Device for cleaning footwear for a motor vehicle, a motor vehicle, and a method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (12) for cleaning footwear for a motor vehicle (10), comprising a fastening device (14) by means of which the device (12) for cleaning footwear can be attached to an outside of the motor vehicle (10), and at least one shoe cleaning element (18) comprising at least one brush (20) and capable of cleaning the footwear of a person who is outside the motor vehicle (10).

Description

AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles. More precisely, the present invention relates to a device for cleaning footwear for a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding motor vehicle and a method for operating a device for cleaning footwear. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] When a motor vehicle is driven on rainy days, in snow, on the beach, or off-road, the driver or passengers may soil their footwear when exiting the vehicle. Upon re-entering the vehicle, the user's footwear may become soiled with mud, sand, snow, or dirt, thereby soiling the vehicle's carpet or floor mat. A footwear cleaning device may be used before entering the vehicle. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a device for cleaning footwear for a motor vehicle, a corresponding motor vehicle and a method for operating a device for cleaning footwear, with which the interior of the vehicle can be kept particularly clean.

[0004] This problem is solved by a shoe cleaning device for a motor vehicle, a corresponding motor vehicle, and a method for operating a shoe cleaning device according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention relates to a device for cleaning footwear for a motor vehicle. This device for cleaning footwear can be referred to as a shoe cleaning device. Preferably, the motor vehicle is configured as an occupant of a passenger car.

[0006] The footwear cleaning device comprises at least one fastening device by which the footwear cleaning device can be, or is, attached, in particular directly to an external surface of the motor vehicle. In other words, the shoe cleaning device can be, or is, attached to the outside of the motor vehicle via the aforementioned fastening device. The fastening device may be referred to as a fastening element or fastening device. The outside of the motor vehicle can be understood to mean the exterior of the motor vehicle.

[0007] To keep the interior of a motor vehicle clean, in particular, the footwear cleaning device comprises at least one cleaning element, which includes at least one brush. Preferably, the brush has several bristles. This shoe cleaning element can be referred to as a shoe cleaner. The shoe cleaning element, and in particular the brush, is capable of cleaning the footwear of a person outside the motor vehicle. This means that the shoe cleaning element, or the brush, is designed to remove dirt from the person's footwear while the person is in the vicinity of the motor vehicle, especially in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle.

[0008] Within the scope of the present invention, it is possible for motor vehicle users to use the footwear cleaning device, in particular the shoe cleaning element, to clean their shoes before entering the vehicle, thus keeping the vehicle's interior clean. This solves the aforementioned problems. The vehicle's interior can therefore be kept free of mud, sand, snow, or dirt. Examples of applications of the present invention include cleaning shoes of snow before entering the vehicle, going to the beach and not bringing sand into the vehicle, or driving off-road on wet and muddy roads.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the device for cleaning footwear includes an electric motor with which the brush can be operated or is operated to clean the footwear.

[0010] In another embodiment, the footwear cleaning device comprises at least one shoe detection device capable of detecting or recognizing shoes, particularly those arranged directly on the footwear cleaning device, especially on the brush, and an electronic computing device capable of controlling or regulating the electric motor based on the detected shoes in order to operate the brush. In a further embodiment, the shoe detection device can be arranged on the underside of the motor vehicle.

[0011] In another embodiment, the brush is fixed in place, in particular immovably, during the cleaning of the footwear.

[0012] In another embodiment, the shoe cleaning device can be detachably attached to the outside of the motor vehicle via the fastening device or is detachably attached to it.

[0013] In another embodiment, the shoe cleaning device is attached to the underside of the motor vehicle via the fastening device.

[0014] In another embodiment, the shoe cleaning device is to be attached, in particular directly to a side sill of the motor vehicle, via the fastening device.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the shoe cleaning device comprises an actuator with which the shoe cleaning device, in particular the shoe cleaning element and / or the brush, can be moved between a storage position and a usage position via the fastening device. In the storage position, in which the footwear is not cleaned, the shoe cleaning element, in particular the brush, is arranged in a storage area, and in the usage position, the shoe cleaning element, in particular the brush, is arranged outside the storage area for cleaning the footwear.

[0016] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least the shoe cleaning device according to the first aspect of the invention. It is possible that the motor vehicle comprises several embodiments of the shoe cleaning device according to the first aspect of the invention. Advantageous embodiments of the motor vehicle are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of the shoe cleaning device and vice versa.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for operating a device for cleaning footwear. Advantageous embodiments of the method are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of the device for cleaning footwear, and vice versa.

[0018] The shoe cleaning device comprises a fastening device by which the shoe cleaning device is attached to the exterior of a motor vehicle, preferably a motor vehicle according to a second aspect of the invention. Furthermore, the footwear cleaning device comprises at least one footwear cleaning element, which includes at least one brush with which the footwear of a person located outside the motor vehicle is cleaned.

