Cleaning apparatus with a flexible wiping cloth carrier

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus is configured to be moved over a surface area to be cleaned. The cleaning apparatus includes at least one wiping cloth carrier with a carrier element which is configured to receive a wiping cloth on a surface of the carrier element facing the surface area to be cleaned during operation of the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus also includes at least one drive which is configured to rotate the carrier element about an axis of rotation, so that during the operation of the cleaning apparatus the surface of the carrier element with the wiping cloth disposed thereon is rotatably moved over the surface area to be cleaned. The carrier element is elastically deformable in the radial direction in relation to the axis of rotation.

1 . A cleaning apparatus configured to be moved over a surface area to be cleaned, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
 at least one wiping cloth carrier including a carrier element having a surface facing the surface area to be cleaned during operation of the cleaning apparatus, said carrier element configured to receive a wiping cloth on said surface of said carrier element; and   at least one drive configured to rotate said carrier element about an axis of rotation, causing said surface of said carrier element with the wiping cloth disposed thereon to be rotatably moved over the surface area to be cleaned during the operation of the cleaning apparatus;   said carrier element being elastically deformable in radial direction relative to said axis of rotation.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said carrier element is configured to receive the wiping cloth on said surface of said carrier element, in such a way that the wiping cloth is deformed together with said carrier element in the radial direction. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said surface of said carrier element has a basic shape;   said carrier element is defined in the radial direction by an edge; and   said carrier element is configured to be deformed elastically in the radial direction, starting from said basic shape, by an action of a force acting on said edge in the radial direction from outside said carrier element.   
     
     
         4 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said basic shape is a circular basic shape, said edge is a circular edge, and said surface of said carrier element is defined in the radial direction by said circular edge. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said carrier element has an elastically deformable ring on said edge. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said elastically deformable ring is a wire ring. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 said wiping cloth carrier has a hub being driven by said at least one drive; and   said carrier element includes a plurality of spring elements each connecting said hub to said ring, said spring elements each configured to exert a force on said ring acting in the radial direction away from said hub, to at least one of hold said carrier element in said basic shape or transfer said carrier element back to said basic shape.   
     
     
         8 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said spring elements are distributed or uniformly distributed about said hub in circumferential direction of said carrier element. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said spring elements include at least one of:
 at least one telescopic spring element disposed in the radial direction between said hub and said ring, or   at least one spring element configured as a spiral spring or leaf spring having an end facing said hub and an end facing said ring.   
     
     
         10 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said at least one spring element is disposed radially relative to said hub at said end facing said hub, and said at least one spring element is disposed tangentially relative to said ring at said end facing said ring. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said carrier element includes three or more spring elements. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said carrier element includes six or more spring elements. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said carrier element has a flexible structure forming said surface of said carrier element; and   said flexible structure is elastically deformable in the radial direction.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said flexible structure is substantially non-deformable in axial direction. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said wiping cloth carrier has a hub;   said carrier element has an edge; and   said flexible structure has at least one of:   a plurality of honeycombs disposed adjacent one another in the radial direction, or   a plurality of wave-shaped portions each widening in an annular manner from said hub to said edge of said carrier element.   
     
     
         16 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said carrier element is at least one of:
 non-deformable or at least only slightly deformable in axial direction in relation to the axis of rotation, or   provided with a stiffness in axial direction being greater by a factor of from 10 to more than 100 than a stiffness in the radial direction.   
     
     
         17 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said carrier element has a material with a modulus of elasticity of 1 GPa or less or 1 GPa or less in the radial direction. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said drive has a drive shaft;   said drive is configured to drive said carrier element with said drive shaft in order to bring about the rotation of said carrier element about said axis of rotation, causing said surface of said carrier element with the wiping cloth disposed thereon to be rotatably moved about said axis of rotation over the surface area to be cleaned during the operation of the cleaning apparatus; and   said axis of rotation is displaceable relative to said drive shaft in the radial direction relative to said axis of rotation.   
     
     
         19 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said at least one wiping cloth carrier includes at least two directly adjacent wiping cloth carriers;   said carrier element is one of two carrier elements each having a respective axis of rotation; and   said axes of rotation of said carrier elements of said at least two wiping cloth carriers are disposed substantially parallel to one another and are disposed in a vicinity of one another in the radial direction, causing said carrier elements to be in mutual contact at a contact point and to be mutually deformed in an elastic manner at said contact point.   
     
     
         20 . The cleaning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cleaning apparatus is configured to be moved over the surface area to be cleaned by a drive force having a specific force value; and   the cleaning apparatus is configured in such a way that said carrier element is deformed by 5% or more of a diameter of said carrier element by an action of a force acting on said carrier element in the radial direction from outside and being dependent on a specific force value.