EP3496585B2 - Wet cleaning device with a cleaning roller - Google Patents

Description

field of technology

The invention relates to a wet cleaning device with a cleaning roller which is mounted such that it can rotate about a roller axis and a roller cover which at least partially surrounds the cleaning roller in the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for regenerating a cleaning roller of a damp cleaning device, namely an independent base station designed separately from the damp cleaning device for receiving a partial area of a damp cleaning device that has a cleaning roller, the device having a roller cover for at least partially surrounding the cleaning roller in the circumferential direction.

The invention also relates to a system made up of such a device and such a wet cleaning device.

In addition, the invention also relates to a method for regenerating a cleaning roller of a damp cleaning device, wherein the cleaning roller is surrounded by a roller cover at least in the circumferential direction for regeneration operation and is rotated about a roller axis, liquid being thrown from the cleaning roller onto an inner wall of the roller cover.

State of the art

Wet cleaning devices of the aforementioned type are known in the prior art.

The DE 102 29 611 B3 discloses, for example, a wet cleaning device with a wiping body that can be driven in rotation about an axis of rotation, in which a cleaning liquid is taken from a storage tank and sprayed onto the surface of the wiping body by means of spray nozzles arranged in the direction of the axis of rotation of the wiping body. The wiping body moistened in this way is guided over a surface to be cleaned during a wiping operation, with the wiping body picking up dirt from the surface to be cleaned.

During the wiping operation, the wiping body is increasingly covered with dirt, so that regeneration becomes necessary. To do this, the wiper body is lifted off the surface to be cleaned, surrounded by a housing and sprayed with unused cleaning fluid. The wiping body rotates so that cleaning liquid and dirt are expelled from the wiping body, hit the inside of the housing and are transferred to a collection container for dirty liquid.

Summary of the Invention

Proceeding from the prior art mentioned above, it is the object of the invention to further develop a wet cleaning device in such a way that the transport of liquid within the roller cover is improved, in particular with regard to faster drainage of the liquid.

In order to achieve the aforementioned object, it is proposed that the roller cover has, at least on a partial area of an inner wall of the roller cover, a partial section of a flow guidance structure that winds helically in the axial direction, the flow guidance structure having a helical shape with a plurality of turns that merge into one another and thus liquid within the flow guidance structure to a liquid discharge port on an end side of the roller cover can convey, follows, with liquid thrown off the cleaning roller flowing through the windings one after the other, with the flow guidance structure on the inner wall of the roller cover being designed in such a way that the partial section of the flow guidance structure with a corresponding flow structure of a second roller cover of an independent base station designed separately from the wet cleaning device or with other partial areas of the inner wall of the same roll cover can be supplemented to form the helical shape.

According to the invention, the roller cover now has a flow guidance structure on the inside, which guides the liquid within the roller cover in a targeted manner. For this purpose, the flow guidance structure follows a helical shape with a plurality of turns that merge into one another and can thus convey liquid within the flow guidance structure. Contrary to a conventional non-structured inner wall of the roller cover, the liquid discharged from the cleaning roller now receives an impulse in a conveying direction when it hits the windings, which corresponds to the course of the windings in the axial direction of the roller cover. The liquid can thus be drained off in a more directed and faster manner than in the prior art, so that the cleaning roller can be regenerated more quickly overall and with better regeneration results. Since the flow guide structure is wound helically around the roll axis, the directional transport of the liquid occurs parallel to the roll axis. The pitch of the helically winding flow guide structure is advantageously constant in a direction parallel to the roll axis. However, it is also possible to provide a variation in the pitch of the windings in certain axial partial areas of the inner wall, for example in order to change the flow rate of the liquid locally.

If the roller cover of the wet cleaning device only partially surrounds the cleaning roller in the circumferential direction, i. H. only covers a certain angular range in the circumferential direction, the flow guide structure on the inner wall of the roller cover is also designed in such a way that the partial section of the flow guide structure can complement a corresponding flow structure of a second roller cover, which is provided by a base station for the wet cleaning device, to form the helical shape. In this case, the roller cover, which completely surrounds the cleaning roller in the circumferential direction, is composed of several parts, each of which provides parts of the windings of the flow guidance structure. However, it is also possible for the wet cleaning device to provide the entire roller cover, for example in the form of two half-cylinders that can be displaced relative to one another.

