Cleaning device for cleaning soles of shoes

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning device (2) for cleaning shoe soles, having a dirt receptacle (20), a grid (56) arranged above the dirt receptacle (20) in the height direction (4), and at least one brush element (70) arranged below the grid (56) in the height direction (6), wherein the brush element (70) extends through an opening (62) in the grid (56) in such a way that protruding brush sections (78 to 84) are arranged above the grid (56) in the height direction (4). The brush element (70) is drivable or driven by a drive motor (40).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning shoe soles, the cleaning apparatus having a dirt holding space, a grid arranged above the dirt holding space in the height direction, and at least one brush element arranged below the grid in the height direction, wherein the brush element extends through an opening in the grid such that a protruding brush section is arranged above the grid in the height direction. Background Technology

[0002] Foot mats are known from the prior art and are placed on the ground in front of entrance doors. These mats are mostly constructed in the form of carpet pieces, with upward-pointing bristles in the height direction, thus forming brush elements. To clean the soles of shoes, the user stands on the mat and moves the sole over the vertically protruding bristles, causing dirt to be rubbed off the sole, and dirt particles falling downwards between the bristles of the mat.

[0003] Cleaning devices for cleaning shoe soles at entrances are also known in practice. These devices have a dirt-retaining space and a grid arranged vertically above the dirt-retaining space, allowing a user to stand on the grid with the sole of their shoe, and dirt detached from the sole can fall through the grid into the dirt-retaining space. In this way, dirt is reliably contained and does not reach the soles of the next user's shoes. In this context, some cleaning devices are known in practice that, in addition to the grid, also have one or more brush elements arranged below the grid, such that a portion of the bristles of the brush elements extends through an opening in the grid. This creates a protruding brush section above the grid in the vertical direction, along which the sole can be brushed away, simplifying the cleaning of the sole. If dirt is removed from the sole by means of the protruding brush section, it can fall downwards through the grid into the dirt-retaining space in the vertical direction as usual. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One objective of the present invention is to improve the cleaning apparatus of this type for cleaning shoe soles in such a way that cleaning shoe soles can be performed in a particularly simple, quick and thorough manner.

[0005] This task is solved by the features given in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0006] The cleaning device according to the invention is used for cleaning shoe soles. Preferably, the cleaning device is designed to simultaneously clean both soles of a pair of shoes. The cleaning device has a dirt-retaining space. This dirt-retaining space can, for example, be constructed within a recess in the floor. Alternatively or additionally, preferably, the dirt-retaining space is constructed within the housing of the cleaning device. The dirt-retaining space is used to contain dirt or dirt particles that have detached from the sole. A grid is arranged above the dirt-retaining space in the height direction. The grid can consist of a large number of transverse and longitudinal struts that, in combination, form a lattice, wherein openings or lattice openings are formed between these transverse and / or longitudinal struts. The grid is preferably designed to support a person or user standing on it with the sole of their shoe facing forward. Due to the dirt-retaining space and the grid arranged above it in the height direction, dirt detached from the user's sole can fall into the dirt-retaining space through the openings in the grid. Furthermore, at least one brush element is arranged below the grid in the height direction, and preferably multiple brush elements are provided. Here, the brush element is preferably understood as a bristle carrier with multiple protruding bristles disposed on the bristle carrier. Therefore, for the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the bristle carrier of the brush element is arranged below the grid in the height direction. The at least one brush element and the grid are arranged relative to each other such that the brush element extends at least partially through the opening in the grid, and the protruding brush section is arranged above the grid in the height direction. Here, the protruding brush section is preferably formed only by the bristles of the brush element. In order to perform the cleaning of the soles of shoes placed above the grid in the height direction in a particularly quick and simple manner, the cleaning apparatus further has a drive motor by means of which the one or more brush elements are drivable or driven. It is preferable that the brush element can be rotated or is rotated by the drive motor; however, other movements are also possible in principle, such as translational movement of the at least one brush element. In any case, the drive motor drives the at least one brush element so that the user does not need to move their shoe or the sole of the shoe along the grid, but simply moves the protruding brush section of the brush element along the sole of the shoe, thereby making the cleaning device particularly comfortable and quick to use.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the apparatus is constructed such that the height of the protruding brush sections, or these protruding brush sections, can be varied. This has the advantage that the intensity of the sole cleaning can be varied by changing the height of the protruding brush sections. That is, if the height of the protruding brush sections extending beyond the grid is chosen to be relatively large, the pressure exerted on the sole by these brush sections is generally higher than that of protruding brush sections that only slightly extend beyond the grid. In this embodiment, it is also preferable that the heights of these multiple protruding brush sections can be changed simultaneously (provided that multiple protruding brush sections are provided).

[0008] In an advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the apparatus is constructed such that the grille and the brush elements can be adjusted relative to each other in the height direction by changing the height of the protruding brush sections, thereby achieving a particularly simple and rapid adjustment of the cleaning intensity of the cleaning apparatus. It proves advantageous that the grille and the brush elements can be adjusted relative to each other by translational movement in the height direction to change the height of the protruding brush sections or the height of these protruding brush sections.

