Cleaning Roller Gear Shifting for Wiping and Regeneration Speed

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wet cleaning devices lack the ability to variably adjust the rotational speed of the cleaning roller, which is essential for effective wiping and regeneration operations.

Innovation Solution

A gear unit connects the cover element and roller axis, allowing the roller to switch between different gear stages, enabling the cleaning roller to rotate at varying speeds by shifting the cover element, thereby changing the gear ratio and rotational speed during wiping and regeneration operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the cleaning roller rotates at high speed during regeneration operation, then dirt and liquid are effectively expelled from the cleaning roller, but the cleaning roller cannot maintain efficient contact with the surface during wiping operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregeneration efficiencyVSAvoidwiping contact quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the roller cover movable between open and closed positions, which dynamically changes the gear ratio through the gear unit. When the roller cover is closed during regeneration, a first gear stage provides high rotational speed for effective dirt expulsion. When the roller cover is open during wiping, a second gear stage provides reduced rotational speed for efficient surface contact. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between high-speed regeneration efficiency and low-speed wiping contact quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If a gear unit is added to enable variable rotational speed, then the cleaning roller can switch between different gear stages for optimized wiping and regeneration, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverotational speed adjustmentVSAvoidgear unit structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the gear unit with the roller cover structure, combining the housing function with the gear transmission function. The gear unit is integrated into the roller cover assembly, sharing structural elements and space. This merging approach enables variable rotational speed through two gear stages while minimizing the increase in device complexity, as the gear components are incorporated within the existing roller cover framework rather than adding separate external mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Speed

If the cover element is moved into the opening area to actuate the transmission, then the cleaning roller rotates at higher speed for regeneration, but the structural space required for movement increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroller rotational speedVSAvoidcover element displacement space
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the nested doll principle by positioning the cover element such that it moves into the opening area of the roller cover, which is a space already defined by the device structure. The cover element utilizes the existing opening area volume for its displacement movement, rather than requiring additional external space. This nesting approach enables the cover element to actuate the transmission and achieve high roller rotational speed while minimizing the volume required for movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution allows for optimized cleaning by increasing the rotational speed during regeneration to effectively expel dirt and liquid, while reducing speed during wiping to maintain efficient contact with the surface, enhancing the overall cleaning process.

Implementation Method 1

a gear unit connecting the roller axis to a roller drive, such that the gear unit is used to change the rotational speed of the cleaning roller by shifting the cover element from a first gear stage to a second gear stage

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGear mechanism: Gear

Data Source

PatentEP3500147B1Wet cleaning device with a cleaning roller
Publication Date: 2020.04.22 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH
  • EP3500147B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3500147B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3500147B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a wet cleaning device (1), in particular a wet wiping device, comprising a cleaning roller (3) mounted such that it can rotate about a roller shaft (2), and a roller cover (4) at least partially surrounding the cleaning roller (3) in the circumferential direction, which has a moveable cover element (5) for optionally closing and/or opening an opening region (6) of the roller cover (4). In order to create a wet cleaning device (1) wherein the rate of rotation of the cleaning roller (3) can be varied in an advantageous manner, according to the invention, the cover element (5) and the roller shaft (2) are operatively connected to one another via a transmission (8) connecting the roller shaft (2) to a roller drive (7), in such a way that the transmission (8) can be shifted from a first transmission stage (9) to a second transmission stage (10), or vice versa, in order to change a rotational speed of the cleaning roller (3) via a movement of the cover element (5). The invention also relates to a method for operating a wet cleaning device (1).