EP3922154B1 - Suction robot and cleaning station - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a robotic vacuum cleaner and a cleaning station. In particular, the invention relates to a robotic vacuum cleaner with a housing which has a suction mouth on the underside for sucking in air and dirt particles and a suction chamber with a suction channel leading out of the suction chamber for transporting air and dirt particles away, and a rotatable brush roller arranged in the suction chamber for picking up Dirt particles that can be transported away to the suction channel, and a cleaning station for such vacuum robots.

With such a vacuum robot, there is the problem that elongated dirt particles such as hair picked up on the brush roller unfavorably wind around the brush roller and the user must therefore frequently clean the brush roller, which is also often time-consuming and unhygienic.

From the WO 2017/200233 A1 a vacuum robot is known which has a blade which can engage in the brush roller in order to be able to cut through elongated dirt particles such as hair by means of the blade. However, the elongated dirt particles are not automatically cleaned off. In addition, the cleaning is not sufficient because the brush roller picks up elongated dirt particles poorly and does not allow the elongated dirt particles to be completely removed. There is therefore still a need to effectively remove elongated dirt particles from a brush roller of a robotic vacuum cleaner.

The invention therefore faces the problem of providing a robotic vacuum cleaner and a cleaning station for robotic vacuum cleaners which effectively remove elongated dirt particles from a brush roller of the robotic vacuum cleaner.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a vacuum robot having the features of patent claim 1 and a cleaning station having the features of patent claim 11 . Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention result from the following dependent claims.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention are that the brush roller is automatically cleaned of wrapped, elongated dirt particles when the cutting wheel is rotated.

The invention relates to a robotic vacuum cleaner with a housing which has a suction mouth on the underside for sucking in air and dirt particles and a suction chamber with a suction channel leading out of the suction chamber for transporting air and dirt particles away, and a rotatable brush roller arranged in the suction chamber for picking up dirt particles , which can be transported away to the suction channel, and a cutting wheel which is designed to perform a rolling cutting function on elongated dirt particles located on the brush roller when it is rotated.

• einen Borstwalzenkörper,
• einen Sammelbereich, welcher derart ausgebildet ist, dass sich bei Betrieb langgestreckte Schmutzpartikel an und/oder in ihm ansammeln,
• mehrere Borsten, welche mit dem Borstwalzenkörper fest verbunden sind,

• elastische Lamellen, welche mit dem Borstwalzenkörper fest verbunden sind, welche im Borstwalzenquerschnitt in Umfangrichtung bezogen auf die Walzendrehrichtung in einem vorbestimmten Abstand hinter den Borsten positioniert sind und welche eine auf die langgestreckten Schmutzpartikel einwirkende Querkraftkomponente in einer axialer Richtung der Borstwalze aufweisen, die ausreichend ist, die langestreckten Schmutzpartikel in den Sammelbereich zu transportieren, wobei das Schneidrad derart angeordnet und ausgebildet ist, die Rollschneidfunktion auf sich im Sammelbereich befindende langgestreckte Schmutzpartikel auszuüben, wenn es in Drehung versetzt wird.

In a preferred embodiment, the brush roller has:

• a brush roller body,
• a collection area which is designed in such a way that elongated dirt particles collect on and/or in it during operation,
• several bristles, which are firmly connected to the brush roller body,

• elastic lamellae, which are firmly connected to the brush roller body, which are positioned in the cross section of the brush roller in the circumferential direction in relation to the roller rotation direction at a predetermined distance behind the bristles and which have a transverse force component acting on the elongated dirt particles in an axial direction of the brush roller, which is sufficient, transporting the elongate dirt particles into the collection area, the cutting wheel being arranged and adapted to perform the rolling cutting function on elongate dirt particles located in the collection area when rotated.

In this way, the elongated dirt particles are collected in one or more defined areas of the brush roller and are completely severed there so that they can be removed and/or sucked off. The elongated dirt particles picked up by the brush roller are therefore broken up in a defined collection area and then cleaned off.

