CN116669607A

CN116669607A - Multifunctional cleaning appliance

Info

Publication number: CN116669607A
Application number: CN202180066885.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 谭灼雄
Original assignee: Ningbo Chuyu Electric Appliance Co ltd; Dilang Creative Co ltd
Current assignee: Ningbo Chuyu Electric Appliance Co ltd; Dilang Creative Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-29
Filing date: 2021-07-29
Publication date: 2023-08-29
Also published as: WO2022022640A1; US20230292973A1; EP4188181A1

Abstract

A multipurpose cleaning appliance (10) avoiding separate appliances for cleaning and mopping floor comprising a floor tool body (14) including a base (15) and wheels (12, 13) for supporting the floor tool body (14) on a floor, the base (15) being higher than the floor; and a mopping module (21) and a cleaner module (20) interchangeably mountable on the floor tool body (14) for mopping or cleaning, respectively, wherein the mopping module (21) is configured to perform wet mopping.

Description

Multifunctional cleaning appliance

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to cleaning appliances having two or more cleaning functions, and more particularly to cleaning appliances that perform both cleaning and mopping.

Background

Wet mops are a common household task that requires tools, such as a dust collector, in addition to the mop to prepare the surface initially, because the mop does not collect solid debris or a large dust accumulation very satisfactorily. Wet mopping involves the use of cleaning liquid and rubbing surfaces to loosen contamination, and withdrawing dirty cleaning liquid to avoid spreading of dirt to other parts of the floor.

The implement for wet mopping comprises an applicator for cleaning liquid, which is characterized by the ability to retrieve dirty cleaning liquid from the floor and the ability to store such dirty liquid. Wet cleaners can be used to recover dirty cleaning liquid, but the energy requirements of appliances having the ability to draw in reasonable amounts of liquid are high, which often makes them unsuitable as stand alone battery powered tools. A household appliance with an affected wet absorption capacity may be suitable for light wet mopping, but has the disadvantage that it is easily clogged due to the small size of the suction channel unless the tool itself is cleaned regularly and the use environment is relatively clean.

In another type of wet mopping appliance, a water absorbing element such as a sponge or mop is used to mop the floor, which is periodically wrung out to recover used cleaning liquid. For example, the appliance of US7950105 uses a mop consisting of an endless belt of water absorbent material driven by a motor and continuously wrung out, the wrung out dirty liquid being collected in an on-board tank. The disclosure of US7950105 is incorporated herein by reference.

Lighter-duty floor cleaning using cleaning liquid, known as wet mopping, may also include applicators of cleaning liquid and, for example, removable cloths that are discarded once soiled. In contrast to wet mops, the implement for wet mops has no ability to keep the retracted dirty liquid out of the amount that the cloth can absorb.

In order to replace the stand alone dust extraction and mopping appliance, a single multipurpose dust extraction and (wet or wet) mopping appliance provides greater flexibility of use, as well as cost savings, would be a good news for many households. It is an object of the present invention to address the need for such a multi-functional appliance, or more generally to provide an improved multi-functional cleaning appliance.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a cleaning appliance comprising:

the floor tool body comprises a base and wheels, the base is used for supporting the floor tool body on a floor, and the base is higher than the floor; and

the floor mopping module and the dust collector module are interchangeably arranged on the floor tool body and are respectively used for mopping or dust collection.

Preferably, the cleaner module is a subassembly comprising:

an electronic circuit;

a dust suction motor connected to the electronic circuit;

one of the first and second electrical couplers complements each other and is electrically coupled to the electronic circuit;

a fan driven by the dust collection motor;

an inlet nozzle through which ambient air sucked by the fan enters;

a separator downstream of the inlet nozzle for removing dust from the airstream;

exhaust device for exhausting air from a vacuum cleaner module, and

a vacuum cleaner module battery pack;

the mop module is a subassembly comprising:

a frame;

a generally parallel frame-supported roller supported on the frame;

an endless belt extending around the rollers and comprising absorbent material, the portion of which in contact with the floor spans the width of the belt for contacting the floor;

the floor tool body includes:

a power supply;

a module receiving recess extending to an opening in the base such that:

the inlet nozzle is disposed at the opening when the cleaner module is in the mounting position in the module receiving recess, and

when the mopping module is in the installation position in the module accommodating groove, the belt section contacted with the floor passes through the opening and contacts with the floor; and

the other of the first and second electrical couplers is connected to the first electrical coupler when the wireless cleaner module is placed in the module receiving recess to supply power from the power source to the power supply circuit, and wherein

The vacuum cleaner battery pack includes a third electrical coupler shaped similarly to the other of the first and second electrical couplers, facilitating electrical connection with the electronic circuit for use of the vacuum cleaner module independent of the floor tool body.

