floor mat cleaning device

Abstract

A floor mat cleaning device (20a) for a vehicle (10), which is designed to automatically pull in at least one floor mat (16a, 18a) laid in the vehicle (10), to clean it by means of at least one cleaning brush (36) and a suction device (40) and to move it back into place, is characterized in that it is designed to pull in, clean and replace floor mats (16a, 18a) placed on two opposite sides (28a, 28b).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a floor mat cleaning device for a vehicle, designed to automatically retract at least one floor mat installed in the vehicle, clean it by means of at least one cleaning brush and a suction device, and return it to its previous position. The invention further relates to a vehicle equipped with such a floor mat cleaning device.

[0002] Such a floor mat cleaning device is known from DE 10 2018 005 794 A1, which is arranged below the front seat of a motor vehicle. A floor mat cleaning device can be provided below the corresponding seat for each floor mat, which pulls in the floor mat in front of it, cleans it, and moves it back to its previous position.

[0003] From WO 2021 / 032 440 A1, a floor mat cleaning device with a continuous floor mat is known, which is movable in the manner of a caterpillar track and is also arranged below a vehicle seat.

[0004] In current technology, a separate floor mat cleaning device is provided for each floor mat.

[0005] The object of the invention is to enable the cleaning of the floor mats of a vehicle with less structural effort than in the prior art.

[0006] The invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] The problem is solved according to claim 1 in that the floor mat cleaning device is designed to pull in, clean and replace floor mats placed on two opposite sides of the device.

[0008] This makes it possible to halve the number of required floor mat cleaning devices compared to the prior art, since with a floor mat cleaning device according to the invention, one floor mat in front of and one behind the device, or one to the left of the device and one to the right of it, can be cleaned.

[0009] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the floor mat cleaning device comprises a first conveyor roller arranged in the region of the first side for moving a first floor mat into and out of the device, and a second conveyor roller arranged in the region of the opposite side for moving the second floor mat into and out of the device, wherein the cleaning brush and the suction device are arranged between the two conveyor rollers. The two conveyor rollers in the region of the two sides have the function of first drawing in the floor mat positioned near the respective conveyor roller and pushing it through the cleaning unit, which consists of at least one cleaning brush and the suction device, and moving it into the engagement area of ​​the second conveyor roller. The second conveyor roller then pushes the floor mat further until it is essentially cleaned in its entirety.The second conveyor roller then guides the floor mat through the cleaning unit again in a second cleaning step and back into the engagement area of ​​the first conveyor roller, which then moves the floor mat back out of the cleaning device and to the intended location.

[0010] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, each of the two conveyor rollers interacts with a counter-pressure roller, between which the floor mat is pressed and thus guided. This ensures the reliable transport of the floor mats through the device.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the floor mat cleaning device comprises a first gripping device for grasping the first floor mat and guiding it into the engagement area of ​​the first conveyor roller, and a second gripping device for grasping the second floor mat and guiding it into the engagement area of ​​the second conveyor roller. A floor mat arranged at a distance from the cleaning device can also be cleaned by one of the gripping devices. Such a gripping device preferably comprises at least one extendable gripping arm with a gripper attached thereto. Preferably, the gripping devices each comprise two gripping arms arranged axially on both sides outside the conveyor rollers and thus gripping a floor mat by means of two spaced-apart grippers.This is particularly advantageous when pushing back the cleaned floor mat, as it can be pushed back into its regular position at two spaced-apart points, thus preventing the floor mat from tilting during the return movement.

[0012] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the at least one rotating cleaning brush comprises a vibrating device to improve the cleaning effect by shaking dirt particles out of the floor mat, wherein the at least one suction device for collecting the shaken-out dirt particles is arranged near the cleaning brush. It is also possible to provide a vibrating counter-roller below the cleaning brush to achieve a pulsating movement of the floor mat as it passes over the cleaning area, thereby enabling particles such as small stones to be pushed out of the floor mat from below and collected by the suction device.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the suction device can be connected to a vehicle-side blower to utilize the considerable suction power of the blower typically installed in a vehicle. In such a case, deflection flaps are arranged before and after the blower so that the blower draws the air from the suction device and not from outside, and expels it to the outside and not into the vehicle's interior. Since a cleaning process is preferably initiated automatically when the vehicle is unoccupied, the switching of the blower does not inconvenience vehicle occupants.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the floor mat cleaning device is designed to be automatically controlled by a vehicle control unit (ECU), preferably when the vehicle is parked or unoccupied. This can occur when the vehicle is switched off, provided a seat sensor detects that no person is occupying any of the seats associated with the floor mats.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the invention, this comprises a vehicle comprising a floor mat cleaning device according to one of the aspects described above.

[0016] According to an advantageous further development of this training, the floor mat cleaning device is arranged below a vehicle seat and is designed to clean a floor mat in front of the vehicle seat and a floor mat behind the vehicle seat.

[0017] According to an alternative advantageous further development of the aforementioned training, the vehicle is an electric vehicle and the floor mat cleaning device is arranged in an unused central tunnel and configured to clean one floor mat on the right and one floor mat on the left side of the vehicle. In this design, two floor mat cleaning devices can be arranged axially one behind the other, one for the front seat floor mats and one for the rear seat floor mats.

[0018] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, in which at least one embodiment is described in detail with reference to the drawings. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are identified by the same reference numerals.

[0019] This shows: Fig. 1: a schematic longitudinal section of a motor vehicle; Fig. 2: a schematic top view of a motor vehicle without a roof; Fig. 3: a schematic longitudinal section of a floor mat cleaning device.

[0020] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows a motor vehicle 10 in longitudinal and horizontal section, comprising two front seats 12a, 12b and three rear seats 14a, 14b, 14c. Two front seat floor mats 16a, 16b are arranged in front of the two front seats 12a, 12b and rear seat floor mats 18a, 18b are arranged in front of the two outer rear seats 14a, 14b.

