KR20240007994A - Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more specifically, to a vacuum cleaner that reduces steam generation time by improving the heater of the steam generator. A vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment includes a main housing that forms an exterior; At least one cleaning pad that is detachably mounted; a rotation unit that rotates the cleaning pad; and a steam generator that receives fluid and supplies steam or the fluid to the cleaning pad, wherein the steam generator includes: a steam generator housing that forms an exterior of the steam generator and has a water intake portion and a supply portion; and a heating unit included within the steam generator housing to supply heat to the fluid.

Description

cleaner {CLEANER}

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more specifically, to a vacuum cleaner equipped with a steam generating device with increased energy efficiency.

A vacuum cleaner is a device that performs cleaning by suctioning or wiping away dust or foreign substances using mechanical power. Various types of cleaners are being developed, such as vacuum cleaners using suction power and steam cleaners that spray steam.

In general, a vacuum cleaner is a device that sucks in dust and foreign substances using the power of a motor and discharges them to the outside. Since these vacuum cleaners only clean through suction power, there is a problem in that it is difficult to remove stubborn dirt or stains from floors, tiles, etc.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-0920029 (Publication date: October 5, 2009)

The present invention was developed to solve the above-described technical problem, and aims to increase the energy efficiency of a vacuum cleaner by providing a heater with increased energy efficiency.

In addition, the purpose is to increase user convenience by reducing the delay in steam generation.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

In the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, the heater of the steam generator is included as a planar heating element, so the energy efficiency of the vacuum cleaner can be increased.

The vacuum cleaner according to the present invention includes the heater of the steam generator as a planar heating element, thereby reducing the delay in steam generation and increasing user convenience.

In order to achieve the above object, a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention includes a main body housing that forms an exterior; At least one cleaning pad that is detachably mounted; a rotation unit that rotates the cleaning pad; and a steam generator that receives fluid and supplies steam or the fluid to the cleaning pad.

The steam generator,

A steam generator housing that forms the exterior of the steam generator and has an inlet portion and a supply portion; and a heating unit included within the steam generator housing to supply heat to the fluid.

The heating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included as a planar heater that generates heat in a planar form, thereby reducing energy consumption.

The steam generator housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an embedded portion in which the heating portion is embedded.

The steam generator housing according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed to be inclined downward toward the side of the embedded part, so that the fluid can easily flow into the heating part.

The embedded part according to an embodiment of the present invention has a step lower than the bottom surface of the steam generator housing, so that the fluid can flow into the embedded part.

The main housing according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a handle unit in which a handle including a control unit is formed and rotatably included,

The handle unit includes a water tank that accommodates the fluid and supplies the fluid to the steam supply unit; and a power supply unit that supplies power.

The cleaning pad according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted so as to protrude by a predetermined length beyond the main housing to facilitate gap cleaning.

The water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention can measure the water level of the water tank by including a water level sensor that detects the water level.

The heating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention may spray steam by repeating a cycle of turning on a second time after a first time delay.

The steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an overheating prevention sensor that measures the temperature inside the steam generator, and can control the heating unit when the temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature.

1 is a perspective view of a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a schematic perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the heating part of the steam generator according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the heating part of the steam generator according to the second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the heating part of the steam generator according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if detailed descriptions of related known configurations or functions are judged to impede understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed descriptions will be omitted.

In describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the component is not limited by the term. Additionally, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present application. No.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a schematic view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the heating part of the steam generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the heating part of the steam generating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the heating part of the steam generator according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

According to FIGS. 1 to 6, the vacuum cleaner 1 includes a main body housing 11 that forms the exterior of the head unit 10, at least one cleaning pad 20 that is detachably mounted, and the cleaning pad 20 is rotated. It may be configured to include a rotating unit (not shown) and a steam generator 100 that receives fluid and supplies steam or the fluid to the cleaning pad 20.

The vacuum cleaner 1 may include a handle unit 30 that is rotatably included in the head portion 10. The handle unit 30 includes a control unit that controls the vacuum cleaner 1, a handle that the user can hold, a water tank (not shown) that accommodates fluid and supplies fluid to the steam generator 100, and stores electricity and provides power. It may be configured to further include a power supply unit (not shown) that supplies.