In principle, within the meaning of the invention, the term wet cleaning device is to be understood as meaning devices which exclusively or inter alia also allow wet cleaning. These include, on the one hand, the hand-held and automatically movable wet cleaning devices, in particular cleaning robots, and on the other hand, combined dry and wet cleaning devices, which can also carry out dry cleaning in addition to wet cleaning. In addition, in addition to conventional floor cleaning devices for cleaning a floor, this also includes wet cleaning devices for cleaning above-floor surfaces. These include, for example, devices for cleaning windows, cleaning shelves, steps, baseboards, edges and the like.

The cleaning roller can be a roller surrounded by a cleaning covering, the cleaning covering having a microfiber in particular. The regeneration operation of the wet cleaning device for regenerating the cleaning roller can preferably be carried out autonomously, so that no additional Work is caused for the user of the wet cleaning device. A sensor system of the wet cleaning device can preferably detect the degree of soiling of the cleaning roller and, depending on this, initiate a regeneration operation if necessary. If the regeneration operation is carried out entirely only in the wet cleaning device itself, the amount of liquid available is limited in order not to excessively increase the size of the wet cleaning device. However, if the cleaning roller arranged in the wet cleaning device is carried out using an external device, preferably a base station for the wet cleaning device, the size of the external device is less relevant and the stored volume of liquid can be larger. When using an external device for regeneration, the wet cleaning device can preferably also be moved into the device with a partial area and/or placed on a partial area of the device, so that the cleaning roller can be housed in combination with a roller cover of the device and the roller cover of the damp cleaning device.

It is also proposed that the roller cover of the wet cleaning device has a displaceable cover element for selectively closing and/or releasing an opening area of the roller cover, with an inner wall of the cover element having a partial section of the flow guidance structure. According to this embodiment, the roller cover of the wet cleaning device consists of two or more roller cover parts, of which a first roller cover part can be arranged stationary on a housing of the wet cleaning device and a further roller cover part is a movable cover element which can be displaced relative to the stationary roller cover part. The roller cover can thus be closed or released as desired by shifting the cover element in the circumferential direction on the one hand to allow the cleaning roller to be placed on a surface to be cleaned during a wiping operation and on the other hand to achieve a complete housing of the cleaning roller in the circumferential direction by means of the roller cover for a regeneration operation. The cover element is preferably displaced by pivoting. Alternatively, however, a linear displacement, for example along a rail or the like, is also possible. All of the roller cover parts and thus also the displaceable cover element form with their partial cutouts a common flow guidance structure for guiding the liquid discharged from the cleaning roller on the inner wall of the roller cover. Because the cleaning roller can be completely enclosed within the wet cleaning device in the circumferential direction, the wet cleaning device can carry out the regeneration operation without the aid of a base station or other device for regeneration. Thus, the wet cleaning device itself has its own device for regenerating the cleaning roller, possibly including additional components such as a liquid application device for moistening the cleaning roller, in particular liquid nozzles, dirty water channel, dirty water tank and the like.

It is proposed that at least a partial area of a peripheral surface of the cleaning roller is in mechanical contact with the flow guidance structure. As a result, during the rotation, the cleaning roller rubs completely or with at least a partial area of its peripheral surface on the inner wall of the roller cover. This creates a mechanical effect of the flow guidance structure on the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller. The peripheral surface of the cleaning roller, ie the cleaning covering of the cleaning roller, is compressed and relieved again by the windings of the flow guidance structure. This additional action on the peripheral surface, the cleaning roller with a opposite be regenerated with less liquid than the prior art. The total consumption of liquid during the regeneration operation can be as little as 25 ml, for example. So that the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller is in mechanical contact with the flow guidance structure, it is advisable to have an outer diameter of the cleaning roller or of the cleaning coating which is larger than the inner diameter of the roller cover, so that the flow guidance structure can engage, for example, with the fibers of the cleaning roller.

