U.S. patent application number 14/938960 was filed with the patent office on 2016-05-26 for side brush for a robotic vacuum cleaner and robotic vacuum cleaner comprising a side brush.
The applicant listed for this patent is Miele & Cie. KG. Invention is credited to Markus Penner.
Application Number | 20160143429 14/938960 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54477923 |
Filed Date | 2016-05-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160143429 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Penner; Markus |
May 26, 2016 |
SIDE BRUSH FOR A ROBOTIC VACUUM CLEANER AND ROBOTIC VACUUM CLEANER
COMPRISING A SIDE BRUSH
Abstract
A side brush for a vacuum cleaner includes a brush core and at
least ten filament clusters regularly distributed over a
circumferential surface of the brush core. Each filament cluster
includes brush filaments having a filament diameter that is greater
than or equal to 0.3 millimetres.
Inventors: |
Penner; Markus; (Lage,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Miele & Cie. KG |
Guetersloh |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
54477923 |
Appl. No.: |
14/938960 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/159.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 2201/00 20130101;
A46B 2200/3073 20130101; A46B 13/008 20130101; A46B 13/02 20130101;
A47L 9/0472 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A46B 13/02 20060101
A46B013/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 20, 2014 |
DE |
10 2014 116 998.0 |
Claims
1. A side brush for a vacuum cleaner, the side brush comprising: a
brush core; and at least ten filament clusters regularly
distributed over a circumferential surface of the brush core,
wherein each of the filament clusters comprises brush filaments
having a filament diameter that is greater than or equal to 0.3
millimetres.
2. The side brush of claim 1, wherein the filament diameters of the
brush filaments of each filament cluster are the same or at least
substantially the same.
3. The side brush of claim 1, wherein, when a diameter of the
filament clusters is two millimetres, each of the filament clusters
comprises thirty to forty or fewer brush filaments.
4. The side brush of claim 3, wherein each filament cluster
comprises ten to twenty brush filaments.
5. The side brush of claim 1, wherein, when a diameter of the
filament clusters is three millimetres, each of the filament
clusters comprises eighty to ninety or fewer brush filaments.
6. The side brush of claim 5, wherein each filament cluster
comprises forty to fifty brush filaments.
7. The side brush of claim 1, wherein, when a diameter of the
filament clusters is four millimetres, each of the filament
clusters comprises one hundred to two hundred or fewer brush
filaments.
8. The side brush of claim 7, wherein each of the filament clusters
comprises seventy to ninety brush filaments.
9. The side brush of claim 1, wherein, when a diameter of the
filament clusters is five millimetres, each of the filament
clusters comprises two hundred to three hundred or fewer brush
filaments.
10. The side brush of claim 9, wherein each of the filament
clusters comprises one hundred to two hundred brush filaments.
11. The side brush of claim 1, wherein the filament clusters are
disposed directly on the brush core.
12. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising at least one side brush as
recited in claim 1.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION
[0001] Priority is claimed to German Patent Application No. DE 10
2014 116 998.0, filed on Nov. 20, 2014, the entire disclosure of
which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a side brush for an autonomous,
self-propelled vacuum-cleaner system (robotic vacuum cleaner) and
to a robotic vacuum cleaner comprising a side brush.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Floor care devices, such as floor-type vacuum cleaners,
upright vacuum cleaners or robotic vacuum cleaners, have certain
shapes in a region in contact with the surface to be cleaned in
order to gather and transport the usually solid dust and dirt
particles using certain physical principles. An important principle
is the pulsed solid contact between the brush filaments and the
floor being worked on in each case, as well as the dirt particles
found thereon. In this way, said dirt particles are mobilised and
transported.
[0004] In order to increase the surface-cleaning capacity, it is of
particular importance, especially also in robotic vacuum cleaners,
for the regions to the right and left of the suction mouth itself
to be worked on by assistive side brushes. An essential aim of such
side brushes and the brush/filament clusters thereof is to solely
mechanically move dirt particles found on the floor using the brush
filaments of the filament clusters and to deliver them to the
suction mouth.