The elongated dirt particles picked up by the brush roller during the cleaning process do not get caught in the bristles due to the arrangement of bristles and elastic lamellae. Rather, the elongated dirt particles on the brush roller are transported in the axial direction of the brush roller in the direction of the collection area due to the transverse force component acting on the elongated dirt particles through the lamellae. Automated shredding and cleaning of the elongated dirt particles can then take place in this collection area. This is accompanied by the aspect that cleaning performance is usually improved with stiffer bristles, which is achieved here due to the supporting effect of the adjacently arranged lamellae.

The elongated dirt particles are in particular fibers such as hair. The brush roller body is cylindrical, preferably as a hollow cylinder, which has a roller axis that represents an axis of rotation. The transverse force component is a force component that acts parallel to the roller axis of the brush roller body. The collection area can be segmented, i.e. have several partial areas spaced apart from one another. Furthermore, the collection area can have a cleaning point, which enables the elongated dirt particles to be cleaned off from the collection area. The collection area is designed in such a way that the elongated dirt particles that are collected in it during the cleaning process of the vacuum robot can wind around it. The suction chamber is designed to build up a negative pressure, which is generated during operation by means of a fan of the vacuum robot. The suction chamber is open on an underside and has an elongated opening, namely the suction mouth. Furthermore, the vacuum robot has a collection container for collecting the dirt particles.

The lamellae preferably have an effective lamella diameter which is defined by the outermost points of action of the lamellae and which is smaller than or more preferably equal to an effective bristle diameter of the bristles which is defined by the outermost points of action of the bristles. It is thus still possible to pick up elongated dirt particles from a substrate to be vacuumed, such as a floor, when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in operation. The effective diameter of the slats is preferably in the range from 34 mm to 44 mm. The effective diameter of the bristles is preferably in the range from 37 mm to 47 mm. An outer diameter of the brush roller body is preferably in the range of 13.5 to 23.5 mm. The diameter of the collecting area preferably corresponds to the outside diameter of the brush roller body.

In a preferred embodiment, a helix of the bristles and a further helix of the lamellae positioned behind them have a twist about the axis of rotation of the brush roller body which, on one or more sections, is ≥90°, preferably ≥120°, more preferably ≥150°, even more preferably equal to 180° ° is. The helix of ≥90° runs on a partial section of the brush roller body, which is preferably less than or equal to a distance between the ends of the brush roller body and the cleaning point or, if no cleaning point is provided, to a plane in which a direction of the helix reverses . The brush roller body preferably has an axis section in which a twisting direction of the twisting is reversed. In an alternative embodiment, the helix of ≧90° runs along the entire width of the brush roller without reversing a twisting direction.

The collection area is preferably formed equidistant to the ends of the brush roller body. Alternatively, preferably, the collection area is arranged at a distance from one of the two ends of the brush roller body that is different from a further distance at which the collection area is arranged from the other end of the brush roller body. The collection area can also be formed at one or both of the two ends of the brush roller body. In this way, elongated dirt particles that affect the lateral bearing points of the brush roller body can be collected and, if necessary, cleaned off. The brush roller body outer diameter of the brush roller body preferably varies at the corresponding end on which the collection area is formed. By increasing the outer diameter of the brush roller body at the end of the brush roller body where the collection area is located, it can be achieved, for example, that the elongated dirt particles do not migrate further into the lateral bearing points.

The collection area can be segmented. That is, it can have several separate sub-areas. For example, a portion may be formed equidistant from both ends of the brush roller body and further portions may be formed at one or both ends of the brush roller body, thereby forming three different collection portion portions.

A lateral surface of the brush roller body in the collection area is preferably made of a glass-fibre-free plastic. For example, it is a two-component injection-moulded component made of a material such as PP (polypropylene), POM (polyoxymethylene or polyacetal), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PE (polyethylene), PC (polycarbonate) and/or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene). -styrene copolymer) formed.

