Patent Publication Number: US-10786134-B2

Title: Floor cleaner and water channel

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/122,432, filed on Aug. 30, 2016, which is a national phase entry of International Application PCT/CN2015/091685, filed on Oct. 10, 2015. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/122,432 and International Application PCT/CN2015/091685 are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The disclosure relates to cleaning equipment, and more particularly to a water channel of a floor cleaner. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Conventional cleaners for cleaning ground include brooms, mops and floor wipers, all of which are manual tools. With the development of science and technology, people pose high requirements for cleaners, and vacuum cleaner is developed, which operates to adsorb waste and dust on the ground through negative pressure produced by electric power. However, due to the limitation of the working principle, the vacuum cleaner fails to eliminate the waste and stains firmly attached to the ground. As a result, a new generation of cleaners for cleaning ground is provided. The new generation of cleaners includes a motor and a cleaning roller which is driven by the motor to clean the ground. The new generation of cleaners is also equipped with a water supply system and a water channel for washing the cleaning roller, thus cleaning the ground completely. 
     To wash the cleaning roller, a water channel is often provided. The water channel is connected to a water supply system and supplies water to wash the cleaning roller, and wastewater produced from washing the cleaning roller is extracted by the water channel. However, some trash on the cleaning roller tends to enter the water channel and blocks the waterway of the water supply system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In view of the above-described problems, it is one objective of the disclosure to provide a water channel and a floor cleaner comprising the water channel. 
     To achieve the above objective, in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a water channel assembly of a floor cleaner, the water channel assembly comprising: 
     a channel shell and a filtering piece; wherein the channel shell is concave to form a water channel, the water channel is disposed on a surface of a sponge roller in a seal and overturn mode; 
     and the filtering piece is laid in the water channel and faces the surface of the cleaning roller. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, the water channel assembly further comprises a seal element and a water-squeezing member; the seal element and the water-squeezing member are disposed in the water channel side by side, and are pressed on the surface of the cleaning roller to form a seal fitting; and the filtering piece is disposed in a gap between the seal element and the water-squeezing member. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, a contact part of the seal element and the surface of the sponge roller is a bulge made of elastic material. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, the filtering piece is a filtering screen, and two ends of the filtering screen are pressed by the seal element and the water-squeezing member on the channel shell, respectively. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, the water-squeezing member is made of hard material, and an outer wall thereof contacting the sponge roller is arc-shaped. 
     The disclosure also provides a floor cleaner, comprising: 
     a base shell, a cleaning roller for clearing ground, the cleaning roller being disposed on the base shell; wherein the channel shell is concave to form a water channel, the water channel is disposed on a surface of a sponge roller in a seal and overturn mode; 
     and the filtering piece is laid in the water channel and faces the surface of the cleaning roller. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, the water channel assembly further comprises a seal element and a water-squeezing member; the seal element and the water-squeezing member are disposed in the water channel side by side, and are pressed on the surface of the cleaning roller to form a seal fitting; and the filtering piece is disposed in a gap between the seal element and the water-squeezing member. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, a contact part of the seal element and the surface of the sponge roller is a bulge made of elastic material. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, the filtering piece is a filtering screen, and two ends of the filtering screen are pressed by the seal element and the water-squeezing member on the channel shell, respectively. 
     As an improvement of the disclosure, the water-squeezing member is made of hard material, and an outer wall thereof contacting the sponge roller is arc-shaped. 
     Advantages of the water channel assembly of the disclosure are summarized as follows. 
     The disclosure provides a water channel assembly comprising a channel shell and a filtering piece. The water channel is disposed on the surface of a cleaning roller in a seal and overturn mode so that the cleaning roller is washed by water in the water channel. The filtering piece is laid in the water channel and faces the surface of the cleaning roller. As a result, the solid trash on the cleaning roller is filtered by the filter element and cannot enter the water channel, thus preventing the blockage of the waterway of the water supply system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a floor cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a floor cleaner in  FIG. 1  from another angle of view; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a floor cleaner in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a base of a floor cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a cleaning roller assembly of a floor cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of part A in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation of a cleaning roller and a clearing component of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of a trash bin of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of a water channel (comprising a cleaning roller assembly) of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram of a water channel (not comprising a cleaning roller assembly) of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram of a water supply system of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic diagram of a clean water tank of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic diagram of a wastewater tank of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic diagram of a water pump of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic diagram of an air pump of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 16  is a sectional view of a wastewater tank of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 17  is a sectional view of a wastewater tank of a cleaner of the disclosure from another angle of view; 
         FIG. 18  is a sectional view of a splash-proof member of a cleaner of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 19  is a sectional view of a sponge roller of a cleaner of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 20  is a sectional view of a sponge roller of a cleaner of the disclosure from another angle of view. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Example 1 
     To prevent the blockage of the water supply system of a floor cleaner, a novel water channel assembly is provided. 
