Vacuumed material collection station, vacuum cleaning apparatus and system consisting of a vacuumed material collection station and a vacuum cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A vacuumed material collection station for receiving vacuumed material from a vacuum cleaning apparatus includes a vacuumed material collection container and an interface for connecting the vacuum cleaning apparatus to the vacuumed material collection station. The vacuumed material collection station comprises a receptacle space for receiving a filter chamber of a vacuum cleaning apparatus connected to the vacuumed material collection station and a feed device for feeding the filter chamber into the receptacle space. The receptacle space is designed for completely encompassing the filter chamber and/or at the most not encompassing a chamber side facing the interface with the vacuum cleaning apparatus. The receptacle space forms a partial volume within the housing of the vacuumed material collection station, and the feed device is designed for removing the filter chamber from the vacuum cleaning apparatus and displacing the filter chamber into the receptacle space.

Claims

1. A vacuumed material collection station for receiving vacuumed material from a vacuum cleaning apparatus, comprising: a housing; a vacuumed material collection container disposed in the housing; an interface configured for connecting the vacuum cleaning apparatus to the vacuumed material collection station; a receptacle space disposed in the housing and being configured for receiving a filter chamber of the vacuum cleaning apparatus connected to the vacuumed material collection station, and a feed device configured for feeding the filter chamber into the receptacle space, wherein the receptacle space is designed for completely encompassing the filter chamber or at the most not encompassing a chamber side facing the interface with the vacuum cleaning apparatus, wherein the receptacle space forms a partial volume within the housing of the vacuumed material collection station, wherein the feed device is designed for removing the filter chamber from the vacuum cleaning apparatus and displacing the filter chamber into the receptacle space, and wherein the vacuumed material collection container is configured for receiving vacuumed material from the filter chamber that is located in the receptacle space.

2. The vacuumed material collection station according to claim 1, wherein the feed device comprises a guiding device configured for guiding a displacement motion of the filter chamber into the receptacle space or a driving device configured for displacing the filter chamber.

3. The vacuumed material collection station according to claim 2, wherein the guiding device comprises a slotted guide or a guide rail or a guide spindle.

4. The vacuumed material collection station according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle space is arranged above the vacuumed material collection container in an operative orientation of the vacuumed material collection station such that vacuumed material can drop from a filter chamber arranged in the receptacle space into the vacuumed material collection container under the influence of gravitational force.

5. The vacuumed material collection station according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle space is arranged in an air flow channel of the vacuumed material collection station.

6. The vacuumed material collection station according to claim 5, further comprising a station fan designed for generating a vacuum in the receptacle space, the station fan being associated with the air flow channel.

7. The vacuumed material collection station according to claim 5, wherein the air flow channel comprises pressure sensors arranged upstream and downstream of the receptacle space relative to a flow direction.

8. A system consisting of a vacuumed material collection station according to claim 1 and a vacuum cleaning apparatus with a housing, a suction nozzle, a filter chamber, a fan and an electric motor for driving the fan, wherein the feed device of the vacuumed material collection station is designed for removing the filter chamber from the vacuum cleaning apparatus and displacing the filter chamber into the receptacle space, or wherein the vacuum cleaning apparatus comprises a displacement device that is designed for displacing the filter chamber out of the housing of the vacuum cleaning apparatus, wherein the vacuum cleaning apparatus is configured to be arranged on the interface of the vacuumed material collection station in such a way that the receptacle space of the vacuumed material collection station and a portion of the vacuum cleaning apparatus containing the filter chamber are connected to one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

(2) In the drawings,

(3) FIG. 1 shows an inventive vacuumed material collection station;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a vacuum cleaning apparatus;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through a system consisting of a vacuumed material collection station and a vacuum cleaning apparatus with a filter chamber;

(6) FIG. 4 shows the system according to FIG. 3 during a displacement of the filter chamber of the vacuum cleaning apparatus into the vacuumed material collection station;

(7) FIG. 5 shows the system according to FIGS. 3 and 4 after the filter chamber of the vacuum cleaning apparatus has been emptied; and