The term "battery" as used herein refers to an envelope containing one or more battery cells.

Thus, the cleaning appliance provides a single floor tool body, e.g. movable manually or autonomously over the floor, which is capable of cleaning after installation of the cleaner module or mopping after installation of the mopping module. In order to increase the flexibility of use, cleaning can be performed elsewhere while mopping is being performed, as the cleaner module can be assembled into a stand-alone hand cleaner.

Preferably, the floor module and the cleaner module are lowered into the module receiving recess in use and urged to their respective mounting positions by their own weight. Preferably complementary tongue and groove members are provided on the floor tool body and each module respectively to guide the linear path of the modules as they are lowered into their respective installed positions. Preferably, one of the tongue and groove members is provided on the first electrical coupler and the other of the tongue and groove members is provided on the second electrical coupler, whereby the first and second electrical couplers are connected by a relatively linear sliding connection. Preferably, the electrical contacts provided on the first and second electrical couplers, respectively, abut at the ends of the relative linear sliding movement.

Preferably, the implement further comprises a body-mounted roller and a dirty liquid reservoir mounted to the floor tool body, whereby in an operative position the belt is clamped between the body-mounted roller and the first frame-supported roller to squeeze liquid from the belt and then drain into the dirty liquid reservoir, and the floor mopping module is movable relative to the floor tool body from the operative position to a release position in which the belt is released from between the body-mounted roller and one of the frame-supported rollers.

Preferably, the rollers mounted to the body deviate the belt from a line tangential to the rollers supported by two adjacent frames, thereby tensioning the belt.

Preferably, the floor tool body further comprises: a motor electrically connectable to a power source, and

a transmission coupled to the motor provides torque to the rollers supported by the first frame when the mop module is placed in the module receiving recess.

Preferably, the rollers supported by each frame engage the inner surface of the belt.

Mating manually releasable connectors on the floor tool body and mop module secures the two parts together in the installed position.

Preferably, synchronisation means are provided for synchronising the peripheral speeds of the rollers mounted on the housing and the rollers supported by the first frame, the belt being sandwiched between the two rollers in the running position of the belt.

Preferably, the synchronisation means comprises a pair of meshing gears, each of the pair of gears being rotatably fixed in a roller mounted on the housing and a roller supported by the first frame, respectively.

Preferably, the frame-supported rollers further comprise second and third frame-supported rollers such that a lower portion of the belt for contacting the floor extends between the second and third frame-supported rollers.

Preferably, the upper portion of the belt extends to the lower portion and is supported between the first frame-supported roller and the foremost one of the second and third frame-supported rollers.

Preferably, the inlet nozzle is elongate to extend onto the floor tool body and further comprises a brushroll for engaging the floor, the floor tool body carrying a removable bin assembly comprising a dust bin, the opening of which is elongate to be substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the brushroll for receiving dirt swept into the opening.

Preferably, the cleaning liquid reservoir comprises a liquid applicator configured to apply cleaning liquid from the on-board cleaning liquid reservoir to the belt. Alternatively, the applicator may apply the liquid to the floor, or to a brush or other scrubbing device, rather than directly to the belt.

The liquid applicator is preferably provided on the floor tool in order to apply the cleaning liquid uniformly to the belt surface. In some embodiments, the cleaning liquid includes water and/or water mixed with active agents such as detergents, perfumes, disinfectants, and abrasive particles.

The cleaning liquid reservoir may be removable from the floor tool for filling. Otherwise, if the cleaning solution reservoir is integrated in the appliance, the appliance may be configured to release the contents of the active agent cartridge into the cleaning solution reservoir to ensure the proper ratio of water and active agent. For example, a puncturing device in the cartridge pocket may be configured to puncture the cartridge and cause its contents to fall into the cleaning liquid reservoir.

