# US 11,992,173 B2 · Floor-cleaning appliance

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- Number: US 11,992,173 B2
- Document ID: US11992173B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/556,189
- Filed: 2021-12-20
- Published: 2022-06-23
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-21
- Assignees: Wessel-Werk GmbH
- Applicants: Philipp Rath
- Inventors: Philipp Rath
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992173B2

## CPC

- A47L 9/0477: {Rolls}
- A47L 11/4047: {Wound-up or endless cleaning belts}
- A47L 9/0494: {Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools}
- A47L 11/201: {with supply of cleaning agents}
- A47L 2201/00: Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)

## Abstract

A floor-cleaning appliance has a housing movable in a working direction, forming a chamber, and having a downwardly directed intake opening extending in the working direction and in a transverse direction crosswise thereto. A front deflector and a rear deflector are provided in the opening with the latter spaced rearward in the working direction from the former. A flexible cleaning element is spanned over the deflectors and engageable with a floor surface below the housing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A floor-cleaning appliance comprising:
a housing movable in a working direction, forming a chamber, and having a downwardly directed intake opening extending in the working direction and in a transverse direction crosswise thereto;
a front deflector in the opening;
a rear deflector in the opening spaced rearward in the working direction from the front deflector;
means for shifting of the deflectors vertically relative to the housing; and
a flexible cleaning element spanned over the front and rear deflectors and engageable with a floor surface below the housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the front deflector is rotatable about a front axis extending in the transverse direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 2, wherein the rear deflector is rotatable about a rear axis extending in the transverse direction and spaced rearward in the working direction from the front axis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 3, further comprising:
drive means for rotating one of the deflectors about the respective axis.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning element is wrapped around at least one of the deflectors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 3, wherein the floor-cleaning element is endless and extends around the front deflector and the rear deflector.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 3, wherein the element is an endless scrubbing belt.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:
vacuum means connected to the housing for drawing air upward through the opening.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:
a conduit connected to the vacuum means.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the appliance is part of an upright vacuum.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the appliance is part of a vacuum-cleaner robot.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, wherein the means for shifting defines a plurality of stepped and defined positions of the one deflector relative to the housing.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 12, wherein the one deflector is freely vertically movable in one of the positions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 13, wherein the one deflector is biased in another of the positions into the one position by a spring.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 14, further comprising:
a selector for moving the one deflector into the one position or the other position.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:
a drive coupled to the flexible cleaning element.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:
a central deflector between the front and rear deflectors over which the cleaning element moves.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 17, wherein the central deflector is adjustable vertically in the housing.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The floor-cleaning appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:
means for applying a cleaning liquid.