The invention relates to a cleaning liquid container for a cleaning device.
A cleaning liquid container is known from printed specification WO 98/35581. The replaceable cleaning liquid container filled with a cleaning liquid has an inlet and an outlet as well as a filter housing which projects into the cleaning liquid and is equipped with a filter element. Removably disposed in the interior of the filter housing are a conveying mechanism and a motor for driving the conveying mechanism. The solid particles which arise while cleaning a shaving head of a dry shaving apparatus flow with the cleaning liquid via the outlet into the interior of the cleaning liquid container and can be sucked up together with cleaning liquid by the conveying mechanism both before and after they settle to the bottom of the cleaning liquid container. In the course of being sucked up, these solid particles settle on the outer wall of the filter element, forming a so-called filter cake on the filter element and obstructing the sucking up of liquid by the conveying mechanism.
An advantage of one aspect of the present invention is that the cleaning liquid, which is contaminated with solid particles as it flows back from a cleaning device, is directed via a sedimentation line or flow path leading from the inlet to the outlet in order to allow the entrained solid particles to settle. As the result of this flow path a large part of the solid particles settles from the cleaning liquid, forming a sediment trail along the flow path. Hence a major part of the solid particles does not reach the filter element, resulting in a significantly reduced amount of filter cake being formed on the filter element.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the flow path is formed by disposing at least one wall in the interior of the cleaning liquid container.
In a further aspect of this embodiment the wall is disposed between the inlet and the outlet to ensure a separation of inflowing cleaning liquid and of cleaning liquid adapted to be aspirated by a conveying mechanism.
According to another preferred embodiment, the length of the flow path is determined by the shaping of the wall.
In a further aspect of this embodiment the interior of the cleaning liquid container is divided by the wall into at least one first chamber and one second chamber, for the inlet to be assigned to the first chamber and the outlet to the second chamber, and for an opening to connect the first and the second chamber.
A preferred embodiment includes at least one partial wall provided in the interior of the cleaning liquid container.
In a further aspect of this embodiment the partial wall is provided in at least one first and/or one second chamber.
In a further embodiment the partial wall is provided in the opening which connects the first chamber to the second.
In another embodiment the partial wall is constructed as a rib.
According to another preferred embodiment wall elements are constructed as ribs on at least one inner wall of the cleaning liquid container.
In a further aspect of this embodiment the ribs are constructed as longitudinal partitions.
In a further embodiment the ribs are constructed as transverse partitions.
In another embodiment of the invention which is particularly suited for receiving and retaining segregated solid particles a honeycomb-type wall structure is formed by means of ribs.
In a further embodiment the honeycomb-type wall structure formed by means of ribs is disposed on the housing floor wall of the cleaning liquid container.
In a further embodiment of the invention at least one rib has comb teeth.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention ribs are provided on at least one longitudinal wall to allow solid particles to settle.
To create as long a sedimentation line or flow path as possible while using a wall element disposed in the interior of the cleaning liquid container, one embodiment of the invention provides for the inlet and the outlet to be disposed adjacent to each other in a common housing wall of the cleaning liquid container.
According to an alternative embodiment the inlet and the outlet are disposed in a spaced relationship to each other in a common housing wall of the cleaning liquid container, and at least two wall elements, each with at least one opening, are provided in the interior of the cleaning liquid container in order to form a long sedimentation line or flow path.
To facilitate settling of solid particles, e.g. stubble hairs, contained in a cleaning liquid, the interior of the cleaning liquid container is equipped with a filter element through which the cleaning liquid, having been used in several cleaning cycles, is aspirated by means of a conveying mechanism. To increase the number of cleaning cycles before the cleaning liquid container is replaced, the sedimentation or settling of solid particles on the way from the inlet to the filter element is effected by a sedimentation line or flow path which is formed by suitably constructed and disposed walls. As a result of the sedimentation a large part of the solid particles is separated from the cleaning liquid and hence does not reach the filter element and is unable therefore to form any filter cake there. The longer the sedimentation line, the fewer the solid particles which directly reach the filter element. Furthermore, the sedimentation of solid particles can be optimized by way of the number of partition-type and rib-type wall elements fitted within the sedimentation line and by their arrangement and construction.
On account of the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid flowing back into the cleaning liquid container contains not only solid particles but also small air bubbles. These air bubbles rise and leave the cleaning liquid as it proceeds along the flow path, enabling bubble-free cleaning liquid to be aspirated by the conveying mechanism and fed to the cleaning process.