In a preferred embodiment, the collection point is designed without bristles and lamellae. This enables good manual or automatic cleaning. The collection area is preferably formed by an area of the brush roller body to which no lamellae or bristles are attached and which is arranged axially adjacent to another area of the brush roller body which has lamellae and bristles. In an alternative embodiment, it is conceivable to design the collection point without bristles with a lamella. The arrangement of slats in the collection point facilitates their manual cleaning.

A width of the collection area is preferably less than a sum of the cutting wheel width plus 5mm. Preferably, the collection area or its partial area, on which the cutting wheel is arranged, is formed centrally in the brush roller body. The cutting wheel width is preferably in the range of 1.0 to 10.0 mm.

The cutting wheel is preferably in contact with an outer surface, i.e. the outer surface of the brush roller body, and is preferably also set in rotation by its rotation in order to perform the rotary cutting function on elongated dirt particles wound around the outer surface:
A rotational speed of the brush roller in the cleaning mode, ie when the elongated dirt particles are cleaned off by it, is preferably in the range from 50 to 3000, more preferably 100 to 2000 ^rpm .

The cutting wheel is preferably arranged and designed in such a way that it can be actuated by rotating the brush roller, i.e. it can be rotated. The cutting wheel is preferably in contact with the brush roller body in such a way that it is set in rotation by rotation of the brush roller body, for example when the robotic vacuum cleaner is in operation and is carrying out a cleaning process and the brush roller is rotating.

Alternatively or additionally preferably, the cutting wheel is arranged and designed in such a way that it can be actuated by a user. That is, it can be moved to and from the brush roller by the user.

Alternatively or additionally preferably, the cutting wheel is arranged and designed in such a way that it can be actuated by an external device. That is, it can be moved to and from the brush roller from the external device. The external device is preferably a cleaning station for robotic vacuum cleaners, which is designed to empty the robotic vacuum cleaner by itself picking up the dirt particles picked up by it.

The cutting wheel is preferably constantly active when the brush roller of the vacuum robot is rotating. Alternatively, the cutting wheel is preferably designed to be able to act only after activation, e.g. by a mechanism in the vacuum robot or in the cleaning station. For example, the cutting wheel is connected to the brush roller via a mechanism which correspondingly moves the cutting wheel to and from the brush roller. The mechanism is, for example, a spring-lever mechanism. The mechanism can be mechanical, magnet or motor driven.

The cutting wheel is preferably designed without incisions and/or damage to human skin. As a result, the cutting wheel is designed in such a way that a hazard to the user is minimized or ruled out. A preferred embodiment provides for a reduction in the cutting depth of the cutting wheel. Preferred configurations for this, which can be implemented individually or together, are as follows: The cutting wheel preferably has a large number of cutting edges. This results in a dense accumulation of cutting edges of the cutting wheel. The cutting wheel preferably has a Cutting contour depth in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 mm. The potential cutting depth is therefore small. The cutting wheel preferably has one or more chamfers, radii and/or blunt elements. The chamfers, radii, blunt elements act as security elements and/or security zones. The cutting wheel preferably has a cutting angle between faces of individual cutting elements in the range of 20° to 90°. As a result, the cutting angle is relatively large. The cutting wheel is preferably arranged in a cutting wheel housing. The cutting wheel housing is configured to prevent and/or minimize user intervention in the cutting wheel. The cutting wheel is preferably mounted on an axle, so that application of a shearing force is prevented.

The cutting wheel preferably has the basic shape of a disc. The cutting wheel preferably has a cutting contour provided with cutting elements. The cutting elements are teeth, for example, so that the cutting wheel has teeth. The cutting wheel is preferably designed as a spur gear. The spur gear can have straight teeth, ie teeth parallel to the axis, or helical teeth. The teeth may be formed from multiple disks of different sizes bonded together, or formed into a one-piece cutting wheel. The teeth preferably have a tooth depth in the range from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the cutting wheel is designed as a disk with a cutting wheel width or thickness in the range from 1 mm to 10 mm, more preferably <5 mm. Alternatively or additionally preferably, the cutting wheel is designed as a disc with a diameter in the range from 10 mm to 30 mm, more preferably 20 mm. Alternatively or additionally, the cutting wheel is designed as a disc with a diameter that is greater than or equal to the diameter of the brush roller and/or the brush roller body. Alternatively or additionally preferably, the cutting wheel is designed as a disc, the axis of which defines an axis of rotation of the cutting wheel and which is mounted so that it can rotate freely. Preferably, it is freely rotatably mounted on a ball bearing.

