Electric cleaning apparatus, station, and vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11406239-B2
Application number	US-201916545841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Sep 4, 2018
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

To provide an electric cleaning apparatus including a vacuum cleaner that loads an appropriate amount of electrolyzed water and does not reduce convenience in terms of power consumption and lightness. An electric cleaning apparatus includes a vacuum cleaner and a station. The vacuum cleaner comprises: a first reservoir configured to store electrolyzed water; and a first cleaner configured to clean a surface to be cleaned by using the electrolyzed water supplied from the first reservoir. The station comprises: a second reservoir configured to store water; an electrolyzed-water generator that generates the electrolyzed water by electrolyzing the water; and a supply system configured to supply the first reservoir with the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric cleaning apparatus comprising a vacuum cleaner and a station that can be connected to and disconnected from the vacuum cleaner,
wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises:
a first reservoir configured to store electrolyzed water; and
a first cleaner configured to clean a surface to be cleaned by using the electrolyzed water supplied from the first reservoir,

wherein the station comprises:
a second reservoir configured to store water;
an electrolyzed-water generator that generates the electrolyzed water by electrolyzing the water; and
a supply system configured to supply the first reservoir with the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the station, and

wherein the second reservoir includes therein the electrolyzed-water generator, and is further configured to be supplied with water and then store the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator until a next supply of the electrolyzed water to the first reservoir.

2. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supply system is configured to supply the first reservoir with the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator by gravity acting on the electrolyzed water.

3. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supply system is configured to pressurizes the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator and to supply the electrolyzed water to the first reservoir.

4. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supply system is configured to suck up the electrolyzed water by capillary action and to supply the electrolyzed water to the first reservoir.

5. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the supply system includes a recess configured to store the electrolyzed water, the recess that is disposed below the vacuum cleaner when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the station; and
the first reservoir has a water absorbency and is immersed in the recess when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the station.

6. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a remaining amount detector configured to detect remaining amount of the electrolyzed water in the first reservoir,
wherein the supply system is configured to control amount of the electrolyzed water to be supplied to the first reservoir based on the remaining amount.

7. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a second cleaner that is disposed behind the first cleaner and is configured to perform dry wiping on a surface to be cleaned.

8. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the station further comprises a second supply system configured to supply the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator to a component except the first reservoir.

9. A station connectable to and disconnectable from a vacuum cleaner that includes a first reservoir configured to store electrolyzed water and a first cleaner configured to clean a surface to be cleaned by using the electrolyzed water supplied from the first reservoir, the station comprising:
a second reservoir configured to store water;
an electrolyzed-water generator configured to generate the electrolyzed water by electrolyzing the water in the second reservoir; and
a supply system configured to supply the first reservoir with the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the station,
wherein the second reservoir includes therein the electrolyzed-water generator, is further configured to be supplied with water and then store the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator until a next supply of the electrolyzed water to the first reservoir.

10. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a remaining amount detector configured to detect remaining amount of the electrolyzed water in the first reservoir,
wherein the supply system is configured to control amount of the electrolyzed water to be supplied to the first reservoir based on the remaining amount.

11. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a remaining amount detector configured to detect remaining amount of the electrolyzed water in the first reservoir,
wherein the supply system is configured to control amount of the electrolyzed water to be supplied to the first reservoir based on the remaining amount.

12. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a remaining amount detector configured to detect remaining amount of the electrolyzed water in the first reservoir,
wherein the supply system is configured to control amount of the electrolyzed water to be supplied to the first reservoir based on the remaining amount.

13. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a remaining amount detector configured to detect remaining amount of the electrolyzed water in the first reservoir,
wherein the supply system is configured to control amount of the electrolyzed water to be supplied to the first reservoir based on the remaining amount.

14. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a second cleaner that is disposed behind the first cleaner and is configured to perform dry wiping on a surface to be cleaned.

15. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a second cleaner that is disposed behind the first cleaner and is configured to perform dry wiping on a surface to be cleaned.

16. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a second cleaner that is disposed behind the first cleaner and is configured to perform dry wiping on a surface to be cleaned.

17. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a second cleaner that is disposed behind the first cleaner and is configured to perform dry wiping on a surface to be cleaned.

18. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a second cleaner that is disposed behind the first cleaner and is configured to perform dry wiping on a surface to be cleaned.

19. The electric cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the station further comprises a second supply system configured to supply the electrolyzed water generated with the electrolyzed-water generator to a component except the first reservoir.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Sasaki Hironori
• Murosaki Takahiro

Classifications

• A47L9/00

  Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L9/04

  with driven brushes or agitators · CPC title

• A47L9/2805

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title

• A47L2201/026

  Refilling cleaning liquid containers · CPC title

• A47L11/4083

  Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices · CPC title