According to the invention, the roller cover has a liquid outlet opening at the end in relation to an axial direction, which opening can in particular have a flow connection to a liquid tank. Since the flow guidance structure conveys the liquid inside the roller cover parallel to the roller axis, the conveyance also takes place in the direction of the liquid outlet opening and can be transferred from there into a liquid tank, in particular a dirty liquid tank. Starting from the roller cover, the liquid thus reaches a liquid tank directly, so that a user of the wet cleaning device does not have to come into contact with the liquid. In addition, leakage of liquid onto the freshly cleaned surface is avoided. In addition, an air inlet opening can be provided on the end faces of the cleaning roller, so that the rotation of the cleaning roller generates an air flow that can convey the liquid spun off by the cleaning roller to the liquid outlet opening of the roller cover. Of course, the liquid outlet opening is arranged on that end side of the roller cover which corresponds to the conveying direction of the flow guidance structure, which depends on the direction of rotation of the cleaning roller. If the cleaning roller rotates in opposite directions during the regeneration operation (or possibly also during the wiping operation). can be rotated, liquid outlet holes on both end sides of the roller cover are recommended.

It is further proposed that at least between two windings of the flow guidance structure a displaceable adjusting element is arranged, which can be moved from an open position releasing a winding for the continuous flow into a subsequent winding into a separating position preventing the continuous flow, the adjusting element being rotatable and/or or pivotable. The proposed adjusting element can switch over a flow path of the liquid within the flow guidance structure in the manner of a shunt. Thus, the continuous, helically wound flow guide structure can be either interrupted or released. For example, liquid flowing within a turn can be guided such that it remains, for example, within the same turn without advancing in the axial direction. In a first position, the open position, the actuating element is preferably aligned parallel to the direction of flow of the liquid within the respective winding, so that the liquid can flow unhindered along the flow guidance structure following the course of the winding. In a second position, the disconnected position, the actuating element is shifted into the flow path of the liquid, so that the liquid can no longer follow the helical shape in the axial direction, but rather is guided back into the previous turn and thus essentially in a ring shape between two adjacent ones turns. It is also possible that the actuating element in an open position enables a flow of the liquid in an axially advancing direction, but switches a flow path in which a turn is skipped. This accelerates the evacuation of the liquid within the roller cover.

In particular, it makes sense for the flow guidance structure to have a large number of adjusting elements, which are arranged in adjacent turns. The adjusting elements can be designed in the manner of a pivotable flap or, for example, can be arranged on a rotatable rotary element. For example, it is also possible for two or more adjusting elements to be arranged on the same rotary element in order to achieve a desired switching position between the windings.

In particular, it is proposed that the actuating element can be displaced by means of an actuator, with the flow guidance structure having in particular a plurality of actuating elements which can be displaced simultaneously by means of a common actuator. This configuration allows several or all of the actuating elements to be displaced simultaneously by a common actuator via a mechanical coupling. The actuator can in particular be an electric motor, which can act on all adjusting elements or rotary elements via a mechanism. The more adjusting elements are used within the flow guidance structure, the more uniformly the presence or the speed of the liquid can be adjusted over the axial length of the roller cover. The regeneration success of the cleaning roller is thus particularly homogeneous over the longitudinal extent of the cleaning roller. The shifting of all actuating elements into the disconnected position advantageously triggers an intensive washing process of the cleaning roller during the regeneration operation, since the liquid or the respective liquid components remain in the respective winding and interact several times with the same axial section of the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller. The liquid can only be transferred to the following winding and continue to follow the helical flow guidance structure when the adjusting elements are moved back into the open position. In addition to the liquid that is already present in the cleaning roller, additional liquid can also be filled into the roller housing, for example be discharged onto the cleaning roller with the aid of spray nozzles, so that the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller is moved through the liquid standing at a lowest point in the roller cover, as in a washing machine.

Furthermore, it is proposed that a width of a turn of the flow guidance structure can be changed. For this purpose, the flow guidance structure can in particular be formed at least partially from a flexible material and/or be adjustable with respect to the width of the winding by means of an actuator. By increasing or decreasing the width of the coil, the spacing between adjacent coils can be increased or decreased, resulting in a change in the pitch of the helical shape of the flow guide structure. This affects the velocity of the liquid within the flow guide structure. In addition, the reduction or enlargement of the flow path within the coil leads to an increase or decrease in the local flow velocity. In a particularly simple embodiment, the inner wall of the roller cover or the roller cover as a whole can be made of a flexible material, preferably an elastic plastic, and can be pulled apart or pushed together in the area of certain turns by means of a sliding mechanism, for example, so that the turns concerned are stretched or compressed become. Alternatively, the flow guidance structure can also be designed in the manner of a bellows. A sliding mechanism acting on the flow guidance structure can either only be assigned to a specific winding or also to a number of windings.

