Sweeping brush for an automatically moving cleaning device

Abstract

A sweeping brush for an automatically moving cleaning device has a rotational axis receptacle for receiving a rotational axis of the cleaning device and at least one bundle receptacle that extends outwardly from a transition area on the rotational axis receptacle, which holds a bristle bundle having a plurality of bristles. The bundle receptacle is arched as viewed in an axial direction of the rotational axis receptacle. In order to optimize known sweeping brushes in terms of their service life and cleaning properties, the bundle receptacle is fabricated out of an elastic material.

Claims

1. A sweeping brush for an automatically moving cleaning device, comprising: a rotational axis receptacle for receiving a rotational axis of the cleaning device, and at least a first bundle receptacle and a second bundle receptacle that extends outwardly from a transition area on the rotational axis receptacle, the first bundle receptacle and the second bundle receptacle each holding a bristle bundle having a plurality of bristles, the bristles each having a longitudinal extension with respect to a radial direction of the transition area, wherein the first bundle receptacle and/or the second bundle receptacle are arched as viewed in an axial direction of the rotational axis receptacle, wherein the bundle receptacles extend at an inclination to a plane having the rotational axis receptacle as viewed in a direction oriented perpendicular to the rotational axis, and wherein the longitudinal extension of each of the bristles follows a longitudinal extension of the bundle receptacles, wherein at least one of the first bundle receptacle or the second bundle receptacle is fabricated out of an elastic material, and wherein the first bundle receptacle and second bundle receptacles exhibit material properties and/or cross-sectional shapes in the form of profile cross sections perpendicular to the longitudinal extension at a free end area of the bundle receptacles abutting the bristle bundles, that differ from each other.

2. The sweeping brush according to claim 1, wherein the end area of each bundle receptacle facing away from the rotational axis receptacle is displaced by an angle of approx. 20° to 80° relative to a radial direction that intersects the rotational axis and transitional area.

3. The sweeping brush according to claim 1, wherein the transition area has a bundle bearings on which the bristle bundles are articulated relative to a circumferential direction, so that the bristle bundles can be swiveled around a bearing midpoint of the bundle bearings during a rotation of the sweeping brush.

4. The sweeping brush according to claim 3, wherein the bristle bundles are overmolded with a material of the bundle receptacles.

5. The sweeping brush according to claim 3, wherein the length of each of the bundle receptacles is approximately one to three times as large as a length of the bristle bundle protruding from each bundle receptacle.

6. The sweeping brush according to claim 3, wherein the bundle receptacles extend at an angle of approximately 5° to 20° to the plane having the rotational axis receptacle.

7. An automatically moving cleaning device having a sweeping brush according to claim 1, wherein the bundle receptacles are arched opposite a rotational direction of the rotational axis as viewed in the axial direction of the rotational axis receptacle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described in more detail below based on exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning device according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cleaning device,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sweeping brush according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the sweeping brush,

(6) FIG. 5 is a top view of the sweeping brush

(7) FIG. 6 is a top view of the cleaning device according to FIG. 1,

(8) FIG. 7 is the cleaning device while cleaning a wall,

(9) FIG. 8 is a magnified partial section from FIG. 7,

(10) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sweeping brush according to a second embodiment,

(11) FIG. 10 is a top view of the sweeping brush shown on FIG. 9, and

(12) FIG. 11 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the sweeping brush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(13) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an automatically traversable cleaning device 2 in the form of a sweeping device, with a housing 12, two electric motor-driven wheels 14, a cleaning roller 15 rotatable around a horizontal axis and a sweeping brush 1 rotating around an essentially vertical rotational axis 4.

(14) The cleaning device 2 has a navigation device, by means of which the cleaning device 2 can orient itself and move autonomously within the environment. The navigation device incorporates a distance measuring device 13 arranged inside of the housing 12, which measures distances from obstacles within the environment of the cleaning device 2. For example, the distance measuring device 13 can be an optical triangulation measuring device, which has a laser source and a sensor. The laser source emits light in the environment of the cleaning device 2, while the sensor detects light reflected back from obstacles. The distance from obstacles can be determined therefrom, and also further processed into an area map, which the navigation device accesses for a movement of the cleaning device 2.

(15) During a movement, the cleaning device 2 cleans a surface to be cleaned by means of the cleaning roller 15 and sweeping brush 1. The cleaning roller 15 along with the sweeping brush 1 are driven by electric motors, which are supplied with energy by a battery arranged in the cleaning device 2. The sweeping brush 1 protrudes partially over the contour of the housing 12, for example so as to be able to clean more intensively on spatial boundaries like baseboards. The dirt picked up by the cleaning roller 15 and sweeping brush 1 is conveyed by a suction air stream of a motor-fan unit of the cleaning device 2 (not shown) into a dust collector (not shown).

(16) FIGS. 3 to 5 show the sweeping brush 1 of the cleaning device 2 from different perspectives. The sweeping brush 1 has a rotational axis receptacle 3 that can be connected with the rotational axis 4 of the cleaning device 2. The rotational axis receptacle 3 is a hub which here has an essentially circular layout. A total of five bundle receptacles 5 are here formed on the rotational axis receptacle 3, for example which are splashed onto the rotational axis receptacle 3 in a transition area 9 of the latter. The bundle receptacles 5 are arched. In an end area 8 of the bundle receptacle 5, a bristle bundle 7 with a plurality of bristles 6 is guided out of the bundle receptacle 5. The bristles 6 can either intersect the entire length of the bundle receptacle 5 up to the transition area 9 and be anchored in the rotational axis receptacle 3, or alternatively not be formed over the entire length of the bundle receptacle 5, but for example already be anchored in the end area 8 of the bundle receptacle 5. In particular, the bristles 6 of the bundle receptacle 7 can be overmolded with the material of the bundle receptacle 5.