Preferably, the liquid applicator comprises a powered actuator which actuates a pump for drawing liquid from the reservoir and out of the nozzle.

Preferably, the cleaner module comprises:

the cyclone separation chamber is arranged beside the dirt box, so that the axial basic range of the cyclone separation chamber and the axial basic range of the dirt box are the same;

one end of the air inlet pipe is connected with the inlet nozzle in an adapting way, and the other end of the air inlet pipe guides circulating air to be close to the periphery of the inner shaft end of the cyclone separation chamber along a spiral path;

a vortex finder centrally disposed within the cyclone chamber from which air exits the cyclone chamber;

a dirt outlet adjacent the outer axial end of the cyclonic separating chamber and communicating with the dirt bin, wherein the dirt bin is located below the cyclonic separating chamber when the cleaner is mounted on the floor head.

Preferably, the dirt bin is integral with the wall of the cyclonic separating chamber.

Preferably, the hinged closure at the outer axial end simultaneously opens the dirt bin and cyclonic separating chamber.

Preferably, the axis of the cyclonic separating chamber is substantially perpendicular to the elongate axis of the air inlet duct.

Preferably, the fan/motor assembly is disposed in the fan/motor housing with its axis substantially perpendicular to the elongate axis of the air intake duct.

Preferably, the air inlet duct is centrally arranged, and the fan/motor housing and the cyclone chamber wall extend substantially parallel to each other in a transverse direction on opposite sides of the air inlet duct.

Preferably, the exhaust duct is provided at the outer axial end of the fan/motor housing. The outer axial end of the fan/motor housing may be disposed relative to a vent opening in a wall of the floor tool body.

Preferably, one of the first and second electrical couplers is centrally arranged in a projection extending from a wall of the cyclonic separating chamber and the fan/motor housing.

Preferably, the third electrical coupler mechanically couples the cleaner battery pack to extend in a cantilevered manner from one of the first and second electrical couplers in an extended state for use as a handle.

Preferably, the cleaner module comprises a fourth electrical coupler shaped similarly to one of the first and second electrical couplers, whereby connection of the third and fourth couplers mechanically couples the cleaner battery pack in the recessed storage position, wherein the fourth electrical coupler is electrically connected to the power supply circuit.

In one embodiment, the appliance is a cleaning robot comprising a drive subsystem controlled by a main control module and powered by an in-built power module to autonomously move the floor tool body over the cleaning surface, typically in a forward direction defined by a front-to-rear axis, and wherein the nozzle and inlet floor engaging strip portion are elongated in a direction transverse to the front-to-rear axis.

With the cleaner module in place, the surface cleaning robot is configured to collect particulate matter from the surface, clean the surface by applying cleaning liquid to the surface and then recovering waste liquid from the surface after replacement of the cleaner module with the mopping module, there being two containers or compartments that carry and store cleaning liquid and waste, respectively.

The robot is preferably of a quality and size that makes it suitable for home use. The gross weight (completely filled with liquid) is preferably about 4 to 6kg, and the tare weight is about 3 to 5kg. The gross weight should not exceed about 10kg. The width of the wash, and the overall width of the body, is between about 20 and 50cm, the height is between 7.5 and 20cm, and the length is between 20 and 70 cm. In some embodiments, the ground clearance is 3-7mm and the wheel is 30-60mm.

To effectively rub the surface during mopping requires dragging and sliding the belt against the floor, which belt generates a drag or thrust force depending on the direction of belt movement. In the present invention, both may be employed, for example, in one mopping mode, the belt drive is driven opposite to the power of the drive wheel, or in another mopping mode, the drive wheel is driven opposite to the power of the belt. To this end, the appliance may determine wheel rotation data determined by the rotary wheel encoder to determine how the corresponding motion relates to the output of other distance sensors, such as lidar, cameras or ultrasonic sensors.