In addition to the proposed wet cleaning device, a device for regenerating a cleaning roller of a wet cleaning device is also proposed, which device is separate from the wet cleaning device is a trained, independent base station for receiving a partial area of a wet cleaning device that has a cleaning roller. It is proposed that this device has a roller cover for at least partially surrounding the cleaning roller in the circumferential direction, the roller cover having a partial section of a flow guide structure winding helically in the axial direction at least on a partial area of an inner wall of the roller cover.

According to the invention, the proposed device is a device designed separately from the wet cleaning device, namely an independent base station designed separately from the wet cleaning device, into which a wet cleaning device can be inserted at least with a partial area. The proposed device has a roller cover which only partially surrounds the cleaning roller in the circumferential direction. At least on a partial area of its inner wall, this roller cover has a partial section of a flow guide structure previously proposed with regard to the wet cleaning device. Since the device is a base station, into which a section of the wet cleaning device including the cleaning roller and the roller cover of the wet cleaning device is inserted, the roller cover is composed of the roller cover of the wet cleaning device and the roller cover of the regeneration device, namely the base station, in the circumferential direction . The windings of the flow guidance structure are thus provided partly (in particular an angular range) by the wet cleaning device and partly by the regeneration device. Overall, the cleaning roller is completely enclosed in the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, with the invention, a system consisting of a device, in particular the device described above, and a wet cleaning device of the type mentioned above, with the roller covers of the device and the wet cleaning device corresponding to one another in terms of their shape in such a way that the cleaning roller can be completely surrounded by the roller covers in the circumferential direction and the partial sections of the flow guidance structure on both sides complement each other to form a continuous helically winding overall structure. In particular, the wet cleaning device can have all the features explained above, particularly preferably mechanical contact between the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller and the flow guidance structure, a roller cover with liquid outlet openings, adjusting elements and the like. The advantages of the system arise as explained above in relation to the regeneration device or the wet cleaning device.

Finally, the invention also proposes a method for regenerating a cleaning roller of a wet cleaning device, wherein the cleaning roller is surrounded by a roller cover at least in the circumferential direction for regeneration operation and is rotated about a roller axis, liquid being thrown from the cleaning roller onto an inner wall of the roller cover and there along a helically winding flow guide structure in the axial direction and towards a liquid outlet opening of the roll cover, the flow guide structure following a helical shape with merging turns, the turns conveying liquid within the flow guide structure to the liquid outlet opening at one end face of the roll cover, and wherein from the Liquid thrown off by the cleaning roller flows through the windings one after the other. The liquid thrown off the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller and/or possibly also additionally sprayed liquid onto the surface of the cleaning roller is conveyed to the inner wall of the roller cover by means of the flow guide structure, depending on the direction of rotation of the cleaning roller out and thus promoted specifically within the roll cover, namely in the axial direction, which is defined by the helical helix. In this case, the flow guidance structure can additionally serve to act mechanically on the cleaning roller when it comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller, in that the peripheral surface is cyclically compressed and relieved when the cleaning roller rotates. The dwell time of the liquid in individual turns of the flow guidance structure can be influenced by displaceable adjusting elements which force the liquid within the flow guidance structure into specific orbits, for example on a recurring annular path of a turn or by skipping a turn by means of an adjusting element. In particular, it is also proposed that the gradient of the flow guidance structure be changed with the aid of flexible windings. As already explained above, this can be achieved, for example, by widening or compressing one or more windings. The stretching or compression can be achieved by the mechanical action of an actuator.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the cleaning roller is completely surrounded by the roller cover and that liquid is additionally introduced into the volume surrounded by the roller cover until the cleaning roller dips into the liquid with a circumferential section that is the deepest in relation to a vertical direction, in particular with an immersion depth of approx. 1mm to 10mm. The cleaning roller thus rotates through the liquid inside the roller cover, which is partially filled with liquid, as is usual, for example, in a washing machine. Optionally, the cleaning roller can also be sprayed with liquid. Dirt and liquid are thrown against the inner wall of the roller cover and thus also against the flow guide structure by the centrifugal force generated during the rotation of the cleaning roller preferably held as a function of the current position of one or more actuating elements over a certain dwell time in a specific axial portion of the roller cover. During regeneration, a peripheral section of the cleaning roller is continuously immersed in the liquid in the roller cover, so that the fibers of a cleaning coating are gradually washed out as the cleaning roller rotates. In order to ensure that the fibers or the peripheral section of the cleaning roller are submerged, depending on the absorption capacity of the cleaning coating, additional amounts of liquid of approx Immersion depth of about 4 mm can be achieved. During the washing process, the cleaning roller can be rotated at a rotational speed of, for example, 1500 revolutions per minute to 6000 revolutions per minute, in particular 4500 revolutions per minute. However, significantly lower rotational speeds, for example from 300 revolutions per minute to 450 revolutions per minute, may also be possible by possibly increasing the dwell time of the cleaning roller in a specific rotational position. Overall, a particularly effective regeneration process for the cleaning roller is thus created.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1