[0009] To ensure that the set cleaning intensity is maintained when the cleaning device is reused, in another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention, the grille and the brush element can be locked in at least two relative positions while maintaining their respective distances in the height direction. For this purpose, for example, a corresponding snap-fit ​​can be provided between the grille and another component of the cleaning device, such as the housing described in detail below. To achieve a particularly variable setting of the height of the protruding brush section and thus the cleaning intensity of the cleaning device, it is further preferred in this embodiment that the grille and the brush element can be continuously locked in their relative positions while maintaining their respective distances in the height direction, so that the height of the protruding brush section can also be continuously set and maintained.

[0010] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the cleaning apparatus has at least two of the aforementioned protruding brush sections, wherein these two brush sections have different heights. In cleaning apparatuses known from practice, brush sections of the same height are constructed only above the grid, while in this embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, at least two protruding brush sections of different heights are provided. This has the effect that soles whose bottom surfaces do not extend in a single plane can also be cleaned particularly thoroughly and effectively. For example, a protruding brush section of greater height can be provided, which is assigned to a recess in the sole, such as one constructed, for example, between the heel and the forefoot region of the sole. Conversely, the relatively flat forefoot region of the sole, or even the heel itself, can be assigned to a protruding brush section of lesser height. This achieves thorough cleaning of all areas of the sole.

[0011] In another preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a final protruding brush section is provided relative to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus, the final protruding brush section having a greater height than the subsequent protruding brush sections in the longitudinal direction. Here and also hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus should preferably be understood as the direction in which the shoes whose soles are to be cleaned are aligned. This embodiment takes into account the fact that in the area of ​​the forefoot of the shoe, the bottom surface of the sole is mostly raised or bent upwards in the height direction, which can be particularly noticeable after prolonged use of the shoe. Because the final protruding brush section in the longitudinal direction has a greater height than the subsequent protruding brush sections in the longitudinal direction, thorough cleaning of the bottom section that retracts upwards in the height direction is also ensured.

[0012] According to another preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a final protruding brush section is provided relative to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus. This final protruding brush section has a smaller height than subsequent protruding brush sections in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, this final protruding brush section can be used to clean the bottom surface of the protruding heel of the shoe sole, while subsequent protruding brush sections with greater height in the longitudinal direction can sink into the retracted section between the heel and the front region of the sole, so as to also cause thorough cleaning there.

[0013] According to another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, these protruding brush sections of successive heights in the longitudinal direction are each constructed of their own brush element, i.e., of separately constructed brush elements. Alternatively, these protruding brush sections of successive heights in the longitudinal direction are each formed of the same brush element, the protruding brush sections of which extend through spaced-apart openings in the grid.

[0014] As previously explained, the drive motor of the cleaning device can be designed such that the at least one brush element can be driven to achieve any movement via the drive motor. However, in another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention, the at least one brush element is arranged as a rotatable or rotating brush roller, primarily because this provides a particularly high number of bristles, and furthermore, simple actuation can be achieved via the drive motor, mainly because only the rotation generated by the drive motor needs to be transmitted to the bristle carrier of the brush element, making the mechanical device less prone to failure. For even better cleaning results, in this embodiment, it is preferred that the rotatable or rotating brush roller can also be translated back and forth in the direction of the axis of rotation.

[0015] In another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the axis of rotation of the brush element of the rotatable or rotating brush roller extends in the transverse direction of the cleaning apparatus. It is further preferred that this transverse direction is aligned perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus, such that the axis of rotation of the rotatable or rotating brush roller preferably extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus. This embodiment (in which the axis of rotation extends perpendicularly in the transverse direction and / or to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus) is particularly advantageous when successive protruding brush sections in the longitudinal direction are formed by their own brush elements or their own brush rollers. Alternatively, the axis of rotation of the rotatable or rotating brush roller may also extend in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus, which is particularly preferred when successive protruding brush sections in the longitudinal direction are formed by the same brush element, whose protruding brush sections extend through spaced-apart openings in the grid. Independent of the corresponding implementation variations, preferably, the axis of rotation of the rotatable or rotating brush roller extends parallel to the grid to create a meaningful arrangement between the grid and the brush element that ensures a predictable height and height adjustability of the protruding brush section.

[0016] In another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the brush roller has a drivable or driven shaft having at least one bristle section. In this bristle section of the shaft, protruding bristles are arranged on the shaft. In this embodiment, the shaft may also be referred to as a rotatable bristle carrier for receiving the protruding bristles.

[0017] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the brush roller has a single, continuous section of bristles. With only a single, continuous bristle section, the user of the cleaning apparatus has greater flexibility in how to position the two soles of their shoes on the grid, without the risk of any part of the sole remaining unwashed.

[0018] Alternatively to the foregoing embodiments, in another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the brush roller has at least two spaced-apart bristle sections. Therefore, each of the two soles of the user's shoes can be assigned to one of these bristle sections without requiring a large, continuous single bristle section. This simplifies the structure of the cleaning apparatus, however, limits the user's flexibility in positioning the soles on the grid.

