FLOOR CLEANER WITH A MOVABLY MOUNTED SUCTION NOZZLE

Abstract

A floor vacuum cleaner for cleaning a floor surface has a chassis with a chassis frame for traveling over the floor surface. A suction nozzle aspirates an airflow in the region of the floor surface. The suction nozzle is mounted relative to the chassis in the direction of travel to the front left and front right in each case by way of a mounting arrangement formed of a journal and a guide. The mounting arrangement allows a tilting of the suction nozzle about the journals, a rotation of the suction nozzle about a longitudinal axis, and a vertical movement of the suction nozzle, but a movement of the suction nozzle in the longitudinal direction of the chassis is prevented.

Claims

1. A floor vacuum cleaner for cleaning a floor surface, the floor vacuum cleaner comprising: a chassis with a chassis frame for traveling on the floor surface, said chassis defining a longitudinal direction and a longitudinal axis; a suction nozzle for an intake of an airflow at the floor surface; said suction nozzle being mounted relative to said chassis by respective mounting arrangements at a front left and a front right of said chassis in a direction of travel, said mounting arrangements including a journal and a guide configured to enable a tilting of said suction nozzle about said journals, a pivoting of said suction nozzle about the longitudinal axis, and a vertical movement of said suction nozzle, but to prevent a movement of said suction nozzle in the longitudinal direction of said chassis.

2. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a journal of said mounting arrangement is provided on said suction nozzle and a guide of said mounting arrangement is provided on said chassis.

3. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said suction nozzle is mounted so as to be vertically movable at a rear left and rear right.

4. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, further comprising a resilient element disposed to bias a rear end of said suction nozzle into a predetermined vertical position relative to said chassis.

5. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein said resilient element is formed by a resilient tubular connecting piece through which the airflow flows during an operation of the floor vacuum cleaner.

6. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein a deflection of a rear end of said suction nozzle upwardly and downwardly from a predetermined position is limited in each case to a predetermined path.

7. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a deflection of the front end of the suction nozzle in an upward direction is limited to a predetermined value.

8. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a brush roller attached in said suction nozzle, said brush roller having an axis of rotation running transversely to the direction of travel.

9. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing lip disposed in a region of a rear end of said suction nozzle.

10. The floor vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding element for supporting a rear end of said suction nozzle relative to the floor surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floor vacuum cleaner;

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a basic sketch of a floating bearing of a suction nozzle;

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through a floor vacuum cleaner;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a first perspective view of a suction nozzle of a floor vacuum cleaner;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a second perspective view a suction nozzle of a floor vacuum cleaner; and

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a suction nozzle of a floor vacuum cleaner from below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, in particular, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an exemplary floor vacuum cleaner 100. An upper part of a housing and several elements which are not relevant for the presentation of the invention are omitted from the illustration. The floor vacuum cleaner 100 comprises a chassis 105 with a driven chassis frame 110 which is designed to support the chassis 105 relative to a floor surface 115. Preferably, the chassis frame 110 comprises at least one drive wheel which is driven by means of a drive motor. Moreover, a control device is provided for controlling the drive motor and/or a steering system. The control device is preferably designed to control an autonomous movement of the floor vacuum cleaner 100 on the floor surface 115. During operation, the floor vacuum cleaner 100 can be activated to travel over, and at the same time to treat, a predetermined portion of the floor surface 115.

[0035] A suction nozzle 120 is provided for treating the floor surface 115, in the present case a brush roller 125 with a horizontal axis of rotation being arranged therein. The suction nozzle 120 is connected via a tubular connecting piece 130 to a suction facility 135 which is preferably arranged downstream of the suction nozzle 105 relative to a direction of travel 140. The suction facility 135 is not directly visible in FIG. 1. It is located in the filter housing. The suction nozzle 120 forms a chamber with a rear opening, which is connected to the tubular connecting piece 130, and a lower opening through which a portion of the brush roller 125 can protrude and through which an airflow can enter. The brush roller 125 can be driven by means of a drive motor (not shown) about the axis of rotation, in order to treat the floor surface 115 mechanically. The suction nozzle 120 is movable relative to the chassis 105 and can be pushed relative thereto into a predetermined position by means of its own weight force or by means of a resilient element. Preferably, edges on the lower face of the suction nozzle 120 are designed to be rounded or chamfered in order to deflect the suction nozzle 120 upwardly in an improved manner when it comes into contact with an obstacle on the floor surface 115.

[0036] The suction nozzle 120 is movably mounted relative to the chassis 105, which is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the mounting of the suction nozzle 120 on the chassis 105. The suction nozzle 120 is shown as a frame in simplified form and the chassis 105 is shown as two bearing points in simplified form.

[0037] A transverse axis 205, a longitudinal axis 210 and a height axis 215 which preferably form a right-handed coordinate system are defined relative to the chassis 105. The suction nozzle 120 can be tilted about the transverse axis 205 which corresponds to a first degree of freedom 225. The suction nozzle 120 can be pivoted about the longitudinal axis 210 which corresponds to a second degree of freedom 230. The suction nozzle 120 can be displaced along the height axis 215 which corresponds to a third degree of freedom 235. Movements of the suction nozzle in the degrees of freedom 225 to 235 can be coupled together in a predetermined manner.

