阅读说明：本技术 清洁装置 (Cleaning device ) 是由 B·J·德维特 M·H·鲁伯斯 P·金格玛 于 2018-02-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开的实施例涉及清洁装置。一种清洁装置包括：表面相互作用层(ML)；清洁流体供应部(CFF),其在表面相互作用层(ML)处设有清洁流体通道(CFC),以用于通过表面相互作用层(ML)与表面(F)接触来将清洁流体(CF)供应给表面(F)；以及脏流体排出部(DFD),其在表面相互作用层(ML)处设有脏流体通道(DFC),以用于通过表面相互作用层(ML)与表面(F)接触借助于负压来排出脏水。(Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to cleaning devices. A cleaning device includes: a surface interaction layer (ML); a cleaning fluid supply (CFF) provided with a Cleaning Fluid Channel (CFC) at the surface interaction layer (ML) for supplying a Cleaning Fluid (CF) to the surface (F) by the surface interaction layer (ML) being in contact with the surface (F); and a Dirty Fluid Drain (DFD) provided with a Dirty Fluid Channel (DFC) at the surface interaction layer (ML) for draining dirty water by means of negative pressure through contact of the surface interaction layer (ML) with the surface (F).)

1. A cleaning device, comprising:

a cleaning fluid supply (CFF) provided with a Cleaning Fluid Channel (CFC) for supplying a Cleaning Fluid (CF) to the surface (F);

a dirty-fluid drain (DFD) provided with a dirty-fluid channel (DFC) for draining Dirty Fluid (DF) from the surface (F); and

a single fluid container to supply the Cleaning Fluid (CF) and to collect the Dirty Fluid (DF), wherein the single fluid container comprises a first section for Cleaning Fluid (CF), a second section for Dirty Fluid (DF), and a movable piston (P) between the first section and the second section, wherein

Said single fluid container being arranged for supplying said Cleaning Fluid (CF) from a bottom of said single fluid container and for receiving said Dirty Fluid (DF) at a top of said single fluid container;

said movable piston (P) being arranged to move downwards when said Cleaning Fluid (CF) is supplied from said single fluid container, whereby said piston (P) is located at said bottom and at the top of said piston (P) is Dirty Fluid (DF) when all Cleaning Fluid (CF) in said single fluid container has been supplied from said single fluid container,

said single fluid container being arranged for allowing the Dirty Fluid (DF) to be poured out of said single fluid container,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the single fluid container is arranged on top of the piston (P) for placing the Cleaning Fluid (CF) into the single fluid container, and

the cleaning device is arranged to allow the single fluid container to be remounted into the cleaning device in an inverted manner, whereby the single fluid container is arranged again for supplying the Cleaning Fluid (CF) from the portion that has become the bottom of the single fluid container and for receiving the Dirty Fluid (DF) at the portion that has become the top of the single fluid container.

2. A vacuum cleaner provided with a cleaning device according to claim 1.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for e.g. floors or windows.

Background

US 2010/0199455 discloses a steaming appliance having a water reservoir, a water pump and a steam generator with vacuum function. The steam appliance has a water pump for selectively injecting water from a reservoir into a boiler to produce steam which is fed into a steam pocket frame on which a fabric steam pocket is mounted. In one configuration, the vacuum function cannot be used when steam is being generated. In another configuration, when the vacuum function is turned on, the heating element in the steam generator is powered at a reduced power to reduce power consumption and keep the steam generator heated in a standby mode and not pump water.

US 2010/0236018 discloses a cleaning appliance capable of performing two or more cleaning functions. The cleaning appliance may include a vacuum cleaner and a steam cleaner so that a user can vacuum the floor prior to steam cleaning the floor. Various manual switching devices may be used as part of controlling the cleaning appliance. When providing debris removal and steam cleaning on a single cleaning implement, it may be undesirable to operate both functions simultaneously, as in some cases moisture may travel into the airflow duct or dirt trap and form dirt or mud with the collected debris. The resulting confusion may reduce the effectiveness and convenience of the appliance.

US2016/0213214 discloses a surface cleaning apparatus comprising a cloth placed on a porous material, a reservoir for collecting liquid absorbed by the cloth, and means for applying a negative pressure in the reservoir so as to transfer liquid from the cloth into the reservoir.

WO 2007/111934 discloses a cleaning appliance of the integrated type. It has a substrate structure that delivers an impregnated cleaning liquid to the window being cleaned, a squeegee for driving the used cleaning liquid away from the window, and an absorbent for collecting the used liquid (via the indent). The monolithic substrate structure may provide applicator, scrubbing and collecting functions, as well as filtering and reprocessing the used cleaning solution for further use.