[0019] In another particularly advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, these brush rollers are detachably arranged in the cleaning apparatus. This allows for the replacement of these brush rollers, for example, so that worn brush rollers can be replaced with new ones. Furthermore, brush rollers having bristles made of different materials can thus be employed. Therefore, in rainy weather, for example, brush rollers with particularly absorbent bristles can be considered, while in dry, summer temperatures, brush rollers with less absorbent bristles are advantageous. It is evident that by detachably arranging the brush rollers in the cleaning apparatus, the cleaning apparatus can be made particularly flexible to suit different conditions.

[0020] To provide a cleaning apparatus that can be used flexibly and in non-fixed locations, in another preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a housing is provided for defining the dirt-containing space. The housing is constructed such that the grille is supported or assisted downwards in the height direction within the housing. Preferably, the grille is supported or assisted downwards in the height direction within the housing in an adjustable manner, so that the height of the protruding brush section can be changed by height adjustment, as described above with reference to the preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus.

[0021] To facilitate the particularly simple removal or cleaning of dirt contained within the dirt-retaining space of the housing when needed, in another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a suction opening is provided in the housing through which dirt can be suctioned from the dirt-retaining space. The suction opening is preferably constructed within the wall of the housing, which defines the dirt-retaining space in the longitudinal or width direction of the cleaning apparatus. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable to provide the suction opening with a removable cap for closing the suction opening and / or a suction port for connecting a suction hose.

[0022] As an alternative to or supplement to the foregoing embodiments, in another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a removable dirt collection tray is arranged in the dirt-receiving space of the housing. Preferably, the dirt collection tray is pullable out of the housing within the dirt-receiving space in the longitudinal or width direction of the cleaning apparatus, and / or is removable via an upwardly pointing opening in the height direction (after possible removal of the grille and these brush elements).

[0023] Regardless of whether a suction opening and / or a removable dirt collection tray are provided, in another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a housing is provided, which is constructed in a disc shape. Preferably, the opening of the disc-shaped housing points upward in the height direction toward the grid, so that dirt falling through the openings of the grid can reach the dirt-receiving space of the disc-shaped housing.

[0024] In another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the grille is oscillatingly arranged in the housing about a swing axis. Due to this oscillating arrangement of the grille in the housing, the user can swing the grille to reach the brush elements (e.g., for replacement purposes) or the dirt-containing space (e.g., for cleaning purposes). In this embodiment, it is further preferred that the grille can be oscillated from a substantially horizontal use position to a substantially vertical open position to ensure access to the brush elements and / or the dirt-containing space. Preferably, the swing axis is configured to extend in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the cleaning apparatus. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferred that the swing axis is located on the edge side of the grille to further simplify the operation of the cleaning apparatus. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferred that the grille is automatically held in the open position. In other words, the grille and the housing work together such that the grille only needs to be oscillated to the open position, and then it is not necessary to manually hold it in that open position. This further simplifies operation, mainly because the user frees up one hand and there is no risk that the grille will fall back from the open position to the use position. Therefore, for this purpose, for example, corresponding supports, locking elements, and / or snap-fit ​​elements may be used between the grille and the housing to cause the grille to be automatically held in its open position.

[0025] In another particularly preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the grille is detachably arranged in the housing. This detachability may be provided alternatively to or supplemented by the swingability of the grille relative to the housing to ensure easy access to the housing or the dirt-containing space of the housing. If the detachability of the grille is supplemented by the swingability of the grille relative to the housing, it is further preferred that the grille can be removed from the housing only in the open position to avoid the grille accidentally falling off the housing during normal use of the cleaning apparatus.

[0026] According to another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a receiving space separated from the dirt receiving space by the housing wall is provided in the housing, and the drive motor for the at least one brush element is arranged in the receiving space. By separating the receiving space for the drive motor from the dirt receiving space, it is ensured that the drive motor or the components allocated to the drive motor are not contaminated by dirt or are less contaminated by dirt, thereby enabling trouble-free operation. In this embodiment, it is preferred that an energy storage device for powering the drive motor and / or a transmission device for connecting the drive motor to the at least one brush element is further arranged in the receiving space. The energy storage device preferably involves a rechargeable and / or electrical energy storage device, and the drive motor preferably involves an electric motor. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is also preferred that a charging interface for charging the energy storage device is provided in the housing. The charging interface is preferably located on the side of the housing, for example, on the side of the housing facing the longitudinal or transverse direction, and in particular may have a socket for inserting a charging plug.

[0027] To ensure that the components within the housing's containment space are protected from contamination and thus can operate particularly trouble-free, in another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the corresponding containment space is constructed as a closed containment space. Therefore, the containment space is not only covered by the grille, but dirt can also reach the containment space through the grille. Alternatively or additionally, in this embodiment, it is preferred that the containment space has an access opening that can be closed with a lid, through which the containment space can be accessed when the lid is removed. The lid is preferably arranged on the upward-pointing side of the housing in the height direction, thus providing an upward-pointing access opening for the containment space. The grille preferably does not extend above the lid for closing the access opening for the containment space.

