1 - Cleaning system with vacuum robot and cleaning station - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning system (1) with a self-propelled robotic vacuum cleaner (2) for cleaning floor surfaces and with a cleaning station (3), the robotic vacuum cleaner (2) having an accumulator for power supply, a dust collection chamber for collecting dust that has been sucked in, and a rotating axis (4) has a rotatably driven brush roller (5) for cleaning the floor surface with a rigid roller body (6) and radially projecting bristles (7), the cleaning station (3) having an electrical interface (8) which is designed to charging the accumulator to contact the robot vacuum cleaner (2) approaching the cleaning station (3), the cleaning station (3) having a suction device (9) which is designed to close the dust collection chamber of the robot vacuum cleaner (2) approaching the cleaning station (3) for emptying empty, the cleaning station (3) having a brush cleaning device (10) which is designed to clean the brush roller (5) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (2) approaching the cleaning station (3) for cleaning, the brush cleaning device (10) having a cleaning edge (10) which is set up to move the bristles (7) of the brush roller (5) to be cleaned when the brush roller (5) is rotated by the robotic vacuum cleaner (2) approaching the cleaning station (3) against the direction of rotation (11) from a To bend the starting position elastically and then to release it in the direction of rotation (11), so that the bristles (7) spring back into their starting position.

Description

The invention relates to a cleaning system with a self-propelled robotic vacuum cleaner for cleaning floor surfaces and with a cleaning station, the robotic vacuum cleaner having a battery for power supply, a dust collection chamber for collecting dust that has been sucked in, and a brush roller that is driven to rotate about an axis of rotation for cleaning the floor surface, with a rigid roller body and radially protruding bristles, wherein the cleaning station has an electrical interface which is designed to contact the robotic vacuum cleaner traveling to the cleaning station to charge the accumulator, the cleaning station having a suction device which is designed to remove the dust collection chamber of the robotic vacuum cleaner traveling to the cleaning station to empty it To empty the robotic vacuum cleaner, the cleaning station having a brush cleaning device which is designed to clean the brush roller of the robotic vacuum cleaner moving to the cleaning station for cleaning.

Such a cleaning system is, for example, from EP 2 407 074 B1 known. In the household, vacuum robots are used to clean surfaces such as textile floor coverings and smooth floors. In this case, a suction nozzle designed as a floor nozzle of the self-propelled vacuum robot is moved on a floor surface in the direction of travel to collect dust. The accumulators for the self-sufficient power supply of the vacuum robots in operation are regularly charged at electrical interfaces of cleaning stations. For this purpose, the cleaning stations are approached by the vacuum robots. In addition to charging the accumulators, the vacuum robots can also be emptied at the cleaning stations, so that dust that has been picked up by the cleaning station is removed from the vacuum robot that has moved up to the cleaning station. The previously known cleaning system has a comb as the brush cleaning device. This comb has the disadvantage that matted dust is hardly removed from the bristles because the teeth of the comb do not sufficiently comb the bristles. In addition, the bristles are not sufficiently mechanically processed, so that dust adhering to the bristles cannot be effectively removed.

The invention therefore faces the problem of specifying an improved cleaning station. A simple and effective brush cleaning device is to be proposed, which offers effective cleaning of dust and also hair from the brush roller.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a cleaning station having the features of claim 1 . Due to the fact that the brush cleaning device is formed by a cleaning edge, which is set up to elastically bend the bristles of the brush roller to be cleaned when the brush roller is rotated by the vacuum robot approaching the cleaning station against the direction of rotation from a starting position and then release them in the direction of rotation, so that the bristles spring back snapping back to their original position, easy and effective brush cleaning can be achieved, providing effective removal of dust as well as hair from the brush roll. The rotation of the brush roller causes the bristles to bend elastically from their initial position, which is oriented radially to the axis of rotation. With further rotation of the brush roller, the bent bristles on the cleaning edge are released and spring back. Adhering dust and also hair are thereby effectively detached from the bristles, since the bristles are advantageously set up to suddenly spring back into the starting position as soon as they have brushed over the cleaning edge in a bent manner. The sudden movement of the bristles when snapping back into the starting position loosens adhering dust and hair, so that the brush roller can be cleaned simply by turning the cleaning edge.

The floor surface to be cleaned can be covered by a textile floor covering such as a rug or carpeting or by a hard floor such as e.g. B. a wooden parquet, laminate or PVC flooring can be formed.