DE 2649993 discloses a window cleaning appliance comprising a manually guided hollow cleaning strip with one or two rubber wipers. It has a compression and suction pipe by means of which water can be pumped up electrically onto the window pane and then sucked off together with the dirt. The cleaning strip may be provided on its side facing the window with a water-permeable strip which extends over the entire width but with a variable spacing from the front edge of the rubber wiper. This allows water to be applied to the glazing and then distributed by means of the water-permeable strips. Thereafter, when water is drained from the window, the water permeable strips are retracted due to the applied suction, and the water is removed from the window by means of a rubber wiper, and the collected water is sucked into a tank of used water. It is possible to use one pipe for supply and drainage of water or to provide a single pipe for each application.

DE2033588a1 discloses a vacuum sweeper with a cleaning liquid which is supplied in the form of a washing liquid from a container onwards, for example to a rotating brush, and which is sucked back into the container at the rear edge of the machine as dirty water. A container or tank is provided for cleaning liquid as washing liquid and for sucked-back, used liquid, wherein a movable wall is provided between the two liquids, which movable wall is arranged in dependence on the consumption of cleaning liquid or washing liquid and an increasing intake of dirty water to an outlet for washing liquid. In fact, this reduces the space previously thought necessary by at least half, as the used liquid can directly enter the space released by the consumption of the cleaning liquid or washing liquid. It must be taken into account that such a process is gradually carried out so that the space initially occupied by the cleaning liquid becomes smaller and smaller as it is consumed, so that the used liquid sucked back finds more space. The movable wall is rigidly designed as a piston which moves on the container wall extending in the direction of movement of the container.

US5735017A discloses a vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface. The vacuum cleaner includes: a main housing including a cabinet; a motorized blower assembly for generating a vacuum; a recovery tank disposed within the cabinet for storing contaminated liquid; a supply tank for supplying a cleaning liquid; a hose assembly and a fluid pump. A fluid pump pumps fluid from a supply tank onto a surface to be cleaned. The vacuum pump creates a vacuum on the recovery tank assembly and the hose assembly to draw the dispensed cleaning solution into the recovery tank assembly. The supply tank may be a flexible bladder disposed within the recovery tank. As liquid is dispensed, the flexible bladder contracts, causing an increase in the volume for storing contaminated liquid within the recovery tank assembly. The recovery tank may be removed from the main housing.

Disclosure of Invention

It is, inter alia, an object of the invention to provide an improved cleaning device. The invention is defined by the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning fluid supply portion provided with a cleaning fluid passage for supplying a cleaning fluid to a surface;

a dirty fluid drain provided with a dirty fluid channel for draining dirty fluid from a surface; and

a single fluid container to supply cleaning fluid and collect dirty fluid, wherein the single fluid container comprises a first section for cleaning fluid, a second section for dirty fluid, and a movable piston between the first section and the second section, wherein

The single fluid container is arranged for supplying cleaning fluid from a bottom of the single fluid container and for receiving dirty fluid at a top of the single fluid container;

the movable piston is arranged to move downwards when cleaning fluid is supplied from the single fluid container, whereby when all cleaning fluid in the single fluid container has been supplied from the single fluid container, the piston is at the bottom, and at the top of the piston is dirty fluid,

the single fluid container is arranged to allow the dirty fluid to be poured from the single fluid container,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

a single fluid container is arranged on top of the piston to allow cleaning fluid to be placed into the single fluid container, an

The cleaning device is arranged to allow the single fluid container to be remounted in an inverted manner into the cleaning device, whereby the single fluid container is arranged again for supplying cleaning fluid from the portion that has become the bottom of the single fluid container and for receiving dirty fluid at the portion that has become the top of the single fluid container.

By providing the surface interaction layer with a cleaning fluid supply and a dirty fluid drain, a very compact arrangement may be obtained. Since the cleaning fluid is supplied to the surface interaction layer and since the dirty fluid is drained from the surface interaction layer by means of the negative pressure, the surface interaction layer can be relatively thin, since it does not need to have a fluid storage capacity and it is not necessary to dip the cleaning device into the tub periodically to apply the cleaning fluid to the surface interaction layer and remove the dirty fluid from the surface interaction layer. Embodiments in which the dirty fluid is contained separately from the cleaning fluid provide the advantage that the surface is always cleaned with cleaning fluid, as opposed to fluid which contains an increased amount of dirt that has been picked up from the surface. The surface interaction layer may be a surface interaction layer (e.g., cloth) suitable for, for example, mopping a surface.