[0028] In another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a sensor is provided for detecting a shoe or a person on the grating. This sensor works in conjunction with the control device such that at least one brush element is actuated upon detection of the shoe or person. In other words, cleaning by the cleaning apparatus automatically begins when a shoe or a person is detected on the grating, thus providing particularly comfortable and simple operation of the cleaning apparatus. To make the structure of the cleaning apparatus particularly simple, the sensor is preferably designed to detect a signal representing a predetermined minimum weight on the grating, wherein, in this context, it is preferred that the sensor be constructed as a pressure sensor or force sensor.

[0029] According to another particularly preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the control device for controlling the drive motor is arranged within the housing's receiving space in order to also protect it from soiling and ensure the trouble-free operation of the cleaning apparatus.

[0030] According to another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, the control device is designed to drive the at least one brush element for a given or predetermined duration. In this way, the control device ensures that: on the one hand, the drive of the brush element by the drive motor is long enough to ensure the sole of the shoe is thoroughly cleaned with the greatest possible probability; and on the other hand, the drive is short enough to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. In this embodiment, it is also preferable to provide a display device that shows the duration of the cleaning process until the predetermined duration is reached.

[0031] In another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a sensor for detecting the amount of dirt in the dirt-containing space is provided. This sensor interacts with an output device in such a way that the output device outputs a signal representing a predetermined amount of dirt. Due to this sensor and its associated output device, the dirt-containing space is ensured to be cleaned periodically, thereby ensuring the continuous operation of the cleaning apparatus.

[0032] According to another advantageous embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, a sensor for detecting the charging state of the energy storage device is provided. This sensor interacts with an output device in such a way that the output device outputs a signal representing the charging state of the energy storage device. Because of this sensor and the output device, the user can promptly know whether the energy storage device needs to be recharged or replaced, ensuring the continued operation of the cleaning apparatus.

[0033] According to another preferred embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, at least one of the aforementioned output devices is designed to output a visually and / or audibly perceptible signal. Furthermore, the corresponding output device is preferably arranged within the housing. In this context, it proves particularly advantageous to have an output device in the region of the longitudinally forward-facing end of the housing, primarily because in this case, the user standing on the cleaning apparatus has a good view of the output device. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments. Wherein: Figure 1 A top view of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning shoe soles is shown. Figure 2 Showing from Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cleaning device along tangent AA, wherein the grille is in a first relative position with respect to the housing. Figure 3 Showing from Figure 2 The cleaning device in which the grille is in a second relative position with respect to the housing. Figure 4 Showing from Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cleaning device along tangent BB, wherein the grille is in a horizontal use position, and Figure 5 Showing from Figure 4 The cleaning device in which the grille is in a vertically open position. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Figures 1 to 5 Embodiments of the cleaning device 2 are shown in different views, where the opposing height directions 4 and 6, opposing longitudinal directions 8 and 10, and opposing transverse directions 12 and 14 of the cleaning device 2 are indicated by corresponding arrows. The opposing longitudinal directions 8 and 10 correspond to the longitudinal directions of two shoes when using the cleaning device 2, the soles of which should be cleaned by the cleaning device 2, wherein the soles are... Figure 1 The middle is indicated by a dashed line. For example, from... Figure 1 As can be seen, the soles or shoes should be placed side by side on the cleaning device 2 in the lateral directions 12 and 14, such that the longitudinal direction of the soles substantially corresponds to the longitudinal direction 8 and 10 of the cleaning device 2. The lateral directions 12 and 14 can also be referred to as the width directions 12 and 14 of the cleaning device 2.

[0037] The cleaning device 2 has a housing 16 by which it can be placed or supported on the ground 18 of the surrounding environment. The housing 16 further defines a dirt-retaining space 20 for the cleaning device 2. Therefore, the housing 16 has a bottom wall 22 for defining the dirt-retaining space 20 downwards in the height direction 6, through which the housing 16 can be placed on the aforementioned ground 18. Furthermore, the housing 16 has a front wall 24 for defining the dirt-retaining space 20 in the longitudinal direction 8, a rear wall 26 for defining the dirt-retaining space 20 in the longitudinal direction 10, side walls 28 for defining the dirt-retaining space 20 in the transverse direction 14, and an internal housing wall 30 for defining the dirt-retaining space 20 in the transverse direction 12. Conversely, the dirt-retaining space 20 is open upwards in the height direction 4. Therefore, the housing 16 may also be referred to hereinafter as a disc-shaped housing 16.