ein erfindungsgemäßes Feuchtreinigungsgerät,

Fig. 2

einen Teilbereich des Feuchtreinigungsgerätes mit einer Walzenabdeckung und einer Reinigungswalze während eines Wischbetriebs,

Fig. 3

den Teilbereich des Feuchtreinigungsgerätes während eines Regenerationsbetriebs,

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Prinzip-Skizze einer Walzenabdeckung,

Fig. 5

eine Strömungsführungsstruktur einer Walzenabdeckung mit Stellelementen in einer Öffnungsstellung,

Fig. 6

eine Abwicklung (Prinzip-Skizze) der Strömungsführungsstruktur gemäß Figur 5,

Fig. 7

die Strömungsführungsstruktur mit Stellelementen in einer Trennstellung,

Fig. 8

eine Abwicklung (Prinzip-Skizze) der Strömungsführungsstruktur gemäß Figur 7,

Fig. 9

eine Strömungsführungsstruktur gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform in einer Öffnungsstellung,

Fig. 10

die Strömungsführungsstruktur gemäß Figur 9 in einer Trennstellung,

Fig. 11

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Innenwandung einer Walzenabdeckung mit gestauchten bzw. gestreckten Windungen.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments. Show it:

1

a wet cleaning device according to the invention,

2

a portion of the wet cleaning device with a roller cover and a cleaning roller during a wiping operation,

3

the sub-area of the wet cleaning device during a regeneration operation,

4

a perspective principle sketch of a roller cover,

figure 5

a flow guidance structure of a roller cover with adjusting elements in an open position,

6

according to a development (principle sketch) of the flow control structure figure 5 ,

7

the flow guidance structure with control elements in a disconnected position,

8

according to a development (principle sketch) of the flow control structure figure 7 ,

9

a flow guidance structure according to a second embodiment in an open position,

10

the flow guide structure according to figure 9 in a disconnected position

11

a perspective view of an inner wall of a roll cover with compressed or stretched windings.

Description of the embodiments

figure 1 shows a wet cleaning device 1, which is designed here as a damp mopping device with a base device 22 and an attachment 23. A handle 25 with a handle 26 is arranged on the base device 22, by means of which a user can guide the wet cleaning device 1 over a surface to be cleaned. The handle 25 is advantageously designed to be telescopic here, so that a user can adjust the height of the wet cleaning device 1 to his body size. During a normal wiping operation, the user shifts the wet cleaning device 1 in a back and forth motion over the surface to be cleaned, alternately pushing the wet cleaning device 1 away from and pulling it towards him.

A tank (not shown) for cleaning liquid is arranged in the attachment 23 . Liquid can be filled into the tank via a filler neck 24 . Furthermore, a cleaning roller 3 is arranged in the attachment 23 and can be rotated about a roller axis 2 . The roller axis 2 is essentially perpendicular to a normal direction of movement of the wet cleaning device 1. The liquid can be released from the tank onto the surface of the cleaning roller 3 in order to moisten it.

During a wiping operation, the cleaning roller 3 rotates about the roller axis 2, so that the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller 3 continuously rolls on the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning roller 3 is usually wrapped with a cleaning covering, preferably a microfiber covering, optionally with an intermediate layer of a sponge body that stores additional liquid. During the wiping operation, dirt is constantly deposited on a peripheral surface of the cleaning roller 3 . Therefore, after a certain period of operation, the cleaning roller 3 may need to be regenerated with dirt and dirt-loaded liquid being removed from the cleaning roller 3 during a regeneration operation. For this purpose, the cleaning roller 3 is rotated and dirt and liquid loaded with dirt are thrown off the cleaning roller 3 . The spun-off liquid can be collected and fed to a collection container.

