CN116648176A

CN116648176A - Floor cleaner

Info

Publication number: CN116648176A
Application number: CN202180082878.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: D·科尔
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2020-12-17
Filing date: 2021-11-24
Publication date: 2023-08-25
Also published as: GB202019976D0; GB2602070B; WO2022129858A1; GB2602070A

Abstract

A floor cleaner includes a cleaning head including a plurality of driven cleaning elements each including a cleaning pad for engaging a floor and cleaning the floor in conjunction with delivered cleaning liquid. The first and second cleaning elements are driven in counter-rotation and the areas swept by the rotating pad overlap. The pads include respective lobes which, in use, enter the overlap region when the pads are rotated. The pad includes a plurality of concave regions, each concave region being located between a pair of adjacent petals of the pad such that each concave region of one of the first and second pads corresponds to a corresponding one of the other of the first and second pads. The petals are paired, and the concave region remains outside the overlapping region as the corresponding paired petal moves through the overlapping region.

Description

Floor cleaner

Technical Field

The present invention relates to floor cleaners. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner for washing and cleaning floors with a cleaning liquid, which may be referred to as a wet 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. Some wet floor cleaners of the prior art apply a cleaning fluid to the floor as part of the cleaning process and include a reservoir for holding such cleaning fluid. Some wet floor cleaners of the prior art include cleaning elements which are arranged in contact with the floor and which are used to agitate the cleaning fluid as it is applied to the floor. Such cleaning elements may be driven by one or more electric motors. Wet floor cleaners can also include a vacuum pump or fan that removes waste from the floor.

CN206586900U discloses a wet floor cleaner having a cleaner head with a scrubbing means comprising adjacent generally circular cleaning discs which are driven to rotate in opposite directions in use. Cleaning liquid is delivered to the floor through an outlet in the cleaner head. A suction device is disposed on the cleaner head behind the scrubbing device for sucking liquid off the surface to be cleaned. The use of a generally circular cleaning pad in its rotational motion makes it difficult to clean floors in or near the corners formed by two vertical walls. Furthermore, the frictional movement between the pad and the floor increases with radial distance from the centre of rotation, which means that the floor cleaning efficiency below the centre of rotation will be lower than in the area close to the periphery of the pad.

Other floor cleaners are known which have a plurality of driven cleaning devices in the form of pads which move over the floor during cleaning. GB389285a discloses a pair of such pads which are rectangular and which, in use, reciprocate in a straight path, moving in opposite directions as they do so. The pad moves side to side such that the area cleaned by the pad in the front-to-back direction is limited by the length of the pad in the front-to-back direction without any additional movement caused by the operator of the cleaner.

KR20010087031 shows a floor cleaner with square pads that rotate back and forth about spaced axes. There is an open area between the pads where cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the floor. The floor area at the gap between the pads appears to be uncovered by the rotational movement of the pads, except by the operator moving the entire floor cleaner laterally across the floor.

In all of the prior art techniques described above, the cleaning elements in contact with the floor are flat-bottomed, remain coplanar with the surface being cleaned, and utilize rotational movement of the pad about a fixed axis or translational reciprocation along a linear path. Dirt tends to be moved outside the area being cleaned by the pad. This may make it difficult to clean the wall or the area around the corner.

The present invention seeks to mitigate one or more of the above problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved floor cleaner.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a floor cleaner for cleaning a floor. The floor cleaner comprises a reservoir for storing cleaning liquid. The floor cleaner comprises a cleaning head arranged to deliver cleaning liquid received from the reservoir to the floor and to suck used cleaning liquid from the floor. The cleaning head includes a plurality of driven cleaning elements, each cleaning element including a cleaning pad for engaging the floor and cleaning the floor in combination with the delivered cleaning liquid. A first one of the cleaning elements is arranged to be driven relative to the cleaning head with a rotational movement component about an axis transverse (e.g. perpendicular) to the floor, and a second one of the cleaning elements is arranged to be driven relative to the cleaning head with a rotational movement component about an axis transverse (e.g. perpendicular) to the floor in an opposite direction. For example, the first element may be rotated clockwise while the second element is rotated counter-clockwise. The area swept by the rotation of the first cleaning pad of the first cleaning element overlaps the area swept by the rotation of the second cleaning pad of the second cleaning element, thereby defining an overlap area between the first and second cleaning pads. Having such overlapping areas allows the rotary pad to cover a wider area without gaps between the areas covered by the respective pads, which would otherwise reduce the efficiency of the cleaner.