[0038] However, the housing wall 30 is not constructed to enclose the housing 16 in the transverse direction 12, primarily because the housing wall 30 is constructed as an internal housing wall 30. More specifically, the front wall 24, the rear wall 26, and the bottom wall 22 extend beyond the housing wall 30 in the transverse direction 12 to construct another receiving space 32, which is defined by the housing wall 30 in the transverse direction 14, by the front wall 24 in the longitudinal direction 8, by the rear wall 26 in the longitudinal direction 10, by the bottom wall 22 in the height direction 6, and by the side wall 34 of the housing 16 in the transverse direction 12. The receiving space 32 opens upward in principle in the height direction 4; however, the upward-pointing access opening 36 in the height direction 4 is closed by a cover 38. Together with the cover 38, the receiving space 32 is thus constructed as a closed receiving space 32, wherein the receiving space 32 is separated from the dirt receiving space 20 by the housing wall 30.

[0039] Additional components of the cleaning device 2 are arranged in the housing space 32, and these components should be protected against contamination or accidental contact by the user. Therefore, a drive motor 40 is arranged in the housing space 32 to drive the brush element of the cleaning device 2, which will be described in detail later. The drive motor 40 preferably involves an electric motor. Furthermore, an energy storage device 42 for powering the drive motor 40 is provided within the housing space 32. This energy storage device 42 preferably involves an electrical energy storage device, which is particularly preferably rechargeable. To enable recharging of the energy storage device 42, a charging interface 44 for a charging cable or charger is preferably provided at the housing 16, specifically at the side wall 34. Additionally, a transmission device 46 is arranged (at least partially) in the housing space 32 for connecting the output shaft of the drive motor 40 to the shaft of the brush element, which will be described in detail later.

[0040] The housing 16 is further provided with a suction port 48 having a built-in suction opening 50, through which dirt can be sucked from the dirt-containing space 20 by means of a corresponding suction device, preferably a vacuum cleaner. The suction port 48, together with the suction opening 50, is preferably provided on the front wall 24, the rear wall 26, or (as shown) the side wall 28 of the housing 16.

[0041] Alternatively or supplementing the suction port 48 having the suction opening 50, a dirt collection tray 52 can be arranged in the dirt containing space 20 of the housing 16, the dirt collection tray also being... Figures 2 to 5 As shown in the image. If a dirt collection tray 52 is to be provided that opens upward in the height direction 4 to accommodate dirt falling downward in the height direction 6, then it is also preferable that the dirt collection tray is removably arranged in the dirt-receiving space 20 of the housing 16. Therefore, in this case, it is preferable that the dirt collection tray 52 (as shown in the image) is removably arranged in the dirt-receiving space 20 of the housing 16. Figure 2 and 3 As shown in the diagram, it can be pulled out from the housing 16 in a drawer-like manner. Figure 2 and 3 As can be seen, the dirt collection tray 52 can be pulled out in the longitudinal direction 10 through a corresponding opening 54 in the rear wall 26 for this purpose, and after being emptied, it can be pushed back in in the longitudinal direction 8 through the opening 54.

[0042] The cleaning device 2 further includes a grid 56 that extends substantially in its usage position within a plane defined by longitudinal directions 8 and 10 and transverse directions 12 and 14. The grid 56 is arranged in the height direction 4 above the dirt-receiving space 20 of the housing 16. The grid 56 has a plurality of transverse supports 58 spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal directions 8 and 10, extending in the transverse directions 12 and 14 of the cleaning device 2. Furthermore, the grid 56 may have a plurality of longitudinal supports 60 extending in the longitudinal directions 8 and 10, wherein, in the simplified embodiment of the cleaning device 2 shown, longitudinal supports 60 for connecting the transverse supports 58 at their transverse direction 14-oriented ends and opposing longitudinal supports 60 for connecting the transverse supports 58 at their transverse direction 12-oriented ends are provided. Due to the grid-like structure of the grid 56, a plurality of openings are provided in the grid 56, these openings being constructed between the transverse supports 58 and the longitudinal supports 60. In the illustrated embodiment, it essentially involves an opening 62 that extends longitudinally in the lateral directions 12, 14.

[0043] The grille 56 is height-adjustable downward in the height direction 6 and can be supported or supported at the housing 16. In the illustrated embodiment, this height adjustability of the grille 56 is shown exemplary and schematically according to the support members 64, which support the grille 56 downward in the height direction 6 in the region of its corners, and these supports are adjustable in the height directions 4 and 6 and lockably arranged at their respective heights at the housing 16.

[0044] Furthermore, the grille 56 is swayably arranged in the housing 16 about the swing axis 66, and is supported by the support member 64, allowing the grille 56 to swing freely from the housing 16. Figures 1 to 4 The essentially horizontal use position shown is swung to an essentially vertical open position, which is in Figure 5 This is indicated in the text. For example, especially from... Figure 1 and Figure 5 As can be seen, the aforementioned swing axis 66 extends in the longitudinal directions 8 and 10 of the cleaning device 2, wherein the swing axis 66 is disposed on the edge side of the grille 56, and is offset in the transverse direction 14 in the region of the longitudinal support 60. Furthermore, the grille 56 is... Figure 5 The open position shown is automatically held, freeing the user's hands to, for example, replace the brush element described in detail later or clean the dirt-retaining space 20. For this purpose, in the illustrated embodiment, a retaining element 68 is provided only exemplarily at the housing 16, where the grille 56 is held in the open position.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, the grille 56 is detachably disposed on the housing 16. Thus, the grille 56 can be, for example, removed from its position within the housing 16. Figures 1 to 4 The location of the grille 56 is configured to be removable from the housing 16 in the height direction 4. However, if the grille 56 (as described above) is also oscillatingly arranged in the housing 16 about the pivot axis 66, it is preferable that the grille 56 is only detachable from the housing 16 when the grille 56 is in the pivot position. Figure 5 The grille 56 can only be removed from the housing 16 when it is in the open position shown. Therefore, the grille 56 can be removed, for example, from its open position... Figure 5 Starting from the basically vertical opening position, it is removed upwards in the height direction 4, and according to... Figures 1 to 4 In its intended use, this is prevented by the corresponding functional connection between the grille 56 and the housing 16 or the support 64.