Drawings

Preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the cleaning implement of the present invention as seen from above;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the appliance with the cleaner module mounted therein from below in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2a is a control schematic of the appliance of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the major detachable components of the appliance of FIG. 1 after disassembly;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a cleaner module of the appliance of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a cleaner module of the appliance of FIG. 1 from the rear;

FIG. 6 is a partial view of an electrical coupling of the cleaner module of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a battery pack of the vacuum cleaner module of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a partial view of an electrical coupling of the floor tool body of the appliance of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an electrical schematic of the cleaner module and floor tool body of the appliance of FIG. 1;

figure 10 is a section through the cleaner module of figure 4 in a longitudinal plane;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view through the waste bin of the appliance of FIG. 1;

figures 12 and 13 are schematic cross-sectional views (longitudinal) showing the insertion of the cleaner module and the final position of the cleaner module in the appliance of figure 1, respectively;

FIG. 14 is an illustration of the floor module with the belt removed;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are schematic views showing the location of the towing module in the appliance of FIG. 1, an

Fig. 17 is a diagram of a second embodiment of the cleaning implement of the present invention as seen from above.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1-3, a first embodiment of the cleaning appliance 10 is of the robotic type, and may include a drive subsystem 34 controlled by a main control unit 30, and powered by an internal power source 32, to autonomously move across the cleaning surface, typically in a forward direction defined by the front and rear axles 11. The cleaning appliance 10 has a floor tool body 14 with a base 15 supported on two independently driven wheels 12, 13, which may be coaxial, arranged towards the rear of the appliance 10 and driven by a drive subsystem 34.

A pair of rollers 16a, 16b may be arranged on opposite sides of the front and rear axle 11 forward of the centre of the appliance 10, cooperating with the driven wheels 12, 13 to support the apparatus, particularly when used for suction. The rollers 16a, 16b may be mounted for rotation about a common transverse axis.

The hatch 16 may be mounted on a module receiving recess 17 in the body 14 which extends from an opening 19 closed at its upper end by the hatch 16 to an opening 18 in its lower end base 14. The opening 18 is generally laterally elongated, effectively defining a cleaning width. The appliance 10 includes a cleaner module 20 and a mopping module 21, either of which can be placed in the module receiving recess 17 for interchangeable mounting on the floor tool body 14 for mopping or cleaning, respectively.

The robotic cleaning appliance 10 further comprises a sensor unit 29 comprising a plurality of sensors attached to the housing and/or integrated with the robot to sense internal and external conditions. In response to the sensed various conditions, the sensor unit 29 may send an electrical signal to the control module 30. The sensors detect obstacles, steep drops, dirty floors, low power, liquid level, wheel speed, wheel slip, vacuum suction level, acceleration, magnetic bearings, ultrasonic or laser rangefinder data, etc. The sensor unit 29 may include a position sensor, such as a micro switch, that senses the presence of the cleaner module 20 or the mop module 21 and is positioned to operate.

Depending on whether the appliance 10 is equipped with a vacuum cleaner module 20 or a floor mopping module 21, the operation of the vacuum cleaner module 20 is controlled by a vacuum control unit 26, or the floor mopping module 21 is controlled by a floor mopping control unit 27, the main control unit 30 coordinates the driving of the robot with the module operation to complete the cleaning task. The liquid applicator control unit 28 controls the application of cleaning liquid to the floor while mopping the floor.

The robotic cleaning device 10 may also include a user control unit 25 that provides one or more input interfaces, generates electrical signals in response to user input, and communicates the signals to the main control module 30, such as from touch or voice input.

The robotic cleaning device 10 may also include one or more interface units 33 mounted on the housing for interfacing with one or more external devices, such as exchanging operating instructions, digital data and other electrical signals, or charging the rechargeable battery power supply of the robot from an external power source. The interface unit 33 may be configured to communicate over a wireless network, a handheld remote control device, a local or remote computer, etc.

Other removable components of the appliance 10 (shown in figure 3) include a cleaning liquid reservoir 22 for supplying cleaning liquid with the floor mopping module 21, and a waste bin 23. The cleaning liquid reservoir 22 is nested in the module receiving recess 17 above the floor module 21. The waste bin 23 may be elongate and slidably received in the aperture 24 of the body 14 to extend laterally.

