Roller cover for a floor-cleaning machine and floor-cleaning machine with a roller cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller covers for floor-cleaning machines face issues with dirt and dirty liquid conveyance, including the 'forward throwing' principle that diverts dirt-laden liquid away from the suction volume and the 'overhead throwing' principle that leads to lateral liquid egress and increased width, along with the need for larger brush rollers to handle debris effectively.
Innovation Solution
A roller cover design featuring a single co-rotating cleaning roller with a dirt strip arrangement that adjusts to maintain contact with the floor, directing dirt and liquid rearward into a dirt container positioned ahead of the roller, eliminating the need for lateral squeegees and allowing a larger brush diameter for better debris handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the 'forward throwing' principle is used to convey dirt into the dirt container, then dirt can be collected in the dirt container, but dirty liquid is conveyed away from the suction volume behind the roller cover
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional forward-throwing principle by configuring the brush roller to rotate in reverse direction, throwing dirt and dirty liquid backwards towards the suction volume rather than forwards away from it. This inversion resolves the contradiction by simultaneously achieving dirt collection and maintaining liquid conveyance to the suction system.
2Quantity of substance
If the 'overhead throwing' principle is used with two counter-rotating brush rollers, then dirt can be conveyed around the roller into the dirt container, but dirty liquid is squeezed out laterally requiring additional squeegees
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the lateral squeegee components from the system by using a single brush roller with optimized rotation direction. The rearward throwing action naturally directs all debris and liquid towards the suction volume without lateral egress, removing the need for additional width-increasing squeegee components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional overhead-throwing approach by using rearward throwing instead of upward and around-the-roller conveyance. This inversion eliminates lateral liquid squeezing and the associated squeegee requirements, reducing device complexity while maintaining effective dirt collection.
3Reliability
If two brush rollers are used to handle debris effectively, then larger debris can be managed, but the constructional size increases making the roller cover less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of a single brush roller (rotation direction, speed, and engagement depth) to achieve the debris handling capability previously requiring two rollers. By optimizing these parameters, the system maintains reliable performance with a single unit, reducing constructional size and improving compactness.
4Reliability
If the brush roller engages deeply with the floor to handle unevennesses, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but the roller cover width must increase to accommodate larger brush rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by using rearward-throwing mechanics that allow deep floor engagement without proportional width increase. The single brush roller configuration with optimized rotation direction enables deep engagement to handle floor unevennesses while maintaining a compact roller cover width.
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 design ensures efficient dirt and liquid conveyance into the dirt container, reducing lateral liquid loss, maintaining a compact width, and enabling effective handling of larger debris without the need for additional squeegees, while allowing for adjustable dirt strip positioning to compensate for wear.
Implementation Method 1
the brush roller engages with the floor surface being cleaned... The engagement with the brush roller causes dirt to be detached from the floor surface
Implementation Method 2
a drive which is coupled to the cleaning roller in order to drive the latter rotationally, wherein the drive is configured in such a manner that, whenever the cleaning roller is driven, that part of the cleaning roller which is provided to engage with a floor surface to be cleaned rotates towards the rear wall
Data Source
AI summary
A roller cover for a floor-cleaning machine with a housing, a cleaning roller, a drive, a dirt container, and a dirt strip. The housing having a rear wall and defining an opening that faces a floor surface during operation of the roller cover. The cleaning roller includes a cleaning element that extends through the opening. The drive rotationally powers the cleaning roller such that the cleaning roller rotates toward the rear wall. The dirt container is disposed in the housing and faces away from the rear wall. The dirt strip has a bottom edge that is arranged on that side of a longitudinal axis of the cleaning roller that faces the rear wall and configured to engage a surface of a floor. The dirt strip is movably coupled to the housing to permit changes in the distance between the bottom edge and the longitudinal axis.