Patent Grant
9510717
The present invention relates to a self-moving dust suction apparatus and particularly to a self-moving dust suction apparatus that includes a detachable dust collection unit separable in two stages and can confine direction of airflow sucked into a dust suction inlet to facilitate clean thereof.
To maintain environmental neatness and sanitary condition, tools to clear dust and dirt such as brooms, mops or dust suction devices are generally being used. A dust suction device performs clearing by driving an air suction fan to form a negative pressure inside the dust suction device to generate a suction force to suck in dirt, and collects the dirt in a dust suction box inside the device. However, a user needs to drag the conventional dust suction device to allow a dust suction port of the dust suction device to suck the dust on the floor. It takes the user a greater effort and time to drag the dust suction device to finish the clearing task.
With advance of technology, now automatic clearing apparatus capable of providing automatic dust suction function has been developed and marketed. It no longer needs people to drag and control positioning of the dust suction port to suck the dust. The automatic clearing apparatus can automatically move and perform dust suction at the same time, so as to do clearing work without manpower. Once the automatic clearing apparatus is activated by the user it can automatically perform dust suction action in a space where clearing is intended, thus brings the user great convenience while doing the clearing job. However, after the automatic clearing apparatus has performed the dust suction action for a period of time, a lot of dirt is gathered in a dust collection box thereof. The user has to remove the dust collection box to clear the dirt inside the box. But detaching of the conventional dust collection box often is quite complicated and inconvenient, as a result the user often is smeared with the dirt or the dirt in the dust collection box is falling out. Moreover, the automatic clearing apparatus is likely to perform the dust suction action in the cleaned area, so that its dust suction power is wasted.
In order to facilitate users to detach and reassemble the dust collection box and also improve the dust suction efficiency of the automatic cleaning apparatus, a technique aiming for this purpose has been developed. For instance, Taiwan utility model No. M422395 discloses a negative ion cleaning robot which includes a dust suction module and a main body. The dust suction module includes a dust collection box, a negative ion generator, a conductive line, a brush, an air fan, an air outlet, a filter, a bottom lid and an air inlet. The negative ion generator generates negative ions. The air fan generates airflow to suck external dust into the dust collection box. The filter is located in the dust collection box and above the air fan. The air outlet is located at one side of the dust collection box. The bottom lid is located below the air fan and the air outlet and connects to a lateral side of the dust collection box, and includes a grid corresponding to the air outlet to let the negative ions being carried out by the airflow. The air inlet is located at the bottom of the dust suction module. When the air fan is in operation, the external dust is sucked into the dust collection box through the air inlet.
Taiwan utility model No. M407724 also discloses a dust collection box and a dust suction machine adopted the dust suction box. The dust suction machine includes a body which includes a chamber to hold the dust collection box and a pair of latch troughs. The dust collection box can be joined to or detached from the chamber, and includes a holding body and a first latch means. The holding body includes a lid and a box. The first latch means is disposed on the lid and includes a pair of first movable operation members and a first elastic element interposed between the first operation members. Each of the first operation members includes a first latch member, and has a holding position in which the first operation members are pressed by the first elastic element in normal conditions and a release position in which the first elastic element is compressed. At the release position the first latch member is retracted into the lid. At the holding position the first latch member is extended outside the lid. When the dust collection box is assembled with the body, the first latch members are wedged in the pair of latch troughs.
The aforesaid dust collection box and dust suction machine disclose that the first operation members can be clipped by user's fingers and moved inward to the release position, so that the first latch members retract from the latch troughs into the lid and the user can to remove the dust collection box from the dust suction machine. However, the dust collection box has drawbacks such as consisting of a great number of components and its complex structure. Moreover, concerning the negative ion cleaning robot, the dust collection box at the bottom thereof is disposed above the air fan. Hence detaching and reassembly of the dust collection box are inconvenient. In addition, the air inlet of the negative ion cleaning robot is open type that receive dust suction airflow from different directions, including the cleaned area. As a result, the negative ion cleaning robot still has problem of wasting dust suction power.