In a preferred embodiment, the cutting wheel is made of a metal or a ceramic. The cutting wheel is preferably made of free-cutting steel, manufactured by machining, for example made of high-grade steel. Alternatively, the cutting wheel is preferably made of tool steel, manufactured by machining. Alternatively, the cutting wheel is preferably made of hardened and ground steel. This embodiment is advantageous for a long service life of the cutting wheel. Alternatively, the cutting wheel is preferably made of hard metal and/or knife steel. Alternatively, the cutting wheel is preferably made of ceramic.

The cutting wheel can have several possible contours. The cutting wheel preferably has a large number of axially running cutting edges on a lateral surface of the cutting wheel. It is designed, for example, as a spur gear. In a preferred Embodiment, at least one axially running cutting edge can have a blunt cutting edge. Alternatively, the cutting wheel preferably has a large number of cutting edges running in a spiral shape on a lateral surface of the cutting wheel. It is designed, for example, as a helical spur gear. Alternatively, the cutting wheel preferably has a cutting contour running in the direction of rotation. Alternatively, the cutting wheel preferably has a cutting contour made up of one or more rotary cutting blades and a number of safety contours in the form of bevels, radii and/or blunt elements, for example blunt disks, which adjoin the rotary cutting blades. The rotary cutting blades had a cutting angle of between 10 and 45 degrees. This prevents or at least reduces a dangerous cutting depth of the cutting wheel.

In a preferred embodiment, the cutting wheel is arranged in the cutting wheel housing, the cutting wheel being clipped into the cutting wheel housing so that it is mounted on the cutting wheel housing. The storage there is preferably realized by means of locking lugs. Alternatively or additionally, the cutting wheel is clipped into the cutting wheel housing, so that a useful area of the cutting wheel is only accessible through the cutting wheel housing. Alternatively or additionally, the cutting wheel is clipped into the cutting wheel housing, so that the cutting wheel housing forms a mounting for the cutting wheel on a spring-loaded lever arm.

The robotic vacuum cleaner preferably also has a safety element which surrounds the cutting wheel in such a way that it prevents outside intervention in the passive cutting wheel. The security element is preferably designed as a spring-loaded hood. The spring-loaded hood is preferably designed in such a way that it is moved away from the cutting wheel when the vacuum robot docks at the cleaning station. Alternatively, the safety element is preferably designed as a spring-actuated front side of the vacuum robot. The front side of the vacuum robot is preferably designed in such a way that it acts against a spring. Alternatively, the security element is preferably designed as a spring or spring-and-lever system. This system is designed to be operable, for example, by means of wheels of the robotic vacuum cleaner or an underside of the robotic vacuum cleaner.

In a preferred embodiment, the robotic vacuum cleaner also has a robotic fan which is designed to suck up the elongated dirt particles during a vacuuming process, so that they are sucked through the suction channel into a dust box inside the robotic vacuum cleaner for collecting dust. The robotic fan is preferably designed to suck off the previously elongated dirt particles that have been comminuted by the cutting wheel while the brush roller is rotating.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a cleaning station for a vacuum robot, having a docking unit for a vacuum robot, a cutting wheel and a control or regulating unit is designed to allow a defined cutting force to act on a lateral surface of a brush roller of a vacuum robot located in the docking station.

The defined cutting force is preferably in the range from 1 to 10 N. The cutting wheel is preferably spring-loaded. Preferred embodiments of the cutting wheel arranged in the cleaning station correspond to embodiments of the cutting wheel that are described for the vacuum robot.

