EP3023045B1 - Vacuum cleaner side brush and floor cleaning appliance comprising a vacuum cleaner side brush - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a side brush for a vacuum cleaner (vacuum cleaner side brush) or for any other floor care device, in particular a side brush for an autonomous, self-propelled vacuum cleaner system (suction robot; Robotsauger).

Floor care appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, upright vacuum cleaners or vacuum robots, have certain characteristics in a contact zone with the surface to be cleaned in order to detect and transport the mostly solid dust and dirt particles using certain physical principles. An important principle is the impulsive solid contact between Bürstfilamenten and the respective processed substrate and the dirt particles located there. In this way, said dirt particles are mobilized and transported.

To increase the surface cleaning capacity, it is of particular importance - especially with suction robots - that the areas to the right and left of the actual suction mouth are processed by assisting side brushes. The central task of such side brushes and their brush tufts is to move dirt particles located on the floor purely mechanically with the brush filaments of the brush tufts and deliver them to the suction mouth.

Such side brushes are known, for example from the EP 2 606 798 A2 , Known side brushes have a few, evenly spaced brush arms in the form of brushes, ie bristle tufts or sleeves with bristles tufts fixed therein. The known side brushes have two, three, four or five such brush arms, at least a few brush arms on.

The disadvantage of such side brushes is mainly in the unfavorable area coverage. This results from the fact that, for example, in a suction robot, the speed when driving over a respective processed bottom section based on the rotational speed of the side brushes is so large that the overlines of the individual bristle tufts are a few millimeters to centimeters apart. This causes dirt, such as individual crumbs or the like, is not detected by the side brushes and remains on the surface to be cleaned.

The publication US 2004/0148731 A1 discloses a side brush for an upright vacuum cleaner having a ball-shaped brush body on which a plurality of bristle tufts are arranged in several levels. The disadvantage here is that only a small Aligns proportion of bristle tufts on the floor surface to be cleaned, which significantly reduces the cleaning effect of the side brush.

From the publication US 2014/0189977 A1 is known a side brush for a vacuum cleaner, which has a plurality of bristle tufts. Here, the bristle tufts are arranged in a plane in the brush body of the side brush, which requires a significant enlargement of the brush body. This has a disadvantageous effect on the required installation space of the side brushes in the housing of the vacuum robot.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a further embodiment of a side brush, in particular a side brush with a better surface coverage, and a floor care appliance, in particular a floor care appliance in the form of a vacuum robot, with at least one such side brush.

According to the invention this is achieved with a side brush and a floor care device having the features of claim 1 and the features of the further independent device claim. Here, in a side brush for a floor care device, in particular a vacuum cleaner or a vacuum cleaner in the form of a Saugroboters, provided the following: The side brush has a brush core and regularly distributed over a peripheral surface of the brush core bristle tufts and compared to previous side brushes increased number of bristle tufts, So for example at least ten bristle tufts. A ground care device proposed here, for example a floor care device in the form of a vacuum cleaner or vacuum robot, is characterized in that it has at least one such side brush or a side brush at the positions usual for a side brush, in each case at least one such side brush two side brushes, has.

Due to the increased number of bristle tufts, so at least ten bristle tufts, for example, twenty bristle tufts, the desired better surface coverage results because each end of a bristle tuft sweeps over the respective processed substrate and accordingly in the proposed here increased number of bristle tufts when crossing a respective processed Subsoil resulting over strokes of the individual bristle tufts are closer together than can be the case with previous side brushes with the usual three, four or a maximum of five bristle tufts. Moreover, due to the increased number of bristle tufts, the rotational speed of the side brush can be reduced without deteriorating the area coverage and the cleaning result. A reduced rotational speed leads advantageously to a reduced noise and reduced wear.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention will become apparent from the following subclaims. Here used backlinks indicate the further development of the subject matter of the main claim by the features of the respective subclaim. They should not be construed as a waiver of obtaining independent, objective protection for the feature combinations of the dependent claims. Furthermore, with a view to an interpretation of the claims in a closer specification of a feature in a subordinate claim, it is to be assumed that such a restriction does not exist in the respective preceding claims.

In one embodiment of the side brush, the bristle tufts are arranged in at least two parallel planes (insertion planes) on the brush core, with a plurality of bristle tufts in each insertion plane, in particular such that the same number of bristle tufts or at least substantially the same in each insertion plane Number of bristle tufts is located. The use of a plurality of parallel insertion planes, ie at least two parallel insertion planes, allows in a particularly favorable manner for improving the area coverage desired increase in the number of bristle tufts, without compromising the stability of the brush core in question or perform this unfavorably large to improve the stability to have to.