In an embodiment, the cleaning head may have a generally rectangular footprint with its shortest edge in a front-to-rear direction in which a user can typically move the cleaner over the floor, with the rotating pads arranged side by side along the longest edge of the rectangular footprint. Having overlapping areas between the rotating pads allows the rotating pads to cover a wider area without gaps between the areas covered by the respective pads that would otherwise reduce the efficiency of the cleaner. In embodiments of the present invention, such overlapping areas are possible by the shape and movement of the individual pads, as will now be explained.

The first cleaning pad comprises a plurality of flaps, each flap entering an overlapping region when the pad is rotated in use. Similarly, the second cleaning pad comprises a plurality of flaps, each flap entering the overlap region when the pad is rotated in use. The pad includes a plurality of concave regions, each concave region being located between a pair of adjacent lobes of the pad such that each concave region of one of the first and second pads mates with a corresponding lobe of the other of the first and second pads, the concave regions remaining outside the overlap region as the corresponding mating lobe moves through the overlap region. Pairing the concave region with the lobes in this manner allows for overlapping regions of beneficial dimensions to be formed without collision between the pads, which may be particularly suitable for certain floor cleaning applications. In embodiments, the recessed region may, for example, assist in removing liquid or debris from the region of the pad so that it may be sucked up by a portion of the cleaner spaced from the pad. While in some embodiments it is preferred that the concave regions of the pad do not form sharp corners, in other embodiments the concave regions may be formed at least in part by straight edges that are connected to one another, possibly at sharp corners.

In embodiments related to wet floor cleaners, having two or more valved pads that rotate adjacent one another may facilitate delivery of liquid to the floor, particularly in the overlapping areas between the pads. Preferably, the pad is shaped such that the proportion of time that at least a portion of the petals of at least one pad are in the overlap area is greater than 75% for the time taken to complete a full rotation of the pad. In some embodiments, the proportion of time that at least a portion of the petals are in the overlap region can be greater than 90% of the time, and possibly substantially all of the time.

In some embodiments, each flap may include a convex tip, which may be in the form of a smoothly curved tip. The planar shape of each cleaning pad may be in the form of a closed loop formed by a smooth curve. The minimum radius of curvature of the shape of one of the lobes may be within 10% to 1000% of the minimum radius of curvature of the concave region paired with the lobe.

In some embodiments, each flap may include a tip that may terminate in a sharp corner or may be rounded.

There may be more than three lobes. Each pad may have only three lobes (e.g., the number of all lobes of the pad may be equal to three). There may be embodiments where too many petals are problematic; for example, the integrity of the pad and the relatively small risk of flap damage may need to be considered. In this case, it is preferable to have six or less blades. In other embodiments, such as embodiments where it is desired that the petals of one pad intermesh with the petals of another pad, more than six petals may be desirable. In this case, there may be less than 20 petals per pad.

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.

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 floor cleaner of the type compatible with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a docking station capable of receiving the floor cleaner of FIG. 1;

figure 3 schematically illustrates the function of the floor cleaner of figure 1;

figure 4 shows a cleaner head for a floor cleaner according to a first embodiment of the invention;

figures 5 to 13 show the cleaning pad of the cleaner head of the first embodiment in a continuous position as it moves during use;

figure 14 shows a rotary cleaning element for a cleaner head of a floor cleaner according to a second embodiment of the invention;

figure 15 shows a rotary cleaning element for a cleaner head of a floor cleaner according to a third embodiment of the invention;

figure 16 shows a rotary cleaning element for a cleaner head of a floor cleaner according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

figure 17 shows a rotary cleaning element for a cleaner head of a floor cleaner according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; and

figure 18 shows a rotating cleaning element for a cleaner head of a floor cleaner according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a floor cleaner for cleaning a floor. The following description refers to features that are typically present in a given embodiment of the invention, but it should be understood that embodiments may exist that do not have such features. Those skilled in the art will understand that the appended claims may be modified to add or delete features now described. One or more specific embodiments will be described in detail below with respect to the drawings.

