Abstract:
A water circulation cleaner is provided which is capable of easily removing contaminants on a cleaning object through the use of an improved suction head. A plurality of injection nozzles are used to spray cleaning water onto a surface of an object to be cleaned, and a suction port then sucks debris and fluid off of the surface of the cleaning object. An impeller assembly is used to generate this suction force, while a filter device removes debris contained in the suction fluid from the cleaning water. A brush and a duster may be affixed to a lower surface of the suction area of the cleaner, and can be used either alone or in combination to loosen debris from the surface of the object to be cleaned, thus facilitating removal by suction of the debris, and the effective and efficient cleaning of the object.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and particularly, to a water circulation cleaner capable of removing contaminants on a cleaning object by enabling water cleaning. 
     2. Description of the Background Art 
     Generally, a vacuum cleaner is a cleaning instrument for sucking and removing foreign materials existing on cleaning objects by a suction force generated of a fan motor assembly installed in a main body. 
     Since such vacuum cleaners are composed so that it can suck and remove foreign materials by a suction force, it can remove foreign materials such as dusts and the like existing on the surface or in the vicinity of the cleaning object but it is difficult to remove foreign materials on the cleaning object or contaminants or spots on the cleaning object. 
     To solve the problem, recently, cleaners having a brush or duster or wet duster in a suction head of a cleaner are developed to remove foreign materials which are attached to the cleaning object and not easily separated or spots formed on the cleaning object. 
     However, the vacuum cleaners having a brush or duster is limited in completely separating foreign materials abutting the brush or duster on the cleaning object and accordingly cleaning efficiency is insufficient. The above vacuum cleaner also has a disadvantage that the use is inconvenient since the duster must be often shaken and replaced. 
     Also, such cleaner is limited in flat areas having relatively low contamination, such as floors and bottom of rooms and it is hard to use in an area with much moisture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the present invention is to solve the problem of the conventional art and provides a water circulation cleaner capable of easily remove foreign materials such as spots and the like as well as dusts existing on a cleaning object by sucking foreign materials on the cleaning object after injecting cleaning water on the cleaning object. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a water circulation cleaner, including a main case, a suction head combined to the lower side of the main case, having a suction port to suck foreign materials and fluid existing on a cleaning object surface, an impeller assembly installed at one side of the main case, for generating suction force, a filter means positioned in the suction passage between the suction head and the impeller assembly, for separating foreign materials contained in suction fluid, a cleaning water tank connected to the discharging port of the impeller assembly in the main case, for storing cleaning water inside and an injection nozzle positioned in the suction head, for injecting the cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water tank to the cleaning object surface. 
     Rollers are installed at the front and rear sides of the lower surface of the suction head to ease moving of the cleaner. 
     The suction head has either a brush member or duster member to remove foreign materials being abutted to the cleaning object on the lower surface. 
     The brush member and the duster member are composed to remove foreign materials from the cleaning object. 
     The suction head has a blade for preventing outflow of the cleaning water injected from the injection nozzle in the outer area of the suction port. 
     The blade has a structure that it is connected to the lower surface of the suction head in the trapezoid form. 
     The suction head has either a brush member or duster member to remove foreign materials being abutted to the cleaning object on the lower surface and the suction port is formed at the upper and rear side of the portion where the brush member and the duster are installed. The injection nozzle is positioned between the suction port positioned at the front and the brush member or the duster member. 
     The blade has an elliptic structure that it is connected to the lower surface of the suction head according to the other embodiment of the present invention. 
     At this time, the suction port is formed as an oval shape in the internal area of the blade and at least one between the brush member or duster member is installed at the inner side area of the suction port. The pluralities of injection nozzles are formed between the suction port and the brush member or duster member. 
     The blade has an end blade abutted to the bottom surface formed sloped inward where the suction port is positioned. 
     The suction pipe for forming a suction passage between the suction head and the filter means is connected and a backward-flow-preventing valve for preventing a backward flow so that the cleaning water does not move backwardly. The suction pipe has an expansion pipe expanded in the direction of the radius in the middle of itself. 
     The filter means is combined with the impeller assembly outside the main case. 
     The filter means is composed by the hydro-cyclone dust collection structure according to the other embodiment of the present invention. 
     The filter means is composed of a dust collection case having a radius narrowed along from the upper area to the lower area to form a cyclone dust collection structure by gyration movement of fluid. 
     The dust collection case has a protrusion port for sucking the cleaning water containing foreign materials on the upper side surface and an impeller suction tube vertically lengthened from the impeller assembly at the upper central portion 
     The protrusion port is protruded in the direction of tangent line of the dust collection case from a flat surface and the protrusion port is formed sloped downward in the direction to the inner side of the dust collecting case. 
