Self-moving dust suction apparatus to facalitate cleaning

A self-moving dust suction apparatus to facilitate cleaning comprises a dust suction base, a detachable dust collection unit and an airflow directing element. The dust suction base includes an air drawing mechanism to draw airflow, a housing space corresponding to the air drawing mechanism, an opening communicating with the housing space and a trigger driven mechanism. The detachable dust collection unit is held in the housing space through the opening and includes a dust suction inlet corresponding to the air drawing mechanism. The airflow directing element is disposed on the detachable dust collection unit and includes an elastic barrier plate which partially surrounds the dust suction inlet and extends towards a floor from the detachable dust collection unit to confine direction of the airflow flowing into the dust suction inlet.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a self-moving dust suction apparatus and particularly to a self-moving dust suction apparatus that includes a detachable dust collection unit separable in two stages and can confine direction of airflow sucked into a dust suction inlet to facilitate clean thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To maintain environmental neatness and sanitary condition, tools to clear dust and dirt such as brooms, mops or dust suction devices are generally being used. A dust suction device performs clearing by driving an air suction fan to form a negative pressure inside the dust suction device to generate a suction force to suck in dirt, and collects the dirt in a dust suction box inside the device. However, a user needs to drag the conventional dust suction device to allow a dust suction port of the dust suction device to suck the dust on the floor. It takes the user a greater effort and time to drag the dust suction device to finish the clearing task.

With advance of technology, now automatic clearing apparatus capable of providing automatic dust suction function has been developed and marketed. It no longer needs people to drag and control positioning of the dust suction port to suck the dust. The automatic clearing apparatus can automatically move and perform dust suction at the same time, so as to do clearing work without manpower. Once the automatic clearing apparatus is activated by the user it can automatically perform dust suction action in a space where clearing is intended, thus brings the user great convenience while doing the clearing job. However, after the automatic clearing apparatus has performed the dust suction action for a period of time, a lot of dirt is gathered in a dust collection box thereof. The user has to remove the dust collection box to clear the dirt inside the box. But detaching of the conventional dust collection box often is quite complicated and inconvenient, as a result the user often is smeared with the dirt or the dirt in the dust collection box is falling out. Moreover, the automatic clearing apparatus is likely to perform the dust suction action in the cleaned area, so that its dust suction power is wasted.

In order to facilitate users to detach and reassemble the dust collection box and also improve the dust suction efficiency of the automatic cleaning apparatus, a technique aiming for this purpose has been developed. For instance, Taiwan utility model No. M422395 discloses a negative ion cleaning robot which includes a dust suction module and a main body. The dust suction module includes a dust collection box, a negative ion generator, a conductive line, a brush, an air fan, an air outlet, a filter, a bottom lid and an air inlet. The negative ion generator generates negative ions. The air fan generates airflow to suck external dust into the dust collection box. The filter is located in the dust collection box and above the air fan. The air outlet is located at one side of the dust collection box. The bottom lid is located below the air fan and the air outlet and connects to a lateral side of the dust collection box, and includes a grid corresponding to the air outlet to let the negative ions being carried out by the airflow. The air inlet is located at the bottom of the dust suction module. When the air fan is in operation, the external dust is sucked into the dust collection box through the air inlet.

Taiwan utility model No. M407724 also discloses a dust collection box and a dust suction machine adopted the dust suction box. The dust suction machine includes a body which includes a chamber to hold the dust collection box and a pair of latch troughs. The dust collection box can be joined to or detached from the chamber, and includes a holding body and a first latch means. The holding body includes a lid and a box. The first latch means is disposed on the lid and includes a pair of first movable operation members and a first elastic element interposed between the first operation members. Each of the first operation members includes a first latch member, and has a holding position in which the first operation members are pressed by the first elastic element in normal conditions and a release position in which the first elastic element is compressed. At the release position the first latch member is retracted into the lid. At the holding position the first latch member is extended outside the lid. When the dust collection box is assembled with the body, the first latch members are wedged in the pair of latch troughs.

The aforesaid dust collection box and dust suction machine disclose that the first operation members can be clipped by user's fingers and moved inward to the release position, so that the first latch members retract from the latch troughs into the lid and the user can to remove the dust collection box from the dust suction machine. However, the dust collection box has drawbacks such as consisting of a great number of components and its complex structure. Moreover, concerning the negative ion cleaning robot, the dust collection box at the bottom thereof is disposed above the air fan. Hence detaching and reassembly of the dust collection box are inconvenient. In addition, the air inlet of the negative ion cleaning robot is open type that receive dust suction airflow from different directions, including the cleaned area. As a result, the negative ion cleaning robot still has problem of wasting dust suction power.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of detaching and assembly inconvenience and poorer dust suction efficiency that occurred to the conventional automatic cleaning machines.