The robotic vacuum cleaner has a blower for generating a negative pressure, through which the floor nozzle guided over a floor surface to be cleaned picks up dust and dirt from the floor surface. For this purpose, the suction nozzle designed as a floor nozzle is automatically moved in the direction of travel by the vacuum robot. As a result, the floor nozzle slides over the floor surface to be cleaned. In the case of long-pile carpets in particular, the underside of the floor nozzle slides over the carpet, while in the case of smooth floors the underside floats at a distance above these floor surfaces. So that the cleaning and care of the floor covering can be carried out as effectively as possible, the suction mouth of the floor nozzle is elongated and runs essentially transversely to the direction of travel. Elongated means in this context that the preferably substantially rectangular suction mouth has a greater length transverse to the direction of travel than width in the direction of travel. The suction mouth is preferably between 15 and 25 cm long transversely to the processing direction. A housing of the robotic vacuum cleaner can have a dust collection chamber in which the dust picked up via the floor nozzle can be collected.

Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention result from the dependent claims. It should be pointed out that the features listed individually in the claims can also be combined with one another in any technologically meaningful manner and thus show further refinements of the invention.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the cleaning edge is located in a common vertical plane with the axis of rotation below the brush roller. This arrangement of the cleaning edge enables the bristles to be bent over and the brush roller to be cleaned off particularly effectively by the cleaning edge, since the suction nozzle of the robotic vacuum cleaner that accommodates the brush roller is optimally designed for sucking off the loosened dust particles and hair. In this case, the suction of the loosened dust particles is advantageously carried out via the same air paths via which the vacuum robot picks up the dust and dirt via the suction nozzle when cleaning the floor surface. In the vertical plane, the bristles are caught and bent at their tips by the cleaning edge. The distance between the cleaning edge and the roller body is maximum in the vertical plane, so that an effective bending is achieved. In addition, the bristles in the vertical plane below the axis of rotation are easily accessible for cleaning via the suction mouth of the vacuum robot.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention is that the cleaning edge protrudes vertically upwards from a horizontal drive-on base surface of the cleaning station. The drive-on base of the cleaning station is used to position the driven vacuum robot during emptying, charging and brush roller cleaning. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the drive-on base is not completely horizontal, but has a gradient of six degrees. With the cleaning edge protruding vertically from this drive-on base, the bristles of the brush roller can be reached particularly easily for cleaning. The cleaning edge protruding vertically upwards does not prevent the vacuum robot from driving onto the drive-on base of the cleaning station.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the bristles strike a flank of the protruding cleaning edge essentially in parallel. In this context, essentially parallel means that the bristles protruding radially from the roller body strike the flank of the protruding cleaning edge at an angle of approximately −10° to +10°. With the parallel impingement of the bristles projecting radially from the roller body, a particularly effective bending of the bristles can be achieved. The bristles are thus not damaged when they hit the edge of the cleaning edge and are effectively bent over by the cleaning edge for cleaning during further rotation of the roller body in the direction of rotation.

The further development of the invention is particularly advantageous in that the cleaning edge is interrupted by a cutting wheel which is designed to cut hair wound around the brush roller when the brush roller is rotated by the vacuum robot approaching the cleaning station. The cutting wheel advantageously rotates with the rotation of the brush roller and is more preferably driven to rotate by the roller body of the brush roller. The cutting wheel thus cuts hair wound around the brush roller particularly effectively, so that the removal of hair by the brush cleaning device is further improved.

According to the invention, the brush roller has radially protruding lamellae next to the bristles, the lamellae being set back radially with respect to the bristles, the cleaning edge being designed to engage in the bristles of the brush roller and not touch the lamellae. With the engagement of the cleaning edge in the bristles, these are effectively bent over for cleaning. On the one hand, the lamellae that protrude radially next to the bristles ensure that dust and fibers are moved less deeply in the direction of the roller body. On the other hand, the prestressing of the bristles before they are released in the direction of rotation at the cleaning edge is increased, since the lamellae support the bristles in relation to the cleaning edge during the elastic bending. The lamellae, which are set back radially in relation to the bristles, are not damaged when the cleaning edge engages in the bristles of the brush roller, since the lamellae are set back from the tips of the bristles so far that the cleaning edge of the cleaning station does not hit the lamellae of the brush roller of the robot vacuum cleaner when rotating in the direction of rotation touched.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the slats are designed to move wound-up hair and/or threads into the center of the longitudinal extent of the brush roller when the brush roller is rotated by the vacuum robot. For this purpose, the lamellae are preferably arranged in a V-shape, starting in a spiral shape around the roller body, protruding radially from the center of the elongate extension. Winded-up hair and/or threads are thereby moved particularly effectively during the rotation of the brush roller in the direction of the center of the longitudinal extension of the brush roller.