Figures 1-3 also show two rotating brushes 35, 36 mounted on the base 15 for engagement with the ground as they rotate about respective generally upright axes. Brushes 35, 36 are mounted on the front and outside of the opening 18 with their swept diameters projecting inwardly at the lateral ends of the opening 18 and outwardly laterally at the sides of the body 14. Thus, brushes 35, 36 function to extend the effective swept width from both ends of opening 18 to the full width of implement 10.

Referring to fig. 4-13, the cleaner module 20 is a subassembly that includes a cleaner unit 41 from which the inlet and outlet nozzle 39 and the cleaner module battery pack 40 are removable. The inlet nozzle 39, through which ambient air is drawn, extends to extend throughout the floor tool body 14, and includes a brushroll 42 for engaging the floor to perform sweeping and agitation functions as it rotates about a generally horizontal axis. The brush roller 42 is driven by a brush roller motor 43 installed in a nozzle body 45 through a belt 44. Power is supplied to the brushroll motor 43 from the electronic circuit 37 of the cleaner unit 41 through mating connectors 47, which are connected when the cleaner unit 41 is connected to the inlet nozzle 39 at ports 46.

To generate the airflow, the cleaner unit 41 includes a suction motor 38 which drives a fan 48 and is powered by the electronic circuit 37. Conversely, when the cleaner module 20 is installed in the floor tool body 14, power can be provided from the power source 32 to the electrical circuit 37 when the first electrical coupler 51 electrically connected to the power source 32 is connected to the complementary second electrical coupler 52 electrically coupled to the electronic circuit 37, as shown in FIG. 13. In stand alone operation, when the cleaner module 20 is used separately from the floor tool body 14, power is supplied from the battery pack 40 to the circuit 37 when the third electrical coupler 51a, which is shaped similarly to the coupler 51 and electrically connected to the battery pack 40 unit 50, is engaged with the second electrical coupler 52, as shown in fig. 5, 9 and 10. In this position, the second electrical coupler 52 and the third electrical coupler 51a mechanically couple the cleaner battery pack 40, extending in a cantilevered fashion, for use as a handle centrally disposed in the cleaner module 20.

The cleaner unit 41 comprises an air inlet duct 53, one end of which is adapted to the port 46 to which the inlet nozzle 39 is connected. The air inlet duct 53 is generally centrally located, with the assembly of the suction motor 38 and fan 48 being on a lateral side of the housing 49 and the assembly of the separator 54 and dirt bin 55 being on the other lateral side. The masses of the two components are advantageously balanced with respect to each other about a central, longitudinally aligned handle.

Downstream of the inlet nozzle, the separator 54 for removing dirt from the airflow may comprise a cylindrical cyclonic separating chamber 56, positioned alongside the dirt bin 55, and air is introduced near the periphery of the inner axial end of the cyclonic separating chamber 56. Opposite the inlet nozzle end, the end of the air inlet pipe 53 defines a helical path 57 imparting an axial component to the circulating flow. A dirt outlet 58 adjacent the outer axial end of the cyclonic separating chamber 56 communicates with the dirt bin 55. In use, when the cleaner unit 41 is mounted on a floor head, the dirt bin 55 is located beneath the cyclonic separating chamber 56. In this embodiment, the dirt bin 55 is integral with the wall of the cyclonic separating chamber 56, the cyclonic separating chamber 56 and the dirt bin 55 being substantially identical in extent in the axial direction of the cyclonic separating chamber. The air thus leaves the vortex finder 59 of the cyclonic separating chamber 56 centrally located in the cyclonic separating chamber 56 and may be laminar or may include a mesh for further filtering of the air. The air then moves laterally to the other side of the cleaner unit 41 and is exhausted through the exhaust port 59 at the outer axial end of the fan/motor housing 49. The outer axial end of the fan/motor housing 49 may be disposed relative to a vent 160 in the wall of the floor tool body 14. A hinged closure 76 on the outer end opens both the dirt bin 55 and the cyclonic separating chamber 54 for emptying and cleaning.