figure 2 shows a portion of the wet cleaning device 1, which has the cleaning roller 3. The cleaning roller 3 is assigned a roller cover 4 in the circumferential direction, which has an opening area 8 which can be closed with a displaceable cover element 7 of the roller cover 4 . In the illustration shown, the roller cover 4 is in an open position during a wiping operation of the wet cleaning device 1. The opening area 8 is open and the cover element 7 is moved into the attachment 23, so that the cleaning roller 3 is not completely surrounded by the roller cover 4 in the circumferential direction . The roller axis 2 of the cleaning roller 3 is at the same time also the axis of rotation for the displacement of the cover element 7 . The roller cover 4 has an inner wall 5 facing the cleaning roller 3 .

figure 3 shows the in figure 2 illustrated portion of the wet cleaning device 1 during a regeneration operation, in which the cleaning roller 3 is completely surrounded by the roller cover 4 in the circumferential direction. The cover element 7 is shifted into the opening area 8 and closes it completely. At the same time, the cleaning roller 3 is also lifted off the surface to be cleaned, ie moved into the attachment 23, which is achieved by a mechanical system of the wet cleaning device 1, which is not shown.

figure 4 shows a view into the roller cover 4 (without the cleaning roller). The roller cover 4 forms a housing that is completely closed in the circumferential direction. A flow guide structure 6 is formed on the inner wall 5 of the roller cover 4 and has a large number of windings 9 to 12 . This flow guidance structure 6 forms a helical shape which continues in the axial direction and which is formed on the cover element 7 on the one hand and on the other areas of the roller cover 4 on the other hand. The windings 9 to 12 merge into one another and have a continuous pitch and helical shape.

As in the Figures 2 to 4 shown, the cleaning roller 3 and the roller cover 4 can be designed to correspond to each other such that the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller 3 touches the inner wall 5 of the roller cover 4 . In this case, the flow guidance structure 6 acts mechanically on the cleaning roller 3 and compresses and relieves the peripheral surface by means of the successive windings 9 to 12. In relation to the embodiment shown here, the cleaning roller 3 rotates clockwise, whereby the liquid thrown off the cleaning roller 3 is conveyed as in the in figure 4 principle sketch shown on the right. The roller cover 4 advantageously has a liquid outlet opening (not shown) on both end regions, through which the liquid can leave the roller cover 4 in the direction of a liquid tank.

The Figures 5 to 8 show a first embodiment of the invention, in which the flow guidance structure 6 has adjusting elements 13, 14 between successive turns 9 to 12. The adjusting elements 13, 14 are arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction in the course of the merging turns 9,12, so that in the figures 5 and 7 not all control elements are visible. The adjusting elements 13, 14 are flap elements arranged in a wall element between adjacent turns 9 to 12, which can be displaced relative to the walls, namely pivoted. The displacement takes place simultaneously for all control elements 13, 14 by means of an actuator, not shown, which preferably acts mechanically on the control elements 13, 14. In the illustrations, liquid thrown off the cleaning roller 3 flows from right to left through the roller cover 4 and thus flows through the windings 12, 11, 10, 9 (in this order) one after the other, see principle sketch on the left. According to the situation in figure 5 the adjusting elements 13, 14 are not shifted into the flow path formed by the turns 9 to 12, so that the liquid can flow unhindered from one turn 10 to 12 into the subsequent turn 9 to 11 and finally reach the liquid outlet opening. The figure 6 shows a development of the inner wall 5 of the roller cover 4, in which the arrangement of the adjusting elements 13, 14 between the turns 9 to 12 can be seen. The adjusting elements 13, 14 are preferably distributed at equidistant intervals in the circumferential direction of the roller cover 4, namely along the flow guide structure 6, which is formed by the turns 9 to 12.

The Figures 7 and 8 show the roller cover 4 with the adjusting elements 13, 14 shifted into a disconnected position. The adjusting elements 13, 14 are shifted out of the plane of the wall element arranged between adjacent turns 9 to 12, so that a flow path formed within a turn 9 to 12 is blocked. In this disconnected position, the liquid, which flows in a flow direction from right to left, cannot, for example, get from turn 11 into turn 10 on the left next to it, or from turn 10 into turn 9 on the left next to it (at least not in relation to a complete Circulation in this turn 9, 10). Rather, the liquid is fed back into the winding 11 or 10, so that essentially an annular flow path results, which does not promote the liquid in the axial direction of the Roller cover 4 causes. In this separating position, the individual portions of liquid each flow continuously circulating in the same winding 9 to 12, so that a specific axial partial area of the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller 3 is washed by the liquid. This results in an intensive cleaning of the cleaning roller 3 in the axial direction during the duration of the disconnected position.