Through the sedimentation of solid particles it is possible, with the same filter area, to significantly increase the number of cleaning cycles before needing to replace a cleaning liquid container because the filter cake, which in time blocks the filter element, forms more slowly. With solid particles settling and accumulating on the wall elements disposed to form the flow path, a substantially more efficient use of the cleaning liquid is ensured, particularly as the conveying mechanism can be immersed more deeply into the cleaning liquid container. Consequently, less than a third of the content of the cleaning liquid container remains in the cleaning liquid container for disposal when the cleaning liquid container is replaced after repeat use.
The sedimentation of solid particles is substantially promoted firstly by providing as long a flow path as possible for the cleaning liquid between the inlet, designed as the return opening, and the outlet, designed as the withdrawal opening. The arrangement of additional wall elements such as ribs and partitions in the interior of the cleaning liquid container causes the wall elements to act against the flow of the cleaning liquid, as the result of which the heavy constituents of the solid particles are separated from the liquid current. In addition it is possible to provide combtype wall elements within the flow path, which, in addition to the sedimentation line or flow path, encourage the settling of solid particles. These rib-type and partition-type wall elements make the cleaning liquid container more rigid on the whole, preventing the cleaning liquid container from being deformed, particularly in transit. The honeycomb structure provided on the housing floor wall lends optimal rigidity to the cleaning liquid container with a minimum of material outlay, in addition to resulting in maximal sedimentation as a result of the numerous ribs forming the honeycomb structure. Furthermore, the ribs of the honeycomb structure prevent the already deposited dirt from being moved with the liquid current toward the filter element.
The inner curved face of the cleaning cradle 8 is shaped to conform approximately to the outer contour of the shaving head SK of the dry shaving apparatus R and receives only as much cleaning liquid as required for the particular cleaning operation. To support the shaving head SK it is possible for the bottom of the cleaning cradle 8 to be provided, for example, with two support elements 16 made of an elastic material.
The cleaning cradle 8 has an overflow device 17 to ensure that the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning cradle 8 does not exceed a certain level. This assures that only the shaving head SK or a part of the shaving head SK is surrounded by cleaning liquid 11 when the cleaning device RV is in operation.
In this embodiment the liquid discharge conduit 9 from the cleaning cradle 8 to the cleaning liquid container 3 is formed by an outlet 18 in the cleaning cradle 8, whose cross-sectional area of discharge can also be used to control the level of the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning cradle 8, and by an inlet 15 of, for example, a funnel-shaped configuration in the cleaning liquid container 3. The inlet 15 and the outlet 14 of the cleaning liquid container 3 can be closed by means of a closure—not shown—in order, for example, to transport the replaceable cleaning liquid container 3.
The interior 10 of the cleaning liquid container 3 is divided by a wall 30 into a first chamber 50 acting as an inflow compartment and a second chamber 51 acting as a suction compartment. The wall 30 ends at a predetermined distance A (shown in
In the interior 10 of the cleaning liquid container 3 further wall elements are provided along the sedimentation line or flow path leading from the inlet 15 to the outlet 14. These wall elements encourage solid particles to settle from the cleaning liquid 11. These wall elements are essentially constructed as ribs or partitions 31, 32, 33 and 36. Using the ribs 32, 33 and 36 it is possible to obtain various wall structures on the inner surface of the housing floor wall 21 of the cleaning liquid container 3.
The embodiment of
The wall elements constructed as ribs 31 (shown in
The wall 30, which forms the sedimentation line or flow path and, by virtue of its shape, simultaneously determines the length of the sedimentation line or flow path, is fastened partly to the inner surface of the housing wall 23 of the housing pot 22 and partly to the housing floor wall 21 of the housing bottom. The wall 30 is attached to the housing wall 23 and housing floor wall 21 such that a single-piece wall 30 is formed after the housing pot 22 is joined to the housing floor wall 21 and a tight connection is subsequently made as by adhesive bonding and/or welding. The wall 30, provided as a partition wall, may be formed integrally with the housing pot 22 or with the housing floor wall 21. It will be understood that the shape of the wall 30 is not restricted to the form illustrated in
The embodiment of the cleaning liquid container 3 of
On the housing floor wall 21 a wall element constructed as a rib 37 is provided in the opening 39 between the wall 30 and the transverse wall 26 in such a way that a partial wall 34 (shown in
In the embodiment of
Unlike the embodiment of a cleaning liquid container 3 according to
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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199 18 287 | Apr 1999 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCTEP00/01789 | 3/2/2000 | WO | 00 | 9/17/2001 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO0064300 | 11/2/2000 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country |
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4-117406 | Apr 1992 | JP |
6-170343 | Jun 1994 | JP |
11-192493 | Jul 1999 | JP |
WO 9835581 | Aug 1998 | WO |