EP2224839B1 - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning device for cleaning a floor includes a base body, a rotatable roller brush disposed on the base body, a dirt container disposed on the base body, a liquid container configured to receive a cleaning liquid disposed on the base body; and a sponge configured to receive a soiled cleaning liquid disposed on the base body.

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a cleaning device, comprising a base body on which a rotatable brush roller, a dirt container, a liquid container for receiving cleaning liquid and a device for receiving soiled cleaning liquid are arranged.

State of the art

Such a cleaning device is from the WO 2005/087075 known. The previously known cleaning device consists of a base body to which a driven via an electric motor rotatable brush roller is mounted, which transports the detected dirt in a arranged behind the brush roller dirt container. By the brush roller coarse dirt is absorbed by the dirt container is received and retained. Fine dirt, in particular dust, can pass through the brush roll and is absorbed by the cleaning cloth arranged behind it, which is fastened to a cloth holder. This improves the cleaning effect compared to a cleaning device with only one brush roller. The cleaning effect is further improved by the fact that in the towel holder, a liquid container is integrated, by the cleaning liquid directly or indirectly on the cloth can be given. The cleaning liquid also binds fine dust-like particles and can be absorbed by the cleaning cloth. The cloth holder has a rigid plate on which faces the floor to be cleaned and the spanned on the cloth holder cloth has only a small thickness in the range of a few millimeters. Due to the rigid plate and the thin cloth, the cleaning effect on uneven floors, such as tiles, after. Furthermore, due to the small volume, the cloth has only a small amount

Water absorption capacity.

DE 89028 13 U discloses a movable device for cleaning bathing surfaces. The waste water is supplied to a collecting tank via a coated suction roll, a press roll and a sump.

Presentation of the invention

The invention has for its object to further develop the known cleaning device so that the cleaning performance, especially on uneven ground, again improved.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. In advantageous embodiments, the dependent claims relate.

To solve the problem, the device is designed so that it can accommodate a multiple of cleaning fluid. For this purpose, the device can be constructed as a cloth or as a body with a three-dimensional extent. To increase the liquid absorption capacity, the device may be equipped with hydrophilic components. Such constituents are, for example, superabsorbents, zeolites, silicates or chemical drying agents. Preferably, the device is designed as a sponge. The sponge is designed in particular as an open-cell sponge, for example made of polyurethane. Due to their porosity, such sponges have a high water absorption capacity, which can amount to more than three times the own weight of the sponge. Of the Sponge is particularly easy to integrate into the body and consists of only one part. The porosity of the sponge also allows dirt to be absorbed by capillary forces. This means that the dirt particles not only adhere to the surface of the sponge, but are transported into the sponge and thus better bound. These dirt particles are only released and rinsed out by rinsing and wringing out the sponge. The sponge also has a flexible shape and can thereby adapt to the structure of the soil to be cleaned. So it is possible that the sponge penetrates, for example, in joints of tiling and there receives dirt and liquid. The device, located behind the brush roll, picks up the remainder of the debrided cleaning fluid that has not been carried into the dirt bin. This liquid has only smaller particles that are also absorbed by the sponge. Behind the sponge remains little moisture on the floor to be cleaned. For integration of a sponge in the body is only a kind of shaft necessary in which the sponge is pushed. Fasteners can be omitted, since the sponge of the restoring forces is fixed non-positively in the shaft. In an advantageous embodiment, the device can be designed in several parts. In this case, two sponge body may be provided, which are interconnected by a Velcro connection. It is advantageous that the sponge section, which faces the floor to be cleaned and therefore wears faster, can be replaced separately.

The device may be provided with a coating on the side to be cleaned facing the side. The coating may be formed as a nonwoven fabric or as a fabric. Particularly advantageous is a coating which is formed from microfibers. Microfibers have good water absorbency and can be both watery and greasy Pick up dirt. Such coatings wick moisture and are more wear-resistant to translational motion, as opposed to a sponge that directly contacts the floor to be cleaned. The coating may be interchangeable attachable to the device. For this purpose, the coating can be attached to the device, for example by means of a Velcro connection. In particular Einmaltücher be attached from nonwoven fabric. It is also conceivable to form the sponge with the coating as a disposable product.

The device may have recesses or apertures into which protrude protrusions that are connected to the body .. These protrusions, ideally made of solid plastic, can be indirectly brought into contact with the device to be cleaned by the device when compressing the device and so improve the cleaning performance with firmly adhering dirt. In order to be able to compress the device, the wheels which guide the cleaning device in the area of the device can be height-adjustable with spring loading, whereby the pressure on the device can be metered by the user.