The cleaning station preferably has inclines, via which the vacuum robot is forced onto a platform of the cleaning station in such a way that the brush roller, preferably the collection area of the brush roller, is docked in a precisely positioned manner on the cutting wheel.

• Fig. 1 eine Draufsicht auf einen erfindungsgemäßen Saugroboter;
• Fig. 2 eine Querschnittsansicht des in Fig. 1 gezeigten Saugroboters in einem inaktiven Zustand;
• Fig. 3 eine Querschnittsansicht des in Fig. 1 gezeigten Saugroboters in einem aktiven Zustand;
• Fig. 4 eine Teildraufsicht auf den in Fig. 2 gezeigten Saugroboter;
• Fig. 5 eine Teildraufsicht auf den in Fig. 3 gezeigten Saugroboter;
• Fig. 6 eine Teildraufsicht auf einen weiteren erfindungsgemäßen Saugroboter;
• Fig. 7 eine weitere Teildraufsicht auf den in Fig. 2 gezeigten Saugroboter;
• Fig. 8 eine Querschnittsansicht des in Fig. 7 gezeigten Saugroboters;
• Fig. 9 eine weitere Teildraufsicht des in Fig. 2 gezeigten Saugroboters;
• Fig. 10 eine Seitenansicht des in Fig. 9 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 11 eine Querschnittsansicht des in Fig. 10 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 12 eine vergrößerte Teilansicht des in Fig. 11 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 13 eine perspektivische Ansicht des in Fig. 10 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 14 eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Variante des in Fig. 13 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 15 eine Seitenansicht des in Fig. 14 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 16eine Querschnittsansicht des in Fig. 15 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 17 eine vergrößerte Teilansicht des in Fig. 15 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 18 eine Seitenansicht einer Variante des in Fig. 14 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 19 eine Querschnittsansicht des in Fig. 18 gezeigten Schneidrads;
• Fig. 20 eine vergrößerte Teilansicht des in Fig. 19 gezeigten Schneidrads; und
• Fig. 21 eine Querschnittsansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Reinigungsstation mit einem angedockten Saugroboter.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows

• 1 a plan view of a vacuum robot according to the invention;
• 2 a cross-sectional view of the in 1 robot vacuum shown in an inactive state;
• 3 a cross-sectional view of the in 1 robot vacuum shown in an active state;
• 4 a partial plan view of the in 2 shown vacuum robot;
• figure 5 a partial plan view of the in 3 shown vacuum robot;
• 6 a partial plan view of another vacuum robot according to the invention;
• 7 another partial plan view of the in 2 shown vacuum robot;
• 8 a cross-sectional view of the in 7 vacuum robot shown;
• 9 another partial top view of the in 2 vacuum robot shown;
• 10 a side view of the in 9 cutting wheel shown;
• 11 a cross-sectional view of the in 10 cutting wheel shown;
• 12 an enlarged partial view of the in 11 cutting wheel shown;
• 13 a perspective view of the in 10 cutting wheel shown;
• 14 a perspective view of a variant of the in 13 cutting wheel shown;
• 15 a side view of the in 14 cutting wheel shown;
• 16 a cross-sectional view of the in 15 cutting wheel shown;
• 17 an enlarged partial view of the in 15 cutting wheel shown;
• 18 a side view of a variant of the in 14 cutting wheel shown;
• 19 a cross-sectional view of the in 18 cutting wheel shown;
• 20 an enlarged partial view of the in 19 cutting wheel shown; and
• 21 a cross-sectional view of a cleaning station according to the invention with a docked vacuum robot.