The surface interaction layer of the present invention is used both to supply cleaning fluid to the surface and to drain dirty fluid from the surface. The transport of cleaning fluid through the surface interaction layer does indeed appear to be the best performing solution for rinsing the surface interaction layer during cleaning. In contrast, the device of US2016/0213214 is only used to collect liquid, whereas in WO 2007/111934 only the cleaning fluid delivery portion of the substrate contacts the window when fluid is removed from the window by means of the squeegee, wherein the substrate has an internal recess (i.e. a portion that does not contact the window) to collect water that has been wiped off the window by the squeegee, whereas the water permeable strip of DE 2649993 is only used to supply water and is retracted when used water is wiped off the window, in which latter case only the wiper contacts the window.

These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Drawings

Fig. 1A shows a side view of a first embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention, and fig. 1B, 1C show alternative bottom views of the first embodiment.

Fig. 2A, 2B show a second embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention.

Fig. 4 and 5 illustrate the manner in which a single fluid container is used to separately contain the cleaning fluid and the dirty fluid.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner provided with a cleaning device according to the invention.

Detailed Description

FIG. 1A shows a surface (e.g., a floor) F having dirt D and on top is a side view of a first embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present invention.

Cleaning fluid (e.g. water and/or detergent) is supplied to the surface interaction layer ML by means of a cleaning fluid feed CFF (shown by means of dashed lines) from a cleaning fluid container (e.g. as shown in fig. 4 or 5, or a separate cleaning fluid container) to a cleaning fluid channel CFC, which is located on top of the perforated metal sheet MSH at the surface interaction layer ML. If gravity alone is not sufficient to supply the cleaning fluid, an optional electric (e.g., battery operated) or manual pump may be used to pump the cleaning fluid out of the cleaning fluid container or pump air into the cleaning fluid container to push the cleaning fluid out of the container and into the surface interaction layer ML. For components suitable for supplying cleaning fluid, in particular perforated metal strips, reference is made to WO 2016/062649, which is incorporated herein by reference.

By means of the dirty fluid channel DFC at the surface interaction layer ML, dirty fluid is drained from the surface interaction layer ML. In one embodiment the dirty fluid channel DFC may be provided with a porous plastic layer PP to recover the dirty fluid. The dirty fluid channel DFC is connected to a dirty fluid container (e.g., as shown in fig. 4, or a separate dirty fluid container) via a dirty fluid drain DFD. An electric (e.g., battery operated) or manual pump may be used to pump dirty fluid into the dirty fluid container or to pump air out of the dirty fluid container to create a negative pressure in the dirty fluid container. This will allow continuous drainage as the surface is cleaned. For components suitable for use in draining dirty fluid, reference is made to US2016/0213214, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The surface interaction layer ML, the cleaning fluid channels CFC and the dirty fluid channels DFC may all have a longitudinal shape, a side view of which is shown in fig. 1A.

The cleaning device of fig. 1A may take the form of a wand-based device in which the container for the cleaning fluid and the dirty fluid is mounted on the wand or on a portion of the wand, together with any necessary pumps. Alternatively, the reservoir and pump may be located just above the surface interaction layer, in which case the surface interaction structure will be thicker, but the rod will have no liquid reservoir.

If the cleaning device of fig. 1A is moved to the right, the cleaning fluid applied by the cleaning fluid channel CFC in the center will contribute to release the dirt D from the surface F, while the dirty fluid will be discharged through the dirty fluid discharge unit DFC at the left-hand end of the cleaning device. If the cleaning device of fig. 1A is moved to the left, the cleaning fluid applied by the cleaning fluid channel CFC in the center will contribute to the release of dirt, while the dirty fluid will be drained through the dirty fluid channel DFC at the right-hand end of the cleaning device.

In a preferred embodiment, the surface interaction layer ML is made of a material which in itself ensures that water is extracted, and in this case the porous plastic layer PP below the dirty fluid channel DFC may be omitted. A cloth (when wetted) that is most capable of maintaining a negative pressure in the dirty fluid channel DFC, caused for example by a dirty fluid pump, seems to be most suitable for draining dirty fluid from the surface F. If the holes in the wet cloth mounted on the cleaning device are too large, the negative pressure caused by the dirty fluid pump is too easily lost, leaving insufficient suction to drain the dirty fluid from the surface F. A suitable material for the surface interaction layer ML appears to be buckskin or artificial microfiber buckskin. For an overview on a likewise suitable chamois, seehttps:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois_leather. In testing, natural chamois (e.g., sold as "handyclearnaturem") or microfiber chamois appear to be suitable materials. A very suitable product appears to be a Momba professional cleaning cloth, which uses microfibers covered with polyurethane, such ashttp://www.mombapro.nl/microvezel- kennis/momba-microvezels.htmlAs mentioned above. Very fine sponge-like materials may also have properties suitable for use as a surface interaction layer ML that may be used for mopping surfaces such as floors or windows.