The floor cleaner includes a cleaning head including at least one driven cleaning element for engaging and cleaning a floor. The floor cleaner may comprise only two such cleaning elements. In other embodiments, the floor cleaner may include more than two cleaning elements.

The floor cleaner may be in the form of a vacuum cleaner. The cleaning head may be arranged to suck dirt on the floor in use. The driven cleaning element may be arranged to engage the floor and clean the floor by agitating the dirt so that the dirt may be more easily sucked off the floor. For example, the driven cleaning element may include one or more brushes, e.g., disposed about its perimeter.

The floor cleaner may be a wet floor cleaner. The floor cleaner may comprise a reservoir for storing cleaning liquid. The cleaning head may be arranged to deliver cleaning liquid (e.g. received from a reservoir) to the floor. The liquid may be gravity fed. Preferably, however, the liquid is pumped, for example under the control of a control unit forming part of the floor cleaner. The cleaning element may be arranged to engage the floor and clean the floor in combination with the delivered cleaning liquid. The cleaning head of the floor cleaner may be arranged to remove used cleaning liquid from the floor, for example by suction. Thus, the cleaning head may be arranged to (a) deliver cleaning liquid received from a reservoir of the floor cleaner to the floor so that the cleaning elements engage the floor and clean the floor in combination with the delivered cleaning liquid, and (b) aspirate used cleaning liquid from the floor. The floor cleaner may include a waste tank for receiving used cleaning liquid pumped from the floor by the cleaning head.

The floor cleaner may have its own power supply for driving a motor arranged to provide suction, for example by a motor driving a vacuum pump or fan. The floor cleaner may have its own power supply for driving one or more cleaning elements. The floor cleaner may contain one or more batteries, for example in the form of a rechargeable battery pack.

Each cleaning element may comprise a pad, such as a cleaning pad and/or an absorbent pad. When the floor cleaner is in the form of a wet cleaner, cleaning liquid may be delivered to the floor by the cleaning pad of the cleaning element. The used cleaning liquid may be pumped from the floor through the cleaning pad of the cleaning element. Each cleaning pad may comprise an open cell foam material, for example, to allow liquid to drain therethrough. Each cleaning pad may additionally or alternatively include holes or channels in the body of the pad to allow liquid to drain therethrough.

The cleaner head may comprise a plurality of suction inlets arranged adjacent the floor when the cleaner is in use, the suction inlets being spaced apart from the cleaning elements and arranged to suck used cleaning liquid from the floor. The cleaner head may comprise a plurality of outlets arranged adjacent the floor in use of the cleaner, the outlets being spaced apart from the cleaning elements and arranged to deliver cleaning liquid to the floor. It should be understood that in some embodiments, liquid may be transported via the pad and pumped from the floor via a different route, and in other embodiments, liquid may be pumped from the floor via the pad but transported to the floor via a different route.

Each cleaning element may be movable relative to the floor by a component of rotational movement, for example about an axis (which may itself be movable or stationary relative to the cleaning head), which may not be parallel to the floor, and/or vertical (i.e. not necessarily always perfectly vertical or perpendicular to the floor plane when in use, but substantially vertical, or at least more vertical than horizontal). Each cleaning element may be movable with respect to the floor, e.g. parallel to the floor, with a translational motion component. Each cleaning element may be movable relative to the floor about a closed path, for example fixed in position relative to the cleaning head. Each cleaning element may be arranged to move back and forth in one direction and then in the opposite direction, and/or in an oscillating motion. The oscillating movement may for example comprise moving the cleaning element along a path or in a given direction for a period of time, then moving the cleaning element in a reverse movement for an equal period of time, then reversing the movement again, and repeating. Each cleaning element may be arranged to have a cyclic motion, for example to repeat the same set period of motion cyclically.