(17) The bundle receptacle 5 here has a rubbery material, for example EPDM. For example, a bristle bundle 7 here consists of 200 bristles 6, which are fabricated out of a thermoplastic resin, e.g., polybutylene terephthalate here. For example, the sum of the length L.sub.1 of the bristle receptacle 5 and the length L.sub.2 of the partial area of the bristle bundle 7 protruding from the bundle receptacle 5 here measures roughly 40 mm, wherein the bundle receptacle 5 is 25 mm long, and the protruding partial area of the bristle bundle 7 is roughly 15 mm long. As depicted on FIG. 4, the bundle receptacles 5, and hence also the bristle bundles 7, are inclined proceeding from a plane of the rotational axis receptacle 3 in the direction of a surface to be cleaned, wherein the bundle receptacle 5 here has an angle β of roughly 20° relative to the plane which has the rotational axis receptacle 3. In relation to the top view of the sweeping brush 1 shown on FIG. 5, the bundle receptacle 5 has an angle α of roughly 55° relative to a radial direction proceeding from the rotational axis 4. The angle α here denotes an angle between a straight line that proceeds from the rotational axis 4 through the middle of the transition area 9 of the bundle receptacle 5, and a straight line that proceeds from the rotational axis 4 through a middle of the end area 8 of the bundle receptacle 5.

(18) FIG. 6 to 8 show the sweeping brush 1 arranged on the cleaning device 2. The sweeping brush 1 rotates around the rotational axis 4 in a rotational direction r. The bundle receptacles 5 are bent against the rotational direction r, so that the bristle bundles 7 each point toward the back relative to the rotational direction 5, while the bundle receptacles 5 move ahead in the rotational direction r. As a result the bristles 6 of the bristle bundle 7 stay together and do not stand straight up, for example which would be the case when combing against the grain. In addition, the bent shape of the bundle receptacles 5 leads to only a minimal further deformation while processing the surface, which can be absorbed by the elasticity of the material of the bundle receptacle 5. If the sweeping brush 1 laterally hits an obstacle as shown on FIG. 7, for example a wall or baseboard, the elastic material of the bundle receptacles 5 further allows the bundle receptacles 5 to bend with a lower bending radius by comparison to the unloaded state depicted on FIG. 6.

(19) FIG. 8 presents a magnified view of the sweeping brush 1 on FIG. 7. The deformation of the bristle bundle 7 is there shown while in contact with the obstacle.

(20) FIGS. 9 and 10 show another embodiment of a sweeping brush according to the invention, which also is designed for only minimal wear. To this end, the sweeping brush 1 has bundle receptacles 5 articulated to a rotational axis receptacle 3. The bundle receptacles 5 are each articulated to a bundle bearing 10 of the rotational axis receptacle 3, so that the bundle receptacle 5 including the bristle bundle 7 can be swiveled around a bearing midpoint 11 of the bundle bearing 10. The bristle bundles 7 can be overmolded with the material of the bundle receptacle 5 here as well. Alternatively, the bundle receptacle 5 can be designed as a type of shrink tube or form an essentially cylindrical receptacle, in which bristles 6 of the bristle bundle 7 are cast or otherwise anchored.

(21) FIG. 10 shows the behavior of the sweeping brush 1 while in contact with an obstacle. When the bristles 6 of the bristle bundle 7 protruding from the bundle receptacle 5 come into contact with the obstacle, a force acts on the bundle receptacle 5, causing the bundle receptacle 5 to rotate around the bearing midpoint 11. For example, the position shown with dashed lines on FIG. 10 is reached in the process. In addition, the bristles 6 are potentially bent.

(22) The bundle receptacles 5 of the sweeping brush 1 can differ from each other in a variety of parameters. For example, the bundle receptacles 5 can have varying materials, cross sectional shapes or bending radii. In addition, it is possible that the inclination of the bristle bundles 7 characterized by the angle β will differ relative to the plane of the rotational axis receptacle 3. In addition, the ratio between the length L.sub.1 of the bundle receptacle 5 and the length L.sub.2 of the bristle bundle 7 can vary from bundle receptacle 5 to bundle receptacle 5. In addition, the entire length L.sub.1+L.sub.2 can vary at different bundle receptacles 5. While the cross sectional shape of the bundle receptacles 5 is round in FIGS. 1-10, it is also possible for the latter to be elliptical as shown in FIG. 11 or rectangular.

REFERENCE LIST

(23) 1 Sweeping brush 2 Cleaning device 3 Rotational axis receptacle 4 Rotational axis 5 Bundle receptacle 6 Bristle 7 Bristle bundle 8 End area 9 Transition area 10 Bundle bearing 11 Bearing midpoint 12 Housing 13 Distance measuring device 14 Wheel 15 Cleaning roller L.sub.1 Length L.sub.2 Length r Rotational direction α Angle β Angle