Cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051671-B2
Application number	US-201716333138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A cleaner includes a body forming an external appearance, a rotating plate provided at a lower side of the body, a mop unit coupled to a lower side of the rotating plate so as to be in contact with a floor, a spin shaft connected to an upper side of the rotating plate so as to rotate the rotating plate, a water supply reservoir configured to surround a periphery of the spin shaft and spaced apart from the spin shaft so as to define a water supply space, and a water supply module configured to supply water to the water supply space. The rotating plate forms a water supply hole configured to interconnect the water supply space and the lower side of the rotating plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaner comprising:
a body forming an external appearance;
a rotating plate provided at a lower side of the body;
a mop unit coupled to a lower side of the rotating plate so as to be in contact with a floor;
a spin shaft connected to an upper side of the rotating plate so as to rotate the rotating plate;
a water supply reservoir configured to surround a periphery of the spin shaft and spaced apart from the spin shaft so as to define a water supply space; and
a water supply module configured to supply water to the water supply space,
wherein the rotating plate forms a water supply hole configured to interconnect the water supply space and the lower side of the rotating plate,
wherein the water supply space is open at an upper side thereof, and is configured so that water is introduced into the water supply space through the upper side of the water supply space.

2. The cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the water supply reservoir protrudes upward of the rotating plate, and extends in a peripheral direction of the spin shaft.

3. The cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein the water supply reservoir takes a form of a ring-shaped rib.

4. The cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the water supply hole is provided in a plural number so that a plurality of water supply holes is spaced apart from each other by a constant distance in a peripheral direction of the spin shaft.

5. The cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein: the rotating plate comprises a slope formed along a periphery of a lower end of the spin shaft, the slope forming a downward inclination in a centrifugal direction (XO); and
the water supply hole is located in the centrifugal direction (XO) of a lower end portion of the slope.

6. The cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein a side surface in a centrifugal direction (XO) of the water supply hole and a side surface in a counter-centrifugal direction (XI) of the water supply reservoir are provided so as to extend vertically.

7. The cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a water supply cabinet configured to form a space indented upward from a lower surface of the body to accommodate an upper end portion of the water supply reservoir therein; and
a water feeder configured to guide water to pass through the water supply cabinet and to be introduced into the water supply reservoir.

8. The cleaner according to claim 7 , wherein the water supply cabinet comprises:
a rotating-shaft support portion configured to rotatably support the spin shaft; and
a partition configured to protrude from the rotating-shaft support portion so as to cover the upper end portion of the water supply reservoir.

9. The cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a water supply cabinet disposed at the lower side of the body and configured to cover an upper side of the water supply reservoir when viewed from an upper side; and
a water feeder configured to guide water to pass through the water supply cabinet and to be introduced into the water supply reservoir,
wherein the water supply module comprises:
a water tank configured to store the water therein; and
a supply pipe configured to connect the water tank and the water feeder to each other so as to guide movement of the water.

10. The cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotating-shaft support portion, a lower end portion of which is inserted into the water supply space, configured to rotatably support the spin shaft; and
a partition configured to protrude from the rotating-shaft support portion so as to cover an upper end portion of the water supply reservoir.

11. The cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising a tilting frame disposed on the body so as to be tiltable within a predetermined angular range,
wherein the spin shaft is rotatably coupled to the tilting frame so as to be tiltable integrally with the tilting frame.

12. The cleaner according to claim 11 , further comprising a water feeder fixedly disposed on the tilting frame and configured to guide water so as to be introduced into the water supply reservoir,
wherein the water supply module comprises:
a water tank configured to store the water therein; and
a supply pipe configured to connect the water tank and the water feeder to each other so as to guide movement of the water, the supply pipe flexibly bending depending on tilting of the tilting frame.

13. The cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein: the water supply module comprises a water tank configured to store water therein and a pump configured to apply pressure to the water in the water tank so as to supply the water to the water supply space; and
the cleaner further comprises a controller configured to control the pump to adjust an amount of water to be supplied.

14. A cleaner comprising:
a body forming an external appearance;
a left spin-mop module and a right spin-mop module provided to perform mopping; and
a water supply module configured to supply water to the left spin-mop module and the right spin-mop module,
wherein each of the left spin-mop module and the right spin-mop module comprises:
a rotating plate provided at a lower side of the body;
a mop unit coupled to a lower side of the rotating plate so as to be in contact with a floor;
a spin shaft connected to an upper side of the rotating plate so as to rotate the rotating plate;
a water supply reservoir configured to surround a periphery of the spin shaft and spaced apart from the spin shaft so as to define a water supply space; and
a water feeder configured to guide water so as to be introduced into the water supply reservoir,
wherein the rotating plate forms a water supply hole configured to interconnect the water supply space and the lower side of the rotating plate,
wherein the water supply space is open at an upper side thereof, and is configured so that water is introduced into the water supply space through the upper side of the water supply space.

15. The cleaner according to claim 14 , wherein: the water supply module comprises:
a water tank configured to store the water therein; and
a supply pipe configured to connect the water tank and the water feeder to each other so as to guide movement of the water; and
the supply pipe comprises:
a common pipe configured to guide movement of the water at an upstream side;
a first branch pipe configured to guide a portion of the water in the common pipe to the left spin-mop module; and
a second branch pipe configured to guide a remaining portion of the water in the common pipe to the right spin-mop module.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Jaewon
• Park Jeongseop
• Song Youngkouk

Classifications

• A47L2201/00

  Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation · CPC title

• B25J11/0085

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B25J9/1666

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J9/126

  Rotary actuators · CPC title