The cleaning elements and/or pads associated with the cleaning elements may have a shape that includes sharp corners. The sharp corners may be rounded. The sharp corners may form vertices. The shape may have at least three sharp corners. The shape may have rotational symmetry. The shape may be a quadrilateral with three edges at right angles to at least one of the other two edges. The shape may have two parallel edges. The shape may have one edge at an acute angle to the opposite edge, e.g. an inclined edge. One cleaning element and/or pad associated with the cleaning element may have the following shape: a portion of the shape (e.g. a curved portion or a beveled edge) is adjacent in use to a corresponding shaped portion of another shape, e.g. a mating cleaning element/pad.

In the case where there are at least two cleaning elements, one of the cleaning elements may be arranged as a master cleaning element, and the other cleaning element may be arranged as a slave cleaning element, such that the master cleaning element is arranged to drive the slave cleaning element. The cleaning elements may be arranged to be driven relative to the cleaning head such that when a first one of the cleaning elements rotates in a clockwise direction, a second one of the cleaning elements rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, or such that when the first cleaning element moves in one direction, the second cleaning element moves in the opposite direction.

Where there are multiple cleaning elements, the cleaning elements (e.g., pads of cleaning elements) are preferably shaped such that the footprint of the area swept by the first cleaning element and the footprint of the area swept by the second cleaning element have a shared boundary or overlap. Such geometry reduces the chance that the floor area between the pads will not be adequately cleaned. The pad of the cleaning element may be compressible or deformable to allow the pad to contact during use while reducing the risk of the fingers pinching or catching other foreign objects. For this reason, the rigid bodies of the cleaning elements may be arranged to be spaced apart at all times during use. The shape of each cleaning element may be the same. One cleaning element may be a mirror image of another cleaning element, such as a mating cleaning element.

In the case where the cleaner is a wet floor cleaner, the cleaning head may further comprise a blocking member for retaining cleaning liquid at least partially within the footprint of the cleaning head. The blocking member may for example comprise a scraper arrangement. The cleaner head may comprise a first blocking member on one side of the footprint of the cleaner head and a second blocking member on an opposite side of the footprint of the cleaner head. The cleaner head may be open (e.g. without a blocking member) on the other side of the footprint of the cleaner head. Each blocking member may be movably mounted on the cleaning head such that the blocking member is lifted from the floor as the front blocking member (leading barrier member) moves along the floor and the blocking member is closer to (e.g. in contact with) the floor as the rear blocking member (trailing barrier member) moves along the floor. With such an arrangement, the cleaner head can be moved along the floor so that the front blocking member is lifted so that the front blocking member is free to clear dirt, debris and moisture on the floor, while the rear blocking member, which is closer to (e.g. in sliding contact with) the floor, can sweep such dirt, debris and moisture on the floor. Thus, any such dirt, debris and moisture on the floor may remain within the footprint of the cleaning head and be sucked from the floor. The cleaning head may be arranged such that used cleaning liquid may be drawn from the floor via a channel forming part of, adjacent to or otherwise associated with the barrier member. The blocking member may for example comprise a channel for sucking liquid from the floor. The channel may be provided between two walls, which may be arranged adjacent to each other. The walls may each extend along an outer edge of the cleaner head.

The cleaner head may have a generally rectangular footprint with its shortest edge in the front-to-back direction in which a user will typically move the cleaner over the floor. Where there are multiple cleaning elements, the cleaning elements (e.g., pads of cleaning elements) may be arranged side-by-side along the longest edge of the rectangular footprint.

The floor cleaner may be associated with a separate docking station for receiving the floor cleaner. Such a docking station may comprise a receiving unit for receiving the floor cleaner. Such docking stations may include a reservoir for holding liquid, for example, to enable the docking station to replenish cleaning liquid stored in the floor cleaner. Such docking stations may include a reservoir for holding liquid, for example, to enable the docking station to receive waste water from a floor cleaner. Such docking stations may include a reservoir for holding liquid, for example, to enable cleaning of a portion of the floor cleaner when the floor cleaner is docked. The docking station may comprise a charging unit arranged to charge a battery of the floor cleaner received in the receiving unit.