The base body can have a slot-shaped opening on the side facing the floor to be cleaned, through which the device protrudes so that it comes into contact with the floor to be cleaned. In this case, the device has a width which corresponds to the width of the brush roller. Furthermore, the device can be stored so easily. Furthermore, the device may have a projection which projects through the opening. In this case, the projection may be formed so that the device is pressed with bias to the ground to be cleaned. This results in a height compensation, by the again improves the cleaning performance, especially on uneven floors.

The device may be removable from the cleaning device. For this purpose, the device can be removed, for example, upwards or to one side in order to be able to wring or exchange the device for saturation with liquid.

The dirt container can be removable. For this purpose, the dirt container can be guided in a drawer-like manner in the base body or be lockable in the base body from the upper side, which faces away from the floor to be cleaned. The dirt can be easily removed from the cleaning device.

The liquid container may be connected to the brush roller so that the cleaning liquid can be applied to the brush roller. The cleaning fluid, which is applied directly to the brush rollers, on the one hand causes a continuous cleaning of the brush roller and on the other hand, the aufkehrende dirt is moistened immediately, so that this connects with the cleaning fluid. In contrast to dry cleaning, in which the dust can be whirled up by the brush roller, the dust is bound in the solution according to the invention and can no longer be whirled up. The cleaning liquid can be conveyed by a pump on the brush roller, which allows a particularly effective cleaning of the brush roll or conveyed by gravity on the brush roller, which is particularly cost. Furthermore, it is advantageous that even firmly adhering dirt can be released by the brush roller wetted with cleaning fluid, so that the cleaning device as a whole has improved cleaning performance. It is also conceivable to provide a modular cleaning device which consists only of the main body with brush roller, liquid container and dirt container, wherein the base body has an adapter for connecting the cleaning device with a conventional flat wiper. Thus, the cleaning device can be optionally connected to a flat wiper.

It can be provided a pump, which is switched on only temporarily. A permanently driven pump causes high power consumption, although pump performance is not always required. In a gravity-only liquid transport, the piping and nozzle system may become clogged by deposits due to low pressure and low volume flow. These impurities can be flushed out of the line and nozzle system by temporarily switching on the pump and the resulting increased pressure and volume flow. Furthermore, the brush roll can be cleaned by a temporary strong liquid flow. It is conceivable to choose a combination of gravity drive and pump drive or a pure pump drive with a temporarily switched pump. It is also conceivable that the pump is time-controlled, that operates in a predetermined cycle or is controlled manually by operating a switch integrated in the handle. The pump can be driven by a toothed belt, so that only one electric motor is required to drive the brush roller and the pump.

The brush roll may comprise bristles made of a material having a low water absorption capacity. Such materials are in particular plastics from the group of polypropylenes and polybutylene terephthalate. Since the bristles of the brush roller of the cleaning device according to the invention, in contrast to conventional cleaning equipment in contact with water, have bristles with a low water absorbency on a longer service life.

Some bristles of the brush roll may be formed as a wear indicator. For this purpose, some bristles may be equipped with a dye which dissolves slowly in contact with water and thereby indicates the wear of the brush roller.

At least a part of the bristles of the brush roll can be equipped antibacterial. Such equipment, for example, forms a coating of the bristles with a silver-containing material. This equipment is particularly advantageous because the brush roll comes into contact with liquid and dirt and it is not possible to manually clean the brush roll thoroughly.

The brush roller may be mounted in the body so that it is vertically displaceable. In addition, the brush roller may be spring-loaded, so that the brush roller always rests under a pre-pressure on the floor to be cleaned. Depending on the wear of the bristles, the brush roll is readjusted by vertical displacement and always remains in contact with the floor to be cleaned.

The cleaning device may comprise a handle on which the liquid container is arranged. As a result, the liquid container is stored higher and the liquid passes under a higher pressure to the brush roller. This is particularly advantageous when dispensing with a pumping device for cost reasons. A liquid container arranged here can be bottle-shaped and thus particularly easy to replace. It is also possible that a receptacle for liquid container is arranged on the handle, which comprises, for example, a thread and can be attached to the arbitrary liquid container, such as bottles with detergent.

The device can be operatively connected to the dirt container. During the cleaning process, a mixture of liquid and solid components collects in the dirt container. It is disadvantageous that the liquid components can be spilled when tilting the cleaning device. In the advantageous embodiment, the dirt container is connected to the device such that liquid components can be absorbed by the device and only solid components remain in the dirt container. The liquid is bound in the device so that spilling of the liquid components is not possible.