To achieve the foregoing object the present invention provides a self-moving dust suction apparatus to facilitate cleaning that comprises a dust suction base, a detachable dust collection unit and an airflow directing element. The dust suction base includes an air drawing mechanism to suck airflow, a housing space corresponding to the air drawing mechanism, an opening communicating with the housing space and a trigger driven mechanism. The trigger driven mechanism includes a trigger unit depressible by a user, a latch element driven by the trigger unit to situate at a latch position and a release position, and at least one elastic element to provide a resilient force to make the latch element at the latch position in normal conditions. The detachable dust collection unit is held in the housing space through the opening and includes a dust suction inlet corresponding to the air drawing mechanism and at least one first coupling portion coupled with the latch element at the latch position and separated from the latch element at the release position. The airflow directing element is disposed on the detachable dust collection unit and includes an elastic barrier plate which partially surrounds the dust suction inlet and extends towards a floor from the detachable dust collection unit to confine direction of the airflow flowing into the dust suction inlet.

In one embodiment the dust suction base includes a driving wheel assembly to drive the dust suction base to move along a dust suction direction.

In another embodiment the dust suction base includes an auxiliary driven wheel driven by the driving wheel assembly.

In yet another embodiment the dust suction base includes a control unit electrically connected to the air drawing mechanism and driving wheel assembly.

In yet another embodiment the elastic barrier plate partially surrounds the dust suction inlet at one side opposite to the dust suction direction.

In yet another embodiment the elastic barrier plate includes a sway movement to sway away from the dust suction direction upon being in contact with an obstacle on the floor.

In yet another embodiment the air drawing mechanism includes a first driving motor and an air fan driven by the first driving motor.

In yet another embodiment the trigger unit includes a button located on the dust suction base and depressible by the user and a fastening element hinged on the dust suction base and triggered by the button to move the latch element to a latch position and a release position.

In yet another embodiment the detachable dust collection unit includes a holding surface, at least one holding wall extended from the holding surface and a holding portion surrounded by the holding wall.

In yet another embodiment the detachable dust collection unit includes a protruding portion jutting from the holding surface toward the holding portion in the dust suction inlet and a guiding portion surrounded the dust suction inlet and extended towards the boss.

In yet another embodiment the elastic barrier plate is extended towards the floor and spaced from it at a distance ranged from 0.5 mm and 10 mm.

In yet another embodiment the dust suction base includes a fastening portion, and the detachable dust collection unit includes a second latch portion latched on the fastening portion.

The invention, by means of the structure set forth above, compared with the conventional structures, provides many advantageous features, notably:

1. Through the airflow directing element direction of the sucked airflow passing through the dust suction inlet can be confined as desired. The airflow directing element partially surrounds the guiding portion and is disposed at the rear side of the dust suction inlet so that dust suction area is shrunk to enhance a pressure difference and converge the suction airflow, thereby the dust suction apparatus has greater dust suction power.

2. Through the trigger unit, the latch element and the first elastic element of the trigger driven mechanism, the detachable dust collection unit can be detached from and reassembled with the dust suction base. The trigger driven mechanism is a simplified structure for detaching and assembly of the detachable dust collection unit.

3. The detachable dust collection unit can be latched on the dust suction apparatus through the latch element and the fastening portion. When removing the detachable dust collection unit is desired, the user can press the trigger driven mechanism to separate the detachable dust collection unit and the latch element, which is called a first separation step; then disengaging the detachable dust collection unit from the fastening portion, which is called a second separation step. This two-step separation process can prevent the dirt from scattering around during assembly and detaching of the detachable dust collection unit.

4. The detachable dust collection unit is located at the bottom of the apparatus, hence can be directly detached to facilitate cleaning.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please referring toFIG. 1, the present invention aims to provide a self-moving dust suction apparatus1to facilitate cleaning that comprises a dust suction base10and a detachable dust collection unit20combined with the dust suction base10. When the self-moving dust suction apparatus1is activated by a user the dust suction base10generates suction airflow to suck dirt and moves in a space to be swept. The sucked dirt is collected in the detachable dust collection unit20. For instance, the dirt could include dust, scraps of paper, sands, hairs and any other articles that can be gathered by suction.

