DEVICE FOR CLEANING A SURFACE, COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE ROTATABLE BRUSH

• US 20130025077A1
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versuni Holding BV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: De Wit, Bastiaan Johannes, Setayesh, Sepas, Voorhorst, Fokke Roelof, Van Der Kooi, Johannes Tseard
• Granted Patent: US 10,349,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/21.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/001 Cylindrical or annular brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/00 Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles making artificial bristles D01D, D01F
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/292 having rotary tools A47L11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls

Abstract

A device for cleaning a surface (11) comprises at least one rotatable brush (3,4) which is provided with flexible brush elements (18) for contacting the surface (11) and picking up dirt particles (10) and liquid which are present on the surface (11) during a dirt pick-up period of each revolution of the brush (3, 4), and means for driving the brush (3, 4). A linear mass density of the flexible brush elements (18) is chosen such as to be lower than 50 g per 10 km, at least at tip portions, and an acceleration at tips of the brush elements (18) is set such as to be at least 3,000 m/sec², at least at some time during another period of each revolution of the brush (3, 4) than the dirt pick-up period, namely a period in which the brush elements (18) are free from contact to the surface (11).

Claims

1. Device for cleaning a surface, comprising at least one rotatable brush which is provided with flexible brush elements for contacting the surface to be cleaned and picking up dirt particles and liquid which are present on the surface during a dirt pick-up period of each revolution of the brush, and means for driving the brush, wherein a linear mass density of a majority of a total number of the brush elements of the brush is lower than 150 g per 10 km, at least at tip portions of the brush elements which are used for picking up dirt particles and liquid, and wherein the means for driving the brush are adapted to realize an acceleration at tips of the brush elements in the device which is at least 3,000 m/sec², at least at some time during another period of each revolution of the brush than the dirt pick-up period, namely a period in which the brush elements are free from contact to the surface, and first move away from the surface and subsequently move towards the surface again.

2. Device according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting an indentation (I) of the brush, which means are adapted to realize an indentation (I) which is in a range from 2% to 12% of a diameter of the brush relating to a fully outstretched condition of the brush elements.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein a packing density of the brush elements is at least 30 tufts of brush elements per cm², and wherein a number of brush elements per tuft is at least 500.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein a linear mass density of a majority of a total number of the brush elements of the brush is lower than 20 g per 10 km, at least at tip portions of the brush elements which are used for picking up dirt particles and liquid.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein a linear mass density of a majority of a total number of the brush elements of the brush is lower than 5 g per 10 km, at least at tip portions of the brush elements which are used for picking up dirt particles and liquid.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the means for driving the brush are adapted to realize an acceleration at tips of the brush elements in the device which is at least 7,000 m/sec², at least at some time during another period of each revolution of the brush than the dirt pick-up period, namely a period in which the brush elements are free from contact to the surface, and first move away from the surface and subsequently move towards the surface again.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the means for driving the brush are adapted to realize an acceleration at tips of the brush elements in the device which is at least 12,000 m/sec², at least at some time during another period of each revolution of the brush than the dirt pick-up period, namely a period in which the brush elements are free from contact to the surface, and first move away from the surface and subsequently move towards the surface again.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the means for driving the brush are adapted to realize an angular velocity of the brush which is at least 6,000 revolutions per minute during operation of the device.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the brush has a diameter (D) which is in a range of 20 to 80 mm when the brush elements are in a fully outstretched condition.

10. Device according to claim 1, comprising means for supplying a liquid to the brush, at a rate which is lower than 6 ml per minute per cm of a width (W) of the brush, i.e. a dimension of the brush in a direction in which a rotation axis of the brush is extending.

11. Device according to claim 1, comprising means for generating an airflow in an area where the brush contacts the surface to be cleaned during operation of the device.

12. Device according to claim 1, comprising means for indenting the brush at a position directly before the brush contacts the surface to be cleaned during operation of the device.

13. Device according to claim 1, wherein the brush is a spiraled brush, i.e. a brush having tufts which are arranged on the brush in a spiral-like pattern.

14. Device according to claim 1, comprising two rotatable brushes which are provided with flexible brush elements for contacting the surface to be cleaned, wherein rotation axes of the brushes are substantially parallel, and wherein a direction of rotation of one of the brushes is opposite to a direction of rotation of another of the brushes.

15. Device according to claim 14, comprising means for supplying a liquid to only one of the brushes, namely a brush which is arranged at a back position in the device.