Between the device and the dirt container can be arranged a perforated partition. In this embodiment, a sieve-like connection between the device and dirt container through which the liquid components of the dirt container can get into the device. In other embodiments, it is also conceivable that a filter medium, for example a nonwoven fabric layer, is arranged between the device and the dirt container. The filter medium ensures that if possible only low-particle liquid gets into the device and is bound there.

Brief description of the drawing

Fig. 1

das Reinigungsgerät als Explosionsdarstellung;

Fig. 2

das Reinigungsgerät mit angebrachtem Tuchhalter;

Fig. 3

das Reinigungsgerät mit angebrachtem Schmutzbehälter;

Fig. 4

ein Reinigungsgerät mit Verbindung zwischen Einrichtung und Schmutzbehälter;

Fig. 5

ein Reinigungsgerät mit einem über Druckknöpfe direkt befestigtem Wischbezug;

Fig. 6

ein Reinigungsgerät mit einer aufsteckbaren Verlängerung;

Fig. 7

ein Reinigungsgerät mit einem mittels Klett befestigbaren Wischbezug;

Fig. 8

im Detail eine an dem Stiel des Reinigungsgerätes befestigte Sprüheinrichtung.

Some embodiments of the cleaning device according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. These show, in each case schematically:

Fig. 1

the cleaning device as an exploded view;

Fig. 2

the cleaning device with the cloth holder attached;

Fig. 3

the cleaning device with attached dirt container;

Fig. 4

a cleaning device with connection between device and dirt container;

Fig. 5

a cleaning device with a mop cover directly attached via push buttons;

Fig. 6

a cleaning device with an attachable extension;

Fig. 7

a cleaning device with a fastened by means of Velcro mop cover;

Fig. 8

in detail, attached to the handle of the cleaning device sprayer.

Embodiment of the invention

FIG. 1 shows a cleaning device 1, consisting of a base body 2 to which a handle 8 is attached via a joint. In the main body 2, a motor-driven rotatable brush roller 3 is arranged at the front, is transported through the dirt in the behind the brush roller 3 arranged dirt container 4. Die Drehrichtung ist in Fig. 2 dargestellt. The drive of the brush roller 3 is effected by a battery-driven electric motor, whereby lithium-ion accumulators are preferably used as accumulators. Furthermore, the main body 2 includes a liquid container 5 for receiving cleaning liquid. The liquid container 5 is arranged so that the cleaning liquid can be applied directly to the brush roller 3. For this purpose, a pump can be interposed between the liquid container 5 and the brush roller 3, which increases the fluid pressure and thus improves the cleaning effect. In other embodiments, the liquid container may also be arranged in the stem 8. Behind the brush roller 3 and behind the dirt container 4 is a device 6 for receiving soiled cleaning liquid. The device 6 consists in this embodiment of an open-cell polyurethane foam and has on the floor to be cleaned side facing a coating 9, consisting of a nonwoven fabric. The main body 2 has a slit-shaped opening 10, through which the device 6 protrudes so that it comes into contact with the ground to be cleaned with bias. The width of the device 6 substantially corresponds to the width of the brush roller 3. The device 6 can be removed laterally from the base body 2. The brush roller 3 comprises bristles 7, which consist of a material with low water absorption capacity. As such material polypropylene was chosen in this embodiment. Some bristles 7 were provided with a dye that fades or leaches out over time. These bristles 7 serve as indicator bristles and indicate when the brush roller 3 should be replaced. Furthermore, at least a part of the bristles 7 is equipped with antibacterial properties. For this purpose, the bristles 7 may be coated with a silver-containing material. A part of the bristles 7 may also be formed from a multilayer nonwoven fabric. These bristles 7 may be combined with bristles 7, which consist of an elastomeric material. The brush roller 3 is mounted in the base body 2, that it is vertically displaceable. Furthermore, the brush roller 3 is pressed by the force of a spring to the ground to be cleaned. This ensures that the bristles 7 always come into contact with the soil to be cleaned even after wear-related shortening.