(8) FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a system consisting of a vacuumed material collection station and a vacuum cleaning apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIG. 1 shows an example of a potential embodiment of an inventive vacuumed material collection station 1. In this case, the vacuumed material collection station 1 serves as a docking station for a vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 that is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 2 and realized in the form of an autonomously traveling robot. Viewed from outside, the vacuumed material collection station 1 comprises a station housing 23 with an interface 4 for connecting the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2. The interface 4 comprises a closure element 21, in this case a sliding element that can be displaced upward and closes a chamber side 8 in a state, in which the vacuumed material collection station 1 is not in use. When the chamber side 8 is opened, the interface 4 provides a view into a receptacle space 5 that serves for receiving a filter chamber 6 (see FIG. 2) of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2. The receptacle space 5 comprises a feed device 7 with a guiding device 9 in the form of a spindle and a driving device 10. In this case, the driving device 10 is realized in the form of an electric motor. The guiding device 9 furthermore comprises a connecting element 22 that serves for taking hold of the filter chamber 6. In this case, the connecting element 22 is realized in the form of a catch element that can engage into a corresponding element of the filter chamber 6. The feed device 7 preferably comprises two guiding devices 9. The connecting elements 22 and the drive device 10 are located on opposite end regions of the guiding device 9. The station housing 23 has a collection container access 20 that allows access to a vacuumed material collection container 3 in an opened state.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 that is realized in the form of an autonomously traveling robot in this case. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 comprises a housing 18 with a closure element 27, a suction nozzle 14, a filter chamber 6 with a filter element 26 and a filter chamber closure element 32, a fan 15 and an electric motor 16 for driving the fan 15. The filter chamber 6 is displaceably supported on guiding devices 31 and can be displaced out of the housing 18 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2—under the influence of the restoring force of a spring element 30—when the closure element 27 is opened. A cleaning element 24 is associated with the suction nozzle 14 and in this case realized in the form of a rotating brush, which rotates about an essentially horizontal axis. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 furthermore comprises wheels 25 for driving the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2, as well as a navigation device that is not illustrated in greater detail in this figure and serves for the navigation and self-localization of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 within an environment. Sensors (likewise not illustrated) are advantageously associated with the navigation device and capable, for example, of measuring distances from obstacles. The navigation device can generate an environment map based on the determined distances and the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 can orient and self-localize itself within the environment with the aid of said environment map.

(11) During a normal vacuuming operation, the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 functions in such a way that the electric motor 16 drives the fan 15 in order to generate a vacuum, which opens the filter chamber closure element 32 and sucks vacuumed material from a surface to be cleaned into the filter chamber 6. Vacuumed material contained in the air being sucked in respectively remains in the filter chamber 6 or on the filter element 26 such that only cleaned air can flow onward to the fan 15 and the electric motor 16.

(12) FIG. 3 shows an example of a system consisting of a vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 and an exemplary vacuumed material collection station 1. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 is docked with the vacuumed material collection station 1, wherein this may be achieved by providing not-shown devices that prevent an unintentional position change of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 and ensure that the position of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 relative to the vacuumed material collection station 1 does not change during the transfer of the filter chamber 6 to the vacuumed material collection station 1. This figure shows that the vacuumed material collection station 1 also comprises a vacuumed material collection container 3 in the form of a filter bag 19, which serves for receiving vacuumed material from the filter chamber 6, in addition to the receptacle space 5. The vacuumed material collection station 1 furthermore comprises a station fan 12 that is arranged in an air flow channel 11 in this case, wherein said air flow channel is acted upon with a vacuum by means of the station fan 12. During the operation of the station fan 12, the receptacle space 5 is acted upon with a vacuum such that air flows from the direction of the receptacle space 5 toward the station fan 12. The vacuumed material present in the air being sucked in is collected within the filter bag 19 such that only cleaned air can flow onward to the station fan 12.

(13) The function of the system consisting of the vacuumed material collection station 1 and the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 connected thereto is described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

(14) The vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 initially docks with the interface 4 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 as described above. In the process, the closure elements 21 and 27 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 and the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 are opened, for example by means of contact switches, such that the filter chamber 6 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 can be transferred into the receptacle space 5 of the vacuumed material collection station 1. The filter chamber 6 is pushed out of the housing 18 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 by the restoring force of the spring element 30 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 until the filter chamber 6 comes in contact with the connecting element 22 of the vacuumed material collection station 1. For example, corresponding catch elements of the feed device 7 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 and the filter chamber 6 may engage with one another. The driving device 10 in the form of an electric motor 16 is subsequently activated in order to drive the guiding device 9, namely the spindle in this case. In this way, the connecting elements 22 arranged on the spindle are displaced from the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 into the receptacle space 5 together with the filter chamber 6 fastened thereon until the filter chamber 6 abuts on a limit stop 29 of the receptacle space 5. The position of the filter chamber 6 on the limit stop 29 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The abutment of the filter chamber 6 on the limit stop 29 can control the operation of the station fan 23 such that the receptacle space 5 and the filter chamber 6 located therein are respectively acted upon with a vacuum. The filter chamber closure element 32 may likewise be opened in this way. Vacuumed material located in the filter chamber 6 is transported into the filter bag 19 of the vacuumed material collection container 3 through the filter chamber opening 28. In the normal orientation of the vacuumed material collection station 1, the receptacle space 5 furthermore is arranged above the vacuumed material collection container 3 such that vacuumed material also drops down, i.e. in the direction of the vacuumed material collection container 3, with the assistance of the gravitational force acting thereupon. According to another embodiment, the transfer of the vacuumed material may take place entirely without the station fan 12, namely due to the displacement of the vacuumed material caused by the gravitational force only. The noises occurring during the operation of the station fan 12 only are slightly noticeable by a user in the surroundings outside the vacuumed material collection station 1 because the receptacle space 5 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 completely surrounds the filter chamber 6 except for the chamber side 8 pointing in the direction of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 and the chamber side 8 furthermore is covered by the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 docked with the interface 4. However, it would also be possible that the chamber side 8 is once again closed by the closure element 21 of the receptacle space 5 before the filter chamber 6 is emptied. In any case, it is ensured that vacuumed material being displaced out of the filter chamber 6 cannot reach the surroundings through the interface 4.