     The water channel assembly comprises a channel shell and a filtering piece. 
     In use, the surface of the cleaning roller needs washing regularly or irregularly. The channel shell is concave to form a water channel, and the water channel is disposed on the surface of a sponge roller in a seal and overturn mode. The water channel communicates with the clean water tank and the wastewater tank of the water supply system, and the clean water tank operates to provide clean water and the wastewater tank operates to extract wastewater. The surface of the cleaning roller is washed by the clean water in the water channel, and the produced wastewater is extracted from the water channel. 
     To prevent the trash on the cleaning roller from entering the waterway of the water supply system, particularly the wastewater waterway, the filtering piece is laid in the water channel and faces the surface of the cleaning roller. Specifically, the filtering piece can be pasted on the surface of the cleaning roller. 
     The sealing of the water channel and the surface of the cleaning roller can be achieved according to different structures. 
     The water channel assembly further comprises a seal element and a water-squeezing member; the seal element and the water-squeezing member are disposed in the water channel side by side, and are pressed on the surface of the cleaning roller to form a seal fitting; and the filtering piece is disposed in a gap between the seal element and the water-squeezing member. 
     Preferably, to decrease the resistance of the seal element acting on the cleaning roller, the contact part of the seal element and the surface of the sponge roller is a bulge made of elastic material. As result, the contact of the seal element and the surface of the sponge roller is a soft contact, which, on the one hand, decreases the resistance of the seal element acting on the cleaning roller, on the other hand, improves the sealing effect of the seal element. 
     The water-squeezing member operates to squeeze out the water of the cleaning roller. The water-squeezing member is disposed at one side of the water-discharging channel of the clearing roller and made of hard material, and an outer wall thereof contacting the sponge roller is arc-shaped, which facilitates the squeezing of the water, and decreases the resistance against the cleaning roller. 
     Furthermore, the seal element and the water-squeezing member are locked on the channel shell using bolts. The filtering piece is a filtering screen, and two ends of the filtering screen are pressed by the seal element and the water-squeezing member on the channel shell, respectively. 
     Example 2 
     The disclosure provides a cleaner for cleaning the ground. 
     The cleaner for cleaning the ground comprises a shell assembly, a cleaning mechanism, a water supply system, a control unit, and a connection mechanism. 
     The shell assembly is a support of the cleaner, and comprises two parts, one is a base, and the other is a handle. The base and the handle is connected by the connection mechanism. The connection mode is flexible, so that the user can conveniently operate the cleaner with different angles. 
     The cleaning mechanism is a key part to clean the ground and is disposed on the base. The water supply system comprises a clean water tank and a wastewater tank. The clean water tank is configured to store clean water and communicates with the cleaning mechanism. Clean water is transported to the cleaning mechanism through a power unit to clean the cleaning mechanism. The wastewater tank is configured to store wastewater which is discharged from the cleaning mechanism communicating with the wastewater tank. The wastewater produced by the cleaning mechanism is restored in the wastewater tank via another power unit, thus preventing the wastewater from leaking out of the cleaner. 
     The control unit comprises a control circuit and a circuit board loading the control circuit. The control unit controls the operation of the cleaner, such as the operation and halt of the cleaning mechanism and the opening and closing of the water supply system, so as to achieve the man-machine interaction. 
     For better understanding the disclosure, the example defines where the base is located is the front part of the cleaner and the handle is the rear part of the cleaner. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the base comprises a turnable cover  110 , a base shell  120 , side shells  130 , and a rear shell  140 . The turnable cover  110  is disposed above the base shell  120  and may be flipped to open with respect to the base shell  120 . The rear shell  140  is disposed at the lower rear of the base shell  120 , and the side shells  130  are clamped at two sides of the base shell  120 . 