In a further embodiment of the side brush, the bristle tufts are attached to the brush core and aligned so that the tips of all bristle tufts of each of the at least two planes lie on a common envelope circle or at least substantially on a common envelope circle. When lying on a common or substantially on a common envelope circle peaks of the bristle tufts sweep in a standing floor care device all tips the same place. In the case of a moving floor care appliance, the resulting overstresses are located particularly close to each other over the respective processed substrate, resulting in optimum area coverage.

Yet another embodiment of the side brush is characterized by an alternating arrangement of the bristle tufts in the at least two insertion planes. The alternating arrangement refers to the order of the ends of the bristle tufts along the common envelope circle. A bristle tuft belonging to any local end of a bristle tuft (first tuft) is followed in the direction of rotation by the end of a bristle tuft (second tuft) which is fixed to the brush core in a different insertion plane from the first tuft. The end of the second tuft is followed by the end of another tuft of bristles (third tuft), the bristle tufts in a different insertion plane on the brush core compared to the insertion plane of the second tuft is fixed, for example, in the mating plane of the first tuft. This alternating arrangement allows a regular distribution of the ends of the bristle tufts along the common enveloping circle and thus also ensures optimum area coverage.

In a particular embodiment of the side brush, the bristle tufts on the brush core in each case in a sleeve or a bore - collectively referred to as sleeve - fixed, each sleeve is aligned approximately tangential to the peripheral surface of the brush core. This tangential orientation of each sleeve causes each brush tuft is also aligned tangentially or at least substantially tangential to the peripheral surface of the brush core. A tuft of bristles tipping perpendicularly to an obstacle may adversely affect the maneuverability of a floor care implement having such a tuft of bristles. At approximately tangentially to the peripheral surface of the brush core aligned bristle tufts the forwardmost in the direction of travel end of a bristle tufts of the side brush never perpendicular to a possible obstacle, so that the otherwise possible unfavorable influence on the maneuverability does not arise. The bristle tufts with the furthest front end buckles further in contact with an obstacle in the direction of the already given approximate tangential alignment and represents at most a negligible resistance to the forward movement of the floor care device. Another advantage of the approximately tangentially oriented sleeves is the Compared to, for example, radially oriented sleeves in the small radially measured portion of the insertion depth of the individual bristle tufts within each sleeve. With approximately tangentially oriented sleeves, the portion of a tuft of bristles fixed there can be located at an insertion depth in the sleeve which extends beyond the radius of the brush core. A comparably secure fixation of the bristle tufts in a radially oriented sleeve can only be achieved with a considerably larger brush core, namely a brush core with a larger diameter. The approximately tangential orientation of the sleeves thus also avoids that the brush core must be made unnecessarily large.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. Corresponding objects or elements are provided in all figures with the same reference numerals. The embodiment is not to be understood as limiting the invention. Rather, changes and modifications are quite possible in the context of the present disclosure, in particular those, for example, by combination or modification of individual in combination with the described in the general or specific description part and in the claims and / or the drawings features or elements or process steps for the expert with regard to solving the problem are removable and lead by combinable features to a new object or new process steps.

Figur 1

eine isometrische Darstellung einer Seitenbürste für ein Bodenpflegegerät, zum Beispiel einen Staubsauger oder Saugroboter,

Figur 2

einen Teil einer Seitenbürste gemäß Figur 1,

Figur 3

die Seitenbürste gemäß Figur 1 in einer Ansicht von oben,

Figur 4

und

Figur 5

zwei Darstellungen zur Erläuterung geometrischer Verhältnisse der Seitenbürste.

Show it

FIG. 1

an isometric view of a side brush for a floor care appliance, for example a vacuum cleaner or robotic vacuum cleaner,

FIG. 2

a part of a side brush according to FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3

the side brush according to FIG. 1 in a view from above,

FIG. 4

and

FIG. 5

two illustrations for explaining geometric relationships of the side brush.

The representation in FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a side brush 10 proposed here for a self-shown floor care device, for example a floor care device in the form of a vacuum cleaner, in particular in the form of a vacuum robot. The side brush 10 comprises a plurality of bristle tufts 12, in the illustrated embodiment exactly twenty bristle tufts 12. The brush filaments comprised of the brush tufts 12 are not shown separately and the cylindrical shape shown is intended to represent the entirety of the respective brush filaments.

All bristle tufts 12 are fixed to a brush core 14 (brush body) of the side brush 10 and the brush core 14 defines an axis of rotation of the side brush 10 and includes in the embodiment shown a recess / bore for positive reception of a rotationally driven in the usual way or the like.