[0046] As previously indicated, the cleaning device 2 has a plurality of separately constructed brush elements 70, which are arranged at least partially below the grille 56 in the height direction 6 and thus within the housing 16, more precisely, within the dirt-receiving space 20 of the housing 16. Each brush element 70 consists of a bristle carrier and bristles carried by the bristle carrier. In the illustrated embodiment, these brush elements 70 are configured as rotatable or rotating brush rollers. The axes of rotation 72 of these brush elements 70 configured as brush rollers are parallel to each other and extend in the lateral directions 12, 14 of the cleaning device 2, thereby forming right angles with the longitudinal directions 8, 10 of the cleaning device 2. Furthermore, these axes of rotation 72 are located below the grille 56 where... Figures 1 to 4 The horizontal position shown extends parallel to the grille 56 when in use.

[0047] Specifically, the corresponding brush element 70 of the brush roller has a drivable shaft 74 extending along its respective axis of rotation 72. This shaft is configured as a bristle carrier, such that at least one bristle section 76 is provided on the shaft 74, in which circumferentially protruding bristles are arranged on the shaft 74. In the illustrated embodiment, the brush roller has a single, continuous bristle section 76 in the lateral directions 12, 14. Thus, two shoes or soles can be arranged relatively flexibly on the grid 56 in the lateral directions 12, 14, where thorough cleaning is ensured independently of positioning. Alternatively, such a brush roller may also have two or more bristle sections 76 spaced apart from each other in the lateral directions 12, 14, wherein one bristle section can be assigned to the left shoe and another bristle section can be assigned to the right shoe. Thus, the equipment cost of the cleaning device 2 is reduced.

[0048] These brush elements 70, here brush rollers, are also detachably arranged at the cleaning device 2 so that these brush elements 70 can be removed and / or replaced. Therefore, the grille 56, for example, can be accessed from... Figure 4 The position used in the middle is swung to according to Figure 5 The opening position is such that one or more brush elements 70 can be removed from the housing 16 and replaced with another brush element 70.

[0049] The shafts 74 of these brush elements 70 are coupled to the output side of the drive motor 40 via the transmission 46 (which may involve, for example, a gear transmission) in such a way that the shafts 74 can be placed in rotation by the drive motor 40, making the brush elements 70 either driveable or driven by the drive motor 40. The transmission 46 is preferably designed such that at least two of the brush elements 70 configured as brush rollers are rotated in opposite directions. Figure 2As can be seen, the brush elements 70 are arranged relative to the grille 56 in such a way that each brush element 70 extends through one of the openings 62 in the grille 56. Therefore, protruding brush sections are arranged above the grille 56 in the height direction 4, allowing the brush elements 70 to work together with the soles of shoes placed on the grille 56 to clean the soles.

[0050] However, these protruding brush segments arranged above the grille 56 in the height direction 4 do not have the same height, but rather at least two protruding brush segments with different heights are provided, which will be explained in detail later. Therefore, the cleaning device 2 has a final brush element 70 located in the longitudinal direction 8, which, when viewed in the longitudinal direction 8, forms the final protruding brush segment 78 constructed above the grille 56. This final protruding brush segment 78 has a greater height h1 than the three protruding brush segments 80 that follow it in the longitudinal direction 10. In other words, the height h2 of the protruding brush segment 80 is less than the height h1 of the final protruding brush segment 78. This takes into account the fact that the sole in the toe area, for example due to intensive use, is raised more strongly than in the subsequent segments in the longitudinal direction 10, so that the higher final protruding brush segment 78 also achieves a thorough cleaning of the sole in the toe area.