     The filter means has a filter member in a filter case and accordingly when cleaning water sucked to the filter case passes the filter member, foreign material is filtered according to the other embodiment of the present invention. 
     The filter means includes a filter case having a protrusion port on the side surface to suck cleaning water, a cap where an impeller suction pipe of the impeller assembly passes, being combined at the upper portion of the filter case separably and a filter member for filtering foreign materials. 
     The filter member includes a first filter member positioned at the inner lower portion of the filter case, having a relatively small number of meshes to filter foreign materials with large particles and a second filter member positioned at the side of the impeller suction pipe, having a relatively large number of meshes than the first filtering member to filter foreign materials with small particles. 
     The impeller assembly includes an impeller housing fixed to the main case, an impeller for generating a force for flowing cleaning water containing foreign materials which passed through the filter means at the lower inner portion of the impeller housing and a driving motor installed at the upper inner portion of the impeller housing, for rotary operating the impeller. 
     The impeller assembly further includes a sealing means positioned between the impeller and the driving motor, for preventing inflow of the cleaning water to the driving motor. 
     The cleaning water tank is formed in a cylindrical shape lengthened in the vertical direction, being connected with an inflow tube connected to the impeller assembly and an outflow tube connected to the injection nozzle. 
     The inflow tube has a pressure drawing means for lowering pressure by being opened when pressure between the exhaust side area of the impeller assembly and the cleaning water tank reaches a certain level. 
     The pressure drawing tube includes a pressure drawing tube diverged from the inflow tube and connected to the outside of the main case and a pressure valve installed in the pressure drawing tube, being opened when the pressure reaches a certain level. 
     An open/close valve for opening and closing the tank is installed in the outflow tube to prevent outflow of the cleaning water stored in the cleaning water tank. 
     A supply tube communicating with the outside of the main case is connected to the cleaning water tank to fill the tank with cleaning water and a cap is installed in the inlet portion of the supply tube to close the closing water tank. 
     The water circulation cleaner in accordance with the present invention can clean indoor areas as well as concrete floor such as bathroom and the like more cleanly by enabling water cleaning injecting cleaning water in the cleaning object area. 
     The foregoing and other, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a water circulation cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing a water circulation cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a brush member abutted to the water circulation cleaner shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a duster member abutted to the water circulation cleaner shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a structure of a blade of the water circulation cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B are detail views showing “A” portion of FIG.  1  and FIG. 6C is a section view taken along section line VI—VI of FIG. 6A, to describe the operation of a backward-flow-preventing-valve; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a filter unit shown along section line VII—VII of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the water circulation cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a bottom view showing the water circulation cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a partially sectional view showing the filter member of the water circulation cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along section line XI—XI of FIG.  8 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     FIGS. 1 to  7  show a water circulation cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The water circulation cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main case  11  where an accommodation space is formed, a suction head  21  positioned at the lower side of the main case  11  as a single body movably, an impeller assembly  30  installed in the main case  11 , for generating suction force, a filter unit  51  positioned in the suction passage between the suction head  21  and the impeller assembly  30 , for separating foreign materials contained in suction fluid, a cleaning water tank  41  connected to the discharging port  31 A of the impeller assembly  30  in the main case, for storing cleaning water inside and an injection nozzle  61  positioned in the suction head  21 , for injecting the cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water tank  41  to the cleaning object surface. 
     The components of the present invention will be described centering on the above components 
     Firstly, in the main case  11 , an accommodation space is formed lengthened in the vertical direction and a handle  12  is installed at the upper end portion so that the user can use the cleaner. 
     Then, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the suction head  21  is combined to the lower side of the main case  11 , rollers are installed at the front and rear sides of the bottom surface of the suction head to ease moving of the cleaner and coupling portions  27  and  28  formed as a groove shape, for installing a brush member  65  for removing foreign materials being abutted to a cleaning object and a duster member  71  detachably are formed at the center portion of the bottom. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the brush member  65  includes a plurality of bristles  67  installed on the lower surface of the brush case  66  and an insertion portion  68  combined to the suction head  21  being protruded on the upper surface of the brush case  66  and inserted in the coupling portion  27 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the duster member  71  includes a duster case  72  composed of synthetic resin member, a duster  74  composed of nonwoven fabric, cotton fabrics, sponge and the like to wipe foreign materials being abutted on the cleaning object and fixed on the bottom surface of the duster case  72  and an insertion portion  75  protruded on the upper surface of the duster case  72  and inserted in and combined to the coupling portion  28  of the suction head  21 . 