1 shows a plan view of a vacuum robot according to the invention. The robotic vacuum cleaner has a housing 11 which has a suction mouth (not shown) on its underside for sucking in air and dirt particles. The robotic vacuum cleaner also has a suction chamber 15 with a suction channel 17 emanating from the suction chamber 15 for removing air and dirt particles and a rotatable brush roller 14 arranged in the suction chamber 15 for picking up dirt particles that can be transported away to the suction channel 17 . The suction chamber 15 is designed to build up a negative pressure, which is generated during operation by means of a fan 12 of the vacuum robot. The suction chamber 15 is open on a lower side and has an elongated opening, namely the suction mouth (not shown). Furthermore, the vacuum robot has a dust box 23 for collecting the dirt particles. The brush roller 14 has a brush roller body 1, lamellae 2 arranged thereon, bristles 3 arranged thereon and a collection area 4 which is bristle-free and lamella-free and is designed to collect elongated dirt particles (not shown) by moving around wind him. The vacuum robot is designed to be self-propelled by means of wheels 16 .

Furthermore, the vacuum robot has a cutting wheel, which is not shown for the sake of clarity.

When the robotic vacuum cleaner is in operation, the blower 12 generates a suction stream that first flows through the suction mouth, then through the suction chamber 15 , then through the suction channel 17 and then through the dust box 23 . In this case, the brush roller 14 rotates in order to support cleaning of a substrate (not shown).

2 shows a cross-sectional view of the in 1 robot vacuum shown in an inactive state. The cutting wheel 6 is shown. It is housed in a cutting wheel housing 7 and held by a movable mount 21 . The cutting wheel 6 is arranged in the suction chamber 15 above the brush roller 14 in such a way that it is located above the collection area 4 . In the 2 the robotic vacuum cleaner is shown in an inactive state, ie it is not performing a cleaning process and is not in operation. The cutting wheel 6 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the brush roller 14 .

3 shows a cross-sectional view of the in 2 shown vacuum robot in an active state. the inside 3 The vacuum robot shown corresponds to that in 2 shown vacuum robot with the difference that it is shown in an active state, ie it carries out a cleaning process of the brush roller and is in operation. During operation of the robotic vacuum cleaner, the cutting wheel 6 is moved in the direction of the brush roller 14 by means of the movement element 22 so that it is set in rotation by means of the rotation of the brush roller 14 . The cutting wheel 6 is pressed against the brush roller with a defined spring force, so that the cutting wheel rolls on the lateral surface of the brush roller. This allows long-term Dirt particles (not shown), which are in the collection area 4, are cut. The finely cut, elongated dirt particles can be transported away via the suction channel 17 into the dust box 23 in order to be collected there together with other dirt particles (not shown).

4 shows a partial plan view of the in 2 shown vacuum robot, namely the brush roller 14 and the cutting wheel 6 in the cutting wheel housing 7. The bristles of the brush roller 14 are not shown for the sake of clarity. The cutting wheel 6 is arranged on the collecting area 4 .

figure 5 shows a partial plan view of the in 3 shown vacuum robot, namely the brush roller 14 and the cutting wheel 6 in the cutting wheel housing 7. The bristles of the brush roller 14 are not shown for the sake of clarity. The cutting wheel 6 is arranged on the collecting area 4 . The cutting wheel 6 is arranged and designed in such a way that it performs a rolling cutting function on elongated dirt particles 5 located in the collection area 4 .

6 shows a partial plan view of another vacuum robot according to the invention. The vacuum robot corresponds to the in 1 , wherein the bristles of the brush roller 14 are not shown for the sake of clarity, with the difference that it has a spring-loaded lever arm 8 . The cutting wheel 6 is clipped into the cutting wheel housing 7 so that the cutting wheel housing 7 forms a mounting for the cutting wheel 6 on the spring-loaded lever arm 8 .

7 shows a partial plan view of in 6 robot vacuum shown along line VII-VII. The vacuum robot is in operation and the brush roller 14 rotates in the direction of the arrow. The collecting area 4 is arranged above the cutting wheel 6 so that the cutting wheel 6 performs a rolling cutting function on dirt particles (not shown) located in the collecting area 4 .

8 shows a cross-sectional view of the in 7 vacuum robot shown along the line VIII-VIII. The cutting wheel 6 is accommodated in the cutting wheel housing 7 . The cutting wheel 6 can be moved in the direction of the arrow so that it is moved to the brush roller (not shown).