[0038] In the embodiment shown, a movement along the transverse axis 205 is made possible by lateral spacings between the suction nozzle 120 and the bearing points on a predetermined path. A resilient element can cause a return into a predetermined position when the suction nozzle 120 is horizontally deflected. The resilient element can be assigned to this movement. In a further embodiment, this movement is prevented, for example, by the afore-mentioned spacings being virtually zero. The suction nozzle 120 is preferably immovable along the longitudinal axis 210. A rotation about the height axis 215 is preferably also prevented. Overall, in this manner the suction nozzle 120 is movable in 4 or 3 degrees of freedom and immovable in the remaining 2 or 3 degrees of freedom.

[0039] One respective journal 240 is attached to the suction nozzle 120 to the front left and right with reference to the direction of travel 140. The journals 240 extend along a common axis of rotation. In the schematic view shown, the journals 240 form part of a continuous axis, in a further embodiment the axis can also be interrupted. That is, the journals 240 may be in the form of trunnions at the left and right of the forward edge of the suction nozzle 120. Each journal 240 is received on the chassis 105 in a receiver 245 which prevents a movement of the journal 240 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 210, whereby a rotation of the suction nozzle 120 about the height axis 215 is also prevented. The journal 240 and the receiver 245 with a vertical slot form mounting arrangements for the forward end of the suction nozzle 120. A movement of the suction nozzle 120 along the height axis 215 is possible to a predetermined extent. The receiver 245 is formed with a vertical slot in the bearing position shown, wherein a journal 240 extends through the slot. The boundaries of the slot determine a maximum deflection of the journal 240 or the suction nozzle 120 upwardly and downwardly. A tilting of the suction nozzle 120 about the longitudinal axis 210 is also made possible by the independent mounting of the two journals 240.

[0040] Relative to the direction of travel 140, one respective resilient element 250 is provided to the rear left and right in order to bias the suction nozzle 120 in this region into a predetermined position. Optionally a resilient element 250 is dual-acting, or two resilient elements 250 which act in an antiparallel manner are provided, so that a deflection of the suction nozzle 120 from the predetermined position both upwardly and downwardly is counteracted by a corresponding restoring force. At the same time, the spring hardness can be the same or different in the two directions. The resilient element 250 can be pretensioned so that a deflection of the suction nozzle 120 from the predetermined position requires a predetermined minimum force.

[0041] Resilient elements 250 can also be provided on the journals 240 or a vertical position of the suction nozzle 120 can be primarily determined in this region by a weight force on the suction nozzle 120.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through an exemplary floor vacuum cleaner 100. In the position shown, the journals 240 are positioned at the bottom on the receivers 245 or on the chassis 105. In the rear region, the suction nozzle 120 is attached by the tubular connecting piece 130 relative to the chassis 105 or the suction facility 135 which is fastened to the chassis 105. The tubular connecting piece 130 is manufactured from a flexible material, preferably from plastic, for example from an elastomer.

[0043] Resilient properties of the tubular connecting piece 130 can be influenced by its shape, its wall thickness or its material. A resilient force which is brought about by the tubular connecting piece 130, when it is subjected to shear when the suction nozzle 120 is pivoted about the transverse axis 205, can be determined irrespective of a resilient force which it exerts when the suction nozzle 120 is rotated about the longitudinal axis 210. For example, a stiffness of the tubular connecting piece 130 counter to a rotation about the longitudinal axis 210 can be lower when a cross section of the tubular connecting piece 130 is designed to be oval or flat, and higher when its cross section is designed to be round.

[0044] A sealing lip 305 which preferably extends parallel to the transverse axis 205 is attached to the suction nozzle 120 downstream of the brush roller 125. A sliding element 310, which is designed to be positioned on the floor surface 115 or to slide thereover, is also preferably attached to the suction nozzle 120 downstream of the sealing lip 305.

[0045] FIGS. 4 and 5 show views of a suction nozzle 120 in an exemplary embodiment. It can be identified that the journals 240 are placed here on the suction nozzle 120 upstream of a boundary of the region through which air flows. The tubular connecting piece 130 has a horizontally flattened cross section here. A flange 405 can be provided at a rear end of the tubular connecting piece 130, for attaching to the chassis 105 or the suction facility 135.

[0046] FIG. 6 shows a view of a suction nozzle 120 of a floor vacuum cleaner 100 from below. The brush roller 125 comprises by way of example double-helical wave-shaped patterns which are formed from rows of bristles. The chassis can be reinforced by ribs running longitudinally in an intake region of the suction nozzle 120.

[0047] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0048] 100 Floor vacuum cleaner [0049] 105 Chassis [0050] 110 Chassis frame [0051] 115 Floor surface [0052] 120 Suction nozzle [0053] 125 Brush roller [0054] 130 Tubular connecting piece [0055] 135 Suction facility [0056] 140 Direction of travel [0057] 205 Transverse axis [0058] 210 Longitudinal axis [0059] 215 Height axis [0060] 225 First degree of freedom [0061] 230 Second degree of freedom [0062] 235 Third degree of freedom [0063] 240 Journal [0064] 245 Receiver [0065] 250 Resilient element [0066] 305 Sealing lip [0067] 310 Sliding element [0068] 405 Flange