Vacuum cleaner robot

• US 10,674,883 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eurofilters Holding N.V. (De Meijerij BV)
• Original Assignee: Eurofilters Holding N.V. (De Meijerij BV)
• Inventors: Sauer, Ralf, Schultink, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Keller, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US15/543,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20180008108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/003 Multidirectional wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner robot comprising a dust collector arrangement mounted on wheels, a suction hose and a floor nozzle mounted on wheels, where the floor nozzle is fluidically connected to the dust collector arrangement via the suction hose, also comprising a motorized fan unit for suctioning an air stream in through the floor nozzle, where the motorized fan unit is arranged between the floor nozzle and the dust collector arrangement in such a manner that an air stream suctioned in through the floor nozzle flows through the motorized fan unit and into the dust collector arrangement. where the dust collector arrangement comprises a drive device in order to drive at least one of the wheels of the dust collector arrangement, and where the floor nozzle comprises a drive device in order to drive at least one of the wheels of the floor nozzle.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner robot comprising a dust collector arrangement mounted on wheels, a suction hose, a floor nozzle mounted on wheels, wherein said floor nozzle is fluidically connected to said dust collector arrangement via said suction hose, and

a single motorized fan unit for suctioning an air stream in through said floor nozzle, wherein said motorized fan unit is arranged between said floor nozzle and said dust collector arrangement such that an air stream suctioned in through said floor nozzle flows through said motorized fan unit and into said dust collector arrangement,

wherein said dust collector arrangement comprises a drive device to drive at least one of said wheels of said dust collector arrangement,

wherein said floor nozzle comprises a drive device in order to drive at least one of said wheels of said floor nozzle, and

wherein said motorized fan unit is arranged between said floor nozzle and said suction hose such that the air stream in through said floor nozzle flows through said motorized fan unit and into said such hose.

2. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein said motorized fan unit is arranged on and/or above said floor nozzle.

3. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein one, several or all wheels of said dust collector arrangement or one, several or all wheels of said floor nozzle are omnidirectional wheels.

4. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein said motorized fan unit is configured such that with a 40 mm aperture according to DIN EN 60312-1:

2014-01 the motorized fan unit has a volumetric flow of more than 30 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 450 W according to DIN EN 60312-1;

2014-01, with the 40 mm aperture the motorized fan unit has a volumetric flow of more than 25 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 250 W according to DIN EN 60312-1;

2014-01, or with the 40 mm aperture the motorized fan unit has a volumetric flow of more than 10 I/s at an electrical input power of less than 100 W according to DIN EN 60312-1;

2014-01.

5. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein said suction hose has a diameter in a range from 25 mm to 50 mm or a length in a range from 500 mm to 2500 mm.

6. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, comprising a blow-out filter.

7. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 6, wherein the blow-out filter comprises a filter area of at least 800 cm².

8. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein said vacuum cleaner robot is a bag-type vacuum cleaner.

9. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 8, comprising a vacuum cleaner filter bag, wherein said vacuum cleaner filter bag is a flat bag or a disposable bag and/or

wherein a bag wall of said vacuum cleaner filter bag comprises one or more layers of a nonwoven or one or more layers of nonwoven fabric.

10. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 8, wherein the bag-type vacuum cleaner comprises a filter area of at least 800 cm².

11. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein said vacuum cleaner robot is a bagless vacuum cleaner.

12. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 11, wherein said dust collector arrangement comprises an impact separator or a centrifugal separator.

13. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 11, therein the bagless vacuum cleaner comprises a blow-out filter having a filter area of at least 800 cm².

14. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein said motorized fan unit comprises a radial fan.

15. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, wherein said floor nozzle comprises no rotating brush.

16. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, comprising a control and navigation device for autonomously driving said floor nozzle or said dust collector arrangement.

17. The vacuum cleaner robot according to claim 1, comprising one or several devices for determining a location of at least one of the dust collector arrangement or the floor nozzle.