[0051] Furthermore, the cleaning device 2 has a brush element 70 located in the longitudinal direction 10, which similarly forms the final protruding brush section 82 of the cleaning device 2 relative to the longitudinal direction 10. This final protruding brush section 82 has a height h3, while a protruding brush section 84 following the final protruding brush section 82 in the longitudinal direction 8 has a height h4. In this case, the height h3 of the final protruding brush section 82 is less than the height h4 of the protruding brush section 84 following the final protruding brush section 82 in the longitudinal direction 8. This takes into account the fact that many shoe soles have a heel, where the final protruding brush section 82 can be used to clean the heel itself, while the higher protruding brush section 84 can sink into the recess of the sole, in which the heel transitions to the forefoot area in the longitudinal direction 8, so as to also cause a thorough cleaning of the sole there.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the successively protruding brush segments 78 to 84 in the longitudinal directions 8 and 10 are each formed by a single brush element 70. In principle, however, these successively protruding brush segments in the longitudinal directions 8 and 10 could also be formed by the same brush element, whose protruding brush segments extend through spaced-apart openings in the grid, although this embodiment is not shown in the figures. In this embodiment not shown, it is also preferred that the aforementioned axis of rotation of these brush elements, configured as brush rollers, subsequently extend in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning apparatus.

[0053] Furthermore, the heights h1 to h4 of the aforementioned protruding brush sections 78 to 84 are variable, as will be described later in the reference. Figure 2 and 3 The specific details will be explained. Specifically, the grille 56 and the brush elements 70 can be adjusted relative to each other in the height directions 4 and 6 by translational movement, depending on the height h1 to h4 of the protruding brush sections 78 to 84. In the illustrated embodiment, this can be achieved by adjusting the aforementioned supports 64 along the housing 16 in the height directions 4 and 6, wherein the supports 64 can be fixed or locked in the housing 16 after reaching the desired height position. The adjustment of the supports 64 can preferably be performed steplessly. Figure 2 The first relative position between the grille 56 and the brush elements 70 is shown. If the height h1 to h4 of these protruding brush sections 78 to 84 should be increased, then before locking these supports 64 in their new positions at the housing 16, it is only necessary to loosen these supports 64 and adjust them downward in the height direction 6. As a result, the grille 56, which is supported above these supports 64 in the height direction 6, also descends downward in the height direction 6 to the second relative position between the grille 56 and the brush elements 70. This descent increases the height h1 to h4 of these protruding brush sections 78 to 84, allowing for more intensive sole cleaning.

[0054] To make the use of the cleaning device 2 more comfortable, a sensor 86 is provided for detecting a shoe or a person on the grille 56. This sensor 86 works in conjunction with the control device 88 such that the brush elements 70 are actuated when the shoe or person is detected. Thus, active operation by the user is unnecessary. The aforementioned sensor 86 is preferably used to detect a signal representing a predetermined minimum weight on the grille 56, and can be configured, for example, as a pressure sensor or force sensor. Such a sensor 86 can be arranged, for example, between the grille 56 and the support member 64 to determine the weight on the grille 56. The control device 88 is preferably assigned to the drive motor 40 and / or arranged within the receiving space 32, as this allows it to be accessed from... Figure 4 and5 I learned this from the middle.

[0055] The control device 88 is also preferably designed to drive the brush elements 70 only for a predetermined duration, wherein the duration is preferably designed in such a way that thorough cleaning of the soles can be achieved without significantly increasing energy consumption. For this purpose, a first output device 90 is also arranged in the housing 16, located on the upward-facing side of the front wall 24, wherein the first output device 90 is designed to display the duration up to date and the remaining duration of the cleaning process.

[0056] Another sensor 92 is assigned to the dirt-containing space 20 and is used to detect the amount of dirt in the dirt-containing space 20. This sensor 92 interacts with a second output device 94 located at the housing 16 in such a way that the second output device 94 outputs a signal representing a predetermined amount of dirt. In this way, the user can be reminded to clean or empty the dirt-containing space 20. For example, the sensor 92 can detect the weight of the dirt collection tray 52 to determine the amount of dirt contained in the dirt collection tray 52.

[0057] In addition, a sensor 96 is provided for detecting the charging status of the energy storage device 42. The sensor works in conjunction with the second output device 94 in such a way that the second output device 94 outputs a signal representing the charging status of the energy storage device 42, so as to promptly remind the user to replace the energy storage device 42 or recharge the energy storage device 42.

[0058] The first and / or second output devices 90, 94 can be designed to output visually and / or audibly perceptible signals, and (as previously described) are preferably arranged in the housing 16.

[0059] Reference Symbol List 2. Cleaning device 4. Height direction 6. Height direction 8. Vertical direction 10. Vertical direction 12. Horizontal direction 14. Lateral direction 16. Shell 18 Ground 20 Dirt-holding space 22 bottom wall 24 Anterior wall 26. Rear wall 28 Sidewalls 30 Shell wall 32. Capacity 34 Sidewalls 36 Approaching the opening 38 lids 40 drive motors 42 Energy Storage 44 Charging ports 46 Transmission device 48 Suction Interface 50 suction opening 52 Dirt Collection Tray 54 Opening 56 grilles 58 Horizontal bracing bars 60 longitudinal bracing 62 Opening 64 Support components 66. Swing axis 68 Holding element 70 brush components 72. Axis of rotation 74 axes 76 Brush Sections 78 The final protruding brush section 80 protruding brush section 82 The final protruding brush section 84. Protruding brush section 86 sensors 88 Control Device 90 First output device 92 sensors 94 Second Output Device 96 sensors.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus (2) for cleaning shoe soles, comprising a dirt-containing space (20), a grid (56) arranged above the dirt-containing space (20) in a height direction (4), and at least one brush element (70) arranged below the grid (56) in a height direction (6), wherein the brush element (70) extends through an opening (62) in the grid (56) such that protruding brush sections (78 to 84) are arranged above the grid (56) in the height direction (4), characterized in that, The brush element (70) is either drivable or driven by a drive motor (40).