The roller cover 4 can also be flooded with liquid via inlet openings (not shown), so that at least the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller 3 that is currently at a lowest point of the roller cover 4 in relation to a vertical direction is immersed in the liquid and, when the cleaning roller 3 rotates, as in a washing machine can be washed out. Once the actuators 13, 14 back into the Figures 7 and 8 shown separation position in the figures 5 and 6 If the opening position shown is shifted, the liquid can be transferred from one turn 10 to 12 to the next turn 9 to 11, so that the liquid is conveyed along the flow guide structure 6 from right to left.

The Figures 9 and 10 show a second embodiment, in which the flow guidance structure 6 has adjusting elements 15 to 18 arranged in pairs. The adjusting elements 15 to 18 are arranged in pairs on a rotating element 20, 21, namely the adjusting elements 15 and 16 on a first rotating element 20 and the adjusting elements 17 and 18 on a second rotating element 21. The rotating elements 20, 21 are simultaneously by means of a actuator, not shown, is displaceable, namely rotatable within the flow guidance structure 6, with the actuating element 15 being displaced within the winding 9, the actuating element 16 within the winding 10, the actuating element 17 likewise within the winding 10 and the actuating element 18 within the winding 11.

figure 9 shows an open position of the separating elements 15 to 18, in which liquid can flow from the turn 11 directly into the turn 9. Turn 10 is skipped. As a result, the liquid can be guided more quickly in the axial direction of the roller cover 4, so that the roller cover 4 can be freed from liquid more quickly.

In contrast, shows figure 10 a disconnected position of the adjusting elements 15 to 18, in which further transport of the liquid from the coil 11 into the coil 10 or from the coil 10 into the coil 9 is interrupted. This is achieved in that the helix 11 or the helix 10 is switched over by the adjusting elements 15 to 18 in such a way that the flow paths branch back onto themselves after each 360 degree revolution within the roller cover 4 . In this configuration too, the dwell time of the liquid on the respective axial section of the cleaning roller 3 achieved by the separated position of the adjusting elements 15 to 18 can be used to intensively wash the corresponding peripheral section, in particular in connection with a liquid column within the roller cover 4, through which the rotating cleaning roller 3 is moved.

As soon as the actuating elements 15 to 18 are moved from the disconnected position according to figure 10 to the open position according to figure 9 are shifted, the liquid is conveyed further in the axial direction, which corresponds to a flow of the liquid from right to left in the illustrations.

The figure 11 Finally, FIG. 1 shows a further embodiment of the invention, in which the flow guidance structure 6 is formed from a flexible material, here for example plastic. The flow guidance structure 6 has successive windings 9 to 12 which each have a width 19 parallel to an axial direction of the roll axis 2 . Actuators, not shown, act on the turns 9 to 12, which the width 19 of the turns 9 to 12 can vary due to the flexibility of the material. The actuators can preferably be shifted to the windings 9, 10 in a direction to the left in the illustration, so that the windings 9, 10 are stretched and the windings 11 retain their previous width. Due to the increased pitch of the turns 9, 10, the liquid in the turns 9 and 10 is transported at a higher speed than the turns 11, 12. As a result, the action of the liquid on the axially assigned partial area of the cleaning roller 3 can be achieved for a shorter period of time.

Claims (11)