The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of detaching and assembly inconvenience and poorer dust suction efficiency that occurred to the conventional automatic cleaning machines.
To achieve the foregoing object the present invention provides a self-moving dust suction apparatus to facilitate cleaning that comprises a dust suction base, a detachable dust collection unit and an airflow directing element. The dust suction base includes an air drawing mechanism to suck airflow, a housing space corresponding to the air drawing mechanism, an opening communicating with the housing space and a trigger driven mechanism. The trigger driven mechanism includes a trigger unit depressible by a user, a latch element driven by the trigger unit to situate at a latch position and a release position, and at least one elastic element to provide a resilient force to make the latch element at the latch position in normal conditions. The detachable dust collection unit is held in the housing space through the opening and includes a dust suction inlet corresponding to the air drawing mechanism and at least one first coupling portion coupled with the latch element at the latch position and separated from the latch element at the release position. The airflow directing element is disposed on the detachable dust collection unit and includes an elastic barrier plate which partially surrounds the dust suction inlet and extends towards a floor from the detachable dust collection unit to confine direction of the airflow flowing into the dust suction inlet.
In one embodiment the dust suction base includes a driving wheel assembly to drive the dust suction base to move along a dust suction direction.
In another embodiment the dust suction base includes an auxiliary driven wheel driven by the driving wheel assembly.
In yet another embodiment the dust suction base includes a control unit electrically connected to the air drawing mechanism and driving wheel assembly.
In yet another embodiment the elastic barrier plate partially surrounds the dust suction inlet at one side opposite to the dust suction direction.
In yet another embodiment the elastic barrier plate includes a sway movement to sway away from the dust suction direction upon being in contact with an obstacle on the floor.
In yet another embodiment the air drawing mechanism includes a first driving motor and an air fan driven by the first driving motor.
In yet another embodiment the trigger unit includes a button located on the dust suction base and depressible by the user and a fastening element hinged on the dust suction base and triggered by the button to move the latch element to a latch position and a release position.
In yet another embodiment the detachable dust collection unit includes a holding surface, at least one holding wall extended from the holding surface and a holding portion surrounded by the holding wall.
In yet another embodiment the detachable dust collection unit includes a protruding portion jutting from the holding surface toward the holding portion in the dust suction inlet and a guiding portion surrounded the dust suction inlet and extended towards the boss.
In yet another embodiment the elastic barrier plate is extended towards the floor and spaced from it at a distance ranged from 0.5 mm and 10 mm.
In yet another embodiment the dust suction base includes a fastening portion, and the detachable dust collection unit includes a second latch portion latched on the fastening portion.
The invention, by means of the structure set forth above, compared with the conventional structures, provides many advantageous features, notably:
1. Through the airflow directing element direction of the sucked airflow passing through the dust suction inlet can be confined as desired. The airflow directing element partially surrounds the guiding portion and is disposed at the rear side of the dust suction inlet so that dust suction area is shrunk to enhance a pressure difference and converge the suction airflow, thereby the dust suction apparatus has greater dust suction power.
2. Through the trigger unit, the latch element and the first elastic element of the trigger driven mechanism, the detachable dust collection unit can be detached from and reassembled with the dust suction base. The trigger driven mechanism is a simplified structure for detaching and assembly of the detachable dust collection unit.
3. The detachable dust collection unit can be latched on the dust suction apparatus through the latch element and the fastening portion. When removing the detachable dust collection unit is desired, the user can press the trigger driven mechanism to separate the detachable dust collection unit and the latch element, which is called a first separation step; then disengaging the detachable dust collection unit from the fastening portion, which is called a second separation step. This two-step separation process can prevent the dirt from scattering around during assembly and detaching of the detachable dust collection unit.
