Side brush and robotic cleaner

• US 10,874,271 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Original Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Inventors: Kastensson, Daniel, Klintemyr, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Horton, Andrew A
• Application Number:
  US15/534,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/008 Disc-shaped brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3033 Household brush, i.e. brushes for cleaning in the house or dishes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3066 Brush specifically designed for use with street cleaning machinery
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/02 Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/026 where the surface of the brush body or carrier is not in one plane, e.g. not flat A46B9/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0427 Gearing or transmission means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0472 Discs
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/149 Emptying means; Reusable bags
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

A side brush for a robotic cleaner. The side brush is rotatable about a rotation axis in a rotational direction and has a brush body and numerous linear bristles including a first bristle having a base end at the brush body and an opposite distal end. An imaginary line extends perpendicularly to the rotation axis. The first bristle extends in a bristle direction outwardly from the brush body. Seen in a top view, the bristle direction extends at a first angle to the imaginary line with the distal end pointing rearwardly in relation to the rotational direction. Seen in a side view, the bristle direction extends at a second acute angle to the rotation axis pointing away from the brush body. A robotic cleaner having such a side brush is also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A side brush for a robotic cleaner, the side brush being rotatable about a rotation axis in a rotational direction and comprising:

a brush body; and

numerous bristles, each of the numerous bristles having a base end at the brush body and an opposite distal end;

wherein the numerous bristles are arranged in bunches, each of the bunches being physically spaced from each adjacent bunch and including a subset of the numerous bristles, and each of the bunches having a separate bristle bunch connection point to the brush body, each separate bristle bunch connection point including a respective hole in the brush body for receiving the numerous bristles in each of the bunches, each respective hole separated around the rotation axis from one another by a predetermined space void of bristles;

wherein each of the numerous bristles in each of the bunches extend freely from their respective base ends, which are fixed inside the respective hole in the brush body, to their respective distal ends;

wherein the rotation axis extends centrally through the brush body and an imaginary line extends perpendicularly to the rotation axis;

wherein each of the numerous bristles in each of the bunches is arranged with its base end at a distance from the rotation axis on the imaginary line, and extends in a bristle direction outwardly from the brush body;

wherein seen in a top view, along the rotation axis, the bristle direction extends at a first angle (a) to the imaginary line with the distal end pointing rearwardly in relation to the rotational direction, and the imaginary line intersects the respective base end of each of the numerous bristles in each of the bunches, and

wherein seen in a side view, along the imaginary line, the bristle direction extends at a second angle (β

) to the rotation axis pointing away from the brush body, and the rotation axis intersects the respective base end of each of the numerous bristles in each of the bunches.

2. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein the first angle (α

) is within a range of 30-90 degrees to the imaginary line.

3. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein the second acute angle (β

) is within a range of 1-85 degrees to the rotation axis.

4. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the numerous bristles has a diameter within a range of 0.05-0.3 millimeters.

5. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the numerous bristles has a length within a range of 15-200 millimeters.

6. The side brush according to claim 1, having a mean bristle density of at least 3 bristles/degree with a maximum angle between at least two of the numerous bristles of 30 degrees.

7. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein the numerous bristles are arranged in at least eight bunches of bristles around the brush body.

8. The side brush according to claim 7, each of the at least eight bunches of bristles comprises at least 150 bristles.

9. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein the brush body is substantially circular and has a diameter within a range of 15-70 millimeters.

10. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the numerous bristles has a bristle direction that, when seen in a top view, along the rotation axis, extends at a respective first angle (α

) to a respective imaginary line with a respective distal end pointing rearwardly in relation to the rotational direction, and, when seen in a side view, along the respective imaginary line, the respective bristle direction extends at a respective second angle (β

) to the rotation axis pointing away from the brush body.

11. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the numerous bristles has a diameter within a range of 0.1-0.2 millimeters.

12. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the numerous bristles has a length within a range of 40-70 millimeters.

13. The side brush according to claim 1, wherein the brush body is substantially circular and has a diameter within a range of 20-50 millimeters.