     In the suction head  21 , the brush member  65  is installed at the front and the duster member  71  is installed at the rear. Accordingly, the foreign materials separated from the cleaning object by the brush member  65  are wiped by the duster member  71  and completely removed. 
     Also, with reference to FIG. 2, in the suction head  21 , a blade  63  is installed to form a square edge shape on the external area of the coupling portions  27  and  28  where the brush member  65  and the duster member  71  are installed. The bladed  63  is composed of rubber member and the like being abutted to the bottom surface elastically so that the cleaning water can be easily sucked under the condition that the cleaning water is positioned at the inner side of the blade square area and the cleaning water injected from the injection nozzle  61  is not flown to the outside of the area at the same time. 
     It is desired that the blade  63  has an trapezoid shape as shown in FIG. 2, that is, the front portion of the suction head  21  is longer than the rear portion and the side portions are formed sloped to the moving direction of the cleaner. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, it is desirable that the blade  63  has an end blade formed sloped inwardly and it is to flow foreign material to the internal area of the blade easily and prevent outflow of the foreign material or cleaning water in the internal area of the blade to the external area of the blade. 
     In the suction head  21 , a pair of suction ports  22 A and  22 B are formed at the front and rear sides centering around the coupling portion  27  and  28  where the brush member  65  and the duster member  71  are formed so that the cleaning water and foreign material are sucked to the internal area of the blade. 
     Also, the plurality of injection nozzles  61  are installed between the suction port  22 A positioned at the front side and the coupling portion  27  where the brush member  65  is installed to inject the cleaning water on the bottom surface of the cleaning object. 
     Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the suction pipe  23  vertically connected from the main case  11  is installed between the suction port  22  of the suction head  21  and the filter unit  51 . 
     The suction pipe  23  is joined by tubes connected to the suction ports  22 A and  22 B and the second pipe  23 B is connected to the filter unit  51 . An expansion pipe  24  expanded in the radius direction is formed between the first pipe  23 A and second pipe  23 B. Particularly, a check valve  25  which is a backward-flow-preventing-valve for preventing backward flow of the sucked cleaning water is installed at the inlet portion of the expansion pipe  24 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 6A,  6 B and  6 C, between the first pipe  23 A and the expansion pipe  24 , a plurality of stoppers  26  are protruded to restrict upward flow of the check valve  25  when the cleaning water is sucked. 
     Then, with reference to FIG. 1, the filter unit  51  connected between the suction pipe  23  and the impeller assembly  30 , for separating foreign material included in the sucked cleaning water is installed at the front side of the main case  11 . 
     The filter unit  51  is composed of the hydro-cyclone dust collection structure. 
     Such filter unit  51  is composed of dust collection case  52  having a handle  52 B and it is installed at the lower side of the impeller assembly  30  separably. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the dust collection case  52  is formed as a cylindrical structure which is narrowed along from the upper area to the lower area to have a cyclone dust collection structure by gyration movement of fluid 
     Also, the dust collection case  52  has an opened upper portion and is combined to the impeller assembly  30 . At the center portion of the case, an impeller suction tube  32  expanded vertically from the impeller assembly  30  is positioned. At the upper side surface of the dust collecting case  52 , a protrusion port  52 A combined with the second pipe  23 B of the suction pipe  23  is formed to suck the cleaning water including foreign materials. 
     The second pipe  23 B of the suction tube  23  and the mutual connection portion of the protrusion port  52 A are combined in the direction of the tangent line of the dust collection case  52  as shown in FIG. 7 at the view of a flat surface and are formed sloped downwardly in the direction of the inner side of the dust collection case as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Then, the impeller assembly  30  is installed at the upper portion of the main case  11  and a part of the impeller assembly  30  is installed exposed to the front side of the main case  11 . 
     The impeller assembly  30  includes an impeller housing  37  fixed to the main case, an impeller  31  positioned at the lower inner portion of the impeller housing  37 , for generating suction force so that the cleaning water including foreign materials is sucked to the suction head  21  and the filter unit  51  and a driving motor  35  installed at the upper inner portion of the impeller housing  37 , for rotary operating the impeller  31 . 
     Here, a sealing portion  36  having a mechanical seal or oil seal is positioned between the impeller  31  and the driving motor  35  to block the inflow of the cleaning water flown to the inner portion of the impeller  31  and transmit the driving force of the driving motor  35 . 
     Then, at the inner portion of the main case, the cleaning water tank  41  is installed to supply the cleaning water to the injection nozzle  61  under the condition that the cleaning water is stored. 