FIG. 2 shows a cleaning device 1, consisting of a base body 2 to which a handle 8 is attached via a joint. In the main body 2, a motor-driven rotatable brush roller 3 is arranged at the front, is transported through the dirt in the behind the brush roller 3 arranged dirt container 4. Die Drehrichtung ist in Fig. 2 dargestellt. Furthermore, the main body 2 includes a liquid container 5 for receiving cleaning liquid. The liquid container 5 is arranged so that the cleaning liquid in the cleaning direction immediately before the brush roller 3 can be applied to the floor to be cleaned. Behind the brush roller 3 and behind the dirt container 4 is a device 6 for receiving dirty cleaning fluid. The device 6 in this embodiment consists of a suction device, comprising one or more suction nozzles, a conveyor and a dirt container. Furthermore, the device may include an exhaust filter. The brush roller 3 comprises bristles 7, which consist of a material with low water absorption capacity. As such material polypropylene was chosen in this embodiment. Some bristles 7 were provided with a dye that fades or leaches out over time. These bristles 7 serve as indicator bristles and indicate when the brush roller 3 should be replaced. Furthermore, at least a part of the bristles 7 is equipped with antibacterial properties. For this purpose, the bristles 7 may be coated with a silver-containing material. The brush roller 3 is mounted in the base body 2, that it is vertically displaceable. Furthermore, the brush roller 3 is pressed by the force of a spring to the ground to be cleaned. This ensures that the bristles 7 always come into contact with the soil to be cleaned even after wear-related shortening.

FIG. 3 shows a cleaning device 1, consisting of a base body 2, in which on the front side a motor-driven rotatable brush roller 3 is arranged, is conveyed by the dirt in the behind the brush roller 3 arranged dirt container 4. Furthermore, the main body 2 includes a liquid container 5 for receiving cleaning liquid. The liquid container 5 is arranged so that the cleaning liquid can be applied directly to the brush roller 3. The main body 2 further comprises an adapter through which the cleaning device can be connected to a conventional flat wiper, in particular a butterfly mop. The brush roller 3 may correspond to a brush roller 3 described in one of the preceding figures.

FIG. 4 shows a cleaning device 1 according to FIG. 1 , In this embodiment, the device 6 and the dirt container 4 are arranged one above the other and are operatively connected to each other by the partition wall 10 between device 6 and dirt container 4 is perforated sieve-like. The coating 9 is firmly connected in this embodiment with the sponge and includes microfibers.

FIG. 5 shows a cleaning device 1, consisting of a base body 2 to which a handle 8 is attached via a joint. In the main body 2, a motor-driven rotatable brush roller 3 is arranged at the front, is transported through the dirt in the behind the brush roller 3 arranged dirt container 4. Die Drehrichtung ist in Fig. 2 dargestellt. The drive of the brush roller 3 is carried out by a battery-powered electric motor, preferably being used as accumulators lithium-ion batteries are used. Behind the brush roller 3 and behind the dirt container 4 is a device 6 for receiving soiled cleaning liquid. The device 6 consists in this embodiment of a commercially available mop cover 13 for flat wipers. The mop cover 13 is designed so that it has on both narrow sides a tab 11 which is provided with push buttons 12. To attach the mop cover 13 push buttons 12 are also attached to the base body 2 to which the push buttons 12 of the mop cover 13 are fastened. In this embodiment, the mop cover 13 is thus attached directly to the base body 2. In this embodiment, it is advantageous that the mop covers 13 can be fastened directly to the cleaning device 1. Furthermore, the mop covers are fastened directly to the base body 2, so that a separate cloth holder can be omitted. The brush roller 3 comprises bristles 7, which consist of a material with low water absorption capacity. As such material polypropylene was chosen in this embodiment. Some bristles 7 were provided with a dye that fades or leaches out over time. These bristles 7 serve as Indicator bristles and indicate when the brush roller 3 should be replaced. Furthermore, at least a part of the bristles 7 is equipped with antibacterial properties. For this purpose, the bristles 7 may be coated with a silver-containing material. A part of the bristles 7 may also be formed from a multilayer nonwoven fabric. These bristles 7 may be combined with bristles 7, which consist of an elastomeric material. The brush roller 3 is mounted in the base body 2, that it is vertically displaceable. Furthermore, the brush roller 3 is pressed by the force of a spring to the ground to be cleaned. This ensures that the bristles 7 always come into contact with the soil to be cleaned even after wear-related shortening. The base body 2 is further provided on the side facing the floor to be cleaned with sliding bodies 14, which consist essentially of bristles in this embodiment. On the stem 8, a liquid container 5 is attached with a spray 16. The liquid container 5 is configured so as to be detachably attachable to the sprayer 16. For this purpose, the spraying device 16 has a receiving device 17 into which the liquid container 5 can be inserted. The spraying device 16 comprises an integrated into the handle 8 cylinder 18 in which a piston 19 is translationally guided. The cylinder 18 has an inlet channel 20 through which the cylinder 18 is connected to the liquid container 5. In the inlet channel 20 is a valve 21, preferably a spring-loaded check valve. Furthermore, the cylinder 18 is connected to an outlet channel 22 at the free end of which a nozzle 23 is located. In the outlet passage 22 is another, spring-loaded valve 29. The piston 19 is also spring loaded and is in the unloaded state in the extended position. The cylinder 18 is filled with cleaning fluid. The piston 19 is connected by a arranged in the stem 8 linkage 30 with a lever 24 which is located in the handle 25 of the stem. When the lever 24 is actuated, the piston 19 moves into the cylinder 18 and after exceeding a predetermined Pressure opens the further valve 29 and the cleaning liquid is atomized after exiting the outlet channel 22 through the nozzle 23 and distributed as a fine mist on the floor to be cleaned. The piston 19 is surrounded by a spring 31 which holds the piston 19 in the unloaded state in the open position. Furthermore, the spring 31 makes it possible for the piston 19 to automatically move into the open position after actuation, ie closing, and that the cylinder 18 automatically fills with cleaning fluid. In this embodiment, it is advantageous that the spraying device can be actuated purely manually and no auxiliary energy is required. Due to the piston / cylinder arrangement 18, 19 with the valves 21, 29, however, a pressure is generated in contrast to the free outlet, through which the cleaning liquid can be atomized. This reduces the need for fluids, as small amounts of detergent are sufficient for normal soiling. Furthermore, the area performance of the cleaning device 1 increases, since only a small amount of cleaning liquid has to be taken up by the mop cover 13. It therefore only rarely has to be removed from the base body 2 for wringing out.