4. The detachable dust collection unit is located at the bottom of the apparatus, hence can be directly detached to facilitate cleaning.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Please referring to
Please also referring to
The detachable dust collection unit 20 is located in the housing space 13 through the opening 14, and includes a dust suction inlet 21 corresponding to the air drawing mechanism 30, at least one first coupling portion 22, a holding surface 23, at least one holding wall 24 extended from the holding surface 23, a holding portion 25 surrounded by the holding surface 23 and holding wall 24, a protruding portion 26 jutting from the holding surface 23 towards the holding portion 25 to dispose the dust suction inlet 21, a guiding portion 27 extended from the protruding portion 26 to surround the dust suction inlet 21 and a second coupling portion 28 located on the holding wall 24. The first coupling portion 22 includes at least one first latch hook 221 and at least one second latch hook 222. The first latch hook 221 includes a third abutting surface 223 and a third latch surface 224. The second latch hook 222 includes a fourth latch surface 225. In this embodiment the third abutting surface 223 is, but not limited to, an inclined surface or a curved surface. In this embodiment the second coupling portion 28 is, but not limited to, a trough. The airflow directing element 29 is disposed on the detachable dust collection unit 20 to confine direction of the suction airflow passing through the dust suction inlet 21. In this embodiment, the airflow directing element 29 is an elastic barrier plate which partially surrounds the dust suction inlet 21 and extends towards the floor from the detachable dust collection unit 20 to confine the direction of the suction airflow flowing into the dust suction inlet 21. The elastic barrier plate partially surrounds one side of the dust suction inlet 21 opposite to the dust suction direction, and has a sway movement to sway away from the dust suction direction upon being in contact with an obstacle on the floor. In a prefer embodiment, the elastic barrier plate is spaced from the floor at a distance ranged between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, but this also is not the limitation of the invention.
Please refer to
The aforesaid implementation process mainly elaborates the separation process of the detachable dust collection unit 20 and the dust suction base 10. On the other hand, when assembly of the detachable dust collection unit 20 and the dust suction base 10 is wanted, the user can merely align the detachable dust collection unit 20 with the opening 14 of the base casing 12 and insert the detachable dust collection unit 20 to the housing space 13 through the opening 14. During inserting, the fastening portion 15 of the base casing 12 first couples with the second coupling portion 28 of the detachable dust collection unit 20. Next, the first abutting surface 625 of the first latch portion 622 abuts the third abutting surface 223 of the first latch hook 221, and the second abutting surface 627 of the second latch portion 623 contacts with the holding wall 24 of the detachable dust collection unit 20, so as to make the latch element 62 move from the latch position to the release position. When the first abutting surface 625 is separated from the third abutting surface 223 and the second abutting surface 627 is separated from the holding wall 24, the latch element 62 is moved from the release position to the latch position, and the first latch surface 626 is coupled with the third latch surface 224, and the second latch surface 628 is coupled with the fourth latch surface 225. As such, assembly of the latch element 62 and the detachable dust collection unit 20 is finished.
As a conclusion, through the first stage separation step of the latch element and the detachable dust collection unit, and the second stage separation step of the fastening portion and the detachable dust collection unit, the invention can prevent the dirt from scattering during unloading of the detachable dust collection unit to avoid pollution. Moreover, through the airflow directing element, the direction of the suction airflow passing through the dust suction inlet can be confined, thereby to enhance dust suction power of the self-moving dust suction apparatus.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, they are not the limitation of the invention, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050217061 | Reindle | Oct 2005 | A1 |
| 20120169497 | Schnittman | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120199006 | Swett | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| 20130117952 | Schnittman | May 2013 | A1 |
| 20140026338 | Kim | Jan 2014 | A1 |
| 20140137367 | Li | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140189977 | Wang | Jul 2014 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| M407724 | Jul 2011 | TW |
| M422395 | Feb 2012 | TW |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150230678 A1 | Aug 2015 | US |