Please also referring toFIGS. 1 through 4, the dust suction base10includes an upper lid11and a base casing12connecting with the upper lid11. The base casing12includes a housing space13, an air drawing mechanism30, a housing space13corresponding to the air drawing mechanism30, an opening14communicating with the housing space13, at least one fastening portion15located in the housing space13, a driving wheel assembly40disposed on the dust suction base10to drive the dust suction base10to move along a dust suction direction, a control unit50electrically connecting to the air drawing mechanism30and driving wheel assembly40, a power source assembly16electrically connecting to the control unit50, at least one air outlet17, at least one filter18corresponding to the air outlet17and a trigger driven mechanism60. The air drawing mechanism30includes a first driving motor31and an air fan32driven by the first driving motor31. The driving wheel assembly40includes a second driving motor41, a transmission gear set42driven by the second driving motor41, a driving wheel43driven by the transmission gear set42and an auxiliary driven wheel44hinged on the base casing12. The control unit50includes an activation switch51to control activation of the self-moving dust suction apparatus1and a control circuit52electrically connecting to the activation switch51. The power source assembly16provides DC power to the self-moving dust suction apparatus1, and can be general batteries or charge batteries which is not the limitation in implementation. The power source assembly16can also be a power cord and a rectification module to rectify city power to DC power. More specifically, the control unit50is electrically connected to the air drawing mechanism30and the driving wheel assembly40, and controls activation or shut down of them. The first driving motor31of the air drawing mechanism30receives the DC power from the power source assembly16to drive the air fan32to spin to generate the suction airflow. The second driving motor41of the driving wheel assembly40receives the DC power to drive the drive wheel43to rotate and move on a floor according to a preset movement mode. The air outlet17is disposed on the base casing12to discharge the suction airflow generated by the air drawing mechanism30. The filter18corresponds to the air outlet17to filter the suction airflow and discharge clean airflow. The trigger driven mechanism60includes a trigger unit61depressible by the user, a latch element62driven by the trigger unit61and at least one first elastic element63to provide a resilient force to the latch element62. The trigger unit61includes a button611located on the upper lid11and depressible by the user, a second elastic element612interposed between the upper lid11and the button611to support the button611, and a fastening element613hinged on the base casing12and pressed by the button611. The fastening element613includes a press portion614, a hook portion615and a hinge portion616to bridge the press portion614and hook portion615. The hinge portion616is hinged on the base casing12through a hinge pin19. The base casing12includes an anchor portion191to hold the hinge pin19and a screw192to fasten the anchor portion191on the base casing12. In this embodiment, the hinge portion616of the fastening element613is a hole, but this is not the limitation. In other embodiment the fastening element613can also be a pin to hinge in a hole. The latch element62includes a connecting portion621to latch on the hook portion615, at least one first latch portion622, at least one second latch portion623and at least one housing channel624between the first and second latch portions622and623. The first latch portion622has a first abutting surface625and a first latch surface626. The second latch portion623has a second abutting surface627and a second latch surface628. In this embodiment the first abutting surface625and the second abutting surface627are respectively an inclined surface or a curved surface, but this is not the limitation of the invention. The first elastic element63is held in the housing channel624, and two ends thereof abut the base casing12and the latch element62respectively. In this embodiment the first elastic element63is a spring, or is made of other elastic material, but this also is not the limitation of the invention.

The detachable dust collection unit20is located in the housing space13through the opening14, and includes a dust suction inlet21corresponding to the air drawing mechanism30, at least one first coupling portion22, a holding surface23, at least one holding wall24extended from the holding surface23, a holding portion25surrounded by the holding surface23and holding wall24, a protruding portion26jutting from the holding surface23towards the holding portion25to dispose the dust suction inlet21, a guiding portion27extended from the protruding portion26to surround the dust suction inlet21and a second coupling portion28located on the holding wall24. The first coupling portion22includes at least one first latch hook221and at least one second latch hook222. The first latch hook221includes a third abutting surface223and a third latch surface224. The second latch hook222includes a fourth latch surface225. In this embodiment the third abutting surface223is, but not limited to, an inclined surface or a curved surface. In this embodiment the second coupling portion28is, but not limited to, a trough. The airflow directing element29is disposed on the detachable dust collection unit20to confine direction of the suction airflow passing through the dust suction inlet21. In this embodiment, the airflow directing element29is an elastic barrier plate which partially surrounds the dust suction inlet21and extends towards the floor from the detachable dust collection unit20to confine the direction of the suction airflow flowing into the dust suction inlet21. The elastic barrier plate partially surrounds one side of the dust suction inlet21opposite to the dust suction direction, and has a sway movement to sway away from the dust suction direction upon being in contact with an obstacle on the floor. In a prefer embodiment, the elastic barrier plate is spaced from the floor at a distance ranged between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, but this also is not the limitation of the invention.