The dirty fluid channel DFC may be provided with, for example, a metal mesh having holes, for example, with a diameter of 1mm, for supporting the surface interaction layer ML and preventing the metal mesh from being sucked into the cleaning device due to the negative pressure applied to discharge the dirty fluid. Alternatively, an array of plastic posts may be used to support the surface interaction layer ML.

Fig. 1B shows a first alternative bottom view of the embodiment of fig. 1A, in which the clean fluid channel CFC and the dirty fluid channel DFC1-2 are parallel to each other along a z-axis perpendicular to the two dimensions shown in fig. 1A. The dirty fluid channel DFC1-2 is provided with a support layer SL which may be any of the porous plastic layers PP, metal mesh or pillars described above.

Fig. 1C shows a second alternative bottom view of the embodiment of fig. 1A, in which the clean fluid channel CFC and the dirty fluid channel DFC are each formed by a plurality of holes instead of by elongated channels as in fig. 1B.

Fig. 2A, 2B show a second embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention. This embodiment is based on the following recognition: when the cleaning device of fig. 1A is moved to the right, dirt on the surface F may stick to the right-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML without being wetted by the cleaning fluid channel CFC at the center and without being discharged by the dirty fluid channel DFC at the left-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML. If the cleaning device of fig. 1 is thereafter moved to the left, the dirt collected at the right-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML may again be spread over the surface F, resulting in a less than ideal cleaning result. The same may happen when the cleaning device of fig. 1 is moved to the left: dirt on the surface F may stick to the left-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML and be released to the surface F when the cleaning device of fig. 1A is moved to the right again.

In view of this, the embodiment of fig. 2A, 2B does not have a flat bottom, but a triangular bottom, so that in each direction of movement half of the bottom (ML1 or ML2, but both) ensures that the surface F is wetted first and that the dirt can be discharged thereafter. It is clear that in a rather schematic case, fig. 2A shows a clear triangular shape with sharp edges in the middle, in fact more rounded shapes may be present. Moreover, as regards the angle between the two halves ML1, ML2, it is important that the angle is such that only the bottom half (ML1 or ML2, but not both) interacts with the surface F during movement.

The top section of fig. 2A illustrates the principle of a second embodiment of the cleaning device. The cleaning fluid CF is supplied at the left and right hand sides shown with interrupted lines, while the dirty fluid DF is discharged at the middle two sections shown with straight lines. For each of these 4 sections, the technical implementation may be the same as described above with reference to fig. 1. Another difference with respect to fig. 1 is that the cleaning device of fig. 2A can be tilted, since it is mounted by means of an axis a.

The middle section of fig. 2A shows what would happen if the device were moved to the right. Of course, the result of this movement is that the right hand half ML1 of the base of the triangle will contact the surface F, which ensures that the surface F is first wetted by means of the cleaning fluid CF and thereafter the dirty fluid DF is drained.

A similar effect occurs if the cleaning device is moved to the left, as shown in the bottom section of fig. 2A. Of course, the result of this movement is that the left-hand half ML2 of the triangular base will contact the surface F, which again ensures that the surface F is first wetted by means of the cleaning fluid CF and thereafter the dirty fluid is drained.

Since the wetted part of the cleaning device (shown with broken lines) is first in contact with the dirt in both directions of movement, such dirt will merge with the cleaning fluid CF and the resulting dirty fluid DF will be absorbed and less dirt will still stick to the surface interaction layer. As a result, the cleaning results of the embodiment of fig. 2 will be even better than the cleaning results of the embodiment of fig. 1.

Fig. 2B shows a bottom view of the embodiment of fig. 2A. In fig. 2B, the dashed lines represent the transitions between the halves ML1, ML2 of the surface interaction layer ML. Clean fluid passages CFC1, CFC2 are located at the outer ends and dirty fluid passages DFC1, DFC2 are located in the middle, near the transition between the halves ML1, ML2 indicated by the dashed lines. In embodiments, the dirty fluid passages DFC1, DFC2 may be formed by a single dirty fluid passage bridging the transition.