(15) In order to additionally reduce the noise pollution occurring when the filter chamber is emptied by means of the station fan 12, the filter chamber 6 may not be emptied by means of the station fan 12 until a user is no longer present in the surroundings of the vacuumed material collection station 1. In addition, a pressure loss across the filter chamber 6 including the filter element 26 can be measured with the aid of pressure sensors 13 that are arranged in the air flow channel 11 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 upstream and downstream of the receptacle space 5. If the pressure sensors 13 measure a relatively high pressure loss (in comparison with a reference value), for example, the filter chamber 6 may be immediately cleaned by means of the station fan 12. However, if the pressure loss is relatively low, the operation of the station fan 12 may be initially registered and not take place until the user is no longer present.

(16) After the vacuumed material has been transferred from the filter chamber 6 into the filter bag 19 of the vacuumed material collection container 3, the guiding device 9 is moved in the opposite direction by means of the driving device 10, i.e. the spindle is moved in the opposite direction by means of the electric motor 16, such that the connecting elements 22 with the filter chamber 6 arranged thereon are displaced from the receptacle space 5 in the direction of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 through the interface 4. The filter chamber 6 is thereby once again completely displaced into the housing 18 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 in the opposite direction until it has reached its end position. The closure elements 21, 27 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 and the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 are then closed again and the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 is available for another vacuuming operation. Once the filter chamber 6 has been cleaned, the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 is in the ready-for-use position after the situation illustrated in FIG. 5.

(17) FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of an inventive vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 in the form of a sectional view. The vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 illustrated in this figure comprises its own displacement device 17 that can displace the filter chamber 6 out of the housing 18 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2. In this case, the displacement device 17 consists, for example, of a driving device 10 and a guiding device 9 (spindle), which is displaced out of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 when the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 comes in contact with the interface 4 of the vacuumed material collection station 1. Furthermore, guiding devices 31 in the form of rail elements, along which the filter chamber 6 can slide, are associated with the displacement device 17 in this case.

(18) The displacement device 17 may alternatively or additionally also comprise a spring element 30 (see FIG. 2). A release of the tensioned spring element 30 may be triggered automatically when the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 comes in contact with the vacuumed material collection station 1. In the process, a not-shown restraint system such as a catch mechanism in the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 is released such that the spring element 30 can press the filter chamber 6 into the vacuumed material collection station 1. In this case, the spring element 30 displaces the filter chamber 6 at least so far that the filter chamber 6 comes in contact, for example, with connecting elements 22 of a feed device 7 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 and the displacement motion therefore can be continued by the driving device 10 of the vacuumed material collection station 1. However, the filter chamber 6 may alternatively also be displaced up to the limit stop 29 of the vacuumed material collection station 1 by means of the displacement device 17 of the vacuum cleaning apparatus 2 only such that the vacuumed material collection station 1 itself does not have to comprise a feed device 7.

(19) Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(20) 1 Vacuumed material collection station 2 Vacuum cleaning apparatus 3 Vacuumed material collection container 4 Interface 5 Receptacle space 6 Filter chamber 7 Feed device 8 Chamber side 9 Guiding device 10 Driving device 11 Air flow channel 12 Station fan 13 Pressure sensor 14 Suction nozzle 15 Fan 16 Electric motor 17 Displacement device 18 Housing 19 Filter bag 20 Collection container access 21 Closure element 22 Connecting element 23 Station housing 24 Cleaning element 25 Wheel 26 Filter element 27 Closure element 28 Filter chamber opening 29 Limit stop 30 Spring element 31 Guiding device 32 Filter chamber closure element