The water tank (not shown) may be included inside or outside the handle unit 30, may contain fluid, and may supply the contained fluid to the steam generator 100. Although not shown in the drawing, a seating portion for seating the water tank is formed in the handle unit 30, and the seating portion may be formed to be recessed into a shape corresponding to the water tank. The water tank may have a storage space within which fluid can be stored, and is detachably included in the handle unit 30 so that the user can separate it, replenish the fluid, and attach it. In addition, although not shown in the drawing, the water tank may be connected to the steam generator 100 and in fluid communication through an extension pipe and connection hose included within the handle unit 30. The water tank is controlled by a solenoid valve and can supply fluid to the steam generator 100 through an extension pipe and connection hose under the control of the control unit.

The water tank may include a water level sensor (not shown). For example, a water level sensor may be included in the water tank to display a warning about the water level when the water level falls below a preset level while the vacuum cleaner is in operation.

The handle unit 30 may be formed with a handle 31 for the user to hold. The user can easily move the vacuum cleaner by holding the handle 31. A power supply unit (not shown) and a control unit (not shown) may be provided at the bottom of the handle. The control unit can control the steam generator 100 and the rotation unit. Under the control of the control unit, the steam generator 100 can generate steam, and the rotation unit can perform cleaning by rotating the cleaning pad 20 mounted on the rotation unit. In addition, a power supply unit is included so that power can be supplied to the steam generator 100 and the rotation unit, and the power supply unit can operate wirelessly when performing cleaning. The power supply unit may include a battery that can charge and supply power.

The main body housing 11 can form the appearance of the head part 10, and includes a steam generator 100 that generates steam, at least one cleaning pad 20 detachably mounted on the main body housing 11, A rotation unit (not shown) that rotates the cleaning pad 20 may be included. The main housing 11 is rotatably coupled to the handle unit 20 so that the user can effectively clean by holding the handle 31 formed on the handle unit 20.

The cleaning pad 20 may be provided in a circular shape made of a material capable of absorbing fluid. The cleaning pad may be formed to be detachable from the rotation unit 20, and may be detachably formed so that the user can separate it and wash it after cleaning is completed.

The cleaning pad 20 may be mounted to protrude by a predetermined length beyond the main housing 11, but is not limited to this. The cleaning pad 20 protrudes by a predetermined length beyond the main housing 11, allowing cleaning of narrow gaps that are difficult to enter due to the size of the main housing 11. The desired length can be determined by one skilled in the art.

The head unit 10 may include a rotation unit (not shown) that rotates the cleaning pad 20. The cleaning pad 20 can be detachably coupled to the rotating unit, and the rotating unit rotates with the cleaning pad 20 coupled to the rotating unit, so that the cleaning pad 20 rotates to perform cleaning by wiping the cleaning surface. You can. The rotation unit (not shown) may include a motor unit (not shown) that generates rotational force, and a gear unit (not shown) that transmits the rotational force of the rotation shaft of the motor unit. The gear unit can rotate the cleaning pad 20 by transmitting the rotational force of the rotation shaft of the motor unit. The cleaning pad 20 may be composed of a plurality of cleaning pads, and accordingly, the gear portion that transmits the rotational force may also be composed of a plurality of parts.

The rotation unit may include an elastic unit (not shown). Even if the cleaning surface is curved due to the inclusion of the elastic part, the cleaning pad 20 is adjusted along the curved surface by deformation of the elastic part so that cleaning can be performed by stably adhering to the cleaning surface.

The head unit 20 may include a steam generator 100. The steam generator 100 is designed to receive fluid from a water tank (not shown), generate steam, and then deliver it to a steam nozzle (not shown). The steam generator forms the exterior of the steam generator 100 and It may be configured to include a steam generator housing 110 in which the water intake unit 120 and the supply unit 130 are formed, and a heating unit 140 included within the steam generator housing 110 to supply heat to the fluid.

The steam generator housing 110 has a storage space in which fluid can be stored and may include a water intake unit 120 and a supply unit 130. The steam generator housing 110 can be supplied with fluid from a water tank through the water intake portion 120, and a space in which the supplied fluid can be stored is formed, so that the inflow fluid is stored in the steam generator housing 110. It can be. The fluid stored in the steam generator housing 110 may be heated or discharged as steam through the supply unit 130 under the control of the control unit.