1. Wet cleaning device (1) with a cleaning roller (3) rotatably mounted about a roller axis (2), and a roller cover (4) at least partially surrounding the cleaning roller (3) in the circumferential direction, characterised in that the roller cover (4), at least in a portion of an inner wall (5) of the roller cover (4), comprises a part of a flow guide structure (6) winding helically in the axial direction, wherein the flow guiding structure (6) follows a helical shape with a plurality of turns (9, 10, 11, 12) which merge into each other and can thus convey liquid within the flow guide structure (6) to a liquid outlet opening at an end side of the roller cover (4), wherein liquid spun off from the cleaning roller (3) flows through the turns (9, 10, 11, 12) in succession, wherein the flow guide structure (6) is formed on the inner wall (5) of the roller cover (4) in such a manner that the partial section of the flow guide structure (6) can be supplemented with a corresponding flow structure of a second roller cover of an independent base station formed separately to the wet cleaning device (1) or with other partial regions of the inner wall (5) of the same roller cover (4) to form the helical shape.
2. Wet cleaning device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the roller cover (4) comprises a movable cover element (7) for optionally closing and/or unblocking an opening region (8) of the roller cover (4), an inner wall (5) of the cover element (7) comprising a part of the flow guide structure (6).
3. Wet cleaning device (1) according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that at least a portion of a circumferential surface of the cleaning roller (3) has mechanical contact with the flow guide structure (6).
4. We cleaning device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the liquid outlet opening has a flow connection with a liquid tank.
5. Wet cleaning device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a movable adjustment element (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) is arranged at least between two turns (9, 10, 11, 12) of the flow guide structure (6), which adjustment element can be moved from an open position, which unblocks a turn (9, 10, 11, 12) for continuous flow into a subsequent turn (9, 10, 11, 12), into a disconnected position which prevents continuous flow, the adjustment element (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) being in particular rotatable and/ or pivotable.
6. Wet cleaning device (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the adjustment element (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) can be moved by means of an actuator, the flow guide structure (6) in particular comprising a plurality of adjustment elements (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) which can be moved simultaneously by means of a common actuator.
7. Wet cleaning device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a width (19) of a turn (9, 10, 11, 12) of the flow guide structure (6) can be changed, the flow guide structure (6) in particular being made at least in part from a flexible material and/or the width (19) being adjustable by means of an actuator.
8. Apparatus for regenerating a cleaning roller (3) of a wet cleaning device (1), namely an independent base station formed separately from the wet cleaning device (1) for receiving a portion of a wet cleaning device (1) that comprises a cleaning roller (3), the apparatus comprising a roller cover for at least partially surrounding the cleaning roller (3) in the circumferential direction, characterized in that the roller cover, at least in a portion of an inner wall of the roller cover, comprises a part of a flow guide structure (6) winding helically in the axial direction, wherein it is possible for the roller cover of the device to be assembled with a roller cover (4) of the wet cleaning device (1) in the circumferential direction to form a common roller cover (4), and windings of the flow guide structure (6) can be provided proportionally, namely an angular portion, by the wet cleaning device (1) and proportionally, namely an angular portion, by the regeneration device, so that a complete circumferential enclosure of the cleaning roller (3) is produced, wherein the flow guide structure (6) follows a helical shape with a plurality of turns (9, 10, 11, 12) which merge into each other and can thus convey liquid within the flow guide structure (6) to a liquid outlet opening at an end side of the roller cover (4) of the wet cleaning device (1), wherein liquid spun off from the cleaning roller (3) flows through the turns (9, 10, 11, 12) in succession.
9. System consisting of an apparatus according to claim 8 and a wet cleaning device according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the roller covers (4) of the apparatus and of the wet cleaning device (1) correspond to one another in terms of their shape such that the cleaning roller (3) can be completely surrounded in the circumferential direction by the roller covers (4) and the parts of the flow guide structure (6) on both sides complement one another to form a continuous, helically winding overall structure.
10. Method for regenerating a cleaning roller (3) of a wet cleaning device (1), the cleaning roller (3), for a regeneration operation, being surrounded completely at least in the circumferential direction by a roller cover (4) and being rotated about a roller axis (2), liquid from the cleaning roller (3) being spun off onto an inner wall (5) of the roller cover (4), characterised in that the liquid on the inner wall (5) of the roller cover (4) flows along a flow guide structure (6) winding helically in the axial direction and towards a liquid outlet opening in the roller cover (4), wherein the flow guide structure (6) follows a helical shape with turns (9, 10, 11, 12) which merge into each other, wherein the turns (9, 10, 11, 12) convey liquid within the flow guide structure (6) to the liquid outlet opening at an end side of the roller cover (4), and wherein liquid spun off from the cleaning roller (3) flows through the turns (9, 10, 11, 12) in succession.
11. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that additionally liquid is introduced into the volume surrounded by the roller cover (4) until a circumferential portion of the cleaning roller (3) that is lowest relative to a vertical direction is immersed in the liquid, in particular at an immersion depth of approximately 1 mm to 10 mm.

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