The fan/motor housing 49 and the cyclonic separating chamber 56 may be elongate in a transverse direction and substantially parallel on opposite sides of the air inlet duct 53. On the opposite side of the air inlet duct 53 from the dirt bin 55, there may be a cavity 60 in the fan/motor housing 49 for storing the battery pack 40. To secure and charge the battery pack 40, a fourth electrical coupler 52a is provided at the inner end of the cavity 60, in a similar fashion to the second electrical coupler 52. The connection of the third and fourth couplers 51a, 52a mechanically couples the cleaner battery pack 40 in this recessed storage position, with the fourth coupler 52a electrically connected to the electronic circuit 37 for charging.

The electrical couplers 51, 51a, 52a may be sliding couplers of known type providing mechanical and electrical connection. The couplers 51, 51a may be female elements including a concave surface 61 with opposite edges, each concave surface having a similar tongue 62, 63 extending therefrom. The mating couplers 52, 52a are male elements that include projections 64 with generally parallel opposing edges, with similar grooves 65, 66 formed in each projection. When the tongues 62, 63 are received in the grooves 65, 66, the couplers slide linearly relative to each other until mating electrical contacts 67, 68 provided on the first and second electrical couplers, respectively, abut at the ends of the relative linear sliding movement. The mating tongues 62, 63 and grooves 65, 66 may be substantially parallel or they may taper in the installed position to avoid any gap or "play" between the connected couplers. The detent 69 of one of which mates with the shoulder 70 of the other to retain the coupler in the connected condition.

As shown in fig. 12, with the sliding shafts of the couplers 51, 51a, 52a substantially standing upright, the cleaner module 20 is lowered into the module accommodating recess 17. The brush roller 42 is disposed in front of the nozzle body 45 opposite the ramp portion 71, which terminates in an aperture 72 having a closure 73. Before the cleaner module 20 is lowered to its installed position (fig. 13), the closure 73 is removed or opened, in which position the aperture 72 coincides with the opening 173 of the tank portion 74 formed in the front lower portion of the waste tank 23. The brushroll 42 rotates (counterclockwise relative to fig. 12) to drive debris up from the bevel portion 71, through the aperture 72 and into the bin portion 74. In this installed position, the inlet nozzle is placed in the opening 18 with its lowermost surface generally above ground. A resilient blade 77 for engagement with the floor may be disposed behind the entrance of the floor nozzle and across the width of the floor nozzle.

The overall configuration of the floor module 21 is the same as that of US7950105 and includes three generally parallel rollers 80, 81, 82 which rotate on opposite ends supported in journals (not shown) mounted on a frame 84, with a belt 85 extending around all of the rollers so that each roller engages the inner surface of the belt 85. The belt 85 is composed of an absorbent material and may have circumferential internal ribs 86 which are received in circumferential channels 87 of the rollers to prevent migration. A lower extension 88 supported between the idler rollers 81 and 82 supported by the lowermost frame defines a floor engaging portion of the belt 85 for engaging and mopping the floor, which portion extends to the opening 18. The upper layer extension 89 of the belt extends to the lower layer extension 88 and is supported between the (first) uppermost frame supported roller 80 and the foremost roller 81.

Fitted with the floor mopping module 21 and mounted on the body 14 at the edge of the module receiving recess 17 are body-mounted rollers 83. In the operating position, the belt 85 is sandwiched between the body-mounted roller 83 and the first frame-supported roller 80 to squeeze liquid from the belt 85.

Under the body mounted roller 83, a channel 100 extends substantially along the width of the top wall 101 of the waste bin 23 and drains through a central portion 102 to an inlet aperture 103 to a waste reservoir 104. An elongate elastomeric scraper 105 is mounted in the channel 100 and engages the length of the body mounted roller 83. The dirty fluid reservoir 104 further includes an electrical coupler (not shown) connected to a fluid level sensor (not shown) for activating a fluid level warning indicator (not shown). A closable outlet 97 is provided for emptying the reservoir 104 when emptying the tank portion 74 at the same time as the waste tank 23 is removed from the body 14.

The motor 90 in the body 14 is powered by the on-board power source 32 to rotate the belt 85. The transmission coupled to the motor 90 includes a drive gear 91 that meshes with a driven gear 92 fixed to the roller 80 to provide torque to the roller 80. The driven gear 92 also meshes with a gear 93 which rotates rapidly with the body-mounted roller 83, thereby providing a means of synchronizing the peripheral speeds of the two rollers 80, 83 between which the belt is clamped, and the drive gear 91a meshes with the driven gear 92 fixed to the roller 80.