The steam generator housing 110 includes an upper housing 111 and a lower housing 112, and the upper housing 111 includes an intake portion 120 formed along the longitudinal direction and a supply portion 130 formed along the horizontal direction. and a heating unit 140 may be disposed in the lower housing 112.

Although not shown in the drawing, the water intake unit 120 may be connected to the water tank and in fluid communication with the water tank through an extension pipe and a connection hose included within the handle unit 30. The water intake unit 120 is in fluid communication with the water tank to receive fluid and allow it to flow into the steam generator housing 110.

The supply unit 130 may be in fluid communication with the steam nozzle included in the main housing 11 by an extension pipe, connection hose, etc., and the fluid flowing into the steam generator 100 through the supply unit 130 is heated and discharged or steamed. It can be generated and discharged.

The steam generator housing 110 may include at least one connection portion 150. The connection part 150 may couple the upper housing 111 and the lower housing 112 to each other, and may also be fixed to the main housing 11 by the connection part 150.

The heating unit 140 may be included as a planar heater that is printed in film form or embedded and attached. The heating unit 140 is formed as a planar heater and can be heated rapidly, and the time required to raise the temperature to a predetermined temperature can be shortened by the planar heater. Accordingly, the preheating operation of preheating the water to preheat the heating unit to generate steam can be omitted. In addition, since the heating unit 140 is included as a planar heater, energy used for preheating is not generated, thereby increasing energy efficiency. The heating unit 140 may be included as a planar heater, and the planar heater may receive power under the control of the control unit to generate heat to heat the fluid flowing in from the water tank to generate steam.

The heating unit 140 may be embedded in the bottom surface of the steam generator housing 110, and the upper part of the embedded heating unit 140 may be included in an open form. The heating unit 140 may be embedded in the bottom surface of the steam generator housing 110, and the slope of the floor surface where the heating unit 140 is embedded is toward the side of the embedded part where the heating unit 140 is embedded. It may be included with a downward slope. It is formed to slope downward toward the side of the buried portion, so that the fluid flowing into the steam generator 100 can be effectively supplied to the heating portion 140.

In addition, the buried portion in which the heating portion 140 is buried may have a buried groove with a lower level difference compared to the inner bottom surface of the steam generator 100. A step is formed so that it is lower than the floor surface, so that fluid can easily flow into the heating unit 40, and even a small amount of fluid can effectively contact the heating unit 140 to generate steam or heat.

The steam generator housing 110 may include an overheating prevention sensor (not shown). The overheating prevention sensor can warn the user or cut off the power when the temperature rises above the preset temperature by the heating unit 140. The overheating prevention sensor can prevent overheating due to malfunction, etc.

The control unit can control the cycle of one operation through the on-off operation of the steam generator 100. One operation may spray steam for a second time after a first time delay. For example, the first time can be set to 1 second and the second time can be set to 5 seconds, so that steam can be sprayed for 5 seconds after waiting for 1 second for one operation. The first time and the second time can be determined according to the selection of a person skilled in the art. For example, a battery may be included with a capacity of 24V 450W, and may be cycled more than 50 times after the battery is fully charged. By controlling the above-mentioned cycle, energy consumption can be reduced, energy consumption efficiency can be increased, and the cleaner can operate for a longer period of time.

The steam generator 100 may include a temperature sensor 100 and can measure the temperature of the fluid stored in the steam generator by the temperature sensor. The control unit measures the temperature of the fluid from a temperature sensor and controls the heating unit 140 to control the temperature of the fluid. The heating unit 140 may control the temperature of the fluid and supply steam to a steam nozzle (not shown). For example, on a cleaning surface that requires high-temperature steam, the heating unit 140 may generate steam from the inflow fluid under control, and in the case of a cleaning surface that is weak to heat, the fluid raised to a predetermined temperature may be transferred to the cleaning surface or the cleaning pad (20). ) can be cleaned by spraying.

The main housing 11 may include a steam nozzle (not shown) that sprays steam generated by the steam generator 100, and steam may be sprayed onto the cleaning surface or the cleaning pad 20 through the steam nozzle. Fluid can be sprayed onto the cleaning pad 20 by a steam nozzle, and when sprayed onto the cleaning pad 20, the cleaning pad 20 retains moisture and can effectively remove foreign substances from the cleaning surface. Additionally, the steam sprayed onto the cleaning surface by the steam nozzle can effectively clean the cleaning pad 20 rotated by the rotating unit.