[0005] Such side brushes are known. U.S. Pat. No. 8,656,550 B
describes a side brush in the form of a separately driven brush
which comprises resilient arms extending from a central middle
part, which arms in turn each retain a filament cluster. A folding
mechanism in the side-brush construction is described in EP 2 606
798 A2. It should therefore be possible to allow the filament
clusters to disappear under the robotic vacuum cleaner when not in
use. CN 203380162 U describes a robotic road sweeper comprising
side brushes which have a plurality of individual filament clusters
on a brush core.
[0006] An essential aim of side brushes is sweeping corners and
edge regions of the surface to be cleaned. Since robotic vacuum
cleaners can otherwise barely reach corners and edge regions
because of their usually round shape, side brushes need to have a
certain minimum size. The larger the diameter of a side brush, the
further the individual filament clusters reach into the
corners/edge regions. At the same time however, the side brushes
also lose their rigidity as the diameter increases. This has a
negative effect on the cleaning effect that can be achieved. In
light of this situation, small arms extending from the brush core
are often used instead of filament clusters extending directly from
a side-brush core, at the free ends of which arms a filament
cluster is attached in each case, the filaments of which can then
be even shorter so that greater rigidity of the filament cluster
results overall.
[0007] Such arms extending from the brush core and filament
clusters attached thereto lead to impairment of the manoeuvrability
and climbing ability of the robotic vacuum cleaner when there is an
increased quantity of arms, the climbing ability relating, for
example, to the ability to get over ridges, such as those that
arise when transitioning from one floor to another floor, such as
when transitioning from a smooth floor to a carpet lying on the
smooth floor. Because this manoeuvrability and climbing ability is
an essential aspect for the intended function of a robotic vacuum
cleaner and for a satisfactory cleaning result, the manoeuvrability
and climbing ability must not be impaired.
SUMMARY
[0008] A side brush for a vacuum cleaner includes a brush core and
at least ten filament clusters regularly distributed over a
circumferential surface of the brush core. Each filament cluster
includes brush filaments having a filament diameter that is greater
than or equal to 0.3 millimetres.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention will be described in even greater
detail below based on the exemplary figures. The invention is not
limited to the exemplary embodiments. Other features and advantages
of various embodiments of the present invention will become
apparent by reading the following detailed description with
reference to the attached drawings which illustrate the
following:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a side brush for a floor care
device, for example a vacuum cleaner or robotic vacuum cleaner,
[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a filament cluster of a
side brush according to the prior art,
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a filament cluster
corresponding to the approach proposed here and having the same
diameter as the filament cluster in FIG. 2,
[0013] FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of a filament cluster
of a side brush according to the prior art,
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a filament cluster
corresponding to the approach proposed here and having the same
diameter as the filament cluster in FIG. 4, and
[0015] FIG. 6 is a view to illustrate the relationship between a
diameter of a filament cluster, a quantity of brush filaments
comprised thereby in each case and respective filament
diameters.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] In an embodiment, the present invention provides a side
brush by means of which an improved cleaning effect results while
maintaining good manoeuvrability and climbing ability.
[0017] In a side brush for a robotic vacuum cleaner, the following
are provided: the side brush comprises a brush core and a plurality
of filament clusters that are regularly distributed over a
circumferential surface of the brush core, specifically at least
ten filament clusters of this type. Each filament cluster comprises
a plurality of brush filaments and a diameter of the brush
filaments (filament diameter) is greater than or equal to 0.3
millimetres.
[0018] Such a diameter of the brush filaments, which is rather
large compared with previously standard filament diameters of 0.1
to 0.2 millimetres, of equal to or more than 0.3 millimetres leads
to greater rigidity of each individual brush filament and therefore
also to greater rigidity of each filament cluster overall. Such
greater rigidity of the filament clusters of the side brush leads
to corners and edge regions being reached and dirt particles found
there being suitably gathered and being able to be moved towards
the suction mouth. Arms extending from the brush core and filament
clusters attached only thereto are, as an alternative possibility
to obtain similarly rigid filament clusters, not necessary in this
case and correspondingly such arms also cannot represent any
obstruction which influences the manoeuvrability and climbing
ability.
[0019] The invention also relates to a robotic vacuum cleaner which
is distinguished in that said robotic vacuum cleaner comprises at
least one side brush of this type in a position that is standard
for a side brush, or comprises a side brush of this type in
respective positions that are standard for a side brush, that is to
say at least two side brushes.