The cleaning head of the floor cleaner may be configured to be detachable from the remainder of the floor cleaner. Thus, the cleaning head may be provided separately. The cleaning head may include a mechanical connection to facilitate mounting of the cleaning head to the remainder of the floor cleaner. The cleaning head may include one or more fluid connectors to facilitate flow of liquid into and/or out of the remainder of the floor cleaner, into and/or out of the cleaning head, and/or to provide suction to the floor area. The cleaning head may include a connector which, when engaged with a corresponding portion of the remainder of the floor cleaner, facilitates transmission of motion from a motor housed in the body of the floor cleaner to one or more driven elements of the cleaning head. The cleaning head may include an electrical connection.

Each cleaning element may be at least partially configured to be detachable from the remainder of the cleaning head. Thus, the cleaning elements may be provided separately. The cleaning elements may include mechanical connections to facilitate mounting of the cleaning elements to the cleaning head, or to facilitate mounting of a portion of the cleaning elements to the remainder of the cleaning elements. The cleaning elements may include, for example, removable pads, brush assemblies, and the like. Such parts may be provided separately, for example as consumable parts having a limited service life compared to the floor cleaner itself. These parts can be reused. Such parts may be removable to facilitate cleaning or washing of the part separately from the remainder of the cleaning element.

Figure 1 shows an external view of a floor cleaner 100 according to a first shown embodiment of the invention, wherein the floor cleaner comprises a cleaner body 106, a neck 102, a handle 104 and a cleaner head 112.

In use, the bottom surface of the cleaner head 112 faces the floor surface to be cleaned. The cleaner head 112 is mounted to the bottom of the cleaner body 106 and is pivotally attached to allow relative movement between the cleaner head and the body 106. The neck 102 is in the form of a long, narrow cylindrical shaft that extends upwardly from the cleaner body 106 to the handle 104. The handle 104 is an angled extension of the neck and allows a user to operate the floor cleaner from a standing position. The cleaner body 106 and the handle 104 move together as a relatively rigid body. The handle 104 includes a user interface that enables the floor cleaner function to be controlled by a user.

The cleaner body 106 comprises a housing containing a vacuum suction element and two liquid tanks, one liquid tank 108 for holding cleaning fluid and the other liquid tank 110 for containing waste liquid that has been removed from the floor by suction. In use, when a user moves the cleaner 100 over a floor to be cleaned, cleaning liquid from the tank 108 is applied to the floor. The moving parts (described below) of the cleaner head 112 agitate, scrub or otherwise move over the floor and clean the floor in conjunction with the cleaning liquid. The used and dirty liquid is then drawn back into the waste tank 110 of the cleaner body 106. The pivotal connection between the cleaner head 112 and the cleaner body 106 allows a user to move the cleaner back and forth across the floor, with the axis of the neck 102 changing in angle relative to the floor, while the cleaner head 112 remains parallel to the floor. The cleaner body 106 also includes a battery (not shown in fig. 1) for powering the various parts of the cleaner.

Figure 2 shows an external view of the floor cleaner 100 receiving a docking station 200 according to the same embodiment of the invention. The docking station is arranged such that the cleaner head 112 of the floor cleaner 100 can rest in the central cavity 202 of the docking station 200, while the handle 102 can be supported by a support arm 204, which allows the floor cleaner to stand upright in the docking station. The docking station 200 is connected to a mains power supply via a plug 208. The docking station comprises a cleaning liquid tank for replenishing the cleaning liquid stored in the corresponding tank 108 of the floor cleaner, a waste water tank for receiving waste water from the corresponding tank 110 of the floor cleaner, and a charging connector for (re) charging the battery of the floor cleaner with power from the mains power supply. The docking station may be mobile and have its own battery unit.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view illustrating the function of the floor cleaner 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention. The cleaner head comprises a main body 118, one or more cleaning elements 138, a front squeegee assembly 114 and a rear squeegee assembly 116. The main body 118 houses a motor 122 that drives the movement of the cleaning elements 138. The motor 122 is powered by a battery 132 (not separately shown in figure 3) housed in the cleaner body 106. The blade assemblies 114, 116 are mounted to the main body 118 of the cleaner head via an attachment 124, the attachment 124 allowing the blade assemblies to pivot up and down. Fig. 3 shows the front squeegee assembly 114 lifted from the floor in front of the main body 118 and the rear squeegee assembly 116 in contact with the floor behind the main body 118.