     Also, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the handle comprises a handle portion and a body portion. The handle portion comprises a top handle part  170  and a rear handle part  180 . The body portion comprises a top body part  150  and a rear body part  160 . The handle portion is mounted on the body portion. The body portion is connected to base through the adapter component  500  to realize the connection between the handle and the base. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , the cleaning mechanism comprises a cleaning roller assembly  210 , a clearing component  220  operating to remove trash on the cleaning roller assembly, and a trash bin  230  for collecting the trash on the cleaning roller assembly. 
     The cleaning roller assembly  210  comprises a cleaning roller. The cleaning roller rollers on the ground to clear the trash. Optionally, the cleaning roller is made of flexible material, for example, in this example, the cleaning roller is a sponge roller  211 . 
     The cleaning roller assembly  210  further comprises a sleeve barrel  213  loading the sponge roller  211 , and a power unit  212  for driving the sponge roller  211  and the sleeve barrel  213 . 
     The power unit  212  is disposed on the side wall of the base shell  120  and is locked using a bolt. The side wall is vertical to the ground. The sleeve barrel  213  of the sponge roller  211  is sleeved on the power unit  212  and is replaceable. The sponge roller  211  is sleeved on the sleeve barrel  213 , and the power unit  212  is disposed in the sleeve barrel  213 . The power unit  212  is optionally a motor, and the opening and closing of the power unit  212  is controlled by the control unit. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the trash bin  230  is disposed at the lower rear of the sponge roller  211 . Without affecting the rotation of the sponge roller  211 , the trash bin can be close to the sponge roller  211  as possibly, so as to prevent the trash from leaking from the gap between the sponge roller  211  and the trash bin  230 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the clearing component comprises a rotation body  221  and a plurality of clearing elements  222  disposed on the rotation body  221 . The rotation body  221  is driven by a power unit (the power unit can be a motor, which is not shown in the drawings) to rotate along with the sponge roller  211  (clockwise or anticlockwise). The clearing elements  222  are strip-shaped, such as hair brush or tooth structures, and rotate with the rotation body  221 . The gap between the clearing elements  222  and the sponge roller  211  is smaller than the volume of the trash or the clearing elements  222  and the sponge roller  211  directly contact with each other, so as to clear the trash on the sponge roller  211 . 
     The clearing component  220  is disposed at the upper rear of the sponge roller  211 , i.e., above the trash bin  230 , so that the trash cleared from the sponge roller  211  falls into the trash bin  230 . 
     To more efficiently clear the trash on the sponge roller  211 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , the clearing elements  222  can be divided into at least two groups, each group comprises a plurality of clearing elements  222  which are disposed along the center line of rotation of the rotation body  221 . The length of the clearing elements can be smaller than, larger than, or equal to the length of the sponge roller  211  along the center line of rotation of the rotation body  221 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the clearing elements  222  can be aligned, or be disposed in the shape of wave. The latter can reduce the resistance of the clearing elements  222  against the sponge roller  211 , thus saving the energy consumption. 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 8 , to improve the cleaning effect, in the cleaning mechanism, a scraper  240  is disposed at the rear of the sponge roller  211 . The scraper  240  comprises a flexible front end  241  made of, for example, rubber. The front end  241  is attached to the ground, thus preventing the trash from omitting from the lower part of the cleaner. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 10 , a gap exists between the scraper  240  and the sponge roller  211 . The outer wall of the scraper  240  facing the sponge roller  211  is designed as an arc, and thus the gap operates as a guide channel to collect the trash. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3,4,9 and 11 , the water supply system comprises a washing chamber, a clean water tank  310 , a clean water supply device (for example, water pump  330 ), a wastewater tank  320 , and a wastewater recovery device (for example, air pump  340 ). 
     The washing chamber is disposed on the rotation path of the sponge roller  211  and coordinates with the sponge roller  211  in a sealing mode. The washing chamber is filled with water to wash the sponge roller  211 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the washing chamber is a water channel, or other chambers having a different structure. Part of the base shell  120  (can be regarded as the shell of the water channel) is concave to form the water channel  351 , which simplifies the structure of the cleaner. Optionally, the water channel  351  can be an individual structure. 