2. The cleaning device (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height (h1 to h4) of the protruding brush sections (78 to 84) is variable, wherein the grille (56) and the brush element (70) are preferably adjustable relative to each other in the height direction (4, 6) when the height (h1 to h4) of the protruding brush sections (78 to 84) is changed, and can be adjusted by translational movement relative to each other if necessary, and the grille (56) and the brush element (70) are particularly preferably lockable in at least two relative positions with respect to each other while maintaining their respective distances in the height direction (4, 6) between the grille (56) and the brush element (70), and can be infinitely locked if necessary.

3. The cleaning apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least two protruding brush sections of different heights (h1 to h4) are provided, wherein, relative to the longitudinal direction (8) of the cleaning device (2), a last protruding brush section (78) is preferably provided, which has a greater height (h1) than the subsequent protruding brush section (80) in the longitudinal direction (10), or / and a last protruding brush section (82) is provided, which has a smaller height (h3) than the subsequent protruding brush section (84) in the longitudinal direction (8), and these protruding brush sections (78, 80; 82, 84) of different heights in the longitudinal direction (8, 10) are particularly preferably formed either by their own brush elements (70) or by the same brush element (70), which protruding brush sections extend through spaced-apart openings (62) in the grid (56).

4. The cleaning apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The at least one brush element (70) is configured as a rotatable or rotating brush roller, the axis of rotation (72) of which preferably extends in the transverse direction (12, 14), or if necessary, at a right angle to the longitudinal direction, or in the longitudinal direction (8, 10) of the cleaning device (2) and / or parallel to the grid (56).

5. The cleaning device (2) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The brush roller has a shaft (74) with at least one bristle section (76) in which protruding bristles are arranged on the shaft (74), wherein the brush roller preferably has a single continuous bristle section (76) or at least two bristle sections (76) spaced apart from each other, and the brush roller is particularly preferably detachably arranged at the cleaning device (2).

6. The cleaning apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A housing (16) is provided to define the dirt-containing space (20), the grille (56) being downward in the height direction (6) of the housing and, if necessary, height-adjustable, supportable or supported, wherein a suction opening (50) is particularly preferably provided in the housing (16) through which dirt can be sucked from the dirt-containing space (20), and / or a removable dirt collection tray (52) is particularly preferably arranged in the dirt-containing space (20) of the housing (16), and / or the housing (16) itself is particularly preferably constructed as a disc.

7. The cleaning device (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The grille (56) is oscillatingly and / or detachably arranged in the housing (16) about an oscillating axis (66), wherein the grille (56) is preferably oscillating from a substantially horizontal use position to a substantially vertical open position, and the oscillating axis (66) is particularly preferably configured to extend in the longitudinal or transverse direction (8, 10; 12, 14) of the cleaning device (2), or / and is located on the edge side of the grille (56), wherein the grille (56) is automatically held in the open position if necessary, or / and can be detached from the housing (16) only in the open position.

8. The cleaning apparatus (2) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, A receiving space (32) is provided in the housing (16) and separated from the dirt receiving space (20) by the housing wall (30). The receiving space is provided with the drive motor (40) for the at least one brush element (70). Preferably, the receiving space (32) is provided with an energy storage device (42) for powering the drive motor (40) and / or a transmission device (46) for connecting the drive motor (40) to the brush elements (70). It is particularly preferred that a charging interface (44) for charging the energy storage device (42) is provided in the housing (16). The receiving space (32) is configured to be a closed receiving space (32) if necessary, and / or accessible by an access opening (36) that can be closed with a cover (38).

9. The cleaning apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A sensor (86) is provided for detecting a shoe or a person on the grille (56), which works in conjunction with a control device (88) such that at least one brush element (70) is actuated when the shoe or person is detected, wherein the sensor (86) is preferably designed to detect a signal representing a predetermined minimum weight on the grille (56), and is particularly preferably configured as a pressure sensor or force sensor, wherein the control device (88) for controlling the drive motor (40) is, if necessary, arranged within the receiving space (32) and / or designed to actuate the at least one brush element (70) for a predetermined duration.

10. The cleaning apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A sensor (92) for detecting the amount of dirt in the dirt-containing space (20) is provided, which works in conjunction with an output device (94) such that the output device (94) outputs a signal representing a predetermined amount of dirt, and / or a sensor (96) for detecting the charging state of the energy storage device (42) is provided, which works in conjunction with the output device (94) such that the output device (94) outputs a signal representing the charging state of the energy storage device (42), wherein the output device (90; 94) is preferably designed to output a visually and / or audibly perceptible signal, and is particularly preferably arranged at the housing (16).

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