In use, a user can manually move the cleaner forward and backward over the floor in a back and forth motion indicated by double headed arrow 125. A connection (not separately shown) between the handle 104 and the blade assemblies 114, 116 causes each of the two blade assemblies to be lifted in turn, depending on the direction of movement of the floor cleaner. When the floor cleaner 100 is pushed forward (to the left in fig. 3) by a user, the front squeegee assembly 114 (which is now the front squeegee assembly) moves to its raised position, allowing the cleaner head to move over the floor and over any dirt, liquid, etc. on the floor in the region directly in front of the cleaner head. At the same time, the rear squeegee assembly 116 (which is now a rear squeegee assembly) is moved to its lowered position into contact with the floor so as to retain any dirt, liquid, etc. within the footprint of the cleaner head. When the floor cleaner 100 is pulled back (to the right in fig. 3) by a user, the front squeegee assembly 114 (in this case the rear squeegee assembly) moves to its lowered position and the rear squeegee assembly 116 (in this case the front squeegee assembly) moves to its raised position. This function allows any cleaning liquid or debris present on the floor in the area surrounding the cleaner head 112 to be swept over and subsequently collected by the cleaner head, and a substantial portion of any liquid added to the floor by the cleaner head to remain within its footprint.

In this embodiment, each scraper means is formed by a pair of scrapers arranged on both sides of the suction opening 136. Waste liquid or debris present on the floor swept by the cleaner head is collected by the rear squeegee assembly and sucked into the waste liquid tank 110 through the suction opening 136 via the suction conduit 130. Suction is provided by a vacuum suction element 134, which vacuum suction element 134 is housed in the cleaner body 106 of the floor cleaner 100 and is powered by a battery 132.

The cleaning elements 138 include cleaning element bodies 120, with a cleaning pad 126 attached to each cleaning element body 120, the cleaning pad 126 engaging the floor during use. The motor 122 drives the movement of the cleaning elements 138 such that they are movable relative to the main body 118. The movement and shape of the cleaning pad and its variations are described in more detail below with respect to fig. 4 and subsequent figures. It will be appreciated that although the view in figure 3 schematically shows at least two cleaning elements appearing to be disposed at the front and rear, it is more likely that there will be one cleaning element per head, or two cleaning elements disposed side by side per head. Of course, other configurations are possible in other embodiments. Cleaning liquid from cleaning liquid tank 108 is provided to cleaning pad 126 via conduit 128, and conduit 128 leads from tank 108 to cleaning elements 138. The tubing is arranged to allow the cleaning liquid to flow at a controlled rate onto the cleaning pad 126, which then delivers the cleaning liquid to the floor. It will be appreciated that the geometry and arrangement of the tanks 108, 110 and the pipes 128, 130 are not shown in figure 3 and will depend on the location of the tanks in the body of the cleaner and the desired configuration of the outlet/inlet for liquid at the underside of the cleaner head. During use, the cleaning pad may remain wet/slightly wet, rather than wet through, so that the floor becomes wet, but no significant puddle or liquid is deposited on the floor at any given time. The water to be fed to the floor may be warm and may be heated. Floor cleaners may include a water heater for such purposes, for example a battery powered water heater.

Figure 4 shows the underside of a cleaner head 112 according to a first embodiment of the invention, the cleaner head 112 having a pair of swivel pads 126 for cleaning a floor. As each pad 126 rotates, cleaning liquid is fed onto the floor through each pad 126. It can be seen that each pad 126 has triple rotational symmetry. Each pad has three petals 129, each petal having a convex end 131, the convex ends 131 being positioned between concave regions 133 closer to the center of the pad.

Each pad 126 rotates about a fixed axis of rotation 158 positioned at the center of the pad. The axis of rotation 158 of each pad is perpendicular to the plane of the pad. Pad 126 rotates in opposite directions, but at the same speed and in coordination with each other. The pad is shown spaced from the body 118 of the cleaner head 112 in figure 4, the body 118 being shown schematically in figure 4 as a frame around the shape of the pad. In other embodiments, the pad 126 may extend to, or possibly slightly beyond, the footprint of the body 118 of the cleaner head 112.