In the advantageous embodiment of the invention that the cutting wheel is arranged in the middle of the longitudinal extension of the cleaning edge, the hair and/or threads moved to the middle of the longitudinal extension of the brush roller can be cut up and removed particularly effectively.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the suction device of the cleaning station is set up to suck up dirt loosened from the brush roller when the brush roller is rotated by the vacuum robot approaching the cleaning station. With the suction of the loosened dirt by the suction device of the cleaning station during the rotation of the brush roller, the cleaning station around the cleaning edge remains clean, so that the cleaning and maintenance effort at the cleaning station is low.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is that the cleaning edge is made of hard plastic, metal, stiffer cleaning bristles or a stiffer rubber lamella. A protruding cleaning edge on the housing of the cleaning station can be formed particularly easily from hard plastic or metal. As an alternative to these materials, the cleaning edge can also be formed by cleaning bristles that are stiffer than the bristles of the brush roller. A further option for forming the cleaning edge at the cleaning station is provided by a rubber lamella that is stiffer than the lamellae of the brush roller.

• 1 Erfindungsgemäßes Reinigungssystem mit Reinigungsstation und Saugroboter,
• 2 Auffahrgrundfläche der Reinigungsstation,
• 3 Reinigungskante in Seitenansicht,
• 4 Detailansicht zu Bürstenwalze und Reinigungskante,
• 5 Eingriffssituation von Reinigungskante in Bürstenwalze,
• 6 Bürstenwalze an Reinigungskante,
• 7 Auffahrgrundfläche einer weiteren Reinigungsstation,
• 8 Detailansicht auf ein Schneidrad, und
• 9 Detailansicht auf eine Positionierungsrippe.

Further features, details and advantages of the invention result from the following description and from the drawings. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown purely schematically in the following drawings and are described in more detail below. Corresponding objects or elements are provided with the same reference symbols in all figures. It shows

• 1 Cleaning system according to the invention with cleaning station and vacuum robot,
• 2 drive-on area of the cleaning station,
• 3 cleaning edge in side view,
• 4 Detailed view of brush roller and cleaning edge,
• 5 Intervention situation of cleaning edge in brush roller,
• 6 brush roller on cleaning edge,
• 7 Drive-on area of another cleaning station,
• 8th Detail view on a cutting wheel, and
• 9 Detailed view of a positioning rib.

A cleaning system 1 according to the invention with a vacuum robot 2 and with a cleaning station 3 is shown purely schematically in the figures with the reference number 1 . As usual, the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 has an accumulator, not shown, for the power supply. In addition, a dust collection chamber (not shown) is provided in the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 for receiving dust that has been sucked in. The cleaning station 3 has an electrical interface 8, which is used to charge the accumulator of the vacuum robot 2 when it has approached the cleaning station 3, as in 1 to see. Furthermore, the cleaning station 3 has a suction device 9 which is designed to empty the dust collection chamber of the vacuum robot 2 when it is standing on the drive-on base 13 formed by the cleaning station 3 .

The 2 shows a view of a drive-on base 13, as at the cleaning station 1 according to FIG 1 can be provided. A brush cleaning device 10 of the cleaning station 1 can be seen on this drive-on base 13, which is designed to have a brush roller 5 ( 6 ) of the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) to clean, because the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) advantageously has a rotation axis 4 ( 6 ) rotatably driven brush roller 5 ( 6 ) for cleaning the floor surface. The brush cleaning device 10 of the cleaning station 3 is advantageously formed by a cleaning edge 10 . Positioning ribs 17 are provided for the correct positioning of the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 on the drive-on base 13 , via which the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 is aligned to match the cleaning edge 10 . The cleaning edge 10 projects vertically upwards from the horizontal drive-on base 13 of the cleaning station 3 .

This is also in 3 can be seen, which represents a side view of the cleaning edge 10 . The cleaning edge 10 is preferably a maximum of 2.5 mm high from the drive-on base 13 . So the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) drive onto the drive-on base 13 of the cleaning station 3 unhindered.