     The water channel  351  is pressed on the sponge roller  211  in an overturn mode. The contact regions of the water channel  351  and the sponge roller  211  are sealed. Specifically, a seal element  352  and a water-squeezing member  353  are locked at two sides of the water channel  351  via bolts, respectively. The seal element  352  is behind the water-squeezing member  353 , that is to say, the sponge roller first moves to the seal element  352 , and then to the water-squeezing member  353 . The water-squeezing member  353  and the seal element  352  function as leak proof structures of the water channel  351  and the sponge roller  211 , respectively. Additionally, the water-squeezing member  353  operates to squeeze out the water in the sponge roller  211 . The wastewater squeezed out from the sponge roller  211  directly flows to the water channel  351 , and then collected by the wastewater tank  320 . 
     To improve the water squeezing effect, the water-squeezing member  353  is made of hard material, and the outer wall thereof contacting the sponge roller  211  is arc-shaped. For example, the water-squeezing member  353  are strips or shaft-shaped structures made of rigid plastic or metal. The seal element  352  only has the sealing properties. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the contact part  3521  of the seal element  352  and sponge roller  211  is a bulge made of elastic material, the elasticity thereof can prevent the trash on the sponge roller  211  from being squeezed out of the water channel  351 . 
     To prevent large solid waste on the sponge roller  211  from entering the water supply system to block the waterway, as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a filter  354  is disposed in the water channel  351 . Two ends of the filter  354  are pressed in the water channel  351  by the water-squeezing member  353  and the seal element  352 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3, 11, 12 and 14 , the clean water outlet  311  of the clean water tank  310 , the clean water inlet (not shown in the drawings) of the water channel  351  communicate with the water pump  330 . The water inlet of the water pump communicates with the clean water outlet  311 , the water outlet  332  thereof communicates with the clean water inlet. Driven by the water pump  330 , clean water enters the water channel  351  via the clean water inlet to wash the sponge roller  211 , and then flows out from the wastewater outlet  1241  of the water channel  351 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3, 11, 13 and 15 , the wastewater outlet  1241 , the wastewater inlet  3211  of the wastewater tank  320  communicate with the air pump  340 . Specifically, the air pump  340  communicates with the air extraction opening  3212  of the wastewater tank  320 , and the wastewater outlet  1241  of the water channel  351  communicates with the wastewater inlet  3211  of the wastewater tank  320 . The air pump  340  operates to extract the air in the wastewater tank  320  to produce a negative environment, which is favorable to the wastewater tank  320  to absorb wastewater from the water channel  351 . Employing the air pump  340  to absorb wastewater can flexibly control the wastewater tank  320  to absorb wastewater as needed. 
     Optionally, the clean water supply device is not limited to the water pump  330 , it can also be an air pump instead of the water pump  330 . The air pump communicates with the water channel  351 . Through pumping, the pressure in the water channel  351  is decreased, the water channel sucks up clean water from the clean water tank  310 . The working principle of the air pump is the same as the principle of the wastewater tank  320  for wastewater recovery. 
     Likewise, the wastewater recovery device is not limited to the air pump  340 , it can also be a water pump instead of the air pump  340 . The working principle of the water pump is the same as the principle of the clean water tank  310  for clean water supply. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3, 11, 13 and 15 , because the air inlet  341  of the air pump  340  communicates with the wastewater tank  320 , when the air pump  340  is working and the wastewater tank  320  waggles, the produced foams tend to be sucked up by the air pump  340 . 
     To solve the problem, the wastewater tank  320  is modified. The wastewater tank  320  comprises a wastewater storage chamber and at least one splash-proof member. The splash-proof member separates the air extraction opening  3212  of the wastewater tank  320  from the storage chamber. The splash-proof member comprises an air vent communicating with the storage chamber. The air extraction opening  3212  of the wastewater tank  320  communicates with the air vent of the splash-proof member. Most of splashed foams are blocked by the splash-proof member, but the work of the air pump  340  is not affected. The more the splash-proof member, the better the splash-proof effect. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 , the wastewater tank  320  comprises a chamber having the wastewater inlet  3211  and the air extraction opening  3212 , a liquid level detector  322  and the splash-proof member  323 . The liquid level detector  322  and the splash-proof member  323  both are disposed in the chamber. The liquid level detector  322  operates to detect the liquid level of the wastewater in the wastewater tank  320  and is connected to the control unit. When the wastewater overtakes the maximum, a switch is triggered to send signal to the control unit. 