Fig. 4 shows left pad 126L (as shown in fig. 4) rotating clockwise (arrow 166L) and right pad 126R rotating counterclockwise (arrow 166R). Fig. 5-13 illustrate movement of the pads from the position shown in fig. 4, which collectively illustrate 60 degrees of rotation of each pad 126 about its axis 158. A ten degree rotation is shown between the positions shown in fig. 5 and 6, 6 and 7, 7 and 8, 8 and 9. Five degrees of rotation are shown between the positions shown in fig. 9 and 10, fig. 10 and 11, fig. 11 and 12, and fig. 12 and 13. For ease of comparison, FIG. 13 also shows the location of pad 126 in FIG. 5 (dashed outline 168). As the pads rotate, the petals 129 of one pad move into the concave spaces 133 between the two petals of the opposite pad.

As shown in fig. 4-13, the shape of each pad 126 is such that the radius of curvature of the shape of flap 129 is constant and is about four times the minimum radius of curvature of concave region 133 having a radius of curvature. The shape smoothly transitions from concave region 133 to flap 129 such that the shape of each cleaning pad 126 as shown in the figures is a smooth curve.

As shown in fig. 4-13, having a smoothly curved shape and concave space not only allows the flaps 129 of the other pad to sweep closer than would otherwise be the case, but the pad 126 also has no sharp corners that might otherwise catch dirt, rather than allowing dirt to be sucked out by the squeegee assembly with the cleaning liquid as the cleaning head 112 is moved back and forth by the user (double-headed arrow 170 is seen in fig. 4). Fig. 13 shows the area covered (swept) when the pads 126 complete 120 degrees of rotation in light grey shading, and also shows the overlapping area 174 covered (swept) by each pad in darker grey shading, showing that there is no gap between the pads 126 that cannot be covered when the cleaner is moved back and forth by the user. It can be seen that the lobes of each pad 126 enter the overlap region 174 as the pad makes a full rotational movement. During a complete rotation, no concave region enters the overlap region 174.

Cleaning liquid is fed via the center of the rotating pad and may be fed via the axis about which the cleaning elements 138 rotate. The liquid may additionally or alternatively be fed at other locations around the planar shape of the cleaning elements 138. As the cleaning elements 138 rotate, liquid may spread over the body of the pad 126 and over the floor, at least within the footprint of the cleaning head 112, due to centrifugal forces on the liquid caused by rotating the pad 126. Thus, the liquid can be distributed more evenly and effectively than if the liquid were applied directly to the floor.

Figures 14 to 18 illustrate different shapes of cleaning elements that may be utilised. The element 338 of fig. 14 has thinner petals 329 with brushes 376 disposed at the distal ends 331 of the petals. The convex end 331 of the flap is sharper than in fig. 4 and defines a discernible apex. The cleaning/scrubbing action may be located primarily in the area of brush 376. The brush 376 may be located around or elsewhere on the shape formed by the cleaning elements 338 (and not just at or near the apex). The underside of the cleaning element 338 can still perform a cleaning action and have cleaning liquid fed through the element. Thinner blades may provide a cleaning action with greater pressure on the floor than corresponding thicker blades.

Element 438 of the embodiment shown in fig. 15 has petals 429 that are thicker than in fig. 14 and also has brushes 476 at the apices. Thicker petals can provide cleaning action over a wider area at any given time.

The embodiments shown in fig. 16 to 18 each have 8-fold rotational symmetry. In fig. 16, lobe 529 of element 538 has a discernible apex at its end furthest from the center of the element, albeit a rounded apex. In fig. 17, the lobes 629 of the element 638 are wider at their ends furthest from the center of the element and have no apices. Such a shape may enable the lobes of one element 638 to better engage the concave regions of another element. This engagement may cause one element to become the master driving the other element, while the other element will become the slave. The shape of the lobes 729 of the element 738 of fig. 18 also allows for this engagement, but the shape is formed by straight edges. Thus, the concave region is formed by a plurality of straight edges in element 738 of FIG. 18.