[0019] Further advantages, features, and details of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those mentioned in the following description of the figures and / or illustrated in the figures alone, can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in any other combination or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The novel features and properties of the present disclosure are set forth in the accompanying claims. The accompanying drawings, which form part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used in the figures to refer to identical features and components. Some embodiments of systems and / or methods according to embodiments of the present subject matter are described below only by way of example and with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0021] The drawings show in: Fig. 1. A schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle with a device for cleaning footwear, Fig. 2 a schematic perspective view of a shoe cleaning device, Fig. 3 A schematic perspective view of a device for cleaning footwear.

[0022] In the figures, identical elements or elements with the same function are indicated by the same reference symbols. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In this document, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Each embodiment or implementation of the subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferable or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0024] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the drawing and are described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but rather, on the contrary, to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the disclosure.

[0025] The terms "includes," "contains," or other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a setup, device, or process that includes a list of components or steps may include not only those components or steps but may also include other components or steps not expressly listed or belonging to such setup, device, or process. In other words, one or more elements in a system or device preceded by "includes" or "include" do not, without further limitations, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or process.

[0026] The following detailed description of the embodiment of the present disclosure refers to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this disclosure and illustrates a particular embodiment in which the disclosure can be implemented. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable the person skilled in the art to put the disclosure into practice, and it is understood that other embodiments may be used and that modifications may be made without infringing the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is therefore not to be understood in a restrictive sense.

[0027] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view according to an embodiment of a motor vehicle 10 with at least one device 12 for cleaning footwear. The footwear cleaning device comprises a device 14 for attaching the footwear cleaning device 12 to an exterior part of the motor vehicle, in particular to a component of the motor vehicle 10 located on its exterior. This component is, for example, a component of the body of a vehicle 10.

[0028] The body component can be the side sill 36 or another location on the underside 34 of the motor vehicle 10. Additionally, the footwear cleaning device 12 can be a shoe detection device 30 ( Fig. 2) include, which can also be attached to the underside 34 of the motor vehicle 10 to initiate the cleaning process for shoes.

[0029] Fig. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the footwear cleaning device 12 in a schematic perspective view. The footwear cleaning device 12 comprises at least one shoe cleaning element 18, which includes at least one brush 20. The shoe cleaning element 18, or brush 20, is capable of cleaning the footwear of a person outside the motor vehicle 10. The vehicle's occupants may have mud, sand, snow, and / or dirt on their shoes, which can then be carried into the motor vehicle 10. This problem can be solved by the footwear cleaning device 12, as it allows the vehicle's occupants to clean their shoes before entering the motor vehicle 10. In other words, the occupants can clean their shoes before entering the vehicle using the footwear cleaning device 12.This allows the user to clean their footwear after a day at the beach, a hike in the countryside, a trip to the snow, etc. The footwear in question could be, for example, a shoe.

[0030] In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the footwear cleaning device 12 comprises an electric motor 24 with which the cleaning element 18 or the brush 20 can be operated for cleaning the footwear. In other words, the cleaning element 18 or the brush 20 is movable or is moved, in particular relative to a housing of the footwear cleaning device 12 and / or the body component of the motor vehicle 10, in order to clean the footwear. This means that the brush 20 moves during the cleaning of the footwear. In particular, this movement at least partially cleans the footwear, especially by removing dirt. The movement is, for example, a movement about a pivot axis 28. This means that one solution could be to equip the motor vehicle 10 externally with the electrically operated footwear cleaning device 12.The electric shoe cleaning device can be operated using energy from a vehicle battery of the motor vehicle 10. This means that the cleaning element 18 or the brush 20 is driven by the electric motor 24, which can draw its energy from a 48-volt battery or another comparable energy source in the motor vehicle 10.

[0031] Preferably, the footwear cleaning device 12 comprises a shoe detection device 30, which is capable of detecting the footwear arranged on the footwear cleaning device 12, in particular on the brush 20, and an electronic computing device 32. The electronic computing device 32 is capable of controlling the electric motor 24, depending on the footwear detected by the shoe detection device 30, in order to operate the shoe cleaning element 18 or the brush 20. This means that the shoe cleaning element 18 or the brush 20 is operated, in particular moved, for example rotated, by the electric motor 24 when the arrangement of the footwear on the footwear cleaning device 12 is detected by the shoe detection device 30. The device 30 for detecting shoes is, for example, a motion sensor.This means that the footwear cleaning device 12 can have a motion sensor that detects when the footwear is placed on the footwear cleaning device 12 and activates the shoe cleaning element 18 or the brush 20, and preferably switches off when the footwear is removed from the footwear cleaning device 12 and is not detected by the shoe detection device 30.

[0032] The electronic computing device 32 can be understood as a data processing device comprising processing circuits. Therefore, the electronic computing device 32 can also be referred to as a computing unit. In particular, the electronic computing device 32 can process data to perform arithmetic operations. This can also include operations for performing indexed access to a data structure.

[0033] In particular, the electronic computing device 32 may comprise one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, e.g., one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more systems-on-a-chip (SoCs). The electronic computing device 32 may also include one or more processors, e.g., one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), and / or one or more signal processors, in particular one or more digital signal processors (DSPs). The electronic computing device 32 may also comprise a physical or virtual group of computers or other units of the aforementioned type.