The steam generator 100 can generate warm air and blow the warm air to the cleaning surface through a steam nozzle. After cleaning the surface with a cleaning pad, warm air can be blown to further remove moisture from the surface.

The main housing 11 may include a lighting unit (not shown) that illuminates the cleaning surface. The lighting unit may be included in a position opposite the cleaning surface and may be composed of LEDs. A lighting unit is included to illuminate the cleaning surface, making it easier to clean dark corners. The lighting unit may irradiate a UV light source. The cleaned surface can be sterilized by irradiating a UV light source.

In another embodiment, the vacuum cleaner includes a main body housing (not shown) forming the exterior, at least one cleaning pad (not shown) that is detachably mounted, a rotation unit (not shown) that rotates the cleaning pad, and a fluid supply. A steam generator 100 that receives and supplies steam or the fluid to the cleaning pad, a water tank (not shown) that receives fluid and supplies fluid to the steam generator 100, and a power source that stores electricity and supplies power. It may be configured to include a supply unit (not shown), a sensing unit (not shown) that detects terrain features or obstacles around the vacuum cleaner, a running unit (not shown) that moves the vacuum cleaner, and an automatic control unit that controls the vacuum cleaner. The traveling unit includes wheels (not shown) included in the main body housing and a traveling motor (not shown) that rotates the wheels, and can travel under the control of the automatic control unit. The sensing unit can sense terrain around the vacuum cleaner. Based on the detection of the sensing unit, the vacuum cleaner can be controlled to move while avoiding obstacles.

The automatic control unit can detect terrain features based on the sensing of the sensing unit and control the driving unit to avoid obstacles in the terrain so that the vacuum cleaner can run automatically. The automatic control unit allows cleaning by driving while avoiding obstacles.

The embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is natural that various modifications and equivalent implementations can be made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the true scope of rights of the present invention will be determined by the claims described later.

1: Vacuum cleaner
10: Head part
11: main housing
20: cleaning pad
30: handle unit
100: Steam generator
110: Steam generator housing
111: upper housing
112: lower housing
120: intake part
130: Supply department
140: heating unit
150: connection part

Claims (10)

A main body housing that forms the exterior;
At least one cleaning pad that is detachably mounted;
a rotation unit that rotates the cleaning pad; and
It includes a steam generator that receives fluid and supplies steam or the fluid to the cleaning pad,
The steam generator is,
A steam generator housing that forms the exterior of the steam generator and has an inlet portion and a supply portion; and
A vacuum cleaner comprising; a heating unit included inside the steam generator housing and supplying heat to the fluid.
According to claim 1,
The heating unit,
A vacuum cleaner containing a surface heater that generates heat in a surface area.
According to claim 1,
The steam generator housing is,
A vacuum cleaner including a buried portion in which the heating portion is buried.
In clause 3
The steam generator housing is,
A vacuum cleaner that is formed to slope downward toward the side of the embedded portion to facilitate the inflow of the fluid into the heating portion.
According to claim 3,
The landfill section,
A vacuum cleaner wherein a step is formed lower than the bottom surface of the steam generator housing to allow the fluid to flow into the buried portion.
According to claim 1,
The main body housing,
It includes a handle unit in which a handle including a control unit is formed and rotatably included,
The handle unit is,
a water tank that accommodates the fluid and supplies the fluid to the steam supply unit; and
A vacuum cleaner further comprising a power supply unit that supplies power.
According to claim 1,
The cleaning pad is,
A vacuum cleaner that is mounted to protrude by a predetermined length from the main body, making it easy to clean gaps.
According to claim 1,
The water tank is,
A vacuum cleaner that measures the water level in the water tank, including a water level sensor that detects the water level.
According to claim 1,
The heating unit,
A vacuum cleaner that sprays steam by repeating a cycle of turning on a second time after a first time delay.
According to claim 1,
The steam generator is,
A cleaner that further includes an overheating prevention sensor that measures the temperature inside the steam generator and controls the heating unit when the temperature is above a predetermined temperature.