FIG. 6 shows a cleaning device 1 according to FIG. 5 , wherein on the base body 2 at its rear side an attachable extension 26 is fixed in order to guide the mop cover 13 over its entire width below the base body 2 can. In this embodiment, it is advantageous that commercially available mop covers known from flat wipers can be used. It is therefore not necessary to provide different types of mop covers for wet mopping and for use on the cleaning device 1 according to the invention. As mop covers come in particular from the German patent application DE 10 2006 038 498 A1 known mop covers into consideration.

FIG. 7 shows a cleaning device 1 according to FIG. 5 , wherein the device 6, also formed in this embodiment as a mop cover 13, on which the floor to be cleaned facing side is attached to the base body 2. Also in this embodiment eliminates the towel holder. For attachment, the back of the mop cover is provided with a Velcro material 28 and the base body 2 with a Velcro material 27. Thus, the mop cover 13 is secure and quick and easily releasably attached to the base body 2. In this embodiment, it is advantageous that the mop cover 13 does not protrude beyond the main body 2 and is virtually invisible during cleaning. Furthermore, the mop cover can be attached particularly easily.

FIG. 8 shows the spray device 16 described above in detail. It is conceivable to provide the spraying device 16 on each of the cleaning devices 1 described above.

Claims (12)

1. Cleaning appliance (1) comprising a basic body (2), on which are arranged a rotatable brush roller (3), a dirt container (4), a liquid container (5) for receiving cleaning liquid and also a device (6) for receiving dirty cleaning liquid, characterized in that the device (6) is designed as a sponge.
2. Cleaning appliance according to Claim 1, characterized in that the device (6), on the side which is directed towards the floor which is to be cleaned, is provided with a coating (9).
3. Cleaning appliance according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the basic body (2), on the side which is directed towards the floor which is to be cleaned, has a slot-like through-passage (10), through which the device (6) projects such that it comes into contact with the floor which is to be cleaned.
4. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device (6) is removable.
5. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the liquid container (5) is connected to the brush roller (3) such that the cleaning liquid can be applied to the brush roller (3).
6. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the brush roller (3) comprises bristles (7) which consist of a material with low water absorbency.
7. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least some bristles (7) of the brush roller (3) are designed as wear indicators.
8. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least some of the bristles (7) of the brush roller (3) are antibacterial.
9. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the brush roller (3) is mounted in the basic body (2) such that it can be displaced vertically.
10. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cleaning appliance (1) comprises a handle (8), on which the liquid container (5) is arranged.
11. Cleaning appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the device (6) is operatively connected to the dirt container (4).
12. Cleaning appliance according to Claim 11, characterized in that a perforated partition wall is arranged between the device (6) and dirt container (4).

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