CN116634914A

CN116634914A - Butt joint station for floor dust collector

Info

Publication number: CN116634914A
Application number: CN202180085777.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: O·道奇森
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2020-12-17
Filing date: 2021-11-17
Publication date: 2023-08-22
Also published as: GB2602071B; GB2602071A; GB202019977D0; GB2613269B; US20240057838A1; WO2022129854A1; GB2613269A

Abstract

The invention relates to a docking station (30) for a floor cleaner (10). More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a docking station for a cleaning floor cleaner. The docking station comprises a receiving unit (32) for receiving the floor cleaner and a reservoir (34) for containing liquid. The docking station is arranged to feed liquid from the reservoir into the floor cleaner and to receive the same liquid from the floor cleaner, which liquid has been flushed through the floor cleaner.

Description

Butt joint station for floor dust collector

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a docking station for a floor cleaner. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a docking station for a cleaning floor cleaner.

Background

There are many types of floor cleaners that can be used. They include "dry" floor cleaners, such as vacuum cleaners, and "wet" floor cleaners. Wet floor cleaners apply a cleaning liquid to the floor as part of the cleaning process. Wet floor cleaners generally comprise a reservoir for holding a cleaning fluid, means for applying the cleaning fluid to the floor, a cleaning pad arranged in contact with the floor and for agitating the cleaning fluid once it has been applied to the floor, and potentially a waste reservoir for receiving waste liquid, i.e. cleaning fluid which is in contact with the floor and agitated by the cleaning pad. The wet floor cleaner may also include at least one flexible blade or squeegee to assist in containing the cleaning fluid in the cleaning region during the cleaning process. Wet floor cleaners also typically include a power source, such as a rechargeable battery, which powers some or all of the following operations: applying a cleaning fluid to the floor; driving the cleaning pad to agitate the cleaning fluid in contact with the floor; and transferring the waste liquid into a waste liquid reservoir as required.

Thus, floor cleaners, particularly wet floor cleaners, may have several service requirements, including but not limited to: refilling with cleaning fluid; emptying the waste liquid; charging a power supply; adjusting the cleaning pad; and general cleaning and sanitizing of floor cleaners. The present invention seeks to address at least some of these service requirements.

Disclosure of Invention

A docking station for receiving a floor cleaner, the docking station comprising: a receiving unit for receiving the floor cleaner and a reservoir for containing liquid, whereby the docking station is arranged to feed liquid from the reservoir into the floor cleaner and to receive the same liquid from the floor cleaner, the liquid having been flushed through the floor cleaner. The present invention provides a convenient way of cleaning a floor cleaner during or after use. By providing a convenient way to clean a floor cleaner, hygiene can be improved and the likelihood of generating unpleasant odors over time can be reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, by cleaning the floor cleaner during or after use, the need to replace components of the floor cleaner that would otherwise be contaminated during use and therefore require replacement can be reduced or eliminated.

The docking station may comprise a pump associated with the reservoir for containing liquid and arranged to actively pump liquid into the floor cleaner. The docking station may include a feed nozzle connected to the floor cleaner to facilitate the entry of liquid into the floor cleaner from a reservoir containing the liquid. The docking station may provide a fluid reservoir, the floor cleaner is placed in the fluid reservoir, and the floor cleaner may draw in fluid using suction means already present on the floor cleaner.

The docking station may include a suction device that actively sucks liquid from the floor cleaner. The docking station may include a suction nozzle connected to the floor cleaner to facilitate the discharge of liquid from the floor cleaner. The docking station may be arranged to passively receive liquid that has been flushed through the floor cleaner, the liquid draining from the floor cleaner under gravity.

The docking station may be arranged such that liquid flushed through the floor cleaner returns to the reservoir for containing liquid.

The docking station may also include a waste reservoir for receiving liquid that has been flushed through the floor cleaner. The waste reservoir may also receive waste stored in the floor cleaner prior to docking.

The docking station may further comprise an agitation unit arranged to agitate the liquid fed into the floor cleaner via the inlet. Agitating the liquid may enhance the cleaning effect of the liquid. The agitation unit is arranged to introduce bubbles into the liquid. The agitation unit may be arranged to introduce ultrasonic vibrations into the liquid.