It will be appreciated that the body-mounted rollers 83 deflect the belt 85 from a line tangential to the adjacent frame-supported rollers 80, 82, thereby tensioning the belt 85 so that removal of the floor module 21 can remove the belt 85 from the frame 84 if desired.

The cleaning liquid reservoir 22 is a unit that is independent of the mop module 20, is mounted in the module receiving recess 17, and is nested above the mop module 20. The wall 111 of the cleaning liquid reservoir 22 may be planar and disposed opposite the upper end extension 89 of the belt. The liquid applicator 112 provided on the floor tool body 114 receives cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid reservoir 22 through a fluid coupler (not shown) connected to the cleaning liquid reservoir 22, and may include a pump (not shown) controlled by the mop control unit 27 to uniformly discharge the cleaning liquid through a nozzle (not shown) on the surface of the upper extension 89.

The invention is equally applicable to other types of cleaning appliance, particularly cordless appliances, such as the cleaning appliance 10a shown in figure 17, having a floor head 75 connected to an elongate handle 78 by which the cleaner can be manually moved. Floor head 75 may be supported on the floor by wheels 79. The lower end of the handle 78 may diverge to form a pair of yoke arms 94, 95 that connect the handle 78 and the body 75, respectively, for rotation about a generally horizontal axis 96 about which the wheel 79 may also rotate. The floor head 75 is adapted to interchangeably receive the floor module 21 and the cleaner module 20, which are lowered into the module receiving recess and urged by their own weight to the respective mounting positions described above. Generally, the cleaning implement 10a has the structure of the robotic device 10, but the robotic drive subsystem 34 is replaced with a handle 78.

A power supply (not shown) in the floor head 75 supplies power to the floor module 21 and the cleaner module 20 through an electrical coupler 151 configured identically to the coupler 51. The hatch 16a may be mounted on a module receiving recess 17a on the floor tool body 14a that extends from an opening 19a closed at its upper end by the hatch 16a to an opening 18a in its lower end base 14 a. The opening 18a is generally laterally elongated, effectively defining a cleaning width. Either one of the cleaner module 20 and the floor mopping module 21 can be placed in the module receiving recess 17a so as to be interchangeably mounted to the floor tool body 14a or placed on the floor tool body 14 for manual or mechanical mopping or cleaning, respectively.

Depending on whether the appliance 10a is equipped with the cleaner module 20 or the floor mopping module 21, the operation of the cleaner module 20 is controlled by a vacuum control unit (not shown), or the floor mopping module 21 is controlled by a floor mopping control unit (not shown). A liquid applicator control unit (not shown) controls the application of cleaning liquid to the floor while mopping. The robotic cleaning device 10a may also include one or more interface units 33a for user-controlled settings.

The cleaning liquid reservoir 22 is also used on the appliance 10a with the mop module 21 and waste bin 23 for supplying cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid reservoir 22 is nested in the module receiving recess 17a above the floor module 21 in the same manner as the appliance 10. Also, features of the appliance 10 that cooperate with the floor mopping module 21 are present in the appliance 10a, such as rollers 83a mounted on the body that cooperate to pinch the belt 85, squeezing liquid from the belt 85.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only, and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A cleaning appliance comprising:

2. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the cleaner module is a subassembly comprising:

an electronic circuit;

a dust suction motor connected to the electronic circuit;

a fan driven by the dust collection motor;

an inlet nozzle through which ambient air sucked by the fan enters;

exhaust device for exhausting air from a vacuum cleaner module, and

a vacuum cleaner module battery pack;

the mop module is a subassembly comprising:

a frame;

a generally parallel frame-supported roller supported on the frame;

the floor tool body includes:

a power supply;

a module receiving recess extending to an opening in the base such that:

3. A cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor module and the cleaner module are lowered into the module receiving recess in use and urged to their respective mounting positions by their own weight.