Each bristle tufts 12 - or a brush arm with a bristle tufts at the free end instead of the bristle tufts 12 shown - is fixed to the brush core 14 in each case here and hereinafter referred to collectively as sleeve 16 designated sleeve or bore. A bore for receiving a portion of a respective bristle tufts 12 is inserted into the solid material of the brush core 14. A sleeve 16 may be formed on the brush core 14, in particular integrally connected to the brush core 14, or glued to the brush core 14 or connected in any other suitable manner.

The representation in FIG. 2 shows a part of a side brush 10 according to FIG. 1 in a side view. Shown are two pairs of sleeves 16 located in different insertion planes illustrated by the lateral horizontal arrows and the bristle tufts 12 fixed there.

The representation in FIG. 3 shows the side brush 10 according to FIG. 1 in a view from above. Particularly well recognizable there is especially that the ends of all bristle tufts 12 on a common envelope circle 20 ( Fig. 4 ) or at least substantially on a common enveloping line 20 and regardless of which plane of the bristle tufts 12 are fixed to the brush core 14. Furthermore, the alternating arrangement of the bristle tufts 12 in the insertion planes described at the outset and related to the order of the ends of the bristle tufts 12 along the enveloping circle line 20 can also be seen.

The enveloping line 20 is shown separately in FIG FIG. 4 shown. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate individual geometrical relationships of the side brush 10 described below. The diameter of the enveloping circle defined by the enveloping circle line 20 is denoted by d ( Fig. 3 . Fig. 5 ) and is for example 120 mm, with other preferred dimensions of the side brush 10 resulting in diameters ranging from about 100 mm to 140/150 mm. First and second diameters of the brush core 14 are in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 denoted by e and f. The first, larger diameter e results in the region of the upper insertion plane of the brush core 14 and the second diameter correspondingly in the region of the lower insertion plane. In the embodiment shown, the first diameter e is 30 mm (± 10 mm) and the second diameter f is 25 mm (± 10 mm). The lower and upper insertion planes on the brush core 14 in the illustrated embodiment are approximately 11 mm ( h ) or approximately 15 mm ( j ) above the enveloping circle common to all bristle tufts (FIG. Fig. 5 ).

Depending on the insertion plane results between the individual there fixed bristle tufts 12 and the horizontal a different angle. This is simplified schematically in the illustration in FIG FIG. 5 shown, wherein the lines extending from the insertion planes and extending to the right edge of the enveloping line 20 (a solid line and a dashed line) each represent a bristle tufts 12.

In the illustration in FIG. 4 are also still individual, resulting in a plan view of the side brush 10 resulting angle. In the case of a plug-in point p1 lying on the central axis a of the enveloping circle, an angle α between the central axis a and the bristle tuft 12 emanating from the plug-in point p1 is approximately 50 ° (± 10 °), in the exemplary embodiment shown 51 °. The angular distance between a first plug-in point p1 and another plug-in point p2 is approximately β = 18 °. In the case of the two plug-in points p1 and p2 considered, these are the starting points of those bristle tufts 12 which belong to two bristle tufts directly following one another along the enveloping circle line 20. In the illustration in FIG. 4 Finally, an angle γ is also shown, which is 31 ° in the embodiment shown and represents the angle between the central axis a and in the direction of rotation (illustrated by the direction arrow shown above right direction) of the side brush 10 preceding bristle tufts 12.

With the approach proposed here and a corresponding side brush 10 or two such side brushes 10 results over previous side brushes and a suction robot equipped with it a clear advantage in terms of a subjectively perceived and a measurable cleaning performance due to the better surface coverage.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

Brush pages

12

tufts

14

brush core

16

Sleeve (on / in the brush core and for receiving a bristle tuft)

18

(free)

20

Hüllkreislinie

Claims (4)

1. Side brush (10) for a vacuum cleaner, comprising a brush core (14) and bristle clusters (12) that are regularly distributed over a circumferential surface of the brush core (14), the side brush (10) comprising a plurality of bristle clusters (12), specifically at least ten bristle clusters (12), the bristle clusters (12) being arranged in at least two parallel planes on the brush core (14) and there being a plurality of bristle clusters (12) in each plane, characterised in that the tips of all the bristle clusters (12) of each of the at least two planes lie substantially on a common enveloping circular line (20).
2. Side brush (10) according to claim 1, comprising an alternating arrangement of the bristle clusters (12) in the at least two planes.
3. Side brush (10) according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the bristle clusters (12) are each fastened in a sleeve (16), and wherein each sleeve (16) is oriented approximately tangentially to the circumferential surface of the brush core (14).
4. Floor care device, in particular a robotic vacuum cleaner, comprising at least one side brush (10) according to any of the preceding claims.

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