[0034] In various embodiments, the electronic computing device 32 comprises one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units. A memory unit can be a volatile data storage device, for example a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM), or a non-volatile data storage device, for example a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory or flash EEPROM, a ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), or a phase-change random access memory (PCRAM).

[0035] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the footwear cleaning device 12 can be attached to the underside 34 of the motor vehicle 10 via the fastening device 14. In other words, the footwear cleaning device 12 can be attached to, or is attached to, the underside 34 of the motor vehicle 10 via the fastening device 14. This means that the footwear cleaning device 12 can be attached under the motor vehicle 10, to the side, or to the rear of the motor vehicle 10, for example, between the exhaust pipes of the motor vehicle 10. Both possibilities are shown in Figure 1. Fig. Figure 1 shows. It can be provided that the device 12 for cleaning footwear, in particular the shoe cleaning element 18 or the brush 20, is accessible to the person or the footwear without having to open the doors of the vehicle 10.

[0036] In another embodiment, which is also in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the shoe cleaning device 12 is attached to a side sill 36 of the motor vehicle 10 using the aforementioned fastening device 14. In other words, the shoe cleaning device 12 can be attached to the side sill 36 via the fastening device 14, or is, in particular, attached directly to it. This means that the shoe cleaning device 12 can be mounted below a passenger seat (door sill) of the motor vehicle 10 and is accessible only by opening a door of the vehicle 10.

[0037] Preferably, the footwear cleaning device 12 comprises an actuator with which the footwear cleaning device 12, in particular the shoe cleaning element 18 and / or the brush 20, can be moved or is moved between a storage position and a working position via the mounting device 14. The actuator can be electrically or hydraulically operated. In the storage position, in which footwear cleaning is not performed, the shoe cleaning element 18, in particular the brush 20, is arranged in a storage compartment, for example under the motor vehicle 10, and in a working position, the shoe cleaning element 18, in particular the brush 20, is arranged outside the storage compartment, for example next to the motor vehicle 10, for cleaning the footwear.This means that a mechanism is present which positions the footwear cleaning device 12 under the motor vehicle 10 when not in use and extends the footwear cleaning device 12 only when required by the vehicle's user. This mechanism can be operated either electrically or hydraulically.

[0038] The operation of the shoe cleaning device 12 can be carried out, for example, according to the following steps. In a first step, the entire shoe cleaning device can be activated via a switch, which may be located inside the motor vehicle 10, for example, on a dashboard or on a vehicle door. The device 12, in particular the shoe cleaning element 18, can then be extended from its storage location. In a second step, the user moves their shoe close to the shoe cleaning device 12. In a third step, the shoe detection device 30 detects the shoe. In a fourth step, the electronic control device 32 switches on the electric motor 24 of the shoe cleaning device 12 based on the movement of the shoe detected by the shoe detection device 30.In a fifth step, the electronic computing device 32 switches off the footwear cleaning device 12 when the shoe is moved away and is no longer detected by the shoe recognition device 30.

[0039] Preferably, the footwear cleaning device 12 is detachably attached to the outside 16, in particular to the underside 34, of the motor vehicle 10 via the aforementioned fastening device 14. This means that the footwear cleaning device 12 can be designed as either a permanently mounted or a detachable version. A detachable design is conceivable, allowing the footwear cleaning device 12 to be attached only when needed, removed when not in use, and stored in a desired location to reduce the weight of the motor vehicle 10.

[0040] Fig.Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the device 12 for cleaning footwear. In this embodiment, the brush 20 is fixed, in particular immovably, during the cleaning of the footwear. In other words, the device 12, and in particular the shoe cleaning element 18, is designed as a stationary shoe cleaning device. This stationary scrubber can be operated without any energy input. The user can rub the footwear against the scrubber or brush 20 to clean it. The type and location of the device 12 for cleaning footwear, or other comparable devices, can vary depending on preferences and / or vehicle configurations.

[0041] It is evident that the footwear cleaning device 12 can be attached underneath the vehicle 10, at the rear, or on the side. The footwear cleaning device 12 can be activated by a button on the inside of the vehicle, for example, on the door, and is available for cleaning the footwear, or it can have a separate remote control button, which can be separate or integrated into a key fob. The footwear cleaning device 12, in particular the shoe cleaning element 18, can comprise several brushes 20. The footwear cleaning device 12 can be equipped with individual brushes 20 suitable for different types of foreign matter, such as snow, sand, or mud. Preferably, the footwear cleaning device 12 is securely mounted underneath the vehicle 10.Preferably, there is sufficient space between the device 12 and a road surface so that the device 12 for cleaning footwear is not damaged by the road or the ground while driving the motor vehicle, especially on bumpy roads. Therefore, the device 12 for cleaning footwear is best suited for motor vehicles 10 with high ground clearance, such as SUVs and / or pickup trucks. Reference symbol list: 10 motor vehicle 12 Device for cleaning footwear 14 Fastening device 16 Outdoor area 18 shoe cleaning elements 20 brushes 24 Electric motor 28 swiveling axes 30 Device for detecting footwear 32 electronic calculating device 34 Underside 36 Threshold

Images