[0021] Below each of the two front seats 12a, 12b, a floor mat cleaning device 20a, 20b is arranged, wherein the right floor mat cleaning device 20a is designed to clean the right front front seat floor mat 16a and the right rear seat floor mat 18a, and the left floor mat cleaning device 20b is designed to clean the left front front seat floor mat 16b and the left rear seat floor mat 18b.

[0022] If the motor vehicle 10 is designed as an electric vehicle and nevertheless has a central tunnel 22, it is alternatively possible to arrange two floor mat cleaning devices 24a, 24b in this central tunnel 22, wherein the front floor mat cleaning device 24a is designed to clean the two front seat floor mats 16a, 16b and the rear floor mat cleaning device 24b is designed to clean the two rear seat floor mats 18a, 18b.

[0023] In Fig. Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of a floor mat cleaning device 20a, which can be arranged below a front seat 12a. A floor mat cleaning device 24a, 24b arranged in the center tunnel 22 would look largely the same. This includes two gripping devices 26a, 26b, each designed to grip one of the two floor mats 16a, 18a, pull it into the floor mat cleaning device 20a and push it back into its original positions.

[0024] The floor mat cleaning device 20a has conveyor rollers 30a, 30b arranged on the two opposite sides 28a, 28b, and corresponding counter-pressure rollers 32a, 32b. The two conveyor roller-counter-pressure roller pairs 30a, 32a, 30b, 32b are configured to convey one of the floor mats 16a, 18a, attracted by the associated gripping device 26a, 26b, into the cleaning area 34 arranged between them and further to the opposite conveyor roller-counter-pressure roller pair 30b, 32b, 30a, 32a. The second pair of conveyor rollers and counter-pressure rollers moves the floor mat 16a, 18a out of the floor mat cleaning device 20a (on the other side) until the entirety of the floor mat 16a, 18a has passed through the cleaning area 34.

[0025] The cleaning area 34 comprises at least one rotating cleaning brush 36, which is vibrated by means of a vibrating device 38 to dislodge dirt particles from the floor mat 16a, 18a to be cleaned. Suction devices 40a, 40b are arranged in front of and / or behind the cleaning brush 36 to vacuum up the loosened dirt particles. The suction devices 40a, 40b may have their own blowers and dirt collection containers or be connected to a vehicle-side blower equipped with diverter flaps to draw in air contaminated with the dirt particles from the suction devices 40a, 40b and blow it into the surrounding area.

[0026] After a floor mat 16a, 18b to be cleaned has passed through the cleaning area 34 along (at least almost) its entire length, the conveyor rollers 30a, 30b are reversed and transport the floor mat 16a, 18b again in the opposite direction through the cleaning area 34 and are pushed out again on the side 28a, 28b on which they were pulled in. The floor mat 16a, 18b is then pushed back to its original position by the associated gripping device 26a, 26b.

[0027] The floor mat cleaning device 20a, 20b, 24a, 24b is preferably coupled to and controlled by a vehicle control unit (ECU). This can occur at regular (optionally adjustable) intervals (e.g., once a week) and ideally when the vehicle is parked and seat sensors have detected that no one is inside. Alternatively or additionally, an actuator for manually triggering a cleaning process can be provided.

[0028] Although the invention has been further illustrated and explained in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived from them by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exist. It is also clear that the embodiments mentioned as examples are truly only examples and are not to be understood in any way as limiting, for example, the scope of protection, the possible applications, or the configuration of the invention.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

Claims

[1] Floor mat cleaning device (20, 24) for a vehicle (10), which is designed to automatically retract at least one floor mat (16, 18) laid in the vehicle (10), to clean it by means of at least one cleaning brush (36) and a suction device (40) and to move it back into place, characterized by , that this floor mat cleaning device (20, 24) is designed to pull in, clean and replace floor mats (16, 18) placed on two opposite sides (28a, 28b) of the device (20, 24). [2] Floor mat cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized by, that this comprises a first conveying roller (30a) arranged on the first side (28a) for moving a first floor mat (16a) into and out of the device (22a) and a second conveying roller (30b) arranged on the opposite side (28b) for moving the second floor mat (18a) into and out of the device (20a), and the cleaning brush (36) and the suction device (40a, 40b) are arranged between the two conveying rollers (30a, 30b). [3] Floor mat cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized by , that the two conveyor rollers (30a, 30b) each interact with a counter-pressure roller (32a, 32b). [4] Floor mat cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized by, that this includes a first gripping device (26a) for gripping the first floor mat (16a) and guiding it into the engagement area of ​​the first conveyor roller (30a) and a second gripping device (26b) for gripping the second floor mat (18a) and guiding it into the engagement area of ​​the second conveyor roller (30b). [5] Floor mat cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the at least one rotating cleaning brush (34) includes a vibrating device (38). [6] Floor mat cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the suction device (40a, 40b) can be connected to a vehicle-side blower. [7] Floor mat cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that it is designed to be automatically controlled by a vehicle control unit (ECU). [8] Vehicle (10) comprising a floor mat cleaning device according to any of the preceding claims. [9] Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized by , that the floor mat cleaning device (20a, 20b) is arranged below a vehicle seat (12a, 12b) and is designed to clean a floor mat (16a, 16b) in front of the vehicle seat (12a, 12b) and a floor mat (18a, 18b) behind the vehicle seat (12a, 12b). [10] Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized by , that the vehicle (10) is an electric vehicle and the floor mat cleaning device (24a, 24b) is arranged in a central tunnel (22) and is designed to clean a floor mat (16a, 18a) on the right side of the vehicle and a floor mat (16b, 18b) on the left side of the vehicle.

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