The docking station may comprise a heater arranged to heat liquid fed into the floor cleaner.

The docking station may comprise a filter arranged to filter liquid extracted from the floor cleaner.

The docking station may comprise a charging unit arranged to charge a battery of the floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.

The docking station may comprise a cleaning fluid reservoir for supplying cleaning fluid to the floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a docking station and a floor cleaner as described with reference to the first aspect of the invention. The floor cleaner may be received into a receiving unit of the floor cleaner. The floor cleaner may comprise any of the features described with respect to a floor cleaner receivable in a receiving unit of a docking station of the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of cleaning a floor cleaner, comprising the steps of: docking a floor cleaner with a docking station according to any of the preceding claims, such that the floor cleaner is received in a receiving unit of the docking station, feeding liquid into the floor cleaner from a reservoir containing the liquid, and extracting the liquid from the floor cleaner, such that the liquid is rinsed through the floor cleaner.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the invention. For example, the method of the present invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the present invention, and vice versa.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which:

figure 1 shows a schematic view of a floor cleaner;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a floor cleaner and docking station;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of components of the docking station shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a docking station and a floor cleaner;

fig. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a docking station.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a floor cleaner 10 comprising a cleaning head 12, a main body 14 pivotally attached to the cleaning head 12, and a handle 16 extending away from the main body 14. Cleaning head 12 includes two cleaning pads 18 arranged to contact the floor and oscillate during use, and front and rear blades 20, 22, positioned in front of and behind cleaning pads 18, respectively. The terms "front" and "rear" will be understood by those skilled in the art to be the front and rear of the cleaner head 12 when the floor cleaner 10 is in use by a user. In fig. 1, front screed 20 is shown in a retracted position, and may also be folded into an extended position in which front screed 20 is in contact with the floor. The body 14 includes a cleaning fluid reservoir, a waste fluid reservoir, and a battery (not shown). The cleaning fluid reservoir is arranged to hold and apply cleaning fluid to the floor during use of the floor cleaner 10. The cleaning pad 18 oscillates during use of the floor cleaner to agitate the cleaning fluid on the floor to provide a cleaning effect. The cleaning liquid becomes dirty during agitation and the waste liquid reservoir is arranged to suck and store waste liquid during use of the floor cleaner. The battery is arranged to power the application of cleaning fluid to the floor, the swing of the cleaning pad 20 and the extraction of waste liquid. The handle 16 includes a user interface 24 that turns on and off the functions of the floor cleaner.

Figure 2 shows a floor cleaner 10 and a docking station 30. The docking station 30 includes a receiving unit 32 and a support arm 34, the receiving unit 32 receiving the cleaning head 12 of the floor cleaner 10, the handle 16 of the floor cleaner 10 resting on the support arm 34. The docking station 30 also includes a power connector 36 that connects to a mains power supply.

Fig. 3 shows some additional components of the docking station 30. In particular, the docking station 30 includes a charging unit 24 that is connected to a mains power supply via a power connector 36. The charging unit 24 is arranged to charge the battery of the floor cleaner 10 by wireless charging or wired charging. The docking station 30 further includes a waste fluid tank 25, a cleaning fluid tank 26, and a control unit 27. The waste liquid tank 25 is arranged to receive waste liquid from a waste liquid reservoir of the floor cleaner 10. The cleaning fluid tank 26 is arranged to feed cleaning fluid into the cleaning fluid reservoir of the floor cleaner 10. The control unit 27 is arranged to control any active service function of the docking station 30, including charging of the floor cleaner 10. Thus, the docking station 30 is capable of performing a variety of service functions on the floor cleaner 10, including charging the floor cleaner 10, evacuating waste liquid from the floor cleaner 10, and refilling the floor cleaner 10 with cleaning fluid.