[0020] Advantageous configurations and developments of the
invention will become apparent from the subsequent dependent
claims. References used therein refer to the development of the
subject matter of the main claim by means of the features of the
respective dependent claims. They are not to be understood as an
abandonment of the achievement of independent, objective protection
for the combinations of features of the dependent claims to which
reference is made. Furthermore, in terms of an interpretation of
the claims when a feature is specified in more detail in a
dependent claim, it should be assumed that a restriction of this
type is not present in the respective preceding claims.
[0021] In an embodiment of the side brush, the filament diameters
of the brush filaments are the same or at least substantially the
same within a filament cluster. Each filament cluster therefore
comprises uniformly rigid brush filaments such that the filament
clusters fan out less and they retain a cylindrical or cuboid or
other polygonal and convex basic shape substantially over the
entire length thereof. Retaining the basic shape, which is
determined by attaching the filament cluster to the brush core, on
the free end of the filament cluster also advantageously leads to
substantially one region along a peripheral line of the side brush
being brushed when the side brush rotates. When the robotic vacuum
cleaner moves forward, a surface which has been brushed results
therefrom, sufficient cleaning in any case being ensured there by
the defined brushed areas in the region of the peripheral line, and
this does not occur when the filament clusters fan out to a great
extent at the end. Although a greater surface area of an individual
brushed area can then result selectively, uniform gathering of dust
or dirt on a particular surface is not ensured.
[0022] At different cluster diameters and different filament
diameters of greater than 0.3 millimetres, a corresponding quantity
of brush filaments in an individual filament cluster and
specifically a lower quantity of brush filaments compared with
previously used filament clusters results. When a diameter of the
filament clusters is two millimetres, each filament cluster
comprises, for example, thirty to forty or fewer brush filaments,
in particular ten to twenty brush filaments. When a diameter of the
filament clusters is three millimetres, each filament cluster
comprises eighty to ninety or fewer brush filaments, in particular
forty to fifty brush filaments. When a diameter of the filament
clusters is four millimetres, each filament cluster comprises one
hundred to two hundred or fewer brush filaments, in particular
seventy to ninety brush filaments. When a diameter of the filament
clusters is five millimetres, each filament cluster comprises two
hundred to three hundred or fewer brush filaments, in particular
one hundred to two hundred brush filaments, and so on.
[0023] An embodiment of the invention is shown in a purely
schematic manner in the drawings and will be described in greater
detail below. Subjects or elements corresponding to one another are
provided with the same reference numerals in all the drawings. The
embodiment should not be understood as a restriction of the
invention. Instead, amendments are also possible within the scope
of the present disclosure, in particular those of the type which
can be inferred by a person skilled in the art with regard to
solving the problem by combining or amending individual features
and elements or method steps in conjunction with all those
described in the general or specific part of the description and
contained in the claims and/or the drawings, and which lead to new
subject matter or new method steps or method step sequences by way
of combinable features.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a side brush 10 proposed here
for a floor care device, for example a floor care device in the
form of a vacuum cleaner, in particular in the form of a robotic
vacuum cleaner. The side brush 10 comprises a plurality of filament
clusters 12 each fastened to a brush core 14. The brush filaments
16 (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) comprised by the filament clusters 12 are
not shown separately and the cylindrical shape shown is intended to
represent the entirety of the respective brush filaments 16.
[0025] The views in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 each show, in cross section,
a filament cluster 12 comprising the brush filaments 16 comprised
thereby. FIG. 2 is an example of a filament cluster 12 comprising a
previously standard quantity of brush filaments 16 and FIG. 3
shows, in comparison thereto, a filament cluster 12 according to
the approach proposed here. The quantity of brush filaments 16,
which is considerably lower in the view in FIG. 3, can be seen
easily, although the diameters of the two filament clusters 12
shown are the same size. The different quantity of brush filaments
16 in the two filament clusters 12 is accompanied by a
correspondingly different diameter of the individual brush
filaments 16. In the case of the filament cluster 12 according to
FIG. 2 comprising the high quantity of brush filaments 16 there,
each individual brush filament 16 has a relatively small diameter.
In contrast, the individual brush filaments 16 have a comparatively
large diameter in the case of the filament cluster 12 according to
FIG. 3 comprising the rather low quantity of brush filaments 16
there.