In all of the embodiments shown in the figures, but with particular reference to figure 13, the two cleaning elements 138 of the cleaner head 112 are arranged to move such that the concave region of one pad 126 mates with a corresponding lobe of an adjacent pad, and vice versa, so that they move (whether or not in direct meshing engagement) such that when each lobe is maximally brought into the overlapping region 174 between the pads 126, its corresponding concave region on the other pad faces that lobe.

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. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.

The floor cleaner may be a floor cleaner that operates independently of the mobile docking station. The floor cleaner may be configured to operate in situations where a docking station is required. For example, the floor cleaner may be mains powered.

It will be appreciated that the use of a rotating pad having lobes, concave regions between lobes and overlapping regions between adjacent pads does not necessarily require that cleaning liquid be delivered to the floor via the cleaning pad, or only via the cleaning pad, when rotated as described in the figures. For example, as the pad rotates, liquid may (additionally or alternatively) be delivered into the space within the footprint of the cleaning head not covered by the pad. Referring to fig. 4 and 13, it can be seen that space is available for this purpose at the corners of the coverage area of the cleaning head 112 and in the middle of the coverage area above and below the overlap area 174 (left-right direction in the drawing).

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 floor cleaner for cleaning a floor, wherein the floor cleaner comprises:

a reservoir for storing a cleaning liquid, an

A cleaning head arranged to deliver cleaning liquid received from the reservoir to the floor and to aspirate used cleaning liquid from the floor,

the cleaning head comprising a plurality of driven cleaning elements, each comprising a cleaning pad for engaging the floor and cleaning the floor in combination with a delivered cleaning liquid, and wherein,

a first one of the cleaning elements is arranged to be driven relative to the cleaning head with a rotational movement component about an axis transverse to the floor, and a second one of the cleaning elements is arranged to be driven relative to the cleaning head with a rotational movement component about an axis transverse to the floor in an opposite direction,

the area swept by the rotation of the first cleaning pad of the first cleaning element overlaps the area swept by the rotation of the second cleaning pad of the second cleaning element, thus defining an overlap area between the first cleaning pad and the second cleaning pad,

the first cleaning pad comprises a plurality of flaps, each flap entering an overlap region when the pad is rotated, in use,

the second cleaning pad comprises a plurality of flaps, each flap entering the overlap region when the pad is rotated, in use,

the pad includes a plurality of concave regions, each concave region being located between a pair of adjacent lobes of the pad such that each concave region of one of the first pad and the second pad is paired with a corresponding lobe of the other of the first pad and the second pad, the concave regions remaining outside the overlap region as the corresponding paired lobes move through the overlap region.

2. The floor cleaner of claim 1, wherein each flap includes a convex end.

3. The floor cleaner of claim 2, wherein a minimum radius of curvature of the shape of one of the flaps is within 10% to 1000% of a minimum radius of curvature of the concave region paired with that flap.

4. A floor cleaner as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the planar shape of each cleaning pad is a smooth curve.

5. The floor cleaner of claim 1, wherein each flap includes a tip.

6. A floor cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each pad comprises at least three lobes.

7. Floor cleaner according to any of the preceding claims, wherein,

one cleaning element is arranged as a master cleaning element and the other cleaning element is arranged as a slave cleaning element, wherein the master cleaning element is arranged to drive the slave cleaning element.

8. A floor cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning head further comprises a blocking member for retaining cleaning liquid at least partially within the footprint of the cleaning head.

9. A floor cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaner head comprises a first blocking member on one side of the footprint of the cleaner head and a second blocking member on an opposite side of the footprint of the cleaner head.

10. A floor cleaner as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floor cleaner is arranged to deliver cleaning liquid received from the reservoir to the floor via the cleaning pad of the cleaning element.

11. The floor cleaner of claim 10, wherein each cleaning pad comprises an open cell foam material that allows liquid to drain therethrough.

12. A floor cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each cleaning pad comprises an absorbent material.

13. A floor cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaner head comprises a plurality of suction inlets arranged adjacent the floor when the cleaner is in use, the suction inlets being spaced apart from the cleaning elements and arranged to suck used cleaning liquid from the floor.

14. A floor cleaner as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a waste tank for receiving used cleaning liquid pumped from the floor by the cleaning head.

15. A cleaning head for a floor cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims.

16. A cleaning pad for a floor cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 14.