Sealing Brush and Single Squeegee Nozzle for Hard Floor Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices for hard floors often require multiple squeegee elements, which lead to bulkiness, increased risk of floor scratches, and inefficiency in picking up coarse dirt and liquid, especially when moving in reverse directions.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a rotatable brush having flexible, uniformly distributed microfiber hairs that acts as a sealing brush, combined with a single squeegee element and a vacuum aggregate, allowing for efficient dirt and liquid pickup and reduced air leakage, enabling effective cleaning in both forward and backward strokes without the need for double squeegee arrangements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If double squeegee arrangements are used on both sides of the brush, then good cleaning results are achieved in both forward and backward strokes, but the nozzle becomes bulky and work capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sealing function from the squeegee elements and transfers it to the brush elements. The brush elements are designed to substantially form a sealing with the housing during rotation, eliminating the need for double squeegee arrangements while maintaining cleaning effectiveness in both forward and backward strokes.
Solution Approach 2:
The brush elements serve multiple functions: they clean the surface through contact, form a sealing with the housing to prevent air leakage, and enable the device to effectively clean in both forward and backward directions. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate squeegee elements.
2Reliability
If squeegee elements are used to push or wipe dirt particles and liquid, then cleaning performance is improved, but the risk of floor scratches increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter of the contact elements from rigid squeegee materials to flexible microfiber brush elements. These flexible elements can conform to the floor surface without causing scratches, while still effectively picking up dirt and liquid through adhesion and capillary action.
3Reliability
If vacuum aggregate power is increased to improve dirt and liquid pickup, then cleaning performance is improved, but power consumption and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by using the brush elements to pick up and pre-concentrate dirt and liquid particles before they enter the vacuum suction system. This preliminary concentration reduces the workload on the vacuum aggregate, allowing for lower power consumption and smaller device size while maintaining effective cleaning performance.
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
The solution provides improved cleaning performance, reduces the risk of scratches, and allows for smaller vacuum aggregates, resulting in lower power consumption, reduced device size, and enhanced user-friendliness, while effectively picking up both dirt and liquid from hard floors.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum aggregate which is arranged at a suction outlet of the suction area for generating an under-pressure in said suction area for ingesting dirt particles and liquid from the suction inlet
Implementation Method 2
the brush elements, during the rotation of the brush, substantially form a sealing with the housing at a first position where the brush elements leave the housing during the rotation of the brush
Implementation Method 3
contact the surface to be cleaned during the rotation of the brush at a second position for picking up dirt particles and liquid from said surface
Implementation Method 4
said squeegee element is adapted for pushing or wiping dirt particles and liquid across or off the surface to be cleaned during movement of the cleaning device
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning a surface (20), comprising: —a brush (12) rotatable about a brush axis (14), said brush (12) being provided with flexible brush elements (16) that are substantially uniformly distributed over the periphery of the brush (12), wherein the brush (12) is at least partly surrounded by a nozzle housing (28) and protrudes at least partially from a bottom side (30) of said nozzle housing (28), which, during use of the device (100), faces the surface to be cleaned (20), wherein the brush elements (16), during the rotation of the brush (12), substantially form a sealing with the housing (28) at a first position (33) where the brush elements (16) leave the housing (28) during the rotation of the brush (12), and contact the surface to be cleaned (20) during the rotation of the brush (12) at a second position (35) for picking up dirt particles (22) and liquid (24) from said surface (20), thereby defining a suction area (34) in a space between the brush (12), said housing (28) and said surface to be cleaned (20) which is at least partly sealed at said first and second positions (33, 35), —a single squeegee element (32) which is spaced apart from the brush (12) and attached to the bottom side (30) of the nozzle housing (28) on a side of the brush (12), where the brush elements (16) enter the housing (28) during the rotation of the brush (12), wherein said squeegee element (32) is adapted for pushing or wiping dirt particles and liquid across or off the surface to be cleaned (20) during movement of the cleaning device (100), thereby defining a suction inlet (36) between the squeegee element (32) and the brush (12)that opens into the suction area (34), —a drive means for driving the brush (12) in rotation, and —a vacuum aggregate (38)which is arranged at a suction outlet (47)of the suction area (34) for generating an under-pressure in said suction area (34) for ingesting dirt particles (22) and liquid (24) from the suction inlet (36).