9 shows another partial plan view of the in 2 shown suction robot. The cutting wheel housing 7 has an opening 10 which is elongate. The opening 10 allows assembly and disassembly of the cutting wheel. The cutting wheel 6 protrudes beyond the cutting wheel housing 7 on the side facing away from the opening 10.

10 shows a side view of the in 9 cutting wheel shown. The cutting wheel 6 is designed as a disc with a diameter d of 20 mm.

11 shows a cross-sectional view of the in 10 cutting wheel shown along the line XI-XI. The cutting wheel 6 has a cutting contour provided with teeth 19 .

12 shows an enlarged partial view of the in 11 cutting wheel shown in area XII. A cutting wheel width b is 5mm. The cutting wheel 6 has a cutting angle a between the surfaces of the individual teeth 19 of 65°, a tooth depth b _d of 0.5 mm and a tooth spacing b _w between mountains formed by the teeth 19 .

13 shows a perspective view of the in 10 cutting wheel shown. The cutting wheel 6 has the cutting contour with the multiple teeth 19 . The cutting wheel 6 is designed as a helical spur gear.

14 shows a perspective view of a variant of in 13 cutting wheel shown. The cutting wheel 6 has a cutting contour provided with a plurality of teeth 19 . The cutting wheel 6 is designed as a straight-toothed spur gear.

15 shows a side view of the in 14 cutting wheel shown. The cutting wheel 6 has a diameter d of 20 mm and a tooth spacing b _w between mountains formed by the teeth 19 .

16 shows a cross-sectional view of the in 15 cutting wheel shown along the line XVI-XVI. The cutting wheel 6 has a cutting wheel width b of 5 mm. The cutting wheel 6 has chamfered edges.

17 shows an enlarged partial view of the in 15 cutting wheel shown in area XVII. The cutting wheel 6 has a cutting angle a between the surfaces of the individual teeth 19 of 65° and a respective tooth depth b _d of 0.5 mm.

18 shows a side view of a variant of the in 14 cutting wheel shown. The cutting wheel 6 is designed as a disc which has a diameter d of 20 mm. Its cutting contour is provided with rotary cutting blades 26. Furthermore, the cutting wheel 6 has blunt elements 24 . The rotary cutting blades 26 and the blunting elements 24 are arranged in a holder 25 .

19 shows a cross-sectional view of the in 18 cutting wheel shown along the line IXX-IXX. The cutting wheel 6 has a cutting wheel width b. The blunting elements 24 and the rotary cutting blades 26 are arranged alternately and are held together in the holder 25 . The bracket is one-sided form-fitting to the discs, which after the assembly of the elements 24 on the rear side, by expanding the collar, a further form fit to the panes is formed.

20 shows an enlarged partial view of the in 19 cutting wheel shown in area XX. The cutting wheel 6 has a cutting angle a between the surfaces of the individual rotary cutting blades 19 of 25° and a respective tooth depth b _d of 0.5 mm, the tooth depth b _d being a distance between one end of the rotary cutting blade 26 and one end of the adjacent blunt element 24 is.

21 shows a cross-sectional view of a cleaning station according to the invention with a docked vacuum robot. the inside 21 The vacuum robot shown corresponds to that in 1 shown Saurobot. To describe the in 21 shown vacuum robot is therefore on 1 referred. The cleaning station comprises a cleaning station housing 30, a cutting wheel 6 which is arranged in a cutting wheel housing 7, and a lever arm 8. The cleaning station is in an emptying mode in which it empties the robot vacuum cleaner by absorbing dirt particles (not shown) collected in the dust box 23 . The lever arm 8 is designed to arrange the cutting wheel 6 in the emptying module in such a way that it performs a rolling cutting function on the brush roller 14 rotating in the emptying mode on elongated dirt particles (not shown) located in the collection area 4 and is set in rotation by the rotation of the brush roller 4 .