     The cleaning water tank  41  is formed as a cylindrical shape lengthened in the upper and lower direction and an inflow tube  42  connected with the outlet port  31 A of the impeller  31  is combined with the upper side of the tank. An outflow tube  44  connected to the injection nozzle  61 , for injecting the cleaning water on the bottom surface is combined to the lower side. 
     Here, a supply tube  43  communicated from the upper portion of the main case  11  is connected to the cleaning water tank  41  to be filled with the cleaning water and a cap  43 A is installed at the inlet portion of the supply tube  43  to close the cleaning water tank  41 . 
     In the inflow tube  42 , a pressure drawing tube is connected to the outside of the main case  11  and a pressure valve  34  opened when the pressure is higher than a certain level is installed in the pressure drawing tube  33  so that the pressure between the impeller which is a outlet side area and the cleaning water tank  41  can be drawn when it is higher than a certain level. 
     A filter member and the like can be installed at the front and rear sides of the pressure valve  34  to block moisture including the cleaning water and exhaust only air. 
     An open/close valve  45  is installed in the outflow tube  44  so that the cleaning water stored in the cleaning water tank does not outflow when the cleaner is not in use. It is desirable that a solenoid valve operated according to signals of a controlling part (not shown) for controlling various operations of the cleaner is applied as the open/close valve  45  and a manual valve which a user can open and close at need can be used. 
     The operation and the effect of the cleaner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention with the above composition will be described as follows. 
     In case of cleaning bottom surface such as a floor of a bathroom or concrete floor, only the brush member  65  is combined to the suction head  21  and the cleaning water is supplied to the cleaning water tank  41  through the supply tube  43  appropriately. 
     Here the brush member  65  can be used being combined with the duster member  71 . 
     Then, fluid is sucked from the bottom surface of the cleaning object through the suction ports  22 A and  22 B when the impeller  31  is rotary operated by applying a power to the driving motor  35  and at the same time, the pressure of the inside of the cleaning water tank  41  is increased by the exhaust pressure of the impeller  31 . 
     Accordingly, the cleaning water stored in the cleaning water tank  41  flows along the outflow tube  44  and is injected to the bottom surface through the respective injection nozzles  61  positioned at the lower portion of the suction head  21 . 
     When the user moves the suction head  21  in the front and rear directions holding a handle under the condition that the cleaning water is injected on the bottom surface to be cleaned, dusts, contaminants and spots can be removed abutting the brush member  65  combined with the lower portion of the suction head  21  to the bottom surface. 
     The blade installed in the suction head  21  prevents the cleaning water injected through the injection nozzle  61  from being leaked to the outside of the suction head  21  and restricts the flow of the cleaning water in the inner side area of the blade  63 , thus to suck the cleaning water injected from the injection nozzle  61  through the suction ports  22 A and  22 B easily. 
     The cleaning water sucked through the respective suction ports  22 A and  22 B flows upward along the suction pipe  23  and then the cleaning water flown the inside of the dust collection case  52  flows downwards gyration along the inside diameter surface of the dust collection case  52 . 
     At this time, foreign materials having relatively larger particles compared with that of the cleaning water circle along the inside diameter surface, move downward, lose kinetic energy and are collected to the lower side of the dust collection case  52 . The cleaning water with relatively light gravity is separated from the foreign materials and sucked to the impeller  31  through the impeller suction pipe  32 . 
     Then, the cleaning water exhausted from the impeller  31  is flown to the inside of the cleaning water tank  41  again and flows to the injection nozzle  61  along the outflow tube  44 . 
     Here, in case the internal pressure of the cleaning water tank  41  is increased by the exhaust pressure of the impeller  31 , the pressure valve  34  is opened and air is exhausted to the outside through the pressure drawing tube  33  diverged from the inflow tube  42 , thus to draw an excessive pressure. 
     As described above, the cleaner can operate water cleaning performance circulating the cleaning water along the above process. 
     On the other hand, in case of cleaning a relatively flat and less contaminated surface, such as floors and bottom of rooms, cleaning can be performed efficiently as described above after inserting and combining only duster member  71  in the coupling portion  28  formed on the lower surface of the suction head  21  and supplying proper amount of cleaning water in the cleaning water tank  41 . 
     The brush member can be used combined with the duster member  71  as described above. 
     Also, in case of cleaning severely contaminated area, the cleaning efficiency can be improved if cleaning is performed again after exchanging the cleaning water inside the cleaning water tank  41  into clean water after performing cleaning circulating the cleaning water and supplying a proper amount of cleansing agent through the supply tube  43 . 