     The splash-proof member  323  comprises a first buffer chamber  3234  comprising first air vents  3231  at the top thereof and second air vents  3232  at the bottom thereof. The first air vents  3231  and the second air vents  3232  are disposed at different directions. Specifically, the first air vents  3231  are disposed vertically, and the second air vents  3232  are disposed transversely. The staggered arrangement of the air vents can prevent the water entering from the second air vents  3232  from entering the first air vents  3231 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 17 , when the splash-proof member  323  is disposed in the chamber, the chamber of the wastewater tank  320  is divided into a second buffer chamber  3233  and an accommodation chamber  3235 . The second buffer chamber  3233  and the first buffer chamber  3234  communicate with each other via the first air vents  3231 . The air extraction opening  3212  communicates with the second buffer chamber  3233 . Therefore, through multiple levels of anti-splash, almost no water is pumped into the air pump  340 . 
     To prevent the foams splashed in the wastewater tank  320  from entering the air pump  340 , other options can also be adopted. For example, the air outlet  342  of the air pump  340  communicates with the sponge roller  211  or the water channel  351 , and the water absorbed by the air pump  340  is discharged and collected by the sponge roller  211  or the water channel  351 . 
     The waterways of the water channel  351 , the clean water tank  310 , the water pump  330 , the wastewater tank  320 , and the air pump  340  can be independent pipes, or be integrated with other structures for simplifying the cleaner. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 10 , two sides of the base shell  120  are provided with a clean water channel, a wastewater channel  124 , and a water-discharging channel  125 . One end of the wastewater channel  124  is the wastewater outlet  1241  of the water channel  351 , and the other end thereof is a wastewater adaptor  1242  connected to the wastewater tank  320 . One end of the water-discharging channel  125  is a water inlet  1251 , and the other end thereof is a water outlet  1252  communicating with the water channel  351  or the sponge roller  211 . The clean water channel is disposed at the base shell  120  and opposite to the wastewater channel  124 , and comprises an adaptor communicating with the water pump  330  and the clean water inlet of the water channel  351 . The structure of the clean water channel is basically the same as that of the wastewater channel  124 , so no more detailed description should be provided for the clean water channel. When the side shells  130  at two sides of the base shell  120  are locked on the base shell  120 , the clean water channel, the wastewater channel  124 , and the water-discharging channel  125  constitute a sealed waterway, thus forming a complete waterway. 
     To further improve the cleaning effect, the sponge roller  211  can be made much thicker. As a result, when washing the sponge, much more force must be exerted by the water-squeezing member  353  on the sponge roller  211  so as to squeeze water out of the sponge. However, when the squeezing force is much large, the rotation of the sponge roller  211  may be impeded, and to maintain the normal rotation of the sponge roller  211 , much more energy must be imposed, thus causing more energy consumption. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 19 and 20 , the sponge roller  211  comprises at least two layers, that is, an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer is an absorbent spongy layer  2111  and the inner layer is non-absorbent spongy layer  2112 . The non-absorbent spongy layer  2112  is made of non-absorbent sponge and is incapable of absorbing water. The absorbent spongy layer  2111  is made of absorbent sponge, and water is mainly absorbed by the outer absorbent spongy layer  2111 . Thus, to squeeze out water, only need to squeeze out water in the outer absorbent spongy layer  2111 . Because the outer absorbent spongy layer is thinner than conventional spongy layer, the external force used for squeezing out water is gentle and does not impede the rotation of the sponge roller  211 . 
     Conventionally, the sponge roller  211  is disposed in the base shell  120 . Two ends of conventional cylindrical sponge roller are a circular surface vertical to the ground. The left and right side walls of the base shell  120  have a certain thickness, so that the sponge roller  120  cannot stretch into the region below the left and right side walls of the base shell  120  adjacent to the sponge roller  211  due to the circular structure of the sponge roller. As a result, the regions below the left and right side walls of the base shell  120  adjacent to the sponge roller  211  cannot be cleaned. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5, 6, 19 and 20 , two ends of the sponge roller  211  are conical surfaces a and b. The conical surfaces a and b can stretch into the lower part of the left and right side walls of the base shell  120  adjacent to the sponge roller  211 , thus cleaning the ground completely. 
     The control unit comprises a circuit board loading a control circuit and a man-machine interaction unit. Because the control unit is not the key point of improvement of the disclosure, no detailed description is provided herein.  FIG. 3  shows keys of the man-machine interaction unit. 
     While particular embodiments of the disclosure have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the disclosure in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.