[0026] The same also applies to the two filament clusters 12 shown
in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Compared with the views in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3,
the filament clusters 12 according to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are
filament clusters 12 having a smaller diameter. The total quantity
of brush filaments 16 comprised by the two filament clusters 12 is
also correspondingly lower. However, as in the case of the filament
clusters 12 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a filament cluster 12
according to the previously standard configuration has a
considerably higher quantity of brush filaments 16 having a
relatively small diameter in each case, while the filament cluster
12 according to the approach proposed here (FIG. 5), at the same
diameter, has a considerably lower quantity of brush filaments 16
having a comparatively large diameter in each case.
[0027] The filament clusters 12 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 each
have, for example, a diameter (cluster diameter) of 5 mm. The
diameter of the individual brush filaments 16 (filament diameter)
is 0.2 mm in each case for the filament cluster 12 in FIG. 2 and
0.7 mm in each case for the filament cluster 12 in FIG. 3. In
contrast, the filament clusters 12 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 each
have, for example, a diameter of 2 mm and the diameter of the
individual brush filaments 16 is 0.2 mm in each case for the
filament cluster 12 in FIG. 4 as for the filament cluster 12 in
FIG. 2, and 0.7 mm in each case for the filament cluster 12 in FIG.
5 as for the filament cluster 12 in FIG. 3.
[0028] The view in FIG. 6 shows a relationship between a diameter
of a filament cluster 12 and a diameter of the brush filaments 16
grouped together in a filament cluster 12 in each case, on the
basis of individual characteristic curves. The cluster diameter in
millimetres is plotted on the x-axis. The quantity of the filaments
is plotted on the y-axis on a logarithmic scale. The characteristic
curves shown relate to individual filament diameters (in mm) and a
key is inserted in the upper region of the figure for the symbols
used in the individual characteristic curves. The region A
represents the ratios in current side brushes and the filament
clusters 12 thereof (see also the views in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4). It
is therefore a filament cluster 12 comprising a rather high
quantity of brush filaments 16 and a small filament diameter. The
lower hatched region B represents the ratios from the approach
proposed here (see also the views in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5). Therefore,
compared with the previous ratios (region A; FIG. 2 and FIG. 4),
considerably fewer brush filaments 16 are grouped together in a
filament cluster 12 and these brush filaments have a considerably
larger diameter compared with the previous ratios, and therefore,
for example, filament clusters 12 having a diameter of the
individual brush filaments 16 which are comprised thereby result in
a range of from 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm.
[0029] On account of the approach described here, a clear advantage
results when using filament clusters 12 having a reduced quantity
of brush filaments 16 which each have a larger diameter in terms of
subjectively perceived and measurable cleaning performance of the
side brushes 12 of a robotic vacuum cleaner. This results from the
fact that a greater rigidity of each individual brush filament 16
and therefore also each filament cluster 12 is produced overall
when the diameter of the individual brush filaments 16 is larger.
The side brush 10 can therefore be equipped with filament clusters
12 having a length which ensures that the side brush reaches
corners and edge regions of the floor being worked on in each case.
The rigidity of the filament clusters 12 and the individual brush
filaments 16 comprised thereby ensures the desired cleaning effect.
The manoeuvrability and climbing ability is not negatively affected
because no arms or the like which carry the filament clusters 12
and which extend from the brush core 14 are necessary.
[0030] While the invention has been illustrated and described in
detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration
and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and
not restrictive. It will be understood that changes and
modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the
scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention
covers further embodiments with any combination of features from
different embodiments described above and below. Additionally,
statements made herein characterizing the invention refer to an
embodiment of the invention and not necessarily all
embodiments.
[0031] The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the
broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing
description. For example, the use of the article "a" or "the" in
introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive
of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of "or" should
be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of "A
or B" is not exclusive of "A and B," unless it is clear from the
context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is
intended. Further, the recitation of "at least one of A, B and C"
should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements
consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as
requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C,
regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or
otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of "A, B and/or C" or "at least
one of A, B or C" should be interpreted as including any singular
entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the
listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B
and C.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0032] 10 side brush [0033] 12 filament cluster [0034] 14 brush
core [0035] 16 brush filament
* * * * *