Please refer toFIGS. 3 through 5, in the present invention, the first elastic element63provides a resilient force to make the latch element62at a latch position in normal condition. At the latch position, the first latch portion622of the latch element62is latched on the first latch hook221of the detachable dust collection unit20and the second latch portion623is latched on the second latch hook222, thus the latch element62can anchor the detachable dust collection unit20. When the latch element62is moved to compress the first elastic element63, it is at a release position. In the release position, the first latch portion622is disengaged from the first latch hook221and the second latch portion623is disengaged from the second latch hook222, thus the detachable dust collection unit20can be removed from the base casing12. When the latch element62is at the release position the detachable dust collection unit20can be removed from the base casing12. Details for explaining operation of the present invention is discussed below. At first, the user puts the self-moving dust suction apparatus1on the floor and presses the activation switch51, then the control unit50controls the air drawing mechanism30to generate the suction airflow and also controls the driving wheel assembly40to move on the floor according to the preset movement mode to perform cleaning operation. During the cleaning operation the dirt on the floor is sucked into the self-moving dust suction apparatus1via the suction airflow passing through the dust suction inlet21. Referring toFIG. 6, when the self-moving dust suction apparatus1move according to the dust suction direction, areas where the dust suction inlet21has passed through is cleaned. Through the airflow directing element29the self-moving dust suction apparatus1is confined to clean other areas not yet been cleaned, namely areas in front of the dust suction inlet21. Hence the dust suction power of the dust suction apparatus1can be enhanced since the dust suction scope is diminished. After the suction airflow passes through the filter18and the air outlet17, the dirt carried by the suction airflow is filtered by the filter18and retained in the detachable dust collection unit20. When the detachable dust collection unit20has accumulated a sufficient amount of the dirt, the user can press the button611to remove the detachable dust collection unit20and clear the dirt therein. More specifically, when the user depresses the button611the press portion614of the fastening element613also is depressed to make the fastening element613rotates, and the hook portion615thereof drives the connecting portion621to make the latch element62move from the latch position to the release position, thus the latch element62can disengage from the detachable dust collection unit20. As such, a first stage separation step of the detachable dust collection unit20is finished. When the detachable dust collection unit20disengages and spaces from the latch element62for a distance, the base casing12holds the detachable dust collection unit20. Namely, the fastening portion15of the base casing12supports and couples with the second coupling portion28of the detachable dust collection unit20; then the user can easily remove the detachable dust collection unit20from the base casing12to finish the second stage separation step. Thus pollution caused by scattering of the dirt during unloading the detachable dust collection unit20that might occur can be avoided.

The aforesaid implementation process mainly elaborates the separation process of the detachable dust collection unit20and the dust suction base10. On the other hand, when assembly of the detachable dust collection unit20and the dust suction base10is wanted, the user can merely align the detachable dust collection unit20with the opening14of the base casing12and insert the detachable dust collection unit20to the housing space13through the opening14. During inserting, the fastening portion15of the base casing12first couples with the second coupling portion28of the detachable dust collection unit20. Next, the first abutting surface625of the first latch portion622abuts the third abutting surface223of the first latch hook221, and the second abutting surface627of the second latch portion623contacts with the holding wall24of the detachable dust collection unit20, so as to make the latch element62move from the latch position to the release position. When the first abutting surface625is separated from the third abutting surface223and the second abutting surface627is separated from the holding wall24, the latch element62is moved from the release position to the latch position, and the first latch surface626is coupled with the third latch surface224, and the second latch surface628is coupled with the fourth latch surface225. As such, assembly of the latch element62and the detachable dust collection unit20is finished.

As a conclusion, through the first stage separation step of the latch element and the detachable dust collection unit, and the second stage separation step of the fastening portion and the detachable dust collection unit, the invention can prevent the dirt from scattering during unloading of the detachable dust collection unit to avoid pollution. Moreover, through the airflow directing element, the direction of the suction airflow passing through the dust suction inlet can be confined, thereby to enhance dust suction power of the self-moving dust suction apparatus.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, they are not the limitation of the invention, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.