Figure 4 shows the docking station 30 and the floor cleaner 10. The cleaning head 12 of the floor cleaner 10 is received in the receiving unit 32 of the docking station 30. A reservoir 34 of cleaning fluid is provided to the side of the receiving unit 32, and a fluid passage 36 connects the reservoir 34 with the receiving unit 32 so that the cleaning fluid can be supplied to the receiving unit 32. This allows a pool of cleaning fluid to be provided at the bottom of the receiving unit 32 as shown. The floor cleaner 10 includes a squeegee 42 that is arranged to draw in liquid. When the floor cleaner 10 is in use, the squeegee can draw waste liquid from the floor. When the docking station 30 receives the floor cleaner 10 and the cleaning cycle is initiated, the blade draws cleaning fluid to clean portions of the floor cleaner 10 that are in contact with waste liquid during use of the floor cleaner 10. The cleaning fluid that has been flushed through the floor cleaner 10 returns to the reservoir 34 via the fluid passage 44. The fluid channel 44 includes a filter (not shown) that removes any contaminant particles from the cleaning fluid before the cleaning fluid is returned to the reservoir 34.

Fig. 5 shows the docking station 30 without the floor cleaner 10. The reservoir 34 can be linked to the floor cleaner via a nozzle 40. The pump 38 is arranged to pump cleaning fluid from the reservoir 34 into the floor cleaner via the nozzle 40. Allowing cleaning fluid pumped into the floor cleaner 10 to drain from the floor cleaner 10 into the receiving unit 32 so that the cleaning fluid flushes through the floor cleaner. In this arrangement, cleaning fluid that has been flushed through the floor cleaner 10 is kept separate from the reservoir 34 and treated as waste liquid for removal from the docking station. The pump 38 may be arranged to agitate the liquid fed into the floor cleaner 10, for example by creating bubbles and/or ultrasonic vibrations in the liquid. This may improve the cleaning effect of the cleaning fluid. The pump 38 may also be linked to a heater that heats the cleaning fluid fed into the floor cleaner 10.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific examples, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the invention is applicable to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. The docking station 30 may comprise a scraper or a compression device, the scraper being arranged to be scraped against the cleaning pad to remove liquid from the cleaning pad, and the compression device being arranged to compress the cleaning pad to remove liquid from the cleaning pad. A heater may be associated with the cleaning fluid tank 26 and arranged to heat the cleaning fluid in the cleaning fluid tank 26 prior to refilling the floor cleaner. The heater 38 may be arranged to increase the ambient temperature around the docking station 30 so that the docking station 30 may be used as a room heater.

In the foregoing description, where reference is made to integers or elements having known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed to include any such equivalents. The reader will also appreciate that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such optional integers or features, while potentially beneficial in some embodiments of the invention, may be undesirable in other embodiments and thus may not be present.

Claims

1. A docking station for receiving a floor cleaner, the docking station comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving the floor cleaner,

a reservoir for containing a liquid,

wherein the docking station is arranged to feed liquid from the reservoir into the floor cleaner and to receive the same liquid from the floor cleaner, which liquid has been flushed through the floor cleaner.

2. The docking station of claim 1, arranged such that the liquid flushed through the floor cleaner returns to the reservoir for containing liquid.

3. The docking station of claim 1, further comprising a waste reservoir for receiving the liquid that is flushed through the floor cleaner.

4. The docking station according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an agitation unit arranged to agitate the liquid fed into the floor cleaner via an inlet.

5. The docking station of claim 4, wherein the agitation unit is arranged to introduce bubbles into the liquid.

6. The docking station of claim 4, wherein the agitation unit is arranged to introduce ultrasonic vibrations into the liquid.

7. The docking station according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a heater arranged to heat the liquid fed into the floor cleaner.

8. The docking station according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a filter arranged to filter liquid extracted from the floor cleaner.

9. The docking station according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a charging unit arranged to charge a battery of the floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.

10. The docking station according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a cleaning fluid reservoir for supplying cleaning fluid to a floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.

11. A method of cleaning a floor cleaner comprising the steps of:

docking the floor cleaner with a docking station according to any of the preceding claims, such that the floor cleaner is received in a receiving unit of the docking station,

feeding liquid into the floor cleaner from a reservoir containing liquid,

the liquid is extracted from the floor cleaner,

so that the liquid is flushed through the floor cleaner.