The 4 FIG. 12, on the other hand, shows a detailed view of the cleaning edge 10 according to FIG 3 and the brush roller 5 of the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ). The cleaning edge 10 is set up to brush the bristles 7 of the brush roller 5 to be cleaned when the brush roller 5 is rotated by the robotic vacuum cleaner 2 ( 1 ) against the Direction of rotation 11 to bend elastically from a starting position and then release in the direction of rotation 11, so that the bristles 7 spring back into their starting position. A particularly effective, automatic brush cleaning is thus possible, which offers effective removal of dust and also hair from the brush roller 5 . The brush roller 5 is driven by the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) for cleaning is preferably rotated at a constant, more preferably at a varying, speed over a period of 10 to 20 seconds on the cleaning edge 10 of the cleaning station 3.

Out of 5 shows a further detailed view of the cleaning edge 10 and the brush roller 5 according to FIG 4 out. In this representation, the brush roller 5 is opposite to the view in 4 rotated about the axis of rotation 4 in the direction of rotation 11 so that the bristles 7 of the brush roller 5 touch the cleaning edge 10 of the cleaning station 3 . By further rotation of the brush roller 5 in the direction of rotation 11, the radially projecting bristles 7 are bent relative to the rigid roller body 6 of the brush roller 5 from the starting position shown. The adhering dust and also hair are effectively detached from the bristles 7 when the bristles 7 suddenly spring back into the starting position as soon as they have brushed over the cleaning edge 10 in a bent manner. This abrupt movement of the bristles 7 during the catapult-like snapping back into the starting position effectively loosens adhering dust so that the brush roller 5 can be cleaned simply by turning the cleaning edge 10 . The cleaning edge 10 is located when the vacuum robot is correctly positioned 2 ( 1 ) on the drive-on base 13 ( 2 ) of cleaning station 3 ( 1 ), as in the 4 and 5 can further be seen, in a common vertical plane 12 with the axis of rotation 4 below the brush roller 5. The bristles 7 meet according to 5 essentially parallel to a flank 14 of the protruding cleaning edge 10 . As a result, the bristles 7 are not damaged when they hit the flank 14 of the cleaning edge 10 and are effectively bent over by the cleaning edge 10 for cleaning during further rotation of the roller body 6 in the direction of rotation 11 . The suction device 9 of the cleaning station 3 is set up to remove the dirt loosened from the brush roller 5 when the brush roller 5 is rotated by the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) to suck up. For this purpose, the same airways are advantageously used over which the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) picks up dust and dirt via the suction nozzle when cleaning the floor surface. This means that no further suction opening is required in the drive-on base 13 of the cleaning station 3 for brush cleaning.

The 6 shows the brush roller 5 of the vacuum robot 2 at the cleaning edge 10 of the cleaning station 3. In this illustration, the lamellae 16 protruding radially next to the bristles 7 can be clearly seen. The lamellae 16 cause dust and fibers to be moved less deeply in the direction of the roller body 6 . In addition, the prestressing of the bristles 7 before they are released in the direction of rotation 11 is increased at the cleaning edge 10, since the lamellae 16, as in FIG 5 to see, the bristles 7 support the cleaning edge 10 as soon as they are bent over. The lamellae 16 are set back radially with respect to the bristles 7 so that the cleaning edge 10 only engages in the bristles 7 but does not touch the lamellae 16 . In this way, the rubber-like lamellae 16 are not damaged when the cleaning edge 10 engages in the bristles 7 of the brush roller 5 . The lamellae 16 are set up to remove hair and/or threads that have been wound up when the brush roller 5 is rotated by the vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) to the center of the longitudinal extension of the brush roller 5 to move. For this purpose, the lamellae 16 are arranged in a V-shape, starting from the center of the longitudinal extent, in a spiral shape around the roller body 6 and protruding radially.

The 7 shows a view of a further drive-on base 13, as at the cleaning station 1 according to FIG 1 can be provided. A cleaning edge 10 already described for the other exemplary embodiment is also provided on this drive-on base surface 13 . In contrast to the embodiment according to the 1 until 6 is in accordance with the execution 7 the cleaning edge 10 for a cutting wheel 15 is interrupted. This cutting wheel 15 serves to rotate the brush roller 5 ( 6 ) around the brush roller 5 ( 6 ) to cut coiled hair. The cutting wheel 15 is preferably arranged in the center of the longitudinal extent of the cleaning edge 10, since the hair on the brush roller 5 according to the embodiment in 6 moved into this area by the lamellae 16 and then cut up by the cutting wheel 15.