     In case of exhausting cleaning water after performing cleaning operation, when the driving motor  35  and impeller  31  is operated under the condition that the cleaner is leaned forward or backward, that is, the suction head  21  is separated from the bottom surface to certain degree, the cleaning water injected through the injection nozzle  61  from the cleaning water tank  41  is not sucked again through the suction ports  22 A and  22 B and accordingly the cleaning water is exhausted. 
     Also, to clean the dust collection case  52  where the foreign materials are collected, the dust collection case  52  is separated from the impeller housing  37  and the suction pipe  23  and the cleaning operation is easily completed by removing the foreign materials in the inside the case. 
     FIGS. 8 to  11  are views showing the water circulation cleaner according to the other embodiment of the present invention. 
     With reference to FIG. 8, the water circulation cleaner according to the other embodiment of the present invention includes the main case  111 , the suction head  121  combined at the lower side of the main case  111  as a single body, the impeller assembly  130  positioned in the main case  111 , for generating a suction force, the filter unit  151  positioned in the suction passage between the suction head  121  and the impeller assembly  130 , for separating foreign materials included in the suction fluid, the cleaning water tank  141  installed in the main case  111  and connected to the discharging port of the impeller assembly  130 , for storing the cleaning water inside and the injection nozzle  161  positioned on the bottom surface of the suction head  121 , for injecting the cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water tank  141  on the bottom surface which is the cleaning object. 
     Such water circulation cleaner according to the other embodiment of the present invention basically has the same or similar composition to that of the formerly described embodiment except the composition of the suction head  121  and the filter unit  151 . Therefore, the composition will be described centering around the different parts from the above-described embodiment. 
     First, with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, rollers  115  are installed at the front, back, right and left sides of the suction head  121  and a blade  163  for preventing leakage of cleaning water is installed on the lower surface. Here, the blade  163  is installed having an elliptic shape on the bottom surface of the suction head  121 . 
     In the inner area of the blade  163 , a suction port  122  also having an elliptic shape is formed and a duster member  171  having an elliptic shape is combined at the inner side of the suction port  122  separably. A brush member can be used being combined instead of the duster member  171 . 
     A plurality of injection nozzles  161  are installed between the suction port  122  and the duster member  177  to inject the cleaning water supplied from the cleaning water tank  141  to the bottom surface. 
     As described above, the blade  163 , suction port  122 , duster member  171  and the like are installed in the suction head  121  according to the other embodiment of the present invention to have an elliptic structure. 
     Next, with reference to FIGS. 8,  10  and  11 , the filter unit  151  of the above described embodiment employs the cyclone dust collection method and on the other hand, a filter member  151  of refining method is used in the other embodiment. 
     Namely, in the filter unit  151 , filter members  155  having a ‘U’ shape double filter structure are installed inside a filter cap  153  and filter case  152  combined each other. 
     In the filter case  152 , a protrusion port  152 A connected to a suction pipe  123  is formed at the side surface and an impeller suction pipe  132  composing the suction side of an impeller  131  passes through the center portion of the filter cap  153 . 
     The filter member  155  includes a first filter member  156  positioned at the inner lower portion of the filter case  152  having a relatively small number of meshes to filter large particles, a second filter member  157  positioned at the side of the impeller suction pipe  132  having a relatively large number of meshes to filter small particles. 
     Here, the first filter member  156  having the conventional mesh screen structure separates foreign materials included in the suction fluid and the second filter member  157  is composed of filter materials such as nonwaven fabric and the like covered on the circumference of a supporting screen  158  which is fixed to the filter cap  153 . 
     The second filter member  157  can be composed using filter materials which are conventionally used as an oil filter of a car. 
     In such filter unit  151 , foreign materials with large particles included in the cleaning water flown to the filter case  152  through the suction pipe  123  is filtered at the first filter member  156  and more minute foreign materials are filtered passing through the second filter member  157  The cleaning water passed through the second filter member  157  is flown to an impeller housing  137  through the impeller suction pipe  132  and circulated being injected through the injection nozzle  161  after being flown to the cleaning water tank. 
     On the other hand, in the first and second embodiments described above, the brush member or duster member is disclosed as combined on the lower surface of the suction head separably but the cleaner can wipe out foreign materials by having a duster member of a roller shape rotating the duster member centering on the rotation shaft. 
     Also, by composing the brush member as a rotatable roller type electric brush, the foreign materials existing in the cleaning object can be removed rotary operating the brush member. 
     As described above, since the water circulation cleaner in accordance with the present invention is composed capable of removing foreign materials recirculating the cleaning water after injecting the water on the cleaning object surface, the foreign materials such as contaminants and the like on the bottom surface can be efficiently removed and floors of bathrooms or concrete floors can be cleaned easily. 
     As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.