4. A cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 3, wherein complementary tongue and groove members are provided on the floor tool body and each module respectively to guide the linear path of the modules as they are lowered to their respective mounting positions.

5. The cleaning implement of claim 4, wherein one of the tongue and groove members is disposed on the first electrical coupler and the other of the tongue and groove members is disposed on the second electrical coupler, whereby the first and second electrical couplers are connected by a relatively linear sliding connection.

6. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a body-mounted roller and a dirty liquid reservoir mounted on the floor tool body, whereby in an operative position the belt is clamped between the body-mounted roller and the first frame-supported roller to squeeze liquid from the belt and then drain into the dirty liquid reservoir, and the floor mopping module is movable relative to the floor tool body from the operative position to a release position in which the belt is released from between the body-mounted roller and one of the frame-supported rollers.

7. The cleaning implement of claim 6 wherein the body-mounted rollers deviate the belt from a line tangential to the rollers supported by two adjacent frames, thereby tensioning the belt.

8. The cleaning implement of claim 6 or 7, wherein the floor tool body further comprises: a motor electrically connectable to a power source, and

9. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the rollers supported by each frame engage an inner surface of the belt.

10. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein synchronisation means are provided for synchronising the peripheral speeds of the rollers mounted on the housing and the rollers supported by the first frame, the belt being sandwiched between the two rollers in the running position of the belt.

11. The cleaning implement of claim 10, wherein the synchronizing means comprises a pair of meshed gears, each of the pair of gears being rotatably secured in a roller mounted on the housing and a roller supported by the first frame, respectively.

12. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the frame supported rollers further comprise second and third frame supported rollers such that a lower extension of the belt for contacting the floor is supported between the second and third frame supported rollers.

13. A cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the upper extension of the belt extends to the lower extension and is supported between the first frame supported roller and a forward most one of the second and third frame supported rollers.

14. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet nozzle is elongate to extend onto the floor tool body and further comprises a brush roller for engaging the floor, the floor tool body carrying a removable dustbin assembly comprising a dust bin having an opening elongate to be substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the brush roller for receiving dirt swept into the opening.

15. The cleaning implement of claim 10, wherein the cleaning liquid reservoir comprises a liquid applicator configured to apply cleaning liquid from the on-board cleaning liquid reservoir to the belt.

16. The cleaning implement of claim 10, wherein the liquid applicator is disposed on the floor tool to uniformly apply the cleaning liquid to the belt surface.

17. The cleaning liquid reservoir may be removable from the floor tool for filling.

18. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaner module comprises:

19. A cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the dirt bin is integral with the wall of the cyclonic separating chamber.

20. A cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the hinged closure at the outer end simultaneously opens the dirt container and cyclonic separating chamber.

21. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the axis of the cyclonic chamber is substantially perpendicular to the elongate axis of the inlet duct.

22. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the fan/motor assembly is disposed in the fan/motor housing with its axis substantially perpendicular to the elongate axis of the air inlet duct.

23. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the air inlet duct is centrally arranged, and the fan/motor housing and cyclone chamber walls extend substantially parallel to each other in a transverse direction on opposite sides of the air inlet duct.

24. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the exhaust means is provided at the outer axial end of the fan/motor housing.

25. A cleaning appliance as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein one of the first and second electrical couplers is centrally disposed in a projection extending from a wall of the cyclonic separating chamber and the fan/motor housing.

26. The cleaning implement of claim 25, wherein the third electrical coupler mechanically couples the cleaner battery pack to extend in a cantilevered manner from one of the first and second electrical couplers in an extended state for use as a handle.

27. The cleaning appliance of claim 26, wherein the cleaner module comprises a fourth electrical coupler shaped similarly to one of the first and second electrical couplers, whereby connection of the third and fourth couplers mechanically couples the cleaner battery pack in the recessed storage position, wherein the fourth electrical coupler is electrically connected to the power supply circuit.

28. In one embodiment, the appliance is a cleaning robot comprising a drive subsystem controlled by a main control module and powered by an in-built power module to autonomously move the floor tool body over the cleaning surface, typically in a forward direction defined by a front-to-rear axis, and wherein the nozzle and inlet floor engaging strip portion are elongated in a direction transverse to the front-to-rear axis.