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention, which is based on the embodiment of fig. 2. In the embodiment of fig. 3, the surface interaction layer ML comprises two alternating sublayers, namely: fine microfibre FMF capable of generating a negative pressure and optimally drying the surface F; and coarse microfiber CMF. In the center, coarse microfibers CMF are used as filler to make the entire surface interaction layer ML more flexible and better able to follow surface non-uniformities than if only fine microfibers FMF were used. Line L indicates: the surface of the entire surface interaction layer is substantially straight, although it is composed of different segments. For optimal function, it is important that as few leaks as possible are present in the surface interaction layer ML. To this end, in the embodiment of fig. 3, the total surface interaction layer ML comprises a piece of chamois FMF. The outer edge, where the cleaning fluid is supplied by means of a cleaning fluid supply unit (not shown in fig. 3), is provided with coarser microfibers CMF, which are capable of catching some coarse dirt, such as sand. Coarse microfibers tend to be very soft, so that they can follow the non-uniformities in surface F. Since the fine microfiber FMF is much firmer in suede, the coarse microfiber CMF can compensate for this. In order to compensate for the height difference created by the outer coarse microfibers CMF, some coarse microfibers CMF are also placed under the fine microfibers FMF chamois at the center where the dirty fluid DF is drained by means of a dirty fluid drain unit (not shown in fig. 3). In this way, the fine microfiber FMF mop chamois will still dry the surface F as before, but due to the coarse microfiber CMF sections, the entire surface interaction layer ML is softer, enabling the surface interaction layer ML to follow the surface non-uniformities. In case the coarse microfibre CMF is used only as a filling layer, i.e. in case the dirty fluid is drained, it may be replaced by other suitable filling material allowing the dirty fluid to pass through. In the case where fig. 3 shows the presence of a continuous fine microfiber FMF layer, it is possible to alternatively have 3 separate sections (thus, with a discontinuity where fig. 3 shows the layers CMF and FMF cross each other), provided that: the fine microfibre layer FMF then has an air tight connection with the black mop body, otherwise no dirty fluid can be sucked from the surface, since the negative pressure caused by e.g. a dirty fluid pump will only leak out.

Fig. 4 illustrates a first way of using a single fluid container for separately containing the cleaning fluid CF and the dirty fluid DF. This is desirable because it enables the device to be slim because only a single container is required, rather than two containers. In use, as shown in the left-most panel of fig. 4, cleaning fluid CF is supplied from the bottom of the fluid container, while dirty fluid is put into the container from the top by means of a dirty fluid pump (not shown). Between the two sections is a piston P which moves downwards when the cleaning fluid CF is supplied from the fluid container. As shown in the second panel of fig. 4, when all of the cleaning fluid CF in the fluid container has been supplied from the fluid container, the piston P is at the bottom and at the top of the piston P is the dirty fluid DF. The dirty fluid DF is then poured out of the container and the clean fluid CF is then placed in the container on top of the piston P, as shown in the third panel of fig. 4. Finally, as shown in the rightmost panel of fig. 4, the fluid container is inverted and again installed in the cleaning device so that it can be used again as shown in the leftmost panel of fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative way of using a single fluid container to separately contain the clean fluid CF and the dirty fluid DF. In fig. 5, the portion for the cleaning fluid CF is separated from the portion for the dirty fluid DF by a flexible bladder B (i.e. an elastic or at least flexible wall) that is deformable depending on the amount of fluid/pressure on both sides of the bladder B. The 3 pictures in fig. 5 show the following from left to right: an initial situation, in which the fluid container is filled only with cleaning fluid CF; an intermediate situation in which the fluid container contains both the cleaning fluid CF and the dirty fluid DF, separated by the bladder B; and finally, the situation in which the fluid container contains only the dirty fluid DF.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner VC provided with a cleaning device CD according to the invention. The cleaning device CD may be as described above and is attached to the nozzle N of the vacuum cleaner VC. Along the wand of the vacuum cleaner, a reservoir for cleaning fluid CF and dirty fluid DF is mounted, along with any necessary pumps. Although fig. 5 implies a combination with a canister-based vacuum cleaner VC, alternatively a combination with a robotic vacuum cleaner is possible. In the latter case, since the robotic vacuum cleaner is usually only moved forward during a cleaning operation, rather than back and forth, it is sufficient that the cleaning device is provided with only a single cleaning fluid channel and a single dirty fluid channel behind the cleaning channel.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Although the first application of the present invention is the cleaning of surfaces such as floors or windows, alternative applications would be in the treatment of wounds: the surface will then be skin and the cleaning fluid may then contain a suitable wound treatment fluid including, for example, disinfectants and/or antibiotics. This can reduce the number of times the bandage must be replaced, thereby reducing healing time. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.