In 8th is a detailed view of the cutting wheel 15 according to FIG 7 to see. The cutting wheel 15 rotates with the rotation of the brush roller 5 ( 6 ) and is held by the roller body 6 ( 6 ) of brush roller 5 ( 6 ) driven to rotate. The cutting wheel 15 can be used to cut around the brush roller 5 ( 6 ) remove coiled hair particularly easily. The cut hair is simply sucked up by the suction device 9 of the cleaning station 3 . The cutting wheel 15 is preferably resiliently mounted relative to the drive-on base 13 of the cleaning station 3, so that the engagement of the cutting wheel 15 is ensured via the spring force generated.

The 9 shows a detailed view of one of the two in 7 visible positioning ribs. The vacuum robot 2 ( 1 ) is moved into the appropriate position by the two positioning ribs 17 on the drive-on base 13 of the cleaning station 3, so that the brush roller 5 ( 6 ) is aligned to the cleaning edge 10. As a result, the effective engagement of the cleaning edge 10 in the brush roller 5 ( 6 ) guaranteed.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. Further refinements are possible without departing from the basic idea.

Reference List

1

cleaning system

2

vacuum robot

3

cleaning station

4

axis of rotation

5

brush roller

6

roller body

7

bristles

8th

interface

9

suction device

10

Brush cleaning device (cleaning edge)

11

direction of rotation

12

vertical plane

13

ramp floor area

14

flank

15

cutting wheel

16

lamella

17

positioning ribs

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• EP 2407074 B1 [0002]

Claims (9)

Cleaning system (1) with a self-propelled robotic vacuum cleaner (2) for cleaning floor surfaces and with a cleaning station (3), the robotic vacuum cleaner (2) having an accumulator for power supply, a dust collection chamber for collecting dust that has been sucked in and a rotating axis (4). driven brush roller (5) for cleaning the floor surface with a rigid roller body (6) and radially projecting bristles (7), the brush roller (5) having radially projecting lamellae (16) in addition to the bristles (7), the lamellae (16 ) are set back radially with respect to the bristles (7), the cleaning station (3) having an electrical interface (8) which is designed to contact the vacuum robot (2) approaching the cleaning station (3) to charge the battery, the The cleaning station (3) has a suction device (9) which is designed to empty the dust collection chamber of the vacuum robot (2) approaching the cleaning station (3) for emptying, the cleaning station (3) having a brush cleaning device (10) which is designed for this purpose is to clean the brush roller (5) of the robotic vacuum cleaner (2) approaching the cleaning station (3) for cleaning, characterized in that the brush cleaning device (10) is formed by a cleaning edge (10) which is set up to brush the bristles (7 ) of the brush roller (5) to be cleaned when the brush roller (5) is rotated by the robotic vacuum cleaner (2) approaching the cleaning station (3) against the direction of rotation (11) from an initial position and then release it in the direction of rotation (11) so that the bristles (7) springing back into their starting position, the cleaning edge (10) being set up to engage in the bristles (7) of the brush roller (5) and not to touch the lamellae (16). cleaning system (1) after claim 1 , characterized in that the cleaning edge (10) is in a common vertical plane (12) with the axis of rotation (4) below the brush roller (5). cleaning system (1) after claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the cleaning edge (10) protrudes vertically upwards from a horizontal drive-on base (13) of the cleaning station (3). Cleaning system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bristles (7) strike a flank (14) of the projecting cleaning edge (10) essentially in parallel. Cleaning system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning edge (10) is interrupted by a cutting wheel (15) which is designed to, when the brush roller (5) is rotated by the vacuum robot ( 2) to cut hair wrapped around the brush roller (5). cleaning system (1) after claim 5 , characterized in that the cutting wheel (15) is arranged centrally in the longitudinal extension of the cleaning edge (10). cleaning system (1) after claim 1 , characterized in that the lamellae (16) are designed to move wound hair and/or threads into the center of the longitudinal extent of the brush roller (5) when the brush roller (5) is rotated by the vacuum robot (2). Cleaning system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction device (9) of the cleaning station (3) is set up to remove the brush roller when the brush roller (5) is rotated by the vacuum robot (2) approaching the cleaning station (3). (5) vacuum up loosened dirt. Cleaning system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning edge (10) is formed by hard plastic, metal, stiffer cleaning bristles or a stiffer rubber lamella.

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