Reference List

a

cutting angle

b

cutting wheel width

vol

tooth depth

bw

tooth spacing

i.e

diameter

1

brush roller body

3

lamella

4

collection area

5

elongated dirt particle

6

cutting wheel

7

cutting wheel housing

8th

lever arm

10

Housing

11

Housing

12

fan

14

brush roller

15

suction chamber

16

wheel

17

suction channel

19

Tooth

21

bracket element

22

movement element

23

dust box

24

blunt element

25

bracket

26

rotary cutting blade

30

cleaning station housing

Claims (12)

1. Robotic vacuum cleaner comprising a housing (11) which has a suction mouth (18) on the underside for sucking in air and dirt particles and a suction chamber (15) with a suction channel (17) leading out of the suction chamber (15) for transporting away air and dirt particles, and a rotatable brush roller (14) arranged in the suction chamber (15) for picking up dirt particles which can be transported away to the suction channel (17), and a cutting wheel (6) which is designed, when set into rotation, to perform a rolling cutting function on elongate dirt particles (5) located on the brush roller (14).
2. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterised in that the brush roller (14) comprises:

   - a brush roller body (1),

   - a collection region (4), which is designed in such a way that elongate dirt particles (5) collect thereon and/or therein during operation,

   - a plurality of bristles (2), which are firmly connected to the brush roller body (1),

   - resilient lamellae (3) which are rigidly connected to the brush roller body (1), which are positioned at a predetermined distance behind the bristles (2) in the cross section of the brush roller in the circumferential direction relative to the direction of rotation of the roller, and which have a transverse force component acting on the elongate dirt particles (5) in an axial direction of the brush roller body (1), which transverse force component is sufficient to transport the elongate dirt particles (5) into the collection region (4),

   - the cutting wheel (6) being arranged and designed in such a way that, when set into rotation, it performs the rolling cutting function on elongate dirt particles (5) located in the collection region (4).
3. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the cutting wheel (6) is arranged and designed in such a way that it can be actuated by a user and/or an external device by rotating the brush roller (14).
4. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cutting wheel (6) is designed so as not to cut and/or damage human skin.
5. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cutting wheel (6) is designed as a disc having a thickness in the range of from 1 mm to 10 mm, preferably less than 5 mm, in that the cutting wheel (6) is designed as a disc having a diameter in the range of from 10 mm to 30 mm, preferably 20 mm, in that the cutting wheel (6) is designed as a disc having a diameter that is greater than or equal to a diameter of the brush roller body (1) and/or in that the cutting wheel (6) is designed as a disc, the axis of which defines an axis of rotation of the cutting wheel (6) and which is freely rotatably mounted, preferably freely rotatably mounted on a ball bearing.
6. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the axis of rotation of the cutting wheel (6) is aligned parallel to a rotational axis of the brush roller (14).
7. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cutting wheel (6) is made of a metal or a ceramic.
8. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cutting wheel (6) has a large number of axially extending cutting edges on a lateral surface of the cutting wheel (6).
9. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cutting wheel (6) is arranged in a cutting wheel housing (7), the cutting wheel (6) being clipped into the cutting wheel housing (7) so that it rests on the cutting wheel housing (7) and/or so that a usable region of the cutting wheel (6) is only accessible through the cutting wheel housing (7) and/or so that the cutting wheel housing (7) forms a bearing of the cutting wheel (6) on a spring-loaded lever arm (8).
10. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by a safety element which surrounds the cutting wheel (6) in such a way that it prevents external intervention with the passive cutting wheel (6).
11. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by a robotic fan which is designed to suck off the elongate dirt particles during a suction process, so that they are sucked through the suction channel into a dust box for collecting dust.
12. Cleaning station for a robotic vacuum cleaner, comprising a docking unit for a robotic vacuum cleaner, a cutting wheel (6) and an open-loop or closed-loop control unit that is designed to apply a defined cutting force to a lateral surface of a brush roller of